CONCEPTS FOR IDENTIFYING AN ASSET SORT LOCATION

• US 20160371646A1
• Filed: 08/17/2016
• Published: 12/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: United Parcel Service Of America Incorporated (United Parcel Service Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: United Parcel Service Of America Incorporated (United Parcel Service Incorporated)
• Inventors: Loverich, Scott Alan, Abebe, Ted, Lagrosa, Lawrence A., Kerslake, Richard Allen, Gray, Jonathan C., Skonberg, Carl M.
• Granted Patent: US 10,859,665 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0018 Transmission from mobile station to base station
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0045 Transmission from base station to mobile station G01S5/009 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0284 Relative positioning
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0295 Proximity-based methods, e.g. position inferred from reception of particular signals
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/0022 arrangements or provisious for transferring data to distant stations, e.g. from a sensing device "transfer between computer elements G06F13/00 "; data-transmission H04L
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10297 arrangements for handling protocols designed for non-contact record carriers such as RFIDs NFCs, e.g. ISO/IEC 14443 and 18092 cryptographic protocols H04L9/00; network security protocols H04L63/00; real-time communication protocols in data switching networks H04L65/00; network protocols for data switching network services H04L67/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06313 Resource planning in a project environment
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0833 Tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0835 Relationships between shipper or supplier and carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/50 Systems or methods supporting the power network operation or management, involving a certain degree of interaction with the load-side end user applications

Abstract

Systems and methods for facilitating the sorting of assets to sort locations. In various embodiments, a sort employee scans an asset indicia using a user device, which stores asset data corresponding to the stored asset. As the sort employee nears a sort location (e.g., a delivery vehicle) with the asset and the user device, the user device automatically communicates wirelessly with a sort location receiver to associate the asset data with data indicative of the sort location where the user deposits the asset. In various embodiments, a device may determine whether the user device is proximate the appropriate sort location for the item, and may generate an alert upon a determination that the user device is proximate an incorrect sort location.

Claims

1. A handheld user device configured comprising one or more memory storage areas and one or more processors, the handheld user device configured to:

receive asset identifier data from an asset indicia, wherein the asset indicia is associated with an asset;

store the asset identifier data corresponding to the asset;

receive data signals from a plurality of location devices, wherein each location device is associated with a corresponding sort location and wherein each data signal is indicative of a corresponding sort location;

determine a number of received data signals indicative of a first sort location;

compare the number of received data signals indicative of the first sort location against a configurable threshold; and

upon determining that the number of received data signals indicative of the first sort location satisfies the configurable threshold;

identify the user device to be at the first sort location; and

associate the first sort location with the asset identifier data.

2. The handheld user device of claim 1, wherein the one or more user device computer processors are further configured to transmit the asset identifier data and data identifying the first sort location.

3. The handheld user device of claim 1, further comprising a scanner configured to receive the asset identifier data by scanning the asset indicia from the asset.

4. The handheld user device of claim 1, wherein the data signals are broadcast from corresponding location devices within a corresponding communication area, and

wherein the data signals are received while the handheld user device is located within the corresponding communication area.

5. The handheld user device of claim 4, wherein the communication areas corresponding to a plurality of location devices broadcasting location data signals identifying the first sort location overlap within the first sort location.

6. The handheld user device of claim 1, further configured to:

determine whether the first sort location is an appropriate sort location for the asset; and

generate an alert indicating whether the first sort location is an appropriate sort location for the asset.

7. The handheld user device of claim 1, further configured to:

receive data indicating whether the first sort location is an appropriate sort location for the asset; and

generate an alert indicating whether the first sort location is an appropriate sort location for the asset.

8. The handheld user device of claim 1, wherein the location data signals are received via a Bluetooth communication interface.

9. A computer-implemented method for associating a sorted asset with a sort location, wherein the method comprises:

receiving, via a user device, asset identifier data from an asset indicia, wherein the asset indicia is associated with an asset;

storing, via the user device, the asset identifier data corresponding to the asset;

receiving, via the user device, data signals from a plurality of location devices, wherein each location device is associated with a corresponding sort location and wherein each data signal is indicative of a corresponding sort location;

determining, via the user device, a number of received data signals indicative of a first sort location;

comparing, via the user device, the number of received data signals indicative of the first sort location against a configurable threshold; and

upon determining that the number of received data signals indicative of the first sort location satisfies the configurable threshold;

identifying, via the user device, the user device to be at the first sort location; and

associating, via the user device, the first sort location with the asset identifier data.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising steps for transmitting the asset identifier data and data identifying the first sort location.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein receiving the asset identifier data comprises scanning the asset indicia from the asset.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the location data signals are broadcast from corresponding location devices within a corresponding communication area, and

wherein the location data signals are received while the user device is located within the corresponding communication area.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the communication areas corresponding to a plurality of location devices broadcasting location data signals identifying the first sort location overlap within the first sort location.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising steps for:

determining whether the first sort location is an appropriate sort location for the asset; and

generating an alert indicating whether the first sort location is an appropriate sort location for the asset.

15. The method of claim 9, further comprising steps for:

receiving data indicating whether the first sort location is an appropriate sort location for the asset; and

generating an alert indicating whether the first sort location is an appropriate sort location for the asset.

16. A computer program product operable on a user device, the computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code portions stored therein, the computer-readable program code portions comprising:

an executable portion configured to receive asset identifier data from an asset indicia, wherein the asset indicia is associated with an asset;

an executable portion configured to store the asset identifier data corresponding to the asset;

an executable portion configured to receive data signals from a plurality of location devices, wherein each location device is associated with a corresponding sort location and wherein each data signal is indicative of a corresponding sort location;

an executable portion configured to determine a number of received data signals indicative of a first sort location;

an executable portion configured to compare the number of received data signals indicative of the first sort location against a configurable threshold; and

an executable portion configured to, upon determining that the number of received data signals indicative of the first sort location satisfies the configurable threshold;

identify the user device to be at the first sort location; and

associate the first sort location with the asset identifier data.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, further comprising an executable portion configured to transmit the asset identifier data and data identifying the first sort location.

18. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the location data signals are broadcast from corresponding location devices within a corresponding communication area, and

wherein the location data signals are received while the user device is located within the corresponding communication area.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the communication areas corresponding to a plurality of location devices broadcasting location data signals identifying the first sort location overlap within the first sort location.

20. The computer program product of claim 16, further comprising:

an executable portion configured to determine whether the first sort location is an appropriate sort location for the asset; and

an executable portion configured to generate an alert indicating whether the first sort location is an appropriate sort location for the asset.

21. The computer program product of claim 16, further comprising:

an executable portion configured to receive data indicating whether the first sort location is an appropriate sort location for the asset; and

an executable portion configured to generate an alert indicating whether the first sort location is an appropriate sort location for the asset.