Method and system for identification and registration of a moving object entering a pre-determined area, related network and computer program product therefor

• US 7,664,483 B2
• Filed: 12/23/2003
• Issued: 02/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telecom Italia S.p.A.
• Original Assignee: Telecom Italia S.p.A.
• Inventors: Salis, Nicoletta, Annoni, Marco, Ascolese, Antonio
• Primary Examiner(s): Appiah; Charles N
• Assistant Examiner(s): DOAN, KIET M
• Application Number:
  US10/584,081
• Publication Number:
  US 20070146163A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,247 Days
• Field of Search: 455/406, 455/11.1, 705/34, 701/29, 701/211, 340/937, 342/104
• US Class Current: 455/406
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 15/02 taking into account a variable factor such as distance or time, e.g. for passenger transport, parking systems or car rental systems G07B15/06 takes precedence; taximeters G07B13/00; parking meters per se G07F17/24; car rental systems per se G07B15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 15/063 using wireless information transmission between the vehicle and a fixed station identification of vehicles G08G
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C

Abstract

A method for identification and registration of a moving object, entering a pre-determined area to be monitored. The identification operation has interaction between the moving object and an area access system associated with the predetermined area and including supplying identification information, while the registration operation is carried out over a wireless communication link to a control center. The method further includes identifying the moving object through a mutual interaction between the moving object and the area access system, the mutual interaction being performed over a wireless short range communication link, preferably a Bluetooth wireless link; and performing the registration operation by establishing a wireless communication link of the long-range type between the moving object and the control center upon activation of the mutual interaction on the wireless short range communication link. Preferred application is safety monitoring of tunnels.

Claims

1. A method for identification and registration of a moving object entering a pre-determined area to be monitored, said identification operation comprising interaction between said moving object and an area access system associated with said predetermined area and comprising supplying identification information, said registration operation being carried out over a wireless communication link to a control center, comprising the steps of:

identifying said moving object through a mutual interaction between said moving object and the area access system, said mutual interaction being performed over a wireless short range communication link; and

performing said registration operation by establishing a non-GPS wireless communication link of the long-range type between said moving object and said control center upon activation of said mutual interaction on the wireless short range communication link;

wherein said supplying identification information comprises sending moving object information;

wherein said identification operation comprises the steps of;

sending an identification request message from the area access system to the moving object, said identification request message comprising said control center address information; and

sending an identification response message from the moving object to the area access system, said identification response message comprising said moving object information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said supplying identification information comprises the step of sending control center address information to the moving object.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said registration operation comprises the steps of:

sending a registration request message from the moving object to the control center, said registration request message comprising said moving object information;

sending a registration response message from the control center to the moving object, said registration response message comprising an acceptance information.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said registration request message further comprises a moving object phone number.

5. The method of claim 3 said registration response message further comprises a control center phone number and/or map information and/or prognostic feature data.

6. The method of claim 1, comprising the step of providing and managing a vehicle status parameter at the moving object, which value indicates the moving object position with respect to said predetermined area to be monitored.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein after said identification operation, the area access system sends a moving object parameters message, comprising at least part of said identification information, to the control center.

8. The method of claim 1, comprising exchanging further information messages between a driver of the moving object and the moving object.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising a de-registration operation that comprises the steps of:

detecting the exit of the moving object from the predetermined area to be monitored through a further mutual interaction between said moving object and the area access system, said mutual interaction being performed over a wireless short range communication link;

upon activation of said detection operation, performing said de-registration operation by said moving object on said long-range communication link with said control center; and

terminating said long-range communication link.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein in said registration operation, said long range wireless communication link is at least partly carried out via a wireless mobile network.

11. The method of claim 1, comprising performing an intermediate notification operation of the passage of the moving object at an intermediate barrier within said area upon activation of a further interaction on the wireless short range communication link.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein a notice of said intermediate notification operation is transmitted to said control center by said wireless communication link of the long-range type between said moving object and said control center.

13. A computer readable medium encoded with a computer program product loadable into a memory of at least one computer, the computer program product comprising software code portions capable of performing the steps of the method of claim 1.

14. A system for identification and registration of a moving object entering a pre-determined area to be monitored, wherein said moving object has associated an object communication and control module, and said pre-determined area to be monitored has associated an area access system comprising interaction modules placed at fixed points in said predetermined area, said system further comprising a control center, said control center and said object communication and control module being suitably equipped for establishing a wireless communication link, said interaction modules and said object communication and control module being configured for mutually establishing a short range communication link and performing an identification operation through a mutual interaction between said moving object and the area access system, said object communication and control module being further configured for establishing a long range non-GPS wireless communication link with said control center;

wherein said object communication and control module is configured for sending a moving object information to said area access system;

wherein said area access system is further configured for sending an identification request message to the moving object, said identification request message comprising said control center-address information;

said object communication and control module being further configured for sending an identification response message to the area access system, said identification response message comprising moving object information.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein said area access system is configured for sending a control center address information to said object communication and control module.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein:

said object communication and control module is configured for sending a registration request message to the control center, said registration request message comprising said moving object information; and

said control center is configured for sending a registration response message to the object communication and control module, said registration response message comprising an acceptance information.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein said object communication and control module is configured for including a moving object phone number in said registration request message.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein said control center is configured for including in said registration response message, a control center phone number and/or map information and/or prognostic feature data.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein said object communication and control module is configured for storing and managing a moving object status parameter, which value indicates the moving object position with respect to said predetermined area to be monitored.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein the area access system comprises a further communication network for sending a moving object parameters message to the control center, after performing said mutual identification operation.

21. The system of claim 14, wherein the moving object comprises an object network for exchanging messages between an object user and said object communication and control module.

22. The system of claim 14, wherein said interaction modules comprise an exit interaction module placed at an exit point and suitably equipped for performing a further mutual interaction over said wireless short range communication link with said object communication and control module, said object communication and control module being configured for performing a de-registration operation on said long-range communication link with said control center after the completion of said mutual interaction operation, and interrupting said long-range communication link.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein said access barriers are configured also for automatic toll collection.

24. The system of claim 14, wherein said interaction modules are access barriers and said fixed points are placed substantially at the boundaries of said predetermined area.

25. The system of claim 14, wherein said predetermined area encompasses a tunnel and said access barriers are placed at a distance from the tunnel boundaries sufficient to ensure that the moving object is registered and monitored before entering said tunnel.

26. The system of claim 14, wherein said short range communication link is a Bluetooth link and said interaction modules and said object communication and control module are equipped with Bluetooth communication modules.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein said Bluetooth communication module establishes said short range communication link by performing an inquiry procedure.

28. The system of claim 14, wherein said long range wireless communication link is at least partly effected via a wireless mobile network and said control center and said object communication and control module are configured for accessing said wireless mobile network.

29. The system of claim 14, wherein said wireless mobile network is a GPRS network.

30. The system of claim 14, wherein the moving object is a vehicle.

31. The system of claim 14, wherein said interaction modules comprise at least one intermediate barrier configured for detecting the passage of the moving object and supplying to the control center information about the passage of the moving object.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein supplying to the control center information about the passage of the moving object is performed over the long range wireless link.

33. A telecommunication network comprising a system according to claim 14.