Concepts for identifying an asset sort location

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10126403-B2
Application number	US-201615239299-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 17, 2016
Priority date	Jun 16, 2015
Publication date	Nov 13, 2018
Grant date	Nov 13, 2018

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.

First claim

That which is claimed:

1. A system comprising one or more storage areas and one or more processors, the system configured to:
receive asset identifier data corresponding to an asset from a handheld user device, wherein the asset identifier data is stored in a memory associated with the handheld user device in response to scanning an asset indicia associated with the asset;
after the handheld user device is brought within a communication area associated with at least one sort location to enable data transfer between the handheld user device and one or more location devices associated with the at least one sort location, receive location data indicative of the location of the handheld user device relative to the at least one sort location;
associate the asset identifier data with the location data;
determine whether the at least one sort location is the appropriate sort location for the asset; and
transmit an alert to the handheld user device indicating whether the at least one sort location is the appropriate sort location for the asset.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the location data is indicative of data stored on the one or more location devices associated with the at least one sort location.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the location data is received from the one or more location devices associated with the at least one sort location.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the location data is received from the handheld user device after the one or more location devices associated with the at least one sort location transmits the location data to the handheld user device.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the data transfer between the handheld user device and the one or more location devices is a one-way data transfer.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the data is transferred from the one or more location devices to the handheld user device.

7. A computer-implemented method for associating a sorted asset with a sort location, the method comprising steps for:
receiving, via one or more computer processors and from a handheld user device, asset identifier data corresponding to an asset, wherein the asset identifier data is stored in a memory associated with the handheld user device in response to scanning an asset indicia associated with the asset;
after the handheld user device is brought within a communication area associated with at least one sort location to enable data transfer between the handheld user device and one or more location devices associated with the at least one sort location, receiving, via the one or more computer processors, location data indicative of the location of the handheld user device relative to the at least one sort location;
associating, via the one or more computer processors, the asset identifier data with the location data;
determining, via the one or more computer processors, whether the at least one sort location is the appropriate sort location for the asset; and
transmitting, via the one or more computer processors, an alert to the handheld user device indicating whether the at least one sort location is the appropriate sort location for the asset.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the location data is indicative of data stored on the one or more location devices associated with the at least one sort location.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the location data is received from the one or more location devices associated with the at least one sort location.

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein the location data is received from the handheld user device after the one or more location devices associated with the at least one sort location transmits the location data to the handheld user device.

11. The method of claim 7 , wherein the data transfer between the handheld user device and the one or more location devices is a one-way data transfer.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the data is transferred from the one or more location devices to the handheld user device.

13. A 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, from a handheld user device, asset identifier data corresponding to an asset, wherein the asset identifier data is stored in a memory associated with the handheld user device in response to scanning an asset indicia associated with the asset;
an executable portion configured to, after the handheld user device is brought within a communication area associated with at least one sort location to enable data transfer between the handheld user device and one or more location devices associated with the at least one sort location, receive via the one or more computer processors, location data indicative of the location of the handheld user device relative to the at least one sort location;
an executable portion configured to associate the asset identifier data with the location data;
an executable portion configured to determine whether the at least one sort location is the appropriate sort location for the asset; and
an executable portion configured to transmit an alert to the handheld user device indicating whether the at least one sort location is the appropriate sort location for the asset.

14. The computer program product of claim 13 , wherein the location data is indicative of data stored on the one or more location devices associated with the at least one sort location.

15. The computer program product of claim 13 , wherein the location data is received from the one or more location devices associated with the at least one sort location.

16. The computer program product of claim 13 , wherein the location data is received from the handheld user device after the one or more location devices associated with the at least one sort location transmits the location data to the handheld user device.

17. The computer program product of claim 13 , wherein the data transfer between the handheld user device and the one or more location devices is a one-way data transfer.

18. The computer program product of claim 17 , wherein the data is transferred from the one or more location devices to the handheld user device.

Assignees

• United parcel service america inc

Inventors

• Loverich Scott Alan
• Abebe Ted
• Lagrosa Lawrence A
• Kerslake Richard Allen
• Gray Jonathan C
• Skonberg Carl M

Classifications

• G06Q10/08

  Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management · CPC title

• G06K7/10297

  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 title

• G01S5/02 Primary

  using radio waves (using satellite radio beacon systems for determining position G01S19/00) · CPC title

• G06Q10/0833

  Tracking · CPC title

• G01S5/0284

  Relative positioning · CPC title