System and method for reporting a status of an asset

• US 7,804,394 B2
• Filed: 01/28/2009
• Issued: 09/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SkyBitz, Inc. (Ametek Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: SkyBitz, Inc. (Ametek Incorporated)
• Inventors: Battista, Rich
• Primary Examiner(s): Goins; Davetta W
• Assistant Examiner(s): Labbees; Edny
• Application Number:
  US12/361,089
• Publication Number:
  US 20090135027A1
• Time in Patent Office: 608 Days
• Field of Search: 701/207, 701/213, 340/425.5, 340/988.8
• US Class Current: 340/425.5
• 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 system and method for reporting a status of an asset is described. In one embodiment, an asset status is determined based on configurable parameters to thereby enable accurate reporting of departures and arrivals of an asset.

Claims

1. A reporting method in a mobile terminal system on a transport vehicle, comprising:

a. during a time period that starts after a detected transition from a first operational condition to a second operational condition of the transport vehicle, tracking further transitions between said first operational condition and said second operational condition;

b. determining an amount of time in said time period that the transport vehicle remained in said second operational condition;

c. transmitting a status report to a site remote from the transport vehicle if said determined amount of time is greater than a threshold.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said first operational condition is a motion condition and said second operational condition is a no-motion condition.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said first operational condition is a no-motion condition and said second operational condition is a motion condition.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said transmitting comprises transmitting a status report that include time and position information.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said position information is code phase measurement information taken at a time of said detected transition.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein said time information is a time of said detected transition.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said time period and said predefined portion are configurable parameters.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising receiving a configurable parameter at the transport vehicle location via satellite.

9. A reporting method in a mobile terminal affixed to a transport vehicle, comprising:

a. detecting a change from a first operational condition to a second operational condition of the transport vehicle;

b. after a time period has elapsed after said detected change, determining whether the transport vehicle remained in said second operational condition for greater than a predefined percentage of said time period; and

c. reporting a change in status to a remote location if it is determined that the transport vehicle remained in said second operational condition for greater than a predefined percentage of said time period.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said first operational condition is a motion condition and said second operational condition is a no-motion condition.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein said first operational condition is a no-motion condition and said second operational condition is a motion condition.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein said detecting is based on an analysis of vibration sensor data.

13. A position reporting method in a mobile terminal system, comprising:

a. recording time and position information upon detection of a change from a first operational condition to a second operational condition of the transport vehicle; and

b. reporting said time and said position information to a site remote from the transport vehicle if it is determined that the transport vehicle remained in said second operational condition for greater than a percentage of a predefined time period that commences after said detection of said change.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said first operational condition is a motion condition and said second operational condition is a no-motion condition.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said mobile terminal system ceases all reports as long as the transport vehicle continues in a no-motion state.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein said first operational condition is a no-motion condition and said second operational condition is a motion condition.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said mobile terminal system reports time and position information periodically if it is determined that the transport vehicle is in a motion state.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein said position information is code phase measurement information.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein said predefined time period is a configurable parameter.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising receiving a configurable parameter at the transport vehicle location via satellite.