System and Method for Increasing Asset Utilization Using Satellite Aided Location Tracking

• US 20100088199A1
• Filed: 10/06/2009
• Published: 04/08/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SkyBitz, Inc. (Ametek Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: SkyBitz, Inc. (Ametek Incorporated)
• Inventors: McKethan, John
• Granted Patent: US 8,510,180 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/28
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063 Operations research, analysis or management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0833 Tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0838 Historical data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

A system and method for increasing asset utilization using satellite aided location tracking. Smart sensor technology incorporated into mobile tracking hardware affixed to an asset can be used to support decision processes related to management of multiple assets. Automated decision processes based on customized business rules can operate on asset positions at various defined landmark locations and customized geographical areas.

Claims

1. An asset assignment method, comprising:

receiving, via a communication network, a request for asset assignment from an asset transporter;

determining, for a plurality of customer defined landmark areas, a ranked list of assets in said plurality of customer defined landmark areas based on a customer defined weighting of a plurality of rules, said plurality of rules including landmark specific thresholds that relate to one or more statistics for an individual landmark area, said one or more statistics generated based on a time that a plurality of assets were located in said individual landmark area;

selecting an asset from said ranked list of assets; and

transmitting, via a communication network, an identification of said selected asset to said asset transporter.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said plurality of rules includes an asset pool assignment target that identifies a target number of assets at said individual landmark area.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said plurality of rules includes a turn time target that identifies a target amount of time between an arrival and departure of an asset from a landmark area.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said plurality of rules includes a rule based on a revenue generated per landmark area for a given time period.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said plurality of rules includes a rule based on a number of asset idle days at said landmark area.

6. An asset pool management method, comprising:

receiving, via a communication network, a definition of a geographical area for monitoring;

receiving, via a communication network, a target number of assets for said geographical area;

identifying a number of assets that are located within said geographical area at a given point in time; and

generating an alert when said identified number of assets is greater than a threshold variance from said target number of assets.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said geographical area is a landmark location.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein said geographical area is a customized geographical area that includes a plurality of landmark locations, each of said plurality of landmark locations having associated therewith a respective target number of assets.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein said identifying comprises identifying a number of assets that are located within said geographical area based on arrival reports that are generated after an asset has remained in a no motion state for greater than a predefined percentage of a period of time.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein said generating comprises generating an alert if said identified number of assets is greater than a threshold variance above said target number of assets.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein said generating comprises generating an alert if said identified number of assets is greater than a threshold variance below said target number of assets.

12. An asset management method, comprising:

receiving, via a communication satellite, a first report from a mobile terminal affixed to an asset, said first report identifying a time that said asset departed from a first landmark location at an international border;

receiving, via said communication satellite, a second report from said mobile terminal, said second report identifying a time that said asset entered into a second landmark location at said international border; and

determining a round trip time for said asset across said international border based on said first and second report.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said determining is based on a timer.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein said first landmark location and said second landmark location are the same.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein said first landmark location and said second landmark location are part of a customized geographical area.