High resolution tracking of mobile assets

• US 6,920,391 B2
• Filed: 09/09/2002
• Issued: 07/19/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Asset Intelligence LLC (PowerFleet, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Terion Incorporated (General Electric Company)
• Inventors: Doyle, Thomas F., Daubert, Robert H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jeanglaude, Gertrude A.
• Application Number:
  US10/238,842
• Publication Number:
  US 20030120421A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,044 Days
• Field of Search: 701/200, 701/201, 701/207, 701/208, 701/211, 701/212, 701/213, 701/300, 340/990, 340/988, 340/995.19, 340/995.27
• US Class Current: 701/200
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 17/05 Geographic models

Abstract

A system and method for describing local area geo-reference features and landmarks in providing high resolution asset location information. Geo-image data is integrated to a mapping application and geo-reference data to add more detailed scale levels to the map. The geo-image data includes geo-images and its features to provide more detailed references to the asset and support the larger references of the geo-reference data. To describe a geo-reference landmark, an original landmark representation is selected with a center point and a radius. The asset location points located at the original landmark representation are compiled along with the asset location points generated by events occurring at the landmark to create a point set. The point set replaces the original landmark representation when a prescribed number of points is reached. The asset location points that are within a specified distance from any of the points in the point set are added to the point set to complete the landmark representation. The geo-image data and landmark representation data are combined to provide high resolution asset location information.

Claims

1. A method for representing a landmark comprising the steps of:

(a) creating an original landmark representation having a center point and a radius;

(b) selecting asset location points that are within the original landmark representation to create a set of asset location points;

(c) adding asset location points that are generated by events occurring at the landmark to the set of asset location points; and

(d) replacing the original landmark representation with the set of asset location points when a minimum number of points is obtained.

2. A method as in claim 1 further comprising excluding duplicate asset location points from the set of asset location points.

3. A method as in claim 1 further comprising the step of adding asset location points that are within a specified distance of any of the points in the set of asset location points to the set of asset location points.

4. A method as in claim 1 further comprising the step of repeating (a) to (d) until the minimum number of points is obtained.

5. A method as in claim 1 wherein a user can edit the set of asset location points.

6. A method as in claim 1 wherein the landmark is a parking lot or a shipping yard.

7. A method for providing location references comprising the steps of:

providing geo-reference data, geo-image data, and landmark representation data;

integrating the geo-reference data, geo-image data and landmark representation data by;

(a) creating an original landmark representation having a center point and a radius;

(b) selecting asset location points that are within the original landmark representation to create a set of asset location points;

(c) adding asset location points that are generated by events occurring at the landmark to the set of asset location points; and

(d) replacing the original landmark representation with the set of asset location points when a minimum number of points is obtained.

8. A method as in claim 7 further comprising the step of adding asset location points that are within a specified distance of any of the points in the set of asset location points to the set of asset location points.

9. A method as in claim 7 further comprising the step of comparing the geo-image data and landmark representation data to accurately represent a reference.

10. A method as in claim 9 wherein the landmark representation data is used to update references in the geo-image data.

11. A system for representing a landmark comprising:

a database server providing asset location points;

a processor;

a computer readable medium; and

a computer program executed by the processor to represent a landmark comprising the steps of;

(a) creating an original landmark representation having a center point and a radius;

(b) selecting asset location points that are within the original landmark representation to create a set of asset location points;

(c) adding asset location points that are generated by events occurring at the landmark to the set of asset location points; and

(d) replacing the original landmark representation with the set of asset location points when a minimum number of points is obtained.

12. A method as in claim 11 wherein the computer program further comprising the step of adding asset location points that are within a specified distance of any of the points in the set of asset location points to the set of asset location points.