Granted Patent B2

US 8,149,090 · App. 12/193,384 · Granted Apr 3, 2012

Abstract

Claims (75)

1. A method for supply chain monitoring in a communication network, the communication network including a plurality of mobile sensor nodes, the method comprising:

each of the plurality of mobile sensor nodes receiving status information obtained by other mobile sensor nodes in the communication network;

each of the plurality of mobile sensor nodes periodically transmitting the received status information to at least one other mobile sensor node in the communication network;

each of the plurality of mobile sensor nodes compiling at least one log file, the at least one log file including the received status information;

each of the plurality of mobile sensor nodes storing the at least one log file, and

responsive to determining, via a mobile sensor node operating in a watchman mode, that any of the plurality of mobile sensor nodes are in an alarm condition, waking the mobile sensor nodes not operating in the watchman mode from a sleep mode.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of mobile sensor nodes further comprising securing the other mobile sensor nodes in the communication network to corresponding items being monitored.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the other mobile sensor nodes in the communication network are secured to corresponding items being monitored during shipping.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

each of the plurality of mobile sensor nodes transmitting the at least one log file to a collection data server; and

consolidating the at least one log file into a composite log file.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:

identifying at least one of a discrepancy and an alarm notification in the composite log file; and

reporting the identified at least one of a discrepancy and an alarm notification.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of mobile sensor nodes operates in the watchman mode, the method further comprising placing the mobile sensor nodes not operating in the watchman mode in the sleep mode.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the at least one of the plurality of mobile sensor nodes periodically operates in the watchman mode.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein each of the at least one of the plurality of mobile sensor nodes operating in the watchman mode operates in a standby mode to receive the status information from other mobile sensor nodes operating in the watchman mode; and

determines whether any of the plurality of mobile sensor nodes are in an alarm condition based on the received status information.

9. A method for supply chain monitoring, the method comprising:

establishing a communication network, the communication network including a plurality of mobile sensor nodes;

each of the plurality of mobile sensor nodes receiving status information obtained by other mobile sensor nodes in the communication network;

each of the plurality of mobile sensor nodes periodically transmitting the received status information to at least one other mobile sensor node in the communication network;

each of the plurality of mobile sensor nodes compiling at least one log file, the at least one log file including the received status information;

each of the plurality of mobile sensor nodes storing the at least one log file;

at least one of the plurality of mobile sensor nodes operating in a watchman mode, the at least one of the plurality of mobile sensor nodes operating in the watchman mode operates in a standby mode to receive the status information from other mobile sensor nodes operating in the watchman mode, and determines whether any of the plurality of mobile sensor nodes are in an alarm condition based on the received status information;

placing the mobile sensor nodes not operating in the watchman mode in a sleep mode; and

responsive to determining that any of the plurality of mobile sensor nodes are in an alarm condition, the watchman mode further comprising:

waking the mobile sensor nodes not operating in the watchman mode from the sleep mode; and

transmitting a notification of the alarm condition.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the watchman mode further comprises:

transmitting all status information received from the other mobile sensor nodes of the plurality of mobile sensor nodes in the communication network since the previous time status information was received from the other mobile sensor nodes of the plurality of mobile sensor nodes;

transmitting status information for the mobile sensor node operating in the watchman mode; and

responsive to determining that at least one of the other mobile sensor nodes is in an alarm condition, transmitting a notification of the alarm condition.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the received status information obtained by other mobile sensor nodes in the communication network includes at least one of a mobile sensor node identifier, a present alarm condition, a time, a GPS location, and a temperature.

12. A system for supply chain monitoring, the system comprising:

a plurality of mobile sensor nodes, at least one of the plurality of mobile sensor nodes operable in a watchman mode to determine if a different one of the plurality of mobile sensor nodes is in an alarm condition, and when the different one of the plurality of mobile sensor nodes is in an alarm condition, to wake the plurality of mobile sensor nodes not operating in the watchman mode from a sleep mode;

a data collection server; and

a network bridge communicatively coupled to the data collection server and to at least one mobile sensor node of the plurality of mobile sensor nodes, the network bridge operating to:

receive at least one log file, the at least one log file containing status information obtained by other mobile sensor nodes of the plurality of mobile sensor nodes; and

transmit the log file to the data collection server,

each of the plurality of mobile sensor nodes periodically transmitting the status information to at least one other mobile sensor node.

