AN INTELLIGENT FREIGHT MOBILITY SYSTEM

SYSTEME DE MOBILITE DE FRET INTELLIGENT

English Abstract

The various embodiments of the present invention provide a secured and intelligent commercial vehicle freight mobility system and method for providing flexible, energy efficient, safe and secured mode of freight handling. The said vehicle freight mobility system mainly comprises a drive unit, a trailer unit, a central control tower with a master context engine, a cloud infrastructure, and plurality of stakeholders. The present invention relates to designing and developing of a new modular trailer with fully loaded mechatronics along with centralized data analytics to provide flexible, energy efficient, safe and secured mode of freight handling. It comprises trailer context monitoring, load and trailer ambience monitoring and cellular based telematics to connect all the stakeholders on a single platform.

French Abstract

Les divers modes de réalisation de la présente invention concernent un système de mobilité de fret de véhicule commercial sécurisé et intelligent et un procédé pour assurer un mode de manutention de fret flexible, efficace en termes d'énergie, sûr et sécurisé. Ledit système de mobilité de fret de véhicule comprend principalement une unité motrice, une unité de remorque, une tour de commande centrale avec un moteur de contexte maître, une infrastructure en nuage et une pluralité d'intervenants. La présente invention concerne la conception et le développement d'une nouvelle remorque modulaire dotée d'une mécatronique entièrement chargée conjointement avec une analytique de données centralisées pour fournir un mode de manutention de fret flexible, efficace en termes d'énergie, sûr et sécurisé. Le système comprend une surveillance de contexte de remorque, une surveillance d'environnement de charge et de remorque et une télématique cellulaire pour connecter tous les intervenants sur une plateforme unique.

Claims

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Claims:
1. An intelligent freight mobility system, the system comprises:
a drive unit, and wherein the said drive unit is any of the automobile/vehicle
able to
carry/ haul one or more trailers carrying load, and wherein the said drive
unit further
compri ses:
a dashboard unit providing control points, statistics and visual envelope of a
trailer
system;
a monitor and control module for monitoring plurality of health parameters of
the
said drive unit;
a body control unit for detecting brake level actuation signal and sending the
detected
data to the said central control tower;
a coupling unit for mechanically coupling drive unit with the trailer unit and
also
monitoring mechanical coupling health;
a power cable to supply power to the trailer unit; and
a communication and control cable for enabling auxiliary communication and
control
mechanism between the drive unit and the said trailer unit.
a trailer unit for carrying cargo, and wherein the said trailer unit further
comprises:
a coupling unit for mechanically coupling trailer unit with the drive unit
including
direct linking, auto recognition and coupling and;
an auxiliary battery and power control unit for supplying power to plurality
of
auxiliary functions of the trailer unit and wherein the said auxiliary battery
and
power control unit comprises a power management unit connected to the drive
unit
through the said power cable for receiving power supply and also connected to
the
solar charging unit for charging the said battery unit; and wherein if
auxiliary battery
charge is depleted, then central control tower issues an alert to the
operational team
to charge from mains;
a load sensing unit for sensing/detecting and monitoring load on the trailer
unit and
to provide loading status to central control tower;
a load indicator comprising multi-color indicators typically LEDs to assist
operator
to prevent overloading on the trailer unit;
a brake control unit for recognizing breaks status, activating and releasing
of brakes;
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a light guiding unit, typically an electro mechanical unit including
retracting
mechanism for retracting the said light guide for privacy/security/safety and
illuminating the interiors using natural light for energy saving;
a trailer access control unit with electronic locks for authorizing access to
one or
more authorized personnel' s;
one or more ambient sensors for checking and monitoring internal ambience
within
the trailer unit;
a location information unit for capturing location of the said trailer;
a solar charge unit comprising one or more solar panels fixed on the roof of
the
trailer unit to harness solar energy and store the harnessed energy in the
said
auxiliary battery;
a door control unit for engaging and disengaging one or more door actuators
and
door lift gates;
a wheel unit comprising individual electromagnetic brakes, sensors for
monitoring
wheel health and a regenerative braking system for harnessing power and
storing the
harnessed power in the auxiliary battery
an Electric drive train and advance battery pack for trailer unit along with
guidance
and control unitsto be driven autonomously or reduce the drag on the drive
unit
enabling to drive multiple trailers;
a communication module comprising one or more wireless communication
technologies for providing communication to the central control tower through
the
cloud infrastructure;
a wireless communication module for e stab 1 i shing wireless communication
channel
between the said drive unit with the trailer unit;
a tilt and impact sensing unit for monitoring tilting angle of the trailer,
pro-actively
detecting any collision and lifting of the trailer by unauthorized personal;
a speed sensing unit for measuring the speed/acceleration/deceleration of the
trailer
unit;
a cargo sensing unit for sensing and monitoring the presence of cargo,
dynamically
listing the inventory and also determining the trailer capacity utilization;
plurality of modular structure elements typically one or more control
structures for
providing dynamic options to physically restructure the trailer, based on the
context
and deployment application;
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an aerodynamic control module comprising plurality of aerodynamic structures
adopted for improving fuel economy and safety of the trailer unit;
a controller for interfacing with all the sensors/sensing units fitted to the
trailer unit,
and wherein the said controller interfaces with one or more networking
technologies
such as but not limited to cellular (M2M), Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi; and
a trailer context engine and control unit connected to all the above said
components,
modules and units to determine the local contexts; and wherein the said
trailer unit is
a modular unit, and wherein the said modular trailer unit is fabricated to use
for
various transportation purposes such as but not limited to a mobile
laboratory, waste
management vehicle, dispenser, ambulance, cold storage, high sensitive cargo
mover, a retail stall for displays, a safety vault, cash carrier, dumper,
wheels on
business, wheels on office and a caravan;
a central control tower with a master context engine comprising:
a data collector and processor module for gathering data from all connected
devices
which send raw data such as but not limited to sensors comprising a tire
pressure,
temperature, load, and wherein the master context engine processes the said
raw data
and stores in a data storage module for further consumption;
a rules engine for providing a mechanism to define what action needs to be
taken
when certain criteria is met when new data is received from connected devices;
a decision engine for making decisions based on predefined rules for
independent
handling of both trailer and drive units including pairing;
a business engine for managing business related aspects; and
a data analytics module comprising one or more software programs for providing
insights into utilization, efficiency, performance and other operational
metrics, and
wherein the said data analytics module provides recommendations based on
hi stori cal data;
a cloud infrastructure for storing and processing plurality of data; and
a plurality of stakeholders comprising the services such as but not limited to
fleet
manager, source dispatcher, destination receiver, fleet owner, operations
team, and
emergency services such as police, hospital, and fire.
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2. The intelligent freight mobility system according to claim 1, further
comprises a
mobile application pre-installed in the mobile computing device of an
operator/driver
for communicating over cloud to control center and vice verse, and to
communicate
with paired controller device fitted in the said trailer unit, and wherein the
said mobile
computing device is any of a mobile selected from group comprising a smart
phone, a
PDA, a tablet, a laptop, a palmtop and an in-built computing device on the
drive unit.
3. The intelligent freight mobility system according to claim 1, wherein the
said drive
unit further comprises:
a drive tracker comprising of satellite navigation and cellular units for
providing
connectivity to said master controller;
a dash board control panel for providing inputs to light control module of the
trailer
unit to actuate Rev (Light & Horn)/Tail/Brake/Turn/License devices, and
wherein the
brake pedal analogue signal from the dashboard is connected to the brake
control
module of the trailer unit to sync brake systems of both drive unit and
trailer unit;
an electrical coupler for enabling easy connect and disconnect electrical
power from
the trailer unit, and wherein the said electrical coupler is a trailer link
connector box
for bridging the electrical system between the drive unit and the trailer
unit.
4. The intelligent freight mobility system according to claim 1, wherein the
trailer
context engine collects data from plurality of sensors fixed on the trailer
unit and
sends the collected data to cloud server over secured cellular network, and
wherein the
said plurality of sensors is adopted for measuring tire pressure, ambient
temperature
within the trailer cargo space, load detection, storage of tire data, and
determining
geographical coordinates.
