METHOD FOR TRACKING CONTAINERS USING A LOW-RATE WIRELESS PERSONAL AREA NETWORK SYSTEM

• US 20090121929A1
• Filed: 04/16/2008
• Published: 05/14/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Globalfoundries US Incorporated (GlobalFoundries, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Husemann, Dirk, Schade, Andreas, Hermann, Reto J., Dolivo, Francois B., Binding, Carl
• Granted Patent: US 7,541,913 B1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/357.750
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/203 Inventory monitoring

Abstract

A method for tracking a plurality of containers each joined to an electronic tracking device having routing capabilities and a WPAN-enabled radio receiver/transmitter configured to attempt to connect to a pre-configured WPAN upon being activated comprises activating the radio receiver/transmitter of each tracking device joined to a container being loaded onto a cargo vessel; receiving an indication from each tracking device that fails to connect to the WPAN; intermittently performing a network scan to locate each WPAN-connected tracking device; intermittently configuring the WPAN to include each WPAN-connected tracking device in a hybrid tree-mesh network topology; intermittently configuring routing information stored on each WPAN-connected tracking device to maintain mutual communication with each WPAN-connected tracking device and enable mutual communication between each WPAN-connected tracking device; receiving transport-related data from each WPAN-connected tracking device; transmitting the transport-related data to a control station through a LAN on the vessel; broadcasting a request to be routed between the WPAN-connected tracking devices in a depth-first traversal of the network topology that directs each WPAN-connected tracking device to enter a low-power mode when the depth-first traversal backtracks from the tracking device; and receiving an acknowledgment of the request communicated from each WPAN-connected tracking device when the tracking device enters the low-power mode.

Claims

1. A method for tracking a plurality of containers loaded onto a cargo vessel using a pre-configured low-rate wireless personal area network (WPAN), whereby each container is joined to an electronic tracking device provided with routing capabilities and a WPAN-enabled radio receiver/transmitter, and whereby each electronic tracking device is configured to attempt to connect to the WPAN upon being activated, the method comprising:

activating the radio receiver/transmitter of each electronic tracking device joined to a container of the plurality of containers as the container is being loaded onto the cargo vessel;

receiving an indication from each electronic tracking device that fails to connect to the WPAN upon being activated;

intermittently performing a network scan to locate each electronic tracking device that is connected to the WPAN;

intermittently configuring the WPAN to include each electronic tracking device that is connected to the WPAN in a hybrid tree-mesh network topology;

intermittently configuring routing information stored on each electronic tracking device that is connected to the WPAN to maintain mutual communication with each electronic tracking device that is connected to the WPAN and enable mutual communication between each electronic tracking device that is connected to the WPAN using the routing capabilities of the electronic tracking devices;

receiving GPS-recorded position data, environmental parameter data, and sensory reading data from each electronic tracking device that is connected to the WPAN;

transmitting the GPS-recorded position data, environmental parameter data, and sensory reading data to a control station of the cargo vessel through a local area network on the cargo vessel;

broadcasting a request to the WPAN to be routed between the electronic tracking devices connected to the WPAN in a depth-first traversal of the network topology, the request directing each electronic tracking device that is connected to the WPAN to enter a low-power mode when the depth-first traversal backtracks from the electronic tracking device; and

receiving an acknowledgment of the request communicated from each electronic tracking device that is connected to the WPAN when the electronic tracking device enters the low-power mode.