Durable global asset-tracking device and a method of using the same

• US 20020177476A1
• Filed: 05/22/2002
• Published: 11/28/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Geospatial Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Geospatial Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Chou, Y. Hong
• Granted Patent: US 7,072,668 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/574
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/34 Power consumption
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/48 by combining or switching between position solutions derived from the satellite radio beacon positioning system and position solutions derived from a further system
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/49 whereby the further system is an inertial position system, e.g. loosely-coupled
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0027 of actual mobile position, i.e. position determined on mobile
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/017 Detecting state or type of motion

Abstract

A communication system for tracking an asset globally accesses multiple communication networks and switches among them, choosing the most economic, available communication mode without need for a constant power supply. An integrated motion sensor uses a combination of GPS updating and dynamic movement calculation to obtain the most reliable position estimation. Current location is identified within a small radius at all times. While taking advantage of the GPS system to obtain accurate location information, direct exposure to GPS satellites is not required at all times. The system obtains position information from GPS satellites whenever valid GPS signals are available, and provides its own location tracking capability when GPS signals are not accessible. The position accuracy of the device is preferably within a 20-meter radius from the exact location.

Claims

1. An apparatus for globally tracking assets from a central tracking facility comprising:

a processor module;

a location module coupled to the processor module, the location module for providing a position accuracy at all times within an approximately 20 meter radius of an actual location of the apparatus;

a communication module coupled to the processor module, the communication module for selecting the most cost-effective, available mode of communication to the central tracking facility; and

an antenna module coupled to the processor module, the antenna module for sending and receiving signals among a plurality of antennas and corresponding plurality of communication protocols.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a power module for providing a durable source of power to the apparatus, the power module being coupled to the processor module.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the power module provides unassisted power to the apparatus for at least one year'"'"'s operation.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the location module comprises a GPS circuit, a dynamic motion sensor to provide position accuracy at all times within approximately 20 meter radius of an actual location of the apparatus by using the GPS circuit when GPS data is available and using the dynamic motion sensor for determining dead-reckoning position when the GPS data is not available.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the location module identifies a best position available, transfers the best position available to the processor module for storage therein and wherein the processor module makes the best position available to all other modules within the apparatus.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein when the apparatus is active, the communication module continuously transfers information pertaining to the most cost-effective, available mode of communication to the processor module.

7. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein when the power module minimizes power consumption within the apparatus whenever the apparatus is not moving as determined by the location module.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the antenna module comprises a GPS receiver and corresponding GPS antenna, a local RF transceiver and corresponding RF antenna, a cellular network transceiver and cellular antenna, and a satellite transceiver and satellite antenna.

9. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the GPS circuit of the location module comprises a GPS engine board for processing GPS data, and where the dynamic motion sensor comprises a three-dimensional gyro and a speed computation processor.

10. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the dynamic motion sensor is always maintained in an active state by the power module.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 where the three-dimensional gyro determines motion of the apparatus in three dimensions, and where the speed computation processor estimates acceleration or deceleration of the apparatus at all times.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising means for initialization a location of the apparatus.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 where the means for initialization a location of the apparatus comprises a GPS circuit within the location module.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 where the means for initialization a location of the apparatus comprises a data entry device.

15. The apparatus of claim 12 where the means for initialization a location of the apparatus comprises a device for manual entry of latitude and longitude of the apparatus at the time of initialization.

16. The apparatus of claim 12 where the location module alters initial location determined by the means for initialization a location according to direction and displacement sensed by the location module of the apparatus since its initialization to generate an estimated location.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 where the location module corrects the estimated location whenever a valid GPS signal for the apparatus can be determined by the location module.

18. The apparatus of claim 16 where the location module corrects the estimated location whenever a valid RF location signal for the apparatus can be determined by the location module.

19. The apparatus of claim 1 where the communication module comprises a control circuit coupled to an RF transceiver, to a multi-band radio modem for cellular or digital communications, and to a dedicated modem for satellite communications, the control circuit for coordinating and controlling the communications through the RF transceiver, multi-band radio modem, and dedicated modem to evaluate validity of communications therethrough, to determine the most cost-effective mode of communication available at each given time and to switch communication to the determined most cost-effective mode of communication.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 where the control circuit preassigns a priority to each mode of communication.

