FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This disclosure relates generally to data collection systems, and particularly to data collection systems for tracking and measuring physical objects using optical codes to associate physical objects with measured and recorded characteristics thereof.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The proliferation of the Internet of things (IoT) has dramatically increased the number of devices capable of collecting and transmitting data. However, IoT devices are typically designed to collect only specific kinds of data and are designed for specific applications, leading to high development costs and long deployment times. Thus, there exists a need for a low-cost, customizable data collection system that can collect and store different types of data for different applications.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

As discussed above, there is a need for low-cost, customizable data collection systems. This need may be addressed by the systems, methods, and techniques disclosed herein for configuring, deploying, and using a data collection system for tracking and measuring characteristics of physical objects. The system allows users to define data profiles that correspond to measurable characteristics of particular objects, and to associate the data profiles with unique optical codes that may be deployed and physically associated with the physical object to be measured. Users may then scan the physically deployed instance of the optical code with a mobile device (e.g., a smart phone) to cause the device to automatically prompt the user to enter certain measured data, to automatically measure certain data, and/or to automatically transmit information regarding the measured data for storage.

Embodiments contemplated in the present disclosure may address the needs discussed above by decoupling the measurement component of a network connected device from the identity of the object to be measured and/or from an electronic device for determining the identity of the object to be measured. Disclosed are devices, systems, and methods for configuring and deploying a customizable data collection system.

To configure the system, a user may generate and store digital entries that uniquely correspond to optical codes. The optical codes may be associated with real world objects via a physical deployment of instances of the optical codes, such as one or more printed labels or stickers.

A user may then scan the optical code associated with an object, such as by using a mobile electronic device, to access one or more graphical user interfaces for inputting measurements of the object. The device may then transmit the inputted data associated with the object, in addition to any other automatically measured data regarding the object and/or the time or nature of the measurement. The transmitted data may be based on any appropriate physical sensor or measurement device, including sensors integrated into the device that scanned the optical code and/or sensors separate from the device that scanned the optical code, or based on observations by the user. A physical sensor that is the source of the measurement does not need to be associated with the object or known to the data collection system.

In this way, physical embodiments of the optical codes, such as printed labels generated by the system, may serve as virtual sensors that identify the measured object but are not constrained to the measurement capability of a particular physical sensor to characterize the object. Therefore, the disclosed data collection system may be customized by the user to collect any type of data in any type of application.

In some embodiments, a first method, for measuring and recording a characteristic of an object, is provided, the first method comprising: at a device comprising a display, an optical sensor, a GPS sensor, one or more processors, and memory: detecting, by the optical sensor, an optical code, wherein the optical code is physically associated with an object; and in response to detecting the optical code: decoding an identifying value encoded in the optical code; transmitting geographic information from the GPS sensor to a remote server, wherein the geographic information is transmitted in accordance with the decoded identifying value; and transmitting information regarding one or more measured characteristics of the object, the information regarding the one or more measured characteristics being distinct from the geographic information, to the remote server, wherein the information regarding one or more measured characteristics is transmitted in accordance with the decoded identifying value.

In some embodiments, the first method comprises: in response to detecting the optical code, displaying a prompt for a user to enter information regarding the one or more measured characteristics of the object.

In some embodiments, the first method comprises: in response to detecting the optical code, automatically reading information regarding the one or more measured characteristics of the object from a sensor associated with the device.

In some embodiments of the first method, the sensor is integrated into the device.

In some embodiments of the first method: the sensor is communicatively coupled with the device via one or more network communication interfaces, and automatically reading information regarding the one or more measured characteristics of the object from the sensor comprises causing the device to receive, via the one or more network transmissions from the sensor, a network communication transmission comprising information regarding the one or more measured characteristics.

In some embodiments of the first method, the identifying value uniquely corresponds to an entry in a database.

In some embodiments, the first method comprises: in response to detecting the optical code, in accordance with a determination that registration transmission has not previously been transmitted to the remote server in response to detection of the optical code, displaying a registration interface comprising a user interface object configured to accept a user input comprising information associated with registering the optical code; detecting an instruction from the user to transmit the information associated with registering the optical code; and in response to receiving the instruction to transmit the information associated with registering the optical code, transmitting an instruction to the remote server to register the optical code by uniquely associating the entry in the database with the information associated with registering the optical code.

In some embodiments of the first method, the information associated with registering the optical code comprises a name associated with the object.

In some embodiments of the first method, the identifying value comprises a URL corresponding to the entry in the database.

In some embodiments of the first method, the optical code comprises a QR code.

In some embodiments, a device for measuring and recording a characteristic of an object is provided, the device comprising a display, an optical sensor, a GPS sensor, one or more processors, and memory storing instructions executable by the one or more processors to cause the device to: detect, by the optical sensor, an optical code, wherein the optical code is physically associated with an object; and in response to detecting the optical code: decode an identifying value encoded in the optical code; transmit geographic information from the GPS sensor to a remote server, wherein the geographic information is transmitted in accordance with the decoded identifying value; and transmit information regarding one or more measured characteristics of the object, the information regarding the one or more measured characteristics being distinct from the geographic information, to the remote server, wherein the information regarding one or more measured characteristics is transmitted in accordance with the decoded identifying value.

In some embodiments a first non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, storing instructions for measuring and recording a characteristic of an object, is provided, the instructions configured to be executed by one or more processors of a device comprising a display, an optical sensor, a GPS sensor, and one or more processors, the instructions configured to cause the device to: detect, by the optical sensor, an optical code, wherein the optical code is physically associated with an object; and in response to detecting the optical code: decode an identifying value encoded in the optical code; transmit geographic information from the GPS sensor to a remote server, wherein the geographic information is transmitted in accordance with the decoded identifying value; and transmit information regarding one or more measured characteristics of the object, the information regarding the one or more measured characteristics being distinct from the geographic information, to the remote server, wherein the information regarding one or more measured characteristics is transmitted in accordance with the decoded identifying value.

