Hierarchical sensor network for a grouped set of packages being shipped using elements of a wireless node network

• US 9,182,231 B2
• Filed: 07/30/2014
• Issued: 11/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fedex Corporate Services Incorporated (FedEx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fedex Corporate Services Incorporated (FedEx Corporation)
• Inventors: Skaaksrud, Ole-Petter
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, PHUOC H
• Application Number:
  US14/446,366
• Publication Number:
  US 20150156109A1
• Time in Patent Office: 468 Days
• Field of Search: 709/224
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 60/00256 Delivery operations
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 25/02 Packaging agricultural or horticultural products
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 25/02 Internal fittings of containers made by folding or erecting blanks made of paper B65D5/44
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 25/102 Straps, bands, strings or other elongate elements
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3407 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3453 Special cost functions, i.e. other than distance or default speed limit of road segments
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/362 received from an external device or application, e.g. PDA, mobile phone or calendar application
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2205/01 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0289 of multiple transceivers, e.g. in ad hoc networks
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/14 Determining absolute distances from a plurality of spaced points of known location
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0022 characterised by the communication link data switching networks in general H04L12/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0088 characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours using knowledge based models G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/021 specially adapted to land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0712 the arrangement being capable of triggering distinct operating modes or functions dependent on the strength of an energy or interrogation field in the proximity of the record carrier active means for hindering electromagnetic reading or writing G06K19/07336
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10366 the interrogation device being adapted for miscellaneous applications
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/083 Shipping
• 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: G06Q 10/0835 Relationships between shipper or supplier and carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08355 Routing methods
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0836 : Recipient pick-ups
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0838 : Historical data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 : Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/14 : specially adapted for billing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/22 : Payment schemes or models
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/308 : using the Internet of Things
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/321 : using wearable devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/325 : using wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 : Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 : Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 : based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0261 : System arrangements wherein the object is to detect trespassing over a fixed physical boundary, e.g. the end of a garden
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0269 : System arrangements wherein the object is to detect the exact location of child or item using a navigation satellite system, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 : for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/65 : stored on portable record carriers, e.g. on smartcards, RFID tags or CD
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 : for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 : for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 80/00 : ICT specially adapted for facilitating communication between medical practitioners or patients, e.g. for collaborative diagnosis, therapy or health monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3822 : specially adapted for use in vehicles H04B1/3827 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/61 : for local area broadcast, e.g. instore broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/71 : Wireless systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/026 : using e-messaging for transporting management information, e.g. email, instant messaging or chat
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0813 : characterised by the conditions triggering a change of settings
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0823 : characterised by the purposes of a change of settings, e.g. optimising configuration for enhancing reliability for optimising operational conditions of wireless networks H04W24/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/10 : Active monitoring, e.g. heartbeat, ping or trace-route
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/22 : Alternate routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 : Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 : Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 : in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 : specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 : Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 : specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 : Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 : Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/10 : Scheduling measurement reports ; Arrangements for measurement reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 : Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 : using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/025 : using location based information parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 : Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/38 : for collecting sensor information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/60 : Subscription-based services using application servers or record carriers, e.g. SIM application toolkits
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 : Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0212 : managed by the network, e.g. network or access point is master and terminal is slave
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/04 : TPC
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 : Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/003 : locating network equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/006 : with additional information processing, e.g. for direction or speed determination
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 : Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 : Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/24 : Transfer of terminal data
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 : in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Methods and systems are described for creating a hierarchical sensor network for enhanced monitoring of a grouped set of packages being shipped, the hierarchical sensor network using a wireless node network having a mobile master node, an ID node and a server. The mobile master node can communicate directly with the server over a first communication path, and is placed within a package in the grouped packages. The ID node can communicate directly with the master node over a second communication path but cannot communicate directly with the server over the first communication path. The ID node is placed within another package in the grouped packages. The mobile master node and the ID node are enabled with power, and the hierarchical sensor network for the grouped packages is activated by causing the server to associate the mobile master node with the ID node.

Claims

1. A method for creating a hierarchical sensor network for enhanced monitoring of a grouped set of packages being shipped, the hierarchical sensor network using a wireless node network having a mobile master node, an ID node and a server, comprising:

associating, by the server, the mobile master node with one of the packages in the grouped set of packages, wherein the mobile master node is operative to communicate directly with the server in the wireless node network over a first communication path;

associating, by the server, the ID node with another of the packages in the grouped set of packages, wherein the ID node is operative to communicate directly with the mobile master node over a second communication path but not operative to communicate directly with the server over the first communication path; and

creating the hierarchical sensor network for the grouped set of packages with the mobile master node and the ID node when the server associates the mobile master node with the ID node.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

associating, by the server, an additional ID node with each of the remaining ones of the packages; and

updating, by the server, the hierarchical sensor network to further comprise each of the associated additional ID nodes.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the grouped set of packages comprise a palletized group of packages being shipped together.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the grouped set of packages comprise a group of packages together within a shipping container.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising sensing, by the ID node, shipping condition information related to the another of the packages.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the shipping condition information comprises at least one of environmental information and location information.

