DYNAMIC ASSET MONITORING USING AUTOMATIC UPDATING OF RULES

• US 20090150264A1
• Filed: 12/05/2007
• Published: 06/11/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kreifels, Brian T., Hurtis, George M., Thavasi, Manivannan
• Granted Patent: US 10,229,388 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/28
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

A novel and non-obvious method, system and computer program product for controlling movement of assets is provided. A method for controlling movement of assets can include reading a first information from a first electronic marker coupled to an asset and reading a second information from a second electronic marker of a transport mechanism in possession of the asset. The method can further include storing in a record the first and second information and a third information comprising a location of the asset. The method can further include retrieving at least one rule comprising at least one value and an action. The method can further include executing a statistical test on the information in the record and executing the action of the at least one rule if a result of the statistical test is outside a predefined confidence level. Information from the record is then added to the empirical data.

Claims

1. A method for controlling movement of assets, comprising:

reading a first information from a first electronic marker coupled to an asset;

reading a second information from a second electronic marker of a transport mechanism in possession of the asset;

storing in a record the first information, the second information and a third information comprising a location of the asset;

retrieving at least one rule comprising at least one value and an action, wherein the at least one value is based on empirical data;

executing a statistical test on the information in the record as compared to the at least one value;

executing the action of the at least one rule if a result of the statistical test is outside a predefined confidence level; and

adding information from the record to the empirical data.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

executing a statistical test on the empirical data;

modifying the at least one rule to reflect the empirical data if a result of the statistical test is outside a predefined confidence level.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first step of reading comprises:

reading a first information from an RFID tag or a magneto acoustic marker coupled to an asset, wherein the first information includes at least one of a unique identifier for the asset, an asset type and a part number.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the second step of reading comprises:

reading a second information from an RFID tag or a magneto acoustic marker of a transport mechanism in possession of the asset, wherein the second information includes at least one of a unique identifier of a person, a type of employee, a shift indicator and an area indicator.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of storing comprises:

storing in a record the first information, the second information and a third information comprising at least one of a unique identifier of the location and a location type.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the step of retrieving comprises:

retrieving at least one rule comprising at least one value and an action, wherein the at least one value is based on empirical data and wherein the at least one value includes;

a first value for at least one of a unique identifier for the asset, an asset type and a part number;

a second value for at least one of a unique identifier of a person, a type of employee, a shift indicator and an area indicator; and

a third value for at least one of a unique identifier of the location and a location type.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the first step of executing comprises:

executing a statistical Z-test on the information in the record as compared to the at least one value.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of executing comprises:

executing the action of the at least one rule if the information in the record matches the at least one value, wherein the action comprises at least one of logging the record, sounding an alarm, sending an electronic message and closing a method of egress from the location.

9. A computer program product comprising a computer usable medium embodying computer usable program code for controlling movement of assets, comprising:

computer usable program code for reading a first information from a first electronic marker coupled to an asset;

computer usable program code for reading a second information from a second electronic marker of a person in possession of the asset;

computer usable program code for storing in a record the first information, the second information and a third information comprising a location of the asset;

computer usable program code for retrieving at least one rule comprising at least one value and an action, wherein the at least one value is based on empirical data;

computer usable program code for executing a statistical test on the information in the record as compared to the at least one value;

computer usable program code for executing the action of the at least one rule if a result of the statistical test is outside a predefined confidence level; and

computer usable program code for adding information from the record to the empirical data.

10. The computer program product of claim 9, further comprising:

computer usable program code for executing a statistical test on the empirical data; and

computer usable program code for modifying the at least one rule to reflect the empirical data if a result of the statistical test is outside a predefined confidence level

11. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the first computer usable program code for reading comprises:

computer usable program code for reading a first information from an RFID tag or a magneto acoustic marker coupled to an asset, wherein the first information includes at least one of a unique identifier for the asset, an asset type and a part number.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the second computer usable program code for reading comprises:

reading a second information from an RFID tag or a magneto acoustic marker of a person in possession of the asset, wherein the second information includes at least one of a unique identifier of the person, a type of employee, a shift indicator and an area indicator.

13. A system on a computer for controlling movement of assets, comprising:

a scanner for reading a first information from a first electronic marker coupled to an asset and for reading a second information from a second electronic marker of a person in possession of the asset;

memory for storing in a record the first information, the second information and a third information comprising a location of the asset; and

a processor configured for;

retrieving at least one rule comprising at least one value and an action, wherein the at least one value is based on empirical data;

executing a statistical test on the information in the record as compared to the at least one value;

executing the action of the at least one rule if a result of the statistical test is outside a predefined confidence level; and

adding information from the record to the empirical data.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured for:

executing a statistical test on the empirical data;

modifying the at least one rule to reflect the empirical data if a result of the statistical test is outside a predefined confidence level.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the first electronic marker and the second electronic marker comprise any one of an RFID tag and a magneto acoustic marker.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the first information includes at least one of a unique identifier for the asset, an asset type and a part number.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the second information includes at least one of a unique identifier of the person, a type of employee, a shift indicator and an area indicator.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the third information comprises at least one of a unique identifier of the location and a location type.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the at least one value includes:

a first value for at least one of a unique identifier for the asset, an asset type and a part number;

a second value for at least one of a unique identifier of the person, a type of employee, a shift indicator and an area indicator; and

a third value for at least one of a unique identifier of the location and a location type.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the statistical test executed on the information in the record as compared to the at least one value comprises a statistical Z-test.