Data access and management using GPS location data

• US 8,604,973 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2010
• Issued: 12/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Schmidt-Karaca, Markus, Eberlein, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): LIU, HARRY K
• Application Number:
  US12/957,344
• Publication Number:
  US 20120133553A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,106 Days
• Field of Search: 342/357.4
• US Class Current: 342/357.4
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/42 Determining position

Abstract

Disclosed are methods, systems and products, including a method that includes maintaining a plurality of records associated with a plurality of objects, the plurality of records are configured to include global positioning system (GPS)-based data representative of locations of the plurality of objects. The method also includes accessing at least one of the plurality of records based, at least in part, on determined global position system-based data representative of location of at least one object associated with the at least one of the plurality of records.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

maintaining a plurality of records associated with a plurality of objects, the plurality of records configured to include global positioning system-based data representative of locations of the plurality of objects; and

accessing at least one of the plurality of records based, at least in part, on determined global positioning system-based data representative of a location of at least one object associated with the at least one of the plurality of records,

wherein the accessing at least one of the plurality of records comprises

placing a global positioning system device proximate to the at least one object,

determining global positioning system coordinates associated with the global positioning system device, and

accessing the at least one of the plurality of records based, at least in part, on the determined global positioning system coordinates associated with the global positioning system device by at least

mapping the determined global positioning system coordinates associated with the global positioning system device to a cell in a mesh comprising a plurality of cells, the cell in the mesh associated with cell location values representative of global positioning system coordinates of a center of the cell, the cell location values included in the at least one of the plurality of records, and

accessing the at least one of the plurality of records when the determined global positioning system coordinates associated with the global positioning system device are within a particular distance value from the global positioning system coordinates of the center of the cell.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

tagging a record, from the plurality of records, associated with the at least one object with global positioning system location data representative of the location of the at least one object, the global positioning system location data determined based on the determined global positioning system coordinates.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the global positioning system device comprises a global positioning system-enabled mobile device, and wherein at least one of the maintaining and the accessing is implemented by at least one processor.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the particular distance value is computed based on distances between any two of the plurality of objects that are to be mapped to the plurality of cells in the mesh.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the particular distance value is computed based on one of:

a shortest distance of the distances between any two of the plurality of objects, and an average distance of the distances between any two of the plurality of objects.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

periodically adjusting the particular distance value.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the accessing at least one of the plurality of records comprises:

identifying a record from the plurality of records corresponding to the determined global positioning system coordinates; and

retrieving data of the identified record from the plurality of records corresponding to the determined global positioning system coordinates.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

processing the retrieved data, the processing comprising at least one of;

editing the retrieved data, and communicating the edited data to update the identified record, and

presenting the retrieved data on an output device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the accessing at least one of the plurality of records comprises:

identifying a record from the plurality of records corresponding to the determined global positioning system coordinates;

recording the data regarding the at least one object at the identified record; and

tracking the at least one object to maintain an inventory.

10. A system comprising:

at least one processing-based device; and

at least one non-transitory memory storage device in communication with the at least one processor-based device, the at least one memory storage device storing a repository of records and computer instructions that, when executed on the at least one processor-based device, cause the processor-based device to perform operations comprising;

maintaining a plurality of records associated with a plurality of objects, the plurality of records configured to include global positioning system-based data representative of locations of the plurality of objects; and

accessing at least one of the plurality of records based, at least in part, on determined global positioning system-based data representative of a location of at least one object associated with the at least one of the plurality of records,

wherein the accessing at least one of the plurality of records comprises

placing a global positioning system device proximate to the at least one object,

determining global positioning system coordinates associated with the global positioning system device, and

accessing the at least one of the plurality of records based, at least in part, on the determined global positioning system coordinates associated with the global positioning system device by at least

mapping the determined global positioning system coordinates associated with the global positioning system device to a cell in a mesh comprising a plurality of cells, the cell in the mesh associated with cell location values representative of global positioning system coordinates of a center of the cell, the cell location values included in the at least one of the plurality of records, and

accessing the at least one of the plurality of records when the determined global positioning system coordinates associated with the global positioning system device are within a particular distance value from the global positioning system coordinates of the center of the cell.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the accessing at least one of the plurality of records comprises:

identifying a record from the plurality of records corresponding to the determined global positioning system coordinates;

recording the data regarding the at least one object at the identified record; and

tracking the at least one object to maintain an inventory.

12. A computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer readable storage device storing computer instructions that, when executed on at least one processor-based device, cause the at least one processor-based device to perform operations comprising:

maintaining a plurality of records associated with a plurality of objects, the plurality of records configured to include global positioning system-based data representative of locations of the plurality of objects; and

accessing at least one of the plurality of records based, at least in part, on determined global positioning system-based data representative of a location of at least one object associated with the at least one of the plurality of records,.

wherein the accessing at least one of the plurality of records comprises

placing a global positioning system device proximate to the at least one object,

determining global positioning system coordinates associated with the global positioning system device, and

accessing the at least one of the plurality of records based, at least in part, on the determined global positioning system coordinates associated with the global positioning system device by at least

mapping the determined global positioning system coordinates associated with the global positioning system device to a cell in a mesh comprising a plurality of cells, the cell in the mesh associated with cell location values representative of global positioning system coordinates of a center of the cell, the cell location values included in the at least one of the plurality of records, and

accessing the at least one of the plurality of records when the determined global positioning system coordinates associated with the global positioning system device are within a particular distance value from the global positioning system coordinates of the center of the cell.

13. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the accessing at least one of the plurality of records comprises:

identifying a record from the plurality of records corresponding to the determined global positioning system coordinates;

recording the data regarding the at least one object at the identified record; and

tracking the at least one object to maintain an inventory.