In some embodiments, a second method, for configuring a data collection system, is provided, the second method comprising: at a system comprising a display, one or more processors, and memory: detecting a first user input, wherein the first user input comprises an instruction to generate a set of database entries for monitoring respective objects, and wherein the first user input indicates one or more characteristics of the objects to be monitored; in response to detecting the first user input: creating a set of database entries, wherein each entry of the set of database entries is configured to store data regarding the one or more characteristics of one of the respective objects; and generating a set of optical codes, wherein each code of the set of optical codes uniquely corresponds to one of the database entries created; detecting a second user input, wherein the second user input comprises an instruction to display a plurality of images associated respectively with a subset of the set of database entries, wherein each image of the plurality of images uniquely corresponds to a respective one of the set of database entries; and in response to detecting the second user input, displaying a dynamic visual representation of the plurality of images, wherein, for each of the plurality of images, the image visually indicates whether the system has received registration information regarding association of a physical instance of the corresponding optical code with one of the objects.

In some embodiments of the second method, the first user input comprises a selection by the user of a data profile, wherein the data profile indicates the one or more characteristics of the objects to be monitored.

In some embodiments of the second method, the dynamic digital representation of the one or more of the optical codes comprises a visual representation of a sheet of labels, wherein each of the labels comprises one of the optical codes.

In some embodiments of the second method: the dynamic visual representation indicates that the system has received registration information for a first one of the images by not displaying a first corresponding optical code as a part of the first image; and the dynamic visual representation indicates that the system has not received registration information for a second one of the images by displaying a second corresponding optical code as a part of the second image.

In some embodiments, the second method comprises: receiving a third user input indicating an instruction to display information regarding a plurality of measurements associated with one of the database entries of the set of database entries; and in response to receiving the third user input, displaying a chronological list of measurement transmissions, wherein each of the measurement transmissions comprises a time of the measurement and a data regarding the one or more characteristics.

In some embodiments of the second method, one or more of the measurement transmissions comprises a photograph transmitted from a portable electronic device.

In some embodiments, a data-collection system is provided, the system comprising a display, one or more processors, and memory storing instructions executable by the one or more processors to cause the system to: detect a first user input, wherein the first user input comprises an instruction to generate a set of database entries for monitoring respective objects, and wherein the first user input indicates one or more characteristics of the objects to be monitored; in response to detecting the first user input: create a set of database entries, wherein each entry of the set of database entries is configured to store data regarding the one or more characteristics of one of the respective objects; and generate a set of optical codes, wherein each code of the set of optical codes uniquely corresponds to one of the database entries created; detect a second user input, wherein the second user input comprises an instruction to display a plurality of images associated respectively with a subset of the set of database entries, wherein each image of the plurality of images uniquely corresponds to a respective one of the set of database entries; and in response to detecting the second user input, display a dynamic visual representation of the plurality of images, wherein, for each of the plurality of images, the image visually indicates whether the system has received registration information regarding association of a physical instance of the corresponding optical code with one of the objects.

In some embodiments, a second non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, storing instructions for configuring a data collection system, is provided, the instructions configured to be executed by one or more processors of a system comprising a display and one or more processors, the instructions configured to cause the system to: detect a first user input, wherein the first user input comprises an instruction to generate a set of database entries for monitoring respective objects, and wherein the first user input indicates one or more characteristics of the objects to be monitored; in response to detecting the first user input: create a set of database entries, wherein each entry of the set of database entries is configured to store data regarding the one or more characteristics of one of the respective objects; and generate a set of optical codes, wherein each code of the set of optical codes uniquely corresponds to one of the database entries created; detect a second user input, wherein the second user input comprises an instruction to display a plurality of images associated respectively with a subset of the set of database entries, wherein each image of the plurality of images uniquely corresponds to a respective one of the set of database entries; and in response to detecting the second user input, display a dynamic visual representation of the plurality of images, wherein, for each of the plurality of images, the image visually indicates whether the system has received registration information regarding association of a physical instance of the corresponding optical code with one of the objects.

In some embodiments, a data measurement and collection system is provided, the system comprising: a server configured to: detect a first user input, wherein the first user input comprises an instruction to generate a set of database entries for monitoring respective objects, and wherein the first user input indicates one or more characteristics of the objects to be monitored; and in response to detecting the first user input: create a set of database entries, wherein each entry of the set of database entries is configured to store data regarding the one or more characteristics of one of the respective objects; and generate a set of optical codes, wherein each code of the set of optical codes uniquely corresponds to one of the database entries created; and a mobile electronic device comprising an optical sensor and a GPS sensor, the mobile electronic device configured to: detect, by the optical sensor, one of the optical codes of the set of optical codes, wherein the optical code is physically associated with one of the objects; and in response to detecting the optical code: transmit geographic information from the GPS sensor to the server; and transmit information regarding a measurement of the one or more characteristics of the object, the information regarding a measurement being distinct from the geographic information, to the server.

In some embodiments of the data measurement and collection system, the mobile electronic device is configured to, in response to detecting the optical code, display a graphical user interface configured to accept a user input indicating the measurement of the one or more characteristics of the object.

In some embodiments, any one or more features of any of the methods, systems, devices, and computer-readable mediums disclosed above or elsewhere herein may be combined with one another and/or with features of any one or more of the other methods, systems, devices, and computer-readable mediums disclosed elsewhere herein.

