Communication system for tracking assets

• US 20040203887A1
• Filed: 12/05/2002
• Published: 10/14/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Galetti, Ralph R.
• Granted Patent: US 7,089,018 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• 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 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

A communication system comprises a mobile unit that generates mobile unit position signals and message signals. A base station is wireless two-way coupled to the mobile unit. The base station has a GPS receiver that generates base station position signals, a master wireless modem that receives the mobile unit position signals, and the mobile unit message signals. The base station includes a base display changing in response to the mobile unit position signals and the base station position signal.

Claims

1. A communication system comprising:

a mobile unit generating mobile unit position signals and mobile unit message signals;

a base station wirelessly two-way coupled to said mobile unit having a GPS receiver generating base station position signals;

a master wireless modem receiving said mobile unit position signals and the mobile unit message signals; and

a base display changing in response to said mobile unit position signals and said base station position signal.

2. A communication system as recited in claim 1 wherein said mobile unit has a mobile unit display updated in response to paging signals generated by said master wireless modem.

3. A communication system as recited in claim 2 wherein said mobile unit display comprises a text display.

4. A communication system as recited in claim 1 further comprising a plurality of mobile units wirelessly two-way coupled to said base station.

5. A communication system as recited in claim 4 wherein said plurality of mobile units generate respective mobile unit position signals, said base display formed as a function of said respective mobile unit position signals.

6. A communication system as recited in claim 1 wherein said base display comprises a map display.

7. A communication system as recited in claim 1 wherein said base display comprises a moving display.

8. A mobile unit comprising:

a GPS receiver generating a mobile unit position signal;

a wireless modem receiving base station message signals and transmitting the mobile unit position signal therethrough;

a text display; and

a controller coupled to said GPS receiver and the wireless modem, said controller generating a text display in response to said position signal and said base station message signals.

9. A mobile unit as recited in claim 8 further comprising an antenna mount/cap assembly coupled to said GPS receiver and said wireless modem.

10. A mobile unit as recited in claim 9 wherein the antenna mount/cap assembly is interchangeable.

11. A mobile unit as recited in claim 9 wherein said antenna mounting/cap assembly comprises a GPS antenna and a wireless modem antenna.

12. A mobile unit as recited in claim 9 wherein said antenna mounting/cap assembly comprises a GPS antenna and a wireless modem antenna connector.

13. A mobile unit as recited in claim 9 wherein said antenna mounting/cap assembly comprises a GPS antenna connector and a wireless modem antenna connector.

14. A mobile unit as recited in claim 8 further comprising a push button.

15. A mobile unit as recited in claim 14 wherein said controller generates a communication signal in response to an activation of said push button.

16. A mobile unit as recited in claim 8 further comprising a power source coupled to said controller.

17. A mobile unit as recited in claim 16 wherein said power source is removable.

18. A mobile unit as recited in claim 16 wherein said power source is rechargeable.

19. A mobile unit as recited in claim 8 wherein said GPS receiver, said wireless modem and said controller are positioned within a sealed housing.

20. A mobile unit as recited in claim 8 wherein said text display comprises a backlit LCD display.

21. A base station comprising:

a map display;

a master wireless modem receiving mobile unit position communication signals and transmitting base station message signals therethrough;

a GPS receiver generating a base station position signal; and

a microcontroller coupled to said display, said master wireless modem and said GPS receiver, said microcontroller operating the map display in response to the mobile unit position signals and the base station position signal.

22. A base station as recited in claim 21 wherein said microcontroller generates paging communication signals in response to an input device.

23. A base station as recited in claim 21 wherein the input device comprises a keyboard.

24. A base station as recited in claim 21 wherein said map display is a moving map display updated by said microcontroller in response to said mobile unit position communication signals and said base station position signals.

25. A base station as recited in claim 21 wherein said GPS receiver and said master wireless modem are coupled to the microcontroller through a single port.

26. A base station as recited in claim 25 wherein the single port comprises a serial port.