System and method for tracking trailers

• US 20020161509A1
• Filed: 02/04/2002
• Published: 10/31/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo of America, Inc. (Nintendo Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Nintendo of America, Inc. (Nintendo Company Limited)
• Inventors: Fawcett, David C., Schneider, Pamela R.
• Granted Patent: US 7,069,239 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/200
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0875 Itemisation or classification of parts, supplies or services, e.g. bill of materials
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/203 Inventory monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/202 Dispatching vehicles on the basis of a location, e.g. taxi dispatching

Abstract

A computerized method and system enables the location, usage status and department assignment of each of a plurality of trailers to be tracked at all times while each trailer is at a warehouse facility. A web browser-based graphical display is generated that identifies the current location, usage status and department assignment of each trailer. Information provided to the system is updated using computer terminals, rf scanners and other computerized systems that communicate with the tracking system.

Claims

1. A method of tracking carriers at a warehouse facility comprising:

collecting data relating to at least one of a location, usage status and department assignment of a plurality of carriers;

providing the data to a computer system;

generating a web page using the data provided to the computer system, the web page graphically representing the at least one of the location, usage status and department assignment of each of the carriers; and

displaying the web page on a terminal that is in communication with the computer system.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein a request to display the web page is received by the computer system through one of an internet and intranet connection.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the data is provided to the computer system by a wireless rf signal.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the data is provided to the computer system by a second computer system which processes loading or unloading of items into or from the carriers.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising updating the collection of the data, providing the updated data to the computer system and dynamically changing the web page in response to the updated data.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the data is collected and updated from a time each of the carriers arrives at the warehouse facility to a time that each of the carriers exits the warehouse facility.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising storing the data collected for each of the carriers.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the web page graphically represents bay doors and yard slots of the warehouse facility and whether each of the bay doors and yard slots is occupied by one of the carriers.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein data relating to each of a location, usage status and department assignment of the carriers is collected and provided to the computer system.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the web page graphically represents the usage status and department assignment of at least one of the carriers using respective color codes.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the usage status is at least one of the following:

available, docked, loading, unloading, reserved, unavailable, unprocessed, outbound, pickup, inbound, history, full, empty and storage.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the department assignment is an assignment to one of the following departments of the warehouse facility:

production, receiving, shipping and security.

14. The system for claim 13 wherein the computer system is capable of communicating through one of an internet or intranet connection.

15. The system for claim 13 wherein the at least one data source comprises an rf scanner for providing the data to the computer system by a wireless rf signal.

16. The system for claim 13 wherein the at least one data source comprises a second computer system which processes data relating to the loading or unloading of items into or from the carriers.

17. The system for claim 13 wherein the at least one data source provides updated data to the computer system and the computer system dynamically changes the web page in response to the updated data.

18. The system for claim 13 wherein the at least one data source is capable of collecting and providing updated data from a time each of the carriers arrives at the warehouse facility to a time each of the carriers exits the warehouse facility.

19. The system for claim 13 wherein the computer system comprises a database for storing the data collected for each of the carriers.

20. The system for claim 13 wherein the web page graphically represents bay doors and yard slots of the warehouse facility and whether each of the bay doors and yard slots is occupied by one of the carriers.

21. The system for claim 13 wherein the at least one data source provides data relating to each of a location, usage status and department assignment of each of the carriers to the computer system.

22. The system for claim 21 wherein the web page graphically represents the usage status and department assignment of at least one of the carriers using respective color codes.

23. The system for claim 13 wherein the usage status is at least one of the following:

available, docked, loading, unloading, reserved, unavailable, unprocessed, outbound, pickup, inbound, history, full, empty and storage.

24. The system for claim 13 wherein the department assignment is an assignment to one of the following departments of the warehouse facility:

production, receiving, shipping and security.

13. A system for tracking carriers at a warehouse facility comprising:

a computer system for generating a web page;

at least one data source for providing data relating to at least one of a location, usage status and department assignment of each of a plurality of carriers to the computer system so that the web page generated by the computer system graphically represents the at least one of the location, usage status and department assignment of each of the carriers; and

a terminal that is in communication with the computer system for displaying the web page.