A COMMUNICATION DEVICE AND A SERVER FOR A WEIGHING SYSTEM FOR DYNAMIC WEIGHING OF VEHICLES
20210239515 · 2021-08-05
Assignee
Inventors
Cpc classification
G08G1/0129
PHYSICS
International classification
G07C5/08
PHYSICS
Abstract
A server and a communication device for a weighing system for dynamic weighing are disclosed. The communication device is configured to obtain supplementary weight information associated with a dynamic weighing event for a vehicle and transmit the supplementary weight information to the server. The communication device obtains the supplementary weight information prior to or after the dynamic weighing event for the vehicle. Thereby, registration of the vehicle can be performed prior to or after the dynamic weighing event and the vehicle does not have to stop at the dynamic weighing event.
Claims
1. A communication device for a weighing system for dynamic weighing of vehicles, the communication device being associated with a vehicle and being configured to obtain supplementary weight information associated with a dynamic weighing event for the vehicle, wherein the supplementary weight information is obtained prior to or after the dynamic weighing event at a weighing bridge of a weighing scale so that the vehicle does not stop on the weighing bridge during the dynamic weighing event; transmit the supplementary weight information to a serve.
2. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the supplementary weight information comprises at least one of: company information, cargo information, load information, customer information, order information, regulatory information, and identity of the vehicle.
3. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the weighing bridge has a first spatial location, and wherein the communication device is configured to obtain the supplementary weight information at a second spatial location different from the first spatial location.
4. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the dynamic weighing event is performed during a time period, and wherein the supplementary weight information is obtained at a time instance prior to or after the time period.
5. The communication device according to claim 1, configured to obtain the supplementary weight information based on an input from a user of the communication device and/or from an administrator handling weighing orders/transactions.
6. The communication device according to claim 1, configured to receive a weighing ticket for the vehicle from the server in response to the transmission of the supplementary weight information.
7. The communication device according to claim 6, configured to at least one of present the weighing ticket to a user of the communication device; and forward the weighing ticket to another communication device.
8. The communication device according to claim 1, configured to obtain at least one of a position information, a speed, a direction and a timestamp for the vehicle at the dynamic weighing event; and further configured to transmit at least one of the position information, the speed, the direction and the timestamp for the vehicle at the dynamic weighing event to the server.
9. The communication device according to claim 1, configured to obtain at least one of an identity of the vehicle and an identity of the weighing scale; transmit at least one of the identity of the vehicle and the identity of the weighing scale to the server.
10. The communication device according to claim 9, wherein obtain the identity of the vehicle comprises obtain at least one of a position information, a speed, a direction and a timestamp for the vehicle at the dynamic weighing event; determine the identity of the vehicle based on at least one of the position information, the speed, the direction and the timestamp for the vehicle at the dynamic weighing event.
11. A server for a weighing system for dynamic weighing of vehicles, the server being configured to receive weight information for a vehicle from a weighing scale, wherein the weight information for the vehicle has been obtained at a dynamic weighing event at a weighing bridge of the weighing scale; receive supplementary weight information associated with the dynamic weighing event from a communication device, wherein the supplementary weight information has been obtained by the communication device prior to or after the dynamic weighing event so that the vehicle does not stop on the weighing bridge during the dynamic weighing event; generate a weighing ticket for the vehicle based on the received weight information and the received supplementary weight information.
12. The server according to claim 11, configured to at least one of receive at least one of a position information, a speed, a direction and a timestamp for the vehicle at the dynamic weighing event from the communication device, generate the weighing ticket further based on at least one of the position information, the speed, the direction and the timestamp received from the communication device; and receive at least one of a speed, a direction and a timestamp for the vehicle (300) at the dynamic weighing event from the weighing scale, generate the weighing ticket further based on at least one of the speed, the direction and the timestamp received from the weighing scale.
