Method and integrated system for networked control of an environment of a mobile object

• US 7,250,860 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2004
• Issued: 07/31/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Signature Control Systems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Signature Control Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Smith, Brian J., Schafer, Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Hung
• Application Number:
  US10/952,821
• Publication Number:
  US 20060084420A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,034 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.22, 340/539.1, 340/539.13, 340/539.19, 340/988, 340/989, 340/426.19, 340/426.22, 340/825.49, 340/825.69, 701/36, 701/208, 701/211, 701/213
• US Class Current: 340/539.22
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/14 Delay circuits; Timers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/30 PCM
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42144 by service provider
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42348 Location-based services which utilize the location information of a target

Abstract

A controller (301), for example on a field interface of a resource management system (300), determines a location of a mobile object (303a, 303b, 303c) and controls an environment thereof. The controller (301) receives, via a first transceiver (307), a communication including information representative of the mobile object; receives a command via a second transceiver (317) and controls the environment outside of the mobile object responsive to the command and/or the communication. A controller, for example on the mobile object (303a, 303b, 303c), detects a location of the mobile object (303a, 303b, 303c) via device (305a, 305b, 305c). The controller collects information about the mobile object including location; transmits, to a controller via its transceiver, a communication including the information; receives a command via its transceiver; and controls operation of the mobile object responsive to the command.

Claims

1. A controller for determining a location of a mobile object and controlling an environment of the mobile object, comprising:

(A) a processor, wherein the processor is configured to facilitate communicating via a first transceiver and a second transceiver;

to facilitate receiving, from a mobile object via the first transceiver, a communication including information representative of the mobile object;

to facilitate transmitting, responsive to the communication, a first command to an other controller via the second transceiver;

to facilitate receiving a second command via the second transceiver from the other controller; and

to facilitate controlling irrigation or fertigation outside of the mobile object responsive to at least one of the second command and the communication.

2. The controller of claim 1, further comprising:

(B) a first transceiver, to receive communications transmitted from the mobile object; and

(C) a second transceiver, to transmit and receive commands.

3. The controller of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to facilitate opening at least one communication channel to at least one other controller, and to facilitate transmitting the first command to the at least one other controller on the communication channel.

4. The controller of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to facilitate providing at least one communication channel from the first transceiver to a radio on the mobile object, and to facilitate receiving the communication on the communication channel.

5. The controller of claim 1, wherein the first command is initiated at the controller and indicates a location of the mobile object, a history of the mobile object, and an identity of the mobile object.

6. The controller of claim 5, wherein the mobile object is a vehicle, and wherein the history indicates information sensed regarding the status of the vehicle.

7. The controller of claim 1, further comprising a memory, configured to store information representative of an environment at a location of the first transceiver, wherein the processor is further configured to facilitate determining whether or not to control the environment exterior of the vehicle responsive to the information representative of the environment at the location of the first transceiver.

8. The controller of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to facilitate communicating as part of a distributed network system.

9. The controller of claim 8, wherein the distributed network system is a peer-to-peer network.

10. The controller of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to facilitate at least one of determining and predicting a location of the mobile object, and to facilitate transmitting the first command to the other controller when a location of the mobile object will be proximate to the other controller.

11. The controller of claim 1, wherein the second command is at least one of:

adjust irrigation operation, review irrigation operation, review environment sensors, review irrigation schedule, initiate watering, and disable watering.

12. The controller of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to facilitate transmitting a third command to the mobile object to control an operation of the mobile object.

13. The control let of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to facilitate controlling salt distribution, sand distribution, brine dispensation, or mowing at the mobile object.

14. A controller for use in connection with determining a location of a mobile object, and controlling an environment of the mobile object, comprising:

(A) a global positioning system (GPS), for sensing a location of the mobile object;

(B) a processor, connected to the GPS, wherein the processor is configured to facilitate communicating via a transceiver;

to facilitate collecting information representative of the mobile object including at least the location;

to facilitate transmitting, to a controller via the transceiver, a communication including the information representative of the mobile object;

to facilitate receiving a command via the transceiver from the controller; and

to facilitate controlling an operation of the mobile object responsive to the command,

wherein the controlled operation of the mobile object is salt distribution, sand distribution, brine dispensing, or mowing.

15. The controller of claim 14, wherein the controller is utilized in the mobile object.

16. The controller of claim 14, further comprising a first transceiver, wherein the processor is configured to facilitate opening at least one communication channel to the other controller, and to facilitate communicating with the controller on the communication channel.

17. The controller of claim 16, wherein the at least one communication channel is a short wave radio channel.

18. The controller of claim 14, wherein the information further includes a history of the mobile object from information sensed by the mobile object regarding a status of the mobile object, and an identity of the mobile object.

19. The controller of claim 14, wherein the mobile object is a vehicle, and wherein the history indicates information sensed regarding the status of the vehicle.

20. The controller of claim 14, wherein the processor is further configured to facilitate storing the collected information when outside of a communication range with the controller, and transmitting the stored information to the controller when the mobile object is within the communication range.

21. The controller of claim 14, wherein the processor is further configured to facilitate communicating with the controller via the transceiver to cause the controller to change irrigation or fertigation control when the mobile object travels through an area of irrigation or fertigation under control of the controller.

22. A method for controlling an environment condition at a location of a mobile object in connection with a peer-to-peer distributed network system, where the distributed network includes a plurality of controllers, comprising the at least one of sequential, non-sequential, and sequence-independent steps of:

(A) sensing, in at least one controller of a plurality of controllers, a location of the mobile object;

(B) receiving, from the mobile object, information representative of a condition of the mobile object;

(C) transmitting, responsive to the received information, the information to at least one other controller;

(D) controlling, responsive to the received information, in the at least one controller, an environmental condition of the mobile object, wherein the environmental condition is an irrigation condition or a fertigation condition.