Inventory management system using event filters for wireless sensor network data

• US 9,501,916 B2
• Filed: 03/19/2013
• Issued: 11/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sensormatic Electronics LLC (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Original Assignee: Tyco Fire & Security GmbH (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: Rasband, Paul Brent
• Primary Examiner(s): Rivero, Alejandro
• Application Number:
  US13/847,229
• Publication Number:
  US 20130252556A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,344 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0639 Item locations
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2462 Asset location systems combined with EAS inventory, tracking, logistic G06Q10/00; entrance control systems G07C9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2465 Aspects related to the EAS system, e.g. system components other than tags
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/10 using wireless transmission systems G08B25/009 takes precedence
• 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: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/38 for collecting sensor information

Abstract

A wireless sensor node, WSN, tag and method for filtering sensor data obtained by the WSN. At least one event filter is applied to sensor data. The sensor data is based at least in part on motion of the WSN tag. The at least one event filter includes at least one filter parameter, and the at least one filter parameter includes a minimum amount of movement of the WSN tag within a predetermined time threshold.

Claims

1. A method for filtering sensor data obtained by a wireless sensor node, WSN, tag, the method comprising:

applying, at the WSN tag, at least one event filter to the sensor data, the sensor data being based at least in part on motion of the WSN tag, the at least one event filter including at least one filter parameter, the at least one filter parameter including;

a movement threshold that when met indicates WSN tag movement has occurred, the at least one filter parameter defining a minimum number of movements of the WSN tag within a predetermined time threshold, the minimum number of movements corresponding to a handling event; and

a counter initialized to a predefined value, the counter configured to increment if a number of movements of the WSN tag meets the movement threshold within a predefined time and decrement if the number of movements of the WSN tag fails to meet the movement threshold within the predefined time;

determining, at the WSN tag and based on the application of the at least one event filter to the sensor data, whether the at least one event filter is met; and

in response to determining that the at least one event filter is met, transmitting, by the WSN tag, event data associated with the handling event.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the minimum number of movements includes a minimum number of tilting movements in at least one plane.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising increasing the movement threshold if WSN tag movement occurred.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

resetting the counter to the predefined value if the counter is decremented to be one of equal and less than the predefined value.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising changing the predetermined time threshold if the at least one event filter is met.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the changing of the predetermined time threshold includes one of increasing and decreasing the predetermined time threshold after the at least one event filter is met.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one event filter includes at least a first event filter and second event filter, the first event filter being initially enabled and the second event filter being initially disabled;

the method further including;

enabling the second event filter if a filter firing of the first event filter occurs; and

disabling the first event filter if the filter firing of the first event filter occurs.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising a set of event filters including at least a first event filter and second event filter taken from the at least one event filter, the first event filter and second event filter being in a parallel configuration with each other, both the first event filter and second event filters being initially enabled;

and

a filter firing of one of the first event filter and second event filter being a filter firing event for the set of event filters, a determination of whether a motion based event occurred being based at least in part on the filter firing event for the set of event filters.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising a set of event filters including at least a first event filter, second event filter and third event filter taken from the at least one event filter, the first event filter being in a series configuration with the second event filter and third event filter, the second event filter being in a parallel configuration with the third event filter, the first event filter being initially enabled and the second and third event filters being initially disabled;

the method further including;

enabling the second and third event filters if a filter firing of the first event filter occurs; and

disabling the first event filter if the first filter firing of the first event filter occurs.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a command to enter a learning mode;

generating at least one other filter parameter based at least in part on sensor data; and

updating the at least one filter parameter based at least in part on the generated at least one other filter parameter.

11. A wireless sensor node, WSN, tag for identifying handling events, the WSN tag being associable with an item, the WSN tag comprising:

at least one sensor, the at least one sensor configured to generate sensor data based at least in part on motion of the WSN tag;

a memory, the memory configured to store at least one event filter and the sensor data, the at least one event filter including at least one filter parameter, the at least one filter parameter including;

a movement threshold that when met indicates WSN tag movement has occurred, the at least one filter parameter defining a minimum number of movements of the WSN tag within a predetermined time threshold, the minimum number of movements corresponding to a handling event; and

a counter initialized to a predefined value, the counter configured to increment if the number of movements of the WSN tag meets the movement threshold within a predefined time and decrement if the number of movements of the WSN tag fails to meet the movement threshold within the predefined time; and

a processor, the processor configured to;

apply at least one event filter to the sensor data;

determine whether the at least one event filter is met based on the application of the at least one event filter to the sensor data; and

in response to determining that the at least one event filter is met, cause transmission of event data associated with the handling event.

12. The WSN tag of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to change the time threshold if the at least one event filter is met.

13. The WSN tag of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to:

reset the counter to the predefined value if the counter is decremented to be one of equal and less than the predefined value.

14. The WSN tag of claim 11, wherein applying at least one event filter includes applying a set of event filters including at least a first event filter, second event filter and third event filter taken from the at least one event filter, the first event filter being in a series configuration with the second event filter and third event filter, the second event filter and third event filter being in a parallel configuration with each other, the first event filter being initially enabled and the second and third event filters being initially disabled;

the processor is further configured to;

enable the second and third event filters if a filter firing of the first event filter occurs; and

disable the first event filter if the first filter firing of the first event filter occurs.

15. A method for identifying handling events of a wireless sensor node, WSN, tag associable with an item, the method comprising:

receiving sensor data, the sensor data being based at least in part on motion of the WSN tag;

applying at least one event filter to the sensor data, the at least one event filter including;

a movement threshold that when met indicates WSN tag movement has occurred, the at least one event filter defining a minimum number of movements of the WSN tag that are above a predefined time threshold for the at least one event filter to be met, the minimum number of movements corresponding to a predefined handling event; and

a counter initialized to a predefined value, the counter configured to increment if a number of movements of the WSN tag meets the movement threshold within a predefined time and decrement if the number of movements of the WSN tag fails to meet the movement threshold within the predefined time;

triggering a filter firing of the at least one event filter if the received sensor data meets the at least one event filter; and

determining the predefined handling event occurred based at least in part on the filter firing of the at least one event filter.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising a set of event filters including a first event filter, second event filter and third event filter taken from the at least one event filter, the first event filter being in a series configuration with the second event filter and third event filter, the second event filter and third event filter being in a parallel configuration with each other, the first event filter being initially enabled and the second and third event filters being initially disabled;

the method further including;

in response to a filter firing of the first event filter, enabling the second and third event filters; and

in response to the filter firing of the first event filter, disabling the first event filter.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

generating at least one filter parameter based at least in part on the received sensor data; and

transmitting the generated at least one filter parameter to the WSN tag for filter parameter updating.