Global positioning systems applications

• US 7,358,857 B1
• Filed: 06/23/1999
• Issued: 04/15/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Symbol Technologies, LLC (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Symbol Technologies, Inc. (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Inventors: White, Jay Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee; Benjamin C.
• Application Number:
  US09/338,744
• Time in Patent Office: 3,219 Days
• Field of Search: 740/988, 740/539, 740/825.49, 342/357.03, 701/213, 701/300, 473/407, 700/91, 700/90, 702/153, 702/159, 705/28, 235/385, 235/454, 235/492, 235/375, 235/383, 235/435, 340/572.8, 340/539.13
• US Class Current: 340/572.8
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/14 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0018 Transmission from mobile station to base station

Abstract

A global positioning system includes a fixed base unit of known position and at least one mobile unit, the base unit and the mobile unit each including a GPS receiver. This system further includes means for comparing the simultaneous GPS identified positions of the mobile unit and the base unit to establish the relative position of the mobile unit to the base unit. The mobile unit may be provided in a vehicle for allowing the instantaneous position of the vehicle to be identified relative to the base unit. Alternatively the mobile unit may include a bar code scanner for reading a bar code on an item and recording instantaneously the GPS identified position allowing a map of the position of various items relative to a base unit to be compiled.

Claims

1. A method for storing items in a storage facility, wherein the storage facility is a warehouse or other facility in which the items are stored in defined storage locations including shelves or bins, the method comprising:

receiving and recording a GPS signal through a transceiver within an indicia scanner at first location;

determining an approximate coordinate position of the first location based on the GPS signal received by the transceiver coupled to an indicia scanner;

processing the GPS signal to determine the approximate coordinate position of the first location;

determining the identity of an item by scanning a symbol associated with the item with said indicia scanner;

reading a broadcast error compensation signal transmitted directly from a base station having a fixed location;

comparing the approximate coordinate position of the first location from the GPS signal to the broadcast error compensation signal from the base station;

determining a second location based on said comparing, the second location being a storage location at which an item is to be stored; and

associating the storage location and identity in a database.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the storage facility is a retail store in which the items are stored on display racks or shelves.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the symbol associated with the item is a bar code symbol and said indicia scanner is a bar code scanner.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the bar code symbol is scanned using the bar code scanner when the item is removed from storage.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing location error information in the broadcast error compensation signal transmitted from the base station, the location error information produced as a result of a GPS signal received by the base station providing a calculated location of the base station different than the base station'"'"'s fixed location;

and

receiving the location error information in the broadcast error compensation signal for removing location error data in the indicia scanner provided by the GPS signal to the transceiver.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein location error data is removed in real time by establishing communication between the transceiver and the base station.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein the location error data is removed at a later time by recording the time at which the transceiver recorded the GPS signal;

simultaneously recording another GPS signal at the base station of a known location; and

using correction factors derived from the GPS signal recorded at the base station to remove the location error data for the transceiver at corresponding times.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the recording of the GPS signal by the transceiver and the scanning of the symbol are performed by the same indicia scanner.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein

the symbol associated with the item is a bar code symbol;

and

said indicia scanner is a portable bar code scanner.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising reading a GPS signal at said base station and broadcasting simultaneously said error compensation signal as a result of the GPS signal to the base station to remove location error data in at least one indicia scanner.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein location error data is removed in real time by establishing communication between the transceiver and the base station.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the location error data is removed at a later time by recording the time at which the transceiver recorded the GPS signal, simultaneously recording another GPS signal at the base station of a known location and using correction factors derived from the GPS signal recorded at the base station to remove the location error data for the transceiver at corresponding times.

13. A portable device for recording the identity and location of items stored in a storage facility, wherein the storage facility is a warehouse or other facility in which the items are stored in defined storage locations including shelves or bins, the device comprising:

a GPS receiver within a bar code scanner for receiving a signal at a storage location in which an item is scanned, the GPS signal providing a first positional fix of said storage location;

a recorder located in said bar code scanner capable of recording the details of the item scanned by scanning a symbol associated with the item and simultaneously recording the first positional fix of said storage location;

the GPS receiver further capable of receiving a broadcast error correction signal transmitted from a base station for adjusting said first positional fix to form a second positional fix relatively closer to said storage location than said first positional fix; and

a transmitter coupled to said bar code scanner capable of transmitting said second positional fix of said storage location and recorded details of the item to a remotely located database wherein said second positional fix and said recorded details of the item are associated.

14. The portable device of claim 13 wherein the GPS receiver and bar code scanner are integral parts of the device.

15. The portable device of claim 13 further comprising a wireless communication transceiver for handling data communication between the portable device and the base station.

16. A method of storing items in a storage facility comprising:

scanning an indicium associated with an item to be stored within the storage facility at a storage location including a shelf or a bin with an indicia scanner, the indicia scanner having a transceiver within the indicia scanner;

recording details of the identity of the item scanned by the indicia scanner while scanning said indicium associated with said item;

receiving through the transceiver concurrently during said recording a GPS signal providing a first positional fix of said storage location;

determining the identity of the item as a result of the indicium being scanned by the indicia scanner;

receiving a broadcast error correction signal being transmitted directly from a base station having a fixed location through the transceiver of said indicia scanner;

comparing the broadcast error correction signal to the GPS signal to form a second positional fix of said storage location, the second positional fix being relatively closer to the storage location than said first positional fix;

transmitting information associated with said second positional fix and identity of the item to a database; and

associating said second positional fix information and identity of the item in the database.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein said indicium is a bar code and said indicia scanner is a bar code scanner.