APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR MONITORING REFRIGERATED CONTAINERS

• US 20110156877A1
• Filed: 07/18/2008
• Published: 06/30/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Datapower System Pte., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Datapower System Pte., Ltd.
• Inventors: Wong, Kim Seng, Tan, Seng Kee, Yeo, Boon Sain
• Application Number:
  US13/054,757
• Publication Number:
  US 20110156877A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/10.1
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 29/003 for movable devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management

Abstract

An apparatus (10) for monitoring operational parameters of at least one refrigerated container (12), the at least one refrigerated container (12) having an interrogation port (124), the apparatus (10) comprising a receiver (106) configured to receive data from the refrigerated container (12) via the interrogation port (124), a processor (108) configured to process the data received from the at least one refrigerated container (12), and a transmitter (107) for automatically transmitting processed data to a monitoring centre (14).

Claims

1. An apparatus for monitoring operational parameters of at least one refrigerated container, the at least one refrigerated container having an interrogation port, the apparatus comprising:

a receiver configured to receive data from the refrigerated container via the interrogation port;

a processor configured to process the data received from the at least one refrigerated container; and

a transmitter for automatically transmitting processed data to a monitoring centre.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of data protocol modules therein, one of the plurality of data protocol modules being compatible for processing the data received from the at least one refrigerated container, the processor being configured to automatically determine the compatible one of the plurality of data protocol modules.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein each of the plurality of data protocol modules is a proprietary data protocol module of a refrigeration system manufacturer, each proprietary data protocol module being able to process only data from a data recorder of a refrigerated container installed with a refrigeration system from that manufacturer.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the processor is configured to maintain a register specifying which one of the plurality of data protocol modules is compatible for processing data received from a particular one of a plurality of refrigerated containers.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a wireless adaptor for connection to the interrogation port for wireless transmission of data from the refrigerated container.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a multiplexer for receiving data from a plurality of refrigerated containers and for transmitting the data from each of the plurality of refrigerated containers to the processor.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the multiplexer comprises a wireless input channel for receiving wireless transmissions from a wireless adaptor configured for connection to the interrogation port for wireless transmission of data from the refrigerated container.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the multiplexer comprises a wireless output channel for wireless transmission of data from each of the plurality of refrigerated containers to the receiver.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the receiver is a wireless receiver for receiving wireless transmissions of data.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the transmitter is a wireless transmitter for wireless transmission of processed operational data to the monitoring centre.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the monitoring centre is configured to be accessible via Internet.

12. A method of monitoring operational parameters of at least one refrigerated container, the refrigerated container having a data recorder and an interrogation port, the method comprising:

receiving data from the data recorder of the at least one refrigerated container via the interrogation port;

processing the data; and

automatically transmitting processed data to a monitoring centre.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising, before processing the data, automatically determining which one of a plurality of data protocol modules is compatible for processing the data.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the determining includes polling the plurality of data protocol modules for a match between one of the plurality of data protocol modules and the received data.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising maintaining a register specifying which one of the plurality of data protocol modules is compatible for processing data received from a particular one of a plurality of refrigerated containers.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the receiving includes receiving data from a plurality of refrigerated containers using a multiplexer and communicating the data from the multiplexer to the processor.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the communicating is performed wirelessly.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the receiving is performed wirelessly.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein the transmitting is performed wirelessly.

20. The method of claim 12, further comprising accessing the monitoring centre via Internet for online monitoring of transmitted processed data.