Methods and systems for providing sensor data using a sensor web

• US 9,163,962 B2
• Filed: 06/16/2006
• Issued: 10/20/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fedex Corporate Services Incorporated (FedEx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fedex Corporate Services Incorporated (FedEx Corporation)
• Inventors: Ainsworth, Miley, Skaaksrud, Ole Petter
• Primary Examiner(s): Assouad, Patrick
• Assistant Examiner(s): Zhang, Haidong
• Application Number:
  US11/453,881
• Publication Number:
  US 20080004994A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,413 Days
• Field of Search: 702/127, 702/94, 702/104, 702183-184, 340/502, 340/504, 340/506, 340/994, 340/928, 340/23
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 21/00 Measuring or testing not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 9/005 Solid-state data loggers
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

A system and method for providing sensor data may comprise receiving a request for sensor data, the request including a triggering parameter. Furthermore, the system and method for providing sensor data may comprise searching for information identifying devices that meet the triggering parameter. Devices are selected from a plurality of item tracking devices, where the plurality of item tracking devices correspond to a plurality of items. Moreover, the system and method for providing sensor data may retrieve the requested sensor data that corresponds to the devices that meet the triggering parameter, and return the requested sensor data.

Claims

1. A method for providing sensor data from tracking devices, the method comprising the following operations performed by one or more processors:

receiving, from a client device, a request for sensor data, the request including a triggering parameter, wherein the sensor data reflects a measurement of an environmental condition associated with a location of a tracking device;

determining whether real-time sensor data is required based on the request for sensor data;

identifying a set of tracking devices that meet the triggering parameter;

retrieving the requested sensor data, wherein, when real-time sensor data is not required, retrieving the requested sensor data comprises retrieving sensor data from entries in a database corresponding to the set of tracking devices;

determining whether the client device has authorization to access each portion of the retrieved sensor data from the set of tracking devices; and

returning a portion of the retrieved sensor data for which the client device has authorization, in response to the request, for display to a user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the request for sensor data is initiated using a publicly available search engine.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the tracking devices that meet the triggering parameter are selected from a plurality of item tracking devices, a plurality of beacon devices, and a plurality of user tracking devices.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the retrieving further comprises:

when real-time sensor data is required, retrieving the requested sensor data comprises requesting and receiving sensor data from the set of tracking devices.

5. The method of claim 1, Wherein the retrieving further comprises:

determining, when real-time data is required, whether the requested sensor data is available from the set of tracking devices;

determining, when the requested sensor data is not available from the set of tracking devices, whether to retrieve the requested sensor data from the database based on a data type associated with the requested sensor data; and

sending, when the requested sensor data should not be retrieved from the database, a notification to the client device.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

comparing the retrieved sensor data to a predetermined environmental condition; and

providing a programming instruction to a tracking device collecting the sensor data when the retrieved sensor data satisfies the predetermined environmental condition, the programming instruction including an instruction to increase the temporal frequency with which the tracking device collects the sensor data.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising sending an alarm to a user tracking device associated with the tracking device collecting the sensor data when the retrieved sensor data satisfies the predetermined environmental condition.

8. A system for providing sensor data, the system comprising:

a client operable to initiate a request for sensor data, the request including at least one triggering parameter, wherein the sensor data reflects a measurement of a physical condition associated with a location of a tracking device;

a plurality of tracking devices; and

a tracking center operable to;

receive the request for sensor data;

determine whether real-time sensor data is required based on the request for sensor data;

identify a set of tracking devices from the plurality of tracking devices that meet the triggering parameter;

retrieve the requested sensor data, wherein, when real-time sensor data is not required, retrieving the requested sensor data comprises retrieving sensor data from entries in a database corresponding to the set of tracking devices;

determine whether the client has authorization to access each portion of the retrieved sensor data from the set of tracking devices; and

return a portion of the retrieved sensor data to the client for which the client has authorization, in response to the request.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the request for sensor data is initiated using a publicly available search engine.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the retrieving further comprises:

when real-time sensor data is required, retrieving the requested sensor data comprises requesting and receiving sensor data from the set of tracking devices.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the retrieving further comprises:

determining, when real-time data is required, whether the requested sensor data is available from the set of tracking devices;

determining, when the requested sensor data is not available from the set of tracking devices, whether to retrieve the requested sensor data from the database based on a data type associated with the requested sensor data; and

sending, when the requested sensor data should not be retrieved from the database, a notification to the client.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the tracking center is further configured to:

compare the retrieved sensor data to a predetermined environmental condition; and

provide a programming instruction to a tracking device collecting the sensor data when the retrieved sensor data satisfies the predetermined environmental condition, the programming instruction including an instruction to increase the temporal frequency with which the tracking device collects the sensor data.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the tracking center is further configured to send an alarm to a user tracking device associated with the tracking device collecting the sensor data when the retrieved sensor data satisfies the predetermined environmental condition.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions, which when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method for providing sensor data from tracking devices using a context based sensor network, the method comprising:

receiving, from a client, a request for sensor data, the request including a triggering parameter, wherein the sensor data reflects a measurement of a physical condition associated with a location of a tracking device;

identifying a set of tracking devices that meet the triggering parameter;

retrieving the requested sensor data, wherein, when real-time sensor data is not required, retrieving the requested sensor data comprises retrieving sensor data from entries in a database corresponding to the set of tracking devices;

determining whether the client device has authorization to access each portion of the retrieved sensor data from the set of tracking devices; and

returning a portion of the retrieved sensor data for which the client has authorization, in response to the request, for display to a user.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the request for sensor data is initiated using a publicly available search engine.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the tracking devices that meet the triggering parameter are selected from a plurality of item tracking devices, a plurality of beacon devices, and a plurality of user tracking devices.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the retrieving further comprises:

when real-time sensor data is required, retrieving the requested sensor data comprises requesting and receiving sensor data from the set of tracking devices.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the retrieving further comprises:

determining, when real-time data is required, whether the requested sensor data is available from the set of tracking devices;

determining, when the requested sensor data is not available from the set of tracking devices, whether to retrieve the requested sensor data from the database based on a data type associated with the requested sensor data; and

sending, when the requested sensor data should not be retrieved from the database, a notification to the client.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, further comprising:

comparing the retrieved sensor data to a predetermined environmental condition; and

providing a programming instruction to a tracking device collecting the sensor data when the retrieved sensor data satisfies the predetermined environmental condition, the programming instruction including an instruction to increase the temporal frequency with which the tracking device collects the sensor data.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, further comprising sending an alarm to a user tracking device associated with the tracking device collecting the sensor data when the retrieved sensor data satisfies the predetermined environmental condition.