Apparatus and method for object tracking during logistics operations

Abstract

This document discloses a system and method for object tracking. Using a first device and during a first time period, the method receives first information about at least one first element associated with a user within a first area and second information about at least one second element associated with an object located within the first area. The method determines whether an object is associated with the first area based on the second information, and identifies at least one second element as abnormal when the object is not associated with the first area. The method determines whether the first device received the first information during a second time period, and if the first device did not receive the first information during the second time period, determines whether the first device received the second information during the second time period. When the first device receives the second information during the second time period, a notification is transmitted.

Description

Background Technology

[0001] Logistics operations may include transporting and distributing (e.g., delivering) objects (such as parcels, packages, goods, items, freight, etc.) to destination locations (such as residences or businesses). Loading logistics operations may involve loading hundreds or thousands of objects into one or more areas (e.g., one or more containers, where each container may be implemented as a storage unit attached to or stored in a vehicle or a storage area integrated into at least a portion of a vehicle) for transport and distribution. Objects can be retrieved from the containers and delivered at the corresponding destination locations. A large number of objects to be loaded into one or more containers for transport and distribution may result in errors during the loading process (e.g., objects are loaded into the wrong containers), which may hinder the delivery of these objects at the corresponding destination locations. s Attached Figure Description

[0002] The accompanying drawings (in which the same reference numerals denote the same or functionally similar elements throughout the different views) together with the following detailed description are incorporated into and form part of the specification, and serve to further illustrate embodiments including the concepts of the claimed invention, and to explain the various principles and advantages of those embodiments.

[0003] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram illustrating an example environment in which embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented.

[0004] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram illustrating an embodiment of a system of the present disclosure for tracking objects during logistics operations.

[0005] Figure 3 This illustrates an embodiment of the system disclosed herein, and Figure 1 and Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the components of device 112.

[0006] Figure 4 This is a flowchart illustrating the processing steps performed by embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0007] Figure 5 It is shown Figure 4 The table shows the processing steps.

[0008] Those skilled in the art will understand that the elements in the accompanying drawings are shown for simplicity and clarity and are not necessarily drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some elements in the drawings may be exaggerated relative to other elements to aid in understanding embodiments of the invention.

[0009] The apparatus and method configurations have been indicated in appropriate places in the accompanying drawings by conventional symbols, which show only those specific details relevant to understanding embodiments of the invention, so as not to obscure this disclosure with details that would be obvious to those skilled in the art who benefit from the description herein. Detailed Implementation

[0010] As described above, logistics operations can include transporting and distributing (e.g., delivering) objects (such as parcels, packages, goods, articles, freight, etc.) to destination locations (e.g., residences or businesses). Loading logistics operations can involve loading hundreds or thousands of objects into one or more areas (e.g., one or more containers, where each container can be implemented as a storage unit attached to or stored in a vehicle or a storage area integrated into at least a portion of a vehicle) for transport and distribution. Objects can be retrieved from the containers and delivered to the appropriate destination location.

[0011] A large number of objects awaiting loading into one or more containers for transport and distribution may be misloaded during the loading process (e.g., objects are loaded into the wrong containers), which could hinder their delivery to their respective destination locations. For example, when objects are loaded into the wrong containers, an operator (e.g., a driver) of a vehicle with containers attached to or integrated therein may adjust the vehicle's route to deliver the incorrectly loaded objects, meet up with another operator of a vehicle with the correct containers attached to or integrated therein to transfer the incorrectly loaded objects to be delivered, or return to the facility (e.g., a warehouse, manufacturing facility, retail facility, and transit facility (such as airports, stations, etc.)) with the undelivered objects to be loaded into the correct containers the following day. These mitigation measures can be inefficient, time-consuming, and / or prohibitively costly.

[0012] Conventional systems and methods utilize static and / or manual processes to identify objects loaded into containers. For example, a worker (e.g., a loader) may manually scan the identification information (e.g., barcode) of each object loaded into the container, and after the container is loaded, the worker and / or supervisor may identify and remove objects not associated with the container (e.g., if the object's identification information does not match the container's object list). This process is manual (e.g., relies on human intervention) and can therefore be time-consuming, costly, and prone to human error. For example, a worker may overlook scanning objects due to their size and / or similarity, and / or a worker may overlook removing objects not associated with the container due to the size of the loaded objects (e.g., objects may be hidden or buried by other objects) and / or spatial constraints within the loading container that limit the worker's ability to identify objects not associated with the container.

[0013] In another example, a system or device can read the identifier element (e.g., a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag) of each object loaded into a container to identify the object, and if the object is not associated with a container (e.g., if the information of the object identifier element does not match the container's object list), an alarm can be transmitted to a worker to remove the object from the container. However, due to time constraints (e.g., next-day or two-day delivery) and productivity incentives (e.g., the number of containers loaded during a work shift), workers typically load multiple containers as quickly as possible by moving multiple objects from one container to another, dropping off individual objects associated with (e.g., belonging to) each container to load the corresponding object into the associated container (e.g., the correct container) among the multiple containers. Thus, a worker may move an object into a first container even if the object is ultimately intended to be loaded into one of the subsequent containers. During this loading process, because a worker may move multiple corresponding objects near and / or inside containers where the corresponding object is not associated, an alarm may be transmitted to the worker prematurely (e.g., a false alarm) to remove each corresponding object. Therefore, workers may become accustomed to ignoring such received alerts (e.g., real or false alarms), thus rendering the system or equipment ineffective. Additionally, during the loading process, workers may ignore useful alerts (e.g., real alarms) or only see them after moving to a different container, thus delaying the removal of unrelated objects from the container (if not forgotten).

