System and method for managing movable objects

• US 10,242,572 B2
• Filed: 08/13/2013
• Issued: 03/26/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omnitracs LLC (Solera Holdings Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Omnitracs LLC (Solera Holdings Incorporated)
• Inventors: Doyle, III, Marquis D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ade, Garcia
• Application Number:
  US13/965,432
• Publication Number:
  US 20130328703A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,051 Days
• Field of Search: 705 29
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/127 to a central station ; Indicators in a central station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/20 Monitoring the location of vehicles belonging to a group, e.g. fleet of vehicles, countable or determined number of vehicles

Abstract

Systems and methods for managing a plurality of movable objects are disclosed. The systems and methods include determining a proposed pairing of a first movable object and a second movable object and confirming a coupling of the proposed pairing based on, at least in part, detecting that the first movable object and the second movable object are moving in unison.

Claims

1. A method of locating and pairing a plurality of movable objects in a wireless communications system, comprising:

locating, by a hardware processor of a computer device, each asset tracking unit mounted on each of the plurality of movable objects, the computer device being connected with a plurality of asset tracking units and location determination systems in the wireless communications system;

receiving, by a receiver of the computer device, signals broadcast by pseudolites associated with at least one of;

a satellite positioning system (SPS), a global positioning system (GPS), or terrestrial location determination systems;

generating, by the hardware processor, location coordinates of each asset tracking unit based on the signals received from the pseudolites;

determining a proposed pairing of a first movable object and a second movable object having a first asset tracking unit and a second asset tracking unit, respectively, based on the location coordinates of each asset tracking unit;

sending, in response to the proposed pairing, a notification to physically couple the first and second movable objects together to enable unison movement of the first and second movable objects; and

detecting that the first and second movable objects are physically coupled, via the at least one of the SPS, the GPS, or the terrestrial location determination systems, based on a change in the location coordinates of the first and second asset tracking units during the physical coupling indicating that the first and second movable objects are moving in unison.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

authenticating the proposed pairing by determining that the first movable object and the second movable object are co-located; and

wherein the sending of the notification to proceed with the physical coupling is based on the authenticating of the proposed pairing.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein confirming the physical coupling further comprises:

detecting respective movements of a first coupling portion of the first movable object and a second coupling portion of second movable object; and

wherein the confirming of the physical coupling comprises confirming upon detecting that the respective movements of the first coupling portion and the second coupling portion are moving in unison.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting, subsequent to the determining of the proposed pairing and before the confirming of the physical coupling, that the first movable object and the second movable object are not moving in unison; and

sending an improper physical coupling notification based on the detecting that the first movable object and the second movable object are not moving unison.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, subsequent to the confirming of the physical coupling, that a first location of the first movable object and a second location of a second movable object deviate by a predetermined distance; and

determining that a physical decoupling event has occurred based on the determining that the first location of the first movable object and the second location of the second movable object deviate by the predetermined distance.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising determining and storing a location at which the physical decoupling event occurred.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

equipping the first movable object with the first asset tracking unit and equipping the second movable object with the second asset tracking unit; and

operatively connecting the first asset tracking unit and the second asset tracking unit to a network management center across the wireless communications system.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising operatively connecting a location determination system to the first asset tracking unit and the second asset tracking unit, wherein the location determination system is configured to transmit data between the first asset tracking unit and the second asset tracking unit and the network management center.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising establishing a virtual data connection between the first asset tracking unit and second asset tracking unit.

10. A data processing system for locating and pairing a plurality of movable objects in a wireless communications system, comprising:

a receiver configured to receive signals broadcast by pseudolites associated with at least one of;

a satellite positioning system (SPS), a global positioning system (GPS), or terrestrial location determination systems;

at least one hardware processor configured to;

connect with a plurality of asset tracking units and location determination systems in the wireless communications system;

locate each asset tracking unit mounted on each of the plurality of movable objects;

generate location coordinates of each asset tracking unit based on the signals received from the pseudolites;

determine a proposed pairing of a first movable object and a second movable object having a first asset tracking unit and a second asset tracking unit, respectively, based on the location coordinates of each asset tracking unit;

send, in response to the proposed pairing, a notification to physically couple the first and second movable objects together to enable unison movement of the first and second movable objects; and

detect that the first and second movable objects are physically coupled, via the at least one of the SPS, the GPS, or the terrestrial location determination systems, based on a change in the location coordinates of the first and second asset tracking units during the physical coupling indicating that the first and second movable objects are moving in unison.

11. The data processing system of claim 10, wherein the at least one hardware processor is further configured to:

authenticate the proposed pairing by determining that the first movable object and the second movable object are co-located, and send the notification to proceed with the physical coupling based on the authenticating of the proposed pairing.

12. The data processing system of claim 10, wherein the at least one hardware processor is further configured to:

detect respective movements of a first coupling portion of the first movable object and a second coupling portion of the second movable object, and confirm the physical coupling upon detecting that the respective movements of the first coupling portion and the second coupling portion are moving in unison.

13. The data processing system of claim 10, wherein the at least one hardware processor is further configured to:

detect, subsequent to the determining of the proposed pairing and before the confirming of the physical coupling, that the first movable object and the second movable object are not moving in unison; and

send an improper physical coupling notification based on the detecting that the first movable object and the second movable object are not moving in unison.

14. The data processing system of claim 10, wherein the at least one hardware processor is further configured to:

determine, subsequent to the confirming of the physical coupling, that a first location of the first movable object and a second location of a second movable object deviate by a predetermined distance; and

determine that a physical decoupling event has occurred based on the determining that the first location of the first movable object and the second location of the second movable object deviate by the predetermined distance.

15. The data processing system of claim 14, wherein the at least one hardware processor is further configured to determine and store a location at which the physical decoupling event occurred.

