Method and systems for tracking cable drums and length of cable on the drum

A system for tracking cable drums comprising:

• a cable drum having a drum identifier;
• a tracker device having a tracker identifier attached to the cable drum, the tracker device comprising
• a first electronic circuit comprising a sensing device configured to detect an event comprising a shock and/or rotations of the cable drum around a longitudinal axis of the cable drum,
• a second electronic circuit comprising a communication circuit configured to connect to a wireless communication system and a positioning circuit configured to detect the position coordinates of the tracker device and the cable drum,
• a local memory storing the tracker identifier,
• a main controller is configured to
• activate the first electronic circuit when the event is detected,
• store the detected event in the local memory,
• switch the first electronic circuit to a standby mode after the detected event is stored in the local memory,
• a database capable of communicating with the tracker device, the drum identifier being associated in the database with drum dimensions and with cable dimensions of a cable stored on the drum, the drum identifier being associated with the tracker identifier in the database;
• a processor associated to the database;
• wherein the main controller is configured to
• activate the communication and the positioning circuits of the second electronic circuit,
• transmit, to the database via the communication system, the tracker identifier, the detected position coordinates and the detected event stored in the local memory, and
• send the second electronic circuit to standby mode after the transmit;
• wherein the database is configured to associate the transmitted detected position coordinates and the transmitted detected events to the tracker identifier and the drum identifier in the database;
• wherein the processor when executed with instructions is configured to calculate, using the drum dimensions and the cable dimensions stored in the database, the remaining length of the cable on the cable drum;
• and
• wherein the activating of the second electronic circuit, the associating of the transmitted detected position coordinates and the transmitted detected events, and the calculating occur at scheduled time intervals.

A tracker device for tracking cable drums comprising:

• a sensing device configured to be attached to a cable drum and configured to detect an event comprising a shock and/or rotations of the cable drum around a longitudinal axis of the cable drum, the cable drum having a drum identifier and the tracker device having a tracker identifier, the drum identifier being associated with drum dimensions and with cable dimensions of a cable stored on the drum, the drum identifier being associated with the tracker identifier;
• a communication circuit configured to connect to the database;
• a positioning circuit configured to detect the position coordinates of the tracker device and the cable drum;
• a local memory storing a tracker identifier;
• and
• a main controller is configured to
• activate the sensing device when the event is detected,
• store the detected event in the local memory,
• switch the sensing device to a standby mode after the detected event is stored in the local memory,
• in response to the event being detected, activate the positioning circuit to determine position coordinates of the tracker device and the cable drum,
• activate the communication circuit to transmit, to the database, the tracker identifier, the detected position coordinates and the detected event stored in the local memory, and
• send the communication circuit and the positioning circuit to standby mode after the transmit.