Mobile asset tracking unit, system and method

• US 7,843,335 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2007
• Issued: 11/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Raytheon Blackbird Technologies Incorporated (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Raytheon Blackbird Technologies Incorporated (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Wise, Louis F., Furey, Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): BLOUNT, ERIC
• Application Number:
  US11/717,575
• Publication Number:
  US 20080224854A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,358 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.13, 340/286.01, 340/540
• US Class Current: 340/539.13
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 1/08 using electric transmission ; transformation of alarm signals to electrical signals from a different medium, e.g. transmission of an electric alarm signal upon detection of an audible alarm signal
• 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

Abstract

An asset tracking unit, system, and method. The asset tracking unit, system, and method may include at least one transceiver having communicative connections with at least one SATCOM network and at least one GPS network via at least one antenna, wherein tracking information for at least one asset associated with the at least one transceiver is received from the GPS network and is communicated to the SATCOM network, a first link that provides a multi-code one of the communicative connections between the at least one transceiver and the at least one SATCOM network, and a second link that provides a multi-channel one of the communicative connections between the at least one transceiver and the at least one GPS network. The unit system and method may additionally include at least one remote operations center remote from an asset to be tracked, wherein the asset to be tracked is geographically associated with the central processing unit.

Claims

1. An asset tracking unit, comprising:

at least one transceiver in communication with at least one SATCOM network and at least one GPS network via at least one antenna, tracking information for at least one asset associated with the at least one transceiver configured to be received from the GPS network and communicated to the SATCOM network;

a first link configured to provide a multi-code connection between said at least one transceiver and the at least one SATCOM network;

a second link configured to provide a multi-channel connection between said at least one transceiver and the at least one GPS network; and

an accelerometer configured to activate or deactivate at least one of said multi-code connection or said multi-channel connection.

2. The asset tracking unit of claim 1, wherein the at least one asset is one of a person, a mobile equipment, a vehicle or a communications device.

3. The asset tracking unit of claim 1, wherein the asset tracking unit is between a range of about 2-4 inches in width, about 4-7 inches in height, and about 0.5-3 inches in depth.

4. An asset tracker, comprising:

a multi-code SATCOM transceiver having at least 16 codes;

a multi-channel GPS transceiver;

at least one antenna electrically connected to each of said multi-code SATCOM transceiver and said multi-channel GPS transceiver; and

a non-continuous operation controller for said SATCOM transceiver, said non-continuous operation controller allows operation of said SATCOM transceiver for only non-continuous operation periods.

5. The asset tracker of claim 4, wherein said multi-channel GPS transceiver includes a 16 channel GPS transceiver.

6. The asset tracker of claim 4, wherein said at least one antenna includes an active quadrifilar helix GPS antenna.

7. An asset tracking unit, comprising:

at least one transceiver in connection with at least one SATCOM network and at least one GPS network;

at least one status indicator operably coupled to said at least one transceiver, wherein said at least one status indicator indicates a status of the connection of said at least one transceiver to at least one of the SATCOM network and the GPS network;

at least one mode switch that, when activated, changes a mode of said at least one transceiver; and

at least one antenna electrically coupled to said at least one transceiver.

8. The asset tracking unit of claim 7, wherein the mode is a non-continuous transmission mode for said at least one transceiver.

9. The asset tracking unit of claim 7, wherein said at least one transceiver is physically associated with at least one asset to be tracked, the asset tracking unit further comprising:

a data encoder that encrypts information transmitted by said at least one transceiver via the at least one SATCOM network.

10. The asset tracking unit of claim 9, further comprising a central processing unit that is configured to control said at least one transceiver.

11. The asset tracking unit of claim 10, further comprising an external connection to said central processing unit including one of a USB interface, a card-based secure digital storage, an external hard drive, an ethernet jack, a modem jack, or a firewire connection.

12. The asset tracking unit of claim 10, further comprising a separate electronic device in operative communication with said central processing unit, wherein the status of the handheld asset tracking unit is monitored by said separate electronic device and is communicated to said central processing unit.

13. The asset tracking unit of claim 12, wherein the separate electronic device is operatively coupled to the central processing unit using one of a wire, an RF link, or an infrared link.

14. The asset tracking unit of claim 12, wherein the status is indicative of at least one of environmental conditions, vital signs, weight, or electronic signature.

15. The asset tracking unit of claim 12, wherein the separate electronic device includes at least one of a vital sign monitor, a pressure transducer, an RF ID, a damage sensor, a humidity sensor, or a heat sensor.

16. The asset tracking unit of claim 9, wherein the connection between said at least one transceiver and the SATCOM network is a multi-code connection having a plurality of codes.

17. The asset tracking unit of claim 16, wherein the plurality of codes includes between 14 and 20 codes.

18. The handheld asset tracking unit of claim 17, wherein the plurality of codes includes at least a plurality of transmit codes, a GPS location, and an identification of the handheld asset tracking unit.

19. The asset tracking unit of claim 18, wherein the plurality of transmit codes include at least one status code indicative of the health of the at least one asset.

20. The asset tracking unit of claim 9, wherein the connection between said at least one transceiver and the GPS network is a multi-channel connection.

21. The asset tracking unit of claim 9, wherein said at least one antenna includes a quadrifilar helix GPS antenna.

22. The asset tracking unit of claim 9, wherein said data encoder employs AES-128 encoding.

23. The asset tracking unit of claim 9, further comprising at least one power supply operably coupled to said at least one transceiver.

