Electronic vehicle product and personnel monitoring

• US RE44,275 E1
• Filed: 11/25/2011
• Issued: 06/11/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Loran Technologies, Inc. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Loran Technologies, Inc. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Ghazarian, Ohanes
• Primary Examiner(s): La, Anh V
• Application Number:
  US13/304,601
• Time in Patent Office: 564 Days
• Field of Search: 340/568.1, 340/573.1, 340/573.4, 340/539.1, 340/539.13, 340/539.15, 340/539.16, 340/539.31, 340/539.23, 340/539.21, 340/691.3
• US Class Current: 340/568.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/0092 for cargo, freight or shipping containers and applications therefore in general
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00103 with central registration and control, e.g. for swimming pools or hotel-rooms, generally in combination with a pass-dispensing system
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00111 the pass performing a presence indicating function, e.g. identification tag or transponder identification by using radar means G01S13/02, G01S13/74; detecting presence by using magnetic or electric fields produced or modified by objects in general G01V3/08, G01V3/165; means for indicating the location of accidentally buried persons A63B29/02
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/06 by tampering with fastening
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/202 Dispatching vehicles on the basis of a location, e.g. taxi dispatching

Abstract

A system providing vehicle, pallet, and personnel tracking within buildings, vehicles such as trucks/trailers, buses, trains and aircraft at a site or in a global network system. RFlD transponder Gate readers are used in building doorways, in vehicles such as tracks/trailers gates or bus doors to read pallets, packages and personnel equipped with RFlD transponder and tamper proof RFlD RF transceiver tags. The RFlD-RF transceivers may contain a GPS/GSM modem for locating of pallets or personnel with RF or GPS location system. Site Buildings and vehicles are equipped with compute interface unit, to communicate at time intervals with RFlD-RF tag transceiver units installed on pallets or personnel wristwatch, to indicate the presence of pallets or personnel at a site or in a vehicle. Tamperproof RF, GPS/GSM or satellite modems installed on vehicle are used to communicate with site station or to a monitoring station computer network (Server) with the collected data from said vehicle gate reader, for tracking and finding the location of a particular vehicle, and its cargo content or personnel information related to particular vehicle, at a remote or open site.

Claims

1. A system for securing and tracking cargo contents delivered by a plurality of vehicles to and from a plurality of site stations, comprising:

a) a plurality of RFlD tags each being attached to one of the objects and pre-storing an identification information thereof;

b) a plurality of site stations each comprising;

b1) a site computer pre-storing identification information of the RFlD tags and content information of the objects to be removed from or loaded in the site station; and

b2) a site RFlD tag reader operative to read the identification information pre-stored in the RFlD tags upon exiting or entering the site station, and to send the identification and content information to the site computer; and

c) a plurality of vehicles each comprising;

c1) a vehicle RFlD tag reader operative to read the identification information pre-stored in the RFlD tags upon exiting or entering the vehicle; and

c2) a vehicle RFlD transceiver CPU pre-storing identification information of the vehicle, the vehicle RFlD transceiver CPU being operative to receive the identification information read by the vehicle RFlD tag reader and transmit a signal carrying the identification information read by the vehicle RFlD tag reader and the identification information of the vehicle to the site computer.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the RFlD tags further comprises:

a processor encoded with the identification information and pre-storing the content information of the object that the RFlD tag is attached thereto;

a built-in antenna interrogating with the site RFlD tag reader and the vehicle RFlD tag reader upon entering or exiting the site station and the vehicle, respectively, so as to received a magnetic field therefrom;

a capacitor to be charged by the magnetic field; and

a low-power RF transceiver operative to transmit a signal carrying the identification information and content information pre-stored in the RFlD tag while being activated by discharge of the capacitor.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the site computer is operative to compare the identification and content information carried by the signal with the identification and content information pre-stored therein.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the site computer is operative to communicate with the RFlD tag at a predetermined time interval when the identification and content information carried by the signal matches the identification and content information pre-stored therein.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the site computer is operative to generate an alarm signal when the identification and content information carried by the signal mismatches the identification and content information pre-stored therein.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein each of the RFlD tags further comprises a high- power transmitter connected to the low-power RF transceiver.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the high-power transmitted is activated when the low-power RF transceiver receives a signal from the site computer indicating an unauthorized removal of the object and the RFlD tag attached thereto.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein each of the RFlD tags further comprises a built-in GPS receiver and a wireless modem powered on with the high-power transmitter for receiving location information from orbiting satellite and transmit the location information to the site computer or the vehicle RF transceiver CPU.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the RFlD tags further comprises a pressure sensing tamper switch.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the pressure sensing tamper switch is protected by a metal O-ring.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the RFlD tags includes a tamperproof strap or shrinking wrap for mounting the RFlD tag to the object.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the tamperproof strap or shrinking wrap are made of conductive material.

