Patent Description:
Intermodal freight transport, which is the transportation of freight in an intermodal container using multiple modes of transportation and without any handling of the freight itself when changing modes, is complex, as it involves the movement of goods around the world. The intermodal container may be, for example, a refrigerated container or a reefer, which is an intermodal container that is refrigerated for the transportation of temperature sensitive cargo. Additionally, the intermodal container may include a container controller that provides real-time tracking information and monitors various operating characteristics of the intermodal container. As such, there is a need for efficiently acquiring the real-time tracking information and various operating characteristics of the intermodal container. <CIT> discloses signal separation for energy harvesting. <CIT> discloses radio frequency energy harvesting by a network node. <CIT> discloses a hearing aid adapted for wireless power reception. <CIT> discloses a transmit power control for a wireless charging system.

This section provides a general summary of the disclosure, and this section is not a comprehensive disclosure of its full scope or all of its features.

A system is provided and includes a charging circuit, a converter network, and a voltage regulator. The voltage regulator couples the charging circuit to the converter network. The system is configured to operate in a charging mode and a communication mode. When the system is in the charging mode, the charging circuit is configured to receive a serial communication signal that charges the charging circuit. When the system is in the communication mode, the voltage regulator is configured to limit an amount of voltage discharge from the charging circuit. When the system is in the communication mode, the converter network is configured to receive the serial communication signal and convert the serial communication signal to a second signal having a second type, and the second type has a different communication protocol than the serial communication signal. When the system is in the communication mode, the converter network is configured to transmit the second signal to a remote device.

The charging circuit is implemented by a battery-less circuit.

In some embodiments, the system is operable in an advertising Bluetooth low energy communication mode when a Bluetooth low energy advertising signal associated with a container includes an alarm value that indicates that an operating characteristic of the container is within a predefined tolerance.

In some embodiments, the system is operable in an advertising Bluetooth low energy communication mode when a Bluetooth low energy advertising signal associated with a container includes an alarm value that indicates that an operating characteristic of the container is not within a predefined tolerance.

In some embodiments, the system is operable in the communication mode in response to receiving an access request signal from the remote device.

In some embodiments, the system further comprises a controller, the controller including a processor that is configured to execute instructions stored in a nontransitory memory, the processor configured to provide the serial communication signal to (i) the charging circuit in response to the system operating in the charging mode and (ii) to the converter network in response to the system operating in the communication mode.

In some embodiments, the converter network is configured to determine whether the system is operating in one of the communication mode and the charging mode.

In some embodiments, the serial communication signal represents a plurality of operational characteristics of a container.

In some embodiments, the operational characteristics include at least one of an electric power consumption of the container, a suction of the container, a discharge temperature of the container, a pressure of a compressor of the container, a pressure of a condenser of the container, and an evaporator temperature of the container.

In some embodiments, the second type is a Bluetooth low energy signal.

In some embodiments, the voltage regulator includes a shunt regulator circuit and a low drop-out voltage regulator circuit.

In some embodiments the charging circuit includes a resistor-capacitor (RC) circuit.

In some embodiments, the remote device is configured to transmit a signal based on the second signal to at least one of a local monitoring system and a server using one of an ISO <NUM> Power Line Interface, a power-line communication (PLC) protocol, and a cellular signal.

In some embodiments, the remote device is configured to transmit the signal using one of an ISO <NUM> Power Line Interface, a power-line communication (PLC) protocol, and a cellular signal.

A method is also provided and includes receiving, using a charging circuit that is coupled to a converter network by a voltage regulator and while in a charging mode, a serial communication signal. The method also includes charging, using the serial communication signal and while in the charging mode, the charging circuit. The method also includes limiting, using the voltage regulator and while in a communication mode, an amount of voltage discharge from the charging circuit. The method also includes receiving, using the converter network and while in the communication mode, the serial communication signal. The method also includes converting, using the converter network and while in the communication mode, the serial communication signal to a second signal having a second type, the second type having a different communication protocol than the serial communication signal. The method also includes transmitting, using the converter network and while in the communication mode, the second signal to a remote device.

In some embodiments, the dongle is operable in an advertising Bluetooth low energy communication mode when a Bluetooth low energy advertising signal associated with a container includes an alarm value that indicates that an operating characteristic of the container is within a predefined tolerance.

In some embodiments, the dongle is operable in an advertising Bluetooth low energy communication mode when a Bluetooth low energy advertising signal associated with a container indicates that an operating characteristic of the container is not within a predefined tolerance.

In some embodiments, the dongle is operable in the communication mode in response to receiving an access request signal from the remote device.

In some embodiments, the method further comprises providing, using a processor that is configured to execute instructions stored in a nontransitory memory, the serial communication signal to (i) the charging circuit in response to the dongle operating in the charging mode and (ii) to the converter network in response to the dongle operating in the communication mode.

The drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes only of selected embodiments and not all possible implementations, and the drawings are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

With reference to <FIG>, a container <NUM> with a modem <NUM> and a container controller <NUM> is shown. In one embodiment, the container <NUM> is a refrigerated container or a reefer, which is an intermodal container used in intermodal freight transport that is refrigerated for the transportation of temperature sensitive cargo. Alternatively, the container <NUM> may be other types of containers used for intermodal freight transport. The container <NUM> may further include a refrigeration unit that may be powered by diesel powered generators during intermodal transport. The refrigeration unit of the container <NUM> may be configured to set the temperature of the container <NUM> at a variety of temperatures between, for example, -<NUM> and <NUM>.

The modem <NUM>, which may be a remote monitoring modem (RMM), may be configured to provide real-time remote monitoring and tracking information of the container <NUM> to a remote server or a cloud. Additionally, the modem <NUM> may be configured to provide, via the remote server or the cloud, centralized remote management of the container's operating conditions, alarms, events, settings, and positions. The modem <NUM> provides a variety of benefits for intermodal freight transport, including, for example, full transparency in a cooling chain; improved utilization of the container <NUM>; reduced risk of potential cargo damage; reduction of operational costs due to less time-consuming manual inspections; reduction of unexpected events, such as container tampering, theft, diversion, or holdups during intermodal freight transport; improved safety of personnel; improved cargo documentation handling processes; optimization of the container operation with a reduced risk of human errors; and energy savings as a result of constant modem software updates that include the latest energy efficient programs. The modem <NUM> is described below in further detail with reference to <FIG> and <FIG>.

