WO2021053611A1 - A freight mobility system - Google Patents

A freight mobility system Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2021053611A1
WO2021053611A1 PCT/IB2020/058726 IB2020058726W WO2021053611A1 WO 2021053611 A1 WO2021053611 A1 WO 2021053611A1 IB 2020058726 W IB2020058726 W IB 2020058726W WO 2021053611 A1 WO2021053611 A1 WO 2021053611A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
trailer
unit
module
monitoring
drive unit
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/IB2020/058726
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Sreeram Durga VENKATA PRASAD
Katta Rama MOHAN
Original Assignee
Cogos Technologies Pvt. Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Cogos Technologies Pvt. Ltd filed Critical Cogos Technologies Pvt. Ltd
Priority to CA3154674A priority Critical patent/CA3154674A1/en
Publication of WO2021053611A1 publication Critical patent/WO2021053611A1/en
Priority to ZA2022/03036A priority patent/ZA202203036B/en
Priority to IL291348A priority patent/IL291348A/en

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B62—LAND VEHICLES FOR TRAVELLING OTHERWISE THAN ON RAILS
    • B62D—MOTOR VEHICLES; TRAILERS
    • B62D53/00—Tractor-trailer combinations; Road trains
    • B62D53/005—Combinations with at least three axles and comprising two or more articulated parts
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B62—LAND VEHICLES FOR TRAVELLING OTHERWISE THAN ON RAILS
    • B62D—MOTOR VEHICLES; TRAILERS
    • B62D33/00—Superstructures for load-carrying vehicles
    • B62D33/04—Enclosed load compartments ; Frameworks for movable panels, tarpaulins or side curtains
    • B62D33/046—Enclosed load compartments ; Frameworks for movable panels, tarpaulins or side curtains built up with flat self-supporting panels; Fixed connections between panels
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B62—LAND VEHICLES FOR TRAVELLING OTHERWISE THAN ON RAILS
    • B62D—MOTOR VEHICLES; TRAILERS
    • B62D63/00—Motor vehicles or trailers not otherwise provided for
    • B62D63/06—Trailers
    • B62D63/08—Component parts or accessories
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06Q—INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • G06Q10/00—Administration; Management
    • G06Q10/08—Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
    • G06Q10/083—Shipping
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
    • G07C—TIME OR ATTENDANCE REGISTERS; REGISTERING OR INDICATING THE WORKING OF MACHINES; GENERATING RANDOM NUMBERS; VOTING OR LOTTERY APPARATUS; ARRANGEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS FOR CHECKING NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE
    • G07C5/00—Registering or indicating the working of vehicles
    • G07C5/008—Registering or indicating the working of vehicles communicating information to a remotely located station
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
    • G07C—TIME OR ATTENDANCE REGISTERS; REGISTERING OR INDICATING THE WORKING OF MACHINES; GENERATING RANDOM NUMBERS; VOTING OR LOTTERY APPARATUS; ARRANGEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS FOR CHECKING NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE
    • G07C5/00—Registering or indicating the working of vehicles
    • G07C5/08—Registering or indicating performance data other than driving, working, idle, or waiting time, with or without registering driving, working, idle or waiting time
    • G07C5/0816—Indicating performance data, e.g. occurrence of a malfunction

