System and method for sensing cargo loads and trailer movement

• US 8,179,286 B2
• Filed: 01/29/2008
• Issued: 05/15/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omnitracs LLC (Solera Holdings Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Faus, Juan, Parisi, Mark Dominic
• Primary Examiner(s): Previl, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US12/021,667
• Publication Number:
  US 20090189788A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,568 Days
• Field of Search: 340/989, 340/991, 340/994, 340/995.16, 340/995.25, 340/995.26, 340/995.17, 340/438, 340/440, 340/429, 340/431, 340/665, 340/666, 340/689
• US Class Current: 340/989
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/08 using communication transmission lines G08B13/19658, G08B21/0286, G08B25/016 take precedence
• 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

The specification and drawing figures describe and illustrate a system for sensing cargo loads and trailer movement that includes a mobile wireless communications system. A mobile computing platform is mounted on a remote vehicle and operatively connectable across the mobile wireless communications system. Sensor data are collected and stored in the mobile wireless communications system and the mobile computing platform, and may be transmitted across the mobile wireless communications system. At least one program is stored either in the mobile wireless communications system or the mobile computing platform, or both, for using the sensor data to determine equipment use, placement, and positioning in relation to a vehicle and sending one or more sensitivity reports to the asset manager.

Claims

1. A system for sensing cargo loads and movement, comprising:

a mobile computing platform mounted on a cargo container and communicatively coupled to a remote server, wherein the cargo container is movable by a vehicle and the mobile computing platform receives and stores data associated with the cargo container; and

a sensor system connected to the mobile computing platform and mounted on the cargo container, the sensor system comprising;

a sensor disposed in a predetermined location of the cargo container, wherein the sensor detects vibrations in the predetermined location of the cargo container; and

a processor connected to the sensor, wherein the processor determines a vibration state indicating cargo status and a motion state of the cargo container in response to input signals from the sensor and communicate the determined states of the cargo container to the mobile computing platform.

2. A system for sensing cargo loads and movement as recited in claim 1, wherein the mobile platform communicates with the remote server through one of a satellite communication system or a terrestrial communication system.

3. A system for sensing cargo loads and movement as recited in claim 1, wherein the vibration state comprises a quiet state and a vibrating state.

4. A system for sensing cargo loads and movement as recited in claim 3, wherein the processor determines the quiet state in response to substantially no vibration pulses detected by the sensor within a predetermined time period.

5. A system for sensing cargo loads and movement as recited in claim 3, wherein the processor determines the vibration state in response to a predetermined number of vibration pulses detected by the sensor within a predetermined time period.

6. A system for sensing cargo loads and movement as recited in claim 5, wherein the predetermined time period is between one and five seconds.

7. A system for sensing cargo loads and movement as recited in claim 5, wherein the predetermined time period is approximately one second.

8. A system for sensing cargo loads and movement as recited in claim 5, wherein the predetermined number of pulses between one and two hundred pulses.

9. A system for sensing cargo loads and movement as recited in claim 1, wherein the motion state comprises an in-motion state and a not-in-motion state.

10. A system for sensing cargo loads and movement as recited in claim 9, wherein the processor determines the in-motion state in response to a vibration rate being greater than an in-motion vibration percentage averaged over a vibration averaging time.

11. A system for sensing cargo loads and movement as recited in claim 10, wherein the vibration rate is a product of a number of active periods and a vibration active period divided by the vibration averaging time multiplied by one hundred percent.

12. A system for sensing cargo loads and movement as recited in claim 11, wherein the vibration active period is a function of a vibration sampling period.

13. A system for sensing cargo loads and movement as recited in claim 12, wherein the vibration sampling period is less than five seconds.

14. A system for sensing cargo loads and movement as recited in claim 12, wherein the vibration active period is a function of a number of vibration pulses detected by the sensor within a vibration sampling period.

15. A system for sensing cargo loads and movement as recited in claim 9, wherein the sensor determines the not-in-motion state in response to a vibration rate being less than a not-in-motion vibration percentage averaged over a vibration average time.

