Node-enabled sharing of shipment condition information in a wireless node network

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10839339-B2
Application number	US-201414492470-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 22, 2014
Priority date	Nov 29, 2013
Publication date	Nov 17, 2020
Grant date	Nov 17, 2020

Abstract

Methods and systems are described for sharing shipment condition information in a wireless node network having a plurality of network devices and a server. In one method, a first node detects an advertising signal broadcast from a second node, where the first node is a first of the network devices and related to a first package, and the second node is a second of the network devices and related to a second package. The method continues by associating the first node and the second node. The first node then accesses the shipment condition information from a memory in the first node, and transmits or otherwise shares the shipment condition information with the second node if the first node is authorized to share the shipment condition information with the second node.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A method for sharing shipment condition information in a wireless node network having a plurality of network devices and a server, comprising:
detecting, by a first node, an advertising signal broadcast from a second node, the first node being a first of the network devices and related to a first package, the second node being a second of the network devices and related to a second package;
associating the first node and the second node according to a security credential generated by the server and provided to the first node, wherein the security credential authorizes the association of the first node and the second node and the security credential from the server authorizes secure sharing of information between the first node and the second node;
accessing, by the first node, the shipment condition information from a memory in the first node, wherein the shipment condition information comprises environmental information about an environment anticipated to be proximate the first node in the future; and
transmitting, by the first node, the shipment condition information to the second node only when the first node was pre-authorized by the server to share the shipment condition information with the second node, wherein the first node being pre-authorized by the server prior to the step of detecting the advertising signal broadcast from the second node as part of a current opportunity to share the shipment condition information with the second node, wherein being pre-authorized by the server to share the shipment condition information is distinct from the security credential from the server that authorizes the association of the first node and the second node.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving, by the first node, the shipment condition information from another of the network devices in the network and storing the shipment condition information on the memory in the first node.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving, by the first node, the shipment condition information from the server, and storing the shipment condition information on the memory in the first node.

4. The method of claim 2 further comprising receiving, by the first node, the shipment condition information from a master node as the another of the network devices in the network, and storing the shipment condition information on the memory in the first node.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving, by the first node, the shipment condition information from a sensor, and storing the shipment condition information on the memory in the first node.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the accessing step further comprises accessing, by the first node, the shipment condition information as pre-staged information stored in the memory in the first node.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the shipment condition information comprises environmental information about a physically proximate environment to the first node.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the environmental information comprises at least one from a group consisting of light, temperature, humidity, pressure, altitude, magnetic field strength, acceleration, vibration, impact, and orientation.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the shipment condition information comprises location information about the first node.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the shipment condition information comprises updated system information related to a coordinated timing setting used by the first node.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the transmitting step comprising transmitting, by the first node, the shipment condition information to the second node if the first node was pre-authorized to share a designated type of shipment condition information with the second node and the shipment condition information accessed is the designated type of shipment condition information.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising setting, by the first node, a status flag to indicate the first node has shipment condition information to be shared.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the status flag comprises information in an advertising signal broadcast by the first node.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising receiving, by the first node, a request from the second node in response to the advertising signal broadcast by the first node, the request asking for the first node to directly share the shipment condition information with the second node without requesting the shipment condition information from the server.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing instructions which when executed on a processor performs a method for sharing shipment condition information in a wireless node network having a plurality of network devices and a server, the method comprising:
detecting, by a first node, an advertising signal broadcast from a second node, the first node being a first of the network devices and related to a first package, the second node being a second of the network devices and related to a second package;
associating the first node and the second node according to a security credential generated by the server to the first node, wherein the security credential authorizes the association of the first node and the second node and the security credential from the server authorizes secure sharing of information between the first node and the second node;
accessing, by the first node, the shipment condition information from a memory in the first node, wherein the shipment condition information comprises environmental information about an environment anticipated to be proximate the first node in the future; and
transmitting, by the first node, the shipment condition information to the second node only when the first node was pre-authorized by the server to share the shipment condition information with the second node, wherein the first node being pre-authorized by the server prior to the step of detecting the advertising signal broadcast from the second node as part of a current opportunity to share the shipment condition information with the second node, wherein being pre-authorized by the server to share the shipment condition information is distinct from the security credential from the server that authorizes the association of the first node and the second node.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the method further comprises receiving, by the first node, the shipment condition information from another of the network devices in the network and storing the shipment condition information on the memory in the first node.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the method further comprises receiving, by the first node, the shipment condition information from the server, and storing the shipment condition information on the memory in the first node.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the method further comprises receiving, by the first node, the shipment condition information from a master node as the another of the network devices in the network, and storing the shipment condition information on the memory in the first node.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the method further comprises receiving, by the first node, the shipment condition information from a sensor, and storing the shipment condition information on the memory in the first node.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the accessin

Assignees

• Fedex Corp Services Inc

Inventors

• Skaaksrud Ole-Petter

Classifications

• G01S2205/01

  specially adapted for specific applications · CPC title

• H04L67/01

  Protocols · CPC title

• H04L45/22

  Alternate routing · CPC title

• G05D1/43

  Control of position or course in two dimensions [2D] · CPC title

• G05D1/226

  Communication links with the remote-control arrangements · CPC title