METHOD AND APPARATUS TO ENSURE PROPER GEOCODING

• US 20110043332A1
• Filed: 10/22/2010
• Published: 02/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Howard W. Brant
• Original Assignee: Howard W. Brant
• Inventors: Main, II, James David, Graham, William Eric, Rittwager, Frank John, Colbert, Daniel James
• Granted Patent: US 8,452,664 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/8.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/203 Inventory monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

The present invention provides a method for verifying customer addresses before using those addresses in an asset tracking system. More specifically, the enhanced asset tracking system can accept multiple characteristics of the location. An operator or GIS system can check that these descriptors are identifying the same location. If descriptors do identify a same location, then the operator or GIS system can allow the location information to pass to the assets.

Claims

1-18. -18. (canceled)

19. An asset tracking system that ensures accurate geocoding of location information sent to an asset, the asset being associated with a mobile device that is coupled in communication to at least one communication network and configured to receive the location information for the assets, the asset tracking system comprising:

a GIS system, wherein the GIS system ensures the accuracy of the location information by comparing a first characteristic about a location and at least one other characteristic about the location to verify that the first characteristic and the at least one other characteristic are spatially near, wherein the first characteristic and the at least one other characteristic are spatially near when the comparing generates a level of confidence in a geocode that identifies the location above a pre-defined level of confidence threshold.

20. An asset tracking system according to claim 19, wherein the at least one communication network is one of a radio network, a satellite communication network, a cellular network, an internet network, a LAN, a WAN, or a wireless LAN.

21. An asset tracking system according to claim 19, wherein the mobile device includes a communication device and a position finder.

22. An asset tracking system according to claim 21, wherein the communication device is one of a cellular modem, a radio transmitter and receiver, a satellite transceiver, or an internet router.

23. An asset tracking system according to claim 21, wherein the position finder is one of a GPS receiver, a local position receiver, or a LORAN receiver.

24. An asset tracking system according to claim 19, further comprising an asset server coupled in communication to the at least one communication network and the GIS system, wherein the asset server sends the geocode that identifies the location to the mobile device, and wherein the asset server includes at least one parser and a message switch.

25. An asset tracking system according to claim 24, wherein the at least one parser sends the location information to the mobile device.

26. An asset tracking system according to claim 19, wherein the GIS system is part of an operator'"'"'s system.

27. An asset tracking system according to claim 19, wherein the GIS system receives the first characteristic and the at least one other characteristic from a customer.

28. A method to ensure accurate geocoding of a locations in an asset tracking system, comprising:

establishing a GIS system configured to verify accurate geocoding of location information identifying the location;

using the GIS system, determining whether the characteristic generates a level of confidence in a geocode identifying the location that is above the threshold.

29. A method according to claim 28, further comprising allowing the geocode to be sent to an asset if the level of confidence is above the threshold.

30. A method according to claim 29, wherein the asset is sent to the location when the geocode is allowed to be sent to the asset.

31. A method according to claim 28, further comprising:

receiving at least one other characteristic of the location if the level of confidence is not above the threshold; and

determining if the characteristic and the at least one other characteristic generate a level of confidence in the geocode that is above the threshold.

32. A method according to claim 31, further comprising allowing the geocode to be sent to an asset if the level of confidence is above the threshold.

33. A method according to claim 32, wherein the asset is sent to the location when the geocode is allowed to be sent to the asset.

34. A method according to claim 32, wherein the determining includes:

inputting the first characteristic and the at least one other characteristics into the GIS system of the asset tracking system; and

verifying that the first characteristic and the at least one other characteristics are spatially near.

35. A method according to claim 34, wherein the first characteristic or the at least one other characteristic is provided by an electronic source communicatively coupled to the asset tracking system.

37. A method according to claim 34, wherein the first characteristic or the at least one other characteristic is one of an address, a set of cross streets, a zip code, a telephone area code, a latitude and longitude, or a phone number.

38. A method according to claim 34, wherein the first characteristic and the at least one other characteristic are different.

39. A method according to claim 34, wherein the first characteristic and the at least one other characteristic are spatially near when located within a same street block, zip code, or area code.

42. A method according to claim 34, wherein the first characteristic and the at least one other characteristic are spatially near when the first characteristic and the at least one other characteristic are within a set distance apart.

36. (canceled)

40-41. -41. (canceled)

43-44. -44. (canceled)