Computer applications that determine a parcel position error

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11354765-B2
Application number	US-202017085817-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 30, 2020
Priority date	Oct 30, 2020
Publication date	Jun 7, 2022
Grant date	Jun 7, 2022

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for determining a parcel position error based on a comparison of load data and configuration data are provided. Embodiments describe a number of methods of determining the parcel position error such as by determining a parcel path from the load data.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:
receiving a load data from a plurality of environmental sensors at a plurality of environmental sensor positions, the load data comprising a first set of positions of a tag associated with a first parcel relative to at least one of the plurality of environmental sensors at an environmental sensor position of the plurality of environmental sensor positions;
receiving a configuration data comprising indications of the plurality of environmental sensors and indications of the plurality of environmental sensor positions and a second set of positions of a tag of a plurality of tags associated with a plurality of parcels relative to the at least one of the plurality of environmental sensors at the environmental sensor position of the plurality of environmental sensor positions;
determining a parcel position error based on a comparison of the load data and the configuration data, wherein the comparison comprises determining the first set of positions of the tag are beyond a threshold from the second set of positions of the tag of the plurality of tags at the at least one of the plurality of environmental sensors at the environmental sensor position of the plurality of environmental sensor positions; and
determining an association of the first set of positions of the tag and the second set of positions of the tag of the plurality of tags, and for each of the first and second set of tags determining an at least one of the plurality of environmental sensors at the environmental sensor position of the plurality of environmental sensor positions.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first set of positions of the tag comprises a series of positions of the tag associated with the first parcel, and wherein the second set of positions of the tag comprises a series of positions of the tag associated with the plurality of parcels.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the configuration data further comprises a plurality of configuration start nodes, each configuration start node defining a first initial position of the second set of positions of the tag; and
wherein the method further comprises:
determining a load start node from the load data defining a second initial position of the first set of positions of the tag; and
wherein determining the first set of positions of the tag are beyond the threshold further comprises comparing the plurality of configuration start nodes and the load start node.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the configuration data further comprises a plurality of configuration end nodes, each configuration end node defining a first final position of the second set of positions of the tag of the plurality of tags; and
wherein the method further comprises:
determining a load end node from the load data defining a second final position of the first set of positions of the tag; and
wherein determining the first set of positions of the tag are beyond the threshold further comprises comparing the plurality of first end nodes to the load end node.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the first set of positions of the tag are beyond the threshold comprises determining a missing position for a position of the first set of positions of the tag compared to the second set of positions of the tag of the plurality of tags.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the load data further comprises a plurality of parcel IDs; and
wherein the method further comprises:
filtering the load data to comprise a single parcel ID corresponding to the tag.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising causing for display on the graphical user interface a remedial action comprising the parcel position error.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first set of positions of the tag comprise a first scan event data of the tag, the first scan event data at the at least one of the plurality of environmental sensor positions; and
wherein the second set of positions of the tag comprise a second scan event data of each tag of the second plurality of tags, the second scan event data at the at least one of the plurality of environmental sensor positions.

9. An apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including program code, the at least one memory and the program code configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to at least:
receive a load data from a plurality of environmental sensors at a plurality of environmental sensor positions the load data comprising a first set of positions of a tag associated with a first parcel, each of the positions of the first set of positions relative to at least one of the plurality of environmental sensors at the plurality of environmental sensor positions;
receive a configuration data comprising indications of the plurality of environmental sensors and indications of the plurality of environmental sensor positions, and a plurality of parcel paths comprising a route based on a second set of positions of a tag of a plurality of tags associated with a plurality of parcels;
determine at least one parcel path comprising a route of the parcel based on the first set of positions of the tag;
determine the at least one parcel path exceeds a threshold based on the plurality of parcel paths, the at least one parcel path, and the plurality of environmental sensor positions;
determine a parcel position error based on determining the at least one parcel path exceeds the threshold; and
generate for display on a graphical user interface the at least one parcel path simultaneously with the at least one parcel position error.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein determining the at least one parcel path exceeds the threshold may comprise a comparison of the plurality of parcel paths to the at least one parcel path.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein determining the at least one parcel path comprises calculating a time difference between a first position and a second position of the first set of positions of a tag, the first position associated with a first environmental sensor of the plurality of environmental sensors and a second position associated with a second environmental sensor of the plurality of environmental sensors.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of parcel paths further comprise a time window for each parcel path of the plurality of parcel paths for each of the plurality of parcels at the first position and the second position; and
wherein determining the at least one parcel path exceeds the threshold further comprises a comparison of the time difference to the time window.

13. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein each path of the plurality of parcel paths further comprise an average parcel position for each position of the second set of positions for each path of the plurality of paths;
wherein determining the parcel path exceeds the threshold comprises a comparison of the average parcel position to the first set of positions.

14. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the apparatus is further caused to at least:
modifying the configuration data to include the at least one parcel path based on determining the parcel position error.

15. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the apparatus is further caused to at least:
determine a first position of the first set of positions corresponding to the parcel position error;
determine a second position of the second set of positions associated with the first position; and
modify the first position to the second position.

16. A computer-implemented method comprising:
receiving a load data from a plurality of e

Assignees

• United parcel service america inc

Inventors

• Freeman Mallory
• Major Timothy
• Wu David
• Skorb Lauren
• Britton Matthew

Classifications

• G06Q10/0833 Primary

  Tracking · 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

• G06K19/0723

  the record carrier comprising an arrangement for non-contact communication, e.g. wireless communication circuits on transponder cards, non-contact smart cards or RFIDs · CPC title

• G06Q10/08 Primary

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

• G06Q10/0631

  Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations · CPC title