Itinerary monitoring system for storing a plurality of itinerary data points

• US 6,144,916 A
• Filed: 01/02/1996
• Issued: 11/07/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Round Rock Research LLC
• Original Assignee: Micron Communications, Inc. (Micron Technology, Inc.)
• Inventors: Tuttle, John R., Wood, Clifton W. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TAN QUANG
• Application Number:
  US08/581,937
• Time in Patent Office: 1,771 Days
• Field of Search: 364/443, 364/449.1, 364/449.7, 364/449.8, 340/902, 340/905, 340/989, 340/993, 455/42, 455/53.1, 455/54.1, 455/54.2, 455/96, 342/46, 342/51, 342/58, 342/457, 354/443, 354/449.1, 354/449.7, 354/449.8, 701/200, 701/207, 701/213, 701/214
• US Class Current: 701/200
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/758 using a signal generator powered by the interrogation signal
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/765 with exchange of information between interrogator and responder
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/767 Responders; Transponders teaching or practice apparatus for gun-aiming or gun-laying using reflecting targets or active targets F41G3/26
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/78 discriminating between different kinds of targets, e.g. IFF-radar, i.e. identification of friend or foe G01S13/75, G01S13/79 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/825 with exchange of information between interrogator and responder
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0027 of actual mobile position, i.e. position determined on mobile
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/0022 arrangements or provisious for transferring data to distant stations, e.g. from a sensing device "transfer between computer elements G06F13/00 "; data-transmission H04L
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0702 the arrangement including a battery
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0723 the record carrier comprising an arrangement for non-contact communication, e.g. wireless communication circuits on transponder cards, non-contact smart cards or RFIDs
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/073 Special arrangements for circuits, e.g. for protecting identification code in memory protection against unauthorised use of computer memory G06F12/14
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07749 the record carrier being capable of non-contact communication, e.g. constructional details of the antenna of a non-contact smart card
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07758 arrangements for adhering the record carrier to further objects or living beings, functioning as an identification tag
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07767 the first and second communication means being two different antennas types, e.g. dipole and coil type, or two antennas of the same kind but operating at different frequencies
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07786 the antenna being of the HF type, such as a dipole
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0008 General problems related to the reading of electronic memory record carriers, independent of its reading method, e.g. power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10049 binary tree
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10346 the antenna being of the far field type, e.g. HF types or dipoles
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10356 using a plurality of antennas, e.g. configurations including means to resolve interference between the plurality of antennas
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0833 Tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00629 Circuit, e.g. transponder
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/127 : to a central station ; Indicators in a central station
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2225 : used in active tags, i.e. provided with its own power source or in passive tags, i.e. deriving power from RF signal
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/38 : formed by a conductive layer on an insulating support patch antennas H01Q9/0407; microstrip dipole antennas H01Q9/065; microstrip slot antennas H01Q13/106; transmission line microstrip antennas H01Q13/206; manufacturing reflecting surfaces using insulating material for supporting the reflecting surface H01Q15/142
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/24 : Combinations of antenna units polarised in different directions for transmitting or receiving circularly and elliptically polarised waves or waves linearly polarised in any direction circularly polarised patch antennas H01Q9/0428; circularly polarised horns H01Q13/0241; cross-polarised horns H01Q13/0258; polarisation converters H01Q15/242; cross-polarised rear feeds H01Q19/136; crossed polarisation dual antenna H01Q25/001
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/28 : Combinations of substantially independent non-interacting antenna units or systems multiple beam H01Q25/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/24 : varying the orientation by switching energy from one active radiating element to another, e.g. for beam switching
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/28 : Conical, cylindrical, cage, strip, gauze, or like elements having an extended radiating surface; Elements comprising two conical surfaces having collinear axes and adjacent apices and fed by two-conductor transmission lines waveguide horns or mouths H01Q13/00; slot antennas H01Q13/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/285 : Planar dipole H01Q9/065 takes precedence; patch antenna H01Q9/0407
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/20 : using microwaves or radio frequency waves
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/604 : Address structures or formats
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/622 : Layer-2 addresses, e.g. medium access control [MAC] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/35 : involving non-standard use of addresses for implementing network functionalities, e.g. coding subscription information within the address or functional addressing, i.e. assigning an address to a function
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5038 : for local use, e.g. in LAN or USB networks, or in a controller area network [CAN]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5046 : Resolving address allocation conflicts; Testing of addresses testing when self-assigning an address H04L61/5092
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5069 : for group communication, multicast communication or broadcast communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5084 : Providing for device mobility network addressing or numbering for mobility support in wireless networks H04W8/26; mobile IP H04W80/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5092 : by self-assignment, e.g. picking addresses at random and testing if they are already in use
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 : Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 : Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 : Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/006 : with additional information processing, e.g. for direction or speed determination

