Data processing: vehicles – navigation – and relative location – Vehicle control – guidance – operation – or indication
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-19
2001-05-22
Cuchlinski, Jr., William A. (Department: 3661)
Data processing: vehicles, navigation, and relative location
Vehicle control, guidance, operation, or indication
C701S200000, C701S036000, C340S438000, C340S425500
Reexamination Certificate
active
06236911
ABSTRACT:
INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND
THIS invention relates to a system and method of monitoring a load on a vehicle and more particularly to such a system and method utilizing an electronic radio frequency (RF) identification system.
It is a well known problem that while goods are being transported from a depot of a factory for example, to a destination station which may be a warehouse of a retailer of the goods, some of the goods may be filched by operators of the transporting truck or workers at the depot or destination. In the case of very valuable goods, for example pharmaceutical products, the transporting vehicle may be hi-jacked and the entire load robbed by the hi-jackers. It is often very difficult, if not impossible, to recover the stolen or robbed goods.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,887,176 to Randtec Inc there is disclosed an inventory control system for use with a warehouse or the like and utilizing an electronic radio frequency (RF) identification system. The system comprises a reader or interrogator and a plurality of active RF transponders or tags each associated with a respective container or item to be monitored in the warehouse. In use, the reader interrogates the transponder population. The response signals from the transponders are processed by the reader and compared to an inventory stored in a database. If one transponder does not respond during such an interrogation step or cycle, an alarm signal is generated.
Although the system may be suitable for methods of inventory control in stores and warehouses, it is not suitable to solve the severe and still increasing problems of monitoring a load of containers or items in transit, where hi-jacking of transport vehicles is an ever-increasing problem.
OBJECT OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a system and method with which the applicant believes the aforementioned problems may at least be alleviated.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the invention there is provided a system for monitoring the load on a load carrying vehicle, the system comprising:
an electronic radio frequency (RF) identification system composing a reader and a plurality of RF transponders;
each transponder being associated with a respective load item, the items collectively constituting a load located in a load carrying region of the vehicle;
the reader being operative in use to interrogate the transponders, to read response data received from the transponders and to generate data relating to a load change event;
a controller connected to the reader;
vehicle position data generating means connected to the controller; and
the controller being sensitive to a load change event and operative to record vehicle position related data corresponding to the load change event.
The load change event may be any one or both of addition of at least one item to the load and removal of at least one load item from the load.
The transponders may be active or passive transponders.
The system may also comprise timer means for generating time data connected to the controller and wherein the controller is operative to record time data corresponding to the load change event.
The system may further comprise a memory arrangement connected to the controller for storing the data recorded by the controller, for subsequent retrieval and analyses.
Inventory data comprising data relating to each of the items in the load may also be stored in the memory arrangement.
The controller may be operative in real time to update the inventory data or a manifest with data relating to an item added to the load, each time an item is added to the load.
The transponders may be interrogated in cycles and the controller preferably generates data relating to a load change event if response data read during an interrogation cycle does not correspond to the inventory data.
The vehicle position data generating means may comprise a global positioning system (GPS) transceiver connected to the controller or any other position determining or fixing system.
Alternatively or in addition, the vehicle position data generating means may comprise an odometer of the vehicle or a tachograph.
In the preferred embodiment, a transmitter is connected to the controller to transmit the data recorded by the controller in real time to a remote control station.
A pursuit and recovery team may be associated with the control station to act upon transmitted data relating to an event which is an unauthorized removal of at least one load item from the load.
The reader may be programmed to interrogate the transponders according to any one or more of the following patterns: continuously, intermittently, periodically and during predetermined events. A predetermined event is any one or more of the following: while a door of the load carrying region is open; when the door is dosed; while the vehicle is stationary; and when motion is detected in the load carrying region.
Also included within the scope of the present invention is a method of monitoring a load on a load carrying vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:
providing on each of a plurality of items constituting a load carried on a load carrying region of the vehicle a respective transponder of a plurality of transponders of an electronic identification system;
interrogating the transponders with an interrogation signal from a reader of the system;
causing each transponder to respond to the interrogation signal with response date characteristic of that transponder;
reading the data;
comparing the data read to inventory data relating to the items in the load; and
in the event of a difference between the data read and the inventory data, recording a load change event and vehicle position data corresponding to the load change event.
Further according to the method time data corresponding to the load change event may also be recorded.
The position data may comprise data relating to at least one of position coordinates of the vehicle; and a distance from a reference position. The position coordinate data may be determined utilizing a global positioning system and the distance data may be determined utilizing an odometer of the vehicle.
The time data may be determined by a real time clock.
The transponders may be interrogated according to any one or more of the following patterns: continuously, intermittently, periodically and during predetermined events.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention and in the event of a load change event, data relating to the load change event and vehicle position data are transmitted to a remote control station.
The data relating to the event may also be stored in a memory arrangement for subsequent retrieval and analysis. At the control station, the data may be utilized to determine the location of the load at the time of the event and/or to initiate a pursuit and recovery process.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5848368 (1998-12-01), Allen et al.
patent: 5887176 (1999-03-01), Griffith et al.
Cuchlinski Jr. William A.
Hernandez Olga
Merchant & Gould P.C.
Supersensor (Proprietary) Limited
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