Method and system for providing shipment tracking and notifications

• US 8,725,165 B2
• Filed: 09/27/2010
• Issued: 05/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: IpVenture, Inc.
• Original Assignee: IpVenture, Inc.
• Inventors: Lau, Chung, Thomas, C. Douglass
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, QUYNH H
• Application Number:
  US12/924,470
• Publication Number:
  US 20110022533A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,324 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1, 455/456.2, 455/456.3, 455/404.02, 455/414.2, 340/539.13, 340/825.49, 340/988, 701/213, 701/214, 701/215
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0832 Special goods or special handling procedures, e.g. handling of hazardous or fragile goods
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0833 Tracking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 using movement velocity, acceleration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

Improved approaches for monitoring status of articles being shipped are disclosed. The monitoring can produce notifications to interested parties. The notifications typically contain status information pertaining to the articles being shipped. Alternatively, interested parties can gain access to status information pertaining to the articles being shipped via a website. According to one embodiment, the status information includes at least position (location) information and shipping conditions information.

Claims

1. A system for tracking shipment of packages, comprising:

a tracking database configured to store status information pertaining to a plurality of wireless tracking devices; and

a tracking computing device configured to;

(i) receive certain status information from a wireless tracking device used to track shipment of a package, the wireless tracking device being within or affixed to the package and being capable of wirelessly sending the certain status information to the tracking computing device;

(ii) store the certain status information to the tracking database with reference to the wireless tracking device;

(iii) determine if an environmental violation has occurred based on the certain status information and at least one environmental level;

(iv) send an electronic notification regarding the environmental violation to an interested person upon determining that the environmental violation has occurred; and

(v) facilitate network-based access to the tracking computing device to enable interested persons to receive at least a portion of the certain status information regarding the package,

wherein the certain status information being received includes position information pertaining to position of the wireless tracking device, and

wherein the tracking computing device is configured to transform the position information into a point of interest based on information stored in a database.

2. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein the position information includes at least data acquired from a GPS receiver within the wireless tracking device.

3. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein the position information includes at least local network information.

4. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein the certain status information being received from the wireless tracking device includes shipping condition information.

5. A system as recited in claim 4, wherein the tracking computing device operates, at least during the shipment of the package, to determine whether the environmental violation has occurred based at least in part on the shipping condition information.

6. A system as recited in claim 5, wherein if the environmental violation is determined to have occurred, the electronic notification indicates that a temperature related to the package has exceeded a predetermined level.

7. A system as recited in claim 5, wherein if the environmental violation is determined to have occurred, the electronic notification indicates that a humidity related to the package has exceeded a predetermined level.

8. A system as recited in claim 5, wherein if the environmental violation is determined to have occurred, the electronic notification indicates that an acceleration or a force induced on the package has exceeded a predetermined level.

9. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein, when the package is in a geographic region, the tracking computing device is configured to receive business information regarding a business associated with a position in the geographic region based on wireless communication between the wireless tracking device and a wireless device at the business.

10. A system as recited in claim 9, wherein the tracking computing device is configured to transform the position information into the point of interest based on information regarding the geographic region stored in a database.

11. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one environmental level is predetermined, and wherein the predetermined environmental level is configured to be set by one or more of the interested persons.

12. A system as recited in claim 1,

wherein the certain status information being received from the wireless tracking device includes shipping condition information, and

wherein the tracking computing device is provided at a centralized location that is remote from the wireless tracking device and operates, at least during the shipment of the package, to determine whether the environmental violation has occurred based at least in part on the shipping condition information.

13. A method for tracking shipment of packages using wireless tracking devices provided within or affixed to the respective packages, the method comprising:

accessing status information pertaining to a wireless tracking device used to track shipment of a package, the status information including at least position information and shipping condition information;

transforming the position information into a point of interest pertaining to the wireless tracking device based on at least information stored in a database;

determining if a shipping condition violation has occurred during shipment of the package based on at least the shipping condition information and at least one shipping condition level;

sending an electronic notification regarding the shipping condition violation to an interested person if it is determined that the shipping condition violation has occurred during shipment; and

facilitating network-based access to enable interested persons to receive at least a portion of the status information regarding the package, including at least the point of interest transformed from the position information.

14. A method for tracking shipment as recited in claim 13, wherein the shipping condition violation pertains to an environmental violation, and wherein the at least one shipping condition level pertains to an environmental level.

