System and Method for Generating an Alert for a Trailer

• US 20100164700A1
• Filed: 03/11/2010
• Published: 07/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: John Mckethan
• Original Assignee: John Mckethan
• Inventors: McKethan, John
• Granted Patent: US 8,004,403 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/431
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1427 with transmitter-receiver for distance detection
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0269 System arrangements wherein the object is to detect the exact location of child or item using a navigation satellite system, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/028 Communication between parent and child units via remote transmission means, e.g. satellite network

Abstract

A system and method for generating an alert signal for a trailer. Proper truck/trailer matching is based on a proximity analysis between position reports for a truck and position reports for a trailer. In one embodiment, this proximity analysis is triggered by a detection of movement in a trailer. In the proximity analysis, unexpected deviations in proximity between a truck and a trailer would lead to a generation of an alert signal that is sent to the appropriate management system for investigation.

Claims

1. A method of generating an alert for a trailer, comprising:

receiving, via a communication satellite, a motion detection report from a mobile terminal affixed to said trailer;

determining whether a reported position of a truck assigned to said trailer is in proximity to a reported position of said trailer; and

generating an alert if it is determined that said reported position of said truck is not in proximity to said reported position of said trailer.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said receiving comprises receiving a motion detection report that is generated based on a motion sensor condition.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining said reported position of said trailer based on said received motion detection report.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining said reported position of said truck based on a polling of said truck by a dispatch system.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining is based on a time elapsed from a time of departure of said trailer from an origin location.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining is based on a proximity radius from said reported position of said trailer.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining is based on a distance of said reported position of said truck from said origin location.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining is based on a difference in time between a time of said reported position of said trailer and a time of said reported position of said truck.

9. A method of generating an alert for an asset being transported by an asset transporter, comprising:

receiving, via a satellite communication network, a motion detection report that indicates that an asset has moved, said motion detection report being generated based on a reading of a sensor attached to said asset;

identifying a position of an asset transporter that has been assigned to transport said asset;

determining whether said identified position of said asset transporter is in proximity to an identified position of said asset; and

generating an alert if said identified position of said asset transporter is not in proximity to said identified position of said asset.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said receiving comprises receiving from a mobile terminal affixed to said asset.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said receiving comprises receiving from a mobile terminal coupled to a motion sensor.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein said identifying comprises identifying based on information within a report received in a response to a poll of said asset transporter.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein determining is based on a measure of time.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein determining is based on a measure of distance.

15. A system for generating an alert for an asset being transported, comprising:

a polling system that polls an asset transporter for a position; and

a proximity analysis system that determines whether a reported position of said asset transporter in response to a poll is in proximity to a reported position of said asset, said reported position of said asset being determined based on a satellite communication received from a mobile terminal affixed to said asset, wherein if said reported position of said asset transporter is determined not to be in proximity to said reported position of said asset, said proximity analysis system generates an alert.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising a tracking system that receives a motion detection position report from said mobile terminal.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein said tracking system alerts said polling system of said motion of said trailer, said alert by said tracking system being used to initiate a polling of said asset transporter by said polling system.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein said proximity analysis system determines said proximity based on a measure of time.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein said proximity analysis system determines said proximity based on a measure of distance.