24. The asset tracking unit of claim 23, wherein said at least one power supply supplies power for a non-continuous operation of said at least one transceiver for at least 14 hours.

25. The asset tracking unit of claim 24, wherein the at least one transceiver operates at predetermined intervals during the non-continuous operation.

26. The asset tracking unit of claim 24, wherein the at least one transceiver operates during the non-continuous operation only when communication with at least one of the GPS network and the SATCOM network is of high-quality.

27. The asset tracking unit of claim 26, further comprising a contingency position locator operable when communication with the GPS network is of low-quality.

28. The asset tracking unit of claim 24, wherein the non-continuous operation is modifiable by a local user.

29. The asset tracking unit of claim 24, wherein the non-continuous operation is modifiable by a remote user in communication with said at least one transceiver via the SATCOM network.

30. The asset tracking unit of claim 9, further comprising at least one mode switch configured to switch the at least one transceiver between at least two modes.

31. The asset tracking unit of claim 30, wherein the at least two modes include modes in which the transceiver is configured to operate at 1611.25, 1613.75, 1616.25, and 1618.75 MHz.

32. The asset tracking unit of claim 9, wherein said at least one transceiver is operable after exposure at temperatures between 60 degrees C. and −

20 degrees C.

33. The asset tracking unit of claim 9, further comprising a housing, said at least one transceiver, said at least on status indicator, and said at least one data encoder being physically within said housing, said housing being waterproofed.

34. The asset tracking unit of claim 33, wherein said housing is hermetically sealed.

35. The asset tracking unit of claim 9, wherein said at least one antenna has a high acceptance angle.

36. The asset tracking unit of claim 9, further comprising at least one central processing unit configured to control said at least one transceiver, said at least one status indicator, and said at least one data encoder.

37. The asset tracking unit of claim 36, further comprising a video display operably coupled to said at least one central processing unit, said video display configured to display information related to the handheld asset tracking unit such that the information is viewable by a local user.

38. An asset tracking system, comprising:

a central processing unit configured to control at least one transceiver, said at least one transceiver configured to receive a location position for the central processing unit from a multi-channel GPS network, said at least one transceiver configured to communicate with at least one multi-code SATCOM network as directed by said central processing unit; and

at least one remote operations center remote from an asset to be tracked, the asset to be tracked being geographically associated with said central processing unit,

said at least one remote operations center being configured to communicate with multiple central processing units via the SATCOM network, said at least one remote operations center including a tiered architecture, all communication to and from said at least one remote operations center being encrypted.

39. The asset tracking system of claim 38, wherein said central processing unit is configured to communicate with said at least one operations center using compressed data.

40. The asset tracking system of claim 38, further comprising a plurality of ground-based transceivers configured to securely relay communications from at least one communications network to said at least one remote operations center.

41. The asset tracking system of claim 40, wherein said at least one communications network includes the Internet.

42. The asset tracking system of claim 38, wherein the central processing unit is a first central processing unit from a plurality of central processing units, said at least one remote operations center including a messaging hub for receiving messages from at least two central processing units from the plurality of central processing units associated with distinct assets.

43. The asset tracking system of claim 42, wherein said messaging hub includes a command relay for remotely controlling the at least two central processing units.

44. The asset tracking system of claim 42, wherein said messaging hub includes a message relay configured to relay messages between the at least two central processing units.

45. The asset tracking system of claim 38, wherein said at least one remote operations center includes a remote manager for central processing unit.

46. A processor-readable medium storing code representing instructions to cause a processor to:

receive a first plurality of signals from a plurality of asset tracking units indicating a position of each asset tracking unit from the plurality of asset tracking units via a multi-code SATCOM network;

display the position of each asset tracking unit from the plurality of asset tracking units on a display as indicated by a multi-channel GPS signal received at each asset tracking unit from the plurality of asset tracking units;

receive a second plurality of signals from the plurality of asset tracking units indicating a status of each asset from a plurality of assets, each asset from the plurality of assets being collocated with an asset tracking unit from the plurality of asset tracking units;

display the status of each asset from the plurality of assets on the display;

receive a third signal from a first asset tracking unit from the plurality of asset tracking units, the third signal associated with a message intended to be received by a second asset tracking unit from the plurality of asset tracking units; and

send a fourth signal to the second asset tracking unit containing the message.

47. The processor-readable medium of claim 46, the code further comprising code representing instructions to cause a processor to:

remotely manipulate a third asset tracking unit from the plurality of asset tracking units in response to receiving the second plurality of signals.

48. The processor-readable medium of claim 46, wherein the status of each asset from the plurality of assets includes at least one of an indication of environmental conditions surrounding each asset, an indication of vital signs of each asset, or an indication of a weight of each asset.

49. The processor-readable medium of claim 46, the code further comprising code representing instructions to cause a processor to:

authenticate the second asset tracking unit prior to sending the fourth signal.

50. The processor-readable medium of claim 46, the code further comprising code representing instructions to cause a processor to:

send a fifth signal associated with the position of each asset tracking unit from the plurality of asset tracking units to a subset of the plurality of asset tracking units.

51. The processor-readable medium of claim 46, wherein the first plurality of signals and the second plurality of signals are received via a SATCOM network.

52. The processor-readable medium of claim 46, the code representing instructions to cause a processor to display the position of each asset tracking unit representing instructions to cause a processor to display the position of each asset tracking unit from the plurality of asset tracking units in response to verifying a role of a first user, the code further comprising code representing instructions to cause a processor to:

display the position of each asset tracking unit from a subset of the plurality of asset tracking units on the display in response to verifying a role of a second user.