15. A method as recited in claim 13, wherein the package is an individual package.

16. A method as recited in claim 13, wherein the wireless tracking device supports mobile communications, and wherein the wireless tracking device can be held within a person'"'"'s hand.

17. A method as recited in claim 13, wherein the wireless tracking device is placed in the package during shipment and is later removed from the package.

18. A method as recited in claim 17, wherein said method comprises:

permitting an authorized interested person to access the status information for a plurality of packages being shipped, provided the authorized interested person is authorized to track shipment of the plurality of packages; and

initiating display of a web page to the authorized interested person, the web page that enabling the authorized interested person to monitor the shipment of the plurality of packages being shipped.

19. A method as recited in claim 13, wherein the electronic notification includes at least a notification message, and wherein said method comprises:

providing a web interface that is accessible via a data network to facilitate configuring one or more notification messages, including where and when the one or more notification messages are to be sent; and

receiving at least one notification criterion that has been specified via the web interface, the at least one shipping condition level being included in the notification criterion or being determined using the notification criterion.

20. A method as recited in claim 19, wherein said method comprises:

receiving the status information associated with the package being shipped, the status information being provided wirelessly by the wireless tracking device provided within the package, the wireless tracking device being capable of sensing position as well as at least one shipping condition;

determining whether a notification condition exists based on the status information and the at least one notification criterion; and

producing a notification message when the notification condition is determined to exist.

21. A method as recited in claim 20,

wherein said receiving the status information comprises:

receiving sensed shipping condition information sensed by the wireless tracking device,

wherein said determining whether the notification condition exists comprises;

accessing the at least one shipping condition level that has been previously configured for the package based on information received via the web interface; and

determining whether the notification condition exists based on at least the shipping condition information and the at least one shipping condition level,

wherein the notification condition exists if the shipping condition information of the package being shipped exceeds the at least one shipping condition level.

22. A method as recited in claim 21, wherein said method enables separately tracking shipment of each of a plurality of packages even while the plurality of the packages are in a container being shipped.

23. A method as recited in claim 21, wherein the package is an individual package that is portable by a person.

24. A method as recited in claim 23, wherein said method comprises:

permitting an authorized interested person to access the status information for a plurality of packages being shipped, provided the authorized interested person is authorized to track shipment of the plurality of packages; and

initiating display of a web page to the authorized interested person, the web page that enabling the authorized interested person to monitor the shipment of the plurality of packages being shipped.

25. A method as recited in claim 21, wherein the wireless tracking device supports mobile communications, and wherein the wireless tracking device can be held within a person'"'"'s hand.

26. A method as recited in claim 25, wherein the wireless tracking device is placed in the package during shipment and later removed from the package after shipment.

27. A method as recited in claim 26, wherein said method enables separately tracking shipment of each of a plurality of packages even while the plurality of the packages are in a container being shipped.

28. A method as recited in claim 21, wherein the article is a package for shipment, and wherein the wireless tracking device is placed in the package during shipment and later removed from the package after shipment.

29. A computer-implemented method for operating a tracking computer to track packages in a geographic region, the tracking computer having a data storage device associated therewith, the data storage device supporting a database stored therein, comprising:

receiving location information regarding a location of a package acquired by a mobile communication device in or attached to the package;

receiving, from the mobile communication device, business information regarding a business associated with the location based on wireless communication between the mobile communication device and a wireless device at the business;

transforming the location information into a point of interest based on at least information stored in the database; and

storing the transformed location information and the business information in the data storage device associated with the tracking computer,

wherein the mobile communication device is configured to be wirelessly coupled to a wireless network to send the location information and the business information to the tracking computer.

30. A method for tracking shipment of packages using wireless tracking devices provided within or affixed to the respective packages, the method comprising:

accessing status information pertaining to a wireless tracking device used to track shipment of a package, the status information including at least position information and shipping condition information;

converting the position information into an enhanced location for the wireless tracking device based on at least information stored in at least one database;

determining if a shipping condition violation has occurred during shipment of the package based on at least the shipping condition information and at least one shipping condition level;

sending an electronic notification regarding the shipping condition violation to an interested person if it is determined that the shipping condition violation has occurred during shipment; and

facilitating network-based access to enable interested persons to receive at least a portion of the status information, including at least the enhanced location.