SYSTEM FOR PAIRING VEHICLE COMPONENTS

• US 20100085215A1
• Filed: 10/07/2008
• Published: 04/08/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omnitracs LLC (Solera Holdings Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: DOYLE, MARQUIS D. III
• Granted Patent: US 8,538,838 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/989
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/127 to a central station ; Indicators in a central station
• 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

Abstract

The specification and drawing figures describe and show a system for pairing and decoupling vehicle components. The vehicle components may be disparate and distantly located from one another. The system includes a network management center having one or more data processing systems that may communicate with the vehicle components. An integrated wireless equipment management system is included whose components are mountable on the vehicle components, and operatively connectable to the network management center. Asset tracking units are located on each vehicle component, and are operatively connectable to the network management center. At least one executable program is included that is capable of processing data received across the integrated wireless equipment management system to establish a compatible communications connection between the asset tracking units to correctly pair the vehicle components.

Claims

1. A method of locating and pairing a plurality of movable objects, comprising:

equipping the plurality of movable objects with one or more asset tracking units;

operatively connecting the one or more asset tracking units to a network management center across a wireless communications system; and

storing in the network management center and on the plurality of movable objects a protocol capable of creating a virtual data connection between the one or more asset tracking units for accurately locating and pairing the movable objects regardless of the distance between the plurality of movable objects and regardless of how disparate the movable objects are.

2. A method of locating and pairing a plurality of movable objects as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of equipping the plurality of movable objects with one or more communications device includes the substep of providing an asset tracking units.

3. A method of locating and pairing a plurality of movable objects as recited in claim 1, further comprising the step of including a location determination system operatively connectable to the asset tracking units and to the network management center for transmitting data between the asset tracking units and the network management center.

4. A method of locating and pairing a plurality of movable objects as recited in claim 3, wherein the location determination system is an SPS system.

5. A method of locating and pairing a plurality of movable objects as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of storing in the network management center and on the plurality of movable objects a protocol capable of creating a virtual data connection between the one or more asset tracking units includes the substep of storing the protocol in one or more data processing systems.

6. A method of locating and pairing a plurality of movable objects as recited in claim 5, where in the step of storing in the network management center and on the plurality of disparate movable objects a protocol capable of creating a virtual data connection between the one or more asset tracking units includes the substep of providing a plurality of executable programs adapted to receive, store, process and transmit data across a wireless communication system between the one or more asset tracking units and the network management center.

7. A system for identifying and pairing vehicle and equipment components, comprising:

a network management center having one or more data processing systems operatively connectable to the vehicle and equipment components, wherein the vehicle and equipment components are disparate;

an integrated wireless equipment management system mountable on the vehicle and equipment components and operatively connectable to the network management center;

one or more asset tracking units locatable on the vehicle and equipment components,

wherein the one or more asset tracking units is operatively connectable to the network management center; and

an executable program capable of processing data received across the integrated wireless equipment management system to establish a compatible communications connection between the asset tracking units, the executable program adapted to correctly pair the vehicle and equipment components.

8. A system for identifying and pairing vehicle and equipment components as recited in claim 7, further comprising a location determination system.

9. A system for identifying and pairing vehicle and equipment components as recited in claim 8, wherein the location determination system is wireless.

10. A system for identifying and pairing vehicle and equipment components as recited in claim 8, wherein the location determination system is terrestrial.

11. A system for identifying and pairing vehicle and equipment components as recited in claim 7, wherein the network management center and the integrated wireless equipment management system are adapted to collect, store, process and transmit data across a mobile wireless communications system.

12. A system for identifying and pairing equipment as recited in claim 7, wherein the executable program is stored in a memory of the integrated wireless equipment management system.

13. A system for identifying and pairing equipment as recited in claim 7, wherein the executable program is stored in a memory of the network management center.

14. A method of pairing and decoupling disparate vehicle components using one or more computer systems operatively connectable across a mobile wireless communications system, the method comprising the steps of:

A) equipping the disparate vehicle components with one or more mobile asset tracking units;

B) installing an integrated wireless equipment management system on the disparate vehicle components operatively connectable to the disparate vehicle components;

C) connecting the integrated wireless equipment management system operatively to a network management center adapted to monitor the disparate vehicle components; and

D) using one or more algorithms to establish a virtual data communications link between the one or more mobile asset tracking units.

