Methods, systems, and computer program products for locating and tracking objects

• US 8,954,292 B2
• Filed: 03/11/2013
• Issued: 02/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Troxler Electronic Laboratories, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Troxler Electronic Laboratories, Inc.
• Inventors: Troxler, Robert Ernest
• Primary Examiner(s): COSIMANO, EDWARD R
• Application Number:
  US13/793,839
• Publication Number:
  US 20130226511A1
• Time in Patent Office: 701 Days
• Field of Search: 73/32.R, 73/73, 731/46, 737/60, 737/86, 738/658, 738/66, 738/663, 250/306, 250/307, 250/308, 340/500, 340/501, 340/505, 340/531, 340/539.1, 340/539.11, 340/539.14, 340/539.16, 340/539.2, 340/540, 340/573.1, 340/577, 340/578, 340/579, 340/686.1, 340/686.6, 340/870.01, 340/870.07, 340/870.16, 340/870.28, 342/350, 342/352, 342/356, 342/357.2, 378/1, 378/51, 378/54, 378/70, 378/86, 378/89, 700/1, 700/9, 700/73, 700/79, 700/80, 700/400, 700/408, 700/466, 700/468, 702/1, 702/33, 702/34, 702/127, 702/137, 702/150, 702/152, 702/187, 702/188, 702/189
• US Class Current: 702/187
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 15/023 Anti-evasion devices
• CPC Class Codes: E02D 1/00 Investigation of foundation soil in situ investigation involving boring or specially adapted to earth drilling E21B25/00, E21B49/00; investigating or analysing materials by determining their chemical or physical properties, in general G01N, e.g. sampling G01N1/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/005 with correlation of navigation data from several sources, e.g. map or contour matching G01C21/30 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 21/00 Measuring or testing not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 9/00 Recording measured values
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 23/00 Investigating or analysing materials by the use of wave or particle radiation, e.g. X-rays or neutrons, not covered by groups G01N3/00 – G01N17/00, G01N21/00 or G01N22/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/42 Road-making materials G01N33/38 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 9/00 Investigating density or specific gravity of materials; Analysing materials by determining density or specific gravity
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0294 Trajectory determination or predictive filtering, e.g. target tracking or Kalman filtering
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/40 Data acquisition and logging for input to computer G06F3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0211 Combination with medical sensor, e.g. for measuring heart rate, temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/023 Power management, e.g. system sleep and wake up provisions
• 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: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

A system for locating and tracking an object is provided. The system includes a measuring device configured to determine a property of a paving-related material, a locating device configured to determine a location of the measuring device, a tracking system configured to store tracking information associated with the measuring device and one or more properties determined by the measuring device, and a communications system configured to transfer, to a remote device, the location of the measuring device and the tracking information associated with the measuring device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a geographic coordinate of the object;

acquiring a measurement of a construction material at a geographic location corresponding to the geographic coordinate;

determining a property of the construction material based on the acquired measurement;

storing the determined property and the geographic coordinate for communication to a computing device; and

at the computing device, identifying the geographic coordinate and the determined property at the geographic coordinate.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the geographic coordinate and the determined property comprises presenting one of a map and a spreadsheet identifying the geographic coordinate and the determined property.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving an identifier comprises receiving the identifier from one of a memory location and a radio frequency identification (RFID) device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the steps of receiving a geographic coordinate, acquiring a measurement, and storing are implemented at a measuring device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the geographic coordinate and the determined property comprises displaying one of a spreadsheet and a map including the geographic coordinate and the determined property.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising communicating the determined property and the geographic coordinate to the computing device via wireless communication.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the construction material is pavement material.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein storing the determined property and the geographic coordinate is encrypted or locked data.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein storing the determined property and the geographic coordinate is unlocked or decrypted data.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein storing the determined property and the geographic coordinate comprises storing the determined property and the geographic coordinate on a removable memory.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the removable memory is a universal serial bus (USB) storage device.

12. A system comprising:

a measuring device comprising at least one processor and memory configured to;

receive a geographic coordinate of the object;

acquire a measurement of a construction material at a geographic location corresponding to the geographic coordinate;

determine a property of the construction material based on the acquired measurement;

store the determined property and the geographic coordinate for communication to a computing device; and

a computing device configured to identify the geographic coordinate and the determined property at the geographic coordinate.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the computing device is configured to present one of a map and a spreadsheet identifying the geographic coordinate and the determined property.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the measuring device is configured to receive the identifier from one of a memory location and a radio frequency identification (RFID) device.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the computing device is configured to display one of a spreadsheet and a map including the geographic coordinate and the determined property.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the measuring device is configured to communicate the determined property and the geographic coordinate to the computing device via wireless communication.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the construction material is pavement material.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the measuring device is configured to store the determined property and the geographic coordinate on a removable memory.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the removable memory is a universal serial bus (USB) storage device.