16. A system for sensing cargo loads and movement as recited in claim 15, wherein the vibration rate is a product of a number of active periods and a vibration active period divided by the vibration averaging time multiplied by one hundred percent.

17. A system for sensing cargo loads and movement as recited in claim 16, wherein the vibration active period is a function of a vibration sampling period.

18. A system for sensing cargo loads and movement as recited, in claim 17, wherein the vibration sampling period is less than five seconds.

19. A system for sensing cargo loads and movement as recited in claim 17, wherein the vibration active period is a function of a number of pulses detected by the sensor.

20. A system for sensing cargo loads and movement as recited in claim 1, wherein the mobile computing platform is connected to a position determination transceiver.

21. A system for sensing cargo loads and movement as recited in claim 20, wherein the position determination transceiver is a Global Positioning System (GPS) transceiver or a Satellite Positioning System (SPS) transceiver.

22. A system for sensing cargo loads and movement as recited in claim 1, wherein the mobile computing platform includes memory located in the mobile computing platform for storing vehicle data.

23. A method of determining a cargo status of a vehicle comprising:

providing a sensor in a predetermined location of the vehicle, wherein the sensor detects a presence or absence of a pulse;

transmitting a signal from the sensor to a processor indicating the presence or absence of a pulse;

determining, at the processor and based on the signal, whether the vehicle is in one of a vibration state indicating cargo status and a motion state, wherein the motion state comprises an in-motion state and a not-in-motion state;

communicating the processor determination to a mobile computing platform onboard the vehicle; and

transmitting a vehicle cargo status generated based on the processor determination from the mobile computing platform to a remote server.

24. A method of determining a cargo status of a vehicle as recited in claim 23, wherein the mobile computing platform communicates with the remote server through one of a satellite communication system or a terrestrial communication system.

25. A method of determining a cargo status of a vehicle as recited in claim 23, wherein the vibration state comprises a quiet state and a vibrating state.

26. A method of determining a cargo status of a vehicle as recited in claim 25, wherein the step of determining, at the processor, whether the vehicle is in one of a vibration state and a motion state comprises determining a quiet state in response to substantially no pulses detected by the sensor within a predetermined time period.

27. A method of determining a cargo status of a vehicle as recited in claim 26, wherein the predetermined time period is between one and five seconds.

28. A method of determining a cargo status of a vehicle as recited in claim 26, wherein the predetermined time period is approximately one second.

29. A method of determining a cargo status of a vehicle as recited in claim 23, wherein the step of determining, at the processor, whether the vehicle is in one of a vibration state and a motion state comprises determining a vibration state in response to a predetermined number of pulses detected by the sensor within a predetermined time period.

30. A method of determining a cargo status of a vehicle as recited in claim 29, wherein the predetermined number of pulses is between one and two hundred pulses.

31. A method of determining a cargo status of a vehicle as recited in claim 23, further comprising:

determining by the processor that the vehicle is in one of the in-motion state and the non-in-motion state.

32. A method of determining a cargo status of a vehicle as recited in claim 31, further comprising the step of determining a vibration rate being greater than an in-motion vibration percentage averaged over a vibration averaging time.

33. A method of determining a cargo status of a vehicle as recited in claim 32, wherein the vibration rate is a product of a number of active periods and a vibration active period divided by the vibration averaging time multiplied by one hundred percent.

34. A method of determining a cargo status of a vehicle as recited in claim 33, wherein the vibration active period is a function of a vibration sampling period.

35. A method of determining a cargo status of a vehicle as recited in claim 34, wherein the vibration sampling period is less than five seconds.

36. A method of determining a cargo status of a vehicle as recited in claim 34, wherein the vibration active period is designated an active period in response to a number of pulses detected by the sensor within a vibration sampling period.

37. A method of determining a cargo status of a vehicle as recited in claim 31, further comprising the step of determining the not-in-motion state in response to a vibration rate being less than a not-in-motion vibration percentage averaged over a vibration average time.

38. A method of determining a cargo status of a vehicle as recited in claim 37, wherein the vibration rate is a product of a number of active periods and a vibration active period divided by the vibration averaging time multiplied by one hundred percent.

