REDUNDANT WIRELESS ELECTRONIC MOTOR VEHICLE CHASSIS MONITORING NETWORK
First Claim
1. A freight tracking system, wherein:
- the freight tracking system comprises;
a tracking device configured to be hidden in the taillight of a vehicle; and
a remote device configured for attachment to the vehicle at a location separate from the taillight;
the remote device comprises a remote device global navigation satellite system antenna and a remote device mesh networking antenna;
the remote device global navigation satellite system antenna is configured for receiving electromagnetic signals at a frequency of 1575.42 MHz;
the remote device mesh networking antenna is configured for;
sending and receiving electromagnetic signals at frequencies in the range of 2400 MHz to 2500 MHz; and
communicating position information to the tracking device;
the tracking device is configured for receiving electrical power from the vehicle;
the tracking device comprises a tracking device mesh networking antenna wherein the tracking device mesh networking antenna;
is configured for sending and receiving electromagnetic signals at frequencies in the range of 2400 MHz to 2500 MHz;
is located on an edge of a printed circuit board assembly configured to be hidden in the taillight of the vehicle;
is located on a ground plane of the printed circuit board assembly;
the tracking device comprises a cellular communication antenna wherein the cellular communications antenna;
is configured for sending and receiving electromagnetic signals at frequencies in the range of 824 to 960 MHz and 1700 to 2170 MHz;
is located on an edge of the printed circuit board assembly that is separate from the edge of the printed circuit board assembly where the mesh networking antenna is located;
is located on a ground plane of the printed circuit board assembly that is separate from the ground plane where the mesh networking antenna is located; and
is oriented in parallel with the mesh networking antenna;
the tracking device comprises a first position-finding module configured for determining a first position for the vehicle in response to information received by the remote device global navigation satellite system antenna;
the tracking device comprises an inertial measurement component for determining accelerations in three mutually-perpendicular axes wherein;
the inertial measurement component further comprises a 3-axis accelerometer, a 3-axis gyroscope, and a 3-axis magnetometer; and
the determination of inertial information comprises the use of a fusion filter wherein;
the fusion filter is selected from the group of a Kalman filter, a Madgwick filter, and a Mahony filter; and
the fusion filter calculation comprises the computation of a plurality of digital quaternions;
the tracking device comprises a tampering sensor configured for determining tampering information in response to an attempt made to open the tracking device;
the tracking device is configured to generate a tampering alarm signal in response to the tampering information;
the tracking device comprises a non-volatile electronic memory configured for storing;
geographic boundary information comprising;
an identifier field;
a geozone type field;
a center point latitude;
a center point longitude; and
a geozone radius;
first position information for the vehicle wherein the first position information is responsive to the first position-finding module and the first position information further comprises time information; and
the tampering information wherein the tampering information further comprises time information;
the tracking device is configured for;
determining whether the first position information indicates that the vehicle is outside a region defined by the geographic boundary information; and
initiating a geofencing alarm signal when the first position information indicates that the vehicle is outside of the geographic boundary region;
the tracking device comprises a first cellular wireless transmitter comprising a first subscriber identity module wherein the first cellular wireless communication transmitter is configured for sending;
the geofencing alarm signal;
the first position information; and
the tampering alarm signal;
to an internet-connected database.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A freight tracking system uses a tracking device hidden in the taillight of a vehicle and a remote device located somewhere else on the vehicle. The remote device determines the position of the vehicle using information received from global navigation system satellites and communicates this wirelessly to the tracking device using a mesh network. The tracking device comprises a 9-axis IMU (inertial measurement unit) that uses a fusion filter and a calculation involving digital quaternions to determine inertial information. The vehicle position is compared to geographic boundary information to determine if the vehicle might have gone outside of geographic boundaries. If so, a geofencing alarm is triggered. The device has a tampering detector to ensure that the device is not opened. The alarms, vehicle position, and time information can be communicated to an internet-connected database using a cellular wireless device.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A freight tracking system, wherein:
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the freight tracking system comprises; a tracking device configured to be hidden in the taillight of a vehicle; and a remote device configured for attachment to the vehicle at a location separate from the taillight; the remote device comprises a remote device global navigation satellite system antenna and a remote device mesh networking antenna; the remote device global navigation satellite system antenna is configured for receiving electromagnetic signals at a frequency of 1575.42 MHz; the remote device mesh networking antenna is configured for; sending and receiving electromagnetic signals at frequencies in the range of 2400 MHz to 2500 MHz; and communicating position information to the tracking device; the tracking device is configured for receiving electrical power from the vehicle; the tracking device comprises a tracking device mesh networking antenna wherein the tracking device mesh networking antenna; is configured for sending and receiving electromagnetic signals at frequencies in the range of 2400 MHz to 2500 MHz; is located on an edge of a printed circuit board assembly configured to be hidden in the taillight of the vehicle; is located on a ground plane of the printed circuit board assembly; the tracking device comprises a cellular communication antenna wherein the cellular communications antenna; is configured for sending and receiving electromagnetic signals at frequencies