Method and Apparatus for Tracking and Monitoring Containers

• US 20090102658A1
• Filed: 09/24/2008
• Published: 04/23/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Savi Technology Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Savi Technology Incorporated
• Inventors: Cargonja, Nikola, Nardelli, Albert, Brand, Timothy K., Evans, Allan M., Mim, Reiner G., Zmrzli, Robert
• Granted Patent: US 8,203,451 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/572.100
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0294 Trajectory determination or predictive filtering, e.g. target tracking or Kalman filtering
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• 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 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols

Abstract

A tag detects a condition, and selectively operates a portion of its circuitry in first and second modes as a function of information regarding the selected condition, the portion consuming less power in the second mode than the first mode, and being capable of wireless communication according to one of a cellular telephone network communication protocol, a satellite communication protocol, and a wireless computer network communication protocol. According to a different aspect, a tag carries out geofencing analysis, and selectively operates a portion of its circuitry in first and second modes as a function of results of the geofencing analysis, the portion consuming less power in the second mode than in the first mode, and being capable of wireless communication according to one of a cellular telephone network communication protocol, a satellite communication protocol, and a wireless computer network communication protocol.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising a tag having circuitry that includes:

a first portion having mutually exclusive first and second operational modes, said first portion consuming substantially less power in said second operational mode than in said first operational mode, said first portion including circuitry that, in said first operational mode, is capable of wireless communication according to one of a cellular telephone network communication protocol, a satellite communication protocol, and a wireless computer network communication protocol;

a second portion that detects a selected condition in the region of said tag; and

a third portion that selectively operates said first portion in said first and second operational modes as a function of information from said second portion regarding said selected condition.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said condition detected by said second portion is one of temperature, humidity, shock, motion, light, a door position, absence of a wireless carrier signal from a satellite, and absence of a wireless signal from a cellular telephone network.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein said second portion detects a plurality of different conditions in the region of said tag, one of said plurality of conditions being said selected condition;

and

wherein said third portion selectively operates said first portion in said first and second operational modes as a function of information from said second portion regarding each of said plurality of conditions.

4. An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said plurality of conditions detected by said second portion are each one of temperature, humidity, shock, motion, light, a door position, absence of a wireless carrier signal from a satellite, and absence of a wireless signal from a cellular telephone network.

5. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said wireless communication conforms to said cellular telephone network communication protocol, said cellular telephone network communication protocol being the General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) protocol.

6. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said wireless communication conforms to said satellite communication protocol, said satellite communication protocol being a Satcom communication protocol.

7. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said wireless communication conforms to said satellite communication protocol, said satellite communication protocol being the Global Positioning System (GPS) protocol.

8. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said wireless communication conforms to said wireless computer network communication protocol.

9. A method of operating a tag having circuitry that includes first and second portions, said first portion having first and second operational modes that are mutually exclusive, and said first portion consuming substantially less power during said second operational mode than during said first operational mode, said method comprising:

using said first portion during said first operational mode for wireless communication according to one of a cellular telephone network communication protocol, a satellite communication protocol, and a wireless computer network communication protocol;

detecting with said second portion a selected condition in the region of said tag; and

selectively operating said first portion in said first and second operational modes as a function of information from said second portion regarding said selected condition.

10. A method according to claim 9, wherein said detecting of said selected condition includes detecting one of temperature, humidity, shock, motion, light, a door position, absence of a wireless carrier signal from a satellite, and absence of a wireless signal from a cellular telephone network.

11. A method according to claim 9,

wherein said detecting includes detecting a plurality of different conditions in the region of said tag, one of said plurality of conditions being said selected condition;

and

wherein said selectively operating includes selectively operating said first portion in said first and second operational modes as a function of information from said second portion regarding each of said plurality of conditions.

12. A method according to claim 11, including selecting each of said plurality of conditions detected by said second portion to be one of temperature, humidity, shock, motion, light, a door position, absence of a wireless carrier signal from a satellite, and absence of a wireless signal from a cellular telephone network.

13. A method according to claim 9, wherein said using of said first portion for wireless communication includes carrying out wireless communication in conformity with said cellular telephone network communication protocol, said cellular telephone network communication protocol being the General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) protocol.

14. A method according to claim 9, wherein said using of said first portion for wireless communication includes carrying out wireless communication in conformity with said satellite communication protocol, said satellite communication protocol being a Satcom communication protocol.

15. A method according to claim 9, wherein said using of said first portion for wireless communication includes carrying out wireless communication in conformity with said satellite communication protocol, said satellite communication protocol being the Global Positioning System (GPS) protocol.

16. A method according to claim 9, wherein said using of said first portion includes carrying out said wireless communication in conformity with said wireless computer network communication protocol.

17. An apparatus comprising a tag having circuitry that includes:

a first portion having mutually exclusive first and second operational modes, said first portion consuming substantially less power in said second operational mode than in said first operational mode, said first portion including circuitry that, in said first operational mode, is capable of wireless communication according to one of a cellular telephone network communication protocol, a satellite communication protocol, and a wireless computer network communication protocol; and

a second portion that carries out geofencing analysis, and that selectively operates said first portion in said first and second operational modes as a function of results from said geofencing analysis.

18. An apparatus according to claim 17,

wherein said wireless communication conforms to said satellite communication protocol, said satellite communication protocol being the Global Positioning System (GPS) protocol;

and

wherein said second portion carries out said geofencing analysis as a function of GPS information derived from wireless signals received by said first portion.

19. An apparatus according to claim 17,

wherein said second portion includes circuitry that receives wireless signals conforming to the Global Positioning System (GPS) protocol;

and

wherein said second portion carries out said geofencing analysis as a function of GPS information derived from the wireless signals.

20. An apparatus according to claim 19, wherein said wireless communication by said circuitry of said first portion conforms to said cellular telephone network communication protocol, said cellular telephone network communication protocol being the General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) protocol.

21. An apparatus according to claim 19, wherein said wireless communication by said circuitry of said first portion conforms to said satellite communication protocol, said satellite communication protocol being a Satcom communication protocol.

22. An apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said wireless communication conforming to said cellular telephone network communication protocol, said cellular telephone network communication protocol being the General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) protocol.

23. A method of operating a tag having circuitry that includes first and second portions, said first portion having mutually exclusive first and second operational modes, comprising:

using said first portion during said first operational mode for wireless communication according to one of a cellular telephone network communication protocol, a satellite communication protocol, and a wireless computer network communication protocol;

carrying out in said second portion a geofencing analysis; and

selectively operating said first portion in said first and second operational modes as a function of results from said geofencing analysis.

24. A method according to claim 23,

wherein said using of said first portion includes carrying out said wireless communication in conformity with said satellite communication protocol, said satellite communication protocol being the Global Positioning System (GPS) protocol;

and

wherein said geofencing analysis is carried out as a function of GPS information derived from wireless signals received by said first portion.

25. A method according to claim 23, including receiving in said second portion wireless signals that conform to the Global Positioning System (GPS) protocol, said geofencing analysis being carried out as a function of GPS information derived from the wireless signals.

26. A method according to claim 25, wherein said using of said first portion includes carrying out said wireless communication in conformity with said cellular telephone network communication protocol, said cellular telephone network communication protocol being the General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) protocol.

27. A method according to claim 25, wherein said using of said first portion includes carrying out said wireless communication in conformity with said satellite communication protocol, said satellite communication protocol being a Satcom communication protocol.

28. A method according to claim 23, wherein said using of said first portion includes carrying out said wireless communication in conformity with said cellular telephone network communication protocol, said cellular telephone network communication protocol being the General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) protocol.