Method and system for vehicle monitoring

• US 9,467,753 B2
• Filed: 12/11/2014
• Issued: 10/11/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AssetWorks Incorporated (Constellation Software Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: AssetWorks LLC (Constellation Software Incorporated)
• Inventors: Atherton, Lee Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Flores, Leon
• Application Number:
  US14/567,372
• Publication Number:
  US 20150161425A1
• Time in Patent Office: 670 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/00 Registering or indicating the working of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/47 using RFID associated with sensors
• 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

Abstract

There is a system for radio frequency identification (RFID) tag-based vehicle monitoring comprising a vehicle or other movable asset, having a plurality of sensors, each sensor operably connected to one of a plurality of after-market installed RFID tags, the plurality of after-market installed RFID tags configured to receive sensor information from the plurality of sensors and to transmit, via RFID communications, the sensor information to a gateway.

Claims

1. A system for radio frequency identification (RFID) tag-based vehicle monitoring comprising:

a vehicle comprising a plurality of sensors, each sensor operably connected to one of a plurality of after-market installed RFID tags, the plurality of after-market installed RFID tags configured to receive sensor information about the vehicle from the plurality of sensors and to transmit, via RFID communications, the sensor information to a gateway; and

a gateway configured to receive, via RFID communications, sensor information.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the plurality of sensors comprise at least a first vehicle manufacturer sensor and a first after-market sensor.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the gateway is located on the vehicle.

4. The system of claim 3 further comprising:

a mobile data terminal, operably connected to the gateway and configured to receive the sensor information from the gateway, and further configured to communicate sensor information to a central management system; and

a central management system configured to receive sensor information from the gateway and process the sensor information.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the gateway is located at a site.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the gateway is located at a entrance to a site.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the plurality of after-market installed RFID tags are configured to:

determine if the vehicle is in motion and if it is then;

listen for the gateway and upon hearing the gateway;

communicate, via RFID communications, the sensor information to the gateway.

8. The system of claim 6 wherein the plurality of after-market installed RFID tags comprise a first RFID tag and one or more further RFID tags;

and

the first RFID tag is configured to;

determine if the vehicle is in motion and if it is then;

listen for the gateway and upon hearing the gateway;

awaken the further RFID tags;

communicate, via RFID communications, its sensor information to the gateway; and

the further RFID tags are configured to;

be awoken by the first RFID tag; and

communicate, via RFID communications, their sensor information to the gateway.