Granted Patent B2

US 12,659,692 · App. 18/095,259 · Granted Jun 16, 2026

Inventors: Turgay Isik Aslandere (Aachen, DE); Marcel Grein (Geilenkirchen, DE); Detlef Kuck (Inden, DE)

Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC

H04W4/029H04W4/80

Abstract

Claims (42)

1 . A tracking system for tracking of objects to be transported by at least one transport vehicle, the tracking system including:

at least one object set comprising an object and at least one tagging device attached to the object to be tracked, the tagging device including a short-range wireless communication member that is configured for sending out a unique identification signal;

a short-range wireless communication unit that is arrangeable in the transport vehicle and that is at least configured to receive the unique identification signals sent out by each short-range wireless communication member;

at least one mobile computing device, including an optical camera, a LIDAR sensor device, a short-range wireless communication means for receiving the unique identification signals, and wireless communication means for communicating with a cloud-based computer system; and

an electronic main controller unit and a telematics control unit, which are arrangeable in the transport vehicle, wherein the electronic main controller unit is operatively coupled at least to the short-range wireless communication unit and the telematics control unit, and the telematics control unit is configured for communicating with the cloud-based computer system,

wherein the at least one mobile computing device is configured to

for each object set, generate a digital visual identifier set at least comprising a scanned image of the at least one object to be transported captured using the optical camera and the LIDAR sensor device and digital data representing the unique identification signal of the respective tagging device,

communicate the digital visual identifier set to the cloud-based computer system,

track the unique identification signal of the at least one object set to be transported for receiving real-time location data, and

during tracking, communicate the received real-time location data to the cloud-based computer system.

2 . The tracking system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one mobile computing device is further configured for visualizing the object or the objects based on data received from the cloud-based computer system.

3 . The tracking system of claim 1 , further comprising an augmented reality device that is operatively coupleable to the at least one mobile computing device to directly receive data for visualizing a position of the at least one object.

4 . The tracking system of claim 1 , wherein the digital visual identifier set of at least one object set further comprises at least one of a mesh representation or a texture mapping of the object to be transported.

5 . The tracking system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one mobile computing device further comprises short-range communication means and the electronic main controller unit further comprises compatible short-range communication means for direct wireless communication between the at least one mobile computing device and the electronic main controller unit.

6 . The tracking system of claim 1 , wherein the telematics control unit is further configured for directly exchanging digital visual identifier sets with the telematics control unit of at least one compatible system for tracking of objects that is partially installed in another transport vehicle.

7 . The tracking system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one tagging device includes an electric energy storage unit, a digital processing unit, a digital data memory unit and a satellite-based radionavigation unit.

8 . A distributed tracking system for tracking of objects to be transported by a plurality of transport vehicles, comprising:

a plurality of tracking systems,

wherein each tracking system comprises a cloud-based computer system, the cloud- based computer systems of the tracking systems being configured for interchanging data related to digital visual identifier sets and current positions of objects to be transported by the plurality of transport vehicles,

wherein each digital visual identifier set includes a scanned image of a respective object to be transported generated based on data captured using an optical camera and a LIDAR sensor device, and digital data representing a unique identification signal of a tagging device attached to the respective object.

9 . The distributed tracking system of claim 8 , wherein each of the plurality of tracking systems comprises:

at least one object set comprising an object and at least one tagging device attached to the object to be tracked, the tagging device including a short-range wireless communication member that is configured for sending out a unique identification signal;

a short-range wireless communication unit that is arrangeable in the transport vehicle and that is at least configured to receive the unique identification signals sent out by each short-range wireless communication member; and

at least one mobile computing device, including an optical camera and a LIDAR sensor device, the at least one mobile computing device comprising an electronic main controller unit and a telematics control unit, which are arrangeable in the transport vehicle, wherein the electronic main controller unit is operatively coupled at least to the short-range wireless communication unit and the telematics control unit, and the telematics control unit is configured for communicating with a cloud-based computer system, wherein the at least one mobile computing device comprises short-range wireless communication means for receiving the unique identification signals, and wireless communication means for communicating with the cloud-based computer system, and wherein the at least one mobile computing device is configured to

for each object set, generate a digital visual identifier set at least comprising a scanned image of the at least one object to be transported and digital data representing the unique identification signal of the respective tagging device,

communicate the digital visual identifier set to the cloud-based computer system,

track the unique identification signal of the at least one object set to be transported for receiving real-time location data, and

during tracking, communicate the received real-time location data to the cloud-based computer system.

10 . The distributed tracking system of claim 9 , wherein the at least one mobile computing device is further configured for visualizing the object or the objects based on data received from the cloud-based computer system.

11 . The distributed tracking system of claim 9 , further comprising an augmented reality device that is operatively coupleable to the at least one mobile computing device to directly receive data for visualizing a position of the at least one object.

12 . The distributed tracking system of claim 9 , wherein the digital visual identifier set of at least one object set further comprises at least one of a mesh representation or a texture mapping of the object to be transported.

13 . The distributed tracking system of claim 9 , wherein the at least one mobile computing device further comprises short-range communication means and the electronic main controller unit further comprises compatible short-range communication means for direct wireless communication between the at least one mobile computing device and the electronic main controller unit.

14 . The distributed tracking system of claim 9 , wherein the telematics control unit is further configured for directly exchanging digital visual identifier sets with the telematics control unit of at least one compatible system for tracking of objects that is partially installed in another transport vehicle.

15 . The distributed tracking system of claim 9 , wherein the at least one tagging device includes an electric energy storage unit, a digital processing unit, a digital data memory unit and a satellite-based radionavigation unit.

16 . A method of tracking objects to be transported by at least one transport vehicle, comprising:

activating at least one mobile computing device including an optical camera and a LIDAR sensor device for generating, for each object set, a digital visual identifier set at least comprising a scanned image of at least one object to be transported generated based on data captured using the optical camera and the LIDAR sensor device and digital data representing a unique identification signal of a respective tagging device;

communicating the digital visual identifier set at least to a cloud-based computer system;

tracking the unique identification signal of the at least one object to be transported for receiving real-time location data; and

during tracking, communicating the received real-time location data to the cloud- based computer system.

17 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising directly exchanging digital visual identifier sets between telematics control units of at least two compatible tracking systems of a plurality of tracking systems for tracking of objects, wherein at least two telematics control units are installed in respective distinct transport vehicles.

18 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising activating the at least one mobile computing device for visualizing the object or the objects based on data received from the cloud-based computer system.

19 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising providing data for visualizing a position of the at least one object by an augmented reality device.

Assignments (1)

Priority Claims (1)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (28)