System and method for real-time management of mobile resources

• US 20070149184A1
• Filed: 10/16/2006
• Published: 06/28/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Id Systems Incorporated (PowerFleet, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Carrierweb LLC (PowerFleet, Inc.)
• Inventors: Fenton-May, Roualeyn, Fenton-May, Tristam, Marous, John, Viegers, Arthur
• Granted Patent: US 7,554,441 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/422.100
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/016 Personal emergency signalling and security systems emergency non-personal manually actuated alarm activators G08B25/12
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/00 Arrangements for maintenance, administration or management of data switching networks, e.g. of packet switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0813 characterised by the conditions triggering a change of settings
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0893 Assignment of logical groups to network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 for remote control or remote monitoring of applications

Abstract

A system and method are disclosed for real-time management of mobile resources. The management system includes an on board system, a processor, and a data center. The on board system is provided with the mobile resource to be managed and includes a number of sensors to monitor various conditions. Each sensor collects information independently and asynchronously with respect to the other sensors. The processor collects the information from the sensors and saves it in the form of synchronous data. A continuous two-way connection is established between the on board system and the data center across a wireless communication network. The data center monitors at least one sensed state from the sensors based on receipt of the synchronous data from the on board system. The data center can also provide instructions to the on board system in response to the state that is being monitored.

Claims

1. A wireless mobile resource management system comprising:

an on board system including;

a position locating system for determining a location of the on board system,

a plurality of sensors for monitoring conditions and independently collecting information corresponding to sensed states of the conditions being monitored, each sensor collecting the information asynchronously with respect to other sensors, and

a transceiver for transmitting and receiving information to and from the on board system over a wireless communication network;

a processor for collecting the asynchronous sensor data collected by the plurality of sensors and saving the asynchronous data in the form of synchronous data;

a data center for monitoring at least one sensed state from the plurality of sensors and providing instructions to the on board system in response to the at least one monitored sensed state, the data center including;

a communication server for establishing a first communication link with the on board system over the wireless communication network, and further establishing a second communication link over a data communication network,

a data center processor for processing the synchronous data, and generating streams of sensor data representative of the asynchronous sensor data collected by the plurality of sensors, and

a database for storing operational transactions of the on board system at predetermined time intervals and/or upon a change in a sensed state of at least one of the conditions being monitored,

wherein a continuous two-way connection is established between the on board system and the data center across the wireless communication network; and

wherein the synchronous data saved by the processor is synchronous with respect to the data center processor.

2. The wireless mobile resource management system of claim 1, further comprising at least one customer system for establishing a third communication link over the data communication network, communicating with the data center, accessing conditions monitored by the sensors, and further transmitting control data to the on board system.

3. The wireless mobile resource management system of claim 1, wherein processor for collecting the asynchronous sensor data is included in the on board system.

4. The wireless mobile resource management system of claim 1, wherein processor for collecting the asynchronous sensor data is included in the data center.

5. The wireless mobile resource management system of claim 4, wherein processor for collecting the asynchronous sensor data is the data center processor.

6. The wireless mobile resource management system of claim 1, wherein database stores operational transactions of the on board system related to location at predetermined time intervals.

7. The wireless mobile resource management system of claim 1, wherein database stores operational transactions of the on board system upon a change in a sensed state of at least one of the conditions being monitored.

8. The wireless mobile resource management system of claim 1, wherein the position locating system is satellite based.

9. The wireless mobile resource management system of claim 1, wherein the position locating system is cellular based.

10. The wireless mobile resource management system of claim 1, wherein the position locating system is based on both satellite and cellular communication networks.

11. The wireless mobile resource management system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of sensors includes an RFID transmitter.

12. The wireless mobile resource management system of claim 1, wherein:

the on board processor includes an auxiliary processor for alternately receiving sampled information collected by the plurality of sensors and generating the synchronized data; and

the on board processor processes the synchronized data stream for transmission over the wireless communication network.

13. The wireless mobile resource management system of claim 1, wherein the control data includes at least one of load plans, updates, messages, and instructions.

14. The wireless mobile resource management system of claim 1, wherein the operational transactions include time, date, and position information for the on board system.

15. The wireless mobile resource management system of claim 14, wherein the operational transactions further include the sensed state of the conditions being monitored by the on board system.

16. The wireless mobile resource management system of claim 1, wherein the conditions being monitored include environmental conditions.