16. The data processing system of claim 10, wherein the first movable object is equipped with the first asset tracking unit and the second movable object is equipped with the second asset tracking unit.

17. The data processing system of claim 16, further comprising:

a network management center; and

a location determination system operatively connectable to the first asset tracking unit and the second asset tracking unit and configured to transmit data between the first asset tracking unit and the second asset tracking unit and the network management center.

18. The data processing system of claim 16, wherein the at least one hardware processor is further configured to establish a virtual data connection between the first asset tracking unit and second asset tracking unit.

19. A non-transitory storage medium containing computer software encoded in machine-readable format for locating and pairing a plurality of movable objects in a wireless communications system, the computer software comprising a set of computer instructions for:

locating, by a hardware processor of a computer device, each asset tracking unit mounted on each of the plurality of movable objects, the computer device being connected with a plurality of asset tracking units and location determination systems in the wireless communications system;

receiving, by a receiver of the computer device, signals broadcast by pseudolites associated with at least one of;

a satellite positioning system (SPS), a global positioning system (GPS), or terrestrial location determination systems;

generating, by the hardware processor, location coordinates of each asset tracking unit based on the signals received from the pseudolites;

determining a proposed pairing of a first movable object and a second movable object having a first asset tracking unit and a second asset tracking unit, respectively, based on the location coordinates of each asset tracking unit;

sending, in response to the proposed pairing a notification to physically couple the first and second movable objects together to enable unison movement of the first and second movable objects; and

detecting that the first and second movable objects are physically coupled, via the at least one of the SPS, the GPS, or the terrestrial location determination systems, based on a change in the location coordinates of the first and second asset tracking units during the physical coupling indicating that the first and second movable objects are moving in unison.

20. A method of managing a plurality of movable objects in a wireless communications system, comprising:

locating, by a hardware processor of a computer device, each asset tracking unit mounted on each of the plurality of movable objects, the computer device being connected with a plurality of asset tracking units and location determination systems in the wireless communications system;

receiving, by a receiver of the computer device, signals broadcast by pseudolites associated with at least one of;

a satellite positioning system (SPS), a global positioning system (GPS), or terrestrial location determination systems;

generating, by the hardware processor, location coordinates of each asset tracking unit based on the signals received from the pseudolites;

determining a previous physical coupling between a first movable object and a second movable object having a first asset tracking unit and a second asset tracking unit, respectively, based on the location coordinates of each asset tracking unit; and

confirming whether the previous physical coupling between the first movable object and the second movable object still exists based on, at least in part, detecting, via the at least one of the SPS, the GPS, or the terrestrial location determination systems, a change in the location coordinates of the first and second asset tracking units indicating whether the first and second movable objects are moving in unison.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

obtaining, data associated with each of the first movable object and the second movable object, the data comprising location information over time.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

detecting a decoupling event of the first movable object and the second movable object when the location information of the first movable object and the second movable object deviate by a predetermined distance; and

detecting that the previous physical coupling between the first movable object and the second movable object still exists when the first movable object and the second movable object are moving in unison based on the location information.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising recording at least location coordinates of the decoupling event.

24. A data processing system of managing a plurality of movable objects in a wireless communications system, comprising:

a receiver configured to receive signals broadcast by pseudolites associated with at least one of;

a satellite positioning system (SPS), a global positioning system (GPS), or terrestrial location determination systems;

at least one hardware processor configured to;

connect with a plurality of asset tracking units and location determination systems in the wireless communications system;

locate each asset tracking unit mounted on each of the plurality of movable objects;

generate location coordinates of each asset tracking unit based on the signals received from the pseudolites;

determine a previous physical coupling between a first movable object and a second movable object having a first asset tracking unit and a second asset tracking unit, respectively, based on the location coordinates of each asset tracking unit; and

confirm whether the previous physical coupling between the first movable object and the second movable object still exists based on, at least in part, detecting, via the at least one of the SPS, the GPS, or the terrestrial location determination systems, a change in the location coordinates of the first and second asset tracking units indicating whether the first and second movable objects are moving in unison.

25. The data processing system of claim 24, wherein the at least one hardware processor is further configured to obtain data associated with each of the first movable object and the second movable object, the data comprising location information over time.

26. The data processing system of claim 25, wherein the at least one hardware processor is further configured to:

detect a decoupling event of the first movable object and the second movable object when the location information of the first movable object and the second movable object deviate by a predetermined distance; and

detect that the previous physical coupling between the first movable object and the second movable object still exists when the first movable object and the second movable object are moving in unison based on the location information.

27. The data processing system of claim 26, wherein the at least one hardware processor is further configured to record at least location coordinates of the decoupling event.

28. A non-transitory storage medium containing computer software encoded in machine-readable format for managing a plurality of movable objects in a wireless communications system, the computer software comprising a set of computer instructions for:

locating, by a hardware processor of a computer device, each asset tracking unit mounted on each of the plurality of movable objects, the computer device being connected with a plurality of asset tracking units and location determination systems in the wireless communications system;

receiving, by a receiver of the computer device, signals broadcast by pseudolites associated with at least one of;

a satellite positioning system (SPS), a global positioning system (GPS), or terrestrial location determination systems;

generating, by the hardware processor, location coordinates of each asset tracking unit based on the signals received from the pseudolites;

determining a previous physical coupling between a first movable object and a second movable object having a first asset tracking unit and a second asset tracking unit, respectively, based on the location coordinates of each asset tracking unit; and

confirming whether the previous physical coupling between the first movable object and the second movable object still exists based on, at least in part, detecting, via the at least one of the SPS, the GPS, or the terrestrial location determination systems, a change in the location coordinates of the first and second asset tracking units indicating whether the first and second movable objects are moving in unison.