IP Library Granted Patent US 11,354,765
Granted Patent B2
US 11,354,765 · App. 17/085,817 · Granted Jun 7, 2022

Computer applications that determine a parcel position error

Inventors: Mallory Freeman (Atlanta, GA); Timothy Major (Atlanta, GA); David Wu (Atlanta, GA); Lauren Skorb (Atlanta, GA); Matthew Britton (Atlanta, GA)
Assignee: UNITED PARCEL SERVICE OF AMERICA, INC.
G06Q50/28G06K7/10297G06K19/0723G06Q10/0631
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,354,765
App. No.
17/085,817
Granted
Jun 7, 2022
Kind
B2
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.

Claims (52)

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 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 first set of positions relative to at least one of the plurality of environmental sensors at the plurality of environmental sensor positions;

determining a load start node defining a first initial position of the first set of positions of the tag;

determining a first series of positions of the tag comprising an order of the first set of positions of the tag from the determined load start node; and

determining at least one parcel path comprising a route of the first series of positions of the tag based on the first set of positions of the tag and the load start node.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 16 , further comprising:

receiving 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 series of positions of a tag of a plurality of tags associated with a plurality of parcels, each path of the plurality of parcel paths comprising an average parcel position for each position of the second series of positions for each path of the plurality of parcel paths;

determining the at least one parcel path exceeds a threshold based on a comparison of the average parcel position to the first series of positions; and

modifying the load data to replace a position of the first series of positions associated with the at least one parcel path with an associated average parcel position of the second series of positions.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 17 , wherein the method further comprises:

determining a plurality of configuration start nodes from the configuration data defining a initial position of the second set of positions of the tag; and

wherein determining the at least one parcel path comprising the route of the first series of positions of the tag is further based on the plurality of configuration start nodes.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 1, 2021
From: FREEMAN, MALLORY; MAJOR, TIMOTHY; WU, DAVID; SKORB, LAUREN; BRITTON, MATTHEW
To: UNITED PARCEL SERVICE OF AMERICA, INC.
Reel/Frame 057358/0325 →
Continuity (1)
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