13. The server according to claim 12, configured to at least one of determine an identity of the vehicle based on at least one of the position information, the speed, the direction and the timestamp at the dynamic weighing event; receive an identity of the vehicle from the communication device; receive an identity of the weighing scale from the communication device; receive an identity of the vehicle from the weighing scale; and receive an identity of the weighing scale from the weighing scale.
14. The server according to claim 13, configured to generate the weighing ticket further based on at least one of: the identity of the vehicle determined by the server, the identity of the vehicle received from the communication device, the identity of the weighing scale received from the communication device, the identity of the vehicle received from the weighing scale, and the identity of the weighing scale received from the weighing scale.
15. A system for dynamic weighing of vehicles, the system comprising at least one communication device and at least one server according to claim 1 and further comprising at least one weighing scale.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0100] The appended drawings are intended to clarify and explain different embodiments of the present invention, in which:
[0101]
[0102]
[0103]
[0104]
[0105]
[0106]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0107] With dynamic weighing technology an accurate weighing of a vehicle can be performed while driving over conventional weighing bridges without stopping, using dynamic precision weighing methods. There are several advantages with the new dynamic weighing technology, e.g. increased capacity of the scale, time saving for the truck driver, less fuel consumption, less pollution, less noise, less wear and so on.
[0108] To fully make use of these advantages, conventional solutions for identification and registration of the vehicle has to be discarded. The conventional weighing terminals used for identification and registration of the vehicle requires the vehicle to stop to interact with the weighing terminal. Thereby, preventing a free flow of trucks moving over the weighbridge. Thus, it has been realised by the inventors that a solution is needed where the time and place for the identification and registration of the vehicle can be separated from the time and place for weighing of the vehicle.
[0109] The present invention provides a solution which captures readings from the weighing scale while the vehicle is driving over the weighbridge and can for instance use identification techniques to automatically identify the vehicle while driving, and furthermore uses a communication device for pre- or post-registration of supplementary weighing information. In this way, the identification and registration of the vehicle can be adapted to the natural flow of cargo from the place of loading to the place of unloading using these two natural stops to registrate supplementary weighing information. Of course, any other stop or time can be used to registrate supplementary weighing information as long as the supplementary weighing information about the transported cargo is at hand.
[0110]
[0111] The communication device 200 is associated with the vehicle 300, meaning that there is a connection between the communication device 200 and the vehicle 300. The communication device 200 may e.g. be registered in the server 100 as associated with/connected to the vehicle 300. As shown in
[0112] The weighing scale 400 comprise a weighing bridge Y and a weighing circuit C and is arranged for performing dynamic weighing of vehicles driving over the weighing bridge Y. At a dynamic weighing event, i.e. when a vehicle drives over the weighing bridge Y without making a stop, the weighing scale 400 determines weight information for the vehicle 300. Weight information may be any weight information gathered by the weighing scale 400 in the weighing procedure such as a determined weight of the vehicle but also other information associated with the weight information and/or the weighing event itself, such as e.g. direction of the vehicle, speed of the vehicle warnings, etc.
[0113] According to embodiments of the invention a dynamic weighing event for a vehicle 300 is performed at the weighing bridge Y of the weighing scale 400. At the dynamic weighing event, the weighing scale 400 obtains weight information WI for the vehicle 300. The obtained weight information WI is transmitted to the server 100, as shown in
[0114] Thus, the server 100 is configured to receive weight information WI for the vehicle 300 from the weighing scale 400, as well as supplementary weight information SWI associated with the dynamic weighing event from the communication device 200. As described above, the weight information WI for the vehicle 300 has been obtained by the weighing scale 400 at the dynamic weighing event, while the supplementary weight information SWI has been obtained by the communication device 200 prior to or after the dynamic weighing event. Based on the received weight information WI from the weighing scale 400 and the received supplementary weight information SWI from the communication device 200, the server 100 generates a weighing ticket WT for the vehicle 300. The weighing ticket WT may include the received weight information WI and the received supplementary weight information SWI and may further include additional information associated with the dynamic weighing event. The weighing ticket WT may be transmitted to the communication device 200, as shown with an arrow in
[0115]
[0116]
[0117]
[0118] The server 100, communication device 200 and weighing scale 400 may conform to established communication standards, such as LTE, LTE Advanced, New Radio 5G, WiFi, etc. but are not limited thereto.