[0014] Therefore, conventional systems lack versatility because they cannot automatically identify objects in containers during loading logistics operations, nor can they automatically and dynamically mitigate the transmission of false alarms in real time when an object is temporarily located in an unrelated container, or transmit alarms in real time when an object is incorrectly loaded into an unrelated container (e.g., loaded into the wrong container). Overall, this lack of versatility results in unsatisfactory performance from conventional systems and reduces the efficiency and overall timeliness of performing and completing logistics operations, including loading hundreds or thousands of objects into one or more containers for transporting and delivering them to their destination locations.

[0015] Therefore, the object of this disclosure is to eliminate these and other problems of conventional systems and methods by means of systems and methods that can automatically identify objects in containers during loading logistics operations and automatically and dynamically mitigate the transmission of false alarms in real time when an object is temporarily located in a container unrelated to the object, and transmit alarms in real time when an object is incorrectly loaded into a container unrelated to the object (e.g., loaded into the wrong container). For example, the systems and methods of this disclosure mitigate the problems present in conventional systems by automatically and dynamically mitigating the transmission of false alarms in real time when an object is temporarily located in a container unrelated to the object, and transmitting alarms in real time when an object is incorrectly loaded into a container unrelated to the object (e.g., loaded into the wrong container). The systems and methods disclosed herein achieve these functions (and their advantages) based on first information and second information received by a reader or transceiver device (e.g., an RFID reader or transceiver, or a BLE-equipped device with a BLE radio and antenna) during at least one of a first time period and a second time period, wherein the first information indicates at least one first identifier element (e.g., an RFID tag or BLE beacon) associated with a user (e.g., a worker) within a first area (e.g., a container), and the second information indicates at least one second identifier element (e.g., an RFID tag or BLE beacon) associated with an object located within the first area.

[0016] Based on the foregoing and this disclosure, this disclosure includes at least improvements to computer functionality or other technologies, at least because this disclosure describes, for example, how a logistics operating system and its various associated components can be improved or enhanced by the disclosed dynamic system features and methods, which provide workers with more efficient working conditions and provide system administrators with improved monitoring and management of logistics operations. That is, this disclosure describes improvements to the functionality of the operating system itself or to "any other technology or technical field" (e.g., the field of distributed / commercial / industrial logistics information systems). For example, the disclosed dynamic system features and methods improve and enhance object-to-container loading by introducing automatic and dynamic mitigation of false alarms when an object is temporarily located in a container unassociated with that object, and real-time transmission of alarms when an object is incorrectly loaded into a container unassociated with that object (e.g., loaded into the wrong container). This improves upon existing technologies, at least because such prior systems are inefficient because they lack the ability to automatically and dynamically mitigate false alarm transmissions in real time based on user and object information and / or status (e.g., first information of at least one first identifier element associated with a user in the first area and second information of at least one second identifier element associated with an object located in the first area), and the ability to transmit alarms in real time when an object is incorrectly loaded into a container that is not associated with it (e.g., loaded into the wrong container).

[0017] Additionally, this disclosure includes the application of various features and functions as described herein using or through the use of specific machines (e.g., processors, readers, transceiver devices (e.g., RFID readers or transceivers, or BLE-equipped devices with BLE radios and antennas)). Furthermore, this disclosure includes specific features beyond those well-known, conventional, and routine activities in the art, or the addition of unconventional steps that demonstrate particularly useful applications in various embodiments (e.g., signal processing protocols that combine user and / or object information and / or status (e.g., the location of the user and / or object) to control reader or transceiver devices (e.g., RFID readers or transceivers, or BLE-equipped devices with BLE radios and antennas).

[0018] Therefore, it would be highly beneficial to develop a system and method that can identify objects in containers during loading logistics operations and automatically and dynamically mitigate the transmission of false alarms in real time when an object is temporarily located in a container unrelated to that object, and transmit alarms in real time when an object is incorrectly loaded into a container unrelated to that object (e.g., loaded into the wrong container). The system and method disclosed herein address these and other needs.

[0019] In an embodiment, this disclosure relates to a method. The method includes: receiving, via a first device and during a first time period, first information of at least one first element associated with a user within a first area and second information of at least one second element associated with an object located within the first area; determining, based on the second information, whether the object is associated with the first area; identifying the at least one second element as abnormal when the object is not associated with the first area; determining whether the first device received the first information during a second time period; determining whether the first device received the second information during the second time period when the first device did not receive the first information during the second time period; and transmitting a notification when the first device receives the second information during the second time period, the notification indicating that the object is not associated with the first area and is located within the first area.

[0020] In an embodiment, this disclosure relates to a device. The device includes a memory and a processor. The memory is configured to store machine-executable instructions, and the processor is configured to interface with the memory and execute the machine-executable instructions to cause the processor to: during a first time period, receive first information of at least one first element associated with a user within a first area and second information of at least one second element associated with an object located within the first area; determine, based on the second information, whether the object is associated with the first area; when the object is not associated with the first area, identify at least one second element as abnormal; determine whether the device received the first information during a second time period; when the device did not receive the first information during the second time period, determine whether the device received the second information during the second time period; and when the device receives the second information during the second time period, transmit a notification indicating that the object is not associated with the first area and is located within the first area.

[0021] In an embodiment, this disclosure relates to a transient computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the following steps: receiving, via a first device and during a first time period, first information of at least one first element associated with a user within a first area and second information of at least one second element associated with an object located within the first area; determining, based on the second information, whether the object is associated with the first area; identifying at least one second element as abnormal when the object is not associated with the first area; determining whether the first device received the first information during a second time period; determining whether the first device received the second information during the second time period when the first device did not receive the first information during the second time period; and transmitting a notification when the first device receives the second information during the second time period, the notification indicating that the object is not associated with the first area and is located within the first area.

[0022] Switch to the attached image. Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram 10 illustrating an example environment in which embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented. In this example, the environment is provided in the form of a loading dock 12 of facility 104, in which one or more containers 102 (e.g., trailers as shown) load various objects (e.g., parcels, packages, goods, articles, freight, etc.) and / or in which various objects are unloaded from one or more containers 102.

