Device, system and method for tracking mobile assets

• US 8,890,683 B2
• Filed: 06/02/2011
• Issued: 11/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: TrackPoint Systems, LLC (Truck-Lite Holdings 2 Corp.)
• Original Assignee: TrackPoint Systems, LLC (Truck-Lite Holdings 2 Corp.)
• Inventors: Schnitz, Benjamin A., Cave, William R., Keistler, Roland D. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lim, Steven
• Assistant Examiner(s): Knox, Kaleria
• Application Number:
  US13/152,061
• Publication Number:
  US 20110227727A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,265 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.14, 340/539.13, 702/188, 701/1
• US Class Current: 340/539.13
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/203 Inventory monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 50/12 Billing, invoicing, buying or selling transactions or other related activities, e.g. cost or usage evaluation

Abstract

A device attached to an outside surface of a shipping container for tracking the shipping container includes a solar panel, a battery, a GPS receiver module, a cellular data transceiver module, and a microcontroller for controlling the GPS receiver module and the cellular data transceiver module to periodically obtain the location of the shipping container and transmit the location to a tracking database of a central tracking computer. The solar panel, battery, GPS receiver module, cellular data transceiver module and microcontroller are integrated into a one-piece, watertight master control unit. The master control unit may further include a local wireless network master transceiver module. The local wireless network master transceiver module is for communicating with a wireless sensor located within the shipping container through the walls of the shipping container.

Claims

1. A device for attaching to an outside surface of a shipping container for tracking the shipping container, comprising:

a solar panel for converting light-energy into electrical power;

a battery for receiving and storing said electrical power from said solar panel;

a GPS receiver module for receiving signals from a global positioning system and determining a location of said shipping container;

a cellular data transceiver module for communicating via a cellular data network;

a local wireless network master transceiver module having a transceiver for wirelessly communicating with a wireless sensor located entirely within said shipping container without penetrating through walls of the shipping container, the transceiver wirelessly communicating with the wireless sensor by transmitting wireless signals through the walls of the shipping container without any holes through the walls of the shipping container; and

a microcontroller for controlling said GPS receiver module to periodically obtain said location of said shipping container from said GPS receiver module, for controlling said local wireless network master transceiver module to periodically obtain data from said wireless sensor, and for controlling said cellular data transceiver module to transmit said location and said sensor data using said cellular data transceiver module;

wherein said solar panel, said battery, said GPS receiver module, said cellular data transceiver module, said local wireless network master transceiver module, and said microcontroller are integrated into a master control unit attached to the outside surface of the shipping container without penetrating into an interior of the shipping container.

2. The device of claim 1, further comprising a battery charging circuit integrated into said master control unit, said battery charging circuit being controlled by said microcontroller for charging said battery with said electrical power from said solar panel.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein said master control unit further includes a baseplate member attached to said solar panel, and an electronics housing sealed to said baseplate member, said electronics housing containing said battery, said GPS receiver module, said cellular data transceiver module, and said microcontroller.

4. The device of claim 3, said solar panel further comprising a solar film having power output contacts, said solar film positioned on a rigid base sheet, said rigid base sheet attached to said baseplate member.

5. The device of claim 4, further comprising a Hall-effect sensor in communication with said microcontroller, and a magnet, said baseplate member further comprising a recess for receiving said magnet, said microcontroller sensing a presence of the magnet via the Hall-effect sensor to turn the device on.

6. The device of claim 5, further comprising an adhesive member attached to bottom surfaces of said baseplate member and said solar panel for attaching said device to the outside surface of said shipping container.

7. A system for tracking a shipping container, wherein said shipping container has walls that form a substantially sealed enclosure, comprising:

a central tracking computer having a tracking database and being interfaced to the Internet;

a wireless sensor located within said shipping container for sensing a condition of said shipping container; and

a master control unit attached to an outside surface of the shipping container without penetrating into an interior of the shipping container, said master control unit including;

a solar panel for converting light-energy into electrical power;

a battery for receiving and storing said electrical power from said solar panel;

a GPS receiver module for receiving signals from a global positioning system and determining a location of said shipping container;

a cellular data transceiver module for communicating with said central tracking computer via a cellular data network interfaced to the Internet;

a local wireless network master transceiver module in wireless communication with said wireless sensor located within said shipping container, by transmitting wireless signals through the walls of the shipping container without any holes through the walls of the shipping container; and

a microcontroller for controlling said GPS receiver module to periodically obtain said location of said shipping container from said GPS receiver module, for controlling said local wireless network master transceiver module to periodically obtain sensor data from said wireless sensor, and for controlling said cellular data transceiver module to transmit said location and said sensor data to said central tracking computer for storage in said tracking database.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein said wireless sensor is paired with said local wireless network master transceiver module, wherein said local wireless network master transceiver module communicates only with said paired wireless sensor.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein said shipping container has a forward end, an aft end, a roof wall and a floor wall, and is loaded from the forward end to the aft end, and wherein said wireless sensor is a load sensor positioned on the inside of the roof wall proximate the forward end having a ultrasonic field pointed toward the floor wall.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein said shipping container has at least one door, and wherein said wireless sensor is a door sensor having a three-axis accelerometer, said door sensor mounted to the inside of said at least one door to detect opening and closing said at least one door.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein said shipping container contains at least one piece of cargo having an inventory control tag, said inventory control tag comprising a memory containing shipping information about said at least one piece of cargo.

12. A method of tracking information about a shipping container having walls that form a substantially sealed enclosure, said method comprising:

positioning a wireless sensor within said shipping container without penetrating the walls of said shipping container, said wireless sensor for sensing a condition of said shipping container;

positioning a master control unit on the outside of the shipping container without penetrating the walls of said shipping container, said master control unit;

converting light-energy into electrical power using a solar panel;

storing said electrical power from said solar panel in a battery;

receiving signals from a global positioning system and determining a location of said shipping container using a GPS receiver module;

communicating with a cellular data network using a cellular data transceiver module;

communicating with said wireless sensor by transmitting wireless signals through the walls of the shipping container without any holes through the walls using a local wireless network master transceiver module; and

controlling said GPS receiver module, said local wireless network master transceiver module, and said cellular data transceiver module with a microcontroller to periodically obtain said location of said shipping container from said GPS receiver module, to periodically obtain sensor data from said wireless sensor, and to transmit said location and said sensor data using said cellular data transceiver module.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising pairing said wireless sensor with said local wireless network master transceiver module, said local wireless network master transceiver module communicates only with said paired wireless sensor.