The container controller <NUM> is configured to acquire sensor data from a plurality of sensors, and the sensor data represents a variety of operating characteristics of the container <NUM>, such as electric power consumption, suction, discharge temperature, pressure of a compressor and condenser, evaporator temperature data, etc. Additionally, the container controller <NUM> may be configured to adjust the settings of a refrigeration system of the container <NUM> in response to a determination that one of the settings need to be modified. The container controller <NUM> is described below in further detail with reference to <FIG> and <FIG>.

With reference to <FIG>, a detailed illustration of various communication links between containers <NUM> of a container system <NUM>, a remote device <NUM>, and a local monitoring system <NUM> is shown. The container system <NUM> includes container <NUM>-<NUM> and container <NUM>-<NUM> (collectively referred to as containers <NUM>). Each of the containers <NUM> include a respective container controller <NUM>-<NUM>, <NUM>-<NUM> (collectively referred to as container controllers <NUM>). While two containers <NUM> of the container system <NUM> are shown in this embodiment, the container system <NUM> may include any number of containers <NUM>.

Furthermore, the container controllers <NUM> are configured to communicate with the remote device <NUM> via communication links <NUM>-<NUM>, <NUM>-<NUM> (collectively referred to as communication links <NUM>). Specifically, the container controllers <NUM> may transmit container data logs using a dongle (not shown) and via the communication links <NUM> based on an alarm flag of a corresponding Bluetooth low-energy (BLE) advertising signal and/or an access request originating from the remote device <NUM>, as described below in further detail.

In one example embodiment, each of the containers <NUM> may be of a different type and, more specifically, may have different communication and/or data transmission protocols that are based on proprietary standards developed by a manufacturer of each of the containers <NUM>. Accordingly, using the dongle (not shown) to transmit container data logs from the container controllers <NUM> enables the implementation of a ubiquitous, BLE-enabled device, such as a smartphone, as the remote device <NUM>. Therefore, an operator using the remote device <NUM> can view the container data logs, modify settings, and/or transmit container data logs to the local monitoring system <NUM> regardless of the proprietary communication standards associated with each of the containers <NUM>.

With reference to <FIG>, a detailed illustration of the modem <NUM> and the container controller <NUM> is shown. In an example embodiment, the modem <NUM> may include a power unit <NUM>, which may further include a fuse <NUM>, a power converter <NUM>, and a battery <NUM>. Additionally, the modem <NUM> may include an modem control unit <NUM>, which further includes a memory module <NUM>, a processor <NUM>, and a communication module <NUM> that includes a quad-band global system for mobile communication (quad-band GSM) module <NUM> and a tri-band universal mobile telecommunications system communication (tri-band UMTS) module <NUM>. The modem control unit <NUM> may also include a position module <NUM>, an antenna <NUM>, and LEDs <NUM>-<NUM>, <NUM>-<NUM>, and <NUM>-<NUM> (collectively referred to as LEDs <NUM>).

The modem power unit <NUM> is configured to provide power to the modem <NUM>. In one embodiment, the modem power unit <NUM> receives electrical power from an AC voltage source, converts the electrical power from the AC voltage source to an electrical power within a product supply rating, and then provides the converted electrical power to the modem <NUM>. Alternatively, the modem power unit <NUM> may be configured to receive electrical power from a DC voltage source.

In one embodiment, the power converter <NUM> receives electrical power from the AC voltage source through the fuse <NUM>, which is configured to prevent excessive currents from being applied to the modem <NUM>. In one embodiment, the fuse <NUM> may be selected such that a maximum current rating in which the fuse can safely break at a rated voltage does not exceed a threshold current, which may be, for example, <NUM> Amperes (A).

The power converter <NUM> may be configured to convert an AC signal from the AC power supply to a new AC signal that is provided to the modem control unit <NUM>. In one embodiment, a transformer may be implemented to reduce the voltage from the AC power supply (e.g., 240VAC) to an input voltage that is less than or equal to a product supply rating voltage of the modem <NUM> (e.g., 24VAC). Additionally, the transformer may be configured to limit an amount of current from the AC power supply to a product supply current rating, which may be, for example, <NUM>. Alternatively, the power converter <NUM> may be an indirect AC-AC converter that includes a rectifier, a DC link, and an inverter.

Alternatively, the power converter <NUM> may be configured to convert the AC signal from the AC power supply to a DC signal that is provided to the modem control unit <NUM>. As an example, the power converter <NUM> may include the transformer to reduce the voltage from the AC power supply (e.g., 240VAC) to the input voltage within the product supply rating voltage of the modem <NUM> (e.g., 24VAC). Subsequently, a rectifier, which may be electrically coupled to the transformer, may be configured to convert the input voltage to into a DC signal (e.g., 24V). The rectifier may include four switching components, such as a diode, bipolar junction transistor (BJT), or metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) arranged in a bridge configuration.

The battery <NUM>, in response to receiving electrical power from the AC power supply through the fuse <NUM> and the power converter <NUM>, may be configured to provide the input voltage to the modem control unit <NUM>. Additionally, the battery <NUM> may provide power to other components that are not located in the modem control unit <NUM>, which may include, for example, a plurality of sensors of the container <NUM>.

The modem control unit <NUM> may be configured to provide, via the remote server or the cloud, real-time remote monitoring and tracking information of the container <NUM> and centralized remote management of the container's operating conditions, alarms, events, settings, and positions. The processor <NUM> may be configured to, based on instructions that are executable by the processor <NUM> and stored in the memory module <NUM>, carry out the functionality described herein. The memory module <NUM> may be a non-transitory computer readable medium, such as a nonvolatile memory circuit, volatile memory circuit, magnetic storage media, and optical storage media.

In one embodiment, the processor <NUM> receives geospatial location data of the container <NUM> from a GPS satellite <NUM> via the antenna <NUM> and the position module <NUM>. In response to the position module <NUM>, which may include a GPS receiver, receiving geospatial data from the GPS satellite <NUM>, the processor <NUM> may be configured to determine a GPS location of the container <NUM> and store the GPS location in the memory module <NUM>.

