This application is a national phase entry under 35 USC 371 of International Patent Application No.: PCT/IB2017/050657 filed on 7 Feb. 2017, the disclosures of which are incorporated in them entirety by reference herein.
The present invention relates to an assets and goods in transit protection system operated through a satellite telecommunications network and commanded wirelessly from a mobile cell phone, including the method of acknowledging the status of a logistic monitoring, control and preservation of inventory stocks of goods.
The system can be used in all kinds of conditions and manufactured on the basis of component parts and existing materials in the industry. Although this development has been made to solve an asset protection requirement, it has been discovered that multiple applications in the consumer market can be protected by the system.
Statistics demonstrate that numerous thefts of products take place while traveling from one place to another with substantial losses, inefficiency and disorder throughout the supply chain of a particular activity.
In general the problem's origin is the lack of control devices with real time global monitoring and memory capabilities to check, locally and globally the status of the protection device at any time needed. Moreover, at the moment no system has been found that guarantees knowing if certain device has been undesirably opened previous it has reached its final destination.
Several products are available nowadays intending to protect cargo delivery. In general these products can be grouped in two major areas: Portable Locks and Fuel caps, wherein portable locks are used to seal enclosures used to store cargo and fuel caps are devices to protect the theft of own fuel used in transportation vehicles.
In both cases devices may be monitored to acknowledge certain status of the device, but are not active systems. Active means that the communication is in and out of the device on a permanent basis to basically send commands to the remote device to either perform predetermined command actions, such as engage-release the protection system.
Nowadays there are various products in the industry related to systems to protect the delivery of cargo. For example, within the known Portable Locks are devices such as Mobile Lock, Knock Lock, TAM 212 EMS Honeywell, Snatchlatch, among other.
In the same way, within fixed devices to protect fuel services—also called Fuel Caps—there are products such as Sole Diesel, Easy Fuel, Fuel loyal, Keydiesel, amongst others.
The disadvantages of the above mentioned devices are listed below:
Are fully portable. Not permanent fixed top the goods wanted to be protected.
Not necessarily fully traceable
Not Re usable
No backup battery or batteries are not necessarily rechargeable
User operations are not necessarily performed through a Mobile phone
Not necessarily customized
Not Inviolable
Not only opened by mobile phone application
Lack of GPS locator as part of the release equation
They only use GPRS and are not satellite monitored
Not necessarily Full weather condition (IP 67)
Need magnetic attachments so are vulnerable to be stolen easily
They do not have Global coverage without a roaming plan, including marine surface operations
They do not send a command to engage-release the protection device trough telemetry commands concept with predetermined secured configuration
Others do not recognize if a local command or satellite command may be needed and when local command needed do not have a predetermined secured array of special codes within the device memory to engage-release the fuel protector
Another example of portable lock devices is disclosed by the Chilean patent application 3021-2013, which describes a portable, battery-powered electronic lock, operated through a satellite telecommunications network and commanded wirelessly from a mobile phone, as well as a method of opening the box of electromechanical mechanisms of said electronic lock.
The above mentioned system has an electronic wireless key to open the device. The opening happened only if the key was attached to the lock through a physical connection. When both units, key and lock, were placed together the mobile phone has to establish a communication path between the lock and the mobile phone. The reason of connecting the mobile phone application with the user this way is because the system is portable and needs the battery to remain connected to the back-office server all the time. Therefore, the energy to open the lock is delivered by the portable electronic key and operated only through the mobile phone blue tooth communication channel.
One disadvantage of the system disclosed in Application 3021-2013 is that it has to consider, as well, the logistics actions and the time needed to recharge the unit battery and the key battery. With no energy, due to the battery ran out of charge, after a certain amount of time actions such as telemetry could not be guaranteed. Other disadvantages of the system disclosed in Application 3021-2013 is the lack of a flow meter, a temperature sensor, a flew switch, which does not allow to perform any stock control applied to fluids. As well, the system disclosed in Application 3021-2013 was not designed for inventory control purposes, but to secure goods allocated in confined and remote places, in particular within containers and trucks trailers used to transport goods. The system disclosed in Application 3021-2013 was based upon the utilization of electromechanical solenoid action only, directly over a security latch, to lock-release the security latch.
Nowadays, wireless solutions are becoming a standard way of interconnection of electronic devices due to its easiness and less invasive actions to perform, when installing and deploying the systems. Thus, it becomes all an opportunity to have the largest range connection as possible when certain applications are needed to be sorted out through the distance. New practices have been developed around the concept of telemetry, which in the case of the present invention represents a novelty in the command and control actions to be performed remotely in search of efficiency and productivity.
