Node-enabled sharing of shipment condition information in a wireless node network

• US 10,839,339 B2
• Filed: 09/22/2014
• Issued: 11/17/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fedex Corporate Services Incorporated (FedEx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fedex Corporate Services Incorporated (FedEx Corporation)
• Inventors: Skaaksrud, Ole-Petter
• Primary Examiner(s): Zimmerman, Jeff
• Assistant Examiner(s): Elchanti, Zeina
• Application Number:
  US14/492,470
• Publication Number:
  US 20150154550A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,248 Days
• Field of Search: 705333
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 60/00256 Delivery operations
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 25/02 Packaging agricultural or horticultural products
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 25/02 Internal fittings of containers made by folding or erecting blanks made of paper B65D5/44
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 25/102 Straps, bands, strings or other elongate elements
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3407 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3453 Special cost functions, i.e. other than distance or default speed limit of road segments
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/362 received from an external device or application, e.g. PDA, mobile phone or calendar application
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2205/01 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0289 of multiple transceivers, e.g. in ad hoc networks
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/14 Determining absolute distances from a plurality of spaced points of known location
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0022 characterised by the communication link data switching networks in general H04L12/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0088 characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours using knowledge based models G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/021 specially adapted to land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0712 the arrangement being capable of triggering distinct operating modes or functions dependent on the strength of an energy or interrogation field in the proximity of the record carrier active means for hindering electromagnetic reading or writing G06K19/07336
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10366 the interrogation device being adapted for miscellaneous applications
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/083 Shipping
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0832 Special goods or special handling procedures, e.g. handling of hazardous or fragile goods
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0833 Tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0835 Relationships between shipper or supplier and carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08355 Routing methods
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0836 : Recipient pick-ups
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0838 : Historical data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 : Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/14 : specially adapted for billing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/22 : Payment schemes or models
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/308 : using the Internet of Things
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/321 : using wearable devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/325 : using wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 : Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 : Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 : based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0261 : System arrangements wherein the object is to detect trespassing over a fixed physical boundary, e.g. the end of a garden
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0269 : System arrangements wherein the object is to detect the exact location of child or item using a navigation satellite system, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 : for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/65 : stored on portable record carriers, e.g. on smartcards, RFID tags or CD
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 : for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 : for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 80/00 : ICT specially adapted for facilitating communication between medical practitioners or patients, e.g. for collaborative diagnosis, therapy or health monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3822 : specially adapted for use in vehicles H04B1/3827 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/61 : for local area broadcast, e.g. instore broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/71 : Wireless systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/026 : using e-messaging for transporting management information, e.g. email, instant messaging or chat
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0813 : characterised by the conditions triggering a change of settings
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0823 : characterised by the purposes of a change of settings, e.g. optimising configuration for enhancing reliability for optimising operational conditions of wireless networks H04W24/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/10 : Active monitoring, e.g. heartbeat, ping or trace-route
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/22 : Alternate routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 : Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 : Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 : in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• 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: H04L 67/303 : Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 : specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 : Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 : Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/10 : Scheduling measurement reports ; Arrangements for measurement reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 : Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 : using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/025 : using location based information parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 : Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/38 : for collecting sensor information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/60 : Subscription-based services using application servers or record carriers, e.g. SIM application toolkits
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 : Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0212 : managed by the network, e.g. network or access point is master and terminal is slave
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/04 : TPC
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 : Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/003 : locating network equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/006 : with additional information processing, e.g. for direction or speed determination
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 : Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 : Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/24 : Transfer of terminal data
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 : in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Methods and systems are described for sharing shipment condition information in a wireless node network having a plurality of network devices and a server. In one method, a first node detects an advertising signal broadcast from a second node, where the first node is a first of the network devices and related to a first package, and the second node is a second of the network devices and related to a second package. The method continues by associating the first node and the second node. The first node then accesses the shipment condition information from a memory in the first node, and transmits or otherwise shares the shipment condition information with the second node if the first node is authorized to share the shipment condition information with the second node.

