Abstract:
A method and apparatus for locating a specific asset using navigation technology or specific signaling capabilities. This system improves a driver&#39;s productivity by providing location information or signals to a driver to assist him in locating a specific trailer. An embodiment includes a system for navigating/routing drivers to their assigned trailer, using GPS, and Navigation technology. Another embodiment includes an audio and/or visual signal from a specific trailer activated by a driver seeking the location of the specific trailer.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    1. Field 
         [0002]    The present invention relates generally to asset location, and more specifically to a method and apparatus for automatically providing a geographic location of a specific asset. 
         [0003]    2. Background 
         [0004]    The present invention is designed to improve labor efficiency. The problem occurs when a tractor/truck driver enters a trailer yard, that may be extremely large and which stores potentially hundreds of trailers. When the driver is required to locate his/her assigned trailer, the driver is required to look for the trailer manually by slowly driving down each aisle to identify the assigned trailer. These manual searches of trailers are time-consuming and labor-intensive and can lead to driver error, such as a driver picking up the wrong trailer. The current approach has failed to leverage advances in technology. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0005]    Embodiments disclosed herein address the above stated needs by providing a geographic location of a specific asset, such as a trailer, on demand. For example, a driver is assigned to deliver a specific trailer, and is instructed to find the trailer in a large lot containing a plurality of trailers. The present invention aids in locating the specific trailer. A trailer has been assigned to a driver, the trailer, equipped with global positioning system (GPS), reports its GPS location (latitude/longitude). This is passed electronically to the driver&#39;s navigation system. The navigation system interprets the trailer&#39;s GPS location and calculates the location of the trailer relative to the truck. The navigation system displays the trailer&#39;s location and calculates a route to the trailer. 
         [0006]    In a second embodiment, a driver equipped with a communication device with a GPS navigation system, such as a cellular phone, personal digital assistant (PDA), or the like, receives routing instructions from a fleet station to locate a specific trailer which has a GPS system onboard. The routing instructions are sent via a wireless communications link. 
         [0007]    In another embodiment, the driver is supplied with a wireless communication device, such as a cellular telephone with text messaging. The trailer is equipped with a tracking/communication system. A request for the trailer is sent to the system hosting the trailer tracking system. A message is sent to the trailer commanding it to make itself “apparent.” The trailer responds in a predetermined manner, such as flashing lights, or the like. By using the disclosed embodiments, a driver can avoid wasting a considerable amount of time by pin pointing the location of the trailer without having to search the entire parking lot. In this way, the driver is routed to the trailer quickly and efficiently. 
         [0008]    The object of the invention is to provide a capability to calculate the location of an assigned trailer and relate it to the location of the driver, display/route/guide drivers to their assigned trailer for purposes of increasing the driver&#39;s efficiency. 
         [0009]    Another object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for quickly and accurately providing location information to a driver of a trailer. 
         [0010]    An advantage of the present invention is that it automatically calculates and displays the location of the assigned trailer relative to the driver&#39;s position and routes/guides drivers to their assigned trailer intelligently and graphically in order to improve the driver&#39;s efficiency. 
         [0011]    Another advantage of the present invention is that it provides a driver a visual and/or audio identification of a specific trailer for locating the trailer. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0012]      FIG. 1  depicts a system using a global positioning system and communication system to locate a trailer. 
           [0013]      FIG. 2  is a flow chart showing the process of determining a trailer&#39;s location using the system of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0014]      FIG. 3  is a flow chart showing the process of determining a trailer&#39;s location using a communication device. 
           [0015]      FIG. 4  depicts a wireless communication system to locate a trailer. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0016]    The word “exemplary” is used herein to mean “serving as an example, instance, or illustration.” Any embodiment described herein as “exemplary” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments. 
         [0017]    A truck driver&#39;s job responsibility is to transport trailers from one location to another. Once the trailer is dropped off, the truck driver is assigned a new job of transporting a different trailer to another location. Locating the assigned trailer can be difficult and time-consuming since some trailer yards are very large and may store hundreds of trailers. 
         [0018]    In an exemplary first embodiment as shown in  FIG. 1 , truck  12  and trailer  14  need to have GPS technology which include a GPS receiver  16  which communicates with satellites  18 , a wireless communication system  24  to communicate between a remote fleet station  20 , truck  12  and trailer  14 . Additionally, truck  12  contains navigation technology, such as a navigation system  22 . Wireless communication system  24  can be a satellite system, Wi-Fi system or a terrestrial system. Navigation system  22  can have a visual display and/or an audio instruction system. 
         [0019]    Once trailer  14  has been assigned to a driver, trailer  14  reports its GPS location (latitude/longitude) via satellites  18  to fleet station  20  located remotely from the driver and trailer. Fleet station  20  passes the location information electronically to the driver&#39;s Navigation system  22 . This can be done via a cellular system, a hand-held system such as a PDA, a laptop computer or other well known devices. Navigation system  22  then interprets the trailer&#39;s GPS location and calculates the location of trailer  14  relative to truck  12 . Navigation system  22  can then display the trailer&#39;s location and calculate a route to trailer  14 . In the alternative, fleet station  20  can obtain the GPS location of trailer  14  and truck, via communication system  24  and calculate the route for the driver to take to trailer  14 . In this way, the driver is routed to the trailer quickly and efficiently. 