39. A method of determining a cargo status of a vehicle as recited in claim 38, wherein the vibration active period is a function of a vibration sampling period.

40. A method of determining a cargo status of a vehicle as recited in claim 39, wherein the vibration sampling period is less than five seconds.

41. A method of determining a cargo status of a vehicle as recited in claim 39, wherein the vibration active period is a function of a number of pulses detected by the sensor.

42. A method of determining a cargo status of a vehicle as recited in claim 23, wherein the mobile computing platform is connected to a position determination transceiver.

43. A method of determining a cargo status of a vehicle as recited in claim 42, wherein the position determination transceiver is a Global Positioning System (GPS) transceiver or a Satellite Positioning System (SPS) transceiver.

44. A method of determining a cargo status of a vehicle as recited in claim 23, further comprising the step of storing the vehicle cargo status at the mobile computing platform.

45. A method of determining a cargo status of a vehicle as recited in claim 23, further comprising the step of displaying the vehicle cargo status at the mobile computing platform.

46. A non-transitory storage media comprising program instructions which are computer-executable to implement determining a cargo status of a vehicle, and which when executed perform the steps of:

detecting a presence or absence of a pulse by a sensor in a predetermined location of the vehicle;

transmitting a signal from the sensor to a processor indicating the presence or absence of a pulse;

determining, at the processor and based on the signal, whether the vehicle is in one of a vibration state indicating cargo status and a motion state, wherein the motion state comprises an in-motion state and a not-in-motion state;

communicating the processor determination to a mobile computing platform onboard the vehicle; and

transmitting a vehicle cargo status generated based on the processor determination from the mobile computing platform to a remote server.

47. The non-transitory storage media as recited in claim 46 further comprising program instructions which when executed perform the step of communicating with the remote server through one of a satellite communication system or a terrestrial communication system.

48. The non-transitory storage media as recited in claim 46, wherein the vibration state comprises a quiet state and a vibrating state.

49. The non-transitory storage media as recited in claim 48, further comprising program instructions which when executed perform the step of determining a quiet state in response to substantially no pulses detected by the sensor within a predetermined time period.

50. The non-transitory storage media as recited in claim 49, wherein the predetermined time period is between one and five seconds.

51. The non-transitory storage media as recited in claim 49, wherein the predetermined time period is approximately one second.

52. The non-transitory storage media as recited in claim 46, further comprising program instructions which when executed perform the step of determining a vibration state in response to a predetermined number of pulses detected by the sensor within a predetermined time period.

53. The non-transitory storage media as recited in claim 52, wherein the predetermined number of pulses is between one and two hundred pulses.

54. The non-transitory storage media as recited in claim 46, further comprising program instructions which when executed perform the step of determining that the vehicle is in one of the in-motion state and the not-in-motion state.

55. The non-transitory storage media as recited in claim 54, further comprising program instructions which when executed perform the step of determining a vibration rate being greater than an in-motion vibration percentage averaged over a vibration averaging time.

56. The non-transitory storage media as recited in claim 55, wherein the vibration rate is a product of a number of active periods and a vibration active period divided by the vibration averaging time multiplied by one hundred percent.

57. The non-transitory storage media as recited in claim 56, wherein the vibration active period is a function of a vibration sampling period.

58. The non-transitory storage media as recited in claim 57, wherein the vibration sampling period is less than five seconds.

59. The non-transitory storage media as recited in claim 57, wherein the vibration active period is designated an active period in response to a number of pulses detected by the sensor within a vibration sampling period.

60. The non-transitory storage media as recited in claim 54, further comprising program instructions which when executed perform the step of determining the not-in-motion state in response to a vibration rate being less than a not-in-motion vibration percentage averaged over a vibration average time.

61. The non-transitory storage media as recited in claim 60, wherein the vibration rate is a product of a number of active periods and a vibration active period divided by the vibration averaging time multiplied by one hundred percent.

62. The non-transitory storage media as recited in claim 61, wherein the vibration active period is a function of a vibration sampling period.

63. The non-transitory storage media as recited in claim 62, wherein the vibration sampling period is less than five seconds.

64. The non-transitory storage media as recited in claim 62, wherein the vibration active period is a function of a number of pulses detected by the sensor.

65. The non-transitory storage media as recited in claim 46, wherein the mobile computing platform is connected to a position determination transceiver.

66. The non-transitory storage media as recited in claim 65, wherein the position determination transceiver is a Global Positioning System (GPS) transceiver or a Satellite Positioning System (SPS) transceiver.

67. The non-transitory storage media as recited in claim 46, further comprising program instructions which when executed perform the step of storing the vehicle cargo status at the mobile computing platform.

68. The non-transitory storage media as recited in claim 46, further comprising program instructions which when executed perform the step of displaying the vehicle cargo status at the mobile computing platform.

69. An apparatus for determining a cargo status of a vehicle comprising:

means for sensing a presence or absence of a pulse, wherein the means for sensing is located in a predetermined location of the vehicle;

means for transmitting a signal from the means for sensing to a means for processing indicating the presence or absence of a pulse;

means for determining, at the means for processing and based on the signal, whether the vehicle is in one of a vibration state indicating cargo status and a motion state, wherein the motion state comprises an in-motion state and a not-in-motion state;

means for communicating the means for processing determination to a mobile computing platform onboard the vehicle; and

means for transmitting a vehicle cargo status generated based on the means for processing determination from the mobile computing platform to a remote server.

70. The apparatus as recited in claim 69, wherein the mobile computing platform communicates with the remote server through one of a satellite communication system or a terrestrial communication system.

71. The apparatus as recited in claim 69, wherein the vibration state comprises a quiet state and a vibrating state.

72. The apparatus as recited in claim 71, wherein the means for determining further comprises means for determining a quiet state in response to substantially no pulses detected by the means for sensing within a predetermined time period.

73. The apparatus as recited in claim 72, wherein the predetermined time period is between one and five seconds.

74. The apparatus as recited in claim 72, wherein the predetermined time period is approximately one second.

75. The apparatus as recited in claim 69, wherein the means for determining further comprises means for determining a vibration state in response to a predetermined number of pulses detected by the means for sensing within a predetermined time period.

76. The apparatus as recited in claim 75, wherein the predetermined number of pulses is between one and two hundred pulses.

77. The apparatus as recited in claim 69, further comprising means for determining that the vehicle is in one of the in-motion state and the not-in-motion state.

78. The apparatus as recited in claim 77, further comprising means for determining a vibration rate being greater than an in-motion vibration percentage averaged over a vibration averaging time.

79. The apparatus as recited in claim 78, wherein the vibration rate is a product of a number of active periods and a vibration active period divided by the vibration averaging time multiplied by one hundred percent.

80. The apparatus as recited in claim 79, wherein the vibration active period is a function of a vibration sampling period.

81. The apparatus as recited in claim 80, wherein the vibration sampling period is less than five seconds.

82. The apparatus as recited in claim 80, wherein the vibration active period is designated an active period in response to a number of pulses detected by the means for sensing within a vibration sampling period.

83. The apparatus as recited in claim 77, further comprising means for determining the not-in-motion state in response to a vibration rate being less than a not-in-motion vibration percentage averaged over a vibration average time.

84. The apparatus as recited in claim 83, wherein the vibration rate is a product of a number of active periods and a vibration active period divided by the vibration averaging time multiplied by one hundred percent.

85. The apparatus as recited in claim 84, wherein the vibration active period is a function of a vibration sampling period.

86. The apparatus as recited in claim 85, wherein the vibration sampling period is less than five seconds.

87. The apparatus as recited in claim 85, wherein the vibration active period is a function of a number of pulses detected by the means for sensing.

88. The apparatus as recited in claim 69, wherein the mobile computing platform is connected to a position determination transceiver.

89. The apparatus as recited in claim 88, wherein the position determination transceiver is a Global Positioning System (GPS) transceiver or a Satellite Positioning System (SPS) transceiver.

90. The apparatus as recited in claim 69, further comprising means for storing the vehicle cargo status at the mobile computing platform.

91. The apparatus as recited in claim 69, further comprising means for displaying the vehicle cargo status at the mobile computing platform.