13. The system of claim 12 , further comprising:

a communication network, the communication network including at least some of the plurality of mobile sensor nodes, each mobile sensor node operating to:

periodically transmit status information;

receive status information for at least one other mobile sensor node in the communication network;

compile a log file, the log file including the received status information; and

store the log file in the mobile sensor node that received the corresponding status information.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the data collection server further operates to:

receive at least one log file, the at least one log file containing status information for each mobile sensor node in the communication network;

receive a composite log file containing multiple log files, each log file containing status information for each mobile sensor node in the communication network;

identify an occurrence of at least one of a discrepancy and an alarm notification in the composite log file; and

report the occurrence of the identified at least one of a discrepancy and an alarm notification.

15. A first mobile sensor node in a communication network for supply chain monitoring, the communication network including the first mobile sensor node and other mobile sensor nodes to form a plurality of mobile sensor nodes, the first mobile sensor node comprising:

a transceiver operating to:

receive status information obtained by other mobile sensor nodes in the communication network; and

periodically transmit the status information to at least one other mobile sensor node in the communication network;

a processor communicatively coupled to the transceiver, the processor operating to compile a log file, the log file including status information for each of the other mobile sensor nodes in the communication network, the processor further operating in a watchman mode, and responsive to determining that any of the plurality of other mobile sensor nodes are in an alarm condition, waking mobile sensor nodes not operating in the watchman mode from a sleep mode; and

a memory communicatively coupled to the processor, the memory storing the log file.

16. The first mobile sensor node of claim 15 , wherein the status information includes at least one of a mobile sensor node identifier, a present alarm condition, a time, a GPS location, and a temperature, the first mobile sensor node further having at least one of an on-board sensor, a real-time clock and a GPS receiver.

17. The first mobile sensor node of claim 15 , wherein the processor further operates to place the first mobile sensor node in a sleep mode when not operating in the watchman mode.

18. The first mobile sensor node of claim 17 , wherein when the first mobile sensor node operates in the watchman mode:

the transceiver further operates in a standby mode to receive the status information from the other mobile sensor nodes in the communication network; and

the processor further operates to determine whether the other mobile sensor nodes in the communication network are in an alarm condition based on the received status information.

19. A first mobile sensor node in a communication network for supply chain monitoring, the communication network including the first mobile sensor node and other mobile sensor nodes to form a plurality of mobile sensor nodes, the first mobile sensor node comprising:

a transceiver operating to:

receive status information obtained by other mobile sensor nodes in the communication network; and

periodically transmit the status information to at least one other mobile sensor node in the communication network;

a processor communicatively coupled to the transceiver, the processor operating to compile a log file, the log file including status information for each of the other mobile sensor nodes in the communication network; and

a memory communicatively coupled to the processor, the memory storing the log file,

the first mobile sensor node operating in a watchman mode, the processor further operating to place the first mobile sensor node in a sleep mode when not operating in the watchman mode, wherein when the first mobile sensor node operates in the watchman mode, the transceiver further operates in a standby mode to receive the status information from the other mobile sensor nodes in the communication network, and the processor further operates to determine whether at least one of the other mobile sensor nodes in the communication network are in an alarm condition based on the received status information, and

responsive to determining that at least one of the other mobile sensor nodes are in an alarm condition, the transceiver further operates to:

wake all other mobile sensor nodes of the communication network from sleep mode; and

transmit a notification of the alarm condition.

20. The first mobile sensor node of claim 19 , wherein the periodically transmitting includes:

transmitting all status information received from the other mobile sensor nodes of the plurality of mobile sensor nodes of the communication network since the last time status information received from the other mobile sensor nodes of the plurality of mobile sensor nodes in the communication network was transmitted.

Assignments (6)