Telemetry can be performed nowadays, but known equipment has not been thought neither designed to work as telemetry devices. The telemetry concept is vastly used in satellite operations and is basically used for attitude control of the satellites. The concept can be transferred as well to transportation of goods to evaluate the status of the good transported.
The aim of the invention is therefore the assurance, protection and real time monitoring of all type of goods, through uninterrupted global coverage control, while goods are moving, ensuring the sealing of the enclosures where they are being carried, from origin to destination, with an appropriate traceability of the goods at all times ensuring that the load is received by the recipient in a controlled and safe manner. As well, a support system for inventory control purposes of goods transported via terrestrial, and or maritime means.
A particular object of the invention is to protect the cargo and to measure input—output fluids as an inventory control method for fluid goods.
The invention relates to a combination of electronical, pneumatic and mechanical solutions that protects fuel and other transported goods, by the exchange of wireless control commands between tree user and the protection system.
In particular, the present invention consists in a system and method for logistic monitoring, control and preservation of inventory stocks of goods while they are transported by air, sea, land and/or kept in depository sites, through the processing of staggering coded commands, received remotely through wireless telemetry action.
The system comprises a protector device which is an active device that can be commanded locally and/or remotely from a global point of view. This means that an open command request can be performed locally, just beside the protection system and acknowledged to open remotely, just by connecting to the World Wide Web cloud—INTERNET—in automatic mode or human backed up mode.
The protector device is a system that fits in between portable locks and Fuel caps. The protector proposed does not protect for instance the fuel used by a transportation vehicle, but for the fuel transported as bulk cargo, for example a 30 m3 distribution fuel tank truck.
In a preferred embodiment, the present protector device locks-releases a security latch through compressed air energy driven by an electromechanical solenoid, wherein said lock-release latch is installed in the input-output pipes of a tank to protect the cargo and to measure input—output fluids as an inventory control method.
Advantageously, in the present version no recharging is needed because the unit is attached to the vehicle's power source. Although the proposed protector is connected to the vehicle's autonomous power source, it still has a backup battery in case of energy micro cuts. The charge of this battery is performed automatically through a dedicated recharging control circuit.
Other advantage of the present invention is that telemetry actions are available at any time in a real time monitoring basis. As well, by adding a number of sensors such as a thermometer, a flow meter for volume measurements, a flow switch to know in which direction the fluids circulate, i.e. input or output, and a tell-back device, all of them located within a customized ring placed between two pipe flanges and tightened through nuts and bolts around a gasket at both sides of the rind to indicate the opened or dosed status of the valve acting as a locking device in a particular geographical location, enables the system to lock it irregular and or undesired opening attempts are performed. Finally, the most meaningful advantage is the property of the system to send warning messages to a predefined final user, whenever irregular opening attempts or unexpected opening sequences are taking place over the protector system.
The protector is linked, on a permanent basis, to the Back-Office server, used to control and command any of the deployed protectors. This way all the sensors and engaging devices, which are part of this transmitting and recording protection instrument, are monitored and stored on a permanent basis for the monitoring of the actual status and alert warning messages available in case of undesired operational conditions.
According to a first aspect of the invention, it is proposed a system for logistic monitoring, control and preservation of inventory stocks of goods while they are transported by air, sea, land and/or kept in depository sites, through the processing of staggering coded commands, received remotely through wireless telemetry actions. The system comprises:
The electronic central unit is connected to the transmit receive satellite modem and to rechargeable support battery pack unit with over and under voltage protection device. In addition, the engage-release electronic control device is connected to a compressed air reservoir tank which is supported by a pneumatic safety protection device connected to an external autonomous compressed air main reservoir.
According to a first embodiment of the invention, a satellite interconnection of the electronic central unit and a satellite connection gateway, comprises a software application for satellite upstream telecommunication connection and downstream telecommunication connection, between a world wide web connection and the inventory stocks control and monitoring system.
According to a second embodiment of the invention, the inventory stocks control and monitoring system intercommunicates with a World Wide Web connection through a communication path to a receiving GPRS gateway.
The system comprises an inventory stock control and monitoring system back office management server with administration and operations data base, linked to the World Wide Web connection through an intranet software connection and datalink application software for satellite connection gateway. Preferably, said datalink application software is based on TCP-IP technology.
According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the Bluetooth receiver is intercommunicated with the external unit through a staggered coded communication path.
In addition, there is a first link connection between pneumatic sliding actuator device and engage-release electronic control device, a second link connection between the engage-release electronic control device and electromechanical and pneumatic device, a third link connection between the engage-release electronic control device and the compressed air reservoir tank, and a fourth link connection between the compressed air reservoir tank and the pneumatic safety protection device. Preferably, said link connections are physical pneumatic connections which consist of a hollow tube for compressed air conduction, surrounded by electric cables, covered by an external protector shield, whose construction and assembly is coaxial structure.
According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the satellite modem, the electronic central unit, the Bluetooth receiver, the battery pack unit and the voltage protection device are located within an electronic control and communications assembly, which can include also a GPRS receiver.
The electronic central unit is connected with the engage-release electronic control device, sliding actuator engaging device and status measurement sensor through physical links.
In system proposed, the external unit can be a smartphone, tablet, a laptop or my other portable apparatus.
According to a second aspect of the invention, a method of acknowledging the status of a logistic monitoring is proposed, whereas control and preservation of inventory stocks of goods are guaranteed while they are transported by air, sea, land and/or kept in depository sites, through the processing of staggering coded commands, received remotely through wireless telemetry actions, the method comprising the steps of:
The inventory stock control and monitoring system back office management server collects the following monitoring data for validation and proof:
According to a first embodiment of the method, the staggering coded command to acknowledge and release the status of the stock control and monitoring system is sent from the satellite modem to the Bluetooth receiver through a microcontroller and interface within an electronic control unit.
According to a second embodiment of the method, the staggering coded command to acknowledge and release the status of the inventory stocks control and monitoring system is sent from a GPRS device to the Bluetooth receiver through a microcontroller and interface within an electronic control unit.
The status request staggering coded command is sent to the status measurement sensor, to the electromechanical and pneumatic device and to pneumatic sliding actuator device via the engage-release electronic control device. The method also comprises the engagement-release of the monitoring status of the inventory stocks control and monitoring system.
Preferably, the method comprises validating a warning message sent to the inventory stocks control and monitoring system it all devices status do not follow a predetermined monitoring sequence, according to expected satellite almanac readings and memory preloaded records within the electronic control unit. Furthermore, any unauthorized or unexpected handling and or intervention of the inventory stocks control and monitoring system is recorded in the memory within the electronic control unit and utterly transmitted through the satellite modem to an end supervisor.
In a third aspect of the invention a security device such as fuel protector is proposed to be used in the system for logistic monitoring, control and preservation of inventory stocks mentioned above.
In order that the present invention may be more readily understood, embodiments thereof will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
The invention discloses a receiver and transmitter system to protect the goods transported in all sorts of transportation media, able to transmit and receive encrypted staggering commands, remotely, via an external device monitored, controlled and commanded in real time for releasing-engaging the access to the goods under protection, composed of multiple devices and elements whose operation is described in the next paragraphs.
According to
The whole assembly 1 intercommunicates with an external unit 12 through staggered coded communication path 13. Said external unit 12 can be a smartphone, a tablet, a laptop or any other suitable apparatus with a dedicated code application that can establish a communication link between a user end and the assembly 1.
On the other hand, the assembly 1 intercommunicates with a World Wide Web connection 9 through either communication path 34 to a receiving GPRS gateway linked to the World Wide Web connection 9 or upstream telecommunication connection 14 and downstream telecommunication connection 15 via a terrestrial orbit satellite 7 to a satellite connection gateway 8 linked also to the World Wide Web connection 9. Said World Wide Web connection 9 is connected to a back office management server 11 through intranet software connection 10.
The satellite 7 connection in the present system is a mutual connection between a satellite signal and a modem located within the assembly 1 in order to collect information or for communication: for example, monitor the status of the following fields: Device ID. Mode of operation. Temperature, Volume Measurement. Lock status, Geographical Location, Ground Speed of the Vehicle, battery charge status and on the field wireless communication status. Furthermore, upstream telecommunication connection 14 corresponds to a set of computer codes used to produce a link to transmit radio telecommunications signals via a transponder. It creates a communication channel between the invention's transmitter and a receiver at different locations on Earth, by the enabling of a datalink software which allows a private gateway connection between a satellite communication provider and the system software. Additionally, the system uses a datalink application software which is the telecommunication link, enabling program to connect with the orbital satellite over which the data is transmitted to the users of the system.
On the other hand the back office server 11 is preferably a computer allocated in a web service site having a computer code program, accessed remotely, to manage the smart fuel protector system; for example, monitor the status of the following fields: Device ID, Mode of operation, Temperature, Volume Measurement, Lock status, Geographical Location, Ground Speed of the Vehicle, battery charge status and on the field wireless communication status. Furthermore, the intranet software connection 10 is a local or restricted communications network, especially a private network, created using World Wide Web software to connect the present system to its operational datalink.