[0119] The weighing scale 400 may also comprise further components, units, elements, and devices not shown in
[0120] As described with reference to
[0121] The supplementary weight information is obtained prior to or after the dynamic weighing event at the weighing bridge Y of the weighing scale 400. Thus, the place and time where the supplementary weight information is obtained is separated from the place and time where the dynamic weighing is performed. In other words, if the dynamic weighing event is performed during a time period, the supplementary weight information may be obtained at a time instance prior to or after the time period. Furthermore, the weighing bridge Y may have a first spatial location and the communication device 200 may obtain the supplementary weight information at a second spatial location different from the first spatial location. The second spatial location is remote from the first spatial location, e.g. not at the plant of the weighing scale. For example, the second spatial location may correspond to a loading site located in one part of a town or country, while the first spatial location may correspond to a location of a weighing scale 400 located in a different part of the town or country or even in a different country.
[0122] By separating the place and time where the supplementary weight information is obtained from the place and time where the dynamic weighing is performed, the user 900 of the communication device 200 does not have to stop the vehicle 300 during the dynamic weighing event to enter the supplementary weight information. Instead the supplementary weight information can be entered prior to the dynamic weighing event, e.g. at a loading site or other suitable site where a stop is anyway required. Alternatively, the supplementary weight information can be entered after the dynamic weighing event, e.g. at an unloading site or other suitable site where a stop is anyway required.
[0123] As described above, the server 100 receives supplementary weight information from the communication device 200 and weight information from the weighing scale 400. The server 100 matches the received supplementary weight information with the received weight information, to be able to generate a weighing ticket and transmit the weighing ticket to the correct communication device 100. To match the received supplementary weight information with the received weight information may mean to verify that the communication device 200 transmitting the supplementary weight information matches the weight information from the weighing scale 400, i.e. that the communication device 200 is verified to be the communication device 200 associated with the vehicle 300 for which weight information has been received from the weight scale 400, or vice versa. The verification may e.g. be performed by comparing information associated with the communication device 200 and/or the vehicle 300 with information associated with the weight information for the vehicle 300, as will now be described with reference to
[0124]
[0125] When the dynamic weighing event for the vehicle 300 at the weighing scale 400 takes place, both the communication device 200 and the weighing scale 400 obtains information associated with the dynamic weighing event and transmits the obtained information to the server 200. The information is obtained at the dynamic weighing event for the vehicle 300 which may herein be understood to mean during the dynamic weighing event, e.g. from a time instance at which the vehicle 300 approaches the weighing bridge Y to a time instance at which the vehicle 300 has driven over and left the weighing bridge Y. In
[0126] The information obtained by the communication device 200 in step III may be at least one of a position information, a speed, a direction, and a timestamp for the vehicle 300 at the dynamic weighing event. The communication device 200 may obtain the position for the vehicle 300 at the dynamic weighing event using any positioning techniques such as GPS, mobile location services, etc. Furthermore, the communication device 200 may obtain the speed and direction for the vehicle 300 at the dynamic weighing event using any technique known in the art, e.g. using gyro-meters, accelerometers, positioning systems, or suitable sensors. To obtain the timestamp for the vehicle 300 at the dynamic weighing event the communication device 200 may e.g. use an internal clock.
[0127] When the communication device 200 has obtained the at least one position information, speed, direction, and timestamp in step III, the communication device 200 transmits the at least one obtained position information, speed, direction, and timestamp for the vehicle 300 at the dynamic weighing event to the server 100 in a second communication message M2, as shown in step IV. In an embodiment the second communication message M2 also comprises at least one identity of the vehicle 300 and an identity of the weighing scale 400 obtained by the communication device 100.
[0128] The information obtained by the weighing scale 400 in step V may be weight information, as well as at least one of a speed, a direction and a timestamp for the vehicle 300 at the dynamic weighing event. The weighing scale 400 may obtain the speed and the direction for the vehicle 300 at the dynamic weighing event using any technique known in the art, e.g. using gyro-meters, accelerometers, positioning systems or suitable sensors. Furthermore, when the vehicle 300 drives over the weighbridge Y of the weighing scale 400, the weighing scale 400 can obtain the speed from the weight information sampled during the passage. Also, the driving direction over the weighbridge Y may be given by the same procedure and the orientation of the weighbridge relative to compass direction, such as a compass direction, may further be registered in a database. To obtain the timestamp for the vehicle 300 at the dynamic weighing event the weighing scale 400 may e.g. use an internal clock.
[0129] When the weighing scale 400 has obtained the weight information and the at least one speed, direction, and timestamp in step V, the weighing scale 400 transmits the obtained weight information and the at least one speed, direction and timestamp for the vehicle 300 at the dynamic weighing event to the server 100 in a third communication message M3, as shown in step VI. In embodiments, the third communication message M3 may further comprise a position information for the weighing scale 400. The position information for the weighing scale 400 may in this case e.g. be pre-configured in the weighing scale 400.
[0130] The server 100 receives the at least one position, speed, direction and timestamp for the vehicle 300 at the dynamic weighing event from the communication device 200 in the second communication message M2. Furthermore, the server 100 receives the at least one speed, direction and timestamp for the vehicle 300 at the dynamic weighing event from the weighing scale 400 in the third communication message M3. Based on the received information, the server 100 may in step VII match the communication device 200 with the weighing information for the vehicle 300 received from the weighing scale 400. Step VII may comprise the server 100 comparing information received from the communication device 200 with information obtained internally in the server 100 or received from the weighing scale 400. For example, the server 100 may compare the position information received from the communication device 200 with a position information for the weighing scale 400. As previously described, the position information for the weighing scale 400 may be comprised in the third communication message M3, i.e. received from the weighing scale 400. However, the server 100 may instead obtain the position information for the weighing scale 400 from an internal or external database or from another server in the weighing system 500 or connected to the weighing system 500. Alternatively, the position information for the weighing scale 400 may be pre-configured in the server 100. If the position information received from the communication device 200 corresponds to the position information for the weighing scale 400 obtained internally or received from the weighing scale 400, the communication device 200 is considered to match the weighing information for the vehicle 300 received from the weighing scale 400. That the position information correspond to each other can herein be understood to mean that they are equal or do not differ more than a spatial threshold value, i.e. the positions are spatially/geographically close to each other.
[0131] Step VII may further comprise the server 100 comparing information related to the speed, direction and/or timestamp received from the communication device 200 with information related to the speed, direction and/or timestamp received from the weighing scale 400. If the speeds, directions, and/or timestamps corresponds to each other the communication device 200 is considered to match the weighing information for the vehicle 300 received from the weighing scale 400. That the speeds, directions, and/or timestamps correspond to each other could herein be understood to mean that they are equal or do not differ more than a threshold value related to the speed, direction and/or timestamp.
[0132] In embodiments of the invention, the server 100 is configured to determine the identity of the vehicle 300 based on at least one of the position information, the speed, the direction and the timestamp at the dynamic weighing event, and further configured to generate the weighing ticket further based on the determined identity of the vehicle 300. Thereby, the server does not need to receive the identity of the vehicle 300 from the communication device and/or the weighing scale 400 which means reduced communication payload; or the server 100 can use the determined identity of the vehicle to compare with an received identity of the vehicle for improving identification accuracy and hence also matching accuracy.
