IP Library Granted Patent US 9,007,209
Granted Patent B1
US 9,007,209 · App. 14/542,017 · Granted Apr 14, 2015

Cargo and door sensor

Inventors: Michael L. Ehrman (Upper Saddle River, NJ); Steven R. Wendler (Flower Mound, TX); James E. Gripp (Plano, TX)
Assignee: I.D. Systems, Inc.
G08B21/182
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,007,209
App. No.
14/542,017
Granted
Apr 14, 2015
Kind
B1
Abstract

Implementations for a system to receive a message indicating that an ambient light level measured by an ambient light sensor within a container exceeds a first threshold value or falls below a second threshold value; in response to the message indicating that the ambient light level exceeds the first threshold value, activate a cargo sensor; and in response to the message indicating that the ambient light level falls below the second threshold value, de-activate the cargo sensor.

Claims (44)

1. A system comprising:

a memory device; and

a processing device, operatively coupled to the memory device, the processing device to:

receive a message indicating that an ambient light level measured by an ambient light sensor within a container exceeds a first threshold value or falls below a second threshold value;

in response to the message indicating that the ambient light level exceeds the first threshold value, activate a cargo sensor; and

in response to the message indicating that the ambient light level falls below the second threshold value, de-activate the cargo sensor.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first threshold value is associated with the ambient light level and is set so that light levels greater than the first threshold value indicate that a container door is open, and wherein the second threshold value is associated with the ambient light level and is set so that light levels equal to or below the second threshold value indicate that a container door is closed.

3. The system of claim 2 , the processing device to:

in response to the message indicating that the ambient light level exceeds the first threshold value, determine whether a time associated with the message indicating that the ambient light level exceeds the first threshold value falls within a prohibited time window.

4. The system of claim 3 , the processing device to:

in response to a determination that the message falls within the prohibited time window, generate an alert message indicating that the container door is open during the prohibited time window.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein a power requirement associated with the cargo sensor is greater than a power requirement associated with the ambient light sensor.

6. The system of claim 2 , the processing device to:

in response to the message indicating that the ambient light level exceeds the first threshold value, determine whether a time associated with the message indicating that the ambient light level exceeds the first threshold value is during a prohibited state, wherein the prohibited state indicates that the container door should be in a closed position.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the ambient light sensor is configured to monitor light levels at a sample rate having a first sample rate value, the processing device to:

in response to the message indicating that the ambient light level exceeds the first threshold value, modify the sample rate to a second sample rate value, wherein the second sample rate value is greater than the first sample rate value.

8. The system of claim 7 , the processing device to:

receive, from the cargo sensor, a message indicating that cargo is being loaded onto or unloaded from the container;

in response to the message indicating that cargo is being loaded onto or unloaded from the container, modify the sample rate to a third sample rate value, wherein the third sample rate value is greater than the second sample rate value; and

sample, by the cargo sensor, using the third sample rate value throughout a predetermined time window.

9. A method comprising:

receiving, by a processing device, a message indicating that an ambient light level measured by an ambient light sensor within a container exceeds a first threshold value or falls below a second threshold value;

in response to the message indicating that the ambient light level exceeds the first threshold value, activating, by the processing device, a cargo sensor; and

in response to the message indicating that the ambient light level falls below the second threshold value, de-activate the cargo sensor.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the first threshold value is associated with the ambient light level and is set so that light levels greater than the first threshold value indicate that a container door is open, and wherein the second threshold value is associated with the ambient light level and is set so that light levels equal to or below the second threshold value indicate that the container door is closed.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

in response to the message indicating that the ambient light level exceeds the first threshold value, determining, by the processing device, whether a time associated with the message indicating that the ambient light level exceeds the first threshold value falls within a prohibited time window.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

in response to a determination that the message falls within the prohibited time window, generating, by the processing device, an alert message indicating that the container door is open during the prohibited time window.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein a power requirement associated with the cargo sensor is greater than a power requirement associated with the ambient light sensor.

14. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

in response to the message indicating that the ambient light level exceeds the first threshold value, determining whether a time associated with the message indicating that the ambient light level exceeds the first threshold value is during a prohibited state, wherein the prohibited state reasonably indicates that the container door should be in a closed position.

15. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium including instructions that, when accessed by a processing device, cause the processing device to perform operations comprising:

receiving, by the processing device, a message indicating that an ambient light level measured by an ambient light sensor within a container exceeds a first threshold value or falls below a second threshold value;

in response to the message indicating that the ambient light level exceeds the first threshold value, activating, by the processing device, a cargo sensor; and

in response to the message indicating that the ambient light level falls below the second threshold value, de-activate the cargo sensor.

16. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the first threshold value is associated with the ambient light level and is set so that light levels greater than the first threshold value indicate that a container door is open, and wherein the second threshold value is associated with the ambient light level and is set so that light levels equal to or below the second threshold value indicate that the container door is closed.

17. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 16 , further comprising:

in response to the message indicating that the ambient light level exceeds the first threshold value, determining, by the processing device, whether a time associated with the message indicating that the ambient light level exceeds the first threshold value falls within a prohibited time window.

18. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 17 , further comprising:

in response to a determination that the message falls within the prohibited time window, generating, by the processing device, an alert message indicating that the container door is open during the prohibited time window.

19. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein a power requirement associated with the cargo sensor is greater than a power requirement associated with the ambient light sensor.

20. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 16 , further comprising:

in response to the message indicating that the ambient light level exceeds the first threshold value, determining whether a time associated with the message indicating that the ambient light level exceeds the first threshold value is during a prohibited state, wherein the prohibited state reasonably indicates that the container door should be in a closed position.

Assignments (3)
ASSIGNMENT OF PATENT SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Apr 4, 2016
From: SIENA LENDING GROUP LLC
To: SIENA FUNDING LLC
Reel/Frame 038339/0001 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Dec 21, 2015
From: I.D. SYSTEMS, INC.
To: SIENA LENDING GROUP LLC
Reel/Frame 037357/0890 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 18, 2014
From: EHRMAN, MICHAEL L.; WENDLER, STEVEN R.; GRIPP, JAMES E.
To: I.D. SYSTEMS, INC.
Reel/Frame 034195/0198 →
Continuity (1)
Provisional Application 61904667 · Nov 15, 2013