Method of and system and apparatus for remotely monitoring the location, status, utilization and condition of widely geographically dispresed fleets of vehicular construction equipment and the like and providing and displaying such information

• US 6,292,724 B1
• Filed: 10/12/1999
• Issued: 09/18/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Startrak Information Technologies LLC (ORBCOMM Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Micrologic, Inc. (ORBCOMM Incorporated)
• Inventors: Shinopoulos, George, Alborough, Thomas, Barberis, Carlos A., Rothman, Steven, Apsell, Sheldon
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hernandez, Olga
• Application Number:
  US09/416,604
• Time in Patent Office: 707 Days
• Field of Search: 701/29, 701/200, 701/213, 731/78.R
• US Class Current: 701/29
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/20 Monitoring the location of vehicles belonging to a group, e.g. fleet of vehicles, countable or determined number of vehicles

Abstract

A novel method of and system for remotely monitoring location, status, utilization and condition of a widely geographically dispersed fleets of vehicular construction equipment, using the resources of satellite positioning and communication and Internet facilities, and processing and displaying such information for fleet managers and the like.

Claims

1. In a vehicular equipment transponder-satellite communications link system wherein information sent by the transponders of vehicular equipments of a widely geographically dispersed fleet of equipments is relayed by the satellite to a ground station and thence via the Internet to an information-processing center, a method of providing processed information regarding several or all of the locations, utilizations, status and conditions of the vehicular equipments and in sufficient detail to enable efficiency management of the equipment, that comprises, inputting to the transponder at each equipment of the fleet, locally sensed parameter data of one or more of temperature, run hours, fuel level, battery voltage and other equipment engine parameters;

upon each equipment transponder receiving GPS signals, causing the transponder to transmit to the satellite information regarding its location and said locally sensed data;

relaying said information from the satellite to a ground station and thence, via the Internet, to said center;

signal-processing the related information at the center to effect it for one or more of graphical and tabular location display of the widely dispersed equipments and/or of optionally selected equipments, and optionally selected parameters, limits and conditions of said equipments, to provide processed information suitable to exercise management analysis of equipment utilization and operational efficiency; and

communicating the processed information to the fleet manager for enabling improving said efficiency of utilization and operation, wherein the selected equipments and selected parameters and conditions thereof are distinctively displayed in different colors.

2. In a vehicular equipment transponder-satellite communications link system wherein information sent by the transponders of vehicular equipments of a widely geographically dispersed fleet of equipments is relayed by the satellite to a ground station and thence via the Internet to an information-processing center, a method of providing processed information regarding several or all of the locations, utilizations, status and conditions of the vehicular equipments and in sufficient detail to enable efficiency management of the equipment, that comprises, inputting to the transponder at each equipment of the fleet, locally sensed parameter data of one or more of temperature, run hours, fuel level, battery voltage and other equipment engine parameters;

upon each equipment transponder receiving GPS signals, causing the transponder to transmit to the satellite information regarding its location and said locally sensed data;

relaying said information from the satellite to a ground station and thence, via the Internet, to said center;

signal-processing the related information at the center to effect it for one or more of graphical and tabular location display of the widely dispersed equipments and/or of optionally selected equipments, and optionally selected parameters, limits and conditions of said equipments, to provide processed information suitable to exercise management analysis of equipment utilization and operational efficiency; and

communicating the processed information to the fleet manager for enabling improving said efficiency of utilization and operation, wherein the fuel level sensing is effected both when the equipment engine is running and when it is shut down.

3. In a vehicular equipment transponder-satellite communications link system wherein information sent by the transponders of vehicular equipments of a widely geographically dispersed fleet of equipments is relayed by the satellite to a ground station and thence via the Internet to an information-processing center, a method of providing processed information regarding several or all of the locations, utilizations, status and conditions of the vehicular equipments and in sufficient detail to enable efficiency management of the equipment, that comprises, inputting to the transponder at each equipment of the fleet, locally sensed parameter data of one or more of temperature, run hours, fuel level, battery voltage and other equipment engine parameters;

upon each equipment transponder receiving GPS signals, causing the transponder to transmit to the satellite information regarding its location and said locally sensed data;

relaying said information from the satellite to a ground station and thence, via the Internet, to said center;

signal-processing the related information at the center to adapt it for one or more of graphical and tabular location display of the widely dispersed equipments and/or of optionally selected equipments, and optionally selected parameters, limits and conditions of said equipments, to provide processed information suitable to exercise management analysis of equipment utilization and operational efficiency; and

communicating the processed information to the fleet manager for enabling improving said efficiency of utilization and operation, wherein the transponders are operated periodically to provide a standard mode reporting schedule.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein said communicating is effected over the Internet.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein such schedule is set for daily or several day reporting.

6. The method of claim 3 wherein, upon special request, a signal is sent to the satellite specially to interrogate the transponders.

7. The method of claim 3 wherein, upon sensing unsafe and/or unauthorized action at the transponders, they are activated in an alarm mode to notify the center.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein included in such unauthorized action are after-hours and off-site equipment use.