5. The intelligent freight mobility system according to claim 1, wherein the
trailer
context engine interacts with the said driver mobile application for precisely
locating
trailer or assets in indoor and outdoor like yards, parking spaces, garages,
and stores
over a short-range communication medium such as but not limited to a Bluetooth
LE,
ZigBee, RFID, IR and Wi-Fi for pairing, and assisting both insight visual,
audio and
online methods
6. The intelligent freight mobility system according to claim 1, further
comprises:
a real-time data and reporting module comprising of Global Navigation
Satellite
System (GNSS) and cellular communications for determining position,
transmitting
position, monitoring and controlling the freight; and
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a security and delivery management module for:
securing trailer unit when parked using geo-fencing by detecting breach of geo
fence;
sending alerts to a store or warehouse when the drive vehicle is within a
certain
range; and
alerting a store or warehouse to prepare for the delivery, which, in turn,
allows
companies to improve staffing and streamline deliveries.
7. The intelligent freight mobility system according to claim 1, wherein the
trailer unit
further comprises a context engine and control system, and wherein the said
context
engine and control system:
self-monitors the trailer unit, when the said trailer unit is detached from
the drive unit
and park at any selected location to ensure safety and security of cargo and
trailer at
all the times;
provides complete support to the drive unit in terms of trailer monitoring
through
speed monitoring, checking for limits and issuing alerts to drive vehicle to
ensure
driving stability;
enables continuous monitoring and control of trailer by central control tower
through
space-based position and trailer information systems; and
provides security and access to rightful drive unit and loading/unloading
agencies.
8. The intelligent freight mobility system according to claim 1, wherein the
trailer unit
further comprises plurality of modules such as but not limited to:
a power module:
for supplying uninterrupted power to all the connected modules when drive unit
is
coupled to trailer, it takes power from the battery of the drive unit;
for supplying uninterrupted power by an auxiliary battery which is charged
either by
mains single phase AC supply or through solar with of priority to solar
charging, in
the absence of drive unit; and
matching sockets including protection against short circuit, under voltage,
overvoltage, overloading and reverse polarity;
a brake control module:
to provide braking synchronously with the drive unit;
to enable auto locking/unlocking by the central control tower;
to provide fail safe action during brake away event andemergency requirement
detected by tilt, impact sensors, tele-commandand a brake away switch; and
wherein
the said brake control module further comprise an electric wheel brake control
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for overriding brake control from trailer control unit in case of any tire
burst and
emergency situations such as but not limited to rear crash of the trailer
unit, and
wherein the said electric wheel brake control unit applies a predetermined
brake
force as safe measure to reduce speed and to stop both the trailer unit and
the drive
unit;
a light control module:
to provide all the lighting actuations to meet regulatory requirements based
on the
commands by the driver of the drive unit, during driving;
to cater internal lighting;
to automatically switching ON and OFF based on ambient light signal as safety
measure when trailer is parked and unattended; and
to display rear view of the trailer unit to the driver for safe and comfort
handling,
whenever trailer unit is operated in reverse direction;
a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS)to improve safety and fuel economy;
a load monitoring module:
to prevent overloading and also to calculate load-based tariff; and
to warn and alert during loading through red and yellow deck lamps;
a door control module:
comprising an electronic lock for roll-up door with auto mechanical latch
access;
to provide authorization for loading/unloading agencies from central control
is
executed by trailer control unit; and
to communicate door lock status to the central control unit for continuous
monitoring, detecting and alerting concerned operational team if, any
unauthorized
opening;
a cargo monitoring module:
comprises temperature and humidity sensors fitted inside the trailer unit wall
for
providing actual environment conditions with predetermined update to central
control tower through the trailer tracking module; and wherein the said
temperature
sensor helps shippers to monitor and track real-time data and exception
alerts; to
monitor specific events associated with the trailer, such as but not limited
to how
long a door was left open and when it was closed;
to account multiple loading and deliveries with the use of the said load
monitoring
module and door monitoring module; and
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comprises an inner view camera based on CMOS image sensor to monitor the cargo
within the trailer unit, and wherein the said inner view camera interface of
USB/Wi-
Fi/Ethernet bolted to the roof top, and wherein the said inner view camera
helps in
live streaming of the internal view of the trailer unit to central control
station;
an optical smoke detector module for detecting fire inside the trailer unit
and alerting
the driver and the central control tower;
a trailer tracking and monitoring module:
provides global navigation satellite system (GNSS) for tracking trailer unit
position
course;
records accurate location of the trailer unit using Bluetooth, RFID, and
similar
sensing technologies;
comprises cellular module to enable communication between the trailer unit,
drive
unit and the central control unit;
to store the data and transmit the data pack upon restoration, in the event of
outage of
satellite/communication channel; and
provides entry and exit based on geofencing to enhance security.
9. The intelligent freight mobility system according to claim 1, wherein the
said trailer
unit comprise a roller shutter made of single aluminum or any other light
material
capable of easy and comfortable loading and unloading of cargo, and wherein
the said
roller shutter includes an automatic locking feature to provide access to only
authorized person to ensure security of the cargo, and wherein the said
automatic
locking feature is controlled by the central control tower, and wherein the
said shutter:
includes provision to provide feedback of door status to the central control
tower;
is monitored by viewing interior image beamed by internal camera fitted in the
trailer
unit;
is hand operated by push up and pull-down actions applied to bottom rail; and
is fitted with an electro mechanical lock which is activated from inside the
trailer with
the command from central control tower through the trailer control unit
10. The intelligent freight mobility system according to claim 1, wherein the
said
impact sensor detects instances of sudden impact or severe vibration if there
is any
collision of external vehicle with the trailer when it is under motion, parked
and
unattended, and wherein the said impact sensor provides security to both the
trailer
unit and cargo inside, by detecting even when a small impact imparted by
intruders or
tampering through triggering an alarm to deter theft.
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11. The intelligent freight mobility system according to claim 1, wherein the
said tilt
sensor alerts the operational team to prevent theft or damage to the trailer
unit and
cargo, if an unauthorized person tries to jack up trailer to remove tire or
any other
parts when trailer is parked and unattended; and wherein the said central
control tower
extracts way points associated with sharp turning and dangerous curves from
the past
driving data and when trailer unit is taking this route, the said system
issues an alert to
the drive unit prior to approaching of such dangerous spots to improve driving
safety.
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Description

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A FREIGHT MOBILITY SYSTEM
BACKGROUND
Technical Field of Invention
[001] The present invention generally relates to a field of logistics and
particularly relates to
commercial vehicle trailers. The present invention more particularly relates
to a secured and
intelligent commercial vehicle freight mobility system.
Description of Related Art
[002] Transportation of cargo via tractor-trailers is an important part of
worldwide
commerce. (In this context, a "tractor" is a reference to a highway truck or a
semi-
truck).Various systems and methods are proposed in the art to track and
monitor fright as
accurately as possible, efficient allocation of pickup and delivery of goods,
effective
maintenance scheduling, and improved cargo security. The advent of the Global
Positioning
System ("GPS") has greatly assisted these efforts, as geographic location can
now be
pinpointed within a number of meters, allowing position information for
vehicles to be
accurately determined. Coupled with a method of reporting a current location
for a vehicle, a
GPS-based tracking system can provide the kind of centralized tracking and
management that
fleet owners need, particularly when thousands of vehicles must be tracked.
[003] Present day freight transportation is very complex due to varied
requirements; pattern
of industries and consumer points, consumption pattern and travel lead
distances. Also, intra-
city freight transportation is catered through commercial vehicles with single
rigid body. Due
to massive urbanization and traffic congestion, waiting time at loading and
delivery points,
transport of goods has become inefficient, time consuming and does not offer
flexibility to
fleet operators.
[004] One of the serious issues faced by freight operators is traffic
congestion which is
affecting travel time, fuel consumption and environment.
