Method and apparatus for tracking a transported item while accommodating communication gaps

• US 8,655,378 B1
• Filed: 10/30/2012
• Issued: 02/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intellectual Tech LLC
• Original Assignee: OnAsset Intelligence Incorporated
• Inventors: Crossno, Adam, Lutz, Bruce C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehra, Inder
• Application Number:
  US13/664,141
• Time in Patent Office: 476 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.2, 455/418, 455/414.2, 455/440, 455/456.1, 455/456.2, 455/456.3, 455/456.4, 455/456.5, 455/456.6, 455/457, 455/344, 455/426.1, 455/436, 455/552.1, 379/25, 379/62, 379/142.1, 379/207.12, 701/45, 701/46, 701/409, 701/418, 701/433, 701/450, 701/117, 340/539.13, 340/815.4, 340/815.45, 340/815.67
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3461 Preferred or disfavoured areas, e.g. dangerous zones, toll or emission zones, intersections, manoeuvre types, segments such as motorways, toll roads, ferries
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0833 Tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 using movement velocity, acceleration information

Abstract

A method and apparatus is provided for minimizing potential security problems and battery power usage in a tracking device used in tracking an associated product while being transported along a route wherein wireless communication may be nonexistent or intermittent. This is accomplished in part by having an accessible database of signal quality and strength at a large plurality of locations along given transportation routes whereby adjustments can be made as to the times for the tracking device to obtain GPS location information as well as for times to report any location and or product status data to a remotely located central station. The ability to predict when, along a transportation route communication problems may occur provides the opportunity to notify appropriate authorities in advance of arriving at the communication gap zones whereby arrangements can be made to alleviate potential problems during transportation through wireless communication “gap or dead” zones.

Claims

1. Location determining apparatus comprising:

preferred location determining circuitry;

alternate location determining circuitry;

movement sensing circuitry operable to detect presently occurring movement; and

selection circuitry operating to initiate operation of said preferred location determining circuitry while presently occurring movement of said location determining apparatus is detected and to alternately initiate operation of said alternate location determining circuitry when it is detected that presently occurring movement of said location determining apparatus is not occurring.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said alternate location determining circuitry is activated only after lack of detection of presently occurring movement exceeds a predetermined time.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said alternate location determining circuitry provides higher accuracy in determining location than does the preferred location determining circuitry.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said selection circuitry operates to detect when said movement sensing circuitry indicates present movement.

5. A method of obtaining location data via an electronic device while proceeding to a destination:

detecting whether or not said electronic device is presently moving with respect to a geographical location;

using a first determination of location method while movement of said electronic device is sensed; and

using a second determination of location method when no movement of said electronic device is sensed, said first determination of location method having a lower accuracy of location determination than said second determination of location method.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein:

said first determination of location method is a substantially ground-based determination of location that comprises triangulation of signals interchanged with nearby network transceivers;

said presently occurring movement sensing circuitry includes a motion sensor; and

said second determination of location method is a satellite based determination of location.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein:

said first determination of location method is communication network-based determination of location that comprises triangulation;

said presently occurring movement sensing circuitry includes a motion sensor; and

said second determination of location method is present movement sensed based determination of location.