21. The apparatus of claim 20 where the priority assigned by the control circuit is highest for RF communications, then cellular communications, and lowest for satellite communications.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 where the priority assigned by the control circuit to cellular communications is assigned to a plurality of cellular networks, each having a corresponding frequency range, protocol and assigned priority level.

23. The apparatus of claim 22 where the central facility transmits through the communications module a corresponding frequency range, protocol and assigned priority level for each of the plurality of cellular networks to the apparatus.

24. The apparatus of claim 2 where the power module comprises an external wakeup unit, a high energy-density battery, and a self-recharging unit.

25. The apparatus of claim 24 where the external wake-up unit turns all the modules completely off except for a portion of the location module for sensing movement of the apparatus, and powers up all the modules when the active portion of the location module senses movement of the apparatus.

26. The apparatus of claim 24 where the external wake-up unit further comprises a data receive sensor responsive to commands from the central facility to power up the apparatus on command therefrom.

27. The apparatus of claim 24 where self-recharging unit comprises an external recharging source, an internal recharging source, and a solar recharging source.

28. The apparatus of claim 27 where the external recharging source comprises a wind-powered electrical generator.

29. The apparatus of claim 27 where the internal recharging source comprises a motion-powered or pendulum electrical generator.

30. The apparatus of claim 24 further comprising an AC adapter for charging the high energy-density battery.

31. A method for globally tracking an asset from a central tracking facility comprising the steps of:

providing a position accuracy at all times within approximately 20 meter radius of an actual location of the asset;

selecting the most cost-effective, available mode of communication to the central tracking facility; and

sending and receiving signals among a plurality of communications modes and corresponding plurality of communication protocols.

32. The method of claim 31 further comprising the step of providing a durable source of power to the asset.

33. The method of claim 32 further comprising the step of providing unassisted power to the asset for at least one year'"'"'s operation.

34. The method of claim 31 where the step of providing a position accuracy at all times within approximately 20 meter radius of an actual location of the asset comprises the steps of using GPS signals when GPS data is available and using local dynamic motion sensing for determining dead-reckoning position when the GPS data is not available.

35. The method of claim 34 further comprising identifying a best position available, transferring the best position available to a processor module for storage therein and making the best position available to all other modules within the asset.

36. The method of claim 31 wherein when the asset is active, further comprising the step of continuously determining the most cost-effective, then available mode of communication.

37. The method of claim 32 further comprising minimizing power consumption within the asset whenever the asset is not moving.

38. The method of claim 31 wherein sending and receiving signals among a plurality of communications modes and corresponding plurality of communication protocols comprises the steps of sending and receiving GPS signals, local RF signals, cellular network signals, and satellite signals.

39. The method of claim 34 wherein the step of local dynamic motion sensing comprises the steps of using three-dimensional gyroscopic direction sensing in combination with acceleration and deceleration sensing to compute the dead-reckoning position when the GPS data is not available.

40. The method of claim 34 wherein the step of dynamic motion sensing is performed at all times and is never powered down.

41. The method of claim 39 where the steps of using three-dimensional gyroscopic direction sensing in combination with acceleration and deceleration sensing to compute the dead-reckoning position is performed at all times.

42. The method of claim 31 further comprising the step of initialization a location of the asset.

43. The method of claim 42 where the step of initialization a location of the asset comprises the step of using GPS signals and GPS processing.

44. The method of claim 42 where the step of initialization a location of the asset comprises the step of inputting the location through a data entry device.

45. The method of claim 42 where the step of initialization a location of the asset comprises the step of manually entering the latitude and longitude of the asset at the time of initialization.

46. The method of claim 42 further comprising the step of altering the initial location according to a sensed direction and displacement of the asset since its initialization to generate an estimated location.

47. The method of claim 46 further comprising the step of correcting the estimated location whenever a valid GPS signal for the asset can be determined.

48. The method of claim 46 further comprising the step of correcting the estimated location whenever a valid RF location signal for the asset can be determined.