[005] In view of the foregoing, there is a need to provide a secured and
intelligent trailer-
based commercial vehicle freight mobility system. There is also a need to
provide a trailer-
based transportation system with real time consignment monitoring. More
specifically, there
is also need to provide a secured system and method to intelligently handle
freight to optimize
entire chain of freight mobility system.
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[006] The above-mentioned shortcomings, disadvantages and problems are
addressed
herein, as detailed below.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[007] The primary object of the present invention is to provide a secured and
intelligent
commercial vehicle freight mobility system.
[008] Another object of the present invention is to provide a modular trailer
along with
centralized data analytics to provide flexible, energy efficient, safe and
secured mode of
freight handling.
[009] Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a single
platform with trailer
context monitoring, load and trailer ambience monitoring and cellular based
telematics to
connect all the stakeholders.
[0010] Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a modular
aerodynamic drive
unit and trailer unit to take care of varying sizes and to reduce aerodynamics
drag to reduce
fuel consumption.
[0011] Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a single
control station for
handling the freight management through a cellular network.
[0012] Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a system with
deep data
analytics, supported by artificial intelligence to identify best fit freight
routes along with
estimate timings and tariffs.
[0013] Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a trailer
with integrated
location tracker, destination planner, traffic predictor and statistical data
analyzer to provide
efficient freight mobility management system.
[0014] The various embodiments of the present invention provide a secured and
intelligent
commercial vehicle freight mobility system and method for providing flexible,
energy
efficient, safe and secured mode of freight handling.
[0015] The present transportation methodology envisages front end drive
vehicle without
body and coupling arrangement to connect one or more trailers in a single line
arrangement.
The said modular trailer is provided with an intelligent monitoring system to
provide high
level of security to enable the user to position trailer at any designated
location without any
human monitoring. This enables flexibility to help users to unload contents at
their convenient
time and release the drive vehicle without waiting 5 period leading to better
resource
utilization contributing to greener transportation.
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[0016] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the said vehicle
freight mobility
system mainly comprises a drive unit, a trailer unit, a central control tower
with a master
context engine, a cloud infrastructure for storing and processing plurality of
data and plurality
of stakeholders.
[0017] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the said drive
unit is any of the
automobile/vehicle able to carry/ haul one or more trailers carrying load. The
said drive unit
of the present invention further comprises a dashboard unit for providing
control points,
statistics and visual envelope of a trailer system, a monitor and control
module for monitoring
plurality of health parameters of the said drive unit, a body control unit for
detecting brake
level actuation signal and sending the detected data to the said central
control tower, a
coupling unit for mechanically coupling drive unit including auto coupling
mechanism with
the trailer unit and also monitoring mechanical coupling health, a power cable
to supply
power to the trailer unit; and a communication and control cable or through
direct link for
enabling auxiliary communication and control mechanism between the drive unit
and the said
trailer unit.
[0018] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the said trailer
unit of the
present invention is a modular trailer unit for carrying cargo which
comprises, a coupling unit
for mechanically coupling trailer unit with the drive unit, an auxiliary
battery and power
control unit for supplying power to plurality of auxiliary functions of the
trailer unit and
wherein the said auxiliary battery and power control unit comprises a power
management unit
ofmodular structure elements typically one or more control structuresfor
providing dynamic
options to physically restructure thetrailer, based on the context and
deployment application,
an aerodynamiccontrol module comprising plurality of aerodynamic structures
adopted
forimproving fuel economy and safety of the trailer unit, a controller for
interfacing with all
the sensors/sensing units fitted to the trailer unit, and the said controller
interfaces with one or
more networking technologies such as but not limited to cellular (M2M),
Bluetooth, and Wi-
Fi, anda trailer contextengine and control unit connected to all the above
said components,
modulesand units to determine the local contexts.The said trailer unit being a
modular unit, is
fabricated to use for various transportation purposes such as but not limited
to a mobile
laboratory, waste management vehicle, dispenser, ambulance, cold storage, high
sensitive
cargo mover, a retail stall for displays, a safety vault, cash carrier,
dumper, and a caravan.The
said trailer context engine and the control unit receive commands from the
central control
tower and master context engine and the data sent through the cloud
infrastructure.
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[0019] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the central
control tower with a
master context engine of the present invention comprises a data collector and
processor
module for gathering data from all connected devices which send raw data such
as but not
limited to sensors comprising a tire pressure, temperature, load, and wherein
the master
context engine processes the said raw data and stores in a data storage module
for further
consumption, a rules engine for providing a mechanism to define what action
needs to be
taken when certain criteria is met when new data is received from connected
devices, a
decision engine for making decisions based on predefined rules, a business
engine for
managing business related aspects, and a data analytics module comprising one
or more
software programs for providing insights into utilization, efficiency,
performance and other
operational metrics. Further the said data analytics module provides
recommendations based
on the historical data.
[0020] According to an embodiment of the present invention, plurality of
stakeholders
includes fleet manager, source dispatcher, destination receiver, fleet
owner,operations team,
emergency services such as police, hospital, fire, etc.
[0021] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the said
intelligent freight
mobility systemfurther comprises a mobile application pre-installed in the
mobile computing
device of an operator/driver for communicating over cloud to control center
and vice versa,
and to communicate with paired controller device fitted in the said trailer
unit, and wherein
the said mobile computing device is any of a mobile selected from group
comprising a smart
phone, a PDA, a tablet, a laptop, a palmtop and an in-built tablet on the
drive unit.
[0022] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the said drive
unit of the present
invention further comprises a drive tracker comprising of satellite navigation
and cellular
units for providing connectivity to said master controller, a dash board
control panel for
providing inputs to light control module of the trailer unit to actuate Rev
(Light &
Horn)/Tail/Brake/Turn/License devices, and wherein the brake pedal analogue
signal from the
dashboard is connected to the brake control module of the trailer unit to sync
brake systems of
both drive unit and trailer unit, and an electrical coupler for enabling easy
connect and
disconnect electrical power from the trailer unit. The said electrical coupler
is a trailer link
connector box for bridging the electrical system between the drive unit and
the trailer unit.
[0023] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the said trailer
context engine
collects data from plurality of sensors fixed on the trailer unit and sends
the collected data to
cloud server over secured cellular network. The said plurality of sensors are
adopted for
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measuring tire pressure, speed, ambient temperature within the trailer cargo
space, load
detection, storage of tire data, and determining geographical coordinates.
[0024] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the said trailer
context engine
interacts with the said driver mobile application for precisely locating
trailer or assets in
indoor and outdoor like yards, parking spaces, garages, and stores over a
short-range
communication medium such as but not limited to a Bluetooth LE, ZigBee, RFID,
IR and Wi-
Fi for pairing, and assisting both insight visual, audio and online methods.
[0025] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the said
intelligent freight
mobility system further comprises a real-time data and reporting module
comprising of
Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) and cellular communications for
determining
position, transmitting position, monitoring and controllingthe freight anda
security and
delivery management module for:securing trailer unit when parked using geo-
fencing by
detecting breach of geo fence; sending alerts to a store or warehouse when the
drive vehicle is
within a certain range; and alerting a store or warehouse to prepare for the
delivery, which, in
turn, allows companies to improve staffing and streamline deliveries.
[0026] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the said trailer
unit of the
present invention further comprises a context engine and control system: to
self-monitor the
trailer unit, when the said trailer unit is detached from the drive unit and
park at any selected
location to ensure safety and security of cargo and trailer at all the times;
to providecomplete
support to the drive unit in terms of trailer monitoring and driving
stability; to enable
continuous monitoring and control of trailer by central control tower through
space-based
position and trailer information systems; and to provide security and access
to rightful drive
unit and loading/unloading agencies.
[0027] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the trailer unit
of the present
invention further comprises plurality of modules such as but not limited to a
power module, a
brake control module, a light control module, a tire pressure monitoring
system (TPMS)to
improve safety and fuel economy, a load monitoring module,a door control
module,a cargo
monitoring module, an optical smoke detector module and a trailer tracking and
monitoring
module.
