Mobile asset data management system

• US 20080140544A1
• Filed: 11/28/2007
• Published: 06/12/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/1999
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Id Systems Incorporated (PowerFleet, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Id Systems Incorporated (PowerFleet, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hecker, Yaron, Ehrman, Michael L., Jagid, Jeffrey M., Pimentel, Leonard, Ehrman, Kenneth S., Pinzon, Joseph M.
• Application Number:
  US11/986,996
• Publication Number:
  US 20080140544A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/28
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/304 Boats
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/04 operating on the propulsion system, e.g. engine or drive motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/102 a signal being sent to a remote location, e.g. a radio signal being transmitted to a police station, a security company or the owner
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/302 using recording means, e.g. black box
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063 Operations research, analysis or management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06312 Adjustment or analysis of established resource schedule, e.g. resource or task levelling, or dynamic rescheduling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/203 Inventory monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 15/00 Arrangements or apparatus for collecting fares, tolls or entrance fees at one or more control points handling coins or valuable papers, e.g. banknotes, G07D; apparatus for vending or hiring articles or services activated by coins, credit cards, paper currency or the like G07F7/00, G07F17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/32 in combination with an identity check
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/127 to a central station ; Indicators in a central station
• 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: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/107 wherein the security policies are location-dependent, e.g. entities privileges depend on current location or allowing specific operations only from locally connected terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/108 when the policy decisions are valid for a limited amount of time
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 : involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 : in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 : Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 : Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 : Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/76 : Group identity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 : Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 : Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 : Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 : WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

Location tracking devices and methods are provided to determine the position of a mobile asset. The method provides a processing system to calculate the location of the mobile asset, based on the information provided by a position determining device. The method for tracking the location of an asset utilizes a wireless device in an asset management system, and includes receiving at least one short range RF communication signal by a mobile wireless device from the asset management system; calculating position of the asset, by the mobile wireless device, based on the received at least one short range RF communication signal; and storing the position of the asset in the mobile wireless device. The wireless device performs location tracking of the asset being monitored by an asset management system, and includes means for receiving a short range RF communication signal from the asset management system; means for calculating position of the asset based on the received short range RF communication signal; and means for storing the position of the asset being monitored by the asset management system.

Claims

1. A method for tracking the location of an asset utilizing at least one wireless device in an asset management system, said method comprising:

receiving at least one short range RF communication signal by a mobile wireless device from the asset management system;

periodically calculating, at a first frequency rate, a position of the asset, by the mobile wireless device, based on the received at least one short range RF communication signal; and

storing the position of the asset in the mobile wireless device.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether the asset is in motion; and

determining the first frequency rate based on the speed of motion of the asset.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first frequency rate is increased as the speed of the asset increases.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the asset comprises a mobile asset.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein periodically calculating a position of the asset comprises performing a triangulation calculation.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein storing the position of the asset occurs based on an operating condition of the asset.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the operating condition comprises motion of the asset.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein storing the position of the asset is performed substantially periodically.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the mobile wireless device is an asset communicator.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one short range RF communication signal is received from a terrestrial based transmitter.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one short range RF communication signal is received from a satellite based transmitter.

12. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

generating an identifier associated with the position of the asset, the identifier being in temporal relation to other identifiers generated for other positions of the asset;

forming a dataset including the identifier and position of the asset; and

wherein storing the position of the asset in the mobile wireless device includes storing the formed dataset.

13. The method according to claim 12, further comprising;

determining if a communication link between the mobile wireless device and a component of the asset management system exists; and

communicating the dataset to the component of the asset management system if a communication link exists.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising maintaining the dataset in the mobile wireless device until a determination is made that a wireless communication link is established.

15. A wireless device coupled to an asset and operable to perform location tracking of the asset being monitored by an asset management system, said wireless device comprising:

a receiver operable to receive at least one short range RF communication signal from the asset management system;

a processor in communication with said receiver;

software executed by said processor and operable to calculate a position of the asset based on the received at least one short range RF communication signal; and

a storage unit in communication with said processor and operable to receive and store the calculated position of the asset.

16. The wireless device according to claim 15, wherein the software is further operable to:

determine whether the asset is in motion; and

calculate the position of the asset at a higher frequency rate based on whether the asset is in motion as compared to a frequency rate if it is determined that the asset is not in motion.

17. The wireless device according to claim 15, wherein said software utilizes a triangulation computation to perform the calculation to determine position.

18. The wireless device according to claim 15, wherein said software stores the position based on an operating condition of the asset.

19. The wireless device according to claim 18, wherein the operating condition comprises being in motion and being idle.

20. The wireless device according to claim 15, wherein the storage unit is operable to store the calculated position substantially periodically.

21. The wireless device according to claim 15, wherein said receiver is operable to receive terrestrial based signals.

22. The wireless device according to claim 15, wherein said receiver is operable to receive satellite based signals.

23. The wireless device according to claim 15, wherein said software is further operable to:

generate an identifier associated with the calculated position of the asset, the identifier being in temporal relation to other identifiers generated for other positions of the asset;

from a dataset including the identifier and position of the asset; and

wherein said storage unit is further operable to store the dataset.

24. The wireless device according to claim 23, wherein said software is further operable to:

determine if a communication link between the mobile wireless device and a component of the asset management system exists; and

communicate the dataset to the component of the asset management system if a communication link exists.

25. The wireless device according to claim 24, wherein said software is further operable to maintain the dataset in said storage unit until a determination is made that a wireless communication link is established.