13. The system of claim 11, further comprising an optical emitter and an optical collector attached to two opposing ends of the tamperproof strap or shrinking wrap.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the RFlD tag is operative to transmit a tamper signal when communication between the optical collector and the optical emitter is interrupted.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein each site station further comprises a RFlD gate reader antenna to energize the RFlD tags passing therethrough.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein each site station further comprises an RF site antenna in communication with the site computer and the vehicle RF transceiver CPU of at least one of the vehicles.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein each site station further comprises a site antenna for in communication with the site computer.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein each site station includes a plurality of partitions, and each partition includes an RFlD tag reader to interrogate the RFlD tags attached to the objects entering or exiting the partition.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein each vehicle further comprises a vehicle gate reader antenna to energize the RFlD tag entering or exiting the vehicle.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein each vehicle further comprises a vehicle GPS CPU to compare pre-store destination information with current location information of the vehicle.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein each vehicle further comprises a gate-locking mechanism automatically locking a gate of the vehicle when the pre-stored destination information mismatches the current location information.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein each vehicle further comprises a gate-locking mechanism automatically unlocking a gate of the vehicle when the pre-stored destination information matches the current location information.

23. The system of claim 1, wherein the objects include a plurality of cargo units.

24. The system of claim 1, wherein the objects includes at least one personnel.

25. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the RFlD tag further pre-stores content information and destination information of the objects to which the RFlD tag is attached.

26. A system for securing and tracking objects transported by a vehicle between a plurality of site stations, comprising:

a) a plurality of RFlD tags each being attached to one of the objects and pre-storing an identification information thereof;

b) a plurality of site stations, at least one of the site stations comprising;

b1) a site computer pre-storing identification information of the RFlD tags and content information of the objects to be removed from or loaded in the site station; and

b2) a site RFlD tag reader operative to read the identification information pre-stored in the RFlD tags upon exiting or entering the site station, and to send the identification and content information to the site computer; and

c) the vehicle comprising;

c1) a vehicle RFlD tag reader operative to read the identification information pre-stored in the RFlD tags upon exiting or entering the vehicle; and

c2) a vehicle RFlD transceiver CPU pre-storing identification information of the vehicle, the vehicle RFlD transceiver CPU being operative to receive the identification information read by the vehicle RFlD tag reader and transmit a signal carrying the identification information read by the vehicle RFlD tag reader and the identification information of the vehicle to the site computer.

27. An apparatus, comprising:

a global positioning satellite receiver configured to receive global positioning information;

a radio frequency communication modem configured to transmit the received global positioning information and establish radio frequency communication; and

an optical tamper detection strap used to securely mount the apparatus to a person or an object,

wherein, when the optical tamper detection strap is cut or tampered, the radio frequency communication modem is configured to transmit a strap tamper detection signal comprising an identification of the apparatus, a condition of the apparatus, and global positioning satellite location information of the apparatus to a monitoring station,

the global positioning satellite receiver, the radio frequency communication modem, and tamper detection optical strap are physically contained in a single unit.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the tamper detection strap comprises an optical and conductive tamper detection strap.

29. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the tamper detection strap comprises a conductive strap, an optical string, or both operatively connected to at least two sides of the apparatus.

30. The apparatus of claim 27, further comprising:

an emitter; and

a collector,

wherein the emitter comprises an optical emitter, and the collector comprises an optical collector, and

wherein the emitter and the collector are configured to communicate via an optical signal through the strap in order to complete an optical tamper detection circuitry.

31. An apparatus secured to an object or person, comprising:

a global positioning satellite receiver configured to receive global positioning information;

a radio frequency communication modem configured to transmit the received global positioning information and establish radio frequency communications; and

a radio frequency identifier transceiver configured to communicate with a site home base unit;

wherein, when the apparatus is out of a defined low power radio frequency communication range in proximity to the site home base unit, the radio frequency identifier transceiver loses communication signal with the site home base unit and is configured to turn on at least one of the global positioning satellite receiver, the radio frequency communication modem, or both to provide global positioning location information to a monitoring station, and

wherein, when the apparatus is in the defined low power radio frequency communication range in proximity to the site home base unit, the radio frequency identifier transceiver is configured to establish radio frequency communication with the site home base unit and to turn off at least one of the global positioning satellite receiver, the radio frequency communication modem, or both, to conserve power of the apparatus.

32. An apparatus, comprising:

a global positioning receiver configured to receive global positioning information;

a radio frequency modem or transceiver configured to transmit the received global positioning information and establish radio frequency communication through a wireless communication network;

an optical tamper detection strap configured to securely mount the apparatus to a person or an object; and

an optical emitter and an optical collector, the emitter and the collector configured to communicate through the optical tamper detection strap in order to complete optical tamper detection circuitry,

wherein, when the optical tamper detection strap is cut off, disconnected, or removed, the radio frequency modem or transceiver is configured to transmit at least one signal comprising an identification of the apparatus, the identification of the apparatus and a condition of the apparatus, the identification of the apparatus and global positioning location information of the apparatus, or the identification of the apparatus, the condition of the apparatus, and the global positioning location information of the apparatus to a monitoring station to allow the monitoring station, based on at least one received signal, to determine the condition of the apparatus, to inquire the apparatus to send at least one global positioning location information of the apparatus, or both, and

the global positioning receiver, the radio frequency modem or transceiver, and the optical tamper detection strap are physically embodied within the apparatus.

33. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the optical tamper detection strap comprises an optical and conductive tamper detection strap,

when the optical and conductive tamper detection strap is cut off, disconnected, or removed, the radio frequency modem or transceiver is further configured to transmit at least one signal to the monitoring station.