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System and method for monitoring vehicle mass tamper events

  • US 9,020,658 B2
  • Filed: 01/12/2011
  • Issued: 04/28/2015
  • Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2010
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. A system for detecting a vehicle mass tamper event affecting a vehicle mass record for a vehicle being monitored, the system including:

  • a. a body bounce frequency estimator device installed on the vehicle and configured to estimate a body bounce frequency of the vehicle during a period of operation of the vehicle;

    b. a computer processor configured to estimate a vehicle mass, m, according to the equation m=k/(ω

    b)2 where k is a constant relating to a suspension system in the vehicle and ω

    b is the estimated body bounce frequency;

    c. the computer processor configured to compare the estimated vehicle mass with an alternative vehicle mass value to identify a vehicle mass tamper event when the estimate vehicle mass differs from the alternative vehicle mass value by more than a pre-determined amount;

    d. a data storage element in communication with the computer processor and configured to store a subset of processor determined time-marked estimate vehicle mass records corresponding to a period of vehicle operation during which one or more vehicle mass tamper events are detectable; and

    e. an interface in communication with the computer processor and the data storage element and configured to transmit to a remote device the subset of the estimated vehicle mass records as evidence of the one or more vehicle mass tamper events.

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