[0023] Loading and unloading area 12 includes multiple loading bays 106-1, 106-2, 106-3, and 106-n facing site 107 (e.g., parking lot), where vehicles (such as semi-trailer trucks (not shown)) drop off and retrieve containers 102. For loading or unloading, the container opening is positioned to align with one of the loading bays (in this case, loading bay 106-3). Each loading bay 106 may include a hatch 110, a reader or transceiver device 112 (e.g., an RFID reader or transceiver, or a BLE-equipped device with a BLE radio and antenna), and a canopy 114.

[0024] The hatch 110 can be lowered to close the corresponding loading compartment 106 or raised to open the corresponding loading compartment 106, thereby allowing access to the interior of facility 104 through the loading compartment 106. A reader or transceiver device 112 can be installed near the loading area of ​​container 102, including but not limited to: in the upper area of ​​loading compartment 106 outside the door 110 and facing site 107 and the interior of container 102; inside container 102 (e.g., on the ceiling, wall, or any suitable location inside container 102); or at the rear and / or exterior of container 102 (e.g., on the roof, rear bumper, rear door, or any suitable location outside container 102). The reader or transceiver device 112 can be installed under a canopy 114 to protect the reader or transceiver device 112 from inclement weather. Once docked, objects (e.g., parcels, packages, goods, items, freight, etc.) can be loaded onto / unloaded from container 102, which has a reader or transceiver device 112 that maintains a view of the rear / interior of container 102.

[0025] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram 100 illustrating an embodiment of a system of this disclosure for object tracking during logistics operations (e.g., loading logistics operations). Figure 2 As shown and as described above, facility 104 (e.g., warehouses, manufacturing facilities, retail facilities, and transit facilities such as airports, stations, etc.) may include a portion of a building (e.g., Figure 1 The loading and unloading area 12), the cross dock, or a portion thereof, including loading bays 106-1, 106-2, and 106-3 (collectively referred to as loading bay 106, or individually as loading bay 106). In other examples, fewer or more loading bays 106 may be included.

[0026] As mentioned above Figure 1 The loading compartment 106 may be arranged, for example, along the outer wall of facility 104, such that one or more containers 102 may be positioned near the loading compartment 106 from the outside of facility 104. Each loading compartment 106 may be equipped with a corresponding reader or transceiver device 112-1, 112-2, and 112-3 (collectively referred to as reader or transceiver 112, individually referred to as reader or transceiver 112) and may identify facility 104 and / or each loading compartment 106. Alternatively, the reader or transceiver device 112 may be installed inside the container 102 (e.g., on the ceiling, wall, or any suitable location inside the container 102), or at the rear and / or exterior of the container 102 (e.g., on the roof, rear bumper, rear door, or any suitable location outside the container 102). The reader or transceiver 112 may include, but is not limited to, RFID readers or transceivers and BLE-equipped devices with BLE radios and antennas.

[0027] Each loading compartment 106 can be configured to contain a container 102, such that one or more containers 102 can be positioned to approach the loading compartment 106 from the outside of the facility 104. Container 102 may be implemented as, but is not limited to, a storage unit attached to or stored in vehicle 117, such as the box portion of a box truck (where the box is attached to the body of the vehicle, which also supports the cab, powertrain, etc.), a semi-trailer (including an enclosed box (e.g., a trailer) attached to a platform having one or more sets of wheels and a hitch assembly for towing by a powered vehicle), and a type of containerized equipment (ULD) for loading luggage, cargo, etc., into an aircraft. Container 102 may also be implemented as, but is not limited to, a storage area integrated into at least a portion of a vehicle, including vans (e.g., freight vans or sprinter vans) and sport utility vehicles (SUVs). Container 102 may have a substantially horizontal internal depth (extending from the open end of the container (e.g., a wall with a door or other opening allowing access to the interior of the container) to the closed end), a substantially horizontal internal width perpendicular to the depth, and a substantially vertical internal height.

[0028] Loading compartment 106 enables access from inside facility 104 to the outside of facility 104 where container 102 is located. For example, each loading compartment 106 includes an opening, for example, in the wall of facility 104, that allows workers 110 (e.g., individuals, including but not limited to managers, employees, loaders, contractors, etc.) and / or equipment within facility 104 to access the interior of container 102. When container 102 is located at loading compartment 106 (e.g., the open end of container 102 is substantially flush with the opening of loading compartment 106), objects 108-1, 108-2, and 108-3 (collectively referred to as object 108, individually referred to as object 108) can be loaded into container 102 (e.g., from a temporary storage area for unloading items 108) or unloaded from container 102 for processing within facility 104. In some examples, facility 104 includes one or more conveyor belts or other article transport mechanisms (not shown) to transport and load objects 108 into container 102, or unload objects 108 from container 102 to other locations within facility 104. Each object 108 may be equipped with a corresponding identifying element, such as transmitters or transceivers 109-1, 109-2, and 109-3 (collectively referred to as transmitters or transceivers 109, individually referred to as transmitters or transceivers 109) to identify the object 108. Transmitters or transceivers 109 may include, but are not limited to, RFID tags and BLE beacons.

