Smart electronic tracking tags with optimized power consumption

• US 9,846,854 B1
• Filed: 12/07/2015
• Issued: 12/19/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2015
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lee, Sang Eun, Kim, Jin Dong
• Primary Examiner(s): Gudorf, Laura
• Application Number:
  US14/961,417
• Time in Patent Office: 743 Days
• Field of Search: 235385
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0701 at least one of the integrated circuit chips comprising an arrangement for power management
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07758 arrangements for adhering the record carrier to further objects or living beings, functioning as an identification tag
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06312 Adjustment or analysis of established resource schedule, e.g. resource or task levelling, or dynamic rescheduling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/083 Shipping
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0833 Tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

Systems, methods, and computer-readable media are disclosed for optimizing power consumption for smart electronic tracking tags. Example methods may include determining a destination address for a package, determining a shipping timeline for the package, the shipping timeline having a first segment and a second segment, and determining a transmission profile with a first frequency of package information data transmissions during the first segment and a second frequency of package information data transmissions during the second segment. Example methods may include sending the transmission profile to an electronic shipping tag associated with the package.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining, by one or more computer processors coupled to at least one memory, an origin address for a package, wherein the package comprises a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag;

determining a destination address for the package;

determining a shipping plan for the package, the shipping plan comprising an expected route and a transportation type;

determining key package status metrics for the package, wherein the key package status metrics comprise one or more of;

temperature data, location data, or inertial data;

determining a shipping timeline for the package using the shipping plan, the shipping timeline comprising a first segment, a second segment, a third segment, and a fourth segment;

determining a first time interval at which to cause the RFID to broadcast the key package status metrics during the first segment, wherein the first segment comprises a first estimated length of time prior to the package leaving a fulfillment center (FC) location;

determining a second time interval during which to cause the RFID tag to enter a sleep mode during the second segment, wherein the second segment comprises a second estimated length of time during which the package is in transit from the FC location to a predetermined distance from the destination address;

determining a third time interval at which to cause the RFID to broadcast the key package status metrics during the third segment, wherein the third segment comprises a third estimated length of time during which the package is within the predetermined distance;

determining a fourth time interval at which to cause the RFID to broadcast the key package status metrics during the fourth segment, the fourth segment corresponding to a fourth time duration during which the package is in unopened state at the destination address; and

generating a transmission profile for the package, the transmission profile comprising transmission instructions for the first time interval, the second time interval, the third time interval, and the fourth time interval, wherein the transmission profile is stored on the RFID tag prior to attaching the RFID tag to the package.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the transmission profile for the package comprises:

determining a current time;

determining a first end time for the first time interval by adding the first estimated length of time to the current time;

determining a second end time for the second time interval by adding the second estimated length of time to the first end time; and

determining a third end time for the third time interval by adding the third estimated length of time to the second end time;

wherein the RFID tag uses an internal clock to determine a current segment of the shipping timeline.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmission profile is a first transmission profile, the method further comprising:

receiving first location data for the package;

determining, based on the first location data, that the package is not within the predetermined distance of the destination address;

determining that the first estimated length of time and the second estimated length of time have elapsed;

determining a fourth estimated length of time after which the package will be within the predetermined distance of the destination address based on the first location data; and

sending the second transmission profile to the RFID tag.

4. A method comprising:

determining, by one or more computer processors coupled to at least one memory, a destination address for a package;

determining a shipping timeline for the package, the shipping timeline comprising a first segment, and a second segment, and a third segment;

determining a transmission profile comprising a first frequency of package information data transmissions during the first segment, and a second frequency of package information data transmissions during the second segment, and a third frequency of package information data transmissions during the third segment;

sending the transmission profile to an electronic shipping tag associated with the package;

receiving location data from the electronic shipping tag;

determining that the package has been delivered, wherein the third segment corresponds to a length of time during which the package is in an unopened state at the destination address; and

activating an inertial sensor associated with the electronic shipping tag to a standby mode.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising;

determining a first estimated length of time the package will be in the first segment, wherein the first segment corresponds to a first time duration during which the package is in transit to a predetermined distance from the destination address;

determining a second estimated length of time the package will be in the second segment, wherein the second segment corresponds to a second time duration during which the package is within the predetermined distance;

determining a current time; and

programming the electronic shipping tag with the transmission profile and the current time.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the first segment corresponds to a first duration of time during which the package is in transit to a predetermined distance from the destination address, and the first frequency of package information data transmissions is one transmission per hour.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the second segment corresponds to a second duration of time during which the package is within the predetermined distance from the destination address, and the second frequency of package information data transmissions is greater than zero.

8. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

determining an estimated time of arrival for the package;

receiving location data from the electronic shipping tag;

determining, based on the location data, that the package is delayed beyond the estimated time of arrival; and

sending a notification to a user indicating that the package is delayed.

9. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

determining a first estimated length of time for the first segment;

determining a second estimated length of time for the second segment;

activating the electronic shipping tag; and

initiating a counter at the electronic shipping tag, wherein the counter is configured to increment time.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the transmission profile is a first transmission profile, the method further comprising:

receiving location data from the electronic shipping tag;

determining, based on the location data, that a location of the package is farther than an expected location by a threshold distance at a time of receipt of the location data;

determining a time extension to add to the second estimated length of time;

determining a second transmission profile comprising a third segment replacing the second segment, wherein the second frequency of package information data transmissions is associated with the third segment and the third segment has a third estimated length of time equal to the second estimated length of time and the time extension; and

sending the second transmission profile to the electronic shipping tag.

11. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

receiving location data from the electronic shipping tag;

determining that the package is at the destination address;

activating an inertial sensor associated with the electronic shipping tag;

receiving inertial data from the package; and

determining that the inertial data indicates human cadence.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the location data is first location data, further comprising:

receiving second location data from the electronic shipping tag;

determining that the package has moved away from the destination address; and

triggering a security alert indicating that the package has moved away from the destination address.

13. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

determining a distance between the package and the predetermined distance.

14. An electronic shipping tag comprising:

a power source;

a transceiver;

at least one sensor;

at least one memory that stores computer-executable instructions;

at least one processor configured to access the at least one memory and execute the computer-executable instructions to;

receive a transmission profile comprising a first frequency of package information data transmissions during a first segment of a shipping timeline and a second frequency of package information data transmissions during a second segment of a shipping timeline;

send package information data transmissions at a first interval corresponding to the first frequency during the first segment;

determine a first duration of the first segment;

determine that the package is in the second segment of the shipping timeline;

activate the sensor to a standby mode;

detect movement using the sensor; and

send package information data transmissions comprising movement data at a second interval corresponding to the second frequency during the second segment, wherein the second interval is shorter than the first interval.

15. The electronic shipping tag of claim 14, wherein the transmission profile further comprises a third frequency of package information data transmissions during a third segment of the shipping timeline, and wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to:

determine a second duration of the second segment, wherein the second duration is shorter than the first duration;

determine that the second segment is complete; and

send package information data transmissions at a third interval corresponding to the third frequency during the third segment, wherein a third duration of the third interval is shorter than the first duration and the second duration.

16. The electronic shipping tag of claim 14, further comprising:

an internal real-time clock configured to determine a current time; and

a global positioning satellite (GPS) chip configured to generate location data;

wherein at least one processor is further configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to determine a current time using the internal real-time clock, and to determine a package location using the GPS chip.

17. The electronic shipping tag of claim 14, wherein the transmission profile is a first transmission profile, and wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to:

receive a second transmission profile during the second segment, the second transmission profile comprising a third segment with a third duration that replaces the second segment; and

send package information data transmissions at the second interval for the third duration.

18. The electronic shipping tag of claim 14, wherein the at least one sensor is an inertial sensor, and the at least one processor is further configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to:

determine that the package is in the second segment of the shipping timeline based at least in part on an elapsed time;

measure inertial data; and

send package information data comprising the measured inertial data at the second frequency.