49. The method of claim 31 where sending and receiving signals among a plurality of communications modes and corresponding plurality of communication protocols comprises the steps of sending and receiving RF signals, cellular or digital multi-band radio modem signals, and satellite modem signals according to the validity of communications, and the most cost-effective mode of communication available at each given time.

50. The method of claim 49 further comprising the step of preassigning a priority to each mode of communication.

51. The method of claim 50 where the step of preassigning a priority to each mode of communication assigns the highest priority for RF communications, then cellular communications, and the lowest priority for satellite communications.

52. The method of claim 51 where the step of preassigning a priority to cellular communications assigns priority to a plurality of cellular networks, each having a corresponding frequency range, protocol and assigned priority level.

53. The method of claim 52 further comprising the step of the central facility transmitting a corresponding frequency range, protocol and assigned priority level for each of the plurality of cellular networks to the asset.

54. The method of claim 32 where providing a durable source of power to the asset comprises providing an external wake-up unit, a high energy-density battery, and a self-recharging unit.

55. The method of claim 32 further comprising the step of externally terminating all functions in the asset except for sensing movement of the asset, and activating all functions in the asset when movement of the asset is sensed.

56. The method of claim 54 further comprising the step of externally activating all functions with the asset in response to commands received by the asset from the central facility.

57. The method of claim 54 further comprising the steps of recharging the battery by means of an external recharging source, an internal recharging source, and a solar recharging source.

58. The method of claim 57 where recharging the battery by means of the external recharging source comprises recharging the battery by means of a wind-powered electrical generator.

59. The method of claim 57 where recharging the battery by means of the internal recharging source comprises recharging the battery by means of a motion-powered or pendulum activated electrical generator.

60. The method of claim 54 further comprising the step of recharging the battery by means of an AC adapter.

61. A system for globally tracking assets comprising:

a processor module;

a location module coupled to the processor module, the location module comprising a sensor to detect movement of the system;

a communication module coupled to the processor module and adapted for communication with a remote tracking facility;

an antenna module coupled to the processor module; and

a power module coupled to the processor module, the power module being adapted to switch between a sleep mode when the sensor does not detect movement and a wakeup mode when the sensor detects movement.

62. The system of claim 61 wherein the power module provides unassisted power to the system for at least one year'"'"'s operation.

63. The system of claim 61 wherein the location module detects motion of the asset when a GPS reading is invalid.

64. The system of claim 61 wherein the power module comprises a wakeup unit.

65. The system of claim 61 wherein the antenna module is adapted for sending and receiving signals among a plurality of antennas and corresponding plurality of communication protocols.

66. The system of claim 61 wherein the communication module is adapted for selecting the most cost-effective, available mode of communication with the remote tracking facility.

67. The system of claim 66 wherein the communication module selects from an RF mode, a cellular mode and a satellite mode.

68. The system of claim 67 wherein the communication module assigns a priority to each mode, the priority being highest for the RF mode, the priority being second highest for the cellular mode, and the priority being lowest for the satellite mode.

70. The system of claim 69 wherein the communication protocols comprise a GPS protocol, an RF protocol, a cellular protocol, and a satellite protocol.

71. The system of claim 69 wherein the plurality of antennas comprise a GPS antenna, an RF antenna, a cellular antenna, and a satellite antenna.

69. A system for globally tracking assets comprising:

a processor module;

a location module coupled to the processor module;

a communication module coupled to the processor module and adapted for communication to a remote tracking facility;

an antenna module coupled to the processor module, the antenna module being adapted for sending and receiving signals among a plurality of antennas and corresponding plurality of communication protocols; and

a power module coupled to the processor module.

72. A system for globally tracking assets comprising:

a processor module;

a location module coupled to the processor module, the location module being adapted for receiving GPS signals and for detecting movement of the system;

a communication module coupled to the processor module and adapted for selecting the most cost-effective, available mode of communication with a remote tracking facility;

an antenna module coupled to the processor module; and

a power module coupled to the processor module.

73. The system of claim 72 wherein the communication module selects from an RF mode, a cellular mode and a satellite mode.

74. The system of claim 72 wherein the communication module assigns a priority to each mode, the priority being highest for the RF mode, the priority being second highest for the cellular mode, and the priority being lowest for the satellite mode.