Asset tracking system

• US 9,721,473 B2
• Filed: 01/13/2011
• Issued: 08/01/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Trimble Inc.
• Original Assignee: Trimble Inc.
• Inventors: Patel, Sanjaykumar R., Bramer, Glenn, Harris, J. Trevor, Gardner, Adam
• Primary Examiner(s): Frenel, Vanel
• Application Number:
  US13/006,319
• Publication Number:
  US 20120185168A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,392 Days
• Field of Search: 705 28, 705330, 705 50, 705400, 705 721, 705 713, 701482, 701519, 340988, 34053913, 709224
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/20 Monitoring the location of vehicles belonging to a group, e.g. fleet of vehicles, countable or determined number of vehicles

Abstract

An asset tracking system including a dispatching system and a movable object module. The dispatching system includes a processing device configured for controlling the dispatching system, a position information receiver configured for receiving position information associated with a movable object, a position data store configured for storing the position information, and a report module configured for reporting the position information to a first non-owning entity, wherein the report module includes a verification unit configured for receiving verification information corresponding to the first non-owning entity; and a position information reporter configured for, upon receipt of the verification information, providing the position information to the first non-owning entity, wherein the position information is inaccessible to a second non-owning entity lacking the verification information. The movable object module determines the position information corresponding to the movable object and transmits the position information to the position information receiver.

Claims

1. An asset tracking system comprising:

a dispatching system comprising;

a first processing device configured for controlling said dispatching system;

a position information receiver configured for receiving position information associated with a vehicle, the position information including locations of the vehicle and velocities of the vehicle at different times;

a position data store configured for storing said position information;

a report module configured for reporting said position information to at least a first entity and a second entity, the first entity being a non-owning entity of the vehicle and an owning entity of first materials being transported by the vehicle, and the second entity being a non-owning entity of the vehicle and an owning entity of second materials being transported by the vehicle, wherein said report module comprises;

a verification unit configured for receiving first verification information from the first entity, the first verification information associated with both the first entity and the first materials, the verification unit also configured for receiving second verification information from the second entity, the second verification information associated with both the second entity and the second materials; and

a position information reporter configured for, upon receipt of said first verification information, providing said position information and information associated with the first materials to said first entity without providing information associated with the second materials to said first entity, the position information reporter also configured for, upon receipt of said second verification information, providing said position information and information associated with the second materials to the second entity without providing information associated with the first materials to said second entity; and

a termination module configured for disabling position information reporting, the termination module controlled by a third entity, the third entity being an owning entity of the vehicle; and

a movable object module comprising;

a location determining component coupled with said vehicle, said location determining component configured for determining said position information; and

a position information transmitter coupled with said location determining component, said position information transmitter configured for transmitting said position information to said position information receiver; and

a display device comprising a plurality of data visibility windows showing what data is accessible for viewing by the first entity and the second entity, and wherein each of the plurality of data visibility windows indicates the verification information that must be presented to the dispatching system by the first entity and the second entity before the data is made accessible for viewing to the first entity and the second entity.

2. The asset tracking system of claim 1, wherein said dispatching system further comprises:

an first input device configured for receiving input information from the third entity.

3. The asset tracking system of claim 1, wherein said dispatching system further comprises:

a first graphical user interface.

4. The asset tracking system of claim 1, wherein said dispatching system further comprises:

a request receiver configured for receiving a request from said first entity and said second entity for access to said position information.

5. The asset tracking system of claim 1, wherein said termination module comprises:

a termination request receiver configured for receiving a request from the third entity to disable said position information reporter.

6. The asset tracking system of claim 1, wherein said dispatching system further comprises:

a time stamper configured for stamping said position information with a time.

7. The asset tracking system of claim 1, wherein said movable object module further comprises:

a second processing device configured for controlling said movable object module.

8. The asset tracking system of claim 1, wherein said movable object module further comprises:

a second input device configured for receiving input information.

9. The asset tracking system of claim 1, wherein said movable object module further comprises:

a second graphical user interface.

10. The asset tracking system of claim 1, wherein said movable object module further comprises:

an instruction receiver configured for receiving an instruction associated with said vehicle.

11. The asset tracking system of claim 10, wherein said instruction is a hauling instruction.

12. The asset tracking system of claim 1, wherein said viewing object module further comprises:

a third input device configured for receiving input information.

13. The asset tracking system of claim 1, wherein said viewing object module further comprises:

a third graphical user interface.

