FR3067553A1 - MANAGING THE LOSS OF A COMMUNICABLE OBJECT THAT IS PART OF A GROUP OF OBJECTS - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for managing the loss of an object (d-f) belonging to an object group (1). The object is equipped with an identification tag (1d-1f) able to communicate with a base station (5) to provide at least one geolocation data (GPS). The station is able to communicate also with a long-range wireless network (SAT, LTE). The method comprises the following steps on the base station (5): - obtaining (E14) a geolocation data of a first object (f) of the group; comparing (E22) the geolocation data of the first object of the group, called the first geolocation data item, with the geolocation information of at least one second object of the group, said second geolocation data item; - Based on the results of the comparison, trigger (E24, E25) a verification action.

Description

Management of the loss of a communicating object belonging to a group of objects.

Technical area

The invention relates to the field of telecommunications.

The invention applies in particular to the traceability of objects in a telecommunications network, and more particularly to a group of objects liable to be lost in areas covered or not by mobile communication networks.

State of the art

When an object moves away from a group of objects (fleet of vehicles, group of containers, mountain climbing, herd of animals, etc.) it is important to be able to locate and retrieve this object. This is the case, for example, when a container from a container carrier falls into the water, or when a sheep moves away from its flock. The insurer of the container, the owner of the sheep, need to know in this case where the object is, if it has fallen, if it has been stolen, etc.

Today there are solutions to locate such objects and find out what happened to them. Most of these solutions are based on devices allowing to geo-locate the object. These devices, also called trackers, generally consist of a beacon comprising a geolocation module (for example, of GPS type, for Global Positioning System) which allows it to record its geographic coordinates, and a module for transmitting information by radiocommunications. (Internet, Bluetooth, 3G / 4G mobile network, etc.) which allows it to transmit them via a terrestrial network to an object manager. Once such a tracker is inserted in a container, a vehicle, etc. this type of solution thus offers a simple means of traceability of the object. If a set, or group of objects, is concerned, each of the objects in the group is equipped with such a tracker.

Alternatively, some solutions use satellite links. In fact, transmission via a terrestrial telecommunications network such as a mobile telephone network supposes that the mobile terminal is located in a coverage area of the network to which it has subscribed in order to be able to access it and carry out mobile telephone operations (calls , sending an SMS message, etc.) In an uncovered area, also called a “white area”, the tracker is out of reach of its cellular network, which prevents any communication with the outside. However, certain regions of the world (high seas, rural areas, countries suffering from a lack of infrastructure ...) are today poorly, if at all, served by local mobile operators, which poses a problem for users. This problem becomes particularly critical when the object is lost. It is impossible to know in such a case if it has been stolen, destroyed, inadvertently lost, etc. This type of solution often involves using a base station equipped with a satellite modem, since it is too costly to equip each tracker with such a modem. Each traker is linked to the base station which can thus monitor all the objects connected to it and report information by satellite. Patent application WO 2002021725 A1, “Satellite connection system between an earth station and an on-board station for portable telephones” describes, for example, such a system.

However, this type of solution still presents many problems. In particular, it is generally too late to take the appropriate action when the loss information is received: if the container has fallen into the water, it will be impossible to recover it on the high seas. If the sheep has fallen from a cliff, the problem is the same. Furthermore, if the tracker is stolen, it is simply impossible to know what happened to the object.

The invention offers a solution which does not have the drawbacks of the state of the art.

The invention

To this end, according to a functional aspect, the invention relates to a method for managing the loss of an object belonging to a group of objects, said object being equipped with an identification tag capable of communicating with a base station to provide it with at least one geolocation data, said station being able to communicate moreover with a long-range wireless network, the method comprising the following steps on the base station:

- obtain geolocation data for a first object in the group;

- compare the geolocation data of the first object of the group, called the first geolocation data, with the geolocation information of at least one second object of the group, called the second geolocation data;

- depending on the results of the comparison, trigger a verification action.

