METHODS, APPARATUS, AND SYSTEMS FOR GENERATING A CORRECTIVE PICKUP NOTIFICATION FOR A SHIPPED ITEM BASED UPON AN INTENDED PICKUP MASTER NODE

• US 20160232489A1
• Filed: 12/28/2015
• Published: 08/11/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Federal Express Corporation (FedEx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fedex Corporate Services Incorporated (FedEx Corporation)
• Inventors: Skaaksrud, Ole-Petter
• Granted Patent: US 10,726,383 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0832 Special goods or special handling procedures, e.g. handling of hazardous or fragile goods
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0833 Tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0835 Relationships between shipper or supplier and carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0836 Recipient pick-ups
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup

Abstract

A mobile master node apparatus is described for generating a corrective pickup notification related to an item being shipped based upon an intended pickup master node. The master node includes a processor, memory storage, location circuitry, and a communication interface. In operation, the mobile master node is unconventionally transformed to identify a location of the ID node; determine whether the location of the ID node and a detected location of the mobile master node indicates the item accompanies the mobile master node as it moves from a first location to a second location; identify an intended pickup master node from received shipping information related to the item; automatically sense an adverse pickup condition related to the item based upon the intended pickup master node and whether the item is accompanying the mobile master node; and generate the corrective pickup notification based upon the adverse pickup condition sensed.

Claims

1. An improved location-based system for generating a corrective pickup notification related to an item being shipped based upon an intended pickup master node, the system comprising:

a logistics server that maintains a copy of shipping information related to the item being shipped and an ID node associated with the item being shipped; and

a mobile master node in communication with the logistics server and in communication with the ID node associated with the item being shipped, the mobile master node comprising,

a node processing unit,

a node memory storage coupled to the node processing unit of the mobile master node, the node memory storage maintaining delivery notification code for execution by the node processing unit,

location circuitry coupled to the node processing unit of the mobile master node, the location circuitry being operative to detect a current location of the mobile master node,

a first communication interface coupled to the node processing unit and operative to access a first wireless communication path connecting the mobile master node with at least the ID node associated with the item being shipped, and

a second communication interface coupled to the node processing unit and operative to access a second wireless communication path connecting the mobile master node with the logistics server, the first wireless communication path being distinct from the second wireless communication path; and

wherein the node processing unit of the mobile master node, when executing the delivery notification code maintained on the node memory storage, is operative to

identify a location of the ID node associated with the item being shipped;

determine whether the identified location of the ID node and the detected current location of the mobile master node remain within a threshold distance from each other to indicate the item is accompanying the mobile master node as the mobile master node moves from a first location to a second location;

receive shipping information related to the item from the logistics server;

identify the intended pickup master node from the received shipping information;

automatically sense an adverse pickup condition related to the item based upon the identified intended pickup master node and whether the location of the ID node and the detected location of the mobile master node indicates the item is accompanying the mobile master node; and

generate the corrective pickup notification based upon the adverse pickup condition sensed.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the node processing unit of the mobile master node is further operative to automatically sense the adverse pickup condition as when the identified intended pickup master node does not correspond to the mobile master node and the identified location of the ID node indicates the item is accompanying the mobile master node.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the mobile master node further comprises a user interface coupled to the node processing unit;

and

wherein the node processing unit of the mobile master node is operative to generate the corrective pickup notification as a prompt to be displayed on the user interface of the mobile master node, the prompt being related to the adverse pickup condition.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the prompt further comprises electronic feedback on the user interface of the mobile master node.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the electronic feedback includes at least a displayed instruction on the user interface not to deliver the item based upon the sensed adverse pickup condition.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the electronic feedback includes at least a displayed instruction on the user interface to alter a current direction of movement based upon the sensed adverse pickup condition.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the displayed instruction to alter the current direction of movement comprises an instruction shown on the user interface of the mobile master node for the operator of the mobile master node to move to a specified location.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the specified location comprises a prior location of the mobile master node.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the mobile master node further comprises a speaker coupled to the node processing unit;

and

wherein the node processing unit is operative to generate the corrective pickup notification as an alert sound played through the speaker of the mobile master node.