14. The asset tracking system of claim 1, wherein said movable object module is configured to be coupled with a set of sensors, each sensor of said set of sensors being configured to collect status information associated with said vehicle.

15. The asset tracking system of claim 1, wherein said verification unit comprises:

a pre-fix assigner configured for assigning a pre-fix as part of said verification information, wherein a first pre-fix is associated with the vehicle, the first entity, and the first materials, and a second pre-fix is associated with the vehicle, the second entity, and the second materials.

16. The asset tracking system of claim 1, wherein said location determining component is a global navigation satellite system receiver.

17. An asset tracking system comprising:

a dispatching system comprising;

a first processing device configured for controlling said dispatching system;

a position information receiver configured for receiving position information associated with a vehicle, the position information including locations of the vehicle and velocities of the vehicle at different times;

a first position data store configured for storing said position information;

a first report module configured for reporting said position information to at least a first entity and a second entity, the first entity being a non-owning entity of the vehicle and an owning entity of first materials being transported by the vehicle, and the second entity being a non-owning entity of the vehicle and an owning entity of second materials being transported by the vehicle, wherein said first report module comprises;

a verification unit configured for receiving first verification information from the first entity, the first verification information associated with both the first entity and the first materials, the verification unit also configured for receiving second verification information from the second entity, the second verification information associated with both the second entity and the second materials;

a position information reporter configured for, upon receipt of said first verification information, providing said position information and information associated with the first materials to said first entity without providing information associated with the second materials to said first entity, the position information reporter also configured for, upon receipt of said second verification information, providing said position information and information associated with the second materials to the a second entity without providing information associated with the first materials to said second entity; and

a reporting instruction transmitter configured for transmitting a reporting instruction; and

a termination module configured for disabling position information reporting, the termination module controlled by a third entity, the third entity being an owning entity of the vehicle; and

a movable object module comprising;

a second processing device configured for controlling said movable object module;

a location determining component coupled with said vehicle, said location determining component configured for determining said position information;

a second position data store configured for storing said position information;

a position information transmitter coupled with said location determining component, said position information transmitter configured for transmitting said position information to said position information receiver;

a reporting instruction receiver configured for receiving said reporting instruction; and

a second report module configured for reporting said position information to said first entity and said second entity according to said reporting instruction; and

a display device comprising a plurality of data visibility windows showing what data is accessible for viewing by the first entity and the second entity, and wherein each of the plurality of data visibility windows indicates the verification information that must be presented to the dispatching system by the first entity and the second entity before the data is made accessible for viewing to the first entity and the second entity.

18. An asset tracking system comprising:

a dispatching system comprising;

a first processing device configured for controlling said dispatching system;

a position information receiver configured for receiving position information associated with a vehicle, the position information including locations of the vehicle and velocities of the vehicle at different times;

a first position data store configured for storing said position information ;

an instruction transmitter configured for transmitting a moving instruction for said vehicle; and

a termination module configured for disabling position information reporting, the termination module controlled by an owning entity of the vehicle; and

a movable object module comprising;

a second processing device configured for controlling said movable object module;

a location determining component coupled with said vehicle, said location determining component configured for determining said position information;

a second position data store configured for storing said position information;

a position information transmitter coupled with said location determining component, said position information transmitter configured for transmitting said position information to said position information receiver; and

a report module configured for reporting said position information to a first entity and a second entity, the first entity being a non-owning entity of the vehicle and an owning entity of first materials being transported by the vehicle, and the second entity being a non-owning entity of the vehicle and an owning entity of second materials being transported by the vehicle, wherein said report module comprises;

a verification unit configured for receiving first verification information from the first entity, the first verification information associated with both the first entity and the first materials, the verification unit also configured for receiving second verification information from the second entity, the second verification information associated with both the second entity and the second materials; and

a position information reporter configured for, upon receipt of said first verification information, providing said position information and information associated with the first materials to said first entity without providing information associated with the second materials to said first entity, the position information reporter also configured for, upon receipt of said second verification information, providing said position information and information associated with the second materials to the second entity without providing information associated with the first materials to said second entity; and

a display device comprising a plurality of data visibility windows showing what data is accessible for viewing by the first entity and the second entity, and wherein each of the plurality of data visibility windows indicates the verification information that must be presented to the dispatching system by the first entity and the second entity before the data is made accessible for viewing to the first entity and the second entity.