By “object” is meant any object equipped with an electronic device capable of connecting to a base station, for example a small connected object (IOT), a mobile telephone, a container, a herd animal equipped with a tag, etc.

By "identification tag" means an electronic device (label, tracker, etc.) associated with the object (glued to the object, inserted into it, integrated, etc.) preferably very simple, comprising a module capable receive and record GPS coordinates and transmit them to the base station. In the embodiments described below, the term “object” or the term “tracker” is used interchangeably to designate it, the object and its tag being normally confused.

By “group of objects” is meant a set of at least two such objects.

By “geolocation data” is conventionally meant data originating from a geolocation process (or georeferencing) making it possible to position an object on a map using its geographic coordinates via for example a satellite positioning system and a receiver GRS.

The geolocation data typically includes geographic coordinates in latitude and longitude. The recorded positions can be stored within the beacon and extracted later, or transmitted in real time to the base station.

The method according to the invention thus makes it possible to trigger an appropriate action just after having observed that the geolocation data no longer satisfy a criterion of unity or homogeneity of the group: if the comparison of the geolocation data originating from two objects of the group gives a negative result, this means that at least one of the objects has moved away from the group, and that it is therefore "lost" or at least in the process of being lost. An action can then be triggered upon recognition of this loss by the base station. Advantageously, the action is taken immediately, whether the objects (and their base station) are in the white zone or not; on the contrary, the emission of an alert on the broadband network according to the state of the art supposes a reaction time of the base station then transmission of the message, then reception of the message by a surveillance site before that action cannot be taken. It is often too late. Note that the base station itself can be part of the group, that is to say that the second geolocation data can be that of the station itself.

According to a particular embodiment of the invention, a method as described above is further characterized in that it includes a step of initializing a data structure relating to the group of objects, said structure comprising at least one geolocation datum per object.

Advantageously according to this mode, all the objects of a group are memorized in a single structure in memory (table, list, etc.) which allows quick access to the geolocation data of the objects (via their tag) as well as traceability of their positions.

According to another particular embodiment of the invention, which can be implemented alternately or cumulatively with the previous one, a method as described above is further characterized in that the second geolocation datum is calculated by based on geolocation data from at least two objects in the group.

Advantageously according to this mode, the base station can calculate a value representative of the position of the group of objects (for example, the average of the geolocation data of the objects of the group). A comparison with this representative value makes it possible to decide very quickly if the object which has just provided its coordinates is still part of the group or not.

According to another particular mode of implementation of the invention, which can be implemented alternatively or cumulatively with the previous ones, a method as described above is further characterized in that

- The verification action consists in ordering the displacement towards a predetermined position of an autonomous displacement machine able to carry out a multimedia capture;

- The verification action is followed by a step of transmitting said multimedia capture via the long range wireless network.

The term "autonomous displacement machine" means any machine capable of moving in a given direction towards a predetermined position without any intervention by the user being necessary to guide it. Such a device can be any autonomous locomotion device, including land, surface, underwater and the like.

“Multimedia capture” means an operation consisting in acquiring an audio and / or video stream of the scene containing the objects.

In this mode, the machine moves as soon as the base station has detected that one of the objects has moved away from the group and immediately records (photography, films, etc.) the scene, then restores the multimedia capture to the base station. Advantageously:

- it is the base station which takes the initiative to move the machine, and not an owner or other insurer who would trigger the sending of the machine after receiving an alert, i.e. presumably too late to effectively locate the container lost at sea or the sheep fallen from a cliff;

- Such an object can be very inexpensive since it is attached to the base station, and therefore does not require any particular intelligence except the ability to acquire a multimedia stream. A simple balloon fitted with a camera may suffice.

