CONCEPTS FOR ASSET IDENTIFICATION

• US 20140104035A1
• Filed: 09/25/2013
• Published: 04/17/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• 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: Skonberg, Carl M., Pyzocha, Ernest J. Jr., Hill, Andrew J. III, McFarland, Bobby J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,824,517 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/5.3
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/28 the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence

Abstract

Systems, methods, apparatus, and computer program products are provided for identifying assets (e.g., mobile assets and/or personnel assets). In one embodiment, a mobile asset can be uniquely identified from RFID tags. In another embodiment, mobile assets and personnel assets can be identified from captured image data. After identification, it can be determined whether the asset (e.g., mobile asset and/or personnel asset) is authorized for one or more activities and a corresponding perceivable indication can be generated.

Claims

1. A method for identifying a mobile asset, the method comprising:

transmitting, via one or more processors, a request to be received by a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag within a read range, the RFID tag affixed to a mobile asset;

after transmitting the request to be received by the RFID tag within the read range, receiving, via the one or more processors, a response from the RFID tag, the response comprising a mobile asset identifier that uniquely identifies the mobile asset;

determining, via the one or more processors, whether the mobile asset is authorized for one or more activities, the determination based at least in part on the mobile asset identifier; and

after a determination that the mobile asset is authorized for the one or more activities, generating, via the one or more processors, an instruction to one or more perceivable indicators to initiate a perceivable indication that the mobile asset is authorized for the one or more activities.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising, after a determination that the mobile asset is not authorized for the one or more activities, generating an instruction to the one or more perceivable indicators to initiate a perceivable indication that the mobile asset is not authorized for the one or more activities.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more activities are selected from the group consisting of (a) crossing a border, (b) entering or exiting a staging area, and (c) entering or exiting a checkpoint.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the request is transmitted based on one selected from the group consisting of a periodic basis, a regular basis, and a continuous basis.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the request is transmitted after the mobile asset enters or exits a geofenced area.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the perceivable indicators are selected from the group consisting of (a) illuminating a light, (b) illuminating a beacon, (c) generating a specific sound, (d) providing visual instructions, (e) a locking gate, and (f) a boom barrier gate.

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 a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag within a read range, the RFID tag affixed to a mobile asset;

after transmitting the request to be received by the RFID tag within the read range, receive a response from the RFID tag, the response comprising a mobile asset identifier that uniquely identifies the mobile asset;

determine whether the mobile asset is authorized for one or more activities, the determination based at least in part on the mobile asset identifier; and

after a determination that the mobile asset is authorized for the one or more activities, generate an instruction to one or more perceivable indicators to initiate a perceivable indication that the mobile asset is authorized for the one or more activities.

8. The apparatus claim 7, wherein the memory and computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to, after a determination that the mobile asset is not authorized for the one or more activities, generate an instruction to the one or more perceivable indicators to initiate a perceivable indication that the mobile asset is not authorized for the one or more activities.

9. The apparatus claim 7, wherein the one or more activities are selected from the group consisting of (a) crossing a border, (b) entering or exiting a staging area, and (c) entering or exiting a checkpoint.

10. The apparatus claim 7, wherein the request is transmitted based on one selected from the group consisting of a periodic basis, a regular basis, and a continuous basis.

11. The apparatus claim 7, wherein the request is transmitted after the mobile asset enters or exits a geofenced area.

12. The apparatus claim 7, wherein the perceivable indicators are selected from the group consisting of (a) illuminating a light, (b) illuminating a beacon, (c) generating a specific sound, (d) providing visual instructions, (e) a locking gate, and (f) a boom barrier gate.

13. A computer program product for identifying a mobile asset, 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 a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag within a read range, the RFID tag affixed to a mobile asset;

an executable portion configured to, after transmitting the request to be received by the RFID tag within the read range, receive a response from the RFID tag, the response comprising a mobile asset identifier that uniquely identifies the mobile asset;

an executable portion configured to determine whether the mobile asset is authorized for one or more activities, the determination based at least in part on the mobile asset identifier; and

an executable portion configured to, after a determination that the mobile asset is authorized for the one or more activities, generate an instruction to one or more perceivable indicators to initiate a perceivable indication that the mobile asset is authorized for the one or more activities.

14. The computer program product claim 13 further comprising an executable portion configured to, after a determination that the mobile asset is not authorized for the one or more activities, generate an instruction to the one or more perceivable indicators to initiate a perceivable indication that the mobile asset is not authorized for the one or more activities.

15. The computer program product claim 13, wherein the one or more activities are selected from the group consisting of (a) crossing a border, (b) entering or exiting a staging area, and (c) entering or exiting a checkpoint.

16. The computer program product claim 13, wherein the request is transmitted based on one selected from the group consisting of a periodic basis, a regular basis, and a continuous basis.

17. The computer program product claim 13, wherein the request is transmitted after the mobile asset enters or exits a geofenced area.

18. The computer program product claim 13, wherein the perceivable indicators are selected from the group consisting of (a) illuminating a light, (b) illuminating a beacon, (c) generating a specific sound, (d) providing visual instructions, (e) a locking gate, and (f) a boom barrier gate.