Unreported event status change determination and alerting

• US 20080086349A1
• Filed: 09/17/2007
• Published: 04/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Trimble Inc.
• Original Assignee: Trimble Inc.
• Inventors: Petrie, Rob
• Granted Patent: US 9,536,405 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/7
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063 Operations research, analysis or management
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/006 Indicating maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2462 Asset location systems combined with EAS inventory, tracking, logistic G06Q10/00; entrance control systems G07C9/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/80 Management or planning

Abstract

In a method for determining an unreported event status change for an asset, an asset management system receives a position of an asset from a reporting source coupled with the asset. The position is associated with a particular time by the reporting source. The position is compared to a previous position of the asset, the previous position being associated with a previous time that is earlier than the particular time. Based upon the comparing of the position to the previous position, it is determined if an unreported event status change has occurred for the asset.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for determining an unreported event status change for an asset:

at an asset management system, receiving a position of an asset from a reporting source coupled with said asset, said position associated with a particular time by said reporting source;

comparing said position to a previous position of said asset, said previous position associated with a previous time earlier than said particular time; and

based upon said comparing of said position to said previous position, determining if an unreported event status change has occurred for said asset.

2. The computer implemented method as recited in claim 1, wherein receiving a position of an asset from a reporting source coupled with said asset comprises:

receiving said position from a wireless reporting source which is in a normal operating mode.

3. The computer implemented method as recited in claim 1, wherein receiving a position of an asset from a reporting source coupled with said asset comprises:

receiving said position from a wireless reporting source which is in a power conservation operating mode.

4. The computer implemented method as recited in claim 1, where said determining if an unreported event status change has occurred for said asset comprises:

applying a set of position change rules to determine a likely event status associated with said asset;

comparing said likely event status with a maintained event status for said asset; and

if said likely event status and said maintained event status differ, determining said difference is due to a failure to receive an event report of an event regarding said asset.

5. The computer implemented method as recited in claim 4, further comprising:

if said likely event status and said maintained event status differ, updating said maintained event status in said asset management system such that an updated maintained event status matches said likely event status.

6. The computer implemented method as recited in claim 4, further comprising:

if said likely event status and said maintained event status differ, creating a fabricated event report, said fabricated event report reflecting said likely event status.

7. The computer implemented method as recited in claim 5, further comprising:

providing said updated maintained event status as an input to an alert trigger service.

8. The computer implemented method as recited in claim 7, further comprising

issuing a status alert regarding said asset, if said updated maintained event status satisfies a pre-defined alert reporting criterion.

9. A computer implemented method for issuing a status alert regarding an asset, said method comprising:

maintaining an alert reporting criterion for triggering a status alert associated with an asset;

receiving an event status of said asset, said event status reflecting a likely event status of said asset as determined from position reports received regarding said asset;

comparing said event status to said alert reporting criterion; and

issuing said status alert regarding said asset if said event status satisfies said alert reporting criterion.

10. The computer implemented method as recited in claim 9, wherein said maintaining an alert reporting criterion for triggering a status alert associated with an asset comprises:

maintaining a rule which specifies triggering said status alert if said event status indicates said asset is moving during a designated time period.

11. The computer implemented method as recited in claim 9, wherein said maintaining an alert reporting criterion for triggering a status alert associated with an asset comprises:

maintaining a rule which specifies triggering said status alert if said event status indicates said asset is stopped during a designated time period.

12. The computer implemented method as recited in claim 9, wherein receiving an event status of said asset, said event status reflecting a likely event status of said asset as determined from position reports received regarding said asset comprises:

in response to a determination that an unreported event status change has occurred with said asset, receiving said event status based upon said likely event status in lieu of said event status being based upon an actually reported event status regarding said asset.

13. The computer implemented method as recited in claim 9, wherein said issuing said status alert regarding said asset if said event status satisfies said alert reporting criterion comprises:

issuing said status alert to a designated reporting mechanism.

14. The computer implemented method as recited in claim 9, wherein said issuing said status alert regarding said asset if said event status satisfies said alert reporting criterion comprises:

issuing said status alert to a designated reporting mechanism selected from the list of reporting mechanisms consisting of;

a telephone, a cellular telephone, a pager, an email account, a web page, an instant messenger service; and

a private radio.

15. An asset management system comprising:

a data receiver for receiving reported information from a wireless reporting source coupled with an asset;

a database coupled with said data receiver, said database for storing said reported information and storing a maintained event status of said asset; and

an unreported event status change determiner coupled with said database and configured for determining if an unreported event status change has occurred for said asset.

16. The asset management system of claim 15, wherein said reported information comprises:

a position information report regarding a position of said asset at a particular time.

17. The asset management system of claim 15, wherein said reported information comprises:

an event report regarding an event status of said asset at a particular time.

18. The asset management system of claim 15, further comprising:

an alert trigger service configured for issuing a status alert regarding said asset if said maintained event status regarding said asset meets a pre-defined alert reporting criterion.

19. The asset management system of claim 15, wherein said unreported event status change determiner comprises:

a likely asset event status determiner configured for determining a likely event status of said asset from position information reported by said asset.

20. The asset management system of claim 19, further comprising:

an event report fabricator configured for creating a fabricated event status report for said asset if said likely event status and said maintained event status differ, said fabricated event report reflecting said likely event status and utilized to update said maintained event status.