Asset location system

• US 6,069,570 A
• Filed: 09/18/1997
• Issued: 05/30/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Agero Connected Services, Inc. (Liberty Media Corporation)
• Original Assignee: ATX Technologies, Inc. (Liberty Media Corporation)
• Inventors: Herring, Russell M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tokar, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): JEANGLAUDE, JEAN BRUNER
• Application Number:
  US08/932,878
• Time in Patent Office: 985 Days
• Field of Search: 340/825.44, 340/825.47, 340/825.49, 340/988, 342/457, 342/450, 342/357.09, 342/357.14
• US Class Current: 340/7.23
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/045 Receivers
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/14 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/34 Power consumption
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2205/002 for traffic control, mobile tracking, guidance, surveillance or anti-collision
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2205/008 using a mobile telephone network
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0027 of actual mobile position, i.e. position determined on mobile
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/127 to a central station ; Indicators in a central station
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/04 with alarm systems, e.g. fire, police or burglar alarm systems

Abstract

An asset location system includes a pager, a control processor, a GPS receiver and a cell phone. During normal operation, the equipment on board the tracked asset is in a low power or sleep mode. Upon receiving a location quaere from a call center, a signal or control processor is powered up. If location information is to be obtained from a particular asset, a GPS receiver obtains latitude and longitude information. This latitude and longitude information is put in a transmittable form by a modem. A cellular telephone module then transmits this information to a remote monitoring or response center. If desired, data reporting on asset condition may also be sent the remote monitoring or response center along with the location information.

Claims

1. A system for reporting the location or a status or condition of a designated single or designated class of movable or transportable assets within a group of assets to a response center, said system comprising:

a means for receiving a numerical or alpha-numerical signal, said means for receiving a numerical or alpha-numerical signal being affixed to each movable or transportable asset within the group of assets;

a signal or control processor substantially co-located with said means for receiving a numerical or alpha-numerical signal, said signal or control processor being activated whenever a signal is received from said means for receiving a numerical or alpha-numerical signal;

a means for providing a signal representative of physical location, status or condition of the movable or transportable asset within the group of assets being substantially co-located with said signal or control processor, said means for providing a signal representative of physical location or status of the movable or transportable asset within the group of assets being activated only by a predetermined activation signal received by at least one movable or transportable asset from said signal or control processor;

said means for providing a signal representative of physical location, status or condition of the movable or transportable asset within the group of assets being constructed and arranged to provide a signal representative of the physical location, status or condition of the designated single or designated class of movable or transportable assets; and

a means for transmitting a data signal substantially co-located with said means for providing a signal representative of physical location, status or condition of the movable or transportable asset within the group of assets, said means for transmitting a data signal being constructed and arranged to transmit location or status information data received from said means for providing a signal representative of physical location or status to the response center;

means for de-activating said means for providing a signal once said data has been transmitted.

2. The system as defined in claim 1 wherein said means for receiving a numerical or alpha-numerical signal is a pager.

3. The system as defined in claim 1 wherein said means for transmitting a data signal is a cellular phone module.

4. The system as defined in claim 1 wherein said means for providing a signal representative of physical location is a GPS receiver.

5. The system as defined in claim 1 further including a photovoltaic cell for providing electrical power to the other components in the system.

6. The system as defined in claim 1 wherein said signal or control processor further includes means for matching said received signal with a predetermined signal.

7. The system as defined in claim 6 further including means to actuate said means for providing a signal representative of physical location and said means for transmitting a data signal when said received signal matches said predetermined signal.

8. The system as defined in claim 1 wherein the normal operation of said system is in a low power or sleep mode.

9. The system as defined in claim 8 further including means for restoring said system to a low power or sleep mode following the transmission of a signal by said means for transmitting a data signal.

10. A method for locating or determining a status or condition of a particular asset or class of assets within an array of assets, said method comprising the steps of:

initiating a pager call by a call center to all of the particular assets in the array of assets;

receiving said pager call by an individual pager located on all assets in the array of assets;

activating a signal or control processor on all particular assets in the array of assets upon the receipt of said pager call;

comparing said pager call with a predetermined pager call stored within said signal or control processor on each particular asset;

activating a GPS receiver or status or condition sensor on each particular asset if said pager call matches said predetermined pager call stored within said signal or control processor on each particular asset;

obtaining location data from said GPS receiver or status or condition data from at least one sensor on each particular asset;

transmitting said location, status, or condition data to a modem; and

transmitting said location, status, or condition data from said modem to the response or monitoring center by a cellular telephone;

deactivating said GPS receiver or status or condition sensor once said location, status, or condition data has been transmitted.

11. The method as defined in claim 10 further including the step of reporting to the response or monitoring center that no location data is available if no location data is obtained from the GPS receiver.

12. The method as defined in claim 10 wherein said signal or control processor is placed in a lower power or sleep mode if said pager call does not match said predetermined pager call stored within said signal or control processor.

13. The method as defined in claim 10 wherein a communication protocol is used to establish a communication link between said cellular telephone and said response or monitoring center before said location data is transmitted.

14. The method as defined in claim 10 wherein said signal or control processor, said GPS receiver, said modem and said cellular telephone are placed in a low power or sleep mode following the transmission of said location data to said monitoring or response center.

15. The method as defined in claim 10 wherein only one cellular telephone in said array of assets is powered up at any one time.

16. The method as defined in claim 10 further including the step of displaying the location of the asset on a map.

17. The method as defined in claim 10 further including the step of relaying said location data from said monitoring or response center to another location.