In the embodiments described below, the autonomous locomotion machine considered is a drone, that is to say an autonomous aircraft of any type. Once the drone has acquired its instructions from the base station, it heads for its destination alone. Among the existing drones, there may be cited rotary-wing drones such as helicopters, quadcopters and other similar devices. Mention may also be made of fixed-wing drones, powered by one or more heat or electric motors, etc. Advantageously according to this mode, the drone moves as soon as the base station has detected that one of the objects has moved away from the group and takes a capture (still image or preferably video, sound, etc.) of the scene. In addition to the advantages mentioned above:

- the trajectory that the drone must make to reach the predetermined position can be very simple because, the drone being very close to the station (for example above, hidden inside, etc.), it only has to climb a few tens meters to obtain an image / video which largely covers the possible location of the object which departs from the group;

- a drone can be discreet enough not to generate noise and not be spotted; thus, dishonest people having stolen the object, replaced its cargo (in the case of a container), etc. will be recorded without their knowledge and can be identified later.

According to another particular embodiment of the invention, which can be implemented alternately or cumulatively with the previous ones:

- the comparison step calculates a difference between the first and second geolocation data;

- the verification action is triggered if this difference is above a predetermined threshold.

Advantageously according to this mode, a predetermined value known to the station is used to decide that the object is "lost" if its geographic coordinates differ substantially from the coordinates of the other objects in the group.

According to another particular mode of implementation of the invention, which can be implemented alternately or cumulatively with the previous ones, the long range wireless network is a satellite network.

Advantageously according to this mode, the invention can be implemented even if the system is in a white zone.

According to a material aspect, the invention also relates to a base station capable of communicating with a long-range wireless network and with a group of objects each equipped with an identification tag capable of providing at least one geolocation data of the object, the station comprising the following modules:

- a module to obtain geolocation data for a first object in the group;

a module for comparing the geolocation data of the first object of the group, called the first geolocation data, with the geolocation information of at least one second object of the group, called the second geolocation data;

- a module to trigger, depending on the results of the comparison, a verification action.

The term module can correspond as well to a software component as to a hardware component or a set of hardware and software components, a software component corresponding itself to one or more computer programs or subroutines or more generally to any element of a program capable of implementing a function or a set of functions as described for the modules concerned. Similarly, a hardware component corresponds to any element of a hardware assembly (or hardware) capable of implementing a function or a set of functions for the module concerned (integrated circuit, smart card, memory card, etc. .).

According to another material aspect, the invention also relates to a traceability beacon equipped with:

- a satellite geolocation module;

- a module for transmitting at least one geolocation data item from the beacon to a base station.

According to another material aspect, the invention also relates to a system comprising:

- a base station as previously described;

- at least two objects from a group of objects each equipped with a traceability tag as described beforehand.

According to another material aspect, the invention also relates to such a system further comprising a drone, characterized in that a movement order is given to the drone when the trigger module of the base station triggers a verification action.

According to other material aspects:

- A traceability tag as described before is intended to be inserted in a removable and / or removable support fixed to the object.

- the objects are of the container type on the high seas, part of a group of containers;

- the objects are animals and the group is a herd;

- the objects are human beings and the group is a mountain range;

- the objects are vehicles and the group is a fleet of vehicles.

According to another hardware aspect, the invention also relates to a computer program, the program comprising code instructions which, when the program is executed by a processor, performs the steps of the management method defined above.

This program can use any programming language, and be in the form of source code, object code, or intermediate code between source code and object code, such as in a partially compiled form, or in any other desirable form.

According to yet another material aspect, the invention relates to a recording medium readable by a data processor on which a program is recorded comprising program code instructions for the execution of the steps of the method defined above.

The information medium can be any entity or device capable of storing the program. For example, the support may include a storage means, such as a ROM, for example a CD ROM or a microelectronic circuit ROM, or also a magnetic recording means, for example a hard disk. On the other hand, the information medium can be a transmissible medium such as an electrical or optical signal, which can be routed via an electrical or optical cable, by radio or by other means. The program according to the invention can in particular be downloaded from a network of the Internet type. Alternatively, the information medium can be an integrated circuit in which the program is incorporated, the circuit being adapted to execute or to be used in the execution of the process in question.

The invention will be better understood on reading the description which follows, given by way of example and made with reference to the accompanying drawings.

