Telematic programming logic control unit and methods of use
AssigneeUnited Parcel Service of America, Inc.
InventorsJohn Olsen, David Bradley, Rhesa Jenkins
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Abstract
The present invention is directed to an apparatus, system and method for collecting, storing and time-stamping telematics data. A programmable logic control unit is described that is connected to one or more sensors mounted on a vehicle to capture, time-stamp and store telematics data. And, upon the happening of a triggering event, time-stamped telematics data is transferred from the control until to an external device via wireless or other communications methods.
Claims31
A telematic data collection system comprising:
- a programmable logic control unit disposed within a vehicle, said programmable logic control unit comprising:
- an input interface;
- a processor;
- a memory;
- and
- an output interface coupled to a plurality of wireless communication devices,
- wherein said input interface receives telematics data from a sensor;
- said processor time stamps said telematics data and stores said telematics data in said memory;
- and said time-stamped telematics data is wirelessly transmitted from said memory to an external computing device via one or more of said plurality wireless communication devices coupled to said output interface.
A method of processing vehicle information, said method comprising the steps of:
- capturing an analog signal from a sensor disposed within a vehicle;
- converting said analog signal to a digital signal;
- inputting said digital signal to an input interface of a programmable logic control unit, said programmable logic control unit being disposed within said vehicle;
- assigning a time stamp to said digital signal;
- translating said digital signal and said time stamp into an output format useable by one of a plurality of wireless communication devices coupled to an output interface of said programmable logic control unit;
- storing said translated digital signal and time stamp data in a memory of said programmable logic control unit;
- and
- transmitting said translated digital signal and time stamp data to an external computing device via said one of said plurality of wireless communication devices.
A method of collecting and storing signal data using a programmable logic controller, said programmable logic controller comprising at least one input terminal and at least one output terminal, a processor, and memory, said method comprising the steps of:
- receiving said signal data from one or more vehicle sensors at said input terminal of said programmable logic controller, said programmable logic control unit being disposed within a vehicle;
- translating said signal data to a desired output format useable by at least one of a plurality of wireless communication devices;
- time-stamping said signal data;
- moving said translated and time-stamped data to said memory;
- and
- transmitting said translated data from memory to an external computing device in response to a triggering event via said at least one of said plurality of wireless communication devices.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.