[0028] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the power module
of the trailer
unit provides uninterrupted power supply to all the connected modules when
drive unit is
coupled to trailer; it takes power from the battery of the drive unit. The
power module
supplies uninterrupted power by an auxiliary battery which is charged either
by mains single
phase AC supply or through solar with of priority to solar charging, in the
absence of the

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drive unit. The power module further matches sockets including protection
against short
circuit, under voltage, overvoltage, overloading and reverse polarity.
[0029] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the brake control
module of the
trailer unit is adopted to: provide braking synchronously with the drive
unit;to enable auto
locking/unlocking by the central control tower; and to provide fail safe
action during brake
away event and emergency requirement detected by tilt, impact sensors, tele-
command and a
brake away switch. The said brake control module further comprises an electric
wheel brake
control unit for overriding brake control from trailer control unit in case of
any tire burst and
emergency situations such as but not limited to rear crash of the trailer
unit. The said electric
wheel brake control unit applies a predetermined brake force as safe measure
to reduce speed
and to stop both the trailer unit and the drive unit.
[0030] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the light control
module of the
trailer unit is adopted to: to provide all the lighting actuations to meet
regulatory requirements
based on the commands by the driver of the drive unit, during driving; to
cater internal
lighting;to automatically switching ON and OFF based on ambient light signal
as safety
measure when trailer is parked and unattended; andto display rear view of the
trailer unit to
the driver for safe and comfort handling, whenever trailer unit is operated in
reverse direction.
[0031] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the load
monitoring module of
the trailer unit is adopted to: to prevent overloading and also to calculate
load-based tariff; and
to warn and alert during loading through red and yellow deck lamps.
[0032] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the door control
module of the
trailer unit further comprises an electronic lock for roll-up door with auto
mechanical latch
access. The said door control module is adapted to: to provide authorization
for
loading/unloading agencies from central control is executed by trailer control
unit; and to
communicate door lock status to the central control unit for continuous
monitoring, detecting
and alerting concerned operational team if, any unauthorized opening.
[0033] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the cargo
monitoring module of
the trailer unit further comprises temperature and humidity sensors fitted
inside the trailer unit
wall for providing actual environment conditions with predetermined update to
central control
tower through the trailer tracking module. The said temperature sensor helps
shippers to
monitor and track real-time data and exception alerts. The said cargo
monitoring module is
adopted to monitor specific events associated with the trailer, such as but
not limited to how
long a door was left open and when it was closed; and to account multiple
loading and
deliveries with the use of the said load monitoring module and door monitoring
module. The
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said cargo monitoring module further comprises an inner view camera based on
CMOS image
sensor to monitor the cargo within the trailer unit. The said inner view
camera interface of
USB/Wi-Fi/Ethernet bolted to the roof top, to help live streaming of the
internal view of the
trailer unit to central control station.
[0034] According to an embodiment of the present invention, theoptical smoke
detector
module of the trailer unit is adopted for detecting fire inside the trailer
unit and
simultaneously alerting the driver and the central control tower.
[0035] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the trailer
tracking and
monitoring module of the trailer unit is adopted: to provide global navigation
satellite system
(GNSS) for tracking trailer unit position course;to record accurate location
of the trailer
unitusing Bluetooth, RFID, and similar sensing technologies;to store the data
and transmit the
data pack upon restoration, in the event of outage of satellite/communication
channel; and to
provideentry and exit based on geofencing to enhance security. The said
trailer tracking and
monitoring module further comprises a cellular module to enable communication
between the
trailer unit, drive unit and the central control unit/tower.
[0036] According to an embodiment of the present invention,the said trailer
unit of the
present invention further comprise a roller shutter made of single aluminum or
any other light
material capable of easy and comfortable loading and unloading of cargo. The
said roller
shutter includes an automatic locking feature to provide access to only
authorized person to
ensure security of the cargo. Further, the automatic locking feature is
controlled by the central
control tower. The said shutter includes provision to provide feedback of door
status to the
central control tower. The said shutter is monitored by viewinginterior image
beamed by
internal camera fitted in the trailer unit. The said shutter is hand operated
by push up and pull-
down actions applied to bottom rail and are fitted with an electro mechanical
lock which is
activated from inside the trailer with the command from central control tower
through the
trailer control unit.
[0037] According to an embodiment of the present invention,the said impact
sensor
intelligent freight mobility system detects instances of sudden impact or
severe vibration if
there is any collision of external vehicle with the trailer when it is under
motion, parked and
unattended. The said impact sensor provides security to both the trailer unit
and cargo inside,
by detecting even when a small impact imparted by intruders or tampering
through triggering
an alarm to deter theft.
[0038] According to an embodiment of the present invention,the said tilt
sensorof the
intelligent freight mobility system alerts the operational team to prevent
theft or damage to the
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trailer unit and cargo, if an unauthorized person tries to jack up trailer to
remove tire or any
other parts when trailer is parked and unattended. Further, the said central
control tower
extracts way points associated with sharp turning and dangerous curves from
the past driving
data and when trailer unit is taking this route, the said system issues an
alert to the drive unit
prior to approaching of such dangerous spots to improve driving safety.
[0039] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the present
invention enables to
design and develop a new and modular trailer unit with fully loaded
mechatronics along with
centralized data analytics to provide flexible, energy efficient, safe and
secured mode of
freight handling. The said system comprises trailer context monitoring, load
and trailer
ambience monitoring and cellular based telematics to connect all the
stakeholders on a single
platform.
[0040] These and other aspects of the embodiments herein will be better
appreciated and
understood when considered in conjunction with the following description and
the
accompanying drawings. It should be understood, however, that the following
descriptions,
while indicating preferred embodiments and numerous specific details thereof,
are given by
way of illustration and not of limitation. Many changes and modifications may
be made
within the scope of the embodiments herein without departing from the spirit
thereof, and the
embodiments herein include all such modifications.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0041] The other objects, features and advantages will occur to those skilled
in the art from
the following description of the preferred embodiment and the accompanied
drawings in
which:
[0042] FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of a secured and intelligent
commercial vehicle
freight mobility system, according to an embodiment of the present invention.
[0043] FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram of a control tower and master
context engine
module, according to an embodiment of the present invention.
[0044] FIG. 3i11ustrates a block diagram of a load sensing unit, according to
an embodiment
of the present invention.
[0045] FIG. 4is a block diagram illustrating context engine of intelligent
freight mobility,
according to an embodiment of the present invention.
[0046] FIG. 5 illustrates a block diagram of a drive vehicle interface system,
according to an
embodiment of the present invention.
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[0047] FIG. 6 illustrates a block diagram of a trailer control and monitoring
system,
according to an embodiment of the present invention.
[0048] FIG. 7 illustrates a block diagram of a power management system,
according to an
embodiment of the present invention.
[0049] FIG. 8 illustrates a block diagram of a trailer brake control and auto
locking module,
according to an embodiment of the present invention.
[0050] FIG. 9A illustrates a side view of a drive unit coupled to a trailer
unit and FIG. 9B
illustrates a top view of a drive unit coupled to a trailer unit, according to
an embodiment of
the present invention.
[0051] FIG. 10A illustrates aninterior back view of a trailer unit with racks
and FIG. 10B
illustrates an interior back view of a trailer unit, according to an
embodiment of the present
invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0052] In the following detailed description, a reference is made to the
accompanied drawings
that form a part hereof, and in which the specific embodiments that may be
practiced is shown
by way of illustration. The embodiments are described in sufficient detail to
enable those
skilled in the art to practice the embodiments and it is to be understood that
the logical,
mechanical and other changes may be made without departing from the scope of
the
embodiments. The following detailed description is therefore not to be taken
in a limiting
sense.
