Vehicle route and schedule exception reporting system
First Claim
1. In a security system for a mobile vehicle having a defined route and schedule, an apparatus carried on the vehicle for reporting location information to a central station, the apparatus comprising:
- locating means for determining a geographical location, Si, of the mobile vehicle;
clock means for providing the local time, Ti, of the mobile vehicle at the location, Si;
storage means for storing a set of predetermined geographical locations Si'"'"', and a corresponding set of predetermined schedule times, Ti'"'"', along the defined route;
comparator and control means responsive to the locating means for receiving vehicle geographical location Si, from the locating means at time Ti;
means for computing a threshold difference of distance which is a predetermined function of the vehicle'"'"'s present location, Si;
means for computing the distance, Dp, between the location of the vehicle, Si, and predetermined location, Si'"'"' corresponding to time Ti'"'"'=Ti;
means for comparing the distance, Dp, to the threshold difference of distance;
communication means for communicating the present location, Si, and time, Ti, to the central station when the distance, Dp, exceeds the threshold difference of distance.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A route exception reporting apparatus is mounted in a mobile shipping vehicle having a predetermined geographic route. The shipping vehicle may be a self-propelled vehicle containing cargo or may also be a separable self-contained shipping container carried on a transportation vehicle. At least a portion of the predetermined route is stored in the apparatus on board the shipping vehicle. The apparatus is provided with a geographic locating means for determining the shipping vehicle location, a comparator means for comparing the shipping vehicle location with at least one point of the predetermined route and a communication means for communicating with a central station. The apparatus is configured to communicate the shipping vehicle location to the central station when the comparator means computes a difference between the shipping vehicle location at a particular point in time and the predetermined route point corresponding with that particular time point which exceeds a predetermined limit. The central station may be provided with an alarm and display means for notifying personnel at the central station of the occurrence of a route location exception.
488 Citations
18 Claims
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1. In a security system for a mobile vehicle having a defined route and schedule, an apparatus carried on the vehicle for reporting location information to a central station, the apparatus comprising:
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locating means for determining a geographical location, Si, of the mobile vehicle; clock means for providing the local time, Ti, of the mobile vehicle at the location, Si; storage means for storing a set of predetermined geographical locations Si'"'"', and a corresponding set of predetermined schedule times, Ti'"'"', along the defined route; comparator and control means responsive to the locating means for receiving vehicle geographical location Si, from the locating means at time Ti; means for computing a threshold difference of distance which is a predetermined function of the vehicle'"'"'s present location, Si; means for computing the distance, Dp, between the location of the vehicle, Si, and predetermined location, Si'"'"' corresponding to time Ti'"'"'=Ti; means for comparing the distance, Dp, to the threshold difference of distance; communication means for communicating the present location, Si, and time, Ti, to the central station when the distance, Dp, exceeds the threshold difference of distance. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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8. An apparatus for reporting present vehicle location Si to a central system as set forth in 1, wherein said mobile communication means includes a mobile radio system.
- 9. An apparatus for reporting present vehicle location Si to a central system as set forth in 1, wherein said comparator and control means includes a microprocessor and a storage memory.
Specification