REMOTE CONTENTS MONITORING

• US 20180238495A1
• Filed: 02/17/2018
• Published: 08/23/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Digitraks LLC
• Original Assignee: Cartasite Incorporated (Geoforce Incorporated)
• Inventors: Armitage, David L.
• Granted Patent: US 10,935,187 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 13/028 having the volume as the parameter
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2250/0621 Volume
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2250/0694 with calculations
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2250/072 Action when predefined value is reached
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/284 Electromagnetic waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/804 containing circuits handling parameters other than liquid level
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 9/00 Measuring volume flow relative to another variable, e.g. of liquid fuel for an engine

Abstract

Systems and methods for remotely monitoring contents of a vessel in real-time. Along a shipping route, status of the contents (e.g., volume) is periodically and automatically transmitted to a remote user. A method includes determining volume of contents in a vessel at a first location along a route, determining volume of the contents in the vessel at a second location along the route, and comparing the two determined volumes. If the change in volume satisfies a preset threshold, then the method includes triggering a notification to a remote user.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a first volumetric data representing a first volume of contents from within a vessel at a first location along a route;

receiving a second volumetric data representing a second volume of the contents from within the vessel at a second location along the route;

calculating with a processor a volume change between the first volume and the second volume of the contents in the vessel based on a differential between the first volumetric data and the second volumetric data; and

triggering a notification to alert a user of a potential violation responsive to a determination that the calculated volume change satisfies a volume discrepancy.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the first volumetric data comprises calculating the first volume from a first depth measurement, and receiving the second volumetric data comprises calculating the second volume from a second depth measurement.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the first volumetric data comprises receiving a first volume measurement, and receiving the second volumetric data comprises receiving a second volume measurement.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a third volumetric data representing a third volume of the contents from the vessel at a third location along the route;

calculating a second volume change between the second volume and the third volume; and

triggering the notification to alert the user of a potential violation responsive to a termination that the calculated second volume change satisfies the volume discrepancy.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a third volumetric data representing a third volume of the contents from the vessel at a third location along the route;

calculating a second volume change between the first volume and the third volume; and

triggering the notification to alert the user of a potential violation responsive to a termination that the calculated second volume change satisfies the volume discrepancy.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a third volumetric data representing a third volume of the contents from the vessel at a third location along the route;

wherein a period between receiving the first volumetric data and the second volumetric data is different than a period between receiving the second volumetric data and the third volumetric data.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

comparing the second location with mapping data to determine whether the second location corresponds to a disposal site; and

,

taking additional action based on the comparison.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the additional action comprises canceling any notification if the second location corresponds to a disposal site.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the additional action comprises identifying the second location as a potential leak location if the second location does not correspond to a disposal site.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the second location is different than the first location.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein:

receiving the first volumetric data representing the first volume of contents from within the vessel at the first location along the route occurs while the vessel is in motion.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein:

receiving the first volumetric data representing the first volume of contents from within the vessel at the first location along the route occurs while the vessel is being transported by a vehicle.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein:

receiving the second volumetric data representing the second volume of contents from within the vessel at the second location along the route occurs while the vessel is in motion.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein:

receiving the second volumetric data representing the second volume of contents from within the vessel at the second location along the route occurs while the vessel is being transported by a vehicle.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the second location is the same as the first location, and the first volumetric data representing the first volume of contents is at a first time and the second volumetric data representing the second volume of contents is at a second time later than the first time.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the contents in the vessel comprise a first product and a second product different than the first product.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the volume discrepancy is a volume decrease.

18. A system for monitoring contents in a vessel, the system comprising:

a discrepancy notification module stored in memory and executable by a processor, the discrepancy notification module configured to;

compare a first volumetric data representing a first volume of contents from within a vessel to a second volumetric data representing a second volume of contents from within the vessel, the first volumetric data corresponding to a first location along a route and the second volumetric data corresponding to a second location along the route; and

calculate a volume change between the first volume and the second volume based on a differential between the first volumetric data and the second volumetric data, and

trigger a notification to alert a user of a potential violation responsive to a determination that the volume change satisfied a volume discrepancy.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the discrepancy notification module is further configured to:

compare a third volumetric data representing a third volume of contents from within the vessel to the first volumetric data and calculate a second volume change; and

trigger a notification to alert a user of a potential violation responsive to a determination that the second volume change satisfied the volume discrepancy.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the discrepancy notification module is further configured to:

compare a third volumetric data representing a third volume of contents from within the vessel to the second volumetric data and calculate a second volume change; and

trigger a notification to alert a user of a potential violation responsive to a determination that the second volume change satisfied the volume discrepancy.

21. The system of claim 18, wherein the discrepancy notification module is further configured to:

calculate a first volume from the first volumetric data and calculate a second volume from the second volumetric data, and

compare the first volume to the second volume to determine the volume change.

22. The system of claim 18, wherein the discrepancy notification module is further configured to:

receive the first volumetric data, and

receive the second volumetric data.

23. The system of claim 18, wherein the notification is sent to a remote user.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the notification is displayed on a screen.

25. One or more computer-readable storage media of a tangible article of manufacture encoding computer-executable instructions for executing on a computer system a computer process, the computer process comprising:

receiving a first volumetric data representing a first volume of contents from within a vessel at a first location along a route;

receiving a second volumetric data representing a second volume of the contents from within the vessel at a second location along the route;

calculating a volume change between the first volume and the second volume; and

triggering a notification to alert a user of a potential violation responsive to a determination that the calculated volume change satisfies a volume discrepancy.