In one embodiment, the processor <NUM> receives sensor data from a container controller <NUM> representing a variety of operating characteristics of the container <NUM>, including electric power consumption, suction, discharge temperature, pressure of a compressor and condenser, evaporator temperature data, etc. Additionally, the processor <NUM> may be configured to provide a signal to the container controller <NUM> that is operable to adjust the settings of the refrigeration system of the container <NUM> in response to a determination of that the one of the settings need to be modified.

The container controller <NUM> and the processor <NUM> may communicate via a hardwired link and/or telemetric link. In one embodiment, the container controller <NUM> and the processor <NUM> may communicate via an ISO <NUM> Power Line interface, which is the interface required to permit complying central monitoring and control systems employed by one carrier or terminal to interface and communicate with complying remote communication devices of differing manufacture and configuration used by other carriers and terminals. Thus, the processor <NUM> may be configured to receive operating conditions and alarms from a plurality of different container controllers <NUM>, including, for example, CARRIER controllers, DAIKIN controllers, STARCOOL controllers, and THERMO KING controllers. Alternatively, the container controller <NUM> and the processor <NUM> may communicate via other industry standard interfaces that are set forth by, for example, the International Organization for Standardization.

In one embodiment, the processor <NUM> may be configured to instruct the communication module <NUM> to provide operational and location data of the container <NUM> to a local monitoring system <NUM> and/or a server <NUM>, which may be a global monitoring server. As an example, the processor <NUM> may instruct the at least one of the quad-band GSM module <NUM> and the tri-band UMTS module <NUM> to transmit operational and location data of the container <NUM> to a local monitoring system <NUM>. If a local monitoring system <NUM> is not present, the processor <NUM> may instruct the at least one of the quad-band GSM module <NUM> and the tri-band UMTS module <NUM> to transmit operational and location data of the container <NUM> to the server <NUM>. The local monitoring system <NUM> and the server <NUM> may be configured to collect and store operational and location data transmitted by the modem <NUM>. The local monitoring system <NUM> and the server <NUM> may also allow a user to remotely manage the container's operating conditions, alarms, events, settings, and positions. As an example, the local monitoring system <NUM> may be an EMERSON REFCON control system.

In one embodiment, the processor <NUM> may be configured to activate and deactivate the LEDs <NUM> in response to an operating condition of the container <NUM> and/or the modem <NUM>. As an example, when the processor <NUM>, via the position module <NUM>, is unable to determine the GPS location of the container <NUM>, LED <NUM>-<NUM> may be deactivated and will not emit light. Further, when the processor <NUM>, via the position module <NUM>, is able to determine the GPS location of the container <NUM>, LED <NUM>-<NUM> may be activated and emit light. As another example, if the processor <NUM>, via the position module <NUM>, makes an incorrect determination of the GPS location of the container <NUM>, then LED <NUM>-<NUM> may emit a flashing light to represent the incorrect determination. The LEDs <NUM> may also be activated and deactivated to represent other conditions of the modem <NUM> and/or the container <NUM>, such as, for example, a status of the communication module <NUM> and the operating characteristics of the container <NUM>.

The container controller <NUM> may also communicate with a communication interface device, also referred to as a dongle <NUM>, which is configured to convert a communication format of the container controller <NUM> to a format that a ubiquitous device, such as the remote device <NUM>, can receive and process. As an example, the container controller <NUM>, without the dongle <NUM>, may be configured to transmit container data logs to a peripheral device using serial communication methods, such as the Recommended Standard <NUM> (RS-<NUM>), which is a standard that defines electrical characteristics and timing of signals, the meaning of signals, and the physical size and pinout of connectors of the communication cables. As such, the peripheral device must be configured to receive data using the RS-<NUM> protocol. However, the dongle <NUM>, which may be plugged into a retriever plug <NUM> of the container <NUM>, converts the data transmission method from a serial communication method to, for example, a Bluetooth transmission method. As a specific example, the dongle <NUM> may convert the RS-<NUM> communication to the BLE protocol. In alternative embodiments, the dongle <NUM> may convert the RS-<NUM> communication to other telemetric and/or hardwire communication methods. The dongle <NUM> is described below in further detail with reference to <FIG>, <FIG>, and <FIG>, and the retriever plug <NUM> is described below in further detail with reference to <FIG>.

The container controller <NUM> may transmit container data logs using the dongle <NUM> based on an alarm flag of a BLE advertising signal. As an example, the container controllers <NUM> are configured to, using the dongle <NUM>, continuously generate and transmit the BLE advertising signals. The BLE advertising signals may include information associated with an identification of the container, a set of the operational characteristics, and an alarm flag. The set of the operational characteristics may be defined by critical operational characteristics of the container <NUM>, and the alarm flag may be based on the values of the critical operational characteristics. As an example, the alarm flag of the BLE advertising signal may be set to a high value if one of the critical operational characteristics has a value outside of a predefined tolerance. Accordingly, if the alarm flag of the BLE advertising signal is set to a high value, the remote device <NUM> may then connect to the container controller <NUM> using the dongle <NUM> and receive the container data logs, which include all of the operational characteristics of the container <NUM>, from the container controller <NUM>.

Additionally or alternatively, the container controller <NUM> may transmit container data logs using the dongle <NUM> in response to an access request from the remote device <NUM>. As an example, an operator of the remote device <NUM>, such as a service technician, may transmit a signal to the container controller <NUM> with a request to obtain container data logs of the container <NUM>. In response to receiving the request, the container controller <NUM> may transmit the container data log using the dongle <NUM> to the remote device <NUM>. Subsequently, the service technician may view the container data log, modify settings, and/or transmit the container data logs to the local monitoring system <NUM>.

The remote device <NUM> is a device that is configured to receive and process container data logs sent from the container controller <NUM> using the dongle <NUM>. Using the above example, the remote device <NUM> may be any Bluetooth-enabled communication computing device, such as a desktop computer, laptop, smart phone, smart watch, wearable electronic device, tablet device, or other similar computing device. Furthermore, if the remote device <NUM> is a smart phone or other similar device, the remote device <NUM> may be configured to receive and display the container data logs using an application executing on the remote device <NUM>. Accordingly, the application may be executable by a processor of the remote device <NUM>, and the processor is configured to execute instructions stored in a non-transitory memory, such as a read-only memory (ROM) and/or random-access memory (RAM).

