Package tracking system

• US 6,433,732 B1
• Filed: 03/30/2001
• Issued: 08/13/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MediaTek, Inc.
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Dutta, Rabindranath, Janakiraman, Janani
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mull, Fred H
• Application Number:
  US09/823,378
• Time in Patent Office: 501 Days
• Field of Search: 342/357.07, 342/357.09, 342/357.13, 342/451, 342/457, 455/456, 455/457, 235/375, 235/384, 235/385, 705/28, 705/26, 705/27, 705/29
• US Class Current: 342/357.46
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/20 Monitoring the location of vehicles belonging to a group, e.g. fleet of vehicles, countable or determined number of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

A method and implementing system are provided in which the packaging for an item being shipped includes an item locator device for locating the item during shipment. The locator device is able to determine the location of the item being shipped through a Global Positioning System (GPS) or through another location-determining system such as a wireless telephone network. In an example, a sender maintains a database at the sender'"'"'s server containing information concerning each shipping transaction. A requester is enabled to log-on to a sender'"'"'s website and access the database to determine the last location and time of query for the item being shipped. The requester may access the sender'"'"'s database directly for the requested location information or initiate a call from the sender to the item being shipped to update the sender'"'"'s database at the time of the call. In another embodiment, a requester is able to call the item locator device directly for the location information.

Claims

1. A method for determining location of an item being shipped from a sender to a receiver, said method comprising:

providing a container for receiving said item, said container being arranged with a receptacle for receiving a locator device;

placing said locator device in said receptacle, said locator device including wireless telephone circuitry coupled to a position detecting device; and

placing a call to said wireless telephone circuitry, said wireless telephone circuitry being responsive to a receipt of said call for returning signals representative of a position of said container as determined by said locating device.

2. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said receptacle is a compartment inside of said container.

3. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said receptacle is portable, said receptacle being selectively detachable from said container.

4. The method as set forth in claim 1 and further including returning said locator device to said sender after said container arrives at said receiver, said method further including maintaining a database of positions of said container as transmitted from said locator device to said sender.

21. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said locator device is arranged to determine a position of said locator device relative to a global satellite system.

22. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said locator device is arranged to determine a position of said locator device relative to a network of cellular telephone stations covering a predetermined geographical area.

5. A method for determining location of an item being shipped from a sender to a receiver, said method comprising:

coupling a locator device to said item, said locator device including wireless telephone circuitry coupled to a position detecting device, said locator device being selectively operable for determining a location of said item, said wireless telephone circuitry being responsive to a receipt of a telephone call for returning signals representative of said location of said item as determined by said locating device; and

enabling a requester to access a sender computer system, said sender computer system being selectively operable to provide a said location of said item to said requester.

6. The method as set forth in claim 5 wherein said location is provided in response to an input from said requester.

7. The method as set forth in claim 6 wherein said sender computer system is operable in response to said input to communicate with said locator device to determine a current location of said item, said locator device being further operable for transmitting said current location to said sender computer system.

8. The method as set forth in claim 6 wherein said sender computer system includes a location database, said location database being periodically updated by said locator device with information concerning a location of said item, said sender computer system being operable in response to,said input to access said database to provide a recent location of said item to said requester.

9. The method as set forth in claim 8 wherein a copy of said location database is maintained at an alternate computer site remote from said sender, said requester being enabled to make said input to said alternate computer site.

10. The method as set forth in claim 8 wherein said location database includes a series of locations corresponding to a sequence of points along a route traveled by said item from said sender to said receiver.

11. The method as set forth in claim 10 wherein said location database includes a series of times corresponding to times when said sequential points were determined.

12. The method as set forth in claim 10 wherein said location database further includes a tracking reference indicium corresponding to each of a plurality of items being shipped, said location database further including a phone number for said wireless telephone circuitry for each of said tracking reference indicia.

13. The method as set forth in claim 12 wherein said requester is given access to only said tracking number.

14. The method as set forth in claim 12 wherein said requester is given access to said phone number after inputting an appropriate tracking number.

15. The method as set forth in claim 5 wherein said sender computer system comprises a server, said requester being enabled to access said server through a wireless device.

16. The method as set forth in claim 15 wherein said requester is enabled to access said server through a network. connection.

17. The method as set forth in claim 16 wherein said network connection is an Internet connection.

18. The method as set forth in claim 5 wherein said sender computer system comprises a server, said requester being enabled to access said server through a personal computer system.

19. The method as set forth in claim 18 wherein said requester is enabled to access said server through a network connection.

20. The method as set forth in claim 19 wherein said network connection is an Internet connection.

23. A storage medium including machine readable coded indicia, said storage medium being selectively coupled through a reading device to processing circuitry within a computing system, said reading device being selectively operable to read said machine readable coded indicia and provide program signals representative thereof, said program signals being effective to process a determination of location of an item being shipped from a sender to a receiver, wherein said item being shipped is coupled to a locator device, said locator device being capable of determining and selectively transmitting a location of said locator device to said computing system, said program signals being selectively operable for:

enabling a requester to access said computer system;

providing a requester interface to said computer system to enable said requester to provide input to said computer system; and

responding to said input to provide a location of said locator device to said requester, said program signals being further effective for maintaining a database containing a sequence of positions through which said item has passed along a route traveled by said item, and enabling an updating of said database when said item has arrived at said receiver and when said locator device is returned to said sender.

24. A processing system at a sender site, said processing system including a system bus, a processor, a memory system, and a network interface, all coupled to said system bus, said processing system being operable in response to an input from a requester for providing a location of an item being shipped from said sender to a receiver, said processing system being selectively operable for maintaining a database containing a sequence of positions through which said item has passed along a route traveled by said item, said processing system being further selectively operable for enabling an updating of said database when said item has arrived at said receiver and also when said locator device is returned to said sender.