Method and apparatus for power management of asset tracking system

• US 20070239321A1
• Filed: 04/11/2006
• Published: 10/11/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Asset Intelligence LLC (PowerFleet, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Asset Intelligence LLC (PowerFleet, Inc.)
• Inventors: McAden, Mark
• Granted Patent: US 7,966,105 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/1
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• 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

A technique for controlling the state of a power supply in a mobile asset such as a cargo trailer. The technique detects motion status such as may be provided by a vibration sensor. The motion status signal is filtered by other signals, such as with inputs from a global positioning system sensor, and is then further used to select a power consumption mode. The power consumption mode may be further controlled based on configuration information that may indicate that a vibration source such as a refrigeration unit is present on the trailer.

Claims

1. An apparatus for use in controlling the state of a power supply in a vehicle comprising:

a vibration status input signal source for providing a vibration status signal;

a motion sensor for outputting a signal indicating in-transit status, the motion sensor being affected by the vibration status signal; and

a power controller responsive to the vibration status signal and the in-transit status signal, for selecting power consumption mode for the power supply.

2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the vibration status input signal source is provided by a refrigeration unit.

3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the refrigeration unit provides a refrigeration unit on/off status signal.

4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein a disable signal is asserted by detecting multiple trigger conditions.

5. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the motion sensor is reactivated after a predetermined amount of time.

6. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the motion sensor is reactivated upon an external event.

7. An apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein the external event is a tractor trailer hookup.

8. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the motion sensor further comprises an In_Transit filter to determine cargo container movement.