17. The wireless mobile resource management system of claim 1, further comprising a vehicle, and wherein the on board system is contained in the vehicle.

18. The wireless mobile resource management system of claim 1, wherein the conditions being monitored include unauthorized access to a vehicle equipped with the on board system.

19. The wireless mobile resource management system of claim 18, wherein the vehicle is self powered.

20. The wireless mobile resource management system of claim 19, further comprising a towable unit selectively connectable to the self powered vehicle.

21. The wireless mobile resource management system of claim 18, wherein the conditions being monitored include unauthorized movement of the vehicle.

22. The wireless mobile resource management system of claim 18, wherein the conditions being monitored include unauthorized transportation of the vehicle from a predetermined location.

23. The wireless mobile resource management system of claim 1, wherein the on board system further comprises an interface unit for displaying information and receiving input.

24. A wireless mobile resource management system comprising:

a self powered vehicle;

a towable unit selectively connectable to the self powered vehicle, and including an area for storing at least one mobile asset;

an on board system located in at least one of the self powered vehicle and the towable unit, the on board system including;

a position locating system for determining a location of the on board system,

a plurality of sensors for monitoring conditions and independently collecting information corresponding to sensed states of the conditions being monitored, each sensor collecting the information asynchronously with respect to other sensors, and at least one sensor including an RFID transmitter, and

a transceiver for transmitting and receiving information to and from the on board system over a wireless communication network;

a processor for alternately collecting the asynchronous sensor data collected by the plurality of sensors and generating synchronized data; and

a data center for monitoring at least one sensed state from the plurality of sensors and providing instructions to the on board system in response to the at least one monitored sensed state, the data center including;

a communication server for establishing a first communication link with the on board system over the wireless communication network, and further establishing a second communication link over a data communication network,

a data center processor for processing the synchronous data, and generating parallel streams of sensor data corresponding to the asynchronous sensor data collected by the plurality of sensors, and

a database for storing operational transactions of the on board system at predetermined time intervals and/or upon a change in a sensed state of at least one of the conditions being monitored,

wherein an always on, continuous two-way connection is established between the on board system and the data center across the wireless communication network;

wherein the synchronous data saved by the on board processor is synchronous with respect to the data center processor.

25. The wireless mobile resource management system of claim 24, further comprising at least one customer system for establishing a third communication link over the data communication network, communicating with the data center, accessing conditions monitored by the sensors, and further transmitting control data to the on board system.

26. The wireless mobile resource management system of claim 24, wherein processor for collecting the asynchronous sensor data is included in the on board system.

27. The wireless mobile resource management system of claim 24, wherein processor for collecting the asynchronous sensor data is included in the data center.

28. The wireless mobile resource management system of claim 27, wherein processor for collecting the asynchronous sensor data is the data center processor.

29. The wireless mobile resource management system of claim 24, wherein database stores operational transactions of the on board system related to location at predetermined time intervals.

30. The wireless mobile resource management system of claim 24, wherein database stores operational transactions of the on board system upon a change in a sensed state of at least one of the conditions being monitored.

31. A wireless monitoring system comprising:

a self powered vehicle including a plurality of mobile control units, each mobile control unit including;

a processor for collecting data of the at least one sensed state from the at least one monitored mobile asset during connection to the self powered vehicle,

a transceiver for wirelessly transmitting the data which is collected by the processor after processing to a wide area wireless communication system and receiving data from the wireless communication system,

a plurality of towable units selectively connectable to the self powered vehicle, each towable unit including;

an area in which at least one mobile asset is stored during at least towing of a towed unit by the self powered vehicle,

at least one sensing unit for monitoring the at least one mobile asset and providing data regarding at least one sensed state of the at least one mobile asset, the sensing unit being wirelessly coupled to an associated one of the mobile control units during connection of the towed unit to one of the self powered vehicles; and

a management control system which provides instructions to the mobile control units for responding to the at least one sensed state of the at least one monitored mobile asset and real time monitoring of the at least one sensed state of the at least one mobile asset of each mobile unit associated with the self powered vehicle; and

wherein the wireless communication system provides two way continuous connectivity between the plurality of mobile control units and the management control system.