The figures:

Figure 1 shows a system according to the state of the art.

FIG. 2 represents a system according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 3 represents a hardware architecture of a system according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 4 represents a flowchart of a method for managing a group of objects according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 5 represents a flow diagram of a method for managing the loss of objects according to an embodiment of the invention.

Detailed description of an exemplary embodiment illustrating the invention

FIG. 1 represents a system according to the state of the art, comprising objects noted a to f, each equipped with a GPS tracker, or traceability beacon, as previously discussed.

The objects of the first group (a, b, c) are for example vehicles of an automobile fleet, loaded on a truck. They are equipped with radio modems (for example GSM / GPRS / 3G / 4G, etc.) and transmit the information, via their radio home network, to the Internet network 2 which then transmits it to the monitoring and / or processing center 3.

The objects of the second group (d, e, f) are for example containers on board a boat. They are equipped with satellite modems and transmit the information, via the satellite link, to the Internet network 2 which then transmits it to the monitoring center 3.

Alternatively, the objects are connected to a base station (not shown), which is itself equipped with a radio or satellite modem which enables it to trace the information relating to the various objects which are connected to it.

The processing center can for example view the position of the various objects on a map and note that an object (vehicle, container, animal, etc.) is moving away, that is to say that it is in the process of '' be lost (fallen from the truck, boat, cliff, etc. or stolen).

In both cases, however (whether the objects are connected to a base station or not), it is too late to act when one realizes that such an object has been lost. If the container has disappeared, it will first of all be impossible to know if it has been stolen or lost at sea, or if the tracker has been stolen, then extremely difficult, even impossible to recover it on the high seas. vehicle (the sheep) fell from the truck (from a cliff), the problem is identical: the time to react, at the processing center, it is already too late to take relevant action.

FIG. 2 represents a system according to an embodiment of the invention.

As described in support of Figure 1, each object (e, d, f) is equipped with a GPS tracker or beacon (le, ld, lf). It also communicates, via a radio module, with a base station (5) to transmit its GPS coordinates to it. The radio module can for example be of LTE (for Long Term Evolution, an evolution of mobile telephony standards) or UMTS, WiFI, WiMax, Bluetooth, etc. The base station receives messages from the object's beacon in real time (or periodically) and analyzes its coordinates. Unlike the context of Figure 1, a group of objects (1) is formed. Seen from the station, this group of objects is homogeneous in position (since the objects move together). When an object, like object f in figure 2, leaves its group (the container has fallen from the boat, the sheep from a cliff, the vehicle from a truck), it goes back to the base station (5 ) a position significantly different from the other objects in the group. The station realizes this by comparing the positions of the different objects, and can take immediate action, for example:

- transmit via its satellite or radio modem the last known position of the object;

- trigger an alarm (audible, visual, etc.);

- trigger a capture (audio or video) of the scene;

- etc.

According to a preferred embodiment, the action consists in triggering the sending of a drone vertically from the station. This action is very simple to implement since the trajectory of the drone is simple and linear, and makes it possible to obtain, by raising the drone by only a few meters, a very relevant view of the scene which can then be transmitted to the surveillance center. , automatically or at the request of the latter.

According to a variant, the base station itself can be part of the group, and the second geolocation data can be that of the station itself, in particular in the case where it has a GPS module. In this case, the action is triggered when the object moves away from the station.

FIG. 3 represents a hardware architecture of a system according to an embodiment of the invention.

The system comprises at least one base station (5) and a group of objects (d, e, f) each equipped with a beacon (ld, le, lf).

The base station (5) conventionally comprises memories M articulated around a processor CPU. The memories can be of type ROM (from English Read Only Memory) or RAM (from English Random Access Memory), removable or fixed, etc. It communicates with the Internet network (2) via a radio module (LTE according to this example, to access a mobile network) or satellite (SAT).

