Methods and apparatus for monitoring a conveyance coupling connection using elements of a wireless node network

• US 10,521,759 B2
• Filed: 11/12/2014
• Issued: 12/31/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Federal Express Corporation (FedEx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fedex Corporate Services Incorporated (FedEx Corporation)
• Inventors: Skaaksrud, Ole-Petter
• Primary Examiner(s): Cass, Jean Paul
• Application Number:
  US14/538,971
• Publication Number:
  US 20150154556A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,875 Days
• Field of Search: 701 291
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 60/00256 Delivery operations
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 25/02 Packaging agricultural or horticultural products
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 25/02 Internal fittings of containers made by folding or erecting blanks made of paper B65D5/44
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 25/102 Straps, bands, strings or other elongate elements
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3407 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3453 Special cost functions, i.e. other than distance or default speed limit of road segments
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/362 received from an external device or application, e.g. PDA, mobile phone or calendar application
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2205/01 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0289 of multiple transceivers, e.g. in ad hoc networks
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/14 Determining absolute distances from a plurality of spaced points of known location
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0022 characterised by the communication link data switching networks in general H04L12/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0088 characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours using knowledge based models G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/021 specially adapted to land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/226 Communication links with the remote-control arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/43 Control of position or course in two dimensions
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/81 Handing over between on-board automatic and on-board manual control
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0712 the arrangement being capable of triggering distinct operating modes or functions dependent on the strength of an energy or interrogation field in the proximity of the record carrier active means for hindering electromagnetic reading or writing G06K19/07336
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10366 the interrogation device being adapted for miscellaneous applications
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/083 Shipping
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0832 Special goods or special handling procedures, e.g. handling of hazardous or fragile goods
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0833 : Tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0835 : Relationships between shipper or supplier and carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08355 : Routing methods
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0836 : Recipient pick-ups
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0838 : Historical data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 : Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/14 : specially adapted for billing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/22 : Payment schemes or models
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/308 : using the Internet of Things
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/321 : using wearable devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/325 : using wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 : Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 : Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 : based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0261 : System arrangements wherein the object is to detect trespassing over a fixed physical boundary, e.g. the end of a garden
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0269 : System arrangements wherein the object is to detect the exact location of child or item using a navigation satellite system, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 : for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/65 : stored on portable record carriers, e.g. on smartcards, RFID tags or CD
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 : for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 : for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 80/00 : ICT specially adapted for facilitating communication between medical practitioners or patients, e.g. for collaborative diagnosis, therapy or health monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3822 : specially adapted for use in vehicles H04B1/3827 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/61 : for local area broadcast, e.g. instore broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/71 : Wireless systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/026 : using e-messaging for transporting management information, e.g. email, instant messaging or chat
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0813 : characterised by the conditions triggering a change of settings
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0823 : characterised by the purposes of a change of settings, e.g. optimising configuration for enhancing reliability for optimising operational conditions of wireless networks H04W24/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/10 : Active monitoring, e.g. heartbeat, ping or trace-route
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/22 : Alternate routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 : Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 : Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 : in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 : specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 : Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 : specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 : Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 : Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/10 : Scheduling measurement reports ; Arrangements for measurement reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 : Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 : using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/025 : using location based information parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 : Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/38 : for collecting sensor information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/60 : Subscription-based services using application servers or record carriers, e.g. SIM application toolkits
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 : Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0212 : managed by the network, e.g. network or access point is master and terminal is slave
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/04 : TPC
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 : Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/003 : locating network equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/006 : with additional information processing, e.g. for direction or speed determination
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 : Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 : Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/24 : Transfer of terminal data
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 : in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Methods, apparatus, and systems are described for monitoring at least one signal passing through a coupling connection from a first conveyance to a second conveyance, where the coupling connection has a network device that communicates on a wireless node network. Generally, the network device (e.g., an ID node) integrated in the coupling connection monitors the signal line passing through the coupling connection from the first conveyance to the second conveyance. The network device then detects data on the monitored signal line and records the detected data. Thereafter, the network device in the coupling connection transmits the detected data (e.g., a notification that the conveyances are disconnected, a change in power flowing between the conveyances, etc.) to another entity in the wireless network, such as a server or master node.

Claims

1. An apparatus for monitoring at least one signal passing from a first conveyance to a second conveyance, the apparatus comprising:

a coupling connection comprising a mated set of coupling connectors providing a mated mechanical signaling connection between the first conveyance and the second conveyance and a communication path for the at least one signal passing between the first conveyance and the second conveyance, wherein the coupling connection further comprises an adapter, the adapter being disposed in-line between the mated set of coupling connectors so as to allow the at least one signal to pass through a first of the mated set of coupling connectors and through the adapter and then through the second of the mated set of coupling connectors, wherein the network device is integrated as part of the adapter in the coupling connection; and

a network device disposed within the coupling connection and in connection with the at least one signal, the network device further comprising,

a processing unit,

a memory coupled to the processing unit, the memory maintaining code for execution by the processing unit,

a communication interface coupled to the processing unit and operative to communicate with another network device in a wireless node network, and

a signal monitor circuit having an input and output, wherein the input is coupled to the at least one signal passing through the coupling connection on the communication path between the first conveyance and the second conveyance, and the output provides detected data to the processing unit about power flowing from the first conveyance to the second conveyance based upon the at least one signal; and

wherein the processing unit of the network device, when executing the code maintained on the memory, is operative to

monitor the detected data provided from the signal monitor circuit to detect a change in power flowing from the first conveyance, through the coupling connection where the power flow is monitored by the signal monitor circuit, and then to the second conveyance,

record the detected data to the memory for sharing with the another network device in the wireless node network,

transmit the recorded data over the communication interface to the another network device in the wireless network when the change in power flowing has been detected, and

detect a changed RF environment detected by the network device, wherein the changed RF environment detected indicates a change in RF power levels detected by the network device over a threshold level.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the communication interface of the network device is a short-range communication interface;

and

wherein the processing unit of the network device is further operative to communicate directly with a master node as the another network device in the wireless node network over the short-range communication interface but unable to communicate directly with a server in the wireless node network.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the network device further comprises a longer-range communication interface coupled to the processing unit and being operative to communicate with a server as the another network device in the wireless node network.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the network device is integrated as part of the coupling connection.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first conveyance comprises a vehicle and the second conveyance comprises a trailer.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the adapter being disposed between a mated set of anti-lock braking system connectors linking the vehicle to the trailer.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first conveyance comprises a first railway vehicle and the second conveyance comprises a second railway vehicle.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first conveyance comprises a maritime conveyance and the second conveyance comprises a maritime barge.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the network device is connected to a power line passing through the coupling connection.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing unit is further operative to detect when the first conveyance and the second conveyance are disconnected based upon a monitored status of the at least one signal line from the signal monitor circuit.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein processing unit is further operative to transmit by being operative to provide a message to a server in the wireless network over the communication interface, the message comprising the recorded data and a notification that the first conveyance and the second conveyance are disconnected.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing unit of the network device, when executing the code maintained on the memory, is further operative to detect the changed RF environment detected by the network device based upon a threshold change in a number of RF signals detected by the network device above a threshold amount.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing unit of the network device, when executing the code maintained on the memory, is operative to detect the change in power flowing from the first conveyance, through the coupling connection where the power flow is monitored by the signal monitor circuit, and then to the second conveyance when the second conveyance is drawing more power through the coupling connection from the first conveyance over time.