System and method for taking asset inventory across a wide area
AssigneeWireless Data Systems, Inc.
InventorP. DAVID WHITT
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system for taking inventory over a wide area includes a database. The database stores a geofenced area divided into two or more waypoints and a route defined as path within the geofenced area across at least two waypoints. At least one mobile asset is disposed at a position in a yard corresponding to the at least one waypoint. The mobile asset has a readable tag having information about the asset thereon. An aerial vehicle having a tag reader flies along the route within the geofenced area for communicating with each tag along a route, reading the information and storing the information read from each tag.
Claims16
A system for taking inventory of mobile assets across a wide area comprising:
- a database, the database storing parameters of a geofenced area divided into one or more waypoints, the database further storing a route defined as a path within the geofenced area across two or more waypoints;
- at least one mobile asset disposed at a position corresponding to at least one waypoint, the mobile asset having a machine readable information about the asset thereon;
- and
- an aerial vehicle having a reader, the aerial vehicle flying along the route within the geofenced area for reading the information and storing the information read from each waypoint as a function of the location of the information relative to a waypoint.
A method for taking inventory of mobile assets across a wide area comprising the steps of:
- geofencing a physical area for storing mobile assets therein;
- the geofenced area being divided into two or more waypoints;
- defining a route having a path across two or more waypoints;
- providing a mobile asset disposed in a physical area corresponding to a first waypoint, the mobile asset having information identifying the asset thereon;
- providing an aerial vehicle, the aerial vehicle flying along the route by flying to a first waypoint, stopping at the first waypoint, activating a reader and starting a timer, reading the information from the tag when the mobile asset is present at the first waypoint;
- and moving to a second waypoint at the first to occur of the reading of the information and the end of the predetermined time period counted by the timer.
The method of claim 10, wherein the reader is an RFID tag reader and the machine readable information being stored on a tag disposed on the mobile asset, the tag reader communicating with each tag along the route.
A method for taking inventory of mobile assets across a wide area comprising the steps of:
- dividing an area for storing mobile assets into two or more waypoints;
- each waypoint being defined by a geofence;
- defining a route having a path across two or more waypoints;
- providing a mobile asset disposed in a physical area corresponding to a first waypoint, the mobile asset having information identifying the asset thereon;
- providing an aerial vehicle, the aerial vehicle flying along the route by flying to a first waypoint, stopping at the first waypoint, activating a reader and starting a timer, reading the information from the mobile asset when the mobile asset is present at the first waypoint;
- and
- moving to a second waypoint at the first to occur of the reading of the information and the end of the predetermined time period counted by the timer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.