Automated Asset Tracking System and Method

• US 20150070191A1
• Filed: 09/11/2013
• Published: 03/12/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Michael Westick
• Original Assignee: Michael Westick
• Inventors: Westick, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 9,462,357 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/870.07
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/40 using a wireless architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom

Abstract

A system and method is provided for automatically tracking the presence or absence of multiple assets within a stationary or mobile location and differentiating among groups of assets or individual assets belonging to one or more parties within a single stationary or mobile location using multiple data correction and filtering techniques to provide accurate information to a plurality of users and/or service providers.

Claims

1. An automated asset tracking system, said system comprising:

a. At least one active RF tag, where said tag is affixed to an asset to be tracked;

b. At least one transponder antenna at a known location and in wireless communication with said at least one active RF tag for receiving data from said at least one RF tag, said at least one transponder antenna having a CPU comprising means for filtering out redundant tag beacon data prior to such data being sent to a transponder base;

c. A transponder base remotely located from and in electronic communication with said at least one transponder antenna, said transponder base comprises means for accurately determining the presence or absence of a tag within a defined physical space;

d. Said transponder base further comprises means for selectively wirelessly transmitting data to the Internet via electronic connection, selected from the group consisting of WiFi, cellular, and Ethernet;

e. At least one server, said server comprising means to collect data from the Internet, analyze said data, and transmit said data in preselected format; and

.

f. A human readable device for wirelessly collecting data from said server, and displaying said data in a predetermined format.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the means for filtering the transponder data comprises a computer program, wherein said computer program filters reported position data such that the display of erroneous position data is reduced.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising means of tracking tags via GPS.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a human readable device for receiving and interpreting data from said server, said human readable device selected from the group consisting of a cell phone, a satellite phone, a laptop computer, a notebook computer, and a desktop computer.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising means for remotely disabling said tagged asset.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein the tags further comprise remotely accessible sensors selected from the group consisting of motion sensors, accelerometers, power sensors, temperature sensors, pressure sensors, humidity sensors, fluid level sensors, light intensity sensors, sound sensors, mechanical strain sensors, radioactivity sensors, electrical/RF field sensors, vibration sensors, bioinformatic sensors, and chemical sensors.

23. The system of claim 1, further comprising means to collect speed, location, and direction data from asset transportation vehicles.

6. A method of tracking assets within a predetermined space, said method comprising the steps of:

a. Providing a tag;

b. Affixing said tag to an asset to be tracked;

c. Providing at least one receiving transponder antenna in wireless communication with said tag;

d. Providing a transponder base remotely located from and in electronic communication with said at least one receiving transponder antenna;

e. Providing means for the transponder base to transmit data to a server;

f. Providing means for said transponder base to determine whether an asset is within a particular physical area;

g. Providing means for said server to differentiate between multiple tags within a single physical area; and

h. Sending data from said server to a human readable device.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the means for filtering the transponder data comprises a computer program, wherein said computer program filters reported position data such that the display of erroneous position data is reduced.

8. The system of claim 6, further comprising means of tracking tags via GPS.

9. The system of claim 6, further comprising a human readable device for receiving and interpreting data from said server, said human readable device selected from the group consisting of a cell phone, a satellite phone, a laptop computer, a notebook computer, and a desktop computer.

10. The system of claim 6, further comprising means for remotely disabling said tagged asset.

20. The system of claim 6, wherein the tags further comprise remotely accessible sensors selected from the group consisting of motion sensors, accelerometers, power sensors, temperature sensors, pressure sensors, humidity sensors, fluid level sensors, light intensity sensors, sound sensors, mechanical strain sensors, radioactivity sensors, electrical/RF field sensors, vibration sensors, bioinformatic sensors, and chemical sensors.

11. An automated system for tracking at least one asset within a physical space and reporting data about the asset location to a user, the system comprises:

(a) an asset tag affixed to each of the plurality of assets, each asset tag comprising a unique identification beacon for an asset with which the asset tag is associated, the asset tag configured to communicate though one or more transponder antennas to a transponder base having a central processor programmed for filtering data from said plurality of tags to accurately determine the presence or absence of a tag within a predetermined space;

(b) the central processor further programmed to identify tags by asset owner;

(c) a database for storing asset information for a plurality of assets, the database being in communication with the central processor, wherein the asset information comprises at least information relating to location, ownership, maintenance and repair of the plurality of assets;

(d) tracking software associated with the central processor, the tracking software configured to track a location of each of the plurality of assets;

(e) the central processor in wireless communication with at least one human readable device and configured to electronically report information to said device, said information selected from the group consisting of asset usage, asset location, asset movement, asset ownership, and asset presence within a job site.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the tracking software is configured to track movement of any of the plurality of assets into or out of any of the plurality of distributed sites based on information collected by the at least one transponder base from the asset tag of any asset being moved.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the tracking software is configured to update the asset information of any one of the plurality of assets based on movement of the asset into or out of any of the plurality of distributed sites.

14. The system of claim 11, further comprising notification software associated with the central processor, the notification software configured to transmit a notification message to a user based on movement of an asset.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the notification software is configured to prompt the user to confirm that the movement of the asset is authorized.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the notification message comprises information regarding transport of the asset to the user, wherein the notification software is further configured to prompt the user to confirm receipt of the asset.

17. The system of claim 11, further comprising a client processor in communication with the central processor through the computer network, wherein the client processor is configured to allow the user to input, query, and download asset information from the central processor.

21. The system of claim 11, wherein the tags further comprise remotely accessible sensors selected from the group consisting of motion sensors, accelerometers, power sensors, temperature sensors, pressure sensors, humidity sensors, fluid level sensors, light intensity sensors, sound sensors, mechanical strain sensors, radioactivity sensors, electrical/RF field sensors, vibration sensors, bioinformatics sensors, and chemical sensors.

18. An automated asset tracking system, said system comprising:

g. At least one active RF tag, where said tag is affixed to an asset to be tracked;

h. At least one transponder antenna at a known location and in wireless communication with said at least one active RF tag for receiving data from said at least one RF tag, said at least one transponder antenna having a CPU comprising means for filtering out redundant tag beacon data prior to such data being sent to a transponder base;

i. A mobile transponder base remotely located from and in wired or wireless electronic communication with said at least one transponder antenna, said transponder base comprises means for accurately determining the presence or absence of a tag within a defined physical space;

j. Said transponder base further comprises means for selectively wirelessly transmitting data to the Internet via wired or wireless connection;

k. At least one server, said server comprising means to collect data from the Internet, analyze said data, and transmit said data in preselected format; and

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l. A human readable device for collecting data from said server, and displaying said data in a predetermined format.

22. The system of claim 18, wherein the tags further comprise remotely accessible sensors selected from the group consisting of motion sensors, accelerometers, power sensors, temperature sensors, pressure sensors, humidity sensors, fluid level sensors, light intensity sensors, sound sensors, mechanical strain sensors, radioactivity sensors, electrical/RF field sensors, vibration sensors, bioinformatic sensors, and chemical sensors.