[0029] Each worker 110 may have a corresponding identifying element, such as a transmitter or transceiver 111 (e.g., a wearable RFID tag or BLE beacon, including but not limited to identification cards, badges, and wristbands) to identify himself / herself. In one embodiment, each object 108 may be equipped with a transmitter or transceiver 109 (e.g., an RFID tag), and each worker 110 may be equipped with a transmitter or transceiver 111 (e.g., an RFID tag). Alternatively, in another embodiment, each object 108 may be equipped with a transmitter or transceiver 109 (e.g., a BLE beacon), and each worker 110 may be equipped with a transmitter or transceiver 111 (e.g., a BLE beacon). Alternatively, in another embodiment, each object 108 may be equipped with a transmitter or transceiver 109 (e.g., an RFID tag), and each worker 110 may be equipped with a transmitter or transceiver 111 (e.g., a BLE beacon). Alternatively, in another embodiment, each object may be equipped with a transmitter or transceiver 109 (e.g., a BLE beacon), and each worker 110 may be equipped with a transmitter or transceiver 111 (e.g., an RFID tag). As discussed in more detail below, each worker 110 may interact with device 113 (e.g., ...). Figure 3 (as shown) associated with, possessing and / or near device 113, which includes, but is not limited to, mobile computing devices (e.g., smartphones, tablets, laptops, smartwatches), computers, monitors, etc.

[0030] In logistics operations, various objects (including but not limited to parcels, packages, goods, items, freight, etc.) can be transported from their origin to their destination, typically via various intermediate points. For example... Figure 2As shown, object 108 can be transported from facility 104 to destination locations (such as residences 120-1, 120-2, and 120-3 (collectively referred to as destination location 120, individually referred to as destination location 120)) via container 102 implemented as an attachment to or storage unit in vehicle 117 (e.g., a box truck, semi-trailer, etc.) or stored therein, or implemented as a storage area integrated into at least a portion of vehicle 117 (e.g., a van (e.g., a freight van or Sprint van) and SUV). At each destination location 120, operator 118 or autonomous device (such as a drone) can retrieve one or more related objects 108 destined for that destination location 120, remove one or more related objects 108 from container 102, and deliver one or more related objects 108 to destination location 120 before proceeding to the next destination location 120. Additionally, objects 108 can be collected from these destination locations 120 and / or from other destination locations between deliveries. The number of objects 108 and the number of destination locations 120 can vary and are not necessarily equal in other examples (e.g., more than one object 108 can be delivered to a single destination location 120).

[0031] The association between object 108 and destination location 120 can be stored in a central storage 124, which may also contain data defining routes that specify the sequence of events by which container 102 travels to destination location 120. Storage 124 may also contain various other data about object 108, such as sender identity, association between object 108 and worker 110, association or location of container 102, object identification elements (e.g., transmitters or transceivers 109 such as RFID tags or BLE beacons that uniquely distinguish each object 108 from other items 108), object dimensions (e.g., one or more of width, length, and height), object weight, etc.

[0032] As described above, loading logistics operations can involve loading hundreds or thousands of objects 108 into one or more containers 102. A large number of objects 108 awaiting loading into one or more containers 102 for transport and distribution may be misloaded during the loading process (e.g., an object 108 is loaded into the wrong container 102), which may hinder the delivery of these objects 108 to their respective destination location 120. For example, when an object 108 is loaded into the wrong container 102, an operator 118 (e.g., a driver) of a vehicle 117 with a container 102 attached to or integrated therein may adjust the route of vehicle 117 to deliver the incorrectly loaded object 108, meet with another operator 118 of another vehicle 117 with a correct container 102 attached to or integrated therein to transfer the incorrectly loaded object 108 to be delivered, or return to facility 104 with the undelivered object 108 to be loaded onto the correct container 102 the following day. These mitigation measures can be inefficient, time-consuming, and / or costly.

[0033] As described in more detail below, the system includes components and functions for identifying an object 108 in container 102 during loading logistics operations, and for automatically and dynamically mitigating the transmission of false alarms in real time when the object 108 is temporarily located in a container 102 not associated with the object, and for transmitting alarms in real time when the object 108 is incorrectly loaded into a container 102 not associated with the object 108 (e.g., loaded into the wrong container). The system includes reader or transceiver devices 112 associated with container 102, loading compartment 116, and / or vehicle 117. The reader or transceiver device 112 is communicatively coupled to an object identifier element (e.g., transmitter or transceiver 109) disposed inside the container 102 and a worker identifier element (e.g., transmitter or transceiver 111) disposed inside the container 102, as well as at least one device 113, which includes, but is not limited to, mobile computing devices (e.g., smartphones, tablets, laptops, smartwatches), computers, displays, etc. disposed inside and / or outside and / or near the container 102 and / or loading compartment 106. Figure 2 As shown, reader or transceiver device 112 can exchange data with central storage 124, for example, via network 132 implemented as any suitable combination of local area network and wide area network. Reader or transceiver device 112 can track each object 108 as it is loaded into container 102 (e.g., on a support structure such as a shelf). Therefore, reader or transceiver device 112 can detect and / or record each object 108 located in container 102, and can generate and update an inventory of objects 108 in container 102.

[0034] Figure 3This illustrates an embodiment of the system disclosed herein, and Figure 1 and Figure 2 A schematic diagram 200 shows the components of device 112. Reader or transceiver device 112 may include, but is not limited to, RFID readers or transceivers and BLE-enabled devices with BLE radios and antennas, including but not limited to gateways, mobile computing devices (e.g., tablets or mobile computers), smartphones, or other devices with BLE capabilities to read and / or detect BLE beacons. In one embodiment, reader or transceiver 112 may include an RFID reader or transceiver, but not a BLE-enabled device with a BLE radio and antenna. In another embodiment, reader or transceiver device 112 may include a BLE-enabled device with a BLE radio and antenna, but not an RFID reader or transceiver. In yet another embodiment, reader or transceiver 112 may include an RFID reader or transceiver and a BLE-enabled device with a BLE radio and antenna. As described above, the reader or transceiver device 112 is communicatively coupled to an object identifier element (e.g., transmitter or transceiver 109) disposed inside the container 102 and a worker identifier element (e.g., transmitter or transceiver 111) disposed inside the container 102, as well as at least one device 113, which includes, but is not limited to, mobile computing devices (e.g., smartphones, tablets, laptops, smartwatches), computers, displays, etc. disposed inside and / or outside and / or near the container 102 and / or loading compartment 106.

