MOBILE TRANSCEIVER HAVING ASSET-BASED ALARM PROFILE AND A METHOD OF OPERATION

• US 20180040224A1
• Filed: 08/08/2016
• Published: 02/08/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: BARCALA, Sergio, BERRIZ, Sergio Javier
• Granted Patent: US 10,140,834 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3209 Monitoring remote activity, e.g. over telephone lines or network connections
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0833 Tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/18 Status alarms G08B21/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/10 using wireless transmission systems G08B25/009 takes precedence

Abstract

A mobile transceiver having an asset-based alarm profile and a method of operation are provided. In accordance with one embodiment, there is provided a method of operating a mobile transceiver: sending to an asset tracking service a message including a device identifier (ID); receiving from the asset tracking service an alarm profile assigned to the device ID, wherein the alarm profile defines a plurality of alarms, each alarm including a trigger condition and one or more actions; storing the alarm profile in a memory of the mobile transceiver; and applying the alarm profile.

Claims

1. A method of operating a mobile transceiver, comprising:

sending to an asset tracking service a message including a device identifier (ID);

receiving from the asset tracking service an alarm profile assigned to the device ID in response to the message, wherein the alarm profile defines a plurality of alarms, each alarm including a trigger condition and one or more actions to be taken by the mobile transceiver in response to detection of the trigger condition;

storing the alarm profile in a memory of the mobile transceiver; and

applying the alarm profile.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the alarms is date-based, time-based, sensor-based, location-based or a combination thereof.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the alarm profile is associated with an asset condition, wherein the asset condition is one of an asset type, asset contents, asset value or a driver profile.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the alarm profile is associated with an asset condition, wherein the asset condition is one of refrigerated container, non-refrigerated container, high value container or low value container.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the alarm profile is associated with an asset condition.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

before sending the message to the asset tracking service,

determining an asset condition associated with the mobile transceiver based on one or more of the device ID and a container ID;

assigning the alarm profile based on the determined asset condition.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein applying the alarm profile comprises:

monitoring for one or more trigger conditions of the plurality of alarms in the alarm profile;

waking up a processor from a low power mode in response to detecting one of the trigger conditions;

identifying an alarm which was triggered based on the detected trigger condition by comparing the detected trigger condition to the alarms defined in the alarm profile;

determining one or more actions to be performed based on the identified alarm; and

performing the determined one or more actions associated with the identified alarm.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

before monitoring, initiating a low power mode for a main processor and wireless transceiver of the mobile transceiver.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein performing the determined one or more actions associated with the identified alarm comprises:

activating a satellite receiver from a low power mode;

determining a geolocation using the satellite receiver; and

storing the geolocation in the memory of the mobile transceiver.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein performing the determined one or more actions associated with the identified alarm comprises:

activating the wireless receiver from the low power mode;

connecting to the asset tracking service via the wireless transceiver; and

sending the geolocation to the asset tracking service.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein performing the determined one or more actions associated with the identified alarm comprises:

acquiring sensor data using one or more sensors; and

storing the sensor data in the memory of the mobile transceiver.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein performing the determined one or more actions associated with the identified alarm comprises:

activating the wireless receiver from the low power mode;

connecting to the asset tracking service via the wireless transceiver;

sending the sensor data to the asset tracking service.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

before acquiring sensor data, activating at least some of the one or more sensors from a low power mode.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the one or more sensors comprise a light sensor, the method further comprising:

measuring an amount of light using the light sensor;

determining a door status as open when the measured amount of light is greater than or equal to a threshold;

determining a door status as closed when the measured amount of light is less than the threshold.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the one or more sensors comprise a time-of-flight sensor, the method further comprising:

measuring a travel time using the time-of-flight sensor;

determining a door status as open when the measured travel time is greater than or equal to a threshold, wherein the threshold is set by a container profile based on dimensions of a container to which the mobile transceiver is attached;

determining a door status as closed when the measured travel time is less than the threshold.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the one or more sensors comprise a time-of-flight sensor, the method further comprising:

measuring a travel time using the time-of-flight sensor;

determining a content status as empty when the measured travel time is greater than or equal to a threshold, wherein the first threshold based on dimensions of a container to which the mobile transceiver is attached, the dimensions being specified by a container profile stored in the memory of the mobile transceiver;

determining a content status as full when the measured travel time is less than the threshold.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

measuring a travel time using the time-of-flight sensor;

determining a content status as empty when the measured travel time is greater than or equal to a first threshold, wherein the first threshold based on dimensions of a container to which the mobile transceiver is attached, the dimensions being specified by a container profile stored in the memory of the mobile transceiver;

determining a content status as half-full or half-empty when the measured travel time is less than the first threshold but greater than or equal to a second threshold, the second throe being lower than the first threshold, wherein the second threshold based on dimensions of a container to which the mobile transceiver is attached, the dimensions being specified by a container profile stored in the memory of the mobile transceiver;

determining a content status as fall when the measured travel time is less than the second threshold.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the one or more sensors comprise an accelerometer, the method further comprising:

measuring an amount of motion using the accelerometer;

determining a door status as open when the measured amount of motion is greater than or equal to a threshold and a previously determined door status parameter stored in the memory of the mobile transceiver indicates that the door status is closed;

determining a door status as closed when the measured amount of motion is less than the threshold and a previously determined door status parameter stored in the memory of the mobile transceiver indicates that the door status is open.

19. The method of claim 7, wherein performing the determined one or more actions associated with the identified alarm comprises:

enabling or disabling one or more of the alarms on the alarm profile.

20. A mobile transceiver, comprising:

a processor;

a satellite receiver coupled to the processor; and

a wireless transceiver coupled to the processor;

a memory coupled to the processor, the memory storing executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the mobile transceiver to;

send to an asset tracking service a message including a device identifier (ID);

receive from the asset tracking service an alarm profile assigned to the device ID, wherein the alarm profile defines a plurality of alarms, each alarm including a trigger condition and one or more actions to be taken by the mobile transceiver in response to detection of the trigger condition;

store the alarm profile in a memory of the mobile transceiver; and

apply the alarm profile.

21. A non-transitory machine readable medium having tangibly stored thereon executable instructions for execution by a processor of a mobile transceiver, the mobile transceiver comprising a memory, a satellite receiver, and a cellular transceiver each coupled to the processor, wherein the executable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the mobile transceiver to:

send to an asset tracking service a message including a device identifier (ID);

receive from the asset tracking service an alarm profile assigned to the device ID, wherein the alarm profile defines a plurality of alarms, each alarm including a trigger condition and one or more actions to be taken by the mobile transceiver in response to detection of the trigger condition;

store the alarm profile in a memory of the mobile transceiver; and

apply the alarm profile.