It also includes a GES module for managing a group of objects, capable of performing the actions described in support of Figures 2 and 4/5, and in particular:

- management of object groups (creation of a group, registration of a group object, deletion of objects, etc.);

- managing the “loss” of an object when it moves away from the group;

- triggering an appropriate action (alarm, sending a drone, etc.) when the object has moved away from a certain distance.

Optionally, when the action consists, as described above, in triggering the sending of a drone, it also includes a CAP module for receiving multimedia capture data from the drone. Optionally, the station can also include a GPS geolocation module capable of providing the GPS coordinates of the station itself.

All modules classically communicate with each other via a data bus.

The traceability tag or tracker (ld ... lf) also conventionally includes memories M 'articulated around a CPU processor'. The memories can be of the ROM or RAM type, removable or fixed, etc. It communicates with the base station (5) via a mobile radio module, for example of LTE type (LTE '). It also includes a GPS module, and a GRP module for managing exchanges with the base station, in particular capable of performing the actions described in support of FIGS. 2 and 4/5, and in particular:

- register with the base station by providing a unique identifier for the beacon;

- communicate (regularly or on request) to the station its GPS coordinates.

FIG. 4 represents a flowchart of a method for managing a group of objects according to an embodiment of the invention.

The base station (5) is initialized during a step E10. Its different modules are configured (LTE, GPS modem, drone, etc.) and according to this exemplary embodiment, a table can be initialized in memory for one or more groups of objects. On a boat, it may for example be one or more groups of containers, each group being identified by its unique group identifier, noted G_Id in the figure.

During an EO step, the object's “tracker” is initialized. In particular, a unique identifier is assigned to it (that is to say an identifier which makes it possible to distinguish it from any other object of the same group or another group) and the communication modules (LTE) with the base station. and GPS coordinates retrieval are configured.

Then during a step E1, the identifier of the object (here denoted F) is transmitted to the base station (5), using the LTE module.

During a step Eli, the station receives the identifier F of the object via the LTE channel which has been established between the two devices.

If the object has not yet been saved, it can do so during this step, by filling in a data structure, for example a table in memory, comprising, for a given group, a list of identifiers and associated geographic coordinates. An example of such a table (T) is provided in FIG. 4. The group is identified by an identifier G_Id in the first line. Here it is group number 1 (G_Id = 1). The station can control one or more groups of objects. The following lines include a first column corresponding to the identifier of the object's tracker (O-Id) and a second to its GPS coordinates.

During a successive step E13, the station can ask the object for its GPS coordinates. Note that this step can be confused with the previous one, or carried out during the initialization step E10. It can also be carried out regularly (for example every minute, every morning, etc.) in order to have updated coordinates, or according to any other applicable criterion: the GPS coordinates of the station or of another object have changed, an order came from the maintenance center, etc. The geographic coordinates of the object are transmitted by its tracker during a step E3 and are, according to this example, recorded by the station during a step E14. According to the example in FIG. 4, the coordinates, recorded in line 2 of the table, are of GPS type (latitude-longitude) and read: 39 ° 17 'North, 76 ° 36' West.

Note that the station can decide, after receiving the identifier and / or GPS coordinates, to assign or not the object to one of the groups, according to its coordinates (which are close to those of other objects already registered for the group), or its identifier (if it is a container identifier, the object can be automatically assigned to the group of containers), or any other predetermined criteria. In the same way it can decide to remove an object from the group. The management of such a group by such a station is a process well known to those of ordinary skill in the art and will not be detailed further.

The process can then be continued / resumed by any of the steps E11 to E14.

FIG. 5 represents a flowchart of a method for managing the loss of an object according to an embodiment of the invention.

This process preferably takes place after the initialization of the aforementioned table in memory, according to the flowchart illustrated in FIG. 4. The table T represented in FIG. 5 comprises a group (identified here by its identifier G_Id) of three objects f, g and h of respective identifiers F, G and H.

During a step E20, the base station reads the table T in memory to retrieve all the GPS coordinates of the objects in group 1.