[0035] like Figure 3 As shown, the reader or transceiver device 112 includes a processor 201, such as a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), or a combination thereof. The processor 201 is communicatively coupled to a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, such as memory 202, which is implemented as a suitable combination of volatile and non-volatile memory elements. Memory 202 may store (e.g., in the form of a trace application 204 executable by the processor 201) multiple computer-readable instructions to perform the functions discussed in more detail below. In other examples, application 204 may be implemented as a different set of applications or as a dedicated hardware element (e.g., an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC)).

[0036] The reader or transceiver device 112 also includes a communication interface 206 that enables the reader or transceiver device 112 to communicate with other computing devices (e.g., servers hosting central storage 124) via suitable short-range links, networks (such as network 132), etc. Therefore, interface 206 includes suitable hardware elements executing suitable software and / or firmware for communication via network 132 and / or other communication links.

[0037] As described above, the reader or transceiver device 112 can be installed near the loading area of ​​container 102, including but not limited to: the upper area of ​​loading compartment 106 outside door 110 and facing site 107 and the interior of container 102; inside container 102 (e.g., on the ceiling, wall, or any suitable location inside container 102); or at the rear and / or exterior of container 102 (e.g., on the roof, rear bumper, rear door, or any suitable location outside container 102). The reader or transceiver device 112 can be installed under the compartment canopy 114 (e.g., as shown in the image). Figure 1 (As shown) to protect the reader or transceiver device 112 from severe weather. Objects 108 (e.g., parcels, packages, goods, items, freight, etc.) can be loaded onto / unloaded from container 102 so that the reader or transceiver device 112 maintains a view of the rear / interior of container 102.

[0038] Internal or external readers or transceivers 112 may include, for example, directional readers configured to detect at least one transmitter or transceiver 111 of worker 110 when worker 110 is inside container 102, and to detect transmitters or transceivers 109 attached to object 108 or to a box or container carrying item 108 when item 108 is in container 102. Transmitter or transceiver 111 may be an RFID tag or BLE beacon (e.g., a wearable device, including but not limited to identification, badges, and wristbands) and may uniquely distinguish each worker 110 from other workers 110. Transmitter or transceiver 109 may be one of an RFID tag or a BLE beacon and may uniquely distinguish each item 108 from other items 108.

[0039] Figure 4This is a flowchart 300 illustrating the processing steps performed by embodiments of the present disclosure. The processing steps will be described in conjunction with the execution within the system (e.g., via reader or transceiver device 112 combined with transmitter or transceiver 111 of worker 110 and transmitter or transceiver 109 attached to object 108). Generally, by performing the processing steps, the system can automatically and dynamically mitigate the transmission of false alarms in real time when object 108 is temporarily located in container 102 not associated with object 108, and transmit alarms in real time when object is incorrectly loaded into a container not associated with object 108 (e.g., loaded into the wrong container). The systems and methods disclosed herein achieve these functions (and their advantages) based on first and second information received by a reader or transceiver device (e.g., an RFID reader or transceiver, or a BLE-equipped device with a BLE radio and antenna) during a first time period and / or a second time period, wherein the first information indicates at least one first identifier element (e.g., a transmitter or transceiver 111) associated with a user (e.g., a worker 110) within a first area (e.g., container 102), and the second information indicates at least one second identifier element (e.g., a transmitter or transceiver 109) associated with an object 108 located within the first area.

[0040] Starting at step 302, during a first time period, the system receives first information from at least one first element of a user within a first area and second information from at least one second element of an object within the first area via a first device; for example, reader or transceiver device 112 may receive signals including information from a transmitter or transceiver 111 of worker 110 within container 102 and signals including information from a transmitter or transceiver 109 of object 108 within container 102. The first time period may indicate a first instance of receiving signals from the transmitter or transceiver 111 of worker 110 within container 102 and from the transmitter or transceiver 109 of object 108 within container 102. The system may distinguish worker 110 and object 108 based on the encoding (e.g., identification information) of each of the transmitter or transceiver 111 of worker 110 and the transmitter or transceiver 109 of object 108. For example, the serial number or identification number of transmitter or transceiver 111 may begin with "0", while the serial number or identification number of transmitter or transceiver 109 may begin with "1". It should be understood that different methods and / or mechanisms can be used to distinguish worker 110 and object 108. Additionally, worker 110 may be associated with object 108, but this is not mandatory.

[0041] Then, in step 304, the system determines whether an object is associated with the first region based on second information from at least one second element. For example, the system may determine whether object 108 is associated with container 102 based on information received by reader or transceiver 112 from transmitter or transceiver 109 (e.g., whether the information of object 108 matches the object list of container 102). If the system determines that the object is associated with the first region, the process proceeds to step 306. In step 306, the system determines that the object is associated with the first region and is located within the first region. For example, the system determines that object 108 matches the object list of container 102 and is located within container 102.

[0042] Alternatively, if the system determines that the object is not associated with the first region, the process proceeds to step 308. In step 308, the system identifies at least one second element of the object as an anomaly. For example, the system determines that object 108 does not match the object list of container 102, and therefore identifies the transmitter or transceiver 109 (i.e., object 108) as an anomaly.

[0043] In step 310, the system determines whether the first device received the first information during the second time period. For example, the system may determine whether the reader or transceiver 112 received a signal including information from the transmitter or transceiver 111 of the worker 110 inside the container 102 during the second time period, wherein the second time period is different from and follows the first time period. The second time period may indicate a second instance of receiving a signal from the transmitter or transceiver 111 of the worker 110 inside the container 102 and receiving a signal from the transmitter or transceiver 109 of the object 108 located inside the container 102.

