US 5,751,245 A · Vehicle route and schedule exception reporting system

Abstract

A route exception reporting apparatus is mounted in a mobile shipping vehicle having a predetermined geographic route. The shipping vehicle may be a self-propelled vehicle containing cargo or may also be a separable self-contained shipping container carried on a transportation vehicle. At least a portion of the predetermined route is stored in the apparatus on board the shipping vehicle. The apparatus is provided with a geographic locating means for determining the shipping vehicle location, a comparator means for comparing the shipping vehicle location with at least one point of the predetermined route and a communication means for communicating with a central station. The apparatus is configured to communicate the shipping vehicle location to the central station when the comparator means computes a difference between the shipping vehicle location at a particular point in time and the predetermined route point corresponding with that particular time point which exceeds a predetermined limit. The central station may be provided with an alarm and display means for notifying personnel at the central station of the occurrence of a route location exception.

Claims18

Dependent claims

In a security system for a mobile vehicle having a defined route and schedule, an apparatus carried on the vehicle for reporting location information to a central station, the apparatus comprising:

locating means for determining a geographical location, Si, of the mobile vehicle;
clock means for providing the local time, Ti, of the mobile vehicle at the location, Si;
storage means for storing a set of predetermined geographical locations Si', and a corresponding set of predetermined schedule times, Ti', along the defined route;
comparator and control means responsive to the locating means for receiving vehicle geographical location Si, from the locating means at time Ti;
means for computing a threshold difference of distance which is a predetermined function of the vehicle's present location, Si;
means for computing the distance, Dp, between the location of the vehicle, Si, and predetermined location, Si' corresponding to time Ti'=Ti;
means for comparing the distance, Dp, to the threshold difference of distance;
communication means for communicating the present location, Si, and time, Ti, to the central station when the distance, Dp, exceeds the threshold difference of distance.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Vehicle route and schedule exception reporting system

Life of this patent

Vehicle route and schedule exception reporting system

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims18