KINEMATIC ASSET MANAGEMENT

• US 20140209676A1
• Filed: 01/25/2013
• Published: 07/31/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Trimble Navigation Limited (Trimble Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Trimble Navigation Limited (Trimble Inc.)
• Inventors: Reynolds, James C., Dennis, Gary
• Granted Patent: US 9,129,248 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/385
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/40 Safety devices, e.g. detection of obstructions or end positions
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/13 Receivers
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0723 the record carrier comprising an arrangement for non-contact communication, e.g. wireless communication circuits on transponder cards, non-contact smart cards or RFIDs
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10297 arrangements for handling protocols designed for non-contact record carriers such as RFIDs NFCs, e.g. ISO/IEC 14443 and 18092 cryptographic protocols H04L9/00; network security protocols H04L63/00; real-time communication protocols in data switching networks H04L65/00; network protocols for data switching network services H04L67/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/24 Reminder alarms, e.g. anti-loss alarms

Abstract

A system for managing kinematic assets is disclosed. In one embodiment, the system comprises an electronic identification device associated with an asset. The system further comprises a container comprising a reader disposed within the container for receiving a unique identification of the identification device. The container further comprises a reader node for maintaining an inventory record comprising the asset and for generating a report when the asset is not detected by said reader. The report further comprises a location of the container when said report is generated. The system further comprises a kinematic asset management platform comprising an asset registry for storing data conveyed by the report and a reports engine for generating a second report conveying the location of said container when the report is generated.

Claims

1. A system for managing kinematic assets, said system comprising:

an electronic identification device coupled with an asset;

a container comprising;

a reader disposed within said container for receiving a unique identification of said identification device;

a reader node for maintaining an inventory record comprising said unique identification and for generating a report when said unique identification is not detected by said reader, said report comprising a location of said container when said report is generated; and

a kinematic asset management platform comprising;

an asset registry for storing data conveyed by said report; and

a reports engine for generating a second report conveying said location.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said container comprises a vehicle and wherein said system further comprises a wireless antenna for wirelessly conveying said report to said asset registry.

3. The system of claim 2 further comprising a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receiver coupled with said reader node for determining the position of said vehicle when said report is generated.

4. The system of claim 2 wherein said reader node determines that said vehicle has exceeded either of a pre-determined distance and a pre-determined time interval without detecting said asset within said vehicle and generates said report in response.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein said reader node further generates an alert to a display disposed within said vehicle.

6. The system of claim 2 wherein said reader node generates said report when a second asset is detected by said reader within said vehicle.

7. The system of claim 2 wherein reader node determines that said asset is present in said vehicle based in part upon an indication of the speed of said vehicle.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein said container comprises a plurality of said readers and said reader node determines a direction of travel of said asset within said container.

9. A method for managing kinematic assets, said method comprising:

associating an electronic identification device with an asset;

receiving a unique identification of said identification device by a reader disposed within a container;

maintaining an inventory record comprising said unique identification by a reader node disposed within said container;

generating a report by said reader node when said unique identification is not detected by said reader, said report comprising a location of said container when said report is generated;

storing data conveyed by said report in an asset registry; and

generating a second report conveying said location.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said container comprises a vehicle, said method further comprising:

generating a wireless message conveying said report to said asset registry.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

determining the position of said vehicle when said report is generated, said determining accomplished by a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receiver coupled with said reader node.

12. The method of claim 10 further comprising;

determining by said reader node that said vehicle has exceeded either of a pre-determined distance and a pre-determined time interval without detecting said asset within said vehicle; and

generating said report in response to said determining.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

generating an alert by said reader nod to a display disposed within said vehicle.

14. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

generating said report by said reader node when a second asset is detected by said reader within said vehicle.

15. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

determining by said reader node that said asset is present in said vehicle based in part upon an indication of the speed of said vehicle.

16. The method of claim 9 wherein said container comprises a plurality of said readers, said method further comprising:

determining by said reader node a direction of travel of said asset within said container.

17. A method for managing kinematic assets, said method comprising:

associating an identification device with an asset, said identification device comprising a unique identification;

establishing an association between said unique identification and a second unique identification of a fixed location;

maintaining a fixed location inventory comprising said asset by a reader node disposed within said fixed location;

transferring said asset from said fixed location inventory to a mobile location inventory maintained by a second reader node disposed within a mobile location;

detecting said unique identification using a reader disposed within said mobile location;

reporting said fixed location inventory to a kinematic asset management platform when said asset has been removed from said fixed location; and

reporting said mobile location inventory to said kinematic asset management platform when said asset has been added to said mobile location inventory.

18. The method recited in claim 17 further comprising:

reporting said fixed location inventory and said mobile location inventory to said kinematic asset management platform; and

storing said fixed location inventory and said mobile location inventory by said kinematic asset management platform.

