Integrated air logistics system

• US 6,429,810 B1
• Filed: 01/31/2001
• Issued: 08/06/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Fleet Connect Solutions LLC (Empire IP LLC)
• Original Assignee: Mark Stephen De Roche
• Inventors: De Roche, Mark Stephen
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAN, DAO LINDA
• Application Number:
  US09/774,547
• Time in Patent Office: 552 Days
• Field of Search: 342/357.01, 342/357.06, 342/357.07, 342/357.13, 342/450, 342/457
• US Class Current: 342/357.75
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/14 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/24 Acquisition or tracking or demodulation of signals transmitted by the system synchronisation aspects of direct sequence spread spectrum modulation H04B1/7073
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/34 Power consumption
• 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: H04B 7/18554 using the position provided by an existing geolocalisation system

Abstract

An autonomous cargo tracking system and method of using same are provided. The system is comprised of communication and sensor unit that is affixed to the container to be tracked, a ground system that coordinates communications between the unit and the users, and one or more satellite systems that provide communication capabilities as well as position information. The system can operate either as a unidirectional system or as a bi-directional system. As a unidirectional system data is sent either directly to the users or, more preferably, sent indirectly to the users via the ground system. As a bi-directional system users are able to both request and receive data from the unit, either directly or indirectly through the ground system. Preferably users communicate with the ground system using an Internet Web site.

Claims

1. A method of providing container status information to a user, the method comprising of the steps of:

attaching an electronic communications unit to a shipping container;

generating a transaction identification code, wherein said transaction identification code is specific to said shipping container and specific to at least one user transaction;

initiating a status inquiry utilizing said transaction identification code, wherein said user performs said initiating step;

receiving said status inquiry by a ground communications system;

transmitting said status inquiry to said electronic communications unit by said ground communications system;

obtaining a status information response by said electronic communications unit;

transmitting said status information response to said ground communications system by said electronic communications unit; and

forwarding said status information response to said user by said ground communications system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said status inquiry is a positional status inquiry.

3. The method of claim 2, said step of obtaining said status information response further comprising the step of obtaining a set of shipping container position coordinates by said electronic communications unit.

4. The method of claim 3, said step of obtaining said set of shipping container position coordinates further comprising the step of querying a GPS satellite system by said electronic communications unit.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising the step of translating said set of shipping container position coordinates to a shipping container location description by said electronic communications system, wherein said shipping container location description is transmitted to said ground communications system as said status information response.

6. The method of claim 3, further comprising the step of translating said set of position coordinates to a shipping container location description by said ground communications system, wherein said set of position coordinates are transmitted to said ground communications system by said electronic communications system as said status information response and said location description is forwarded to said user by said ground communications system as a translated status information response.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said status inquiry is an environmental status inquiry.

8. The method of claim 7, said step of obtaining said status information response further comprising the step of interrogating a sensor module coupled to said electronic communications unit to obtain an environmental status response, said environmental status response transmitted to said ground communications system as said status information response.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said status inquiry is a shipping container status inquiry.

10. The method of claim 9, said step of obtaining said status information response further comprising the step of interrogating a sensor module coupled to said electronic communications unit to obtain a shipping container status response, said shipping container status response transmitted to said ground communications system as said status information response.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of transmitting said status inquiry to said electronic communications unit by said ground communications system utilizes a satellite communications system.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said shipping container is selected from the group of shipping containers consisting of cargo containers, pallets, cargo nets, and cargo unit load devices.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of attaching said electronic communications unit to said shipping container is further comprised of the step of inserting said electronic communications unit into a pouch, said pouch affixed to said shipping container.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said pouch is affixed to said shipping container with tape, adhesive, suction cups, or straps.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein said transaction identification code is an air-way bill.

16. The method of claim 1, said status inquiry initiating step further comprising the step of linking to said ground communications system via an Internet Web site.

17. The method of claim 1, said status inquiry initiating step further comprising the step of transmitting said status inquiry to said ground communications system via an e-mail system.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

obtaining a status information summary by said electronic communications unit; and

storing said status information summary within a memory module coupled to said electronic communications unit, wherein said step of obtaining said status information response is performed by polling said memory module for a current status information summary.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said step of obtaining said status information summary is periodically performed.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising the step of continually monitoring a status indicator, wherein said step of obtaining said status information summary is performed in response to a monitored change in said status indicator.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein said monitored status indicator corresponds to a shipping container location.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein said monitored status indicator corresponds to an environmental condition.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein said status information response is forwarded to said user via an Internet Web site.

24. The method of claim 1, said status information response forwarding step further comprising the step of transmitting said status information response to said user via an e-mail system.