[0053] The various embodiments of the present invention provide a secured and
intelligent
commercial vehicle freight mobility system and method for providing flexible,
energy
efficient, safe and secured mode of freight handling. The present
transportation methodology
envisages front end drive vehicle without body and coupling arrangement to
connect one or
more trailers in a single line arrangement. The said modular trailer is
provided with an
intelligent monitoring system to provide high level of security to enable the
user to position
trailer at any designated location without any human monitoring. This enables
flexibility to
help users to unload contents at their convenient time and release the drive
vehicle without
waiting period leading to better resource utilization contributing to greener
transportation.
[0054] FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of a secured and intelligent
commercial vehicle
freight mobility system; FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram of a control tower
and master
context engine module; and FIG. 3 illustrates a block diagram of a load
sensing unit,
according to an embodiment of the present invention. The said vehicle freight
mobility system
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of FIG. 1 mainly comprises a drive unit 3, a trailer unit 1, and a central
control tower 34 with
a master context engine 39, a cloud infrastructure 13, and plurality of
stakeholders 36.
[0055] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the said drive
unit 3 is any of
the automobile/vehicle able to carry/ haul one or more trailers carrying load.
The said drive
unit 3 of the present invention comprises a dash board unit 2 which is a
display unit providing
control points, statistics and visual envelope of the trailer system; a drive
unitmonitor and
control module 12 for monitoring plurality of health parameters of the said
drive unit3; a
body control unit 4 for detecting brake level actuation signal and sending the
detected data to
the said central control tower34; a coupling unit 14 for mechanically coupling
the drive unit3
with the trailer unit 1 and also monitoring mechanical coupling health; a
power cable 21 to
supply electrical power to the said trailer unitl; and a communication and
control cable 22 for
enabling auxiliary communication and control mechanism between the drive unit
3 and the
said trailer unit 1.
[0056] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the said drive
unit monitor and
control module 12 is connected to the trailer unit 1 through a communication
and control
cable 22 and the said drive unit monitor and control module 12 is connected to
the central
control tower 34 through a communication module 24.
[0057] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the said central
control tower
34 comprises a master context engine 39. The said master context engine 39
further comprises
Artificial Intelligence for triggering plurality of actions such as but not
limited to detecting the
behavior of the hard braking upon receiving brake level actuation from the
body control unit
4.
[0058] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the said coupling
unit 14 further
adopted to mechanically connecting multiple trailer units. The said coupling
unit 14
comprises an electrical sensing unit for detecting number of trailer units
connected and also
for monitoring mechanical coupling health.
[0059] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the said power
cable 2lis an
auxiliary power cable connected to the auxiliary battery through a power
control modu1e9 of
the trailer unit 1 for charging the auxiliary battery of the trailer unit 1.
Further, as a secondary
measure, 12V DC power connection from the drive unit 3 is provided. All the
sensors,
actuators and controller of trailer unit 1 are powered by 12V battery.
[0060] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the said trailer
unit 1 comprises
a coupling unit 14for mechanically coupling the trailer unit 1 with the drive
unit3 and
coupling multiple trailers (trailer to trailer coupling as shown in FIG. 1),
an auxiliary battery

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and power control unit 9 for supplying power to plurality of auxiliary
functions of the trailer
unit 1 and wherein the said auxiliary battery and power control unit/module 9
comprises a
power management unit connected to the drive unit 3 through the said power
cable 21 for
receiving power supply and also connected to the solar charging unit 18 for
charging the said
battery unit9; a load sensing unit 6 for sensing/detecting and monitoring load
on the trailer
unitl; a load indicator 5 comprising multi-color indicators typically LEDs to
assist operator to
prevent overloading on the trailer unitl; a brake control unit 8 for
recognizing trailer running
status, activating and releasing of brakes; a light guiding unit10, typically
an electro
mechanical unit including retracting mechanism for retracting the said light
guide for
privacy/security/safety and illuminating the interiors using natural light for
energy saving; a
trailer access control unit 15 with electronic locks for authorizing access to
one or more
authorized personnel's; one or more ambient sensors 16 for checking and
monitoring internal
ambience within the trailer unitl; a location information unit 17 for
capturing location of the
said trailerl; a solar charge unit 18 comprising one or more solar panels
fixed on the roof of
the trailer unit 1 to harness solar energy and store the harnessed energy in
the said auxiliary
battery9; a door control unit 19 for engaging and disengaging one or more door
actuators and
door lift gates; a wheel unit 20 comprising individual electromagnetic brakes,
sensors for
monitoring wheel health and a regenerative braking system for harnessing
power; a
communication module 24 comprising wireless communication technologies for
providing
communication to the central control tower 34 through the cloud
infrastructure13; a wireless
communication module 23 for establishing a wireless communication channel
between the
said drive unit 3 with the trailer unitl; a tilt and impact sensing unit 25
for monitoring tilting
angle of the trailerl and pro-actively detecting any collision; a speed
sensing unit 26 for
measuring the speed/acceleration/deceleration of the trailer unitl; a cargo
sensing unit 27 for
sensing and monitoring the presence of cargo, dynamically listing the
inventory and also
determining the trailer capacity utilization; plurality of modular structure
elements 28
typically one or more control structures (mechatronic units) for providing
dynamic options to
physically restructure the trailer, based on the context and deployment
application; an
aerodynamic control module 29 comprising plurality of aerodynamic structures
adopted for
improving fuel economy and safety of the trailer unit 1; and a trailer context
engine and
control unit 11 connected to all the above said components, modules and units
to determine
the local contexts. The said trailer context engine and the control unit 11
receive commands
from the central control tower 34 and master context engine 39 and the data
sent through the
cloud infrastructurel3 .
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[0061] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the said drive
unit 3 and
intended trailer 1 is validated by the said central control tower 34 for
access authorization,
matching of drive unit with one or more trailers, and drive unit power and
trailer load.
Further, upon successful validation, telecommand is issued to release
electromagnetic brakes
of the trailer unit 1 through context aware brake control unit 8 to permit
movement of freight.
This ensures security and no mismatch between the drive unit 3 and the loaded
trailers 1.
[0062] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the said light
guidel Ois inserted
in the roof of the trailer unit 1 to harness natural lighting to reduce need
for interior lighting
requirement.
[0063] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the said load
sensing unit 6 is
activated, whenever door of the trailer unit 1 is open. Further, the load
sensor of the said load
sensing unit 6 provides current load signal to the trailer context engine and
control unit 11,
and wherein the said trailer context engine and control unit 11 displays the
detected load
through the local display unit. The said load sensing unit 6 triggers load
indicator 5 typically
multi-colored LED indicators such as RED, YELLOW and BLUEbased on the current
load as
shown in FIG. 3.
[0064] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the said brake
control unit 8 is a
context aware brake unit. The said brake control unit 8 recognizes the trailer
running status
and activates brakes according to drive unit 3 controls and also commands
received from
trailer context engine and control unit 11. The brake control unit 8 further
monitors wheel
health of the trailer unit 1.
[0065] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the said trailer
access control
unit 15 handles the trailer 1 door operation. The said door operation is only
through access
authorization handled by the said master context engine 39 of the central
control tower 34.
Further, one or more tele-commands passed through the cloud infrastructure13
is received by
intended trailer context engine and control unit 11 which commands the trailer
access control
unit 15 containing electronic locks.
[0066] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the said door
control unit 19
receives commands from the trailer context engine and control unit 11 to
engage and
disengage door actuators and door lift gates.
[0067] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the said
communication module
24 adopts technologies such as but not limited to methods like primary and
secondary
networks, messaging, data packet protocols etc for data communication.
[0068]
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[0069] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the said wireless
communication module 23 provides constant (live) feed of information of the
trailer unit 1 to
the drive unit 3.
[0070] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the said tilt and
impact sensing
unit 25monitors active tilting angle of the trailer 1 for safety of the units
and cargo/load. The
said tilt and impact sensing unit 25 provides the drive conditions, alerts the
central control
tower 34 of any out of range angles,and also pro-actively detects any
collisions through the
impact sensor.
[0071] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the saidcommercial
vehicle
freight mobility system comprises a unique structural design for multiple
sensing units30. The
said commercial vehicle freight mobility systemcomprises mechanical design
provisions to
house different sensing units including autonomous driving and the whole
structure acting as
sensor / antennae / reinforcement.
