Wireless system for providing critical sensor alerts for equipment

• US 8,559,937 B2
• Filed: 09/19/2005
• Issued: 10/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omnitracs LLC (Solera Holdings Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Ram, Satish N., Pedersen, Charles
• Primary Examiner(s): Eng, George
• Assistant Examiner(s): HUYNH, NAM TRUNG
• Application Number:
  US11/230,352
• Publication Number:
  US 20060276185A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,948 Days
• Field of Search: 455/420, 455/90.1, 340/539.22, 340/539.1, 340/539.11, 340/539.16, 340/539.17, 340438-439, 340449-452, 701 29- 31, 701/33, 701/2, 701 314- 321, 701/32.7, 701/33.2, 701 337- 341
• US Class Current: 455/420
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers

Abstract

A wireless system is provided which enables a remotely located equipment monitor to control the equipment in the event that more than one alert or alarm for the same fault condition, at the equipment have been ignored by the equipment operator. Control options include instructing the operator to shut equipment down, automatically shutting the equipment down and putting the equipment in a safe mode of operation.

Claims

1. A management system for a vehicle, comprising:

a monitor site located remotely from said vehicle;

a processor located remotely from said vehicle, said processor being operable to;

receive information from a sensor in said vehicle regarding at least one of vehicle usage and operating characteristics of said vehicle;

detect a condition associated with said vehicle based on said information;

generate an alert for said vehicle based on said condition;

generate an operation recommendation for said vehicle based on said condition, after the generation of said alert for said condition; and

send said alert to the monitor site monitoring said vehicle; and

wherein said monitor site is operable to;

detect whether said condition remains, based on information from the same sensor, after said alert is sent a predetermined number of times; and

initiate the operation recommendation when said condition is detected after said alert is sent a predetermined number of times.

2. The management system for said vehicle as recited in claim 1, wherein said operation recommendation for said vehicle comprises at least one of measures selected from shutting said vehicle off, placing said vehicle in a safe mode of operation, or a combination thereof.

3. The management system as recited in claim 2, wherein said safe mode of operation defines vehicle operation which minimizes damage to said vehicle as a result of continued operation during an existence of said predetermined condition.

4. The management system as recited in claim 1, wherein said communications system is a wireless communications system.

5. The management system as recited in claim 1, wherein said communications system is a mobile communications system selected from the group consisting of a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) communications system, a Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) system, a Frequency Division Multiple Access System (FDMA), a satellite communications system and a two-way radio communications system.

6. A mobile terminal for monitoring and controlling a vehicle, comprising:

a plurality of sensors and at least one controller connected together in a network, wherein each of said plurality of sensors is operable to measure data relating to an operating characteristic of said vehicle to sense a predetermined condition on said vehicle; and

a communications processor for enabling communications between said mobile terminal and a remotely located system controller, said communications processor being operable to;

transmit sensor signals to said remotely located system controller in connection with receiving an indication of said predetermined condition from one of said plurality of sensors;

receive at least one alert from said remotely located system controller,

receive an operation recommendation for said vehicle based on said condition, after receiving said alert for said condition;

receive one or more additional alerts for the same sensor signal after a time interval for said vehicle;

detect whether said condition remains, based on information from the same sensor, after said alert is sent a predetermined number of times; and

initiate the operation recommendation for the vehicle when said condition is detected after said alert is sent a predetermined number of times.

7. The mobile terminal as recited in claim 6, wherein said network is a controller area network (CAN).

8. The mobile terminal as recited in claim 6, wherein said network comprises of an Ethernet or a local area network.

9. The mobile terminal as recited in claim 6, wherein said communications processor is operable to enable communications between said mobile terminal and said remotely located system controller using a wireless communications system.

10. The mobile terminal as recited in claim 9, wherein said wireless communications system is a mobile communications system selected from the group consisting of a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) communications system, a Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) system, a Frequency Division Multiple Access System (FDMA), a satellite communications system and a two-way radio communications system.

11. The mobile terminal as recited in claim 7, wherein said CAN operates according to the SAE J1939 specification.

12. The mobile terminal as recited in claim 7, wherein said CAN operates according to the SAE J1708 specification.

13. A method of monitoring and controlling a vehicle from a remote location, comprising:

receiving information from a sensor in said vehicle regarding at least one of vehicle usage and operating characteristic of said vehicle;

detecting a condition associated with said vehicle based on said information;

generating an alert for said vehicle based on said condition;

generating an operation recommendation for said remote vehicle based on said condition, after the generation of an alert for said condition;

sending said alert to a remote site monitoring said vehicle;

detecting whether said condition remains, based on information from the same sensor, after said alert is sent a predetermined number of times; and

initiating the operation recommendation when said condition is detected after said alert is sent a predetermined number of times.

14. The method of monitoring and controlling said vehicle as recited in claim 13, wherein said operation recommendation for said vehicle includes measures selected from shutting said vehicle off and placing said vehicle in a safe mode of operation.

