Federated system for monitoring physical assets

• US 7,307,526 B2
• Filed: 05/12/2004
• Issued: 12/11/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Savi Technology Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Savi Technology Incorporated
• Inventors: Lee, Gregory Y. H., Rajapakse, Ravindra U., Shannon, David L., Chang, Leo S., Lambright, Stephen J., Stephenson, Christopher A., Alcock, Andrew E. S., Jeyakeerthi, Jeyappragash
• Primary Examiner(s): Lieu, Julie Bichngoc
• Application Number:
  US10/845,367
• Publication Number:
  US 20050156736A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,308 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 340/572.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2462 Asset location systems combined with EAS inventory, tracking, logistic G06Q10/00; entrance control systems G07C9/00

Abstract

A system federates heterogeneous monitoring systems to provide end-to-end monitoring information for conveyances with item-layer visibility. A first node of the federated system comprises a first monitoring system and a first port and a second node comprises a second monitoring system and a second port. In parallel with a conveyance being transported between the first node and the second node, the first monitoring system sends an agent to the second monitoring system. The agent comprises logic and/or data necessary to implement processes on the second monitoring agent while the conveyance is at the second port. When the conveyance arrives at the second port, the second monitoring system executes the agent to determine conditions of the conveyance and/or its contents.

Claims

1. A method of monitoring physical assets from nodes in heterogeneous monitoring systems, comprising the steps of:

receiving at an agent execution module an agent from a first node, the agent associated with a physical asset transported from the first node to a second node;

detecting the physical asset at an agent identification module;

executing by the agent execution module the agent at the second node to determine a condition of the physical asset;

detecting by the agent an unidentified physical asset; and

retrieving by the agent identification information associated with the unidentified physical asset,

wherein detecting the physical asset comprises identifying the unidentified physical asset as the physical asset.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of receiving the agent comprises:

receiving the agent from the first node, the agent having logic to implement rules to determine the condition of the physical asset.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of receiving the agent comprises:

receiving the agent from the first node, the agent having data comprising one from the group containing;

location information, logistics information, physical information, security information, and environmental information.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating the agent at the first node.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the physical asset comprises a conveyance.

6. A method of monitoring physical assets from nodes in heterogeneous monitoring systems, comprising the steps of:

receiving at an agent execution modules an agent from a first node, the agent associated with a physical asset transported from the first node to a second node;

detecting the physical asset at an agent identification module;

executing by the agent execution module the agent at the second node to determine a condition of the physical asset;

detecting by the agent an unidentified physical asset;

retrieving by the agent identification information associated with the unidentified physical asset; and

retrieving by the agent origin information based on the identification information,

wherein the step of receiving the agent further comprises requesting the agent from the first node based on the origin information and the identification information.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of receiving the agent comprises:

receiving the agent from the first node, the agent having logic to implement rules to determine the condition of the physical asset.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of receiving the agent comprises:

receiving the agent from the first node, the agent having data comprising one from the group containing;

location information, logistics information, physical information, security information, and environmental information.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

generating the agent at the first node.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the physical asset comprises a conveyance.

11. A node within a plurality of nodes in heterogeneous monitoring systems for monitoring physical assets, comprising:

an agent identification module for detecting a physical asset;

an agent execution module for receiving an agent from an origin node, the agent associated with the physical asset transported from the origin node to a second node, the agent execution module executing the agent at the second node to determine a condition of the physical asset; and

wherein the agent detects an unidentified physical asset, and retrieves identification information associated with the unidentified physical asset to identify the unidentified physical asset as the physical asset.

12. The node of claim 11, wherein the agent comprises logic to implement rules to determine the condition of the physical asset.

13. The node of claim 11, wherein the agent comprises data associated with the physical asset, the data comprising one from the group containing:

location information, logistics information, physical information, security information, and environmental information.

14. The node of claim 11, wherein the physical asset comprises a conveyance.

15. A node within a plurality of nodes in heterogeneous monitoring systems for monitoring physical assets, comprising:

an agent identification module for detecting a physical asset;

an agent execution module for receiving an agent from an origin node, the agent associated with the physical asset transported from the origin node to a second node, the agent execution module executing the agent at the second node to determine a condition of the physical asset; and

wherein the agent detects an unidentified asset, retrieves identification information associated with the unidentified physical asset, retrieves origin information from a federated directory based on the identification information, and requests the agent from the origin node based on the origin information and the identification information.

16. The node of claim 15, wherein the agent comprises logic to implement rules to determine the condition of the physical asset.

17. The node of claim 15, wherein the agent comprises data associated with the physical asset, the data comprising one from the group containing:

location information, logistics information, physical information, security information, and environmental information.

18. The node of claim 15, wherein the physical asset comprises a conveyance.

19. A computer product, comprising:

a computer-readable medium having computer program instructions and data embodied thereon for monitoring physical assets from nodes of heterogeneous monitoring systems, comprising the steps of;

receiving an agent from a first node, the agent associated with a physical asset transported from the first node to a second node;

detecting the physical asset;

executing the agent at the second node to determine a condition of the physical asset;

detecting an unidentified physical asset; and

retrieving identification information associated with the unidentified physical asset,

wherein detecting the physical asset comprises identifying the unidentified physical asset as the physical asset.

20. The computer product of claim 19, wherein the step of receiving the agent comprises:

receiving the agent from the first node, the agent having logic to implement rules to determine the condition of the physical asset.

21. The computer product of claim 19, wherein the step of receiving the agent comprises:

receiving the agent from the first node, the agent having data comprising one from the group containing;

location information, logistics information, physical information, security information, and environmental information.

22. The computer product of claim 19, wherein the physical asset comprises a conveyance.

23. A computer product, comprising:

a computer-readable medium having computer program instructions and data embodied thereon for monitoring physical assets from nodes of heterogeneous monitoring systems, comprising the steps of;

receiving an agent from a first node, the agent associated with a physical asset transported from the first node to a second node;

detecting the physical asset;

executing the agent at the second node to determine a condition of the physical asset;

detecting an unidentified physical asset;

retrieving identification information associated with the unidentified physical asset; and

retrieving origin information based on the identification information,

wherein the step of receiving the agent further comprises requesting the agent from the first node based on the origin information and the identification information.

24. The computer product of claim 23, wherein the step of receiving the agent comprises:

receiving the agent from the first node, the agent having logic to implement rules to determine the condition of the physical asset.

25. The computer product of claim 23, wherein the step of receiving the agent comprises:

receiving the agent from the first node, the agent having data comprising one from the group containing;

location information, logistics information, physical information, security information, and environmental information.

26. The computer product of claim 23, wherein the physical asset comprises a conveyance.