Asset monitoring system and associated method

Claim 1

An asset monitoring system comprising: a central station; at least one asset monitor associated with a respective container for providing said central station with information relating to the respective container, wherein said at least one asset monitor comprises: an energy storage reservoir which as recharged by energy received from an external power source during tethered periods in which said asset monitor is electrically tethered to the external power source, wherein said energy storage reservoir is adapted to supply energy to maintain said asset monitor in operation during both tethered periods in which said energy storage reservoir is recharged by the external power source and untethered periods in which said asset monitor is electrically untethered from the external power source; and a controller for controlling operations of said asset monitor, wherein said controller comprises; tether status determining means for separately identifying tethered periods and untethered periods; and power management means, responsive to said tether status determining means, for placing said asset monitor in an active mode during tethered periods and an energy conservation mode during untethered periods, wherein said power management means manages recharging of said energy storage reservoir during the active mode, and wherein said power management means selectively permits power to be drawn from said energy storage reservoir during the energy conservation mode, thereby allowing at least some of the operations of said asset monitor to be performed during the energy conservation mode; a sensor interface, operably connected to said controller, for communicating with at least one sensor which is associated with the container, wherein said power management means only provides power to the at least one sensor for predetermined periods of time during the energy conservation mode such that communication is only established between said controller and the at least one sensor within the predetermined periods of time during the energy conservation mode; and communications means for establishing a first communications link between said at least one asset monitor and said central station.

Claim 26

A method of providing a remotely located central station with information relating to at least one container, the method comprising the steps of: identifying tethered periods during which the asset monitor is electrically tethered to an external power source and untethered periods during which the asset monitor is electrically untethered from an external power source; if a tethered period is identified, the method further comprising the steps of: drawing power from an energy storage reservoir; drawing power from the external power source to recharge the energy storage reservoir; monitoring at least one sensor associated with the container to collect sensory signals provided by the sensor; and transmitting information relating to the sensory signals collected during said monitoring step to the central station, wherein said monitoring and transmitting steps are performed at a first rate during the tethered periods; and if an untethered period is identified, the method further comprising the steps of: drawing power from the energy storage reservoir without recharging the energy storage reservoir; monitoring at least one sensor associated with the container to collect sensory signals provided by the sensor, wherein said monitoring step performed during an untethered period comprises the steps of: providing power to the at least one sensor only during predetermined intervals of time within the untethered periods and monitoring the at least one sensor during the predetermined intervals of time to collect sensory signals transmitted by the respective sensors; and transmitting information relating to the sensory signals collected during said monitoring step to the central station, wherein said monitoring and transmitting steps are performed at a second rate during the untethered periods.

Claim 27

A method of providing a remotely located central station with information relating to at least one container, the method comprising the steps of: identifying tethered periods during which the asset monitor is electrically tethered to an external power source and untethered periods during which the asset monitor is electrically untethered from an external power source; if a tethered period is identified, the method further comprising the steps of: drawing power from an energy storage reservoir; drawing power from the external power source to recharge the energy storage reservoir; monitoring at least one sensor associated with the container to collect sensory signals provided by the sensor; and transmitting information relating to the sensory signals collected during said monitoring step to the central station, wherein said monitoring and transmitting steps are performed at a first rate during the tethered periods; and if an untethered period is identified, the method further comprising the steps of: drawing power from the energy storage reservoir without recharging the energy storage reservoir; monitoring at least one sensor associated with the container to collect sensory signals provided by the sensor, wherein said monitoring step performed during an untethered period comprises the steps of: providing power to the at least one sensor only during predetermined intervals of time within the untethered periods and monitoring the at least one sensor during the predetermined intervals of time to collect sensory signals transmitted by the respective sensors; and transmitting information relating to the sensory signals collected during said monitoring step to the central station, wherein said monitoring and transmitting steps are performed at a second rate during the untethered periods.