[0044] If the system determines that the first device received the first information during the second time period, the process proceeds to step 312. For example, if the system determines that the reader or transceiver 112 received a signal from the transmitter or transceiver 111 of the worker 110 during the second time period, this can indicate that the worker 110 was present in container 102 during both the first and second time periods. For example, the worker 110 could remain in container 102 from the first time period to the second time period. Alternatively, if the first and second time periods are sufficiently long apart, the worker 110 could leave the initial container 102 with object 108, locate object 108 in another container 102, and return to the initial container 102.

[0045] Alternatively, if the system determines that the first device did not receive the first information during the second time period, the process proceeds to step 318 (discussed in more detail below). For example, if the system determines that the reader or transceiver 112 did not receive a signal from the transmitter or transceiver 111 of worker 110, this could indicate that worker 110 was not present in container 102 from the first time period to the second time period. For example, worker 110 could have moved to another container 102 after the first time period. In some embodiments, receiving the first information during the second time period by the second device associated with the second loading bay 106 and / or the second container 102 can replace the first device not receiving the first information during the second time period. For example, this could be another way of determining whether worker 110 might have moved to another container 102 after the first time period.

[0046] In step 312, the system determines whether the elapsed time period exceeds a threshold. If the system determines that the elapsed time period does not exceed the threshold, the process returns to step 312. Alternatively, if the system determines that the elapsed time period exceeds the threshold, the process proceeds to step 314. In step 314, the system determines whether the first device received the second information during the second time period. For example, the system may determine whether the reader or transceiver 112 received a signal including information from the transmitter or transceiver 109 of the abnormal object 108 within container 102 during the second time period, where the second time period is different from and follows the first time period.

[0047] If the system determines that the first device received the second information during the second time period, the process returns to step 310. For example, if the system determines that the reader or transceiver 112 received a signal from the transmitter or transceiver 109 of the anomalous object 108, this can instruct the worker 110 and the anomalous object 108 to remain within container 102 from the first time period to the second time period. Therefore, the system can automatically and dynamically mitigate the transmission of false alarms in real time because the system can determine that the anomalous object 108 is temporarily located in container 102 because the worker 110 is also in container 102 (e.g., there is no instance of worker 110 moving with the anomalous object 108 to another container 102 after the first time period).

[0048] Alternatively, if the system determines that the first device did not receive the second information during the second time period, the process proceeds to step 316. For example, if the system determines that the reader or transceiver 112 did not receive a signal from the transmitter or transceiver 109 of object 108, this could indicate that worker 110 is present in container 102 and that the anomalous object 108 was removed from container 102 after the first time period and before the second time period. In step 316, the system determines that the object is not located in the first area and the removal identifies at least one second element as anomalous.

[0049] Returning to step 318, the system determines whether the first device received the second information during the second time period. For example, the system can determine whether the reader or transceiver 112 received a signal during the second time period that included information from the transmitter or transceiver 109 of the anomalous object 108 within container 102, where the second time period is different from and follows the first time period. If the system determines that the first device received the second information during the second time period, the process proceeds to step 320. For example, if the system determines that the reader or transceiver 112 received a signal from the transmitter or transceiver 109 of the anomalous object 108, this could indicate that worker 110 has moved to another container 102, and that the anomalous object 108 remained within container 102 from the first time period to the second time period. Therefore, the system can automatically and dynamically transmit alarms in real time because the system can determine that the anomalous object 108 is located in container 102 and worker 110 is not in container 102 (e.g., worker 110 did not move to another container 102 with the anomalous object 108 after the first time period).

[0050] In step 320, the system transmits a notification (e.g., an alarm) indicating that object 108 is not associated with and is located within the first area. For example, the system transmits an alarm because the anomalous object 108 was loaded into the wrong container. The system may transmit the notification to one or more devices 113 associated with, owned by, and / or near worker 110 (e.g., worker 110 who did not move to another container 102 with the anomalous object 108 after the first time period and / or another worker 110 closest to the container 102 containing the anomalous object 108), wherein the devices 113 may include, but are not limited to, mobile computing devices (e.g., smartphones, tablets, laptops, smartwatches), computers, monitors, etc. The system may also transmit the notification to one or more devices 113 associated with, owned by, and / or near a supervisor and / or system administrator, wherein the devices 113 may include, but are not limited to, mobile computing devices (e.g., smartphones, tablets, laptops, smartwatches), computers, monitors, etc. Additionally, the system can transmit notifications to one or more devices 113 associated with, located in, and / or near the first area and / or a second area different from the first area, including but not limited to mobile computing devices (e.g., smartphones, tablets, laptops, smartwatches), computers, displays, etc. For example, the system can transmit notifications to a display associated with, located in, and / or near the second area different from the first area (e.g., another container 102 and / or loading bay 106), where the second area indicates the area where worker 110 was most recently detected (e.g., the location of the transmitter or transceiver 111 last read within a predetermined time period). For example, and referencing... Figure 2 Worker 110 may have moved from container 102 in loading bay 106-1 to another container 102 in loading bay 106-2. Therefore, even if the notification is generated based on the first information received by the reader or transceiver device 112-1, the display transmitting the notification to the second area (e.g., another container 102 and / or loading bay 106-2) may be actual.

[0051] In some embodiments, the timing of the notification may be intentionally delayed until worker 110 returns to container 102 containing the abnormal object 108. This return can be detected by the first device receiving the first message again at a later time. If the timing of the notification is approximately consistent with worker 110's return to container 102 containing the abnormal object 108, worker 110 can immediately correct the incorrectly loaded object 108. If the timing of the notification is too early, worker 110 is more likely to forget the notification. The notification may be one or more of audible instructions, text, graphic instructions, and text-to-speech messages.

[0052] Alternatively, if the system determines that the first device did not receive the second information during the second time period, the process proceeds to step 322. In step 322, the system determines that object 108 is not located within the first area and removes the identifier that marked at least one second element as abnormal. For example, this could instruct worker 110 to move object 108 to another container 102 after the first time period and before the second time period.

