ZONE BOUNDARY ADJUSTMENT METHOD AND SYSTEM

• US 20100060474A1
• Filed: 09/10/2008
• Published: 03/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Maier, Holger H., Podvratnik, Amadeus, Teich, Torsten E.
• Granted Patent: US 7,868,756 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/686.600
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management

Abstract

A zone shaping method and system. The method comprises receiving by a computing system from a sensory infrastructure transmitter attached to an object data associated with the first object. The object is located within a zone area. The computing system calculates a location within the zone area for the object. The computing system receives first environmental data associated with a first environmental condition in the zone area from a first sensor. The computing system analyzes the data, the location, and the first environmental data. The computing system generates based on results of the analysis, a first modified zone area associated with the zone area.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a computing system from a first sensory infrastructure transmitter attached to a first object, first data associated with said first object, wherein said first object is located within a first zone area, wherein said first data comprises location information associated with said first object and first attributes data describing characteristics associated with said first object, and wherein said first zone area comprises a first size;

calculating, by said computing system based on said first data, a first location within said first zone area for said first object;

storing, by said computing system, a first identifier for said first location;

receiving, by said computing system from a first sensor, first environmental data associated with a first environmental condition in said first zone area, wherein said first sensor is located in said first zone area;

storing, by said computing system, said first environmental data;

first analyzing, by said computing system, said first data, said first identifier, and said first environmental data; and

generating, by said computing system based on results of said first analyzing, a first modified zone area associated with said first zone area, wherein said first modified zone area comprises a second size, and wherein said second size differs from said first size.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by said computing system from a second sensor, second environmental data associated with a second environmental condition in said first zone area, wherein said second sensor is attached to said first object;

storing, by said computing system, said second environmental data; and

second analyzing, by said computing system, said second environmental data, wherein said generating said first modified zone area is further based on results of said second analyzing.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said first environmental condition differs from said second environmental condition.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving, by said computing system from a third sensor, third environmental data associated with said first environmental condition external to said first zone area, wherein said third sensor is located external to said first zone area;

storing, by said computing system, said third environmental data; and

second analyzing, by said computing system, said third environmental data, wherein said generating said first modified zone area is further based on results of said second analyzing.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving, by said computing system from a second sensory infrastructure transmitter attached to a second object, second data associated with said second object, wherein said second object is located within a second zone area, wherein said second data comprises location information associated with said second object and second attributes data describing characteristics associated with said second object, wherein said second zone area comprises a third size, wherein said third size differs from said second size, and wherein said second zone area is located at least partially external to said first zone area;

calculating, by said computing system based on said second data, a second location within said second zone area for said second object;

storing, by said computing system, a second identifier for said second location;

receiving, by said computing system from a third sensor, third environmental data associated with a third environmental condition in said second zone area, wherein said third sensor is located in said second zone area;

storing, by said computing system, said third environmental data;

receiving, by said computing system from a fourth sensor, fourth environmental data associated with a fourth environmental condition in said second zone area, wherein said fourth sensor is attached to said second object;

storing, by said computing system, said fourth environmental data; and

second analyzing, by said computing system, said second data, said second identifier, said third environmental data, and said fourth environmental data, wherein said generating said first modified zone area is further based on results of said second analyzing, wherein said first modified zone area is associated with said second zone area, and wherein said generating said first modified zone area comprises combining said first zone area with said second zone area.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

receiving, by said computing system from a fifth sensor, fifth environmental data associated with a fifth environmental condition external to said first zone area and said second zone area, wherein said fifth sensor is located external to said first zone area and said second zone area;

storing, by said computing system, said fifth environmental data; and

third analyzing, by said computing system, said fifth environmental data, wherein said generating said first modified zone area is further based on results of said third analyzing.

7. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

comparing, by said computing system, said first environmental data to a first predetermined threshold.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

determining, by said computing system based on said comparing said first environmental data to said first predetermined threshold, that said first environmental data exceeds said first predetermined threshold, wherein said generating said first modified zone area is further based on said first environmental data exceeding said first predetermined threshold.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

determining, by said computing system based on said comparing said first environmental data to said first predetermined threshold, that said first environmental data does not exceed said first predetermined threshold;

comparing, by said computing system, said second environmental data to a second predetermined threshold;

determining, by said computing system based on said comparing said second environmental data to said second predetermined threshold, that said second environmental data exceeds said second predetermined threshold; and

generating, by said computing system based on said results of said first analyzing and said determining that said second environmental data exceeds said second predetermined threshold, a second modified zone area associated with said first modified zone area, wherein said second modified zone area comprises a third size, and wherein said third size differs from said first size and said second size.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said generating said first modified zone area comprises increasing said first size.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said generating said first modified zone area comprises decreasing said first size.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

retrieving, by said computing system, zone shape data comprising a plurality of zone shape rules, wherein said generating said first modified zone area is further based on said zone shape data.