25. The method of claim 1, said status information response forwarding step further comprising the step of transmitting said status information response to said user via an automated facsimile system.

26. The method of claim 1, said status information response forwarding step further comprising the step of transmitting said status information response to said user via a telephone system and a voice synthesized message.

27. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

monitoring at least one shipping container status indicator with said electronic communications unit;

updating shipping container status information in response to a change in said at least one monitored shipping container status indicator;

transmitting said updated shipping container status information to said ground communications system by said electronic communications unit; and

forwarding said updated shipping container status information to said user by said ground communications system.

28. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

monitoring at least one shipping container status indicator with said electronic communications unit;

obtaining a set of shipping container position coordinates in response to a change in said at least one monitored shipping container status indicator;

transmitting said set of shipping container position coordinates to said ground communications system by said electronic communications unit; and

forwarding said set of shipping container position coordinates to said user by said ground communications system.

29. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

detecting an airplane loading event;

placing a portion of said electronics communications unit into standby mode in response to said detected airplane loading event;

detecting an airplane unloading event; and

re-activating said portion of said electronics communications unit in response to said detected airplane unloading event.

30. A method of providing container status information to a user, the method comprising of the steps of:

attaching an electronic communications unit to a shipping container;

generating a transaction identification code, wherein said transaction identification code is specific to said shipping container and specific to at least one user transaction;

monitoring at least one shipping container status indicator with said electronic communications unit;

updating shipping container status information in response to a change in said at least one monitored shipping container status indicator;

transmitting said updated shipping container status information to a ground communications system by said electronic communications unit; and

forwarding said updated shipping container status information to said user by said ground communications system.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising the step of receiving a status inquiry from said user by said ground communications system, said status inquiry utilizing said transaction identification code, wherein said forwarding step is performed in response to said receiving step.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein said shipping container status indicator is a shipping container location.

33. The method of claim 30, said step of updating shipping container status information further comprising the step of obtaining a set of shipping container position coordinates by said electronic communications unit.

34. The method of claim 33, said step of obtaining said set of shipping container position coordinates further comprising the step of querying a GPS satellite system by said electronic communications unit.

35. The method of claim 33, further comprising the step of translating said set of shipping container position coordinates to a shipping container location description by said electronic communications system, wherein said shipping container location description is transmitted to said ground communications system as said updated shipping container status information.

36. The method of claim 33, further comprising the step of translating said set of position coordinates to a shipping container location description by said ground communications system, wherein said set of position coordinates are transmitted to said ground communications system by said electronic communications system as said updated shipping container status information and said shipping container location description is forwarded to said user by said ground communications system as a translated shipping container status information.

37. The method of claim 30, wherein said at least one shipping container status indicator is an environmental status indicator.

38. The method of claim 30, wherein said step of transmitting said updated shipping container status information to said ground communications system by said electronics communications unit utilizes a satellite communications system.

39. The method of claim 30, wherein said shipping container is selected from the group of shipping containers consisting of cargo containers, pallets, cargo nets, and cargo unit load devices.

40. The method of claim 30, wherein said step of attaching said electronic communications unit to said shipping container is further comprised of the step of inserting said electronic communications unit into a pouch, said pouch affixed to said shipping container.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein said pouch is affixed to said shipping container with tape, adhesive, suction cups, or straps.

42. The method of claim 30, wherein said transaction identification code is an air-way bill.

43. The method of claim 31, said step of receiving said status inquiry from said user further comprising the step of linking to said ground communications system by said user via an Internet Web site.

44. The method of claim 31, said step of receiving said status inquiry from said user further comprising the step of transmitting said status inquiry to said ground communications system via an e-mail system.

45. The method of claim 30, further comprising the step of storing shipping container status information within a memory module coupled to said electronic communications unit.

46. The method of claim 30, wherein said updated shipping container status information is forwarded to said user via an Internet Web site.

47. The method of claim 30, said updated shipping container status information forwarding step further comprising the step of transmitting said updated shipping container status information to said user via an e-mail system.

48. The method of claim 30, said updated shipping container status information forwarding step further comprising the step of transmitting said updated shipping container status information to said user via an automated facsimile system.

49. The method of claim 30, said updated shipping container status information forwarding step further comprising the step of transmitting said updated shipping container status information to said user via a telephone system and a voice synthesized message.

50. The method of claim 30, further comprising the steps of:

detecting an airplane loading event;

placing a portion of said electronics communications unit into standby mode in response to said detected airplane loading event;

detecting an airplane unloading event; and

re-activating said portion of said electronics communications unit in response to said detected airplane unloading event.