# US 11,299,219 B2 · Distributed volumetric cargo sensor system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,299,219 B2 - Document ID: US11299219B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/541,419 - Filed: 2019-08-15 - Published: 2020-02-20 - Granted: 2022-04-12 - Earliest claimed: 2018-08-20 - Assignees: Spireon, Inc. - Applicants: Spireon, Inc. - Inventors: Charles F. Raasch; Tim Harvey - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11299219B2 ## CPC - B62D 53/06: Semi-trailers - G01S 15/08: Systems for measuring distance only (indirect measurement G01S15/46) - G01S 17/04: Systems determining the presence of a target - G01S 17/08: for measuring distance only (indirect measurement G01S17/46; active triangulation systems G01S17/48) - G01S 17/87: Combinations of systems using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves - G06Q 10/08: Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management - G06Q 10/083: Shipping - G06Q 10/087: Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders - G06Q 50/40: Business processes related to the transportation industry (shipping G06Q10/083) - G01S 15/87: Combinations of sonar systems - G01S 15/88: Sonar systems specially adapted for specific applications (seismic or acoustic prospecting or detecting G01V1/00) - G01S 17/88: Lidar systems specially adapted for specific applications - B62D: MOTOR VEHICLES; TRAILERS (steering, or guiding on a desired track, of agricultural machines or implements A01B69/00; wheels, castors, axles, increasing wheel adhesion B60B; vehicle tyres, tyre inflation or tyre changing B60C; connections between vehicles of a train or the like B60D; vehicles for use on rail and road, amphibious or convertible vehicles B60F; suspension arrangements B60G; heating, cooling, ventilating or other air treating devices B60H; windows, windscreens, non-fixed roofs, doors or similar devices, protective coverings for vehicles not in use B60J; propulsion plant arrangements, auxiliary drives, transmissions, controls, instrumentation or dashboards B60K; electric equipment or propulsion of electrically-propelled vehicles B60L; power supply for electrically-propelled vehicles B60M; passenger accommodation not otherwise provided for B60N; adaptations for load transportation or to carry special loads or objects B60P; arrangement of signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor, for vehicles in general B60Q; vehicles, vehicle fittings or vehicle parts not otherwise provided for B60R; servicing, cleaning, repairing, supporting, lifting, or manoeuvring, not otherwise provided for, B60S; brake arrangements, brake control systems or parts thereof B60T; air-cushion vehicles B60V; motor-cycles, accessories therefor B62J, B62K; testing of vehicles G01M) - G01S: RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES - G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR ## Abstract A cargo detection apparatus installed within a cargo container includes multiple distance sensors and one or more processors in communication with the distance sensors. The distance sensors, which are configured for mounting on or adjacent to a ceiling of the cargo container, generate distance signals. Each distance signal indicates a distance between a corresponding one of the distance sensors and a surface within the interior space of the cargo container. The one or more processors are operable to execute instructions to compare the distance indicated by each of the distance signals to a distance threshold, and generate a cargo-present indication if the distance is less than the distance threshold. The distance sensors may be laser-ranging time-of-flight sensors or ultrasonic sensors. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for detecting cargo within a cargo container that has a ceiling, a floor, and an interior space disposed between the ceiling and the floor, the method comprising: (a) receiving a plurality of distance signals generated by a plurality of distance sensors mounted on or adjacent to the ceiling of the cargo container, each of the distance signals indicating a distance between a corresponding one of the distance sensors and a surface within the interior space of the cargo container; (b) determining a load state of the cargo container based on one or more of the plurality of the distance signals; (c) for each of the distance signals, determining a cargo height value based on the distance between the corresponding distance sensor and the surface located within the corresponding cargo detection area; and (d) calculating a total volume of the interior space of the cargo container occupied by cargo based on the cargo height values and area values for the portions of the total area of the floor of the cargo container in which cargo is present. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein: each of the distance sensors has a field of view, and the plurality of distance sensors are distributed across the ceiling of the cargo container such that their fields of view define a plurality of cargo detection areas distributed across the floor of the cargo container, wherein each cargo detection area corresponds to a portion of a total area of the floor of the cargo container; and each of the plurality of distance signals indicates a distance between a corresponding one of the distance sensors and a surface located within a corresponding one of the cargo detection areas. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2 further comprising calculating how much of the total area of the floor of the cargo container is occupied by cargo based on the distances indicated by the plurality of distance signals. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of distance signals indicate a distance between a corresponding one of the distance sensors and either a surface of a piece of cargo or the floor of the cargo container. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the ceiling of the cargo container is disposed at a height above the floor of the cargo container, and wherein the load state determination step comprises comparing the distance to a distance threshold that is less than the height. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 further comprising providing one or more load state indications to a tracker unit mounted on the cargo container, and based on the one or more load state indications, transmitting load state information from the tracker unit to a backend server via a data communication network. ### Claim 7 An apparatus for detecting cargo within a cargo container that has a ceiling, a floor, and an interior space disposed between the ceiling and the floor, the apparatus comprising: a plurality of distance sensors configured for mounting on or adjacent to the ceiling of the cargo container, the plurality of distance sensors generating a plurality of distance signals, each of the distance signals indicating a distance between a corresponding one of the distance sensors and a surface within the interior space of the cargo container; and one or more processors in communication with the plurality of distance sensors, the one or more processors operable to execute instructions to: generate a load state indication based on one or more of the plurality of distance signals; for each load state indication, determine a cargo height value based on the distance between the corresponding distance sensor and the surface located within the corresponding cargo detection area; and calculate a total volume of the interior space of the cargo container occupied by cargo based on cargo height values and area values for the portions of the total area of the floor of the cargo container in which cargo is present. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The apparatus of claim 7 wherein each of the plurality of distance sensors has a field of view, the plurality of distance sensors are mounted to the ceiling of the cargo container such that their fields of view define a plurality of cargo detection areas distributed across the floor of the cargo container, each cargo detection area corresponds to a portion of a total area of the floor of the cargo container, and each of the distance signals indicate a distance between a corresponding one of the distance sensors and a surface located within a corresponding one of the cargo detection areas. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the one or more processors are operable to execute instructions to calculate how much of the total area of the floor of the cargo container is occupied by cargo based at least in part on the load state indication. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The apparatus of claim 7 further comprising one or more sensor modules configured for mounting on or adjacent to the ceiling of the cargo container, each of the one or more sensor modules containing two or more of the plurality of distance sensors, wherein each of the two or more distance sensors in each sensor module has a field of view that is aligned in a different direction from fields of view of other distance sensors in one and the same sensor module. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the one or more processors are components of the one or more sensor modules. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The apparatus of claim 10 wherein multiple sensor modules are distributed across a length of a central portion of the ceiling of the cargo container. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The apparatus of claim 10 wherein multiple sensor modules are distributed across a length of the cargo container adjacent to locations at which the ceiling of the cargo container meets a wall of the cargo container. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The apparatus of claim 10 wherein: one or more of the sensor modules are mounted on a door of the cargo container; the one or more distance sensors contained in the one or more sensor modules mounted on the door each have a field of view directed toward a back wall of the cargo container when the door is in a closed position; and the one or more distance sensors contained in the one or more sensor modules mounted on the door each have a field of view directed toward the floor of the cargo container when the door is in an open position. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The apparatus of claim 10 wherein at least one of the one or more sensor modules contains an accelerometer used to determine an orientation of the at least one sensor module. ### Claim 16 (depends on 7) The apparatus of claim 7 wherein each of the distance signals indicate a distance between a corresponding one of the distance sensors and either a surface of a piece of cargo or the floor of the cargo container. ### Claim 17 (depends on 7) The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the ceiling of the cargo container is disposed at a height above the floor of the cargo container, and wherein the one or more processors are operable to execute instructions to compare the distance to a distance threshold that is less than the height. ### Claim 18 (depends on 7) The apparatus of claim 7 further comprising a tracker unit configured for mounting on the cargo container, the tracker unit operable to generate cargo loading information based on the load state indication, and transmit the cargo loading information from the tracker unit to a backend server via a data communication network. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the one or more processors are components of the tracker unit. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the one or more processors are components of the backend server. ### Claim 21 (depends on 7) The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the plurality of distance sensors comprise laser-ranging time-of-flight sensors or ultrasonic sensors.