9. A vehicular equipment transponder-satellite communication link system wherein information sent by transponders of vehicular equipments of a widely geographically dispersed fleet of equipments is relayed by the satellite to a ground station and thence via the Internet to an information-processing center, the system comprising sensors for inputting to the transponders at each equipment of the fleet, locally sensed parameter data of one or more of temperature, run hours, fuel level, battery voltage and/or other equipment engine parameters;

means operable upon each equipment transponder receiving GPS signals from the satellite, for causing the transponder to transmit to the satellite information as to its location and as to said locally sensed data;

means for relaying said information from the satellite to a ground station and thence, via the Internet, to said center;

signal-processing means at the center for processing the relayed information to effect one or more of geographical and tabular location display of the widely dispersed equipments and/or for optionally selected equipments, and optionally selected parameters, limits and conditions of such equipments, to provide processed information suitable to exercise management analysis of equipment utilization and operational efficiency; and

means for communicating the processed information to the fleet manager for enabling improving efficiency of the equipment utilization and operation, wherein means is provided for displaying the selected equipments and selected parameters and conditions thereof in different distinctive colors.

10. A vehicular equipment transponder-satellite communication link system wherein information sent by transponders of vehicular equipments of a widely geographically dispersed fleet of equipments is relayed by the satellite to a ground station and thence via the Internet to an information-processing center, the system comprising sensors for inputting to the transponders at each equipment of the fleet, locally sensed parameter data of one of more of temperature, run hours, fuel level, battery voltage and/or other equipment engine parameters;

means operable upon each equipment transponder receiving GPS signals from the satellite, for causing the transponder to transmit to the satellite information regarding its location and said locally sensed data;

means for relaying said information from the satellite to a ground station and thence, via the Internet, to said center;

signal-processing means at the center for processing the relayed information to effect one or more of geographical and tabular location display of the widely dispersed equipments and/or for optionally selected equipments, and optionally selected parameters, limits and conditions of said equipments, to provide processed information suitable to exercise management analysis of equipment utilization and operational efficiency; and

means for communicating the processed information to the fleet manager for enabling improving efficiency of the equipment utilization and operation, wherein means is provided for operating the transponders periodically to provide a standard mode reporting schedule.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said communicating is effected over the Internet.

12. The apparatus of claimed 10 wherein such schedule is set for daily or several day reporting.

13. A vehicular equipment transponder-satellite communication link system wherein information sent by transponders of vehicular equipments of a widely geographically dispersed fleet of equipments is relayed by the satellite to a ground station and thence via the Internet to an information-processing center, the system comprising sensors for inputting to the transponders at each equipment of the fleet, locally sensed parameter data of temperature, run hours, fuel level, battery voltage and/or other equipment engine parameters;

means operable upon each equipment transponder receiving GPS signals from the satellite, for causing the transponder to transmit to the satellite information regarding its location and said locally sensed data;

means for relaying said information from the satellite to a ground station and thence, via the Internet, to said center;

signal-processing means at the center for processing the relayed information to effect one or more of geographical and tabular location display of the widely dispersed equipments and/or for optionally selected equipments, and optionally selected parameters, limits and conditions of said equipments, to provide processed information suitable to exercise management analysis of equipment utilization and operational efficiency, and means for communicating the processed information to the fleet manager for enabling improving efficiency of the equipment utilization and operation, wherein the sensor of the fuel level is operable either or both when the equipment engine is running and when it is shut down.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein, when the engine is shut down, the fuel level sensor is at floating potential, and isolation transformer means is provided for momentarily energizing the fuel level sensor.

15. A vehicular equipment transponder-satellite communication link system wherein information sent by transponders of vehicular equipments of a widely geographically dispersed fleet of equipments is relayed by the satellite to a ground station and thence via the Internet to an information-processing center, the system comprising sensors for inputting to the transponders at each equipment of the fleet, locally sensed parameter data of temperature, run hours, fuel level, battery voltage and/or other equipment engine parameters;

means operable upon each equipment transponder receiving GPS signals from the satellite, for causing the transponder to transmit to the satellite information regarding its location and said locally sensed data;

means for relaying said information from the satellite to a ground station and thence, via the Internet, to said center;

signal-processing means at the center for processing the relayed information to effect one or more of geographical and tabular location display of the widely dispersed equipments and/or for optionally selected equipments, and optionally selected parameters, limits and conditions of said equipments, to provide processed information suitable to exercise management analysis of equipment utilization and operational efficiency; and

means for communicating the processed information to the fleet manager for enabling improving efficiency of the equipment utilization and operation, wherein means is provided, operable upon special request, to send a signal to the satellite specially to interrogate the transponders.

16. A vehicular equipment transponder-satellite communication link system wherein information sent by transponders of vehicular equipments of a widely geographically dispersed fleet of equipments is relayed by the satellite to a ground station and thence via the Internet to an information-processing center, the system comprising sensors for inputting to the transponders at each equipment of the fleet, locally sensed parameter data of temperature, run hours, fuel level, battery voltage and/or other equipment engine parameters;

means operable upon each equipment transponder receiving GPS signals from the satellite, for causing the transponder to transmit to the satellite information regarding its location and said locally sensed data;

means for relaying said information from the satellite to a ground station and thence, via the Internet, to said center;

signal-processing means at the center for processing the relayed information to effect one or more of geographical and tabular location display of the widely dispersed equipments and/or for optionally selected equipments, and optionally selected parameters, limits and conditions of said equipments, to provide processed information suitable to exercise management analysis of equipment utilization and operational efficiency; and

means for communicating the processed information to the fleet manager for enabling improving efficiency of the equipment utilization and operation, wherein there is provided means for sensing unsafe and/or unauthorized action at the transponders, activated in an alarm mode so as to notify the center.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein included in such unauthorized action are after-hours and off-site equipment use.