Method and apparatus to ensure proper geocoding

• US 8,452,664 B2
• Filed: 10/22/2010
• Issued: 05/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Howard W. Brant
• Original Assignee: Howard W. Brant
• Inventors: Main, James David II, Rittwager, Frank John, Graham, William Eric, Colbert, Daniel James
• Primary Examiner(s): ALMATRAHI, FARIS S
• Application Number:
  US12/910,520
• Publication Number:
  US 20110043332A1
• Time in Patent Office: 949 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 705/22
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/203 Inventory monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

The present invention provides a method for verifying customer addresses before using those addresses in an asset tracking system. More specifically, the enhanced asset tracking system can accept multiple characteristics of the location. An operator or GIS system can check that these descriptors are identifying the same location. If descriptors do identify a same location, then the operator or GIS system can allow the location information to pass to the assets.

Claims

1. A tracking system that ensures accurate geocoding of location information for a customer sent to an asset, the asset being associated with a mobile device that is coupled in communication to at least one communication network and configured to receive the location information, the tracking system comprising:

a GIS system, wherein the GIS system ensures the accuracy of the location information by comparing a first location characteristic to at least a second location characteristic to determine whether the first and second location characteristics identify the customer'"'"'s location, wherein the tracking system concludes that the first and second location characteristics identify the customer'"'"'s location when the comparing step generates a level of confidence above a pre-defined level of confidence threshold that the first and second location characteristics identify a common location.

2. A tracking system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one communication network is one of a radio network, a satellite communication network, a cellular network, an internet network, a LAN, a WAN, or a wireless LAN.

3. A tracking system according to claim 1, wherein the mobile device includes a communication device and a position finder.

4. A tracking system according to claim 3, wherein the communication device is one of a cellular modem, a radio transmitter and receiver, a satellite transceiver, or an internet router.

5. A tracking system according to claim 3, wherein the position finder is one of a GPS receiver, a local position receiver, or a LORAN receiver.

6. A tracking system according to claim 1, further comprising an asset server coupled in communication to the at least one communication network and the GIS system, wherein the asset server sends the geocode that identifies the location to the mobile device, and wherein the asset server includes at least one parser and a message switch.

7. A tracking system according to claim 6, wherein the at least one parser sends the location information to the mobile device.

8. A tracking system according to claim 1, wherein the GIS system is part of an operator'"'"'s system.

9. A tracking system according to claim 1, wherein the GIS system receives the first characteristic and the at least one other characteristic from a customer.

24. A tracking system according to claim 1, wherein the generated level of confidence is based on a determined relative positioning between the first and second location characteristics, wherein the generated level of confidence is higher when the determined relative positioning is closer than when the determined relative positioning is more remote.

25. A tracking system according to claim 24, wherein the determined relative positioning comprises at least one of:

a) a distance between locations described by the first and second location characteristics, and b) whether or not a location described by one of the first and second location characteristics is encompassed by a location described by the other of the first and second location characteristics.

26. A tracking system according to claim 1, wherein the tracking system allows a geocode describing the customer'"'"'s location to be sent to an asset if the level of confidence is above the threshold.

27. A tracking system according to claim 26, wherein the asset is sent to the location when the geocode is allowed to be sent to the asset.

10. A method to ensure accurate geocoding of a particular physical location in a tracking system, comprising:

establishing a GIS system configured to verify accurate geocoding of location information for the particular physical location;

setting a level of confidence threshold;

receiving a location characteristic; and

determining, using the GIS system, whether the location characteristic generates a level of confidence above the threshold that the location characteristic accurately identifies the particular physical location.

11. A method according to claim 10, further comprising allowing a geocode describing the particular physical location to be sent to an asset if the level of confidence is above the threshold.

12. A method according to claim 11, wherein the asset is sent to the location when the geocode is allowed to be sent to the asset.

13. A method according to claim 10, further comprising:

receiving at least one other location characteristic if the level of confidence is not above the threshold; and

determining if the characteristic and the at least one other characteristic generate a level of confidence above the threshold that the location characteristic and the at least one other location characteristic accurately identify the particular physical location.

14. A method according to claim 13, further comprising allowing a geocode describing the particular location to be sent to an asset if the level of confidence is above the threshold.

15. A method according to claim 14, wherein the asset is sent to the particular physical location when the geocode is allowed to be sent to the asset.

16. A method according to claim 13, wherein the determining includes:

inputting the first characteristic and the at least one other characteristic into the GIS system of the tracking system; and

ascertaining whether the first characteristic and the at least one other characteristic are within a particular physical proximity, wherein the first characteristic and the at least one other characteristic generate a level of confidence above the threshold level of confidence when the first characteristic and the at least one other characteristic are within the particular physical proximity.

17. A method according to claim 16, wherein at least one of the first characteristic and the at least one other characteristic is provided by an electronic source communicatively coupled to the tracking system.

18. A method according to claim 16, wherein at least one of the first characteristic and the at least one other characteristic is one of an address, a set of cross streets, a zip code, a telephone area code, a latitude and longitude, or a phone number.

19. A method according to claim 16, wherein the first characteristic and the at least one other characteristic are different.

20. A method according to claim 16, wherein the first characteristic and the at least one other characteristic are within the particular physical proximity when the first characteristic and the at least one other characteristic describe locations that are located within a common street block, zip code, or area code.

21. A method according to claim 16, wherein the first characteristic and the at least one other characteristic are spatially near when the first characteristic and the at least one other characteristic describe locations that are within a set distance apart.

22. A method according to claim 16, wherein the first characteristic and the at least one other characteristic are within the particular physical proximity when one of the first characteristic and the at least one other characteristic describes a first location that is encompassed within a second location described by the other of the first characteristic and the at least one other characteristic.

23. A method according to claim 22, wherein the first location comprises one of an address, a set of cross streets, and a street block;

and the second location comprises one of a zip code and a telephone area code.