Additionally, the remote device <NUM> is configured to transmit the container data logs to the local monitoring system <NUM>. As an example, the remote device <NUM> may transmit the container data logs to the local monitoring system <NUM> via a hardwire connection, such as the ISO <NUM> Power Line interface or a power-line communication (PLC) protocol. Additionally or alternatively, the remote device <NUM> may transmit the container data logs to the local monitoring system <NUM> via a telemetric link, such as a cellular signal, and a Bluetooth signal. Furthermore, the remote device <NUM> may transmit the container data logs to the local monitoring system <NUM> using a local area network (LAN), the Internet, a wide area network (WAN), or any combination thereof.

With reference to <FIG>, a block diagram of the container controller <NUM> and the dongle <NUM> is shown. The container controller <NUM> includes the dongle <NUM> and a processor <NUM> that is configured to, based on instructions that are executable by the processor <NUM> and stored in the memory module <NUM> (e.g., a nontransitory computer-readable medium, such as a RAM and/or ROM), carry out the functionality described herein. As an example, the instructions may include generating serial communication signals, such as RS-<NUM> signals, based on the sensor data received by the plurality of sensors. As another example, the instructions may include transmitting the serial communication signals to a converter network <NUM> of the dongle <NUM>, and the converter network <NUM> may be configured to convert serial communication signals to a signal that can be received and processed by the remote device <NUM>, such as a BLE signal. The converter network <NUM> may be implemented by various integrated circuits that are operable to convert serial communication signals to BLE signals, such as a DA14585 integrated circuit provided by Dialog Semiconductor, PLC.

In addition to transmitting the serial communication signal to the converter network <NUM> of the dongle, the instructions may include transmitting the serial communication signal to a charging circuit <NUM> of the dongle <NUM>. The charging circuit <NUM> may be any circuit that is configured to store energy in response to receiving a signal from the processor <NUM> and discharge energy in response to being disconnected from the processor <NUM>. In one embodiment, the charging circuit <NUM> may be implemented by a resistor-capacitor (RC) circuit, and the RC circuit may include a resistor that is configured to provide a path for charging a capacitor of the RC circuit. Additionally, the RC circuit may include a diode that couples the resistor and the capacitor, and the diode may be configured to control the direction of the voltage discharge of the capacitor. Additionally or alternatively, the charging circuit <NUM> may be implemented by other charging circuits, such as a resistor-inductor (RL) circuit, integrated circuits that are configured to store and discharge energy, and/or other circuits that are configured to store and discharge energy.

The charging circuit <NUM> may be coupled to the converter network <NUM> by a voltage regulator <NUM>. The voltage regulator <NUM> may be configured to regulate the magnitude of the voltage discharge of the charging circuit <NUM>. The voltage regulator <NUM> is described below in further detail with reference to <FIG>.

In one embodiment, the charging circuit <NUM> is configured to use the serial communication signal in order to power the converter network <NUM>. Accordingly, the dongle <NUM> may be a portable, self-powering device may be coupled to the retriever plug <NUM> of the container <NUM> in order to function. Coupling the dongle <NUM> to the retriever plug <NUM> of the container <NUM> is described below in further detail with reference to <FIG>. Furthermore, the dongle <NUM> does not require a battery or an external power supply to operate, thereby making the dongle <NUM> easy to integrate with the container controller <NUM> and both mechanically and electrically robust.

In one embodiment, the processor <NUM> transmits serial communication signals to each of the converter network <NUM> and the charging circuit <NUM>. As an example, the dongle <NUM> may initially be operable in a charging mode. During the charging mode, a continuous stop bit is transmitted from the processor <NUM> to the charging circuit <NUM>. As the continuous stop bit is provided to the charging circuit <NUM>, the charging circuit <NUM> charges until it reaches a voltage limit designated by the voltage regulator <NUM>. As an example, if the charging circuit <NUM> is implemented by the RC circuit, the capacitor of the RC circuit charges until it reaches the voltage limit designated by the voltage regulator <NUM>, such as -<NUM>.

Once the charging circuit <NUM> is sufficiently charged, the processor <NUM> is configured to discontinue supplying the serial communication signal to the charging circuit <NUM>, and the dongle <NUM> may transition to a controller communication mode. During the controller communication mode, the processor <NUM> is configured to generate and transmit serial communication signals based on the information obtained by the plurality of sensors (e.g., operational characteristics and/or container data logs) to the converter network <NUM>, as described above. The processor <NUM> may utilize the stored energy of the charging circuit <NUM> in order to carry out the process of generating and transmitting the serial communication signals to the converter network <NUM>. Once the stored energy of the charging circuit <NUM> is depleted or nearly depleted, the dongle <NUM> may subsequently transition to the charging mode in order recharge the charging circuit <NUM> and resume the generation and transmission of serial communication signals. Accordingly, the processor <NUM> may be configured to only generate and transmit the serial communication signals when the dongle <NUM> is operating in the controller communication mode.

In addition to transitioning to the controller communication mode once the charging circuit <NUM> is initially charged, the dongle <NUM> may also transition to and remain in a BLE communication mode. The dongle <NUM> may remain in the BLE communication mode subsequent to the initial charging of the charging circuit <NUM> due to the high efficiency and low power requirements of the converter network <NUM>. During the BLE communication mode, the converter network <NUM> is configured to convert the serial communication signals to, for example, BLE signals.

