Method for object delivery using an object location identification trigger

• US 7,991,656 B1
• Filed: 05/03/2010
• Issued: 08/02/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: System Application Engineering Incorporated
• Original Assignee: System Application Engineering Incorporated
• Inventors: Parks, James Michael, Parr, Christopher Burks, Sacks, Jerry Dennis, Braun, Gregory Parker
• Primary Examiner(s): Hayes; John W
• Assistant Examiner(s): FLYNN, KEVIN H
• Application Number:
  US12/772,536
• Time in Patent Office: 456 Days
• Field of Search: 705/28, 235/462.45, 235/462.48, 235/472.01, 345/172
• US Class Current: 705/28
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• 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

Abstract

A method for delivering objects using at least one onboard mobile processor in communication with a mobile data storage to provide at least one command to a driver is provided herein. The onboard mobile processor can be in further communication with at least one input device. A host processor can provide the libraries and a list of objects to and delivered to the onboard mobile processor. The host processor can be in communication with a host data storage that comprises computer instructions. An output device and an OLI trigger can also be used in conjunction with the onboard mobile processor.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for delivering objects using at least one transport vehicle comprising:

a. using an onboard mobile processor for use by a driver, wherein the onboard mobile processor is in communication with a host server, an input device, and two output devices to receive commands and provide responses;

b. using computer instructions in the onboard mobile data storage to;

(i) receive, verify, and store a member of the group consisting of;

a bar code, an RFID tag, an alpha code, a numeric code, an alphanumeric code, and combinations thereof on at least one object;

(ii) receive, verify, and store a member of the group consisting of;

a bar code, an RFID tag, an alpha code, a numeric code, an alphanumeric code, and combinations thereof of at least one transport device;

(iii) receive, verify, and store a member of the group consisting of;

a bar code, an RFID tag, an alpha code, a numeric code, an alphanumeric code, and combinations thereof of at least one transport vehicle;

(iv) receive, verify, and store a member of the group consisting of;

a bar code, an RFID tag, an alpha code, a numeric code, an alphanumeric code, and combinations thereof of at least one delivery location;

(v) receive, verify, and store a member of the group consisting of;

a bar code, an RFID tag, an alpha code, a numeric code, or combinations thereof using the input device to verify the at least one object, the at least one transport device is on the transport vehicle;

(vi) receive, verify, and store a member of the group consisting of;

a bar code, an RFID tag, an alpha code, a numeric code, or combinations thereof using the input device to verify that the transport vehicle is a correct transport vehicle for the objects;

(vii) receive, verify, and store a member of the group consisting of;

a bar code, an RFID tag, an alpha code, a numeric code, or combinations thereof to identify a location where the objects or the transport device are placed on the transport vehicle;

(viii) provide a command to a driver identifying the at least one object, the delivery location of the at least one object, the transport device, the transport vehicle, or combinations thereof;

(ix) provide a command to the driver to move the at least one object, the transport device, the transport vehicle, or combinations thereof to one of the delivery locations;

(x) enable the onboard mobile processor to translate a text command to an audio command for the driver;

(xi) receive, verify and store a query from the driver;

(xii) provide a result to the two output devices;

(xiii) request a host processor in communication with the onboard mobile processor through a network to verify that the mobile data storage has a current version of at least one library selected from the group of libraries comprising;

1. a library of objects loaded and the location of the object loaded;

2. a library of transport devices associated with each object loaded, wherein the library of transport devices comprises a location for each transport device;

3. a library of transport vehicles, wherein the library of transport vehicles comprises a location for each transport vehicle;

4. a library of authorized drivers;

or

5. combinations thereof; and

(xiv) receive and store updated versions of the libraries from the host data storage;

c. using computer instructions to instruct the host processor to provide the onboard mobile processor with the at least one library, a list of objects loaded, a list of transport devices loaded, and a list of transport vehicles loaded prior to issuing a command, wherein the host processor is in communication with a host data storage, and wherein the host data storage comprises;

(i) the library of objects loaded;

(ii) the library of transport devices associated with each object loaded;

(iii) the library of transport vehicles;

(iv) the library of authorized drivers;

(v) computer instructions to receive, verify and store, a request for the list of objects loaded with associated transport devices and associated transport vehicles based on the request using the libraries in the host data storage; and

(vi) computer instructions to transmit the list of objects loaded with associated transport devices and associated transport vehicles from the host data storage to the mobile data storage;

d. using the two output devices in communication with the onboard mobile processor to;

(i) provide at least one command through an audio output device for the driver to hear; and