[0133] When a match between the communication device 200 and the weighing information for the vehicle 300 received from the weighing scale 400 has been determined in step VIII, the server 100 generates a weighing ticket for the vehicle 300 in step VIII. The server 100 generates the weighing ticket for the vehicle 300 based on the supplementary weight information received in the first communication message M1 and the weight information received in the third communication message M3. As the weighing ticket may be generated in step VIII based on a match in step VII, the server 100 may generate the weighing ticket further based on at least one of the position, the speed, the direction and the timestamp received from the communication device 200. Furthermore, the server 100 may generate the weighing ticket further based on at least one of the speed, the direction and the timestamp received from the weighing scale 400. The generated weighing ticket can further be transmitted to the communication device 200 in a fourth communication message M4, as shown in step IX.
[0134]
[0135]
[0136] The information from the weighing scale 400 used to match the communication device 200 with the weighing information for the vehicle 300 may be an identity of the vehicle 300 and an identity of the weighing scale 400. In
[0137] The weighing scale 400 transmit the information obtained in step III to the server 100. In the embodiment shown in
[0138] The server 100 receives the identity of the vehicle 300 and the identity of the weighing scale 400 from the weighing scale 400. The server 100 may use the received identity of the vehicle 300 and identity of the weighing scale 400 to match the communication device 200 with the weighing information for the vehicle 300 in step V. For example, the server 100 may compare the identity of the vehicle 300 received from the weighing scale 400 with an identity of the vehicle 300 derived from information received from the communication device 200 in the first communication message M1. If the two identities are the same the communication device 200 is considered to matches the weighing information for the vehicle 300. In this case, the server 100 generates a weighing ticket in step VI, where the weighing ticket is further based on the received identity of the vehicle 300 and the received identity of the weighing scale 400. The generated weighing ticket can further be transmitted to the communication device 200 in a fourth communication message M4, as shown in step VII. In case the second communication message M2 from the communication device 100 also comprises at least one identity of the vehicle 300 and an identity of the weighing scale 400, such identities can be used to determine if the communication device 200 matches the weighing information for the vehicle 300.
[0139] Any method according to embodiments of the invention may be implemented in a computer program, having code means, which when run by processing means causes the processing means to execute the steps of the method. The computer program is included in a computer readable medium of a computer program product. The computer readable medium may comprise essentially any memory, such as a ROM (Read-Only Memory), a PROM (Programmable Read-Only Memory), an EPROM (Erasable PROM), a Flash memory, an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable PROM), or a hard disk drive.
[0140] Moreover, it is realized by the skilled person that embodiments of the server 100, the communication device 200, and the weighing scale 400 comprise the necessary communication capabilities in the form of e.g., functions, means, units, elements, etc., for performing the present solution. Examples of such functions, means, units, elements are: processors, memory, buffers, control logic, encoders, decoders, rate matchers, de-rate matchers, mapping units, multipliers, decision units, selecting units, switches, interleavers, de-interleavers, modulators, demodulators, inputs, outputs, antennas, amplifiers, receiver units, transmitter units, DSPs, MSDs, TCM encoder, TCM decoder, power supply units, power feeders, communication interfaces, communication protocols, etc. which are suitably arranged together for performing the present solution.
[0141] Especially, the processors 102, 202, 402 of the server 100, the communication device 200, and the weighing scale 400 may comprise, e.g. one or more instances of a Central Processing Unit (CPU), a processing unit, a processing circuit, a processor, an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), a microprocessor, or other processing logic that may interpret and execute instructions. The expression “processor” may thus represent a processing circuitry comprising a plurality of processing circuits, such as, e.g., any, some or all of the ones mentioned above. The processing circuitry may further perform data processing functions for inputting, outputting, and processing of data comprising data buffering and device control functions, such as call processing control, user interface control, or the like.
[0142] Finally, it should be understood that the invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, but also relates to and incorporates all embodiments within the scope of the appended independent claims.