Concepts for identifying an asset sort location

• US 9,658,310 B2
• Filed: 06/16/2015
• Issued: 05/23/2017
• 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: Skonberg, Carl M., Abebe, Ted, Lagrosa, Lawrence A., Kerslake, Richard Allen, Gray, Jonathan C., Loverich, Scott Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Chuong P
• Application Number:
  US14/741,100
• Publication Number:
  US 20160370452A1
• Time in Patent Office: 707 Days
• Field of Search: 342386, 342450, 342464, 342451, 34056815, 3405682, 340 1251, 340 1326, 3405681
• 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 system for associating a sorted asset with a sort location, the system comprising:

a user device configured to be carried by a user; and

one or more location devices associated with a sort location, wherein each of the one or more location devices comprises;

a location device memory; and

one or more location device computer processors configured to;

store location data indicative of the identity of the sort location; and

transmit at least a portion of the location data to the user device; and

the user device comprising;

a user device memory; and

one or more user device computer processors 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; and

upon being brought within a communication area associated with the sort location, receive the transmitted portion of the location data from the one or more location devices; and

after receiving at least a portion of the location data transmitted from the one or more location devices, transmit the asset identifier data and the location data.

2. The system for associating a sorted asset with a sort location of claim 1, wherein:

the one or more user device computer processors are further configured to, at least one of;

after receiving at least a portion of the location data transmitted from the one or more location devices, receive data indicating whether the sort location is an appropriate sort location for the asset;

or

after receiving at least a portion of the location data transmitted from the one or more location devices, determine whether the sort location is the appropriate sort location for the asset.

3. The system for associating a sorted asset with a sort location of claim 2, further comprising:

a control system operatively connected to at least the user device, the control system comprising;

a control system memory; and

one or more control system computer processors configured to;

receive the transmitted portion of the asset identifier data and the location data;

determine, based at least in part on the transmitted asset identifier data and the location data, whether the sort location is the appropriate sort location for the asset;

upon a determination that the sort location is not the appropriate sort location for the asset, generate mistake data indicative of the determination;

upon a determination that the sort location is the appropriate sort location for the asset, generate confirmation data indicative of the determination; and

transmit the data indicative of the determination to the user device.

4. The system for associating a sorted asset with a sort location of claim 2, wherein the one or more user device computer processors are further configured to generate an alert indicating that the sort location is not the appropriate sort location upon a determination that the sort location is not the appropriate sort location.

5. The system for associating a sorted asset with a sort location of claim 2, wherein the one or more user device computer processors are further configured to generate an alert indicating that the sort location is the appropriate sort location upon a determination that the sort location is the appropriate sort location.

6. The system for associating a sorted asset with a sort location of claim 1, wherein the one or more user device computer processors are further configured to:

upon being brought within a communication area associated with the sort location, establish a communication connection with the one or more location devices.

7. The system for associating a sorted asset with a sort location of claim 3, wherein the one or more control system computer processors are further configured to generate an alert indicating that the sort location is not the appropriate sort location upon a determination that the sort location is not the appropriate sort location.

8. The system for associating a sorted asset with a sort location of claim 3, wherein the one or more control system computer processors are further configured to generate an alert indicating that the sort location is the appropriate sort location upon a determination that the sort location is the appropriate sort location.

9. A system for associating a sorted asset with a sort location, the system comprising:

one or more location devices associated with a sort location; and

a user device configured to be carried by a user, the user device comprising;

a user device memory; and

one or more user device computer processors 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; and

upon being brought within a communication area associated with the sort location, transmitting at least a portion of the asset identifier data to the one or more location devices;

each of the one or more location devices comprising;

a location device memory; and

one or more location device computer processors configured to;

store location data indicative of the identity of the sort location;

receive at least a portion of the asset identifier data transmitted from the user device; and

after receiving at least a portion of the asset identifier data transmitted from the user device, associate the asset identifier data and the location data.