10. A mobile master node apparatus for generating a corrective pickup notification related to an item being shipped based upon an intended pickup master node, the mobile apparatus comprising:

a node processing unit;

a node memory storage coupled to the node processing unit, the node memory storage maintaining delivery notification code for execution by the node processing unit;

location circuitry coupled to the node processing unit, the location circuitry being operative to detect a current location of the mobile master node apparatus;

a communication interface coupled to the node processing unit and operative to access a first wireless communication path connecting the mobile master node apparatus with at least an ID node associated with the item being shipped; and

wherein the node processing unit, when executing the delivery notification code maintained on the node memory storage, is operative to

identify a location of the ID node associated with the item;

determine whether the identified location of the ID node and the detected current location of the mobile master node apparatus indicates the item is accompanying the mobile master node apparatus as the mobile master node apparatus moves from a first location to a second location;

receive shipping information related to the item;

identify the intended pickup master node from the shipping information;

automatically sense an adverse pickup condition related to the item based upon the identified intended pickup master node and whether the location of the ID node indicates the item is accompanying the mobile master node apparatus; and

generate the corrective pickup notification based upon the adverse pickup condition sensed.

11. The mobile master node apparatus of claim 10, wherein the node processing unit is further operative to automatically sense the adverse pickup condition as when the identified intended pickup master node does not correspond to the mobile master node apparatus and the identified location of the ID node indicates the item is accompanying the mobile master node apparatus.

12. The mobile master node apparatus of claim 10, wherein the shipping information is received from the ID node over a secure connection between the ID node and the mobile master node apparatus over the first wireless communication path.

13. The mobile master node apparatus of claim 10, wherein the communication interface is further operative to access a second wireless communication path distinct from the first wireless communication path, the second wireless communication path connecting the mobile master node apparatus with a server;

and

wherein the shipping information is received from the server over a secure connection between the server and the mobile master node apparatus over the second wireless communication path.

14. The mobile master node apparatus of claim 10 further comprising a user interface coupled to the node processing unit;

and

wherein the node processing unit is operative to generate the corrective pickup notification as a prompt to be displayed on the user interface of the mobile master node apparatus, the prompt being related to the adverse pickup condition.

15. The mobile master node apparatus of claim 14, wherein the prompt further comprises electronic feedback on the user interface of the mobile master node.

16. The mobile master node apparatus of claim 15, wherein the electronic feedback includes at least a displayed instruction on the user interface not to deliver the item based upon the sensed adverse pickup condition.

17. The mobile master node apparatus of claim 16, wherein the electronic feedback includes at least a displayed instruction on the user interface to alter a current direction of movement based upon the sensed adverse pickup condition.

18. The mobile master node apparatus of claim 17, wherein the displayed instruction to alter the current direction of movement comprises an instruction shown on the user interface of the mobile master node apparatus for the operator of the mobile master node apparatus to move to a specified location.

19. The mobile master node apparatus of claim 18, wherein the specified location comprises a prior location of the mobile master node apparatus.

20. The mobile master node apparatus of claim 10 further comprising a speaker coupled to the node processing unit;

and

wherein the node processing unit is operative to generate the corrective pickup notification as an alert sound played through the speaker of the mobile master node apparatus.

21. An improved location-based method for generating a corrective pickup notification related to an item being shipped based upon an intended pickup master node, the method comprising:

identifying, by a mobile master node, a location of an ID node associated with the item;

determining, by the mobile master node, whether the location of the ID node indicates the item is accompanying the mobile master node as the mobile master node moves from a first location to a second location;

receiving, by the mobile master node, shipping information related to the item;

identifying, by the mobile master node, the intended pickup master node from the shipping information;

automatically sensing, by the mobile master node, an adverse pickup condition related to the item based upon the intended pickup master node and whether the location of the ID node indicates the item is accompanying the mobile master node; and

generating, by the mobile master node, the corrective pickup notification based upon the adverse pickup condition sensed.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the step of determining further comprises:

detecting, by location circuitry on the mobile master node, a location of the mobile master node; and

comparing the location of the mobile master node to the location of the ID node as the mobile master node moves from the first location to the second location to determine whether the item is accompanying the mobile master node.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the step of automatically sensing further comprises automatically sensing, by the mobile master node, the adverse pickup condition related to the item when the intended pickup master node does not correspond to the mobile master node and the location of the ID node indicates the item is accompanying the mobile master node.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the shipping information is received from the ID node over a secure connection between the ID node and the mobile master node.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein the shipping information is received from a server over a secure connection between the server and the mobile master node.

26. The method of claim 21, wherein the step of generating the corrective pickup notification further comprises generating a prompt on the mobile master node, the prompt being related to the adverse pickup condition.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the prompt further comprises an alert sound generated by the mobile master node.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein the prompt further comprises electronic feedback on a user interface of the mobile master node.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the electronic feedback includes at least a displayed instruction not to deliver the item based upon the sensed adverse pickup condition.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein the electronic feedback includes at least a displayed instruction to alter a current direction of movement based upon the sensed adverse pickup condition.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the displayed instruction to alter the current direction of movement comprises an instruction to move to a specified location.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the specified location comprises a prior location of the mobile master node.