Communication system for tracking assets

• US 20060258374A1
• Filed: 07/25/2006
• Published: 11/16/2006
• 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 7,349,684 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.200
• 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, said base station 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 coupled to the base station, said base display changing in response to said mobile unit position signals, said base station position signal, and the mobile unit message signals.

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 communication system as recited in claim 1, wherein said mobile unit comprises a power management system.

9. A communication system as recited in claim 8, wherein said base station communicates a sleep time to the mobile unit and wherein the power management system comprises controlling the mobile unit in response to the sleep time.

10. A communication system as recited in claim 8, wherein said mobile unit communicates a battery life to base station and the base station determines the sleep time in response to the battery life.

11. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein controlling the mobile unit comprises controlling a modem.

12. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein controlling the mobile unit comprises controlling a modem and a GPS.

20. A base station as recited in claim 9, wherein the single port comprises a serial port.

13. A method of operating a communication system comprising:

communicating a battery life from a mobile unit to a base station;

determining a sleep time at the base station in response to the battery life;

communicating the sleep time to the mobile unit; and

controlling the mobile unit in response to the sleep time.

14. A method as recited in claim 13, wherein controlling the mobile unit comprises controlling a modem.

15. A method as recited in claim 13, wherein controlling the mobile unit comprises controlling a modem and a GPS.

16. A base station comprising:

a map display;

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

a GPS receiver generating a base station position signal; and

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

17. A base station as recited in claim 16, wherein said microcontroller generates paging communication signals in response to an input device.

18. A base station as recited in claim 16, 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.

19. A base station as recited in claim 16, wherein said GPS receiver and said master wireless modem are coupled to the microcontroller through a single port.