Reusable self contained electronic device providing in-transit cargo visibility

• US 20040066328A1
• Filed: 06/05/2003
• Published: 04/08/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Navitag Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Navitag Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Galley, C. James III, Magown, Robert M.
• Granted Patent: US 6,975,224 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/357.1
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2203/10 Transponders
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 90/00 Component parts, details or accessories for large containers B65D88/34 - B65D88/78 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 30/80 Packaging reuse or recycling, e.g. of multilayer packaging bio-packaging Y02W90/10

Abstract

A tracking and security device that is self-contained, portable and easily secured to a shipping container. Since the unit can be easily attached and removed from a container and is relatively inexpensive to produce, the unit can be purchased and controlled by the owners of cargo, rather than the transportation service providers or owners of shipping containers. The device monitors and records positional information at a daily or other frequency dictated by the cargo owner, and reports this information as well as other events, such as suspicious entry into the container, over a satellite communication system or other wireless communication network. Access to status and/or position information is provided a secure fashion through Internet access to a centralized database. The device empowers an importer/exporter, or really any small business engaged in long distance shipment of goods, to control in-transit, real-time status and location information for their cargo without relying on third party sources, such as transportation carriers, to provide such data or to pay their service fees.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a housing, the housing having an exterior portion which is shaped to accommodate positioning of the housing adjacent to a vertical locking bar associated with a shipping container; and

a restraