Freight tracking system and method

• US 10,078,809 B2
• Filed: 02/06/2015
• Issued: 09/18/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Micheal Morgan, Timothy La More Parker, Vernice London
• Original Assignee: Micheal Morgan, Timothy La More Parker, Vernice London
• Inventors: London, Vernice, Parker, Timothy La More, Morgan, Micheal
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tai T
• Application Number:
  US14/616,453
• Publication Number:
  US 20160232483A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,320 Days
• Field of Search: 3405721-5727, 34053912, 34053929, 340506, 3405456, 3408701, 235382, 235385, 235492
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0833 Tracking

Abstract

A freight tracking system and method of use that is operable to track a shipment batch wherein the shipment batch comprises of a plurality of pieces and wherein each piece of the shipment batch is communicably coupled. The freight tracking system further includes a database, controller, remote terminals, warehouse gateways and a plurality of asset tags. The asset tags are communicably coupled with each other and further communicably paired with at least one warehouse gateway. The asset tags maintain communication intermediate each other and further include a display screen and a visual warning indicator. A proximity distance parameter is established for a group of asset tags that are assigned to a particular shipment batch. The asset tags within the assigned shipment batch are operable to provide notification to the users of the freight tracking system upon the exceeding of the proximity distance parameter.

Claims

1. A method for tracking freight using a freight tracking system wherein the freight tracking system comprising steps of:

installing a controller, said controller being a personal computer, said controller being operably coupled a network;

installing at least one remote terminal, said remote terminal being a portable computing device;

installing a software application, said software application being installed on said controller and said at least one remote terminal, said software application operable to provide operation of the freight tracking system;

connecting the controller to a remote database;

deploying a warehouse gateway, said warehouse gateway being operably coupled to said at least one remote terminal and said controller, said warehouse gateway including a transceiver, said transceiver configured to transmit and detect a signal;

providing a plurality of asset tags, said asset tags having a housing, said asset tags being releasably secured to an item for shipment, said asset tags including a transmitter and receiver, said asset tags further including a visual warning indicator, said visual warning indicator operable to display a first color and a second color;

allocating a portion of said plurality of asset tags secured to a shipment of cargo, wherein the shipment of cargo includes a plurality of separate items;

pairing the portion of said plurality of asset tags selected for securement to a shipment to the warehouse gateway;

assigning the portion of said plurality of asset tags to a shipment batch, wherein the shipment batch is provided with a unique shipment batch identification number;

securing the portion of said plurality of asset tags paired with the warehouse gateway to the items within the shipment batch;

entering the shipment batch information into the software application;

linking the asset tags contained within the shipment batch, wherein communication between each asset tag within a shipment batch is established;

entering a proximity distance parameter, wherein the proximity distance parameter for each asset tag within the shipment batch is entered into the freight tracking system;

activating monitoring of each asset tag within the shipment batch;

updating the database with position information of each asset tag;

detecting that at least one asset tag has exceeded the proximity distance parameter;

alerting users of the freight tracking system, wherein the users of the freight tracking system are provided notification that an asset tag within a shipment batch has exceeded the proximity distance parameter;

correcting a location of the asset tag; and

resuming the monitoring of the asset tags within a shipment batch.

2. The method for tracking freight as recited in claim 1, and further including a step of assigning a loading dock location for the shipment batch, said loading dock location being entered into the software application.

3. The method for tracking freight as recited in claim 2, wherein the step of entering the shipment batch information further includes inputting of the following data:

route information, billing information, quantity of pieces within the shipment batch and consignee information.

4. The method for tracking freight as recited in claim 3, wherein the proximity distance parameter is 53 feet.

5. The method for tracking freight as recited in claim 4, wherein said asset tag further includes a display screen, said display screen operable to display the loading dock assignment for the shipment batch.

6. The method for tracking freight as recited in claim 5, wherein the first color of the visual warning indicator is illuminated during all asset tags within the shipment batch being within the proximity distance parameter.

7. The method for tracking freight as recited in claim 6, wherein the first color of said visual warning indicator is green and the second color of said visual warning indicator is red.

8. A method for tracking freight using a freight tracking system wherein the freight tracking system is operable to monitor the position of each piece of a shipment batch relative to each other comprising steps of:

installing a controller, said controller being a personal computer, said controller being operably coupled a network;

installing at least one remote terminal, said at least one remote terminal being a portable computing device, said at least one remote terminal being a tablet PC or a smart phone;

installing a software application, said software application being installed on said controller and said at least one remote terminal, said software application operable to provide operation of the freight tracking system;

establishing a database, said database being established on a server;

coupling the controller to the database, said coupling of the controller to the database being executed by a computer network connection;

deploying a warehouse gateway, said warehouse gateway being operably coupled to said at least one remote terminal and said controller, said warehouse gateway including a transceiver, said transceiver configured to transmit and detect a signal;

providing a plurality of asset tags, said plurality of asset tags having a housing, said asset tags being releasably secured to an item for shipment, said asset tags including a transmitter and receiver, said asset tags further including a visual warning indicator, said visual warning indicator operable to display a first color and a second color, said asset tags further including a display screen;

identifying a shipment batch, said shipment batch comprising of more than one item, wherein the shipment batch is scheduled to ship to a single destination;

allocating a portion of said plurality of asset tags, said portion of said plurality of asset tags being secured to the shipment batch;

pairing the portion of said plurality of asset tags selected for securement to the shipment batch to the warehouse gateway;

assigning the portion of said plurality of asset tags to the shipment batch, wherein the shipment batch is provided with a unique shipment batch identification number;

securing the portion of said plurality of asset tags assigned to the shipment batch;

entering shipment batch information into the software application, wherein the shipment batch information is inputted using a barcode located on said asset tag;

linking the asset tags contained within the shipment batch, wherein communication between each asset tag within a shipment batch is established, said linking the asset tags operable to establish a mesh network wherein each asset tag secured to an assigned shipment batch is communicably connected to each other;

entering a proximity distance parameter, wherein the proximity distance parameter for each asset tag within the shipment batch is entered into the freight tracking system;

activating monitoring of each asset tag within the shipment batch;

updating the database with position information of each asset tag, said updating the database occurring at regular intervals of time;

detecting that at least one asset tag has exceeded the proximity distance parameter between itself and another asset tag within the shipment batch;

alerting users of the freight tracking system, wherein the users of the freight tracking system are provided notification that an asset tag within a shipment batch has exceeded the proximity distance parameter;

identifying a location of the asset tag within the shipment batch that is providing the signal that it has exceeded the proximity distance parameter;

correcting the location of the asset tag;

resuming the monitoring of the asset tags within a shipment batch; and

providing a dock location for the shipment batch, said shipment batch being loaded onto a transport device, wherein the dock location is displayed on a screen located on the asset tag.

9. The method for tracking freight as recited in claim 8, and further including a step of notifying a user of the freight tracking system that the shipment batch has been loaded onto the transport device and it ready for shipment.

10. The method for tracking freight as recited in claim 9, and further including the step of alerting a user subsequent departure of a transport device with a shipment batch stored thereon that at least one piece of the shipment batch is loaded onto the transport device.

11. The method for tracking freight as recited in claim 10, and further including the step of updating the status of the transport device within the freight tracking system subsequent departure of the transport device from its origination point.

12. The method for tracking freight as recited in claim 11, and further including the step of detecting a transport device at a destination location, wherein the detection of the transport device is facilitated by a warehouse gateway installed at the destination location.

13. The method for tracking freight as recited in claim 12, and further including the step of updating the location of the transport device in the database subsequent its arrival at the destination location.

14. The method for tracking freight as recited in claim 13, wherein the proximity distance parameter is within the range of 30 to 150 feet.

15. A method for tracking freight that is operable to establish position data for each item within an assigned shipment batch and wherein the each item is communicably coupled comprising steps of:

installing a controller, said controller being a personal computer, said controller being operably coupled a network;

installing at least one remote terminal, said remote terminal being a portable computing device, said at least one remote terminal being a tablet PC or a smart phone;

installing a software application, said software application being installed on said controller and said at least one remote terminal, said software application operable to provide the operation of the freight tracking system;

establishing a database, said database being established on a server;

coupling the controller to the database, said coupling of the controller to the database being executed by a computer network connection;

deploying a warehouse gateway, said warehouse gateway being operably coupled to said at least one remote terminal and said controller, said warehouse gateway including a transceiver, said transceiver configured to transmit and detect a signal;

providing a plurality of asset tags, said asset tags having a housing, said asset tags being configured to be releasably secured to items within a shipment batch, said asset tags including a transmitter and receiver, said asset tags further including a visual warning indicator, said visual warning indicator operable to display a first color and a second color, said asset tags further including a display screen;

identifying a shipment batch, said shipment batch comprising of more than one item, wherein the shipment batch is scheduled to ship to the same destination;

allocating a portion of said plurality of asset tags, said plurality of asset tags secured to the shipment batch;

pairing the portion of said plurality of asset tags selected for securement to the shipment batch to the warehouse gateway;

assigning the portion of said plurality of asset tags to the shipment batch, wherein the shipment batch is provided with a unique shipment batch identification number;

securing the portion of said plurality of asset tags assigned to the shipment batch;

entering the shipment batch information into the software application, wherein the shipment batch information is inputted using a barcode located on said asset tag;

linking the asset tags contained within the shipment batch, wherein communication between each asset tag within a shipment batch is established, said linking the asset tags operable to establish a mesh network wherein each asset tag secured to an assigned shipment batch is communicably connected to each other;

entering the proximity distance parameter, wherein the proximity distance parameter for each asset tag within the shipment batch is entered into the freight tracking system;

activating monitoring of each asset tag within the shipment batch;

updating the database with position information of each asset tag, said updating the database occurring at regular intervals of time;

detecting that at least one asset tag has exceeded the proximity distance parameter between itself and another asset tag within the shipment batch;

alerting the users of the freight tracking system, wherein users of the freight tracking system are provided notification that an asset tag within a shipment batch has exceeded the proximity distance parameter;

identifying a location of the asset tag within the shipment batch that is providing the signal that it has exceeded the proximity distance parameter;

correcting the location of the asset tag;

resuming the monitoring of the asset tags within a shipment batch;

providing a dock location for the shipment batch, said shipment batch being loaded onto a transport device, wherein the dock location is displayed on a screen located on the asset tag;

notifying a user of the freight tracking system that the shipment batch has been loaded onto the transport device and it ready for shipment;

alerting a user subsequent departure of a transport device with a shipment batch stored thereon that at least one piece of the shipment batch is loaded onto the transport device;

updating the status of the transport device within the freight tracking system subsequent departure of the transport device from its origination point; and

detecting a transport device arrival at a destination location, wherein the detection of the transport device is facilitated by a warehouse gateway installed at the destination location.

16. The method for tracking freight as recited in claim 15, wherein the first color of the visual warning indicator is illuminated during all asset tags within the shipment batch being within the proximity distance parameter and wherein said first color is green.

17. The method for tracking freight as recited in claim 16, and further including the step of illuminating the visual warning indicator with a second color when one of said portion of said plurality of asset tags assigned to the shipment batch has exceeded the proximity distance parameter, wherein said second color is red.

18. The method for tracking freight as recited in claim 17, and further including the step of tracking the shipment batch subsequent its departure from a point of origin, wherein the shipment batch location is updated in the database.

19. The method for tracking freight as recited in claim 18, and further including the step of entering the shipment batch status of completed subsequent unloading of the shipment batch at the destination, wherein the shipment batch status is updated in the database.

20. The method for tracking freight as recited in claim 19, wherein the proximity distance parameter is within the range of 30 to 150 feet.