19. The method recited in claim 18 further comprising:

simultaneously detecting by said reader disposed within said mobile location and a second reader, disposed within said fixed location, the presence of said asset; and

receiving by said kinematic asset management platform a first report from said mobile location of the detection of said asset by said mobile location and a second report by said fixed location of the detection of said asset by said fixed location.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising:

determining by said kinematic asset management platform that said asset is assigned to said mobile location;

receiving in said report a location of said mobile location when said asset is detected; and

disregarding said second report by said fixed location of the detection of said asset by said fixed location when reporting the location of said asset.

21. The method of claim 19 further comprising:

determining by said kinematic asset management platform that said asset is assigned to said fixed location; and

disregarding said report by said mobile location of the detection of said asset by said mobile location when reporting the location of said asset.

22. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

determining a direction of travel of said asset by a plurality of readers coupled with said reader node;

reporting said direction of travel within said fixed location to said kinematic asset management platform;

determining by a kinematic asset management platform that said asset has been removed from said fixed location based at least in part upon said direction of travel of said asset within said fixed location; and

determining that said asset is within said mobile location based upon a report conveying to said kinematic asset management platform of the detection of said asset by at least one reader disposed within said mobile location.

23. The method recited in claim 17 further comprising:

using a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receiver coupled with said mobile location to determine the location of said asset; and

conveying said location of said asset during said reporting of said mobile location inventory.

24. A system for managing kinematic assets comprising:

an identification device comprising a unique identification coupled with an asset said identification device comprising a unique identification;

a kinematic asset management platform which establishes an association between said unique identification and a second unique identification of a fixed location;

a reader node disposed within said fixed location which maintains an inventory comprising said asset and which reports said inventory to a kinematic asset management platform when said asset has been removed from said fixed location; and

a second reader node disposed within a mobile location wherein said asset is added to a second inventory maintained by said second reader node when said asset is transferred to said mobile location and wherein said second reader node reports said second inventory to said kinematic asset management platform when said asset has been added to said second inventory.

25. The system of claim 24 further comprising:

a plurality of readers coupled with said reader node for determining a direction of travel of said asset; and

a wireless transceiver for reporting said direction of travel within said fixed location to said kinematic asset management platform and wherein said wireless transceiver determines that said asset has been removed from said fixed location based at least in part upon said direction of travel of said asset within said fixed location and determines that said asset is within said mobile location based upon a report conveying to said kinematic asset management platform of the detection of said asset by at least one reader disposed within said mobile location.

26. The system recited in claim 24 wherein said kinematic asset management platform stores said inventory and said second inventory.

27. The system recited in claim 26 further comprising:

a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receiver coupled with said mobile location to determine the location of said asset and wherein said second reader node conveys said location of said asset during said reporting of said second inventory.

28. The system of claim 27 wherein said kinematic asset management platform is adapted to determined that said asset is assigned to said mobile location, receive in said report a location of said mobile location when said asset is detected, and disregard a second report by said fixed location of the detection of said asset by said fixed location when reporting the location of said asset.

29. The system of claim 24 wherein said kinematic asset management platform is adapted to determine that said asset is assigned to said fixed location and then disregard a report by said mobile location of the detection of said asset by said mobile location when reporting the location of said asset.

30. A high-value equipment loss protection system comprising:

an identification device coupled with an asset and comprising a unique identification;

a reader disposed in a vehicle which detects when said asset is present at said vehicle;

a reader node disposed within said vehicle which maintains an inventory of assets assigned to said vehicle, said inventory comprising said asset, and wherein said reader is configured to determine that said asset is no longer present at said vehicle;

a wireless transceiver for conveying a report generated by said reader node when said asset is no longer present at said vehicle; and

a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receiver for determining the location of said vehicle.

31. The system of claim 30 further comprising a kinematic asset management platform which generates an alert conveying that said asset is no longer present at said vehicle in response to receiving said report from said reader node.

32. The system of claim 31 wherein said alert generated by said kinematic asset management platform further comprises an inventory of assets present at said vehicle at the time said reader node generated said report.

33. The system of claim 30 wherein said reader node generates said report when said vehicle has exceeded a pre-determined distance from a last location where said asset was detected by said reader.

34. The system of claim 30 wherein said reader node generates said report when said vehicle has exceeded a pre-determined time parameter from a last time when said asset was detected by said reader.

35. The system of claim 30 further comprising a display for generating an alert to an operator of said vehicle in response to determining that said asset is no longer present at said vehicle.

36. The system of claim 30 further comprising at least one door sensor for detecting when a door of said vehicle is opened.

37. The system of claim 36 wherein said reader node initiates detection of said asset by said reader in response to an indication from said door sensor that said door has been opened and in response to an indication from said door sensor that said door has been closed.

38. A method for preventing high-value equipment loss, said method comprising:

associating an identification device comprising a unique identification with an asset;

detecting when said asset is present at a vehicle using a reader disposed in said vehicle;

maintaining an inventory of assets assigned to said vehicle using a reader node disposed in said vehicle, said inventory comprising said asset;

determining by said reader node that said asset is no longer present at said vehicle;

conveying a report generated by said reader node via a wireless transceiver when said asset is no longer present at said vehicle; and

determining the location of said vehicle using a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receiver.

