General Electric Company

Asset Intelligence, LLC

Mark McAden

A technique for controlling the state of a power supply in a mobile asset such as a cargo trailer. The technique detects motion status such as may be provided by a vibration sensor. The motion status signal is filtered by other signals, such as with inputs from a global positioning system sensor, and is then further used to select a power consumption mode. The power consumption mode may be further controlled based on configuration information that may indicate that a vibration source such as a refrigeration unit is present on the trailer.

Method and apparatus for power management of asset tracking system

Truck tractors in a transportation fleet include a transponder that transmits a unique tractor identifier to a connected trailer using a Power Line Communication (PLC) bus device. The information transmitted typically includes a manufacturing unique ID for the tractor and an optional user defined ID. The user defined ID may include a fleet division code. The tractor ID and/or fleet ID codes determine how the trailer is hooked up. In particular, with detection of a connected state signal from the PLC bus, together with receipt of tractor identification code(s) from the tractor, the trailer tracking device can now communicate the coupling event information to a centralized location, such as via a cellular telephone connection.

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Frisco, TX, United States of America

Mark McAden