As a specific example, during an advertising BLE communication mode, the converter network <NUM> is configured to broadcast a BLE advertising signal representing information associated with an identification of the container, a set of the operational characteristics, and an alarm flag, as described above. Furthermore, when the BLE advertising signals include an alarm flag, as described above, the instructions may include switching from the advertising BLE communication mode to a connecting BLE communication mode. During the connecting BLE communication mode, the processor <NUM> may initially send a start bit to the converter network <NUM>, thereby enabling the converter network <NUM> to read incoming bits corresponding to the container data logs. Moreover, during the connecting BLE communication mode, the processor <NUM> may discontinue supplying the serial communication signal to the charging circuit <NUM>. Once the serial communication signal supply is discontinued, the charging circuit <NUM> may discharge its voltage to the converter network <NUM> via the voltage regulator <NUM>, thereby providing the converter network <NUM> the requisite supply voltage necessary to read the incoming serial communication signal and convert it into a BLE signal. Once the container data logs, which may be originally represented by the serial communication signal, are received by the remote device <NUM> via the converter network <NUM>, the container controller <NUM> and the remote device <NUM> are disconnected. Subsequently, the instructions may include switching from the connecting BLE communication mode to the advertising BLE communication mode.

Additionally, while the dongle <NUM> is operating in the connecting BLE communication mode, the dongle <NUM> may be configured to receive data from the remote device <NUM> in order to, for example, update software of the container controller <NUM> and/or the dongle <NUM>.

With reference to <FIG>, a detailed block diagram of the dongle <NUM> is shown. In this example embodiment, the charging circuit <NUM> is electrically coupled to the processor <NUM> by a charging circuit switch control module <NUM>. Additionally, the converter network <NUM> is electrically coupled to the container controller <NUM> and the processor <NUM> by the converter network switch control module <NUM> and the voltage follower network <NUM>, respectively. Furthermore, in this example embodiment, the voltage regulator <NUM> includes a shunt regulator <NUM>, a power detection module <NUM>, and a low drop-out voltage regulator <NUM>.

The converter network switch control module <NUM> is configured to selectively activate the converter network <NUM> based on a state of the container controller <NUM>. The converter network switch control module <NUM> may be implemented by, for example, an n-channel metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET). As an example, if the container controller <NUM> is on, the converter network switch control module <NUM> is configured to electrically couple the container controller <NUM> and the converter network <NUM>. As such, when the container controller <NUM> is on, the container controller <NUM> may be configured to provide a supply voltage and/or reference voltage to the converter network <NUM>, thereby activating the converter network <NUM>. Furthermore, if the container controller <NUM> is off, the converter network switch control module <NUM> is configured to disconnect the container controller <NUM> from the converter network <NUM>.

The voltage follower network <NUM> is configured to electrically couple the processor <NUM> and the converter network <NUM>, thereby enabling serial communications generated by the processor <NUM> to be provided to the converter network <NUM> for conversion into BLE signals. The voltage follower network <NUM> may be implemented by at least one operational amplifier (op-amp) that electrically couples the processor <NUM> and the converter network <NUM> and is further configured to minimize current draw between the container controller <NUM> and the converter network <NUM>. As an example, when the dongle <NUM> is in the connecting BLE communication mode, the processor <NUM> may initially send a start bit to the converter network <NUM> via the voltage follower network <NUM>, thereby enabling the converter network <NUM> to read incoming bits of the serial communication signal corresponding to the container data logs. Additionally, the processor <NUM> provides the serial communication signal that is generated based on the sensor data to the converter network <NUM> via the voltage follower network <NUM>.

The charging circuit switch control module <NUM> is configured to selectively activate the charging circuit <NUM> based on a mode of the dongle <NUM>. The charging circuit switch control module <NUM> may be implemented by, for example, a field-effect-transistor (FET). As an example, during the charging mode, the charging circuit switch control module <NUM> electrically couples the processor <NUM> and the charging circuit <NUM> and, therefore, the serial communication signal is configured to charge the capacitor of the charging circuit <NUM>, as described above. Furthermore, once the dongle <NUM> is set to the BLE communication mode and the controller communication mode, the charging circuit switch control module <NUM> disconnects the processor <NUM> from the charging circuit <NUM> and, therefore, the processor <NUM> discontinues supplying serial communications to the charging circuit <NUM>. Subsequently, the charging circuit <NUM> may discharge its voltage to the converter network <NUM> via the voltage regulator <NUM>, thereby providing the converter network <NUM> the requisite supply voltage necessary to read the incoming serial communication signal and convert it into a BLE signal.

As described above, when the charging circuit <NUM> is implemented by the RC circuit, the voltage regulator <NUM> may be configured to regulate the magnitude of the voltage discharge of the capacitor of the RC circuit. As an example, a shunt regulator <NUM> may be configured to prevent the voltage discharge of the capacitor of the RC circuit from exceeding a predefined voltage. As an example, the shunt regulator <NUM> may be implemented by an ATL431 shunt regulator provided by Texas Instruments®, Inc. , and the shunt regulator <NUM> may be configured to prevent the voltage discharge of the capacitor of the RC circuit from exceeding a magnitude of <NUM> volts.

The output voltage of the shunt regulator <NUM> may then be provided to the low drop-out voltage regulator <NUM>, which may be implemented by an LD39100 integrated circuit. The low drop-out voltage regulator <NUM> may be configured to provide a low drop-out voltage of the dongle <NUM>. Accordingly, the low drop-out voltage regulator <NUM> improves the efficiency of the dongle <NUM> and may provide a constant output voltage to the converter network <NUM> regardless of the magnitude of the voltage discharge of the charging circuit <NUM>.

Additionally, the voltage regulator <NUM> may include a power detection module <NUM> that is configured to monitor an amount of power that is being output by the shunt regulator <NUM>, and a signal based on the amount of power may be provided to the converter network <NUM>.

With reference to <FIG>, another block diagram illustrating example electrical connections between the dongle <NUM>, the retriever plug <NUM>, an RS-<NUM> device <NUM>, an RS-<NUM> transceiver <NUM>, and a debug interface <NUM> are shown. The retriever plug <NUM> may include a Tx port <NUM>, an Rx port <NUM>, an auxiliary port <NUM>, a port switch <NUM>, and a ground port <NUM>. The dongle <NUM> may include the charging circuit <NUM>, the voltage regulator <NUM>, the converter network <NUM>, a comparator network <NUM>, a buck converter <NUM>, a protection circuit <NUM>, a port switch network <NUM>, a NOR flash memory module <NUM>, and an LED network <NUM>. The container controller <NUM> may include the RS-<NUM> device <NUM>, which may include a ground port <NUM>, an auxiliary port <NUM>, an Rx port <NUM>, a Tx port <NUM>, a request to send (RTS) port <NUM>, and a clear to send (CTS) port <NUM>.

