Apparatus, method, and program product for tracking items

• US 9,813,605 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2014
• Issued: 11/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo PC International Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Lenovo Singapore Pte Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Peterson, Nathan J., Mese, John Carl, VanBlon, Russell Speight, Waltermann, Rod D., Weksler, Arnold S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Thirugnanam, Gandhi
• Application Number:
  US14/529,926
• Publication Number:
  US 20160125587A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,103 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/647 by matching two-dimensional images to three-dimensional objects

Abstract

Apparatuses, methods, systems, and program products are disclosed for tracking items. An identification module identifies an item using one or more sensors of an information handling device. A location module receives location data for the item in response to identifying the item. A communication module shares the location data with one or more different information handling devices.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

one or more sensors associated with an information handling device, the one or more sensors selected from the group consisting of a camera, a wireless signal sensor, and a proximity sensor;

a processor coupled to the one or more sensors;

a memory that stores code executable by the processor, the code comprising;

code that registers a first item to be tracked by;

determining one or more identifying characteristics of the first item based on one or more images captured of the first item using a camera of an information handling device;

storing, in a data store, the one or more identifying characteristics of the first item; and

associating one or more keyword tags with the first item;

code that detects a presence of a second item at a point in time subsequent to registering the first item;

code that determines one or more identifying characteristics of the second item based on one or more images captured of the second item;

code that determines that the second item is a registered item in response to the one or more identifying characteristics of the second item corresponding to one or more identifying characteristics of the first item in the data store;

code that determines a location of an information handling device used to detect the second item;

code that associates the determined location of the information handling device with the second item in response to determining that the second item is a registered item;

code that shares the location for the second item with one or more different information handling devices that have been authorized to track the second item; and

code that determines a last known location for the registered item by searching the data store using one or more keyword tags corresponding to the keyword tags associated with the registered item when it was registered.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the camera captures one or more images of the second item in response to identifying the second item, the one or more images of the second item being shared with the location data for the second item.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the second item in the one or more images is identified by processing the one or more images using a pattern recognition algorithm.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, the wireless signal sensor identifies one or more wireless signals transmitted by the second item.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein data received using the wireless signal sensor comprises an identifier for the second item.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the identifier comprises an identifier selected from the group consisting of a media access control (MAC) address, an internet protocol (IP) address, a near-field communication (NFC) identifier, and a Bluetooth®

identifier.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the information handling device comprising the one or more sensors is in communication with the one or more different information handling devices, the location data being shared using a peer-to-peer network configuration.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the location data for the second item is stored on a server in communication with the information handling device comprising the one or more sensors and the one or more different information handling devices, wherein the server is selected from the group consisting of a local area network server and a cloud server.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the location data is data selected from the group consisting of global positioning system (GPS) data, a latitude/longitude pair, and relative positioning data.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the location data further comprises a timestamp comprising a time and a date that the second item was identified.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein location data for the second item is continually received in response to the one or more sensors tracking movement for the second item after the second item has been identified.

12. A method comprising:

registering, by use of processor, a first item to be tracked by;

determining one or more identifying characteristics of the first item based on one or more images captured of the first item using a camera of an information handling device;

storing, in a data store, the one or more identifying characteristics of the first item; and

associating one or more keyword tags with the first item;

detecting a presence of a second item at a point in time subsequent to registering the first item;

determining one or more identifying characteristics of the second item based on one or more images captured of the second item;

determining that the second item is a registered item in response to the one or more identifying characteristics of the second item corresponding to one or more identifying characteristics of the first item in the data store;

determining a location of an information handling device used to detect the second item;

associating the determined location of the information handling device with the second item in response to determining that the second item is a registered item;

sharing the location for the second item with one or more different information handling devices that have been authorized to track the second item; and

determining a last known location for the registered item by searching the data store using one or more keyword tags corresponding to the keyword tags associated with the registered item when it was registered.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the camera captures one or more images of the second item in response to identifying the second item, the one or more images of the second item being shared with the location data for the second item.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising detecting one or more wireless signals transmitted by the second item using a wireless signal sensor of the information handling device used to detect the second item, the one or more wireless signals identifying the item.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the location data received using the wireless signal sensor comprises a wireless signal identifier for the second item, the identifier being selected from the group consisting of a media access control (MAC) address, an internet protocol (IP) address, a near-field communication (NFC) identifier, and a Bluetooth®

identifier.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the location data is data selected from the group consisting of global positioning system (GPS) data, a latitude/longitude pair, and relative positioning data.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the location data for the second item is stored on a server in communication with the information handling device comprising the one or more sensors and the one or more different information handling devices, wherein the server is selected from the group consisting of a local area network server and a cloud server.

18. A program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium that stores code executable by a processor, the executable code comprising code to perform:

registering a first item to be tracked by;

determining one or more identifying characteristics of the first item based on one or more images captured of the first item using a camera of an information handling device;

storing, in a data store, the one or more identifying characteristics of the first item; and

associating one or more keyword tags with the first item;

detecting a presence of a second item at a point in time subsequent to registering the first item;

determining one or more identifying characteristics of the second item based on one or more images captured of the second item;

determining that the second item is a registered item in response to the one or more identifying characteristics of the second item corresponding to one or more identifying characteristics of the first item in the data store;

determining a location of an information handling device used to detect the second item;

associating the determined location of the information handling device with the second item in response to determining that the second item is a registered item;

sharing the location for the second item with one or more different information handling devices that have been authorized to track the second item; and

determining a last known location for the registered item by searching the data store using one or more keyword tags corresponding to the keyword tags associated with the registered item when it was registered.