System and method for stealth tracking

• US 8,274,387 B2
• Filed: 06/04/2009
• Issued: 09/25/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intermec IP Corporation (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Intermec IP Corporation (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Winter, Steven J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lu, Shirley
• Application Number:
  US12/478,485
• Publication Number:
  US 20090303045A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,209 Days
• Field of Search: 340/568.1, 340/568.8, 340/539.1
• US Class Current: 340/568.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management

Abstract

A shipping and tracking system has a number of tracking stations that are geographically distributed. The tracking stations gather information from shipping items processed by the shipping and tracking system. The shipping and tracking system provides an enhanced level of security for selected shipping items. The enhanced level of security for the selected shipping items is based at least on the information gathered at the tracking stations. The enhanced security is provided in such a way that personnel of the shipping and delivery system cannot physically discern whether or not a shipping item is being shipped with enhanced security.

Claims

1. A method of operating a delivery and stealth tracking system that provides varying security levels for shipping items in the delivery and stealth tracking system, the method comprising:

receiving a first number of shipping items for transport through a delivery and stealth tracking system at a first security level of the delivery and stealth tracking system;

receiving a second number of shipping items for transport through the delivery and stealth tracking system at a second security level that is higher than the first security level, wherein each respective shipping item of the second number of shipping items has a first and a second wireless communications data provider device physically coupled;

wirelessly gathering information indicative of a respective inherent property of a respective wireless communications data provider device physically coupled to a respective shipping item for each respective shipping item of the second plurality of shipping items, which are commingled with the first plurality of shipping items, and for the respective first and the second wireless communications data provider devices physically coupled thereto, and

calculating a respective current joint item-device configuration value based at least on the respective information gathered from both the respective first and the second wireless communications data provider devices physically coupled to a respective shipping item for each shipping item of the second number of shipping items;

comparing the respective current joint item-device configuration value with a respective reference joint item-device configuration for each shipping item of the second number of shipping items, wherein the respective reference joint item-device configuration value was previously calculated based at least on respective information indicative of the respective inherent property of the respective first and the respective second wireless communications data provider device physically coupled to the respective shipping item.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein calculating a respective current joint item-device configuration value based at least on the respective information gathered from both the respective first and the second wireless communications data provider device physically coupled to a respective shipping item for each shipping item of the second number of shipping items includes:

for each shipping item of the second number of shipping items,

determining a respective value of a quantity indicative of the respective inherent property of the respective first wireless communications data provider device,

determining a respective value of a quantity indicative of the respective inherent property of the second wireless communications data provider device, and

determining a respective statistical quantity based at least on the determined respective value of the quantity indicative of the respective inherent property of the respective first wireless communications data provider device and the determined respective value of the quantity indicative of the respective inherent property of the respective second wireless communications data provider device.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising transporting, between a first point and a second point in the delivery and stealth tracking system, respective ones of the shipping items having the higher security level with respective ones of the shipping items having the lower security level in a common load.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising holding respective ones of the shipping items having the higher security level with respective ones of the shipping items having the lower security level in a common area.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

holding respective ones of the shipping items having the higher security level with respective ones of the shipping items having the lower security level in a common area; and

transporting, between a first point and a second point in the delivery and stealth tracking system, respective ones of the shipping items having the higher security level with respective ones of the shipping items have the lower security level in a common load.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein comparing the respective current joint item-device configuration value with a respective reference joint item-device configuration for each shipping item of the second number of shipping items includes determining whether the respective current joint item-device configuration value is within a respective defined amount of tolerance with respect to the respective reference joint item-device configuration value based at least on the comparison of the respective current joint item-device configuration value with the respective reference joint item-device configuration value for each shipping item of the second number of shipping items;

and further including providing a respective tamper-alert in response to the respective current joint item-device configuration value being outside of the respective defined amount of tolerance for each shipping item of the second number of shipping items.