32. A system in accordance with claim 31 wherein:

the at least one sensing unit is associated with at least one RFID system associated with a mobile asset and a towed unit which wirelessly communicates over a wireless communication link to provide to the towed unit on which the at least one sensing unit is located the at least one sensed state of the at least one mobile asset and the instructions and at least one sensing unit which monitors at least one state of an engine of the self powered vehicle which monitors at least one state of the engine with the at least one state associated with the mobile asset and the at least one sensed state of the engine being processed by the processor into a data stream which is synchronous to the at least one sensing unit and asynchronous to the wide area communication system and the management control system; and

the management control system in response to reception of the synchronous data stream from at least one mobile control unit provides the instructions to the at least one mobile control unit associated with at least one of the self powered vehicles which are responsive to the at least one sensed state which pertain to operation of the engine of at least one of the self powered vehicles and/or the at least one mobile sensed state associated with the at least one mobile asset of at least one of the towed units.

33. A method for wirelessly managing mobile resources comprising:

providing an on board system on a mobile resource;

determining a position location of the on board system;

monitoring conditions and independently collecting information corresponding to sensed states of the conditions being monitored by a plurality of sensors, each sensor collecting the information asynchronously with respect to other sensors;

transmitting and receiving information between the on board system and a data center over a wireless communication network;

collecting the asynchronous sensor data collected by the plurality of sensors and saving the asynchronous data in the form of synchronous data;

monitoring at least one sensed state from the plurality of sensors and providing instructions to the on board system in response to the at least one monitored sensed state;

establishing a first communication link with the on board system over the wireless communication network, and further establishing a second communication link over a data communication network;

processing the synchronous data, and generating streams of sensor data representative of the asynchronous sensor data collected by the plurality of sensors; and

storing operational transactions of the on board system at predetermined time intervals and/or upon a change in a sensed state of at least one of the conditions being monitored,

wherein a continuous two-way connection is established between the on board system and the data center across the wireless communication network; and

wherein the synchronous data saved by the processor is synchronous with respect to the data center processor.

34. A method for managing power to at least one electronic device installed on a motor vehicle, comprising:

electronically interrupting a voltage line that supplies voltage to a power line coupled to the at least one device when a voltage on the line is outside a predetermined range;

connecting a secondary voltage source to the power line to the at least one device while electronically interrupting the voltage line, to maintain the output voltage to the at least one device at an acceptable level;

reconnecting the voltage line when the voltage returns to within the predetermined range;

disconnecting the secondary voltage source from the power line when the voltage returns to within to the predetermined range; and

recharging the secondary voltage source by the voltage line while it is disconnected from the power line.

35. A method for at least wirelessly monitoring mobile resources comprising:

monitoring a plurality of conditions of a mobile resource with an on board system comprising a plurality of sensors provided on board the mobile resource, one of the plurality of sensors collecting information concerning a first condition at a time independent from a time at which another of the plurality of sensors collects information concerning a second condition;

independently collecting information corresponding to sensed states of the conditions being monitored by the plurality of sensors;

upon a status change of one of the plurality of sensors, creating a data record containing the status of all of the plurality of the sensors; and

transmitting at least one of the information collected corresponding to the sensed states of the conditions being monitored by the plurality of sensors or the data record containing the status of all of the plurality of the sensors from the on board system to a database over a wireless communication network, wherein a continuous two-way connection is established between the on board system and the database across the wireless communication network.

36. The method for at least wirelessly monitoring mobile resources according to claim 35, further comprising transmitting a command over the wireless communication network to the mobile resource to manage the mobile resource based on at least one data record recording the status of all of the plurality of the sensors.

37. The method for at least wirelessly monitoring mobile resources according to claim 35, wherein the plurality of sensors is a subset of all of the sensors provided on the mobile resource.

38. A system for at least wirelessly monitoring mobile resources comprising:

an on board system comprising a plurality of sensors provided on board the mobile resource for monitoring a plurality of conditions of a mobile resource, one of the plurality of sensors collecting information concerning a first condition at a time independent from a time at which another of the plurality of sensors collects information concerning a second condition;

a processor for independently collecting information corresponding to sensed states of the conditions being monitored by the plurality of sensors;

a processor for creating a data record containing the status of all of the plurality of the sensors upon a status change of one of the plurality of sensors;

a database; and

a wireless communication network for transmitting at least one of the information collected corresponding to the sensed states of the conditions being monitored by the plurality of sensors or the data record containing the status of all of the plurality of the sensors from the on board system to the database, wherein a continuous two-way connection is established between the on board system and the database across the wireless communication network.

39. The system for at least wirelessly monitoring mobile resources according to claim 38, wherein the plurality of sensors is a subset of all of the sensors provided on the mobile resource.