As described above with reference to <FIG>, while the dongle <NUM> is in the controller communication mode, the processor <NUM> is configured to generate serial communication signals, such as RS-<NUM> signals, based on the sensor data received by the plurality of sensors and transmit the serial communication signals to the converter network <NUM> of the dongle <NUM>. As an example, in order to generate RS-<NUM> signals, the processor <NUM> may instruct the RS-<NUM> device <NUM> to transmit RS-<NUM> signals based on the sensor data using the Rx port <NUM>, the Tx port <NUM>, the RTS port <NUM>, and the CTS port <NUM>. Initially, the RS-<NUM> device <NUM> may provide an interrupt signal to an RS-<NUM> transceiver <NUM> using the RTS port <NUM>. In response to the RS-<NUM> transceiver <NUM> receiving the interrupt signal and, for example, the RS-<NUM> transceiver <NUM> having sufficient buffer capacity, the RS-<NUM> transceiver <NUM> provides a start signal to the CTS port <NUM> of the RS-<NUM> device <NUM>. In response to receiving the start signal, the RS-<NUM> device <NUM> begins transmitting signals corresponding to the sensor data to the dongle <NUM>.

While the dongle <NUM> is in the BLE communication mode, the converter network <NUM> is configured to receive the RS-<NUM> signals from the RS-<NUM> device <NUM> and convert the RS-<NUM> signals into BLE signals. As an example, the RS-<NUM> device <NUM> may be configured to provide the RS-<NUM> signals to the converter network <NUM> via the RS-<NUM> transceiver <NUM>. The converter network <NUM>, which may be implemented by a DA14585 integrated circuit provided by Dialog Semiconductor®, PLC, subsequently converts the RS-<NUM> signal to a BLE signal and transmits the BLE signal to the remote device <NUM> via the antenna <NUM>.

While the dongle <NUM> is in the charging mode, the charging circuit <NUM> and the voltage regulator <NUM> may receive a voltage signal via the Tx port <NUM>. The charging circuit <NUM> may be any circuit that is configured to store energy in response to receiving a signal from the Tx port <NUM>. In one embodiment, the charging circuit <NUM> may be implemented by an RC circuit and may include a diode that controls the direction of the voltage discharge of the capacitor. The charging circuit <NUM> may also include switching elements that are configured to selectively activate the charging circuit <NUM> based on an operation mode of the dongle <NUM>. In other embodiments, the charging circuit <NUM> may be implemented by other charging circuits, such as an RL circuit or an integrated circuit that is configured to store and discharge energy.

Furthermore, while the dongle <NUM> is in the charging mode and in response to receiving the voltage signal from the Tx port <NUM>, the voltage regulator <NUM> may provide a reference voltage to the comparator network <NUM>. As an example, a regulator circuit <NUM> of the voltage regulator <NUM> may be configured to limit the voltage value of the signals to a predefined voltage value, such as -<NUM>. A rectifier circuit <NUM>, which may be implemented by an H-bridge circuit, may then convert an AC voltage signal to a DC voltage signal. A boost circuit <NUM>, which may be implemented by an AP3015 integrated circuit provided by Texas Instruments®, Inc. , may then convert the polarity and voltage magnitude of the signal.

Subsequently, the converted voltage signal (e.g., a <NUM>. 5V DC voltage signal) is provided to a reference voltage input of the comparator network <NUM>. Accordingly, the comparator network <NUM> may be configured to provide a plurality of outputs directly to the converter network <NUM> based on the reference voltage and a voltage of the charging circuit. In one embodiment, the comparator network <NUM> may be implemented by two comparator operational amplifiers that are configured to produce a two-state output (HP_OK and LP_OK) that indicates whether the voltage discharge value of the charging circuit <NUM> is greater than the reference voltage value. Based on at least one value of the plurality of the outputs of the comparator network <NUM>, the converter network <NUM> sets the operation mode of the dongle <NUM>, as described below in further detail with reference to <FIG>.

Additionally or alternatively, in response to receiving the voltage discharge from the charging circuit <NUM> and the reference voltage, the comparator network <NUM> is configured to selectively output a voltage to the buck converter <NUM>. In response to the buck converter <NUM> receiving the voltage from the comparator network <NUM>, the buck converter <NUM> is configured to reduce the voltage magnitude to a value that is configured to provide a supply voltage for the converter network <NUM>, the NOR flash memory module <NUM>, and the RS-<NUM> transceiver <NUM>. As an example, the buck converter <NUM> is configured to reduce the voltage output from the comparator network <NUM> to <NUM>. Furthermore, the buck converter <NUM> may be implemented by a TPS62740 integrated circuit provided by Texas Instruments®, Inc.

Additionally or alternatively, the output of voltage regulator <NUM> may be provided to the LED network <NUM>. Furthermore, various light-emitting diodes (LED) of the LED network <NUM> may be activated based on the operation mode of the dongle <NUM>.

Additionally or alternatively, an output of the auxiliary port <NUM> may be provided to the buck converter <NUM> and/or the protection circuit <NUM>. The protection circuit <NUM> may be configured to filter voltage spikes from the auxiliary port <NUM>, and the protection circuit <NUM> may be implemented by various passive elements to filter the voltage spikes. Furthermore, the auxiliary port <NUM> and the debug interface <NUM> may be implemented for specialized utilization of the dongle <NUM> and may be inactive and/or not generate voltage signals when the dongle <NUM> is in the controller communication mode and/or the BLE communication mode.

Additionally or alternatively, the port switch network <NUM> and the port switch port <NUM> may be implemented and utilized when certain container controllers <NUM> are used. As an example, port switch network <NUM> and the port switch port <NUM> may be utilized when the container controller <NUM> is implemented by a THERMAKING® MP-<NUM> controller.

