System and method for generating an alert for a trailer

• US 7,688,185 B1
• Filed: 11/30/2006
• Issued: 03/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SkyBitz, Inc. (Ametek Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: SkyBitz, Inc. (Ametek Incorporated)
• Inventors: McKethan, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu; Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sherwin; Ryan W
• Application Number:
  US11/606,298
• Time in Patent Office: 1,216 Days
• Field of Search: 340/686.6, 340/426.19, 340/539.13, 340/539.15, 340/429, 701/213, 342/457
• US Class Current: 340/431
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1427 with transmitter-receiver for distance detection
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0269 System arrangements wherein the object is to detect the exact location of child or item using a navigation satellite system, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/028 Communication between parent and child units via remote transmission means, e.g. satellite network

Abstract

A system and method for generating an alert signal for a trailer. Proper truck/trailer matching is based on a proximity analysis between position reports for a truck and position reports for a trailer. In one embodiment, this proximity analysis is triggered by a detection of movement in a trailer. In the proximity analysis, unexpected deviations in proximity between a truck and a trailer would lead to a generation of an alert signal that is sent to the appropriate management system for investigation.

Claims

1. A method of generating an alert for a trailer, comprising:

receiving, at a tracking system via a satellite communication from a mobile terminal affixed to said trailer, a motion detection report that indicates that said trailer has departed from an origin location, said motion detection report also including information that enables identification by said tracking system of a position of said trailer;

transmitting a message from said tracking system to a dispatch system, said message including a trailer identifier associated with said motion detection report;

identifying, by a dispatch system, a truck that has been assigned to said trailer having said trailer identifier;

polling, by said dispatch system, said identified truck for a position;

determining whether a position reported said identified truck in response to said polling is in proximity to said identified position of said trailer; and

generating an alert if said reported position of said identified truck is not in proximity to said identified position of said trailer.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein detection of a departure of said trailer from said origin location is based on a motion sensor on said trailer.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining is based on a distance from said origin location.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining is based on a time elapsed from a time of departure from said origin location.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining is based on a proximity radius from said identified position of said trailer.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining is based on a difference in time between a time of said identified position of said trailer and a time of said reported position of said truck.

7. A system for generating an alert for a trailer, comprising:

a polling system that polls a truck for a position, said truck being identified based on a trailer identification contained within a motion detection position report, said motion detection position report being generated by a mobile terminal on a trailer that detects motion by said trailer, said motion detection position report being received by a tracking system from said mobile terminal via satellite, wherein said tracking system alerts said polling system of said motion of said trailer; and

a proximity analysis system that determines whether a reported position of said identified truck is in proximity to a reported position of said trailer, wherein if said reported position of said identified truck is determined not to be in proximity to said reported position of said trailer, said proximity analysis system generates an alert.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein said proximity analysis system considers a distance from said origin location.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein said proximity analysis system considers a time elapsed from a time of departure from said origin location.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein said proximity analysis system considers a proximity radius from said reported position of said trailer.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein said proximity analysis system considers a difference in time between a time of said reported position of said trailer and a time of said reported position of said truck.

12. A method of generating an alert for a trailer, comprising:

receiving, via a satellite communication network, a motion detection report that indicates that said trailer has departed from an origin location;

identifying, based on said received motion detection report, a position of said trailer;

identifying, based on an identification of said trailer from said received motion detection report, a truck that has been assigned to said trailer;

polling said identified truck from a centralized location;

determining, at a location remote from said identified truck, whether a position reported by said identified truck in response to said polling is in proximity to said identified position of said trailer; and

generating an alert if said reported position of said identified truck is not in proximity to said identified position of said trailer.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said determining is based on a position report received from said truck.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein said determining is based on a distance from said origin location.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein said determining is based on a time elapsed from a time of departure from said origin location.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein said determining is based on a proximity radius from said identified position of said trailer.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein said determining is based on a difference in time between a time of said identified position of said trailer and a time of said reported position of said truck.