in the range of 824 to 960 MHz and 1700 to 2170 MHz; is located on an edge of the printed circuit board assembly that is separate from the edge of the printed circuit board assembly where the mesh networking antenna is located; is located on a ground plane of the printed circuit board assembly that is separate from the ground plane where the mesh networking antenna is located; and is oriented in parallel with the mesh networking antenna; the tracking device comprises a first position-finding module configured for determining a first position for the vehicle in response to information received by the remote device global navigation satellite system antenna; the tracking device comprises an inertial measurement component for determining accelerations in three mutually-perpendicular axes wherein; the inertial measurement component further comprises a 3-axis accelerometer, a 3-axis gyroscope, and a 3-axis magnetometer; and the determination of inertial information comprises the use of a fusion filter wherein; the fusion filter is selected from the group of a Kalman filter, a Madgwick filter, and a Mahony filter; and the fusion filter calculation comprises the computation of a plurality of digital quaternions; the tracking device comprises a tampering sensor configured for determining tampering information in response to an attempt made to open the tracking device; the tracking device is configured to generate a tampering alarm signal in response to the tampering information; the tracking device comprises a non-volatile electronic memory configured for storing; geographic boundary information comprising; an identifier field; a geozone type field; a center point latitude; a center point longitude; and a geozone radius; first position information for the vehicle wherein the first position information is responsive to the first position-finding module and the first position information further comprises time information; and the tampering information wherein the tampering information further comprises time information; the tracking device is configured for; determining whether the first position information indicates that the vehicle is outside a region defined by the geographic boundary information; and initiating a geofencing alarm signal when the first position information indicates that the vehicle is outside of the geographic boundary region; the tracking device comprises a first cellular wireless transmitter comprising a first subscriber identity module wherein the first cellular wireless communication transmitter is configured for sending; the geofencing alarm signal; the first position information; and the tampering alarm signal; to an internet-connected database. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A freight tracking device, wherein:
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the freight tracking device is configured to be hidden in the taillight of a vehicle; the freight tracking device is configured to receive electrical power from the vehicle; the freight tracking device is configured to receive vehicle position information wirelessly from a second device wherein the second device; is located on the vehicle at a place that is remote from the taillight; is configured to determine the vehicle position in response to signals from a global navigation satellite system; the freight tracking device comprises an inertial measurement component comprising a 3-axis accelerometer, a 3-axis gyroscope, and a 3-axis magnetometer; the inertial measurement component is configured for determining inertial information by using; a fusion filter selected from the group of a Kalman filter, a Madgwick filter, and a Mahony filter; and a fusion filter calculation that comprises the computation of a plurality of digital quaternions; the freight tracking device comprises a non-volatile electronic memory configured for storing; geographic boundary information; the vehicle position information; and time information the freight tracking device is configured for generating a vehicle position alarm signal in response to a comparison of the geographic fence boundary information and the vehicle position information; and the freight tracking device comprises a first cellular wireless transmitter comprising a first subscriber identity module configured for sending; the vehicle position alarm signal; the vehicle position information; and time information. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A method for tracking freight comprising the steps of:
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establishing a position finding device wherein the position finding device comprises a global navigation satellite system receiver and a wireless mesh network transmitter; establishing a taillight device wherein the taillight device comprises; a wireless mesh network transmitter; an inertial measurement component further comprising a 3-axis accelerometer, a 3-axis gyroscope, and a 3-axis magnetometer; a tampering sensor; a non-volatile memory; a processor; and a cellular wireless transmitter comprising a subscriber identity module; hiding the taillight device in the taillight of a vehicle wherein hiding further comprises receiving electrical power from the vehicle; attaching the position finding device to a location on the vehicle that is different from the location of the taillight of the vehicle that contains the taillight device; using the global navigation satellite system receiver to determine vehicle position information in response to signals from a plurality of satellites; communicating the vehicle position information from the position finding device to the taillight device using the wireless mesh network transmitters in the position finding device and the taillight device; using the taillight device processor to compare the vehicle position information with geographic fence boundaries to determine if the vehicle is within the geographic fence boundaries; generating vehicle position alarm information if the position of the vehicle is not within the geographic fence boundaries; using the inertial measurement component, a filter selected from the group of a Kalman filter, a Madgwick filter, and a Mahony filter and a calculation comprising a plurality of digital quaternions to determine inertial information; generating tampering alarm information in response to the tampering sensor storing; the vehicle position alarm information; the tampering alarm information; and time information; in non-volatile memory; and using the cellular wireless transmitter to communicate; the vehicle position alarm signal; the vehicle position information; the tampering alarm signal; and time information.
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Specification