39. The method of claim 38 further comprising:

generating said report by said reader node when said vehicle has exceeded a pre-determined distance from a last location where said asset was detected by said reader.

40. The method of claim 38 further comprising:

generating said report by said reader node when said vehicle has exceeded a pre-determined time parameter from a last time when said asset was detected by said reader.

41. The method of claim 38 further comprising:

displaying an alert to an operator of said vehicle using a display device disposed in said vehicle in response to determining that said asset is no longer present at said vehicle.

42. The method of claim 38 further comprising:

detecting when a door of said vehicle is opened using at least one door sensor disposed within said vehicle.

43. The method of claim 42 further comprising:

initiating detection of said asset using said reader in response to said reader node receiving an indication from said door sensor that said door has been opened and in response to an indication from said door sensor that said door has been closed.

44. The method of claim 38 further comprising:

receiving said report from said reader node by a kinematic asset management platform; and

generating an alert by said kinematic asset management platform which conveys that said asset is no longer present at said vehicle.

45. The method of claim 44 further comprising:

including an inventory of assets present at said vehicle at the time said reader node generated said report in said alert generated by said kinematic asset management platform.

46. A method for integrating assets, said method comprising:

receiving an indication of an asset needed to perform a task;

generating a request to a plurality of reader nodes disposed at a respective plurality of locations for an inventory of assets within each of said respective plurality of locations;

receiving said inventory of assets from said respective plurality of locations; and

determining that an asset needed to perform a task is present at a first location.

47. The method recited in claim 46 further comprising:

receiving a report of a second location of a vehicle; and

providing said second location to a dispatch system which generates instructions to said vehicle to proceed to said first location to receive said asset.

48. The method recited in claim 47 further comprising:

assigning a second asset the attribute “

employee”

;

receiving an indication of an attribute of said second asset which is needed to perform said task; and

assigning said second asset to said vehicle.

49. The method recited in claim 48 further comprising:

receiving a second report of a third location of said second asset; and

providing said second location to the dispatch system which generates instructions to said second asset to proceed to said second location to rendezvous with said vehicle.

50. A system for integrating assets comprising:

a kinematic asset management platform configured to determine an asset needed to perform a task;

a communication gateway configured to send a request to a plurality of reader nodes disposed at a respective plurality of locations for an inventory of assets within each of said respective plurality of locations and to for receive said inventory of assets from said respective plurality of locations and for determining that an asset needed to perform a task is present at a first location; and

a reports engine configured to generate a report conveying that said asset is present at said first location.

51. The system recited in claim 50 wherein said kinematic asset management platform is configured to receive a report of a second location of a vehicle and to provide said second location to a dispatch system which generates instructions to said vehicle to proceed to said first location to receive said asset.

52. The system recited in claim 51 wherein a second asset comprises the attribute “

employee” and

wherein said kinematic asset management platform receives an indication of an attribute of said second asset which is needed to perform said task and assigns said second asset to said vehicle.

53. The system recited in claim 52 wherein said kinematic asset management platform receives a second report of a third location of said second asset and provides said third location to a dispatch system which generates instructions to said second asset to proceed to said second location to rendezvous with said vehicle.

54. A method for compensating for detection shortcomings, said method comprising:

determining that an asset is not present at a location based upon a polling for assets using a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) system;

accessing a location history of said asset; and

determining that said asset is currently present at said location based upon said location history.

55. The method of claim 54 further comprising:

receiving a previous inventory comprising said asset, said previous inventory further comprising an indication of the speed of a vehicle in which said asset was previously located; and

based upon said indication of the speed of said vehicle in which said asset was previously located, determining that said asset is currently located in said vehicle.

56. The method of claim 54 further comprising:

detecting said asset using a reader node disposed in a vehicle and wherein said detecting is subsequent to said determining that said asset is not present.

57. The method of claim 54 further comprising:

detecting the presence of said asset within a fixed location using a reader node disposed in said fixed location and wherein said detecting is subsequent to said determining that said asset is not present.

58. A system for compensating for detection shortcomings comprising:

a reader node configured to determine that an asset is not present at a location based upon a polling for assets using a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) system;

an asset registry comprising a location history of said asset; and

an asset management platform configured to determine that said asset is currently present at said location based upon said location history.

59. The system of claim 58 wherein said asset registry receives a previous inventory comprising said asset, said previous inventory further comprising an indication of the speed of a vehicle in which said asset was previously located and wherein said asset management platform determined that said asset is currently located in said vehicle based upon said indication of the speed of said vehicle in which said asset was previously located.

60. The system of claim 58 wherein said reader node is disposed in a vehicle and detects said asset subsequent to said determining that said asset is not present.

61. The system of claim 58 wherein said a reader node is disposed in a fixed location and detects said asset subsequent to said determining that said asset is not present.