Intermodal movement status monitoring system

• US 20020052687A1
• Filed: 04/27/2001
• Published: 05/02/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Asset Intelligence LLC (PowerFleet, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Terion Incorporated (General Electric Company)
• Inventors: Doyle, Thomas F.
• Granted Patent: US 6,519,529 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/207
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• 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

A system for tracking and monitoring the intermodal status of cargo trailers. In addition to the information provided by a Global Positioning System (GPS) unit, the system monitors the status of various sensors on the trailer. The GPS unit provides the location and velocity of a trailer. A wheel monitoring unit provides the status of the wheels of the trailer, specifically whether there is rotation of the wheels or not. Anti-lock braking systems are used to provide signal information indicative of the wheel rotation status. An independent wheel rotation sensor is also used to provide the wheel rotation status. A computer processor determines the intermodal movement status of the trailer using the wheel rotation status and the location and velocity information.

Claims

1. A system for tracking and monitoring intermodal status of a cargo trailer comprising:

a wheel status monitoring unit for monitoring the status of at least one wheel of the trailer;

a sensor for providing data relating to the movement of the trailer;

a central station for receiving trailer information data;

wireless radio communication equipment for transmitting trailer information data to the central hub location; and

a processor for determining the intermodal status of the trailer.

2. A system as recited in claim 1 wherein the processor determines the intermodal status of the trailer by comparing the trailer movement and wheel information.

3. A system as recited in claim 1 wherein the data relating to the movement of the trailer includes position and velocity data of the trailer.

4. A system as recited in claim 1 wherein the data relating to the movement of the trailer is successive location reports.

5. A system as recited in claim 1 wherein the sensor is a Global Positioning System unit.

6. A system as recited in claim 1 wherein the trailer information data includes the trailer movement, wheel status and intermodal status information.

7. A system as recited in claim 1 wherein the processor is located at the trailer and connected to the sensor and the wheel status monitoring unit.

8. A system as recited in claim 1 wherein the processor is a micro processor located at the central station.

9. A system as recited in claim 1 further comprising a subscriber unit connected to the sensor and the wheel status monitoring unit for receiving the trailer movement and wheel information data and forwarding the data to the wireless radio communication equipment.

10. A system as recited in claim 1 wherein the wheel status monitoring unit is an anti-lock braking system.

11. A system as recited in claim 1 wherein the processor includes filtering means to filter the trailer information data for assuring the accuracy of the data.

13. A method as recited in claim 12 wherein determining the intermodal status comprises comparing the wheel status information and the trailer movement data.

14. A method as recited in claim 12 wherein the data relating to the movement of the trailer includes position and velocity data of the trailer.

15. A method as recited in claim 12 wherein the data relating to the movement of the trailer is successive location reports.

16. A method as recited in claim 12 wherein providing data is performed by using a Global Positioning System unit.

17. A method as recited in claim 12 wherein the trailer information data includes the trailer movement, intermodal status and wheel status information.

18. A method as recited in claim 12 wherein determining the intermodal status is performed at the trailer.

19. A method as recited in claim 12 wherein determining the intermodal status is performed at the central station.

20. A method as recited in claim 12 further comprising, providing the trailer movement and wheel information data to a subscriber unit, and forwarding the data to wireless radio communication equipment for transmitting to the central station.

21. A method as recited in claim 12 wherein monitoring the status is performed by using an anti-lock braking system.

22. A system as recited in claim 12 wherein determining the intermodal status comprises filtering means to filter the trailer information data for assuring the accuracy of the data.

24. A method as recited in claim 22 further comprising, transmitting the intermodal status data to a central station and receiving the intermodal status data at the central station.

12. A method for tracking and monitoring intermodal status of a cargo trailer comprising:

monitoring the status of at least one wheel of the trailer;

providing data relating to the movement of the trailer;

transmitting trailer information data to a central station;

receiving the trailer information data; and

determining the intermodal status of the cargo trailer.

23. A method for tracking and monitoring intermodal status of a cargo trailer comprising:

monitoring the status of at least one wheel of the trailer;

providing data relating to the movement of the trailer;

determining the intermodal status of the cargo trailer; and