According to preferred embodiments of the invention the World Wide Web connection is an Internet cloud or any other information space where documents and other web resources are identified by Uniform Resource Locators (URLs), interlinked by hypertext links, and can be accessed via the Internet.
Furthermore, the GPRS gateway is preferably an electronic unit of a central part of the general packet radio service (GPRS) which allows 2G, 3G and WCDMA mobile networks to transmit IP packets to external networks such as the Internet. The GPRS system is an integrated part of the GSM network switching subsystem. The network provides mobility management, session management and transport for Internet Protocol packet services in GSM and WCDMA networks.
According to
The ECU 3 is a small computer circuit installed on a single integrated printed board with a processor core memory. It includes programmable input/output peripherals with extended electronics capable to store microchip coding and carrying out the instructions of a computer program by performing the basic arithmetic, logical, control and input/output (I/O) operations specified by the instructions.
Furthermore, the satellite modem 2 is a wireless telecommunication device of an earth orbital machine used to either broadcast to send out or take delivery of something sent or communicated.
The battery pack unit consists in a battery array which can be charged, discharged into a load, and recharged many times, while a non-rechargeable or primary battery is supplied fully charged, and discarded once discharged. The battery pack is connected to the voltage protection device which is preferably an electronic unit used to avoid running directly below of a pre-arranged voltage level.
The electronic control and communications assembly 1 monitors and commands a status measurement sensor 16 (illustrated in details in
The status measurement sensor 16 is a device which detects or measures and records, indicates, or otherwise responds to it at a particular time while fuel loading-unloading is taking place.
The electromechanical and pneumatic device 17 is a compressed air activated unit which allows opening and shutting a blocking valve, including the tell-back status of the valve when it is either opened or shut. The operation is performed with compressed air and driven by electrical solenoid controlling the compressed air flow. Similarly, the pneumatic sliding actuator device 18 is a mechanical device moving forward and backwards in a linear pre set range which is operated with compressed air and also driven by electrical solenoid controlling the compressed air flow.
The electronic control and communications assembly 1 commands also an engage-release electronic control device 19 which is an electrical driven piece with the ability to manage the pneumatic sliding actuator device 18 and/or the electromechanical and pneumatic device 17 in such way that either devices are moved or removed from secure to unsecure status, through commands produced at the electronic control and command assembly 1, by user intervention, in a remote communication operation. The engage-release electronic control device 19 triggers the pneumatic sliding actuator device 18 through a first link connection 30 and second link connection 26 to engage-release the electromechanical and pneumatic device 17.
A sliding actuator engaging device 31 is connected to the pneumatic sliding actuator device 18, wherein said actuator engaging device 31 is a mechanical fixed device used to receive and secure, within it, a mechanical sliding rod moving forward and backwards in a linear pre-set range used as the female end of a latch to block tank too hatches and or doors and or cabinets and or safety protection air brakes and or other customized safety protection devices, which are operated with compressed air and driven by electrical solenoid controlling the compressed air flow. It is connected to the electronic control unit 3 through a physical link 24.
On the other hand a physical fink 25 is configured to read and drive status measurement sensor 16 that works together with the electromechanical and pneumatic device 17.
The engage-release electronic control device 19 is physically connected to an air reservoir tank 20 through a third link connection 27. Said tank is preferably a receptacle storage chamber to hold compressed air at more than atmospheric pressure to use it in the blocking valve 17 and at the pneumatic sliding actuator device 18, used as the male end of a latch to block tank top hatches and or doors and or cabinets and or safety protection air brakes and or other customized safety protection devices. It is connected as well to a pneumatic safety protection device 21, through a fourth link connection 28 and supported by a compressed air independent main reservoir 22 through a link 29.
The pneumatic safety protection device 21 is a check valve device which ensures the compressed air reservoir tank always remains tilled with compressed air. On the other hand, the compressed air main reservoir 22 keeps a permanent amount of compressed air needed to operate the whole system. This source of compressed air energy is provided from a source outside with the freedom to act independently.
According to
According to
Preferably, the sensor (16) is located in the pipe desired to secure, specifically between two pipe flanges and tightened through nuts and bolts around a gasket at both sides of the ring.
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/IB2017/050657 | 2/7/2017 | WO |
Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
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WO2018/146513 | 8/16/2018 | WO | A |
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20200019919 A1 | Jan 2020 | US |