(ii) provide a visual display presenting the list of objects loaded with associated transport devices and associated transport vehicles to the driver, or presenting the at least one command to the driver visually, or combinations thereof;

e. using an object location identification trigger in communication with the onboard mobile processor by;

(i) pressing at least a portion of the object location identification trigger and holding it in a pressed state to provide a “

hold”

signal to the onboard mobile processor as a response to at least one of the commands that informs the onboard mobile processor that the driver will perform at least one of the following;

1. scan or read a member of the group consisting of;

a bar code, a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, an alpha code, a numeric code, an alphanumeric code, and combinations thereof on at least one object for delivery prior to delivering the object;

2. scan or read a member of the group consisting of;

a bar code, an RFID tag, an alpha code, a numeric code, an alphanumeric code, and combinations thereof of a transport device holding at least one object for delivery prior to delivering the object;

3. scan or read a member of the group consisting of;

a bar code, an RFID tag, an alpha code, a numeric code, an alphanumeric code, and combinations thereof of a transport vehicle holding at least one object for delivery prior to delivering the object;

4. scan or read a member of the group consisting of;

a bar code, an RFID tag, an alpha code, a numeric code, an alphanumeric code, and combinations thereof of an identifier of the delivery location, and then delivering the object;

or

5. combinations thereof;

(ii) pressing at least the portion of the object location identification trigger twice to provide a double-click signal as a response to at least one of the commands that informs the onboard mobile processor that the driver has completed the at least one command, that the driver has made the delivery of the objects at the delivery location, and that the driver is ready to accept a new command, that the driver is ready to proceed to a next step, or combinations thereof;

(iii) pressing at least the portion of the object location identification trigger once to provide providing a single-click signal as a response to at least one of the commands that informs the onboard mobile processor to repeat the most recent command, question, information or statement;

or

(iv) combinations thereof;

f. repeating steps a-e until all objects on the list of objects loaded are delivered to one of the delivery locations.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising transferring the at least one command, the list of objects loaded with associated transport devices and associated transport vehicles, the at least one library, or combinations thereof between the onboard mobile processor, the host processor, and at least one external computer system.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one external computer system functions the same as the onboard mobile processor.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising using an additional input device in addition to the OLI trigger, wherein the additional input device is a keyboard, a touch screen, or combinations thereof.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising using a 3-dimensional spatial coordinate sensor as the input device to allow the driver to use a physical motion to communicate to the onboard mobile processor at least one of the following:

a. a dimension of the at least one object;

b. a 3-dimensional spatial coordinate of the at least one object;

c. a yes command;

d. a no command;

e. a repeat command;

f. a completed task command;

g. a “

can not find transport vehicle, transport device, or combinations thereof”

command;

h. an alpha code;

i. a numeric code;

or

j. combinations thereof.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising entering a driver code for logging onto the onboard mobile processor, wherein the onboard mobile data storage comprises computer instructions to transmit the driver code to the host processor, and wherein the host data storage has computer instructions to acknowledge receipt of the driver code and to verify that the driver associated with the driver code is allowed access to the onboard mobile processor, the mobile data storage, the libraries, or combinations thereof.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising using a button on a wearable scanner, an optical reader, an RFID reader, a trigger on a scanner, an optical reader, an actuator on a scanner, a reader, an input device, or combinations thereof as the object location identification (OLI) trigger.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising using computer instructions in the mobile data storage for instructing the onboard mobile processor to prepare a summary of transport devices loaded, a summary of objects loaded, a summary of transport vehicles loaded, an indication of a quantity of objects for each delivery location, or combinations thereof.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising using computer instructions in the mobile data storage to obtain status information on the delivery of objects, wherein the status information is an indication of the driver'"'"'s performance compared to an expected completion time for delivering the objects.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising using computer instructions in the onboard mobile data storage to identify an object, transport device, transport vehicle, or combinations thereof not loaded from the list of objects with associated transport devices and associated transport vehicles loaded.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising using computer instructions in the mobile data storage to request the driver to answer a series of safety questions and store the responses, regarding one of the transport vehicles that includes at least one question selected from the group comprising:

a. are the brakes of the transport vehicle working?;

b. is the horn of the transport vehicle working?;

c. is the steering of the transport vehicle working?;

d. is there any damage to the transport vehicle?;

e. is there a leak within the transport vehicle?;

f. are the tires on the transport vehicle inflated and undamaged?;

g. are forks on the transport vehicle undamaged?;

or

h. combinations thereof.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising using computer instructions in the mobile data storage for instructing the onboard mobile processor to alert the driver to position each object at a specific location on one of the transport devices, the transport vehicle, or combinations thereof.