Claims

1. A method for sharing shipment condition information in a wireless node network having a plurality of network devices and a server, comprising:

detecting, by a first node, an advertising signal broadcast from a second node, the first node being a first of the network devices and related to a first package, the second node being a second of the network devices and related to a second package;

associating the first node and the second node according to a security credential generated by the server and provided to the first node, wherein the security credential authorizes the association of the first node and the second node and the security credential from the server authorizes secure sharing of information between the first node and the second node;

accessing, by the first node, the shipment condition information from a memory in the first node, wherein the shipment condition information comprises environmental information about an environment anticipated to be proximate the first node in the future; and

transmitting, by the first node, the shipment condition information to the second node only when the first node was pre-authorized by the server to share the shipment condition information with the second node, wherein the first node being pre-authorized by the server prior to the step of detecting the advertising signal broadcast from the second node as part of a current opportunity to share the shipment condition information with the second node, wherein being pre-authorized by the server to share the shipment condition information is distinct from the security credential from the server that authorizes the association of the first node and the second node.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving, by the first node, the shipment condition information from another of the network devices in the network and storing the shipment condition information on the memory in the first node.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving, by the first node, the shipment condition information from the server, and storing the shipment condition information on the memory in the first node.

4. The method of claim 2 further comprising receiving, by the first node, the shipment condition information from a master node as the another of the network devices in the network, and storing the shipment condition information on the memory in the first node.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving, by the first node, the shipment condition information from a sensor, and storing the shipment condition information on the memory in the first node.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the accessing step further comprises accessing, by the first node, the shipment condition information as pre-staged information stored in the memory in the first node.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the shipment condition information comprises environmental information about a physically proximate environment to the first node.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the environmental information comprises at least one from a group consisting of light, temperature, humidity, pressure, altitude, magnetic field strength, acceleration, vibration, impact, and orientation.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the shipment condition information comprises location information about the first node.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the shipment condition information comprises updated system information related to a coordinated timing setting used by the first node.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting step comprising transmitting, by the first node, the shipment condition information to the second node if the first node was pre-authorized to share a designated type of shipment condition information with the second node and the shipment condition information accessed is the designated type of shipment condition information.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising setting, by the first node, a status flag to indicate the first node has shipment condition information to be shared.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the status flag comprises information in an advertising signal broadcast by the first node.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising receiving, by the first node, a request from the second node in response to the advertising signal broadcast by the first node, the request asking for the first node to directly share the shipment condition information with the second node without requesting the shipment condition information from the server.

60. The method of claim 1, wherein the security credential comprises a security certificate.

65. The method of claim 1, wherein the security credential comprises a security key.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing instructions which when executed on a processor performs a method for sharing shipment condition information in a wireless node network having a plurality of network devices and a server, the method comprising:

detecting, by a first node, an advertising signal broadcast from a second node, the first node being a first of the network devices and related to a first package, the second node being a second of the network devices and related to a second package;

associating the first node and the second node according to a security credential generated by the server to the first node, wherein the security credential authorizes the association of the first node and the second node and the security credential from the server authorizes secure sharing of information between the first node and the second node;

accessing, by the first node, the shipment condition information from a memory in the first node, wherein the shipment condition information comprises environmental information about an environment anticipated to be proximate the first node in the future; and

transmitting, by the first node, the shipment condition information to the second node only when the first node was pre-authorized by the server to share the shipment condition information with the second node, wherein the first node being pre-authorized by the server prior to the step of detecting the advertising signal broadcast from the second node as part of a current opportunity to share the shipment condition information with the second node, wherein being pre-authorized by the server to share the shipment condition information is distinct from the security credential from the server that authorizes the association of the first node and the second node.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises receiving, by the first node, the shipment condition information from another of the network devices in the network and storing the shipment condition information on the memory in the first node.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises receiving, by the first node, the shipment condition information from the server, and storing the shipment condition information on the memory in the first node.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises receiving, by the first node, the shipment condition information from a master node as the another of the network devices in the network, and storing the shipment condition information on the memory in the first node.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises receiving, by the first node, the shipment condition information from a sensor, and storing the shipment condition information on the memory in the first node.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the accessing step further comprises accessing, by the first node, the shipment condition information as pre-staged information stored in the memory in the first node.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the shipment condition information comprises environmental information about a physically proximate environment to the first node.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the environmental information comprises at least one from a group consisting of light, temperature, humidity, pressure, altitude, magnetic field strength, acceleration, vibration, impact, and orientation.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the shipment condition information comprises location information about the first node.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the shipment condition information comprises updated system information related to a coordinated timing setting used by the first node.

25. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the transmitting step comprising transmitting, by the first node, the shipment condition information to the second node if the first node was pre-authorized to share a designated type of shipment condition information with the second node and the shipment condition information accessed is the designated type of shipment condition information.

26. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises setting, by the first node, a status flag to indicate the first node has shipment condition information to be shared.

27. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 26, wherein the status flag comprises information in an advertising signal broadcast by the first node.

28. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 27, wherein the method further comprises receiving, by the first node, a request from the second node in response to the advertising signal broadcast by the first node, the request asking for the first node to directly share the shipment condition information with the second node without requesting the shipment condition information from the server.

61. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the security credential comprises a security certificate.

66. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the security credential comprises a security key.

29. A method for requesting shared shipment condition information in a wireless node network having a plurality of network devices and a server, comprising:

detecting, by a second node, an advertising signal broadcast from a first node, the first node being a first of the network devices and related to a first package, the second node being a second of the network devices and related to a second package;

determining, by the second node, that the first node has the shipment condition information to share based upon status information in the advertising signal broadcast from the first node, wherein the shipment condition information comprises environmental information about an environment anticipated to be proximate the first node in the future;

associating the first node and the second node according to a security credential generated by the server and provided to the second node, wherein the security credential authorizes the association of the first node and the second node and the security credential from the server authorizes secure sharing of information between the first node and the second node;

transmitting a request, by the second node, for the shipment condition information if the status information indicates the first node has the shipment condition information to share; and

receiving, by the second node, the shipment condition information from the first node only when the first node was pre-authorized by the server to share the shipment condition information with the second node, wherein the first node being pre-authorized by the server prior to the step of detecting the advertising signal broadcast from the first node as part of a current opportunity to share the shipment condition information with the second node, wherein being pre-authorized by the server to share the shipment condition information is distinct from the security credential from the server that authorizes the association of the first node and the second node.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the shipment condition information was generated by the first node.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the shipment condition information comprises sensor data generated by the first node.

32. The method of claim 29, wherein the shipment condition information was generated by the server and provided to the first node.

33. The method of claim 29, wherein the shipment condition information comprises pre-staged data stored on a memory of the first node.

34. The method of claim 29, wherein the shipment condition information comprises environmental information about a physically proximate environment to the first node.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the environmental information comprises at least one from a group consisting of light, temperature, humidity, pressure, altitude, magnetic field strength, acceleration, vibration, impact, and orientation.

36. The method of claim 29, wherein the shipment condition information comprises location information about the first node.

37. The method of claim 29, wherein the shipment condition information comprises updated system information related to a coordinated timing setting used by the first node.

38. The method of claim 29, wherein the receiving step further comprises receiving, by the second node, the shipment condition information from the first node if the first node was pre-authorized to share a designated type of shipment condition information with the second node and the shipment condition information requested is the designated type of shipment condition information.

62. The method of claim 29, wherein the security credential comprises a security certificate.

67. The method of claim 29, wherein the security credential comprises a security key.

39. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing instructions which when executed on a processor performs a method for requesting shared shipment condition information in a wireless node network having a plurality of network devices and a server, the method comprising:

detecting, by a second node, an advertising signal broadcast from a first node, the first node being a first of the network devices and related to a first package, the second node being a second of the network devices and related to a second package;

determining, by the second node, that the first node has the shipment condition information to share based upon status information in the advertising signal broadcast from the first node, wherein the shipment condition information comprises environmental information about an environment anticipated to be proximate the first node in the future;

associating the first node and the second node according to a security credential generated by the server and provided to the second node, wherein the security credential authorizes the association of the first node and the second node and the security credential from the server authorizes secure sharing of information between the first node and the second node;

transmitting a request, by the second node, for the shipment condition information if the status information indicates the first node has the shipment condition information to share; and

receiving, by the second node, the shipment condition information from the first node only when the first node was pre-authorized by the server to share the shipment condition information with the second node, wherein the first node being pre-authorized by the server prior to the step of detecting the advertising signal broadcast from the first node as part of a current opportunity to share the shipment condition information with the second node, wherein being pre-authorized by the server to share the shipment condition information is distinct from the security credential from the server that authorizes the association of the first node and the second node.

40. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 39, wherein the shipment condition information was generated by the first node.

41. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 40, wherein the shipment condition information comprises sensor data generated by the first node.

42. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 39, wherein the shipment condition information was generated by the server and provided to the first node.

43. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 39, wherein the shipment condition information comprises pre-staged data stored on a memory of the first node.

44. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 39, wherein the shipment condition information comprises environmental information about a physically proximate environment to the first node.

45. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 44, wherein the environmental information comprises at least one from a group consisting of light, temperature, humidity, pressure, altitude, magnetic field strength, acceleration, vibration, impact, and orientation.

46. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 39, wherein the shipment condition information comprises location information about the first node.

47. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 39, wherein the shipment condition information comprises updated system information related to a coordinated timing setting used by the first node.

48. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 39, wherein the receiving step further comprises receiving, by the second node, the shipment condition information from the first node if the first node was pre-authorized to share a designated type of shipment condition information with the second node and the shipment condition information requested is the designated type of shipment condition information.

63. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 39, wherein the security credential comprises a security certificate.

68. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 39, wherein the security credential comprises a security key.

49. A system for sharing shipment condition information in a wireless node network having a server, the system comprising:

a first node in the wireless node network, the first node being related to a first package being shipped, the first node further comprising

a first processing unit,

a first memory coupled to the processing unit, the first memory maintaining first code for execution by the first processing unit and the shipment condition information, wherein the shipment condition information comprises environmental information about an environment anticipated to be proximate the first node in the future, and

a first communication interface coupled to the first processing unit; and

a second node in the wireless node network, the second node being related to a second package being shipped, the second node further comprising

a second processing unit,

a second memory coupled to the second processing unit, the second memory maintaining second code for execution by the second processing unit, and

a second communication interface coupled to the second processing unit and operative to communicate with the first node over the first communication interface; and

wherein the first processing unit of the first node, when executing the first code maintained on the first memory, is operative to

access the shipment condition information on the first memory,

broadcast an advertising signal over the first communication interface, the advertising signal including status information on whether the first node has the shipment condition information to share,

receive a request from the second node over the first communication interface, the request asking for the shipment condition information,

associate the first node and the second node according to a security credential generated by the server and provided to the first node, wherein the security credential authorizes the association of the first node and the second node and the security credential from the server authorizes secure sharing of information between the first node and the second node, and

transmit the shipment condition information to the second node over the first communication interface only when the first node is authorized to share the shipment condition information with the second node; and

wherein the second processing unit of the second node, when executing the second code maintained on the second memory, is operative to

detect the advertising signal broadcast from the first node,

determine that the first node has the shipment condition information to share based upon the status information in the advertising signal broadcast from the first node,

transmit the request for the shipment condition information to the first node over the second communication interface if the status information indicates the first node has the shipment condition information to share, and

receive the shipment condition information from the first node when the first node was pre-authorized by the server to share the shipment condition information with the second node, wherein the first node being pre-authorized by the server prior to detecting the advertising signal broadcast from the first node as part of a current opportunity to share the shipment condition information with the second node, wherein being pre-authorized by the server to share the shipment condition information is distinct from the security credential from the server that authorizes the association of the first node and the second node.

50. The system of claim 49, wherein first node further comprises a sensor coupled to the first processing unit, the sensor generating sensor data as the shipment condition information maintained in the first memory.

51. The system of claim 49, wherein first processing unit is further operative to receive the shipment condition information from a server in the wireless node network.

52. The system of claim 49, wherein the shipment condition information maintained on the first memory comprises pre-staged data.

53. The system of claim 49, wherein the shipment condition information comprises environmental information about a proximate environment to the first node.

54. The system of claim 53, wherein the environmental information comprises at least one from a group consisting of light, temperature, humidity, pressure, altitude, magnetic field strength, acceleration, vibration, impact, and orientation.

55. The system of claim 49, wherein the shipment condition information comprises environmental information about a physically proximate environment to the first node.

56. The system of claim 49, wherein the shipment condition information comprises location information about the first node.

57. The system of claim 49, wherein the shipment condition information comprises updated system information related to a coordinated timing setting used by the first node.

58. The system of claim 49, wherein the first processing unit is further operative to receive an authorization from a server in the wireless node network, the authorization permitting the first node to share the shipment condition information with the second node.

59. The system of claim 49, wherein the first processing unit is further operative to transmit the shipment condition information to the second processing unit over the first communication interface if the first node was pre-authorized to share a designated type of shipment condition information with the second node and the shipment condition information accessed in the first memory is the designated type of shipment condition information.

64. The system of claim 49, wherein the security credential comprises a security certificate.

69. The system of claim 49, wherein the security credential comprises a security key.