Redundant asset tracking
This disclosure proposes a system in which two redundant asset tracking devices are used to monitor a single asset (such as a vehicle, which may contain a group of assets in cargo) via two distinct communication systems that operate in parallel, and which may operate in addition to any primary mode of communication used by the asset tracking devices (e.g., cellular communication). In some examples, each asset tracking device may communicate through separate and distinct satellite communication networks.
1. A system comprising:
a first asset tracking device to track a mobile asset, the first asset tracking device connected to a first communication network;
a second asset tracking device to track the mobile asset, the second asset tracking device being redundant with the first asset tracking device and connected to a second communication network that is distinct from, and redundant with, the first communication network;
a hardware safety relay located at the mobile asset, the hardware safety relay connected to the first and second asset tracking devices to monitor fault statuses of the first and second asset tracking devices, wherein the hardware safety relay is configured to:
generate notifications of the fault statuses of the first and second asset tracking devices, and
communicate information about the fault statuses of the first and second asset tracking devices to an asset monitoring system through whichever of the first and second asset tracking devices and/or first and communication networks are capable as per redundancy; and
the asset monitoring system located at a client system, wherein the asset monitoring system is configured to receive the information about the fault statuses of the first and second asset tracking devices and mirror the generation of the notifications at the hardware safety relay based on the received information.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the first communication network comprises a first satellite communication network; and
the second communication network comprises a second satellite communication network that is distinct from, and redundant with, the first satellite communication network.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the first communication network comprises a cellular communication network; and
the second communication network comprises a satellite communication network.
4. The system of claim 1 , wherein monitoring the fault statuses comprises monitoring whether either the first asset tracking device or the second asset tracking device has lost power.
5. The system of claim 1 , wherein monitoring the fault statuses comprises monitoring whether either the first asset tracking device or the second asset tracking device has lost network connectivity.
6. The system of claim 5 , wherein monitoring whether either the first asset tracking device or the second asset tracking device has lost network connectivity comprises:
monitoring whether either the first asset tracking device or the second asset tracking device has failed to transmit a ping within a threshold amount of time.
7. The system of claim 1 , wherein monitoring the fault statuses comprises monitoring whether either the first asset tracking device or the second asset tracking device has been removed from the mobile asset.