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AssigneeTrimble Navigation Limited
InventorsJohn Coffee, Richard Rudow, Robert Allen, Mark Billings, David Dye, Mark Kirchner, Robert Lewis, Kevin Marvin, Robert Sleeper, William Tekniepe
Estimating the term…
A vehicle fleet management information system identifies location and direction of movement of each vehicle in a fleet in real-time, and automatically reports such information, as well as status of predetermined events in which the vehicle is engaged, directly to the fleet manager. Each fleet vehicle has an assigned time slot to transmit its reporting information over a communications network without interfering with transmissions from other vehicles in their own respective time slots. A timing control phase lock loop (PLL) provides precise time synchronization for timing corrections from a global positioning system (GPS) based time reference. A dual band full-duplex interface of the network has TDMA on one-half and broadcast on the other half. Microprocessor time processing units in components of the network perform precise clock synchronization. Space diversity performed on received vehicle transmitted messages avoids data corruption. Different vehicles have different periodic transmission intervals, by dynamically allocating the slots for various update rates. Auxiliary reporting slots enable prompt reporting of important data by the respective vehicle transmitters independent of the slower periodic transmission intervals.
A sensor apparatus for producing a signal that indicates the speed and direction of a drum on a ready mix truck comprising an array of magnets mounted about the axis of rotation of the truck's mixer drum, and dual magnetic field sensors mounted in fixed confronting relation thereto, wherein the magnets activate the sensors in sequence as they pass in front of the sensors.
A system for automated reporting of the status of a material transport truck, including the status of events related to the usage, function, operation, location, systems or cargo of the truck, to a remote location for system users including dispatchers and managers using a wireless network, the automated reporting system comprising, on board the truck:
A system for automated reporting of status of a ready mix slurry material mixer truck, including status of events related to the usage, function, operation, location, systems or cargo of the truck, to a management office for system users including dispatchers and managers using a wireless network, the management office including a dispatch software application for issuing dispatch instructions over the wireless network to said truck, the automated reporting system comprising, on board the truck:
A system for automated determination of status of a ready mix slurry material mixer truck, including status of events related to the usage function, operation, location, systems or cargo of the truck, the automated determination system comprising, on board the truck:
A system for automated determination of a status of a ready mix slurry material mixer truck having a mixing drum, including status of events related to the usage, function, operation, location, systems or cargo of the truck, the automated determination system comprising, on board the truck:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.