MONITORING RESOURCES USING RADIO FREQUENCY IDENTIFICATION TECHNOLOGIES

• US 20130063251A1
• Filed: 09/13/2012
• Published: 03/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: United Parcel Service Of America Incorporated (United Parcel Service Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: United Parcel Service Of America Incorporated (United Parcel Service Incorporated)
• Inventors: Allen, Michael
• Application Number:
  US13/613,876
• Publication Number:
  US 20130063251A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/10.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0833 Tracking

Abstract

Computer program products, methods, systems, apparatus, and computing entities are provided for monitoring resources. In one embodiment, RFID tags/sensors can be attached to resources and mobile assets may include the ability to communicate with such RFID tags/sensors. The mobile assets can transmit signals to be received by the RFID tags/sensors and receive responses from the same. For the resources associated with the received responses, the mobile asset can estimate their location to be that of or proximate to the location of the mobile asset.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring at least one resource, the method comprising:

transmitting, via one or more processors associated with a mobile asset, a request to be received by one or more radio identification (RFID) tags within a read range, wherein each of the one or more radio identification tags (a) is physically associated with a resource and (b) stores a unique resource identifier corresponding to the associated resource;

after transmitting the request to be received by the one or more RFID tags within the read range, receiving, via the one or more processors associated with the mobile asset, a response from at least one of the one or more RFID tags within the read range, wherein the response comprises the resource ID stored by the at least one of the one or more RFID tags;

determining, via the one or more processors associated with the mobile asset, an estimated location of mobile asset; and

transmitting, via the one or more processors associated with the mobile asset, the (a) unique resource identifier for the at least one of the one or more resources from which the response was received and (b) estimated location of the mobile asset.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising updating an inventory record to reflect the estimated location of the mobile asset as the estimated location of the resource.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the request from the mobile asset is transmitted after a determination that the mobile asset entered a geofenced area.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the request from the mobile asset is transmitted after a determination that the mobile asset exited a geofenced area.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the request from the mobile asset is transmitted on a periodic basis.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the request from the mobile asset is transmitted via Bluetooth.

7. An apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to at least:

transmit a request to be received by one or more radio identification (RFID) tags within a read range, wherein each of the one or more radio identification tags (a) is physically associated with a resource and (b) stores a unique resource identifier corresponding to the associated resource;

after transmitting the request within the read range to be received by the one or more RFID tags within the read range, receive a response from at least one of the one or more RFID tag within the read range, wherein the response comprises the resource ID stored by the RFID tag;

determine an estimated location of a mobile asset associated with the apparatus; and

transmit the (a) unique resource identifier for the at least one of the one or more resources from which the response was received and (b) estimated location of the mobile asset associated with the apparatus.

8. The apparatus claim 7, wherein the memory and computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to update an inventory record to reflect the estimated location of the mobile asset as the estimated location of the resource.

9. The apparatus claim 7, wherein the request from the mobile asset is transmitted after a determination that the mobile asset entered a geofenced area.

10. The apparatus claim 7, wherein the request from the mobile asset is transmitted after a determination that the mobile asset exited a geofenced area.

11. The apparatus claim 7, wherein the request from the mobile asset is transmitted on a periodic basis.

12. The apparatus claim 7, wherein the request from the mobile asset is transmitted via Bluetooth.

18. The apparatus claim 7, wherein the request from the mobile asset is transmitted via Bluetooth.

13. A computer program product for monitoring at least one resource, the computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code portions stored therein, the computer-readable program code portions comprising:

an executable portion configured to transmit a request to be received by one or more radio identification (RFID) tags within a read range, wherein each of the one or more radio identification tags (a) is physically associated with a resource and (b) stores a unique resource identifier corresponding to the associated resource;

an executable portion configured to after transmitting the request within the read range to be received by the one or more RFID tags within the read range, receive a response from at least one of the one or more RFID tag within the read range, wherein the response comprises the resource ID stored by the RFID tag;

an executable portion configured to determine an estimated location of a mobile asset associated with the apparatus; and

an executable portion configured to transmit the (a) unique resource identifier for the at least one of the one or more resources from which the response was received and (b) estimated location of the mobile asset associated with the apparatus.

14. The computer program product claim 13 further comprising an executable portion configured to update an inventory record to reflect the estimated location of the mobile asset as the estimated location of the resource.

15. The computer program product claim 13, wherein the request from the mobile asset is transmitted after a determination that the mobile asset entered a geofenced area.

16. The computer program product claim 13, wherein the request from the mobile asset is transmitted after a determination that the mobile asset exited a geofenced area.

17. The computer program product claim 13, wherein the request from the mobile asset is transmitted on a periodic basis.