[0072] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the said trailer
us designed
using a modular concept to take care of varying sizes and needs of freight.
Further, principles
of aerodynamics are used to design the structure of the trailer 1 to reduce
aerodynamics drag
to reduce fuel consumption.
[0073] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the said trailer
door 7 is
designed in such a way to save space and also to eliminate need of additional
space for
accessing contents inside the said trailerl. Further, the said trailer door 7
operations are
enabled only through the access authorization handled by said central control
tower 34 and
the master context engine 39. Further, upon request by the user, it will be
verified and
telecommand will be generated if successful, else preloaded message will be
sent to the user.
[0074] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the said
commercial vehicle
freight mobility system comprises an electric drive train and battery pack31
housed on the
floor of the said trailer unit 1. The said electric drive train and battery
pack 31 provides an
option for electric drive train and advance battery pack for trailer unit 1 to
be driven
autonomously or reduce the drag on the drive unit 3 enabling to drive multiple
trailers as
shown in FIG. 1.
[0075] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the said
commercial vehicle
freight mobility system comprises an autonomous control unit32. The central
control tower34
commands the said autonomous control unit 32 for autonomous driving,
determining the
conditions and also controls to drive the trailer unit lthrough an electric
drive train 31.
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[0076] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the said
commercial vehicle
freight mobility system comprises an autonomous guiding unit 33. The said
autonomous
guiding unit 33 provides the sensory data for autonomous driving.
[0077] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the master context
engine 39 of
the said central control tower 34 maps various parameters ON and OFF the
ground like SLA
(service level agreements), jobs enablement, deployment of the matched drive
units 3 /trailer
units 1, determining the safety and security of the transactions, access
controls, tele-
commands etc. The said central control tower 34 connects multiple stake
holders 36 as shown
in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 on current jobs and provides the forward status for the
future
transactions. The said master context engine 39 improves the utilization and
provides efficient
logistic solution.
[0078] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the said
commercial vehicle
freight mobility system comprises a computer vision and image sensing unit35
adopted on the
trailer unit 1. The said computer vision and image sensing unit 35 comprising
an imaging
option and other near field sensors for providing visualization of entire
operating envelope of
the trailer unit 1 to the said drive unit 3 and also authorization for access
to trailer contents
through sending the data to central control tower 34.
[0079] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the said multiple
stake holders
36 includes all the stake holders of the system including the services such as
but not limited to
fleet manager 36a, source dispatcher 36b, destination receiver 36c, fleet
owner 36d,
emergency services 36e such as police, hospital etc. other services 36f,
operations team 36g,
etc. as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2.
[0080] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the said trailer
control unit
llacquires the coupling 14 status signal continuously as a part of safety
measure, while trailer
is in motion. Further, the acquired coupling 14 status signalis transmitted
through the cellular
network 13 to central station. If any defect found, the central station will
issue an alert
message to the drive unit 3 and fleet manager36a.
[0081] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the said
commercial vehicle
freight mobility system comprises an algorithm for computing freight tariff
scientifically
based on the load handled by the drive unit 3. The said algorithm considers
load and other
operating parameters to arrive tariff which is more justifiable and equitable
to all the stake
holders 36.
[0082] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the said trailer
unit 1 is
constructed using alightweight design and body structures to reduce self-
weight of the trailer
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unit 1 to achieve better fuel economy and cost-effective design. The trailer
unit 1 is
constructed using materials such as but not limited to a combination of
Aluminum,
Polycarbonate (PC), Carbon fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP), wood and steel
with surface
coatings to reduce friction and weight.
[0083] According to an embodiment of the present invention, in order to ensure
safe freight
transportation, it is essential to check brake control for its proper
operation. The system of the
present invention provides a unique technique to verify this without the brake
sensor. The data
from the drive unit 3 including brake lever actuation signals is captured by
the body control
unit 04 and transmitted to thecentral control tower34. The data analytics 39a
with Artificial
intelligence-based condition monitoring provide brakes condition periodically.
Based on this,
if brake wear is excessive then an alert message will be sent to fleet manager
37 and the
operator of the drive unit 3.
[0084] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the said trailerl
location
information is captured continuously through the position sensor 17 and the
same is
transmitted to the central control station 34 through a cellular network. The
captured
information is used by the data analytics module 39a of the context engine 39
for generating
best route planning, trailer security with geo fencing, real time trailer
position monitoring and
also to assist drivers/operators in case of health or any other problems by
reaching
public/emergency services 36d through a wireless network.
[0085] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the said
commercial vehicle
freight mobility system comprises a fault management module (not shown in FIG.
1, FIG. 2
and FIG. 3) to provide robust freight transport management. In addition to
self-test facility,
the said system identifies device fault or malfunctioning and initiate
specific action based on
fault level and its impact.
[0086] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the said central
control station
34 tracks trailer 1 status continuously and alert if any route deviations or
dangerous driving
conditions are detected.
[0087] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the said
commercial vehicle
freight mobility system remotely upgrades trailer 1 control software in order
to provide
benefits of software improvements/updates.
[0088] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the said
commercial vehicle
freight mobility system comprises firewalls with multi-layer encryption to
protect the said
system against hacking, since the freight management is handled by single
central control
station34 through cellular network. Further, a dual port memory-based feature
is adopted for

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data recovery in case of any eventuality. Furthermore, the said central
control station 34 sends
an alert to emergency services 36a if any intruder/unauthorized person trying
to access trailer
or door operation.
[0089] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the said
commercial vehicle
freight mobility system comprises a mechanism for self-propelling the trailer
unit 1 using the
Al and ML rule engine 39c of the context engine 39.
[0090] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the said
commercial vehicle
freight mobility system comprises a multi trailer unit 37 for coupling another
similar trailer or
different trailer.
[0091] FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating context engine 34 of intelligent
freight mobility,
according to an embodiment of the present invention. The high-level
architecture of the trailer
unit 1 comprises:
-Data collector and processor39: This is responsible for gathering data from
all
connected devices which send raw data like sensors (tire pressure,
temperature, load and so
on). Further, processes this data and stores in data store 41 for consumption
by other tools.
-Rules Engine 42: Rules engine provide a mechanism to define what action needs
to
be taken when certain criteria is met when new data is received from connected
devices. For
example: When driver reached the trailer and triggers unlock from his smart
phone => trigger
Trailer => entity
Is instructed to disable engine immobilizer => action
This rule engine is capable of handling complex rules which are built by
combining
multiple triggers, act on multiple entities with different actions.
-Decision Engine 40: This is responsible for making decisions based on
predefined
rules. When new data arrives, decision engine scans through the rule engine
and takes
necessary actions. In case rule engine does not have rules defined, then
decision engine
notifies the people about the situation and wait for action to be taken by the
people.
-Business Engine 43: This takes care of all business-related aspects of the
solution.
This is also an entry point for defining rule so that right device data is
acted upon to perform
required action on right entity. This also manages the inventory of everything
(devices,
customers, drivers, trailers, etc)
-Data Analytics 44: Data Analytics 44 comprises one or more software programs
for
providing insights into utilization, efficiency, performance and other
operational metrics. It is
also responsible for providing recommendations based on historical data. It
can also evolve
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later when sufficient data is collected as prediction engine. Real end goal of
this software is to
fully evolve into autonomous decision maker.
Insights => Recommendations => Predictions => Autonomous decision (Artificial
Intelligence)
[0092] FIG. 5 illustrates a block diagram of a drive vehicle interface system,
according to an
embodiment of the present invention. The said trailer unit further comprises a
drive vehicle
interface system to cater the requirements of both trailer and central control
tower. Following
are the modules and connectivity links:
-Drive tracker 49: Comprising of satellite navigation and cellular units
provide
connectivity to master controller and dedicated alert and control unit 45
positioned in the
drive vehicle for providing alerts, display of messages and driver
communication.
Additionally, this will handle trailer monitoringstatus signals 46 consisting
of trailer brake,
vehicle battery and coupling related status signals.