10. The system for associating a sorted asset with a sort location of claim 9, wherein:

the one or more location device computer processors are further configured to, at least one of;

after receiving at least a portion of the asset identifier data transmitted from the user device, receive data indicating whether the sort location is an appropriate sort location for the asset;

or

after receiving at least a portion of the asset identifier data transmitted from the user device, determine whether the sort location is the appropriate sort location for the asset.

11. The system for associating a sorted asset with a sort location of claim 10, wherein the one or more location device computer processors are further configured to generate an alert indicating that the sort location is not the appropriate sort location upon a determination that the sort location is not the appropriate sort location.

12. The system for associating a sorted asset with a sort location of claim 10, wherein the one or more location device computer processors are further configured to generate an alert indicating that the sort location is the appropriate sort location upon a determination that the sort location is the appropriate sort location.

13. The system for associating a sorted asset with a sort location of claim 9, further comprising:

a control system operatively connected to at least the location device, the control system comprising;

a control system memory; and

one or more control system computer processors configured to;

receive the portion of the asset identifier data and the location data;

determine, based at least in part on the received asset identifier data and the location data, whether the sort location is the appropriate sort location for the asset;

upon a determination that the sort location is not the appropriate sort location for the asset, generate mistake data indicative of the determination;

upon a determination that the sort location is the appropriate sort location for the asset, generate confirmation data indicative of the determination; and

transmit the generated mistake data or confirmation data to the location device; and

wherein the one or more location device computer processors are further configured to transmit the received portion of the asset identifier data and the location data.

14. The system for associating a sorted asset with a sort location of claim 13, wherein the one or more control system computer processors are further configured to generate an alert indicating that the sort location is not the appropriate sort location upon a determination that the sort location is not the appropriate sort location.

15. The system for associating a sorted asset with a sort location of claim 13, wherein the one or more control system computer processors are further configured to generate an alert indicating that the sort location is the appropriate sort location upon a determination that the sort location is the appropriate sort location.

16. The system for associating a sorted asset with a sort location of claim 9, wherein the one or more user device computer processors are further configured to:

upon being brought within a communication area associated with the sort location, establish a communication connection with the location device.

17. A computer-implemented method for associating a sorted asset with a sort location, the method comprising steps configured for:

receiving, at a user device carried by a user, asset identifier data from an asset;

storing at least a portion of the asset identifier data in a memory associated with the user device;

determining the location of the user device relative to one or more location devices associated with a sort location based on a wireless communication between the user device and at least one of the one or more location devices; and

after determining that the user device is proximate the sort location based on the wireless communication between the user device and the at least one of the one or more location devices, associating the asset identifier data with sort location data corresponding to the sort location.

18. The computer-implemented method for associating a sorted asset with a sort location of claim 17, further comprising steps for:

determining an appropriate sort location for the asset; and

after determining that the user device is proximate the sort location, determining whether the sort location is the appropriate sort location.

19. The computer-implemented method for associating a sorted asset with a sort location of claim 18, further comprising steps for:

upon a determination that the sort location is not the appropriate sort location, generating an alert indicating that the sort location is not the appropriate sort location.

20. The computer-implemented method for associating a sorted asset with a sort location of claim 18, further comprising steps for:

upon a determination that the sort location is the appropriate sort location, generating an alert indicating that the sort location is the appropriate sort location.

21. The computer-implemented method for associating a sorted asset with a sort location of claim 17, further comprising steps for:

after determining that the user device is proximate the sort location, transmitting the asset identifier data for the asset from the user device to a location device associated with the sort location.

22. The computer-implemented method for associating a sorted asset with a sort location of claim 17, further comprising steps for:

after determining that the user device is proximate the sort location, transmitting location identifier data regarding the sort location from at least one of the one or more location devices associated with the sort location to the user device.

23. The computer-implemented method for associating a sorted asset with a sort location of claim 17, further comprising steps for:

after determining that the user device is proximate the sort location, establishing a communication connection between the user device and at least one of the one or more location devices associated with the sort location.