13. A computer program product, comprising a computer storage medium comprising a computer readable program code embodied therein, said computer readable program code configured to perform the method of claim 1 upon being executed by a processor of said computing system.

14. A computing system comprising a processor coupled to a computer-readable memory unit, said memory unit comprising instructions that when executed by the processor implements a zone shaping method, said method comprising:

receiving, by said computing system from a first sensory infrastructure transmitter attached to a first object, first data associated with said first object, wherein said first object is located within a first zone area, wherein said first data comprises location information associated with said first object and first attributes data describing characteristics associated with said first object, and wherein said first zone area comprises a first size;

calculating, by said computing system based on said first data, a first location within said first zone area for said first object;

storing, by said computing system, a first identifier for said first location;

receiving, by said computing system from a first sensor, first environmental data associated with a first environmental condition in said first zone area, wherein said first sensor is located in said first zone area;

storing, by said computing system, said first environmental data;

first analyzing, by said computing system, said first data, said first identifier, and said first environmental data; and

generating, by said computing system based on results of said first analyzing, a first modified zone area associated with said first zone area, wherein said first modified zone area comprises a second size, and wherein said second size differs from said first size.

15. The computing system of claim 14, wherein said method further comprises:

receiving, by said computing system from a second sensor, second environmental data associated with a second environmental condition in said first zone area, wherein said second sensor is attached to said first object;

storing, by said computing system, said second environmental data; and

second analyzing, by said computing system, said second environmental data, wherein said generating said first modified zone area is further based on results of said second analyzing.

16. The computing system of claim 15, wherein said method further comprises:

receiving, by said computing system from a third sensor, third environmental data associated with said first environmental condition external to said first zone area, wherein said third sensor is located external to said first zone area;

storing, by said computing system, said third environmental data; and

second analyzing, by said computing system, said third environmental data, wherein said generating said first modified zone area is further based on results of said second analyzing.

17. The computing system of claim 15, wherein said method further comprises:

receiving, by said computing system from a second sensory infrastructure transmitter attached to a second object, second data associated with said second object, wherein said second object is located within a second zone area, wherein said second data comprises location information associated with said second object and second attributes data describing characteristics associated with said second object, wherein said second zone area comprises a third size, wherein said third size differs from said second size, and wherein said second zone area is located at least partially external to said first zone area;

calculating, by said computing system based on said second data, a second location within said second zone area for said second object;

storing, by said computing system, a second identifier for said second location;

receiving, by said computing system from a third sensor, third environmental data associated with a third environmental condition in said second zone area, wherein said third sensor is located in said second zone area;

storing, by said computing system, said third environmental data;

receiving, by said computing system from a fourth sensor, fourth environmental data associated with a fourth environmental condition in said second zone area, wherein said fourth sensor is attached to said second object;

storing, by said computing system, said fourth environmental data; and

second analyzing, by said computing system, said second data, said second identifier, said third environmental data, and said fourth environmental data, wherein said generating said first modified zone area is further based on results of said second analyzing, wherein said first modified zone area is associated with said second zone area, and wherein said generating said first modified zone area comprises combining said first zone area with said second zone area.

18. The computing system of claim 16, wherein said method further comprises:

receiving, by said computing system from a fifth sensor, fifth environmental data associated with a fifth environmental condition external to said first zone area and said second zone area, wherein said fifth sensor is located external to said first zone area and said second zone area;

storing, by said computing system, said fifth environmental data; and

third analyzing, by said computing system, said fifth environmental data, wherein said generating said first modified zone area is further based on results of said third analyzing.

19. The computing system of claim 14, wherein said method further comprises:

comparing, by said computing system, said first environmental data to a first predetermined threshold.

20. The computing system of claim 19, wherein said method further comprises:

determining, by said computing system based on said comparing said first environmental data to said first predetermined threshold, that said first environmental data exceeds said first predetermined threshold, wherein said generating said first modified zone area is further based on said first environmental data exceeding said first predetermined threshold.