Designation and opportunistic tracking of valuables

• US 6,774,811 B2
• Filed: 02/02/2001
• Issued: 08/10/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kaufman, James Harvey, Miner, Cameron Shea, Ruvolo, Joann
• Primary Examiner(s): JASMIN, LYNDA C
• Application Number:
  US09/773,597
• Publication Number:
  US 20020147650A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,285 Days
• Field of Search: 340/572, 340/540, 340/825.49, 340/573, 340/825.36, 340/10.34, 340/10.41, 340/10.1, 340/572.1, 705/22, 235/380, 235/379
• US Class Current: 340/8.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/203 Inventory monitoring

Abstract

An item of value to one or more individuals in a group is tracked wherein each valuable object is tagged, and one or more members of the group carry a personal information management (PIM) device equipped with a sensor which constantly scans for the presence of a known valuable. The sensor is able to detect the type of tag(s) used by the group of individuals. Whenever a member of the group carrying a PIM device comes across a known tagged valuable, the system detects it and logs the location, valuable ID, and user ID in a database. Optionally, visual data is captured from the valuable and compared against a standard located in a database in order to locate the valuable.

Claims

1. A system for unscheduled tracking of valuables, wherein one or more objects designated as valuable receive a tag thereon, said system comprising:

one or more mobile wireless scanning devices, each of said mobile wireless scanning devices having a unique identifier, said wireless scanning devices associated with one or more clients;

a tracking server, said tracking server capable of transferring information to and from said one or more mobile wireless scanning devices;

said mobile wireless scanning devices constantly scanning an area to opportunistically detect said valuable objects in an unscheduled manner, and in the instance said valuable objects are detected, said mobile wireless devices transferring information, regarding the detected valuable object, including information about location and said unique identifiers, to and from said tracking server, whereby said objects of value are tracked in an unscheduled way by accessing said tracking server.

2. A system for unscheduled tracking of valuables, wherein one or more objects designated as valuable receive a tag thereon, as per claim 1, wherein said tag comprises any of the following:

RF ID tag, barcode tag, or a tag capable of capturing an image.

3. A system for unscheduled tracking of valuables, wherein one or more objects designated as valuable receive a tag thereon, as per claim 1, wherein said information about location is obtained using at least a GPS system.

4. A system for unscheduled tracking of valuables, wherein one or more objects designated as valuable receive a tag thereon, as per claim 1, wherein said mobile wireless scanning devices is implemented in any of the following devices:

laptop computer, mobile computer, wireless telephone, personal digital assistant, or a car system having wireless wide area network (WAN) connectivity.

5. A system for unscheduled tracking of valuables, wherein one or more objects designated as valuable receive a tag thereon, as per claim 1, wherein said information regarding tagged valuables, including information about location and said unique identifiers, is transmitted onto said tracking server over any of the following networks:

Internet, wide area network (WAN), local area network (LAN), or a wireless network.

6. A system for unscheduled tracking of valuables, wherein one or more objects designated as valuable receive a tag thereon, as per claim 1, wherein said mobile wireless scanning device further comprises:

a sensor interface, said sensor interface detecting said valuable objects;

a positioning interface, said positioning interface identifying said location of said mobile wireless scanning devices;

a wireless interface, said wireless interface transferring information regarding said detected valuable objects, including information about said location and said unique identifiers, to and from said tracking server;

a graphical user interface (GUI) output interface, said GUI output interface displaying said information regarding valuable objects, including information about said location and said unique identifiers, and

a session manager, said session manager managing interaction between each of said interfaces.

7. A system for unscheduled tracking of valuables, wherein one or more objects designated as valuable receive a tag thereon, as per claim 1, wherein said tracking server further comprises:

a wireless interface, said wireless interface receiving said information regarding valuable objects, including information about location and said unique identifiers, from said one or more mobile wireless scanning devices;

a session manager, said session manager periodically calculating the position of said mobile wireless scanning devices relative to pre-defined locations based on said information received by said wireless interface, and

one or more interfaces, said one or more interfaces linking said session manager to one or more databases storing information about said valuable objects and said clients.

8. A system for unscheduled tracking of valuables, wherein one or more objects designated as valuable receive a tag thereon, as per claim 7, wherein said client information is stored in a client database, which is accessed by said session manager via a client interface.

9. A system for unscheduled tacking of valuables, wherein one or more objects designated as valuable receive a tag thereon, as per claim 7, wherein said information regarding said valuable object is stored in a valuables database, which is accessed by said session manager via a valuables database interface.

10. A system for unscheduled tracking of valuables, wherein one or more objects designated as valuable receive a tag thereon, as per claim 7, wherein said information regarding said location of said valuable object is stored in a locations database, which is accessed by said session manager via a locations interface.

11. A system for unscheduled tracking of valuables, wherein one or more objects designated as valuable receive a tag thereon, as per claim 7, wherein information regarding status of said valuable object is stored in a status database, which is accessed by said session manager via a status interface.