Definitions

  • 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.
  • the primary object of the present invention is to provide a secured and intelligent commercial vehicle freight mobility system.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a single control station for handling the freight management through a cellular network.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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 5 period leading to better resource utilization contributing to greener transportation.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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, and a trailer contextengine and control unit connected to all the above said components, modulesand units to determine the local contexts.
  • M2M cellular
  • Bluetooth Bluetooth
  • Wi Fi Fi wireless fidelity
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • plurality of stakeholders includes fleet manager, source dispatcher, destination receiver, fleet owner, operations team, emergency services such as police, hospital, fire, etc.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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 measuring tire pressure, speed, ambient temperature within the trailer cargo space, load detection, storage of tire data, and determining geographical coordinates.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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 and 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.
  • GNSS Global Navigation Satellite System
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • TPMS tire pressure monitoring system
  • 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 drive unit.
  • the power module further matches sockets including protection against short circuit, under voltage, overvoltage, overloading and reverse polarity.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • the said tilt sensorof the intelligent freight mobility system 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of a secured and intelligent commercial vehicle freight mobility system, according to an embodiment of the present invention.
  • FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram of a control tower and master context engine module, according to an embodiment of the present invention.
  • FIG. 3 illustrates a block diagram of a load sensing unit, according to an embodiment of the present invention.
  • FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating context engine of intelligent freight mobility, according to an embodiment of the present invention.
  • FIG. 5 illustrates a block diagram of a drive vehicle interface system, according to an embodiment of the present invention.
  • FIG. 6 illustrates a block diagram of a trailer control and monitoring system, according to an embodiment of the present invention.
  • FIG. 7 illustrates a block diagram of a power management system, according to an embodiment of the present invention.
  • FIG. 8 illustrates a block diagram of a trailer brake control and auto locking module, according to an embodiment of the present invention.
  • FIG. 9A illustrates a side view of a drive unit coupled to a trailer unit
  • FIG. 9B illustrates a top view of a drive unit coupled to a trailer unit, according to an embodiment of the present invention.
  • 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.
  • 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
  • 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 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.
  • 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 unitl.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • the said power cable 21 is an auxiliary power cable connected to the auxiliary battery through a power control module9 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.
  • 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 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 unitl 0, 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
  • 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 unitl; and a trailer context engine and control unit 11 connected to all the above said components, modules and units to determine the local contexts.
  • 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
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • the said light guidelO is inserted in the roof of the trailer unit 1 to harness natural lighting to reduce need for interior lighting requirement.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • one or more tele-commands passed through the cloud infrastructure 13 is received by intended trailer context engine and control unit 11 which commands the trailer access control unit 15 containing electronic locks.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • the said wireless communication module 23 provides constant (live) feed of information of the trailer unit 1 to the drive unit 3.
  • the said tilt and impact sensing unit 25 monitors 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.
  • the saidcommercial vehicle freight mobility system comprises a unique structural design for multiple sensing units30.
  • the said commercial vehicle freight mobility system comprises mechanical design provisions to house different sensing units including autonomous driving and the whole structure acting as sensor / antennae / reinforcement.
  • the said trailer l is 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • the said trailer control unit 11 acquires 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.
  • 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.
  • the said trailer unit 1 is constructed using alightweight design and body structures to reduce self-weight of the trailer 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • the said system identifies device fault or malfunctioning and initiate specific action based on fault level and its impact.
  • the said central control station 34 tracks trailer 1 status continuously and alert if any route deviations or dangerous driving conditions are detected.
  • the said commercial vehicle freight mobility system remotely upgrades trailer 1 control software in order to provide benefits of software improvements/updates.
  • 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 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.
  • the said commercial vehicle freight mobility system comprises a mechanism for self-propelling the trailer unit 1 using the AI and ML rule engine 39c of the context engine 39.
  • the said commercial vehicle freight mobility system comprises a multi trailer unit 37 for coupling another similar trailer or different trailer.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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 later when sufficient data is collected as prediction engine. Real end goal of this software is to fully evolve into autonomous decision maker.
  • 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.
  • a drive vehicle interface system to cater the requirements of both trailer and central control tower.
  • -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/tum/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) connector is 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.
  • 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:
  • 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:
  • drive unit 3 When drive unit 3 is coupled to trailer unit 1, it takes power from the battery of drive unit.
  • system 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
  • TPMS 60 -Tire pressure monitoring system 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 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.
  • 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:
  • Trailer shall have electronic lock for roll-up door with auto mechanical latch Access
  • Door lock status will be communicated to central control for continuous monitoring to detect and alert concerned operational team if, any unauthorized opening
  • 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.
  • GNSS global navigation satellite system
  • trailer control unit will store the data and transmit data pack upon restoration
  • trailer will be provided with entry and exit based on geo-fencing
  • FIG. 7 illustrates a block diagram of a power management system, according to an embodiment of the present invention.
  • multiple energy sources are identified when trailer is either connected to drive vehicle or parked separately.
  • 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:
  • actuators To meet power requirement of all sensors, actuators, tracking module, trailer control unit, lighting, etc.
  • 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 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.
  • 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.
  • FIG. 9A illustrates a side view of a drive unit coupled to a trailer unit
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • GPS Global Positioning System
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • FIG. 10A illustrates an interior back view of a trailer unit with racks
  • 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.
  • the said trailer unit is used for various means of transport customizing the transportation management.
  • Some of the dynamic use cases includes:
  • 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,
  • This kind of trailer is provided with racks and shelves67 as shown in FIG. 10 A.
  • 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,
  • 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, -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.
  • 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.
  • the said commercial vehicle freight mobility system further comprises plurality of sensors, instruments and IOT devices for enabling secured and intelligent commercial vehicle freight mobility.
  • 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.
  • 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 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.

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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.

Description

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. [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. [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. [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 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 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 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 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. 3illustrates 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. [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 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 unitl.
[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 21is an auxiliary power cable connected to the auxiliary battery through a power control module9 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 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 unitl 0, 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 infrastructure! 3; 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 unitl; 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. [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 guidelOis 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 infrastructure 13 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] [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 lis 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. [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 11 acquires 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 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 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 AI 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 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/tum/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 -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 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: . 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 . 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 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. [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 shelves67 as shown in FIG. 10 A. 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, -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 IOT 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 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.

Claims

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 comprises: 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; 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 establishing 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; 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 historical 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.
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 & Hom)/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 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 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, 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 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.
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.
PCT/IB2020/058726 2019-09-16 2020-09-18 A freight mobility system WO2021053611A1 (en)

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ZA2022/03036A ZA202203036B (en) 2019-09-16 2022-03-14 A freight mobility system
IL291348A IL291348A (en) 2019-09-16 2022-03-14 A freight mobility system

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