System and method for asset tracking configuration of a mobile terminal

• US 8,830,124 B1
• Filed: 09/19/2011
• Issued: 09/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SkyBitz, Inc. (Ametek Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: SkyBitz, Inc. (Ametek Incorporated)
• Inventors: Akbari, Homaira, Malone, Craig, Walgren, Mike
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan, Dao
• Application Number:
  US13/235,641
• Time in Patent Office: 1,086 Days
• Field of Search: 342/357.26, 342/357.34, 342/357.63, 342/357.74, 342/457, 701/468, 701/469, 340/539.13
• US Class Current: 342/357.74
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/09 providing processing capability normally carried out by the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/13 Receivers
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/14 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/24 Acquisition or tracking or demodulation of signals transmitted by the system synchronisation aspects of direct sequence spread spectrum modulation H04B1/7073
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/34 Power consumption
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0027 of actual mobile position, i.e. position determined on mobile

Abstract

A system and method for asset tracking configuration of a mobile terminal. A mobile terminal can be designed to enable a remote determination of an asset position. In one embodiment, the mobile terminal can include a configured function that enables the mobile terminal to reconfigure mobile terminal operation (e.g., activation of a GPS engine).

Claims

1. A mobile terminal that enables asset tracking, comprising:

a first position tracking module that collects measurements from a plurality of positioning satellites, said collected measurements being obtained for forwarding by said mobile terminal to a remote operations center for determination of a position of said mobile terminal;

a second position tracking module that determines a position of said mobile terminal locally at said mobile terminal; and

a controller that controls an activation of said second position tracking module based on an analysis of power availability or consumption by said mobile terminal.

2. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein said first position tracking module forwards collected GPS code phase measurements to the remote operations center.

3. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein said second position tracking module is a GPS engine.

4. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein said power availability is an existence of an external power source to said mobile terminal.

5. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein said power availability is a battery power level.

6. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein said power availability is a power consumed in a period of time.

7. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein said power availability is based on an expected time to obtain a GPS position fix.

8. The mobile terminal of claim 2, further comprising a transmitter for transmission of said collected code phase measurements to said remote operations center via a communication satellite.

9. The mobile terminal of claim 2, further comprising a transmitter for transmission of said collected code phase measurements to said remote operations center via a terrestrial cellular network.

10. The mobile terminal of claim 1, further comprising a transmitter for transmission of said collected measurements to said remote operations center via a short range radio network.

11. The mobile terminal of claim 1, further comprising a transmitter that transmits sensor measurements to said remote operations center.

12. A mobile terminal that enables asset tracking, comprising:

a position tracking module that collects measurements from a plurality of positioning satellites, said collected measurements being used to determine a position of said mobile terminal;

a transmitter designed for transmission of position information based on said position tracking module measurements to an operations center; and

a controller that controls an activation of said transmitter based on an analysis of a geographic cost function, said geographic cost function identifying first geographic areas in which said mobile terminal can transmit at a first interval rate, and second geographic areas in which said mobile terminal can transmit at a second interval rate different from said first interval rate.

13. The mobile terminal of claim 12, wherein said first interval rate precludes any transmissions.

14. The mobile terminal of claim 12, wherein an input to said geographic cost function is a geographic location determined using said measurements of said position tracking module.

15. The mobile terminal of claim 12, wherein said transmitter transmits position information to said operations center via a communication satellite.

16. The mobile terminal of claim 12, wherein said transmitter transmits position information to said operations center via a terrestrial cellular network.

17. The mobile terminal of claim 12, wherein said transmitter transmits position information to said operations center via a short range radio network.

18. The mobile terminal of claim 12, wherein said transmitter also transmits sensor measurement information to said operations center.