# US 2020/0400486 A1 · Improved evaluation of filling state in cargo transport > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2020/0400486 A1 - Document ID: US20200400486A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/961,154 - Filed: 2019-01-16 - Published: 2020-12-24 - Earliest claimed: 2018-01-16 - Assignees: Ovinto Cvba - Applicants: Ovinto Cvba - Inventors: Frederick RONSE - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20200400486A1 ## CPC - G01F 23/296: Acoustic waves - G01F 25/20: of apparatus for measuring liquid level - B61D 5/00: Tank wagons for carrying fluent materials - B61L 15/0081: {On-board diagnosis or maintenance} - G01F 23/2966: {making use of acoustical resonance or standing waves} - G01K 13/00: Thermometers specially adapted for specific purposes - G01P 13/00: Indicating or recording presence, absence, or direction, of movement (electric switches H01H; counting moving objects G06M7/00) - G01P 15/00: Measuring acceleration; Measuring deceleration; Measuring shock, i.e. sudden change of acceleration - G01S 19/01: Satellite radio beacon positioning systems transmitting time-stamped messages, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System], GLONASS [Global Orbiting Navigation Satellite System] or GALILEO - H04B 1/02: Transmitters - H04B 1/06: Receivers - H04B 7/18578: {Satellite systems for providing broadband data service to individual earth stations (for selecting H04W; provisions for broadband connection, H04Q11/0478)} - G01F: MEASURING VOLUME, VOLUME FLOW, MASS FLOW OR LIQUID LEVEL; METERING BY VOLUME - B61D: BODY DETAILS OR KINDS OF RAILWAY VEHICLES (vehicles in general B60; adaptation of vehicles to special systems B61B; underframes B61F) - B61L: GUIDING RAILWAY TRAFFIC; ENSURING THE SAFETY OF RAILWAY TRAFFIC (brakes or auxiliary equipment B61H, B61K; point or crossing construction E01B) - G01K: MEASURING TEMPERATURE; MEASURING QUANTITY OF HEAT; THERMALLY-SENSITIVE ELEMENTS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR (radiation pyrometry G01J5/00) - G01P: MEASURING LINEAR OR ANGULAR SPEED, ACCELERATION, DECELERATION, OR SHOCK; INDICATING PRESENCE, ABSENCE, OR DIRECTION, OF MOVEMENT (measuring or recording blood flow A61B5/02, A61B8/06; monitoring speed or deceleration of electrically-propelled vehicles B60L3/00; vehicle lighting systems adapted to indicate speed B60Q1/54; determining position or course in navigation, measuring ground distance in geodesy or surveying G01C; combined measuring devices for measuring two or more variables of movement G01C23/00; measuring velocity of sound G01H; measuring velocity of light G01J7/00; measuring direction or velocity of solid objects by reception or emission of radiowaves or other waves and based on propagation effects, e.g. Doppler effect, propagation time, direction of propagation, G01S; measuring speed of nuclear radiation G01T; measuring acceleration of gravity G01V; {measuring or recording the speed of trains B61L23/00; speed indicators incorporated in motor vehicles B60K35/00; measuring frequency or phase G01R; traffic control G08G}) - 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 - H04B: TRANSMISSION ## Abstract The current invention relates to methods and systems for evaluating a filling state of a load bearing means by means of a monitoring system comprising a sensing module; said load bearing means adapted for being carried by a transport unit; said load bearing means comprising a loading space; said sensing module situated in proximity to said load bearing means and outside of said loading space; said sensing module comprising an emitter, a receiver, an evaluator and a memory comprising calibration data; said sensing module configured for carrying out a plurality of steps; wherein a spacing S between said emitter and said receiver does not exceed 200 mm; and wherein a maximum dimension M of said load bearing means is not smaller than 4 m. ## Claims ### Claim 1 Method for evaluating a filling state of a load bearing mean by means of a monitoring system comprising a sensing module; said load bearing mean adapted for being carried by a transport unit; said load bearing mean comprising a loading space; said sensing module situated in proximity to said load bearing mean and outside of said loading space; said sensing module comprising an emitter, a receiver, an evaluator and a memory comprising calibration data; said sensing module configured for carrying out the steps of: generating an emitted sound wave by means of said emitter; converting a reflected sound wave in a reflected signal by means of said receiver; and evaluating said filling state indicative of the loading space being filled or not by means of said evaluator based on at least said calibration data and said reflected signal; wherein a spacing (S) between said emitter and said receiver does not exceed 200 mm, preferably does not exceed 100 mm; and wherein a maximum dimension (M) of said load bearing means, preferably a length (M) of said load bearing means, is not smaller than 4 m, preferably not smaller than 6 m; and whereby said load bearing mean is a cargo vessel for holding cargo. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) Method according to claim 1, wherein said evaluator is further configured for extracting a frequency spectrum of the reflected sound wave and/or extracting a resonant frequency of the reflected sound wave; wherein evaluating the filling state is based on at least comparing said frequency spectrum and/or resonant frequency to the calibration data. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) Method according to claim 1, wherein said calibration data comprises at least one measurement relating to reflection data of said loading space. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) Method according to claim 1, wherein said sensing module is mounted on said load bearing mean outside of said loading space; wherein said loading bearing mean comprises said sensing module and belongs to a transport unit being a cargo wagon. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) Method according to claim 1, wherein said sensing module is mounted on said load bearing mean outside of said loading space; wherein said load bearing mean is a releasably mountable load bearing means, preferably a container or tank container, that comprises said sensing module. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) Method according to claim 1, wherein said sensing module is mounted on a portion of said transport unit not belonging to said load bearing mean; wherein said transport unit is a cargo wagon, preferably an intermodal cargo wagon, comprising a chassis suitable for carrying said load bearing means, said load bearing mean preferably being a releasably attached load bearing means, more preferably a container or a tank container; wherein said portion on which said sensing module is mounted preferably belongs to said chassis. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) Method according to claim 1, wherein said sensing module further comprises a comparator, wherein said method comprises the additional step of comparing an emitted signal converted from said emitted sound wave received from said emitter and said reflected signal received from said receiver by means of said comparator, generating a comparison signal based thereon; and wherein said step of evaluating said filling state is further based on said comparison signal. