Initial Calibration of Asset To-Be-Tracked

• US 20140297485A1
• Filed: 03/29/2013
• Published: 10/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Lexmark International Incorporated (Ninestar Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lexmark International Incorporated (Ninestar Corporation)
• Inventors: Steely, Forrest Lane, Anderson, John Douglas, Schanding, Brent Allen
• Application Number:
  US13/853,573
• Publication Number:
  US 20140297485A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/28
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management

Abstract

A mobile computing device hosts an operating system and mobile applications. A calibrating application causes display of an interface for entry of administrative data regarding an asset to-be-tracked. A positioning system defines locations of the asset in geospatial coordinates. The calibrating application displays a mapping function that shows on a map an initial location of the asset. Users adjust the initial location to a proper location on the map with a hand gesture on a display surface of the mobile computing device. A delta is noted between the initial and proper locations that the calibrating application applies later during tracking of the asset to precisely establish a whereabouts of the asset in its tracking environment. Other embodiments note techniques for entering administrative data.

Claims

1. A mobile computing device for initially calibrating an asset to-be-tracked, comprising:

a housing;

one or more controllers in the housing to host an operating system and one or more mobile applications; and

a positioning system in the housing defining locations in geospatial coordinates,

wherein said one or more mobile applications includes a calibrating application configured to cause display of an interface for receipt of administrative data about the asset to-be-tracked and to receive geospatial coordinates from the positioning system regarding a coarse calibration of the asset to-be-tracked, the calibrating application further configured to cause displaying a mapping function on the mobile computing device that shows on a map an initial location of the asset to-be-tracked corresponding to the coarse calibration.

2. The mobile computing device of claim 1, wherein the calibrating application is further configured to enable users to adjust the initial location to a proper location if the initial location on the map is incorrect.

3. The mobile computing device of claim 2, wherein the calibrating application is configured to recognize a hand gesture by the user on a display surface of the mobile computing device for identifying a user adjustment of the asset to-be-tracked from the initial location to the proper location.

4. The mobile computing device of claim 1, wherein the positioning system automatically populates the geospatial coordinates for the asset to-be-tracked corresponding to the coarse calibration.

5. The mobile computing device of claim 1, further including a transceiver in the housing to communicate with a communications terminal external to the housing of the mobile computing device, the transceiver configured to transmit the administrative data and the coarse calibration to the communications terminal.

6. The mobile computing device of claim 1, wherein the calibrating application is configured to receive the administrative data by way of the mobile computing device scanning a bar code of the asset to-be-tracked.

7. The mobile computing device of claim 1, wherein the calibrating application is configured to receive the administrative data by way of the mobile computing device reading an RFID tag of the asset to-be-tracked.

8. The mobile computing device of claim 1, wherein the calibrating application is configured to receive the administrative data by way of the near field communications from the asset to-be-tracked.

9. The mobile computing device of claim 1, wherein the calibrating application is configured to receive the administrative data by way of a mobile capture from a nameplate of the asset-to-be-tracked.

10. The mobile computing device of claim 1, wherein the calibrating application is configured to display a page of the interface to the user for manually entering the administrative data of the asset to-be-tracked.

11. A calibrating application for an asset to-be-tracked available on a computer readable medium or hosted on a computing device having memory for download onto a mobile computing device, comprising:

executable code for displaying an interface to users to receive a coarse calibration of the asset to-be-tracked;

executable code for displaying a mapping function on the mobile computing device that shows on a map an initial location of the asset to-be-tracked corresponding to the coarse calibration; and

executable code for users to adjust the initial location to a proper location if the initial location on the map is incorrect.

12. The calibrating application of claim 11, further including executable code for communicating with a transceiver in the mobile computing device for transmitting the coarse calibration from the mobile computing device to an asset management station remote from the mobile computing device.

13. The calibrating application of claim 11, further including executable code for calculating a delta between the initial location and the proper location.

14. The calibrating application of claim 13, further including executable code for converting the delta into geospatial coordinates.

15. The calibrating application of claim 11, further including executable code recognizing a hand gesture on a display surface of the mobile computing device for identifying a user adjustment on the map from the initial location to the proper location.

16. The calibrating application of claim 11, further including executable code for communicating with a positioning system in the mobile computing device that automatically populates a geospatial set of coordinates corresponding to the coarse calibration.

17. The calibrating application of claim 11, further including executable code for receiving in the interface administrative data of the asset to-be-tracked.

18. A calibrating application for an asset to-be-tracked available on a computer readable medium or hosted on a computing device having memory for download onto a mobile computing device, comprising:

executable code for displaying an interface to users to receive administrative data of the asset to-be-tracked;

executable code for receiving a coarse calibration of the asset to-be-tracked; and

executable code for displaying a mapping function on the mobile computing device that shows on a map an initial location of the asset to-be-tracked corresponding to the coarse calibration.

19. The calibrating application of claim 18, further including executable code for users to adjust the initial location to a proper location if the initial location on the map is incorrect.

20. The calibrating application of claim 18, further including:

executable code for communicating with a positioning system of the mobile computing device to automatically receive a geospatial set of coordinates corresponding to the coarse calibration;

executable code recognizing a hand gesture on a display surface of the mobile computing device for identifying a user adjustment on the map from the initial location to the proper location; and

executable code for calculating a delta between the initial location and the proper location that is converted into a second geospatial set of coordinates.