During a step E21, the GPS coordinates of the various objects of the group are analyzed. Any algorithm suitable for those skilled in the art can be used: comparison of the data two by two, comparison of location data with an average value of the group, with a value representative of the group, at a predetermined threshold, coordinates of the station itself, etc. The purpose of this step is to analyze the homogeneity of the GPS addresses. Any known method can be used as long as it leads to a decision that the group is or is not homogeneous. According to the example in FIG. 3, the object H has a substantially different coordinate from the other objects in the group (80 instead of latitude Itfn). The method on the station according to this embodiment therefore deduces that the object is moving away.

If the group is homogeneous, one can return for example, at the end of this step E22, to step E20 of reading the table.

If the group is not homogeneous, it can optionally be carried out during step E23 a verification during which the coordinates of the object being removed are verified. This makes it possible to ascertain the identity of the object or objects which are moving away, to assess the speed at which it is moving away, etc.

Then during a successive step E24, an action is initiated by the base station. This action can take different forms. According to a preferred embodiment, a drone is associated with the base station, and this action consists in triggering the drone so that it rises above the station, takes a photograph (or a sound recording, video, etc.) and return to its base to transmit the results of its capture.

During a step E25, the base station recovers the image (or video, soundtrack, etc.) of the drone and can transmit it during a step E26 to the Internet network using its radio and / or satellite modem.

In this way, even if the container / vehicle / sheep has fallen into the water / in the mountains, the insurer will know exactly what happened to it and will be able to take the appropriate measures.

It goes without saying that the embodiment which has been described above has been given for purely indicative and in no way limiting, and that numerous modifications can be easily made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope. of the invention.

Claims (10)

claims 1. Method for managing the loss of an object (df) belonging to a group of objects (1), said object being equipped with an identification tag (ld-lf) capable of communicating with a station base (5) to provide it with at least one geolocation data (GPS), said station being able to communicate moreover with a long range wireless network (SAT, LTE), the method comprising the following steps on the base station (5): - obtain (E14) a geolocation datum of a first object (f) of the group; - compare (E22) the geolocation datum of the first object of the group, called the first geolocation datum, with the geolocation information of at least one second object of the group, called the second geolocation datum; - depending on the results of the comparison, trigger (E24, E25) a verification action. 2. Management method according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises an initialization step (E10, E12, E14) of a data structure (T) relating to the group of objects, said structure comprising at least geolocation data by object. 3. Management method according to claim 1, characterized in that the second geolocation data is calculated as a function of the geolocation data of at least two objects of the group. 4. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that: the verification action (E24, E25) consists in ordering the displacement (E24) towards a predetermined position of an autonomous displacement machine capable of carrying out a multimedia capture; - The verification action is followed by a step of transmission (E26) of said multimedia capture via the long range wireless network. 5. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that: - the comparison step (E22) calculates a difference between the first and second geolocation data; - the verification action (E24, E25) is triggered if this difference is above a predetermined threshold. 6. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the long range wireless network is a satellite network. 7. Base station (5) capable of communicating with a long-range wireless network (SAT, LTE) and with a group (1) of objects (df) each equipped with an identification tag (ld-lf) able to provide at least one object geolocation data (GPS), the station comprising the following modules: - a module (LTE) to obtain (E14) geolocation data for a first object (f) of the group; - A module (GES) for comparing (E22) the geolocation data of the first object of the group, called the first geolocation data, with the geolocation information of at least one second object of the group, called the second geolocation data; - a module (GES) to trigger, depending on the results of the comparison, a verification action (E24, E25). 8. System comprising: - a base station according to claim 7; - at least two objects from a group of objects each equipped with the following modules, capable of communicating with said base station: - a satellite geolocation module (GPS *); - a module (LTE ⁷ ) to transmit at least one geolocation data from the beacon to a base station 9. The system of claim 8 further comprising a drone, characterized in that a movement order is given to the drone when the trigger module of the base station triggers a verification action. 10. Computer program comprising code instructions for implementing the management method according to claim 1, when said program is executed by a processor.