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) Method according to claim 1, wherein said evaluator is further configured for extracting a frequency-related indicator associated with at least one frequency band from said reflected signal and/or said comparison signal; wherein said evaluation is further configured for comparing said frequency-related indicator to a value comprised in said calibration data. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) Method according to claim 1, wherein said memory further comprises at least one parameter relating to the application of a machine learning model to said calibration data; wherein said evaluator is further configured for updating said at least one parameter for training said machine learning model; wherein said evaluator is further configured for evaluating said filling state based on said at least one parameter relating to said machine learning model; and wherein said sensing module is preferably self-calibrating. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) Method according to claim 1, wherein said sensing module is a wireless sensing module; wherein said sensing module comprises a battery or equivalent power source; wherein said sensing module comprises a sensing-module-related wireless interface for transmitting notifications; and wherein the method comprises the additional step of transmitting a notification comprising said filling state via said sensing-module-related wireless interface. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) Method according to claim 10, wherein said monitoring system further comprises a monitoring module; wherein said monitoring module comprises first connection means, preferably a short-range wireless interface, for receiving said notification from said sensing module transmitted via said wireless interface; and wherein said monitoring module comprises a second connection means, preferably a satellite communication interface; and wherein said method comprises the additional step of transmitting said filling state to a remote server via said first and second connection means. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) Method according to claim 1, wherein said monitoring system comprises a GNSS receiver and/or an accelerometer and/or a temperature measurement means; and wherein said sensing module comprises a length (L) and a height (H), said length (L) and height (H) preferably both not exceeding 200 mm, said height (H) more preferably not exceeding 100 mm. ### Claim 13 Monitoring system for evaluating a filling state of a load bearing means, said monitoring system comprising a sensing module; said load bearing mean adapted for being carried by a transport unit; said load bearing mean comprising a loading space, and said load bearing means being a cargo vessel for holding cargo; wherein said sensing module is mounted on said load bearing mean outside of said loading space or on a portion of said transport unit outside of said loading space; said sensing module comprising an emitter, a receiver, an evaluator and a memory comprising calibration data; said sensing module configured for carrying out the steps of: generating an emitted sound wave by means of said emitter; converting a reflected sound wave in a reflected signal by means of said receiver; and evaluating said filling state indicative of the loading space being filled or not by means of said evaluator based on at least said calibration data and said reflected signal; wherein a spacing (S) between said emitter and said receiver does not exceed 200 mm, preferably does not exceed 100 mm; and wherein a maximum dimension (M) of said load bearing means, preferably a length (M) of said load bearing means, is not smaller than 4 m, preferably not smaller than 6 m. ### Claim 14 Transport unit, preferably a cargo wagon, comprising a monitoring system for evaluating a filling state of a load bearing means, said monitoring system comprising a sensing module; said transport unit adapted for carrying said load bearing means; said load bearing means being a cargo vessel for holding cargo, belonging to said cargo wagon; said load bearing mean comprising a loading space; wherein said sensing module is mounted on said load bearing mean outside of said loading space or on a portion of said transport unit outside of said bearing means; said sensing module comprising an emitter, a receiver, an evaluator and a memory comprising calibration data; said sensing module configured for carrying out the steps of: generating an emitted sound wave by means of said emitter; converting a reflected sound wave in a reflected signal by means of said receiver; and evaluating said filling state indicative of the loading space being filled or not by means of said evaluator based on at least said calibration data and said reflected signal; wherein a spacing S between said emitter and said receiver does not exceed 200 mm, preferably does not exceed 100 mm; and wherein a maximum dimension (M) of said load bearing means, preferably a length (M) of said load bearing means, is not smaller than 4 m, preferably not smaller than 6 m. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) Kit for evaluating a filling state of a load bearing means, with a method according to claim 1; said load bearing means being a cargo vessel for holding cargo and adapted for being carried by a transport unit; said load bearing means comprising a loading space; said kit comprising: a sensing module adapted either for being mounted on said load bearing mean outside of said loading space or on a portion of said transport unit outside of said loading space; said sensing module comprising an emitter, a receiver, an evaluator, a sensing-module-related wireless interface, and a memory for storing calibration data; said sensing module configured for carrying out the steps of: generating an emitted sound wave by means of said emitter; converting a reflected sound wave in a reflected signal by means of said receiver; and evaluating said filling state indicative of the loading space being filled or not by means of said evaluator based on at least said calibration data and said reflected signal; transmitting a notification comprising said filling state via said sensing-module-related wireless interface; wherein a spacing (S) between said emitter and said receiver does not exceed 200 mm, preferably does not exceed 100 mm; and wherein a maximum dimension (M) of said load bearing means, preferably a length (M) of said load bearing means, is not smaller than 4 m, preferably not smaller than 6 m; a monitoring module comprising a first connection means, preferably a short-range wireless interface, for receiving notifications from said sensing module and a second connection means, preferably a satellite communication interface; said monitoring module configured for carrying out the steps of: receiving said notification comprising said filling state from said sensing module by means of said first connection means; transmitting said filling state to a remote server by means of said second connection means.