MOBILE WIRELESS NETWORK FOR ASSET TRACKING AND SUPPLY CHAIN MONITORING

• US 20100039284A1
• Filed: 08/18/2008
• Published: 02/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sensormatic Electronics LLC (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Original Assignee: Sensormatic Electronics Corporation (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: Narlow, Douglas A., Hall, Stewart E.
• Granted Patent: US 8,149,090 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/825.360
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A method, system and mobile sensor node monitor a supply chain monitoring. A communication network is established which includes a plurality of mobile sensor nodes. Status information for each mobile sensor node is periodically transmitted. Each mobile sensor node receives status information for at least one other mobile sensor node in the communication network. A log file which includes the received status information is compiled and stored in the mobile sensor node that received the corresponding status information.

Claims

1. A method for supply chain monitoring, the method comprising:

establishing a communication network, the communication network including a plurality of mobile sensor nodes;

periodically transmitting status information for each mobile sensor node;

each mobile sensor node receiving status information for at least one other mobile sensor node in the communication network;

compiling a log file, the log file including the received status information; and

storing the log file in the mobile sensor node that received the corresponding status information.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising securing the plurality of mobile sensor nodes to corresponding items being monitored.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the plurality of mobile sensor nodes is secured to corresponding items being monitored during shipping.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting each log file from each mobile sensor node to a collection data server; and

consolidating the log files from each mobile sensor node into a composite log file.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

identifying at least one of a discrepancy and an alarm notification; and

reporting the identified at least one of a discrepancy and an alarm notification.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the mobile sensor nodes operates in a watchman mode, the method further comprising placing the mobile sensor nodes not operating in a watchman mode in a sleep mode.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein each mobile sensor node periodically operates in the watchman mode.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the watchman mode comprises:

operating in a standby mode to receive the status information from the at least one mobile sensor node; and

determining whether a mobile sensor node is in an alarm condition based on the received status information.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein responsive to determining that a mobile sensor node is in an alarm condition, the watchman mode further comprises:

waking all other mobile sensor nodes of the communication network from sleep mode; and

transmitting a notification of the alarm condition.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the watchman mode further comprises:

transmitting all status information received from the other mobile senor nodes of the plurality of mobile sensor nodes in the communication network since previously receiving status information from the mobile sensor node;

transmitting status information for the mobile sensor node operating in watchman mode; and

responsive to determining that a mobile sensor node is in an alarm condition, transmitting a notification of the alarm condition.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the status information includes at least one of a mobile sensor node identifier, a present alarm condition, a time, a GPS location, and a temperature.

12. A system for supply chain monitoring, the system comprising:

a plurality of mobile sensor nodes;

a data collection server; and

a network bridge communicatively coupled to the data collection server and to at least one mobile sensor node of the plurality of mobile sensor nodes, the network bridge operating to;

receive at least one log file, the at least one log file containing status information for each mobile sensor node; and

transmit the log file to the data collection server.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising:

a communication network, the communication network including at least some of the plurality of mobile sensor nodes, each mobile sensor node operating to;

periodically transmit status information;

receive status information for at least one other mobile sensor node in the communication network;

compile a log file, the log file including the received status information; and

store the log file in the mobile sensor node that received the corresponding status information.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the data collection server is further operating to:

receive at least one log file, the at least one log file containing status information for each mobile sensor node in a communication network;

consolidate multiple log files into a composite log file, each log file containing status information for each mobile sensor node in the mesh network;

identify an occurrence of at least one of a discrepancy and an alarm notification in the composite log file; and

report the occurrence of the identified at least one of a discrepancy and an alarm notification.

15. A mobile sensor node in a communication network for supply chain monitoring, the mobile sensor node comprising:

a transceiver operating to;

receive status information for other mobile sensor nodes in the communication network; and

periodically transmit status information for each mobile sensor node in the communication network;

a processor communicatively coupled to the transceiver, the processor operating to compile a log file, the log file including status information for each mobile sensor node in the communication network; and

a memory communicatively coupled to the processor, the memory storing the log file.

16. The mobile sensor node of claim 15, wherein the status information includes at least one of a mobile sensor node identifier, a present alarm condition, a time, a GPS location, and a temperature, the mobile sensor node further having at least one of an on-board sensor, a real-time clock and a GPS receiver.

17. The mobile sensor node of claim 15, wherein the mobile sensor node operates in a watchman mode, the processor further operates to place the mobile sensor node in a sleep mode when not operating in the watchman mode.

18. The mobile sensor node of claim 17, wherein when the mobile sensor node operates in the watchman mode:

the transceiver further operates in a standby mode to receive the status information from the at least one mobile sensor node; and

the processor further operates to determine whether a mobile sensor node is in an alarm condition based on the received status information.

19. The mobile sensor node of claim 18, wherein responsive to determining that a mobile sensor node is in an alarm condition, the transceiver further operates to:

wake all other mobile sensor nodes of the communication network from sleep mode; and

transmit a notification of the alarm condition.

20. The mobile sensor node of claim 18, wherein the transceiver further operates to:

transmit all status information received from the other mobile senor nodes of the plurality of mobile sensor nodes of the communication network since previously receiving status information from the mobile sensor node;

transmit status information for the mobile sensor node operating in watchman mode; and

responsive to determining that a mobile sensor node is in an alarm condition, transmit a notification of the alarm condition.