Wireless tractor-trailer communications
First Claim
1. A method in a tractor-trailer environment for wirelessly communicating between a tractor and a set of trailers, the method comprising:
- initializing a tractor wireless communication device associated with the tractor;
initializing at least one trailer wireless communication device associated with at least one of the set of trailers;
associating the tractor wireless communication device with a tractor initialization time, wherein the tractor initialization time indicates a time at which the tractor wireless communication device was initialized;
associating each of the at least one trailer wireless communication device with a trailer initialization time, wherein the trailer initialization time indicates a time at which each of the at least one trailer wireless communication device was initialized;
establishing a communication link between the tractor wireless communication device and the at least one trailer wireless communication device and exchanging event information between said devices; and
determining whether the tractor wireless communication device and the at least one trailer wireless communication device are in physical proximity by comparing the tractor initialization time with the trailer initialization time.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Computer-readable media, systems, and methods for wirelessly communicating between a tractor and a set of trailers in a tractor-trailer environment are described. In embodiments, a tractor wireless communication device associated with a tractor is initialized and associated with a tractor initialization time. Additionally, a trailer wireless communication device associated with at least one trailer is initialized and associated with a trailer initialization time. In various embodiments, it is determined whether the tractor wireless communication device and the trailer wireless communication device are in physical proximity by comparing initialization times. Further, in various embodiments, tractor-trailer information events are communicated wirelessly between a tractor and a trailer.
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Citations
27 Claims
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1. A method in a tractor-trailer environment for wirelessly communicating between a tractor and a set of trailers, the method comprising:
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initializing a tractor wireless communication device associated with the tractor; initializing at least one trailer wireless communication device associated with at least one of the set of trailers; associating the tractor wireless communication device with a tractor initialization time, wherein the tractor initialization time indicates a time at which the tractor wireless communication device was initialized; associating each of the at least one trailer wireless communication device with a trailer initialization time, wherein the trailer initialization time indicates a time at which each of the at least one trailer wireless communication device was initialized; establishing a communication link between the tractor wireless communication device and the at least one trailer wireless communication device and exchanging event information between said devices; and determining whether the tractor wireless communication device and the at least one trailer wireless communication device are in physical proximity by comparing the tractor initialization time with the trailer initialization time. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A tractor-trailer communications system for providing wireless communication between a tractor and a set of trailers, the system comprising:
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a tractor wireless communication device associated with the tractor, the tractor wireless communication device associated with a tractor initialization time, wherein the tractor initialization time indicates a time at which the tractor wireless communication device was initialized; at least one trailer wireless communication device associated with at least one of the set of trailers, each of the at least one trailer wireless communication device associated with a trailer initialization time, wherein the trailer initialization time indicates a time at which each of the at least one trailer wireless communication device was initialized; an initialization comparing component configured to determine if the tractor wireless communication device and the at least one trailer wireless communication device are in physical proximity using an initialization information and an information event, wherein using the initialization information comprises comparing the tractor initialization time with the trailer initialization time; and a database configured to store information associated with the tractor wireless communication device and the at least one trailer wireless communication device. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12)
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13. One or more non-transitory computer readable media having instructions embodied thereon that, when executed, perform a method for wirelessly communicating between a tractor and a set of trailers, the method comprising:
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establishing a communication link between the tractor and the set of trailers, wherein the communication link is established based on determining that a tractor wireless communication device and a trailer wireless communication device of each trailer in the set of trailers are in physical proximity by comparing a tractor initialization time for the tractor with a trailer initialization time corresponding to each trailer in the set of trailers, wherein the tractor initialization time indicates a time at which the tractor wireless communication device was powered and the trailer initialization time corresponding to each trailer in the set of trailers indicates a time at which each trailer wireless communication device of each trailer in the set of trailers was powered; monitoring a tractor-trailer environment for one or more trailer information events; and upon receiving the one or more tractor-trailer information events, processing tractor-trailer information in accordance with the one or more tractor-trailer information events. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A method for wirelessly communicating, the method comprising:
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initializing a first wireless communication device, wherein the first wireless communication device is associated with a first initialization time, the first initialization time indicating a time at which the first wireless communication device was initialized; initializing a second wireless communication device, wherein the second wireless communication device is associated with a second initialization time, the second initialization time indicating a time at which the second wireless communication device was initialized; establishing a communication link between the first wireless communication device and the second wireless communication device, the communication link comprising a communications environment; determining whether the first wireless communication device and the second wireless communication device are in physical proximity by comparing the first initialization time with the second initialization time; monitoring the communications environment for an information event; and upon receiving the information event, confirming that the first wireless communication device and the second wireless communication device are in physical proximity based upon the information event. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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Specification