Abstract

Method and apparatus for a base station or interrogator station to monitor the itinerary of one or more vehicles or other movable assets. Each vehicle or other movable object includes a satellite navigation receiver with circuitry for computing the geographic position of the object, and a memory for storing a history of positions computed at a number of different times during the itinerary of the object. Each movable object further includes a radio transceiver which transmits the stored position history to the base station.

Claims

1. An itinerary monitoring apparatus attached to a mobile object, comprising:

a satellite navigation receiver for computing the current geographic position of the mobile object;

a memory;

a controller for storing in the memory a plurality of successive itinerary data points at intervals throughout the itinerary of the mobile object, wherein each successive itinerary data point includes a successive position computed by the navigation receiver and a time of day corresponding to that position; and

a radio transceiver for receiving and transmitting messages by radio communication, wherein the transceiver transmits an itinerary data message containing a number of the itinerary data points stored in the memory.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transceiver does not transmit any messages containing itinerary data except in response to receiving an interrogation radio message.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the transceiver comprises a modulated-backscatter passive RF transmitter for transmitting said itinerary data messages.

4. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein:

the memory further stores an identification code which identifies the mobile object; and

the transceiver does not transmit any messages except in response to receiving an interrogation radio message containing said identification code.

5. An itinerary monitoring apparatus enabling an interrogator to monitor the itinerary of a number of mobile objects, comprising:

(a) at least one interrogator station including a first radio transceiver for transmitting interrogation messages and receiving data messages; and

(b) a number of mobile objects, each mobile object being movable away from the interrogator station, wherein each mobile object includes;

(i) a satellite navigation receiver for computing the current geographic position of the mobile object,

(ii) a memory,

(iii) a controller for storing in the memory a plurality of successive itinerary data points at intervals throughout the itinerary of the mobile object, wherein each successive itinerary data point includes a successive position computed by the navigation receiver and a time of day corresponding to that position, and

(iv) a second radio transceiver for receiving and transmitting messages by radio communication, wherein the second transceiver transmits a radio message containing a number of the itinerary data points stored in the memory.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the second transceiver in each mobile object does not transmit any messages containing itinerary data except in response to receiving an interrogation radio message from the first transceiver.

7. Apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the second transceiver in each mobile object comprises a modulated-backscatter passive RF transmitter for transmitting said messages containing itinerary data points.

8. Apparatus according to claim 6, wherein:

the memory in each mobile object further stores an identification code which identifies the mobile object;

each interrogation message transmitted by the interrogator station includes the identification code of one of said mobile objects; and

the second transceiver in each mobile object does not transmit any radio messages except in response to receiving an interrogation radio message containing the identification code stored in the memory of that mobile object.

9. A method for monitoring the itinerary of a mobile object, comprising the steps of:

the mobile object receiving signals from a navigation satellite;

at regular intervals, the mobile object computing from the received signals the current geographic position of the mobile object;

the mobile object storing in memory a plurality of successive itinerary data points at intervals throughout the itinerary of the mobile object, wherein each successive itinerary data point includes one of said computed positions and a time of day corresponding to that position; and

the mobile object transmitting a radio signal containing a number of the itinerary data points stored in the memory.

10. A method according to claim 9, further comprising the step of:

an interrogator station transmitting to the mobile object a radio signal containing an interrogation message;

wherein the mobile object performs said step of transmitting said radio signal only in response to receiving said interrogation message.

11. A method according to claim 10, further comprising the step of:

storing in the memory of the mobile object an identification code which identifies the mobile object;

wherein the step of the interrogator station transmitting an interrogation message includes transmitting an identification code;

wherein the mobile object performs said step of transmitting said radio signal only in response to receiving an interrogation message which includes the identification code of said mobile object; and

wherein the mobile object does not transmit any radio signal except in response to receiving an interrogation radio message which includes the identification code stored in the memory of the mobile object.