With reference to <FIG>, an illustration of the dongle <NUM> is shown. In this example, the dongle <NUM> includes a notch <NUM>, retriever plug slots <NUM>-<NUM>, <NUM>-<NUM>, <NUM>-<NUM>, <NUM>-<NUM>, <NUM>-<NUM> (referred to collectively as retriever plug slots <NUM>), and a locking ring <NUM>. The container <NUM> includes the retriever plug <NUM>, which includes prongs <NUM>-<NUM>, <NUM>-<NUM>, <NUM>-<NUM>, <NUM>-<NUM>, <NUM>-<NUM> (referred to collectively as prongs <NUM>) and retriever plug notch <NUM>. The container controller <NUM> may establish an electrical communication with the remote device <NUM>, such as communication link <NUM>, when the dongle <NUM> is connected to the retriever plug <NUM>, thereby enabling the container controller <NUM> to transmit container data logs to the remote device <NUM>. Specifically, the dongle <NUM> may be connected to the retriever plug <NUM> when the prongs <NUM> of the retriever plug <NUM> are received by the retriever plug slots <NUM> of the dongle <NUM>. An example illustration of the dongle <NUM> is shown in <FIG>.

As an example, a service technician may couple the dongle <NUM> to the container controller <NUM> of via a retriever plug <NUM> of the container <NUM>. Specifically, the service technician may first identify the location of the retriever plug notch <NUM>, as shown in <FIG>. Subsequently, the service technician may locate the notch <NUM> of the dongle <NUM> and then align the notch <NUM> and the retriever plug notch <NUM>, as shown in <FIG>. Once the notch <NUM> and the retriever plug notch <NUM> are aligned, the service technician may attach the dongle <NUM> to the retriever plug <NUM> such that prongs <NUM> of the retriever plug <NUM> are received within the retriever plug slots <NUM>. The service technician may then rotate the locking ring <NUM> until the dongle <NUM> is securely fastened to the retriever plug <NUM>. The tactile orientation feedback features of the dongle <NUM> enable the service technician to easily establish the electrical communication between the container controller <NUM> and the remote device <NUM> using one hand, while wearing a glove, and/or in a low lighting environment. Because the dongle <NUM> includes the identifiable notch <NUM>, the technician may be able to feel the location of the notch <NUM> and conveniently plug the dongle <NUM> into the retriever plug <NUM>, matching the notch <NUM> to the retriever plug notch <NUM>, in a one-handed operation.

With reference to <FIG>, a flowchart describing an example control algorithm <NUM> for transmitting information from the container controller <NUM> to the local monitoring system <NUM> is shown. The control algorithm <NUM> begins at <NUM> when, for example, the remote device <NUM> is turned on by an operator of the remote device <NUM>. At <NUM>, the control algorithm <NUM> transmits, using the container controller <NUM> of each of the containers <NUM>, the BLE advertising signal. Additionally, the container controllers <NUM> generate container data logs based on operational characteristics of the container <NUM>, as described above. At <NUM>, the control algorithm <NUM> determines, using the container controller <NUM> of each of the containers <NUM>, whether the BLE advertising signal of one of the containers <NUM> includes an alarm flag. If so, the control algorithm <NUM> proceeds to <NUM>; otherwise, the control algorithm <NUM> proceeds to <NUM>. At <NUM>, the control algorithm <NUM> determines whether an access request was generated by the remote device <NUM>. As an example, a service technician using the remote device <NUM> may generate a request if he or she desires to obtain a container data log associated with one of the containers <NUM>. If so, the control algorithm <NUM> proceeds to <NUM>; otherwise, the control algorithm <NUM> proceeds to <NUM>.

At <NUM>, the control algorithm <NUM> connects, via the communication links <NUM>, to each of the containers <NUM> that include the BLE advertising signal with the alarm flag. As an example, the remote device <NUM> may connect to each of the container controllers <NUM> of the identified containers <NUM> using the dongle <NUM> of each of the container controllers <NUM>, as described above with reference to <FIG>. At <NUM>, the control algorithm <NUM> collects, using the remote device <NUM>, a data log associated with the container <NUM> that includes an alarm flag in the corresponding BLE header data. At <NUM>, the control algorithm <NUM> transmits, using the remote device <NUM>, the data log to the local monitoring system <NUM>. At <NUM>, the control algorithm <NUM> disconnects the remote device <NUM> from the containers <NUM>. The control algorithm <NUM> then ends at <NUM>.

With reference to <FIG>, a flowchart describing an example control algorithm <NUM> for setting the operating mode of the dongle <NUM> is shown. The control algorithm <NUM> begins at <NUM> when, for example, the container controller <NUM> is turned on and receives sensor data representing various operational characteristics of the container <NUM>. At <NUM>, the control algorithm <NUM>, using the converter network <NUM>, sets the FORCE_ON signal low. When the FORCE_ON signal is set low, as also shown in <FIG>, the charging circuit <NUM> begins charging and a driver of the RS-<NUM> device <NUM> is disabled, thereby preventing the RS-<NUM> device from providing signals to the converter network <NUM>. Furthermore, when FORCE_ON is set to low, the dongle <NUM> is set to the charging mode.

At <NUM>, the control algorithm <NUM> determines, using the comparator network <NUM>, whether the charging level of the charging circuit <NUM> is high. In other words, the control algorithm <NUM> determines whether a voltage value of the charging circuit is greater than the reference voltage of the comparator network <NUM>. If so, the control algorithm <NUM> proceeds to <NUM>; otherwise, the control algorithm <NUM> remains at <NUM> until the charging level of the charging circuit is high.

At <NUM>, the control algorithm <NUM> sets, using the comparator network <NUM>, HP_OK to a high value. In response to the converter network <NUM> receiving the high value via the HP_OK output, the converter network <NUM> is configured to begin receiving RS-<NUM> signals from the RS-<NUM> device <NUM>. Furthermore, when HP_OK is set to high, the dongle <NUM> is set to the controller communication mode and the BLE communication mode. At <NUM>, the control algorithm <NUM> sets, using the converter network <NUM>, the FORCE_ON signal high, thereby activating the driver of the RS-<NUM> device <NUM> and discontinuing the charging of the charging circuit <NUM>. Moreover, the charging circuit <NUM> begins to discharge its stored voltage to the comparator network <NUM>.

At <NUM>, the control algorithm <NUM> determines, using the comparator network <NUM>, whether the charging level of the charging circuit <NUM> is low. In other words, the control algorithm <NUM> determines whether a voltage value of the charging circuit is less than the reference voltage of the comparator network <NUM>. If so, the control algorithm <NUM> proceeds to <NUM>; otherwise, the control algorithm <NUM> remains at <NUM> until the charging level of the charging circuit is high.

