RF4CE for automotive and industrial environments

• US 9,013,324 B2
• Filed: 12/10/2012
• Issued: 04/21/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thermo King Corporation (Trane Technologies plc)
• Original Assignee: Invensys Systems Incorporated (Invensys PLC), Thermo King Corporation (Trane Technologies plc)
• Inventors: Johnson, Mark Alan, Pasek, Stephen Michael, Vitkus, Kimble Allyn, Sanders, Russell Lee, Leasure, Mark Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Tweel, Jr., John A
• Application Number:
  US13/709,371
• Publication Number:
  US 20130249710A1
• Time in Patent Office: 862 Days
• Field of Search: 340/870.17, 700/213
• US Class Current: 340/870.17
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 15/04 the signals being modulated on carrier frequencies
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/43 using wireless personal area networks [WPAN], e.g. 802.15, 802.15.1, 802.15.4, Bluetooth or ZigBee
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/883 where the sensing device enters an active or inactive mode
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0219 where the power saving management affects multiple terminals
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A refrigerated container system is described that includes a wireless personal area network (WPAN) including a plurality of wireless sensor nodes and a coordinator node through which the sensors provide sensor data to a controller for the refrigerated container system. The wireless sensors and the coordinator incorporate a variety of features that ensure efficient utilization of battery life by preventing unintended pairing of sensors with other WPANs and excessive sensor signal processing arising from door chatter. Finally, pairing is performed without pressing a button on the wireless door sensor. Instead, the sensor'"'"'s magnetic reed switch is enlisted to detect swiping of a magnet by a user to enter a pairing mode.

Claims

1. A mobile container system comprising:

a cargo container;

a controller that monitors and maintains conditions of a space within the cargo container; and

a wireless personal area network (WPAN) comprising;

a set of wireless sensor nodes that generate, for the controller, status information relating to the cargo container, and

a coordinator node that receives, on behalf of the controller, the status information via wireless connections to paired ones of the set of sensor nodes, thereby enabling the set of sensors to provide the status information for use by the controller via the coordinator node;

wherein the WPAN incorporates communication between the coordinator node and paired ones of the set of sensor nodes via the ZIGBEE RF4CE specification.

2. The mobile container system of claim 1 further comprising a cooling unit.

4. The mobile container system of claim 1 wherein a wireless sensor node, of the set of wireless sensor nodes, is powered by a battery contained within the wireless sensor node.

3. A mobile container system comprising:

a cargo container;

a controller that monitors and maintains conditions of a space within the cargo container; and

a wireless personal area network (WPAN) comprising;

a set of wireless sensor nodes that generate, for the controller, status information relating to the cargo container, and

a coordinator node that receives, on behalf of the controller, the status information via wireless connections to paired ones of the set of sensor nodes, thereby enabling the set of sensors to provide the status information for use by the controller via the coordinator node;

wherein a wireless sensor node, of the set of wireless sensor nodes, is configured to sense a status of a control point in the cargo container,

wherein the wireless sensor node is configured to sense an open/closed status of a door, and

wherein the wireless sensor node is configured to sense a change in magnetic field in response to a change in the open/closed status of the door.

5. The mobile container system of claim 3 wherein a wireless sensor node, of the set of wireless sensor nodes, is powered by a battery contained within the wireless sensor node.

6. The mobile container system of claim 3 further comprising a cooling unit.