Wireless data transmission of a refrigerated container unit

• US 8,374,824 B2
• Filed: 02/23/2009
• Issued: 02/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wam Solutions LLC (ORBCOMM Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Identec Solutions AG
• Inventors: Schwiers, Stefan, Castrignano, Adalgiso
• Primary Examiner(s): Charioui, Mohamed
• Assistant Examiner(s): Desta, Elias
• Application Number:
  US12/390,594
• Publication Number:
  US 20090216497A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,450 Days
• Field of Search: 702/99, 702/182, 702/188, 702/189, 340/10.1, 340/585, 622/39
• US Class Current: 702/188
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom

Abstract

A system and method for monitoring data associated with a temperature controlled container with a Reefer Unit. The monitored data retrieved from the Reefer Unit is wirelessly transmitted to an evaluation unit via at least one transponder. The transponder is connected via a wireless interface of an antenna with a reader/transmitter. The wireless interface transmits the monitored data via a bus from the reader/transmitter to a converter which then transmits the converted monitored data via a communication interface to the evaluation unit. Aside from retrieving monitored data remotely, the system can also issue remote forward commands to provide full automation and control of such containers.

Claims

1. A system for monitoring data associated with at least one temperature controlled container comprising:

at least one Reefer Unit for retrieving the monitored data of the at least one temperature controlled container for wireless transmission of the monitored data to an evaluation unit via at least one transponder;

at least one reader/transmitter connected via a wireless interface of an antenna with the transponder; and

a bus for transmitting via the wireless interface the monitored data from the at least one reader/transmitter to a converter which then transmits the converted monitored data via a second communication interface to the evaluation unit;

the evaluation unit including host software for generating at least one of a command, control and programming signal;

the at least one command, control and programming signal from the evaluation unit being transmitted to the at at least one reader/transmitter;

the at least one command, control and programming signal from the at least one reader/transmitter being passed to the at least one Reefer Unit; and

the at least one transponder awaiting a response from the at least one Reefer Unit to the at least one command control and programming signal.

2. The system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the data being monitored is at least one physical parameter.

3. The system in accordance with claim 2, wherein the at least one physical parameter includes at least one of:

(i) temperature and/or humidity interiorly of and/or exteriorly surrounding the temperature controlled container;

(ii) duration for which doors of the temperature controlled container are open; and

(iii) an open/closed state of the door of the temperature controlled container.

4. The system in accordance with claim 2, wherein the Reefer Unit records the at least one physical parameter measured using at least one sensor and the corresponding transponder retrieves the measured at least one physical parameter and transmits it to the evaluation unit via the corresponding at least one reader/transmitter, the bus and the converter.

5. The system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the wireless interface between the transponder and the antenna is bidirectional, and that the monitored data includes at least one of command data, control data and programming data transmitted from the evaluation unit.

6. The system in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the monitored data is transmitted to and/or from the evaluation unit via the Internet.

7. The system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the transponder and the antenna are separated by up to approximately 500 m.

8. The system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the transponder, the antenna and the reader/transmitter operate using active RFID technology.

9. The system in accordance with claim 1, wherein in any mode a continuous test is performed to check if the at least one Reefer Unit is connected to the at least one transponder and if the at least one Reefer Unit is electrically powered ON.

10. The system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the evaluation unit is a host computer or server.

11. The system in accordance with claim 3, wherein the bus is a serial bus.

15. The system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the transponder is a Reefer tag programmed to operate in a Standby-Mode, a Connecting-Mode, a Standard-Mode, a Monitoring-Mode and a pass-through mode.

12. A method for evaluating information associated with and control of at least one Reefer Unit for at least one temperature controlled container, the method comprising the steps of:

retrieving data of the at least one temperature controlled container with the at least one Reefer Unit;

transmitting the retrieved data from at least one transponder to at least one reader/transmitter via wireless transmission;

sending the received data to a host computer via the at least one reader/transmitter;

evaluating using host software the data at the host computer;

displaying the evaluated data;

generating using the host software at the host computer at least one of a command, control and programming signal;

transmitting the at least one command, control and programming signal from the host computer to the at least one reader/transmitter;

passing the at least one command, control and programming signal from the at least one reader/transmitter to the at least one Reefer Unit, and

the at least one transponder waiting for a response from the at least one Reefer Unit to the at least one command, control and programming signal.

13. The method in accordance with claim 12,

wherein the transponder is a Reefer tag programmed to operate in a Standby-Mode, a Connecting-Mode, a Standard-Mode, a Monitoring-Mode and a pass-through mode.

14. The method in accordance with claim 13, wherein while in any mode a continuous test is performed to check if the at least one Reefer Unit is connected to the at least one transponder and if the at least one Reefer Unit is electrically powered ON.