At <NUM>, the control algorithm <NUM> sets, using the comparator network <NUM>, LP_OK to a low value. In response to the converter network <NUM> receiving the low value via the LP_OK output, the converter network <NUM> is configured to discontinue receiving RS-<NUM> signals from the RS-<NUM> device <NUM>. The control algorithm <NUM> then proceeds to <NUM>. The control algorithm <NUM> is configured to continuously operate and set the dongle <NUM> from the controller communication mode to the charging mode. Moreover and as described above, the dongle <NUM> is configured to remain in the BLE communication mode once the initial charging of the dongle <NUM> is complete.

The foregoing description is merely illustrative in nature and is in no way intended to limit the disclosure, its application, or uses. The broad teachings of the disclosure can be implemented in a variety of forms. Therefore, while this disclosure includes particular examples, the true scope of the disclosure should not be so limited since other modifications will become apparent upon a study of the drawings, the specification, and the following claims. It should be understood that one or more steps within a method may be executed in different order (or concurrently) without altering the principles of the present disclosure. Further, although each of the embodiments is described above as having certain features, any one or more of those features described with respect to any embodiment of the disclosure can be implemented in and/or combined with features of any of the other embodiments, even if that combination is not explicitly described. In other words, the described embodiments are not mutually exclusive, and permutations of one or more embodiments with one another remain within the scope of this disclosure.

Spatial and functional relationships between elements (for example, between modules, circuit elements, semiconductor layers, etc.) are described using various terms, including "connected," "engaged," "coupled," "adjacent," "next to," "on top of," "above," "below," and "disposed. " Unless explicitly described as being "direct," when a relationship between first and second elements is described in the above disclosure, that relationship can be a direct relationship where no other intervening elements are present between the first and second elements, but can also be an indirect relationship where one or more intervening elements are present (either spatially or functionally) between the first and second elements. As used herein, the phrase at least one of A, B, and C should be construed to mean a logical (A OR B OR C), using a non-exclusive logical OR, and should not be construed to mean "at least one of A, at least one of B, and at least one of C.

In the figures, the direction of an arrow, as indicated by the arrowhead, generally demonstrates the flow of information (such as data or instructions) that is of interest to the illustration. For example, when element A and element B exchange a variety of information but information transmitted from element A to element B is relevant to the illustration, the arrow may point from element A to element B. This unidirectional arrow does not imply that no other information is transmitted from element B to element A. Further, for information sent from element A to element B, element B may send requests for, or receipt acknowledgements of, the information to element A.

In this application, including the definitions below, the term "module" or the term "controller" may be replaced with the term "circuit. " The term "module" may refer to, be part of, or include: an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC); a digital, analog, or mixed analog/digital discrete circuit; a digital, analog, or mixed analog/digital integrated circuit; a combinational logic circuit; a field programmable gate array (FPGA); a processor circuit (shared, dedicated, or group) that executes code; a memory circuit (shared, dedicated, or group) that stores code executed by the processor circuit; other suitable hardware components that provide the described functionality; or a combination of some or all of the above, such as in a system-on-chip.

The term memory circuit is a subset of the term computer-readable medium. The term computer-readable medium, as used herein, does not encompass transitory electrical or electromagnetic signals propagating through a medium (such as on a carrier wave); the term computer-readable medium may therefore be considered tangible and non-transitory. Non-limiting examples of a non-transitory, tangible computer-readable medium are nonvolatile memory circuits (such as a flash memory circuit, an erasable programmable read-only memory circuit, or a mask read-only memory circuit), volatile memory circuits (such as a static random access memory circuit or a dynamic random access memory circuit), magnetic storage media (such as an analog or digital magnetic tape or a hard disk drive), and optical storage media (such as a CD, a DVD, or a Blu-ray Disc).

The apparatuses and methods described in this application may be partially or fully implemented by a special purpose computer created by configuring a general purpose computer to execute one or more particular functions embodied in computer programs. The functional blocks and flowchart elements described above serve as software specifications, which can be translated into the computer programs by the routine work of a skilled technician or programmer.

The computer programs include processor-executable instructions that are stored on at least one non-transitory, tangible computer-readable medium. The computer programs may also include or rely on stored data. The computer programs may encompass a basic input/output system (BIOS) that interacts with hardware of the special purpose computer, device drivers that interact with particular devices of the special purpose computer, one or more operating systems, user applications, background services, background applications, etc..

The computer programs may include: (i) descriptive text to be parsed, such as HTML (hypertext markup language) or XML (extensible markup language), (ii) assembly code, (iii) object code generated from source code by a compiler, (iv) source code for execution by an interpreter, (v) source code for compilation and execution by a just-in-time compiler, etc. As examples only, source code may be written using syntax from languages including C, C++, C#, Objective-C, Swift, Haskell, Go, SQL, R, Lisp, Java®, Fortran, Perl, Pascal, Curl, OCaml, Javascript®, HTML5 (Hypertext Markup Language 5th revision), Ada, ASP (Active Server Pages), PHP (PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor), Scala, Eiffel, Smalltalk, Erlang, Ruby, Flash®, Visual Basic®, Lua, MATLAB, SIMULINK, and Python®.

Claim 1:
A system comprising:
a charging circuit (<NUM>);
a converter network (<NUM>); and
a voltage regulator (<NUM>) that couples the charging circuit (<NUM>) to the converter network (<NUM>);
the system being configured to operate in a charging mode and a communication mode,
when the system is in the communication mode, the voltage regulator (<NUM>) is configured to limit an amount of voltage discharge from the charging circuit (<NUM>), and the charging circuit (<NUM>) is configured to power the converter network (<NUM>) to (i) receive a serial communication signal (ii) convert the serial communication signal to a second signal having a second type, the second type having a different communication protocol than the serial communication signal, and (iii) transmit the second signal to a remote device (<NUM>);
when the system is in the charging mode, the charging circuit (<NUM>) is configured to receive the serial communication signal to charge the charging circuit (<NUM>); and
the charging circuit is implemented by a battery-less circuit.