         [0020]    In another embodiment, similar to the embodiment above, the driver is equipped with a communication device such as any type of mobile device, hand-held device, laptop computer, cellular phone or a personal data assistant (PDA) which contains a GPS navigation system  22 . Trailer  14  is equipped with a GPS system which reports its location to fleet station  20 . This location data is sent via wireless communication system  24  and sent to the drivers communication device. The calculation of the trailer&#39;s location (latitude/longitude) can be made at fleet station  20  and sent to the communication device or at the driver&#39;s communication device. 
         [0021]    To avoid several trailers from reporting their positions continuously, fleet station  20  can remotely request trailer  14  to its position (latitude/longitude). Fleet station  20  can automatically append the trailer&#39;s reported location to a driver&#39;s work assignment or make it available for use by navigation system  22 . The navigation system  22  makes use of the reported trailer location by displaying the trailer&#39;s location on a graphical map and/or guiding the driver to the trailer&#39;s location. 
         [0022]    Software algorithms will determine the trailer&#39;s location relative to the driver and determine an appropriate method to guide the driver to the trailer. The process for determining the trailer&#39;s location is shown in the flow chart of  FIG. 2 . The first step of the process is to have the trailer report its location  42 . Again, this is done via a wireless system. This step of reporting a location  42  can be on demand when queued, periodically or constantly. Navigation system accepts the location data  44  sets the trailer location as the destination  46 . Using this information, the navigation system calculates a route from the truck&#39;s location to the trailer&#39;s location  48  using algorithms that are well known in the art. Finally, the calculated route is visually displayed or audio instructions are provided  50  to the driver guiding him/her to the trailer. 
         [0023]    In the embodiment where the driver is equipped with a communication device with a navigation system, the process is similar as shown in the flow chart of  FIG. 3 . In this process, the trailer reports its location  52  via a wireless communication system. This data can be sent to a remote location such as a fleet station and relayed to the driver or directly to the driver&#39;s communication system. This location data is received by the driver&#39;s communication system via a text message  54 . The driver&#39;s communication system sets the trailer location as a destination in its navigation system  56 . The navigation system then calculates a route to the trailer  58  using algorithms that are well known in the art. The navigation system then guides the driver to the trailer  60  either visually or by audio instructions. 
         [0024]      FIG. 4  shows another embodiment of a trailer locating system. In this embodiment, the driver is supplied with a wireless communication device  30 , such as a cellular telephone with text messaging. Trailer  38  is equipped with a tracking/communication system  32 . A request for the trailer is sent to the system hosting the trailer tracking system  32  from wireless communication device  30  via satellite system  34  or terrestrial system  36 . A message is sent to trailer  38  commanding it to make itself “apparent”. The trailer responds in a predetermined manner, such as flashing lights  40 , or the like. By using the disclosed embodiments, a driver can avoid wasting a considerable amount of time by pin pointing the location of trailer  38  without having to search the entire parking lot. 
         [0025]    The present invention will increase the driver&#39;s efficiency, which will help improve a fleet&#39;s operations, such as fuel costs, maintenance costs, and on-time appointments. 
         [0026]    The methodologies described herein may be implemented by various means depending upon the application. For example, these methodologies may be implemented in hardware, firmware, software, or a combination thereof. For a hardware implementation, the processing units may be implemented within one or more application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), digital signal processors (DSPs), digital signal processing devices (DSPDs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), processors, controllers, micro-controllers, microprocessors, electronic devices, other electronic units designed to perform the functions described herein, or a combination thereof. 
         [0027]    For a firmware and/or software implementation, the methodologies may be implemented with modules (e.g., procedures, functions, and so on) that perform the functions described herein. Any machine readable medium tangibly embodying instructions may be used in implementing the methodologies described herein. For example, software codes may be stored in a memory, such as a memory of a mobile device, and executed by a processor or microprocessor. Memory may be implemented within the processor or external to the processor. As used herein the term “memory” refers to any type of long term, short term, volatile, nonvolatile, or other memory and is not to be limited to any particular type of memory or number of memories, or type of media upon which memory is stored. 
         [0028]    Although GPS navigation system is referenced throughout, positioning capability is not limited to this particular methodology. A mobile device may receive signals from navigation system satellites from Galileo (to be implemented in the future), GLONASS, NAVSTAR, GNSS, a system that uses satellites from a combination of these systems, or any future satellite positioning system (“SPS”), for use in determining position location. As used herein, an SPS will also be understood to include pseudolite systems. Assisted GPS techniques are also commonly used to determine mobile device position. Further, satellite positioning systems may be used alone or in combination with terrestrial positioning systems and methodologies.