15. A method of pairing and decoupling disparate vehicle components using one or more computer systems operatively connectable across a mobile wireless communications system as recited in claim 14, wherein the step of using one or more algorithms to establish a virtual data communications link between the one or more mobile asset tracking units includes the substeps of;

E) locating the disparate vehicle components;

F) validating an actual pairing of the disparate vehicle components;

G) determining when and where to decouple the disparate vehicle components; and

H) repeating steps D) through G).

16. A method of pairing and decoupling disparate vehicle components as recited in claim 15, wherein the locating step E) includes the substeps of using vehicle data and/or remote vehicle data obtained from the integrated wireless equipment management system to determine the location of the disparate vehicle components.

17. A method of pairing and decoupling disparate vehicle components as recited in claim 15, wherein the validating step F) includes the substeps of:

a) determining the pin location data of a first disparate vehicle component;

b) determining the slide location data of a second disparate vehicle component;

c) comparing the pin location data and the slide location data with any known predetermined distance data between the first disparate vehicle component and the second disparate vehicle component;

d) notifying an operator of the second disparate vehicle to pair the first disparate vehicle component and the second disparate vehicle component; and

e) confirming that the first disparate vehicle component and the second disparate vehicle component move in unison in the same direction, and are at the same general location.

18. A method of pairing and decoupling disparate vehicle components as recited in claim 17, wherein the confirming step includes the substep of confirming that first disparate vehicle component and the second disparate vehicle component do not move in unison in the same direction, and are at the same general location and are not properly paired.

19. A method of pairing and decoupling disparate vehicle components as recited in claim 15, wherein the determining step 0) includes the substeps of:

a) monitoring the vehicle data, including the location of a paired first disparate vehicle component and the second disparate vehicle, using the network management center; and

b) determining from the location of a paired first disparate vehicle component and the second disparate vehicle when and where to decouple the first disparate vehicle component and the second disparate vehicle.

20. A data processing system for pairing vehicle components, comprising:

means for collecting, storing, processing, and transmitting data and information across a mobile wireless communications system; and

means for locating, identifying, pairing, and decoupling the vehicle components.

21. A data processing system for pairing vehicle components as recited in claim 20, wherein the means for collecting, storing, processing, and transmitting data and information across a mobile wireless communications system includes a mobile computing platform mounted on the vehicle components.

22. A data processing system for pairing vehicle components as recited in claim 21, wherein the means for collecting, storing, processing, and transmitting data and information across a mobile wireless communications system includes a plurality of asset tracking units.

23. A data processing system for pairing vehicle components as recited in claim 22, wherein the means for collecting, storing, processing, and transmitting data and information across a mobile wireless communications system includes a network management center.

24. A data processing system for pairing vehicle components as recited in claim 23, wherein the means for collecting, storing, processing, and transmitting data and information across a mobile wireless communications system includes an SPS system.

25. A data processing system for pairing vehicle components as recited in claim 24, wherein the means for collecting, storing, processing, and transmitting data and information across a mobile wireless communications system includes a terrestrial location determination system.

26. A data processing system for pairing vehicle components as recited in claim 25, wherein the means for locating, identifying, pairing, and decoupling the vehicle components includes a programmable and executable set of instructions for calculating and recalculating communication data between the a plurality of asset tracking units.

27. A data processing system for pairing vehicle components as recited in claim 26, wherein the means for locating, identifying, pairing, and decoupling the vehicle components includes a programmable and executable set of instructions for locating and pairing the vehicle components.

28. A data processing system for pairing vehicle components as recited in claim 27, wherein the means for locating, identifying, pairing, and decoupling the vehicle components includes a programmable and executable set of instructions for locating and decoupling the vehicle components.

29. A storage medium containing computer software encoded in machine-readable format for determining accurate vehicle component pairing, the computer software comprising:

a set of computer instructions for establishing a communications link between a plurality of asset tracking units on a plurality of vehicle components; and

a set of computer instructions for repeating the set of computer instructions.

30. A storage medium containing computer software encoded in machine-readable format for determining accurate vehicle component pairing as recited in claim 29, wherein the set of computer instructions is located in a network management center having one or more data processing systems operatively connectable to the vehicle components.

31. A storage medium containing computer software encoded in machine-readable format for determining accurate vehicle component pairing as recited in claim 30, wherein the set of computer instructions is located in an integrated wireless equipment management system mountable on the plurality of vehicle components.