-Dash board control panel 2: provides inputs to light control module of
trailer to
actuate rev (light and horn)/tail/brake/turn/license devices. Additionally,
brake pedal analogue
signal from the dashboard will be connected to trailer brake control module to
sync brake
systems of both drive vehicle and trailer as shown in FIG. 5.
-Electrical coupler 47: is adopted to provide easy method to connect and
disconnect
electrical power and signals with a special type of trailer link (TL)
connector as shown in FIG.
9A. The said trailer link (TL) connectoris a connector box intended to be
mounted in the
trailer. TL Connector will be the bridge for electrical system between the
drive vehicle and
trailer. It is to provide isolation and protection of electrical circuits,
between drive vehicle and
trailer, relay board with fuses will be provided. The housing/box is made in
metal with
necessary mounting arrangement to provide mating cable connectors and harness
on both
sides shall be straight for easy handling.
[0093] FIG. 6 illustrates a block diagram of a trailer control and monitoring
system, according
to an embodiment of the present invention. The said trailer context engine and
control system
of the trailer unit provides various functionalities such as:
-Intended application of the trailer is to detach from drive vehicle and park
at any
selected location. Since it is unmanned, it calls for self-monitoring and
ensure safety and
security of cargo and trailer at all the times.
-To provide complete support to drive vehicle in terms of trailer monitoring
and
driving stability
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-Enable continuous monitoring and control of trailer by central control tower
through
space-based position and trailer information systems
-To provide security and access to rightful drive vehicle and
loading/unloading
agencies
[0094] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the said trailer
context engine
and control system comprises sensors, actuators, electrical and control
systems outlined in the
block diagram of FIG. 6 provides the framework to perform all the tasks
intelligently. The
trailer unit 1 further comprises wiring connector for linking drive unit to
handle both power
and control signals. Salient features along with brief description of various
modules is
explained below:
-Power module 54:
. Provide uninterrupted power to all the modules. When drive unit 3 is coupled
to
trailer unit 1, it takes power from the battery of drive unit.
. In the absence of drive unit, system is powered by auxiliary battery 9 and
it is
charged either by mains single phase AC 62 supply or through solar 53 with
priority to solar
charging.
. Suitable rating electric supply with matching sockets will be provided
including
protection against short circuit, under voltage, overvoltage, overloading and
reverse polarity
-Brake control Module 8:
. Provide braking synchronously with the drive unit 3.
. Enable auto locking/unlocking by central control tower
.Fail safe action during brake away event and any emergency requirement
detected by
tilt 25 and impact sensors.
-Light control module 55:
. During driving it will provide all the lighting actuations to meet
regulatory
requirements based on the commands by the driver of drive unit3.
. This will also cater to internal lighting.
. Since the parked trailer is unattended, as safety measure, four marker lamps
will
automatically be switched ON and OFF based on ambient light signal. Whenever
trailer to be
operated in reverse direction, rear view of the trailer is displayed to the
driver for safe and
comfort handling
-Tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) 60: is adopted to improve safety and
fuel
economy.As a safety improvement to prevent accidents attributed to the
defects/loss of
pressure in the tires, fuel economy improvement and to achieve optimum
tire/wheel life and
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performance. TPMS 60 measures pressure and temperature, detects automatic
load, stores tire
data, and includes auto location function. Further, each tire is fitted with
the sensing and
measurement module comprising of pressure sensor, temperature sensor;
transmitter, data
memory and battery pack for:
. Sensing and measurement module is attached to the inside of the tire or
placed on the
wheel rim
. Real time data is transmitted wirelessly from tire to trailer control unit
. Each module sends predetermined number of data packets per minute along with
unique ID number
. Receiver unit fitted inside trailer control module will receive the data
packets and
same is retransmitted to central control tower through GPRS
. Central control tower and master context engine will decode and initiate
relevant
actionsupon detection of either loss or over pressure
. Actuate to blink trailer lights and send alert to operations team and driver
-Load Monitoring6:Cargo loaded on the trailer body is transmitted to subframe
of the
chassis. Multiple methods with contact and contactless methods including
wireless can be
deployed to measure accurate movement of subframe. One of the methods is to
use rotary
potentiometer with possible type of mounting in between axle and subframe.
Deflection in the
subframe depends on load and it is captured. A special mounting technique with
accessories is
incorporated to take care of side thrust and other forces acting on the
sensor. Load vs. voltage
characteristic will be generated based on the experimentation with trailer and
used
subsequently for converting sensor output to indicate current load.
[0095] Sensor output will be routed to control tower and context engine unit
(back end)
through on board telematics unit (trailer context engine and control unit) as
shown in FIG. 3.
Further, it will be processed and digital outputs will be sent back to trailer
to actuate deck
lamps to indicate current load and alert if overloading. The load monitoring
module 6 is
adapted to:
. To prevent overloading and also load based tariff can be adopted
. Also, it will warn and alert during loading through Red and yellow deck
lamps
. Load based tariff computation for needy customers
. Enhanced safety by preventing overloading to mitigate damage to the vehicle,
road
bridges and safety of occupants
. Helps in calculating trailer utilization
-Door Control 59:
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. Trailer shall have electronic lock for roll-up door with auto mechanical
latch Access
. Authorization to loading/unloading agencies from central control is executed
by
trailer control unit
. Door lock status will be communicated to central control for continuous
monitoring
to detect and alert concerned operational team if, any unauthorized opening
-Cargo monitoring: In case of perishable cargo, like fresh fruit and
vegetables, dairy,
confectionary, prepared meals - and fresh protein, frozen seafood... need
proper temperature
management. While food safety has always been a top priority, the need to
monitor and
protect perishable items has increased. Temperature and humidity sensors 58
fitted inside the
trailer wall will provide actual environment conditions with predetermined
update to central
control tower through trailer tracking module 11.
. Temperature tracking technology 58 helps shippers to monitor and track real-
time
data and exception alerts. The technology can also monitor specific events
associated with the
trailer, such as how long a door was left open; when it was closed.
. As the system is provided with both load & door monitoring, it is possible
to account
even if multiple loading & deliveries takes place
Also, there may be a need to monitor and to see what is going on within the
trailer in
case of special cargo transit requirement like special secured cargo as an
added safety during
transportation
. To accomplish the above, inner view camera based on CMOS image sensor and
interface of USB/Wi-Fi/Ethernet bolted to the roof top will be used. Live
streaming of internal
view of the trailer to central control station will be done through tracking
module.
-Optical Smoke Detector 50:
. When a fire starts in the trailer, the combustion of solids can produce
smoke before
flames are visible. Smoke particles scatter the light in the optical path of
the smoke detector,
providing early detection, and a signal will be sent to the master control
tower to alert
operational team. Removal of the sensor or electrical disconnection will send
error message to
central system as an anti-theft protection
-Trailer tracking and monitoring 56:
. Trailer position course tracking is done through global navigation satellite
system
(GNSS)
. For accurate location of trailer, it will be augmented by blue tooth, RFID
and
othersensing technologies

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. Communication between trailer, drive unit and central control unit is
established by
cellular module
. In the event of outage of satellite/communication channel, trailer control
unit will
store the data and transmit data pack upon restoration
. As enhanced security feature, trailer will be provided with entry and exit
based on
geo-fencing
[0096] FIG. 7 illustrates a block diagram of a power management system,
according to an
embodiment of the present invention. In order to ensure uninterrupted power to
the trailer
electrical and electronic systems, multiple energy sources are identified when
trailer is either
connected to drive vehicle or parked separately. When trailer is parked for
long time and if
auxiliary battery 9 charge is depleted, then central master controller will
issue an alert to the
operational team to charge from mains 62. Various inputs and outputs of power
module are
outlined in FIG. 7. The requirements of same are given below:
. To meet power requirement of all sensors, actuators, tracking module,
trailer control
unit, lighting, etc.