15. The method of monitoring and controlling said vehicle as recited in claim 14, wherein said safe mode of operation defines vehicle operation which minimizes damage.

16. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein said alert is generated to said vehicle from said remote location using a wireless communications system.

17. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein said communications system is a mobile communications system selected from the group consisting of a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) communications system, a Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) system, a Frequency Division Multiple Access System (FDMA), a satellite communications system and a two-way radio communications system.

18. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor module configured to;

receive information from a sensor in a remote vehicle regarding at least one of vehicle usage and operating characteristic of said remote vehicle;

detect a condition associated with said remote vehicle based on said information;

generate an alert for said condition for said remote vehicle based on said condition;

generate an operation recommendation for said remote vehicle based on said condition, after the generation of an alert for said condition;

send said alert to a monitor site remotely monitoring said remote vehicle;

receive instruction to initiate the operation recommendation from the monitor site based on a detection that said condition remains, based on information from the same sensor, after said alert is sent a predetermined number of times; and

initiate the operation recommendation when said condition is detected after said alert is sent a predetermined number of times for said condition associated with said remote vehicle.

19. A system for monitoring and controlling a vehicle from a remote location, comprising:

means for receiving information from a sensor in said vehicle regarding at least one of vehicle usage and operating characteristic of said vehicle;

means for detecting a condition associated with said vehicle based on said information;

means for generating an alert for said condition;

means for generating an operation recommendation for said remote vehicle based on said condition, after the generation of an alert for said condition;

means for sending said alert to a site monitoring said vehicle;

means for detecting whether said condition remains, based on information from the same sensor, after said alert is sent a predetermined number of times; and

means to initiate the operation recommendation when said condition is detected after said alert is sent a predetermined number of times.

20. The system for monitoring and controlling said vehicle as recited in claim 19, wherein said operation recommendation for said vehicle includes measures selected from shutting said vehicle off and placing said vehicle in a safe mode of operation.

21. The system for monitoring and controlling said vehicle as recited in claim 20, wherein said safe mode of operation defines vehicle operation which minimizes damage.

22. The system as recited in claim 19, wherein the means for generating an alert to said vehicle from the remote location includes means for generating an alert to said vehicle from the remote location using a wireless communication system.

23. The system as recited in claim 22, wherein said communications system is a mobile communications system selected from the group consisting of a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) communications system, a Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) system, a Frequency Division Multiple Access System (FDMA), a satellite communications system and a two-way radio communications system.

24. A mobile terminal apparatus for monitoring and controlling a vehicle from a remote location, comprising:

means for measuring data relating to an operating characteristic of said vehicle to sense a predetermined condition on said vehicle;

means for enabling communications between said mobile terminal and a remotely located system controller,

means for transmitting sensor signals to said remotely located system controller in connection with receiving an indication of said predetermined condition from one of said plurality of sensors;

means for receiving at least one alert from said remotely located system controller,

means for receiving an operation recommendation for said vehicle based on said condition, after receiving said alert for said condition;

means for receiving one or more additional alerts for the same sensor signal after a time interval for said vehicle;

means for detecting whether said condition remains, based on information from the same sensor, after said alert is sent a predetermined number of times; and

means for initiating the operation recommendation for the vehicle when said condition is detected after said alert is sent a predetermined number of times.

25. The apparatus as recited in claim 24, wherein said means for enabling communication communicates via a controller area network (CAN).

26. The apparatus as recited in claim 24, wherein said means for enabling communication communicates via an Ethernet or a local area network.

27. The apparatus as recited in claim 24, wherein said means for enabling communication enables communications between said mobile terminal and said remotely located system controller using a wireless communications system.

28. The apparatus as recited in claim 27, wherein said wireless communications system is a mobile communications system selected from the group consisting of a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) communications system, a Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) system, a Frequency Division Multiple Access System (FDMA), a satellite communications system and a two-way radio communications system.

29. The apparatus as recited in claim 25, wherein said CAN operates according to the SAE J1939 specification.

30. The apparatus as recited in claim 25, wherein said CAN operates according to the SAE J1708 specification.

31. A method of monitoring and controlling a remotely located vehicle, comprising:

receiving at least one alert from a remotely located system controller, including an indication of a predetermined condition on said remotely located vehicle from one of a plurality of sensors,

receiving an operation recommendation for said vehicle based on said condition, after receiving said alert for said condition;

receiving one or more additional alerts for the same sensor signal after a time interval for said vehicle;

detecting whether said condition remains, based on information from the same sensor, after said alert is sent a predetermined number of times; and

initiating the operation recommendation for the vehicle when said condition is detected after said alert is sent a predetermined number of times.

32. The method as recited in claim 31, further comprising communicating via at least one of a controller area network (CAN), an Ethernet, or a local area network, or a wireless communications system.