[0053] Figure 5 It is shown Figure 4 The processing steps are shown in Table 400. For example, line 402 indicates... Figure 4 Steps 310-314; line 404 indicates steps 310, 318 and 322; line 406 indicates steps 310-316; and line 408 indicates steps 310, 318 and 320.

[0054] Although this disclosure is implemented in an environment provided in the form of loading and unloading area 12 of facility 104, wherein one or more containers 102 (e.g., such as Figure 1The disclosed information pertains to the loading of various objects (e.g., parcels, packages, goods, articles, freight, etc.) by trailers, but it should be understood that this disclosure can be applied to any logistics operation involving tracking individuals and / or objects and / or tracking related to and associating individuals with objects, equipment, or other individuals to automatically and dynamically mitigate the transmission of false alarms. For example, this disclosure can be implemented in a hospital environment where workers (e.g., nurses) can transport multiple objects (e.g., medications) to one or more wards for use in the corresponding associated room, without leaving a specific medication in a ward unassociated with that specific medication. In another example, this disclosure can be implemented in an airport environment where vehicles (e.g., baggage carts) can transport multiple objects (e.g., baggage pieces) to one or more aircraft loading areas for loading in the corresponding associated loading area, without leaving a specific baggage piece in a loading area unassociated with that specific baggage piece. In another example, this disclosure can be implemented in a manufacturing assembly line environment where workers (e.g., technicians) can transport multiple objects (e.g., parts) to one or more stations for use in the corresponding associated station, without leaving a specific part at a station unassociated with that specific part. In yet another example, this disclosure can be implemented in a group environment, where workers (e.g., guides) can direct multiple individuals to one or more areas of a building (e.g., a museum, a factory, etc.) without leaving a particular individual in an area unrelated to the guide.

[0055] Specific embodiments have been described in the foregoing specification. However, those skilled in the art will understand that various modifications and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims. Therefore, the specification and drawings are to be considered illustrative rather than restrictive, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of this teaching.

[0056] These benefits, advantages, solutions to problems, and any one or more elements that may make any benefit, advantage, or solution occur or become more prominent are not to be construed as key, essential, or necessary features or elements of any or all claims. The invention is defined solely by the appended claims, including any amendments made during the pending period of this application and all equivalents of these claims in the patent announcement.

[0057] Furthermore, in this document, relational terms such as first and second, top and bottom, etc., may be used individually to distinguish one entity or action from another entity or action, without necessarily requiring or implying any actual such relationship or order between such entities or actions. The terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “has,” “having,” “includes,” “including,” “contains,” “containing,” or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that includes, has, includes, or contains a list of elements includes not only those elements but may also include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. Elements beginning with "comprises," "has," "includes," or "contains" do not exclude the presence of additional identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes, has, includes, or contains that element, unless otherwise expressly stated herein. The term "a / an" is defined as one or more unless otherwise expressly stated herein. The terms "substantially," "essentially," "approximately," "about," or any other version of these terms are defined as being as close as understood by one of ordinary skill in the art, and in one non-limiting embodiment, these terms are defined as within 10%, in another within 5%, in yet another within 1%, and in yet another within 0.5%. The term "coupled" as used herein is defined as connected, although not necessarily directly connected or mechanically connected. A device or structure that is “configured” in a certain way is configured at least in that way, but may also be configured in ways not listed.

[0058] Certain expressions may be used in this document to list combinations of elements. Examples of such expressions include: “at least one of A, B, and C”; “one or more of A, B, and C”; “at least one of A, B, or C”; “one or more of A, B, or C”. Unless otherwise expressly stated, the above expressions cover any combination of A and / or B and / or C.

[0059] It will be understood that some embodiments may include one or more dedicated processors (or "processing devices"), such as microprocessors, digital signal processors, custom processors, and field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), and uniquely stored program instructions (including both software and firmware) that control one or more processors to implement some, most, or all of the functions of the methods and / or apparatuses described herein, in conjunction with certain non-processor circuitry. Alternatively, some or all of the functions may be implemented by a state machine without stored program instructions, or in one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), wherein each function or some combination of certain functions is implemented as custom logic. Of course, a combination of these two approaches may also be used.

[0060] Furthermore, embodiments can be implemented as computer-readable storage media having computer-readable code stored thereon for programming a computer (e.g., including a processor) to perform the methods described and claimed herein. Examples of such computer-readable storage media include, but are not limited to, hard disks, CD-ROMs, optical storage devices, magnetic storage devices, ROMs (read-only memories), PROMs (programmable read-only memories), EPROMs (erasable programmable read-only memories), EEPROMs (electrically erasable programmable read-only memories), and flash memory. Moreover, it is anticipated that those skilled in the art, while making potentially significant efforts driven by, for example, available time, current technology, and economic considerations, and numerous design choices, will be able to readily generate such software instructions and programs, as well as ICs, with minimal experimentation when guided by the concepts and principles disclosed herein.

[0061] This abstract is provided to allow the reader to quickly determine the nature of the disclosure. This abstract is submitted with the understanding that it is not intended to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. Furthermore, in the above detailed description, it can be seen that various features are grouped together in various embodiments for the purpose of making the disclosure coherent. This method of disclosure should not be construed as reflecting an intention to require more features than are expressly recited in the claims. Rather, as reflected in the appended claims, the inventive subject matter lies in fewer than all the features of a single disclosed embodiment. Therefore, the appended claims are thus incorporated into the detailed description, wherein each claim represents itself as a separately claimed subject matter.