. To provide required excitation to all the sensors
. To withstand electrical disturbances and electromagnetic interference
. To provide isolated individual feeders to
Trailer Control unit
Brake control module
Internal lighting
External marker lighting
Tracking module
. In built protections to take care of short circuit, overloading and reverse
voltage
. To communicate power supply module status to central master control module
through trailer tracker
. To prioritize solar energy input as primary source of power supply using
solar
converter 63.
[0097] FIG. 8 illustrates a block diagram of a trailer brake control and auto
locking module,
according to an embodiment of the present invention. The brake control module
8 of the
trailer unit 1 is adapted to: provide braking synchronously with the drive
unit3; to enable auto
locking/unlocking by the central control tower; and to provide fail safe
action during brake
away event and emergency requirement detected by tilt, impact sensors, tele-
command and a
brake away switch. The said brake control module further comprises an electric
wheel brake
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control unit for overriding brake control from trailer control unit in case of
any tire burst and
emergency situations such as but not limited to rear crash of the trailer
unit. The said electric
wheel brake control unit applies a predetermined brake force as safe measure
to reduce speed
and to stop both the trailer unit and the drive unit.
[0098] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the said drive
unit 3 and
intended trailer 1 is validated by the said central control tower 34 for
access authorization,
matching of drive unit with one or more trailers, and drive unit power and
trailer load.
Further, upon successful validation, telecommand is issued to release
electromagnetic brakes
of the trailer unit 1 through context aware brake control unit 8 to permit
movement of freight.
This ensures security and no mismatch between the drive unit and the loaded
trailers. The said
brake control unit 8 is a context aware brake unit. The said brake control
unit 8 recognizes the
trailer running status and activates brakes according to drive unit controls
and also commands
received from trailer context engine and control unit. The brake control unit
8 further
monitors wheel health of the trailer unit 1.
[0099] FIG. 9A illustrates a side view of a drive unit coupled to a trailer
unit and FIG. 9B
illustrates a top view of a drive unit coupled to a trailer unit, according to
an embodiment of
the present invention. The said trailer unit comprises a solar charge unit
comprising one or
more solar panels 53 fixed on the roof of the trailer unit as shown in FIG. 9B
to harness solar
energy and store the harnessed energy in the said auxiliary battery. The power
module
supplies uninterrupted power by an auxiliary battery which is charged either
by mains single
phase AC supply or through solar with of priority to solar charging, in the
absence of the
drive unit.
[00100] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the said trailer
unit comprises
a trailer link connector 66 (electrical coupler) to provide easy method to
connect and
disconnect electrical power and signals between the drive unit and the trailer
unit as shown in
FIG. 9A. The said trailer unit further comprises a GPS and cellular antenna 64
fixed on the
roof of the trailer unit as shown in FIG. 9A. The advent of the Global
Positioning System
("GPS") has greatly assisted these efforts, as geographic location can now be
pinpointed
within a number of meters, allowing position information for vehicles to be
accurately
determined. Coupled with a method of reporting a current location for a
vehicle, a GPS-based
tracking system can provide the kind of centralized tracking and management
that fleet
owners need, particularly when thousands of vehicles must be tracked.
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[00101] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the said trailer
unit further
comprises a landing gear 65 fixed on the chassis of the trailer unit as shown
in FIG. 9A for
enabling secured and safe parking.
[00102] FIG. 10A illustrates an interior back view of a trailer unit with
racks and FIG. 10B
illustrates an interior back view of a trailer unit, according to an
embodiment of the present
invention. The said trailer unit 1 as an integrated system is capable of
performing variety of
applications aiming resource optimization and linking all the stake holders in
logistics eco
space. The system of the present invention: treats drive unit and trailer unit
as separate
entities; make best use of human resource, assets and time; optimally utilizes
both drive
vehicle and trailer as both can be handled and utilized independently; enables
modular
construction, portability and configurability of trailer will lead to quick
adaptability to manage
plethora of transport logistics; uses trailer mechatronics with new set of
algorithms to ensure
safety, security and monitoring of both trailer and customer consignments; is
a self-contained
unit with multiple sensing, mechatronics and location-based services.
[00103] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the said trailer
unit is used for
various means of transport customizing the transportation management. Some of
the dynamic
use cases includes:
-Closed Trailer-It is a normal trailer being used for freight management and
transportation. It is commonly used for the transport of goods and materials.
Gunny bags,
Crates, Carton Boxes, Vegetables, Fruits, Grains, Containers, Barrels and Bulk
Load etc are
being transported in these kinds of trailers,
-Trailer with shelves- This kind of trailer is provided with racks and
she1ves67 as
shown in FIG. 10A. Storage racks/shelves 67 can be fixed in the trailer as and
when required
and can be removed when not in use as the trailer is provided with respective
slots and
grooves as shown in FIG. 10A. This type of trailer is used for sorted storage.
It is commonly
used for the transportation of Crates, Carton Boxes, etc,
-Trailer as a Reefer-This kind of trailer is provided with Air Conditioning
Unit.
Composite panels along with Foam mandrel with foam-in-place insulation can be
fixed in the
trailer as and when required and can be removed when not in use as the trailer
is provided
with respective slots, grooves and locking facility for these panels.
Channels/ridged floor 69
are provided in the trailer at bottom and roof top as shown in FIG. 10B along
with locking
facility at both the ends for fixing the temperature resistance composite
panels. This type of
trailer can be used for both open storage and sorted storage. It is commonly
used for the
transport of Fresh vegetables and fruits, Dairy products, Pharmaceutical goods
etc,
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-Trailer as a Laboratory- Reefer trailer can also be modified as a mini
laboratory as per
the requirement. This can be achieved as the trailer is provided with
respective slots, grooves
and locking facility for these panels and racks. Channels are provided in the
trailer at bottom
and top inside the trailer for fixing these racks and shelves. This type of
trailer can also be
used for sorted storage, and
-Waste Management application- Trailer can be used for Residential,
industrial,
hospital and commercial waste management. It's self-contained unit with
safety, security with
monitoring capability. It can handle sensitive and/or hazardous materials. The
said trailer is a
multi-role trailer as we can modify the trailer interior according to the need
and requirement.
This trailer can be used as Mobile ware-house, laboratory, and distribution
point and also as a
last mile delivery.
[00104] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the said
commercial vehicle
freight mobility system comprises dedicated smart phone/ mobile
application/client for the
monitoring and controlling of the freight mobility system. The mobile
application/client is any
of the COGOS apps or the third-party apps.
[00105] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the said
commercial vehicle
freight mobility system further comprises plurality of sensors, instruments
and TOT devices
for enabling secured and intelligent commercial vehicle freight mobility.
[00106] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the said
commercial vehicle
freight mobility system maintains a public ledger of information collected
through a network
that sits on top of the internet using block chain technology. The said block
chain comprises
list of records, termed as blocks, linked using cryptography.Each block
contains a
cryptographic hash of the previous block,a timestamp, and transaction data.
The public ledger
is a distributed ledger that records transactions between two parties
efficiently and in a
verifiable and permanent way.
[00107] The various embodiments of the present invention provide a secured and
intelligent
commercial vehicle freight mobility system and method for providing flexible,
energy
efficient, safe and secured mode of freight handling. The trailer unit as an
integrated system is
capable of performing variety of applications aiming resource optimization and
linking all the
stake holders in logistics eco space. The system of the present invention:
treats drive unit and
trailer unit as separate entities; make best use of human resource, assets and
time; optimally
utilizes both drive vehicle and trailer as both can be handled and utilized
independently;
enables modular construction, portability and configurability of trailer will
lead to quick
adaptability to manage plethora of transport logistics; uses trailer
mechatronics with new set
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of algorithms to ensure safety, security and monitoring of both trailer and
customer
consignments; is a self-contained unit with multiple sensing, mechatronics and
location-based
services.
[00108] It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed
herein is for the
purpose of description and not of limitation. Therefore, while the embodiments
herein have
been described in terms of preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art
will recognize that
the embodiments herein can be practiced with modification within the spirit
and scope of the
claims.

Representative Drawing