Method for predicting asset availability

• US 9,400,964 B2
• Filed: 02/03/2014
• Issued: 07/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Surgere LLC
• Original Assignee: Surgere, Inc.
• Inventors: Wappler, William J., Horvat, David J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehmood, Jennifer
• Assistant Examiner(s): MORTELL, JOHN F
• Application Number:
  US14/171,130
• Publication Number:
  US 20150154525A1
• Time in Patent Office: 904 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06315 Needs-based resource requirements planning or analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a method for predicting asset availability in a supply chain, whereby assets are typically reusable assets such as packaging or bins which are expensive components yet hard to track. The present invention provides a mechanism for passively sensing when an asset enters or leaves a particular location in the supply chain and updates a database accordingly. This location and timing information is thereafter used in the present invention to model future movement of the assets for use in predicting whether a sufficient amount of the assets will be present at any particular location in the supply chain at any particular point in the future. An alert is generated if the modeling determines an insufficient amount is modeled to be present at the particular location. This allows a decision maker to make adjustments to ensure a sufficient amount of assets will be present at the particular location.

Claims

1. A method for predicting asset availability, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a tag on each asset in a plurality of assets;

emitting a signal from each tag;

sensing with a first antenna when an asset in the plurality of assets arrives at one of a plurality of locations, wherein sensing the asset is accomplished by reading the tag signal with the first antenna disposed at a first angle in a range from 25 degrees to 35 degrees measured from a longitudinal line extending through the first antenna to an imaginary line normal to a wall of a structure at each location in the plurality of locations;

updating a database with an incoming time associated with the asset and the location;

sensing with the first antenna when the asset leaves the location;

updating the database with an outgoing time associated with the asset and location;

calculating a dwell time for the asset at the location by comparing the incoming time and the outgoing time;

updating the database with the dwell time associated with the asset and the location;

predicting availability of the asset based on the incoming time and outgoing time maintained in the database, wherein this step of predicting availability is accomplished by forecasting a forecast amount of assets in the plurality of assets available at the location based on the dwell time associated with the asset in the plurality of assets, and comparing a required amount of assets and the forecast amount of assets to determine whether the forecast amount of assets is sufficient; and

adapting to future asset shortages based on predicted availability of the asset.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of repeating the sensing and calculating steps to determine and associate at least one dwell time with each location in the plurality of locations.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of repeating the sensing and calculating steps to determine and associate at least one dwell time with each asset in the plurality of assets.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of repeating the sensing and calculating steps to determine and associate a dwell time for every asset in the plurality of assets with respect to every location in the plurality of locations.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising the step of using the incoming times to determine a current location for every asset in the plurality of assets.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising the steps of:

constructing an asset requirements schedule for use with the plurality of assets; and

specifying in the asset requirements schedule an amount of assets in the plurality of assets required at each location in the plurality of locations for each successive increment of time in a plurality of increments of time.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising the steps of:

constructing an asset path schedule for use with the plurality of assets; and

specifying in the asset path schedule a series of locations in the plurality of locations for each asset in the plurality of assets; and

reflecting a desired physical movement of the associated asset between locations in the plurality of locations in the series.

8. The method of claim 7, further including the step of comparing the dwell times for each location in the plurality of locations, the current location for each asset in the plurality of assets, and the asset path schedule to construct a model depicting a predicted location of each asset in the plurality of assets for each increment of time in the asset requirements schedule.

9. The method of claim 8, further including the steps of:

comparing the model with the assets requirements schedule;

determining whether the modeled distribution of each asset in the plurality of assets at each location in the plurality of locations is less than the amount specified in the asset requirements schedule for each increment of time in the plurality of increments of time.

10. The method of claim 9, further including the step of sending an alert if the modeled distribution of each asset in the plurality of assets at each location in the plurality of locations is less than the amount specified in the asset requirements schedule for any one increment of time in the plurality of increments of time.

11. The method of claim 9, further including the step of initiating acquiring additional assets if the modeled distribution of each asset in the plurality of assets at each location in the plurality of locations is less than the amount specified in the asset requirements schedule for any one increment of time in the plurality of increments of time.

12. The method of claim 9, further including the step of forming and sending an email to a user if the modeled distribution of each asset in the plurality of assets at each location in the plurality of locations is less than the amount specified in the asset requirements schedule for any one increment of time in the plurality of increments of time.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of generating a report showing each increment of time in the plurality of increments of time juxtaposed with the amount specified in the asset requirements schedule at each location in the plurality of locations for each increment of time in the plurality of increments of time and the modeled distribution of each asset in the plurality of assets at each location in the plurality of locations for each increment of time in the plurality of increments of time.

14. The method of claim 4, further comprising the steps of:

selecting a time period;

selecting a selected location in the plurality of locations;

calculating a shrink rate for the time period at the selected location using the database, wherein the shrink rate is the percentage of the plurality of assets which arrives at the selected location during the time period.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising the step of generating a report showing the shrink rate, the time period, and the selected location.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

reading the tags with a second antenna disposed at a second angle in a range from 15 degrees to 25 degrees relative the imaginary line normal to the wall of the structure at each location in the plurality of locations; and

determining whether the asset associated with the sensed tag is arriving or leaving at a particular location in the plurality of locations by comparing a first time and a second time, wherein the signal emitted by the sensed tag is strongest at the first antenna at the first time, and wherein the signal emitted by the sensed tag is the strongest at the second antenna at the second time.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising the steps of:

reading the tags passively with the first antenna; and

reading the tags passively with the second antenna.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising the steps of:

emitting the signal as a radio frequency identification signal;

forming the first antenna as a radio frequency identification antenna; and

forming the second antenna as a radio frequency identification antenna.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the asset is a reusable shipping container.