7. The method of claim 5 further comprising sharing, by the ID node, the sensed shipping condition information with the mobile master node.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising providing, by the master node to the server, the shared sensed shipping condition information.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising managing, by the server, power consumption of the hierarchical sensor network by transmitting a power management instruction to the master node by the server, the power management instruction causing the mobile master node to alter at least one operation of the mobile master node and the ID node to change power consumption by at least one of the mobile master node and the ID node.

10. A method for creating a hierarchical sensor network for a grouped set of packages being shipped, the hierarchical sensor network using a wireless node network having a mobile master node, an ID node and a server, comprising:

placing the mobile master node within one of the packages in the grouped set of packages, wherein the mobile master node is operative to communicate directly with a server in the wireless node network over a first communication path;

placing an ID node within another of the packages in the grouped set of packages, wherein the ID node is operative to communicate directly with the master node over a second communication path but not operative to communicate directly with a server over the first communication path;

enabling the mobile master node and the ID node with power; and

activating the hierarchical sensor network for the grouped set of packages by causing the server to associate the mobile master node with the ID node.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising the steps of:

placing an additional ID node within each of the remaining ones of the packages; and

enabling each of the additional ID nodes placed within each of the remaining ones of the packages, wherein the enabled each of the additional ID nodes are powered and discoverable by the mobile master node and added to the hierarchical sensor network when the enabled each of the additional ID nodes are associated with the mobile master node.

12. The method of claim 10 further comprising the steps of:

placing an additional ID node within a remaining one of the packages; and

enabling the additional ID node placed within the remaining one of the packages, wherein the enabled additional ID node is powered and discoverable by the mobile master node and added to the hierarchical sensor network when the enabled additional ID node is associated with the mobile master node.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the grouped set of packages comprise a palletized group of packages being shipped together.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the grouped set of packages comprise a group of packages together within a shipping container.

15. The method of claim 10 further comprising selecting the packages in the grouped set of packages as a monitored group of packages to be shipped together for at least a portion of a shipping path from an origin to a destination.

16. A method for creating a hierarchical sensor network for a grouped set of packages being shipped, the hierarchical sensor network using a wireless node network having a mobile master node, an ID node and a server, comprising:

associating, by the mobile master node, one of the packages in the grouped set of packages with the mobile master node, wherein the mobile master node is operative to communicate directly with the server over a longer range communication path and operative to communicate with the ID node over a short range communication path;

detecting, by the mobile master node, a signal broadcast from the ID node over the short range communication path;

the ID node being associated with another of the packages in the grouped set of packages, wherein the ID node is operative to communicate directly with the mobile master node over the short range communication path but not operative to communicate directly with the server;

transmitting, by the mobile master node, an authorization request to associate the mobile master node and the ID node;

receiving, by the mobile master node, a response from the server to authorize associating the mobile master node and the ID node; and

establishing the hierarchical sensor network for the grouped set of packages with the mobile master node and the ID node when the mobile master node associates with the ID node.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising the step of associating, by the mobile master node, an additional ID node with each of the remaining ones of the packages, wherein the hierarchical sensor network further comprises each of the associated additional ID nodes.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the grouped set of packages comprise a palletized group of packages being shipped together.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the grouped set of packages comprise a group of packages together within a shipping container.

20. The method of claim 16 further comprising receiving, by the mobile master node, shipping condition information from the ID node.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the shipping condition information comprises at least one of environmental information and location information related to the ID node.

22. The method of claim 20 further comprising providing, by the mobile master node to the server, the shared shipping condition information from the ID node.

23. The method of claim 16 further comprising the steps of:

receiving, by the mobile master node from the server, a power management instruction; and

implementing the power management instruction by the mobile master node to manage power consumed by the mobile master node and the ID node.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the step of implementing the power management instruction by the mobile master node further comprises instructing the ID node to alter an operation of the ID node in order to change the power consumed by the ID node.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the step of implementing the power management instruction by the mobile master node further comprises altering an operation of the mobile master node in order to change the power consumed by the mobile master node.

26. A hierarchical sensor system for a set of packages being shipped, the hierarchical sensor system comprising:

a mobile master node associated with one of the packages in the set of packages, the mobile master node being operative to communicate with a server over a longer range communication path;

a plurality of ID nodes, wherein each of the ID nodes is associated with one of the remaining packages in the set of packages, and each of the plurality of ID nodes being operative to communicate with the mobile master node over a short range communication path but unable to directly communicate with the server;

wherein one or more of the ID nodes further comprises a sensor that collects shipment condition information about its associated package; and

wherein the mobile master node is further operative to receive the collected shipment condition information from the ID nodes over the short range communication path and update the server over the longer range communication path with summary shipment condition information related to each of the packages in the set of packages, the summary shipment condition information being based upon the collected shipment condition information from the ID nodes.

27. The hierarchical sensor system of claim 26, wherein the mobile master node further comprises a sensor that collects shipment condition information about the one of the packages in the set of packages.

28. The hierarchical sensor system of claim 26, wherein the set of packages comprise a group of packages identified by shipping information to be related and shipped together, the shipping information maintained on the server and defined by a shipping customer.

29. The hierarchical sensor system of claim 26, wherein the set of packages comprise a palletized group of packages being shipped together.

30. The hierarchical sensor system of claim 26, wherein the set of packages comprise a group of packages together within a shipping container.