12. A method for unscheduled tracking of valuables, wherein one or more objects designated as valuable receive a tag thereon, said method comprising:

continuously scanning an area for valuable objects via a mobile wireless scanning device, each of said mobile wireless scanning devices having a unique identifier;

said mobile wireless scanning device opportunistically detecting a valuable object in said scanned area, said scanning performed in an unscheduled manner;

said mobile wireless scanning device determining location of said detected valuable object;

updating information regarding said detected valuable object, including information about location and said unique identifiers, in a tracking server;

said mobile wireless scanning device receiving updated information regarding said detected valuable object from said tracking server, and

outputting graphically said received updated information regarding said detected valuable object.

13. A method for unscheduled tracking of valuables, wherein one or more objects designated as valuable receive a tag thereon, as per claim 12, wherein said tag comprises any of the following:

RFID tag, barcode tag, or a tag capable of capturing an image.

14. A method for unscheduled tracking of valuables, wherein one or more objects designated as valuable receive a tag thereon, as per claim 12, wherein said location of said detected object is obtained using at least a GPS system.

15. A method for unscheduled tracking of valuables, wherein one or more objects designated as valuable receive a tag thereon, as per claim 12, wherein said mobile wireless scanning devices is implemented in any of the following devices:

laptop computer, mobile computer, wireless telephone, personal digital assistant, or a car system having wireless wide area network (WAN) connectivity.

16. A method for unscheduled tracking of valuables, wherein one or more objects designated as valuable receive a tag thereon, as per claim 12, wherein said information regarding tagged valuable objects, including information about location and said unique identifiers, is transmitted onto said tracking server over any of the following networks:

Internet, wide area network (WAN), local area network (LAN), or a wireless network.

17. A method for finding a lost valuable by utilizing information stored in a database regarding previously tracked instances of all tagged objects of value, said tagged valuables opportunistically tracked in an unscheduled manner using one or more mobile wireless scanning devices, each having an unique identification, said method comprising:

identifying said lost valuable to be found;

querying said database for a history of said previously tracked instances regarding said identified lost valuable;

receiving said queried history regarding said identified lost valuable from said database;

identifying from said received history a location where said identified lost valuable was last recorded, which of said one or more mobile wireless scanning devices last detected said identified lost valuable, and

wherein said identified last recorded location and said last mobile wireless scanning device that detected said identified lost valuable are used to locate said identified lost valuable.

18. A method for finding a lost valuable by utilizing information stored in a database regarding previously tracked instances of all tagged objects of value, said tagged valuables tracked using one or more mobile wireless scanning devices, each having an unique identification, as per claim 17, wherein said identified lost valuable to be found is extracted from a graphical user interface (GUI) input.

19. A method for finding a lost valuable by utilizing information stored in a database regarding previously tracked instances of all tagged objects of value, said tagged valuables tracked using one or more mobile wireless scanning devices, each having an unique identification, as per claim 17, wherein tags on said tagged objects comprises any of the following:

RFID tag, barcode tag, or a tag capable of capturing an image.

20. A method for finding a lost valuable by utilizing information stored in a database regarding previously tracked instances of all tagged objects of value, said tagged valuables tracked using one or more mobile wireless scanning devices, each having an unique identification, as per claim 17, wherein said database is accessed over a network.

21. A method for finding a lost valuable by utilizing information stored in a database regarding previously tracked instances of all tagged objects of value, said tagged valuables tracked using one or more mobile wireless scanning devices, each having an unique identification, as per claim 20, wherein said network comprises any of the following:

local area network (LAN), wide area network (WAN), wireless network, HTTP protocol-based networks, or Internet.

22. A method for identifying objects of value from a set of one or more objects and logging information regarding said objects of value in a database, said method comprising:

opportunistically identifying an object of value from said set of one or more objects of value in an unscheduled manner, said objects of value associated with one or more clients each having a unique identification;

recording a time of detection associated with a time when said object of value is identified;

tagging said identified object of value;

assigning a unique tag identification to said tagged object of value;

detecting a location associated wit said tagged object of value, and

creating a entry in said database with information about said identified object of value, including said unique tag identification, said detected location, said time of detection, and said unique client identification associated with one or with more clients to whom said identified object is of value.

23. A method for identifying objects of value from a set of one or more objects and logging information regarding said objects of value in a database, as per claim 22, wherein tags in said tagged objects comprises any of the following:

RFID tag, barcode tag, or a tag capable of capturing an image.

24. A method for identifying objects of value from a set of one or more objects and logging information regarding said objects of value in a database, as per claim 22, wherein said step of detecting a location is accomplished using at least a global positioning system (GPS).

25. A method for identifying objects of value from a set of one or more objects and logging information regarding said objects of value in a database, as per claim 22, wherein said database is accessed over a network.

26. A method for identifying objects of value from a set of one or more objects and logging information regarding said objects of value in a database, as per claim 24, wherein said network comprises any of the following:

local area network (LAN), wide area network (WAN), wireless network, HTTP protocol-based networks, or Internet.