Claims

1. A method comprising: The device receives first information of at least one first element associated with a user within a first area and second information of at least one second element associated with an object located within the first area during a first time period. Based on the second information, determine whether the object is associated with the first region; When the object is not associated with the first region, the at least one second element is identified as abnormal; Determine whether the first device received the first information during the second time period; If the first device does not receive the first information during the second time period, determine whether the first device received the second information during the second time period; as well as When the first device receives the second information during the second time period, it transmits a notification indicating that the object is not associated with the first area and is located within the first area.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising: When the first device does not receive the second information during the second time period, the at least one second element is removed from the list of abnormal elements.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising: When the first device receives the first information during the second time period, it determines whether the elapsed time period exceeds a threshold. When the elapsed time period exceeds the threshold, it is determined whether the first device received the second information during the second time period; as well as When the first device does not receive the second information during the second time period, it determines that the object is not located in the first area and removes the at least one second element marked as abnormal.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising: When the first device receives the first information during the second time period, it determines whether the elapsed time period exceeds a threshold. When the elapsed time period exceeds the threshold, it is determined whether the first device received the second information during the second time period; as well as When the first device receives the second information during the second time period, it determines whether the first device received the first information during another time period after the second time period.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the notification when the first device receives the second information during the second time period includes: The notification is transmitted to at least one of the first device, the user's device, another user's device, the device of the first area, the display of the first area, the display near the first area, and the display of a second area different from the first area, the notification being one or more of audible instructions, text, graphic instructions, and text-to-speech messages.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first region is one of the following: Storage units attached to or stored in vehicles, including boxes attached to box trucks, trailers attached to platforms having one or more sets of wheels and hitch assemblies for towing by the vehicle, and containerized storage units (ULDs) stored in aircraft; and Storage areas integrated into at least a portion of a vehicle, including vans and sport utility vehicles (SUVs).

7. The method of claim 1, wherein The first device is one of a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader or transceiver and a device equipped with Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), and the first device is positioned near or within the first area. Each of the first element and the second element is either a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag or a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacon.

8. An apparatus comprising: A memory configured to store machine-executable instructions; as well as A processor, configured to interface with the memory and execute machine-executable instructions to cause the processor to perform the following operations: During the first time period, first information of at least one first element associated with a user within the first area and second information of at least one second element associated with an object located within the first area are received. Based on the second information, it is determined whether the object is associated with the first region. When the object is not associated with the first region, the at least one second element is identified as abnormal. Determine whether the device received the first information during the second time period. When the device does not receive the first information during the second time period, determine whether the device received the second information during the second time period, and When the device receives the second information during the second time period, it transmits a notification indicating that the object is not associated with the first area and is located within the first area.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the processor to perform the following operations: When the device does not receive the second information during the second time period, the at least one second element is removed from the list of abnormal elements.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the processor to perform the following operations: When the device receives the first information during the second time period, it determines whether the elapsed time period exceeds a threshold. When the elapsed time period exceeds the threshold, it is determined whether the device received the second information during the second time period, and When the device does not receive the second information during the second time period, it determines that the object is not located in the first area and removes the at least one second element marked as abnormal.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the processor to perform the following operations: When the device receives the first information during the second time period, it determines whether the elapsed time period exceeds a threshold. When the elapsed time period exceeds the threshold, it is determined whether the device received the second information during the second time period, and When the device receives the second information during the second time period, it determines whether the device received the first information during another time period after the second time period.

12. The device of claim 8, wherein transmitting the notification when the device receives the second information during the second time period includes: The notification is transmitted to at least one of the user's device, another user's device, a device in the first area, a display in the first area, a display near the first area, and a display in a second area different from the first area, the notification being one or more of an audible instruction, text, a graphic instruction, and a text-to-speech message.

13. The device of claim 8, wherein the first region is one of the following: Storage units attached to or stored in vehicles, including boxes attached to box trucks, trailers attached to platforms having one or more sets of wheels and hitch assemblies for towing by the vehicle, and containerized storage units (ULDs) stored in aircraft; and Storage areas integrated into at least a portion of a vehicle, including vans and sport utility vehicles (SUVs).

14. The device as claimed in claim 8, wherein The device is one of a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader or transceiver and a device equipped with Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), and the device is positioned near or within the first area. Each of the first element and the second element is either a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag or a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacon.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored on the non-transitory computer-readable medium, the instructions, when executed by a processor, causing the processor to perform the following steps: The device receives first information of at least one first element associated with a user within a first area and second information of at least one second element associated with an object located within the first area during a first time period. Based on the second information, determine whether the object is associated with the first region; When the object is not associated with the first region, the at least one second element is identified as abnormal; Determine whether the first device received the first information during the second time period; If the first device does not receive the first information during the second time period, determine whether the first device received the second information during the second time period; as well as When the first device receives the second information during the second time period, it transmits a notification indicating that the object is not associated with the first area and is located within the first area.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the processor to perform the following steps: When the first device does not receive the second information during the second time period, the at least one second element is removed from the list of abnormal elements.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the processor to perform the following steps: When the first device receives the first information during the second time period, it determines whether the elapsed time period exceeds a threshold. When the elapsed time period exceeds the threshold, it is determined whether the first device received the second information during the second time period; as well as When the first device does not receive the second information during the second time period, it determines that the object is not located in the first area and removes the at least one second element marked as abnormal.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the processor to perform the following steps: When the first device receives the first information during the second time period, it determines whether the elapsed time period exceeds a threshold. When the elapsed time period exceeds the threshold, it is determined whether the first device received the second information during the second time period; as well as When the first device receives the second information during the second time period, it determines whether the first device received the first information during another time period after the second time period.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the transmission notification when the first device receives the second information during the second time period includes: The notification is transmitted to at least one of the first device, the user's device, another user's device, the device of the first area, the display of the first area, the display near the first area, and the display of a second area different from the first area, the notification being one or more of audible instructions, text, graphic instructions, and text-to-speech messages.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein... The first device is one of a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader or transceiver and a device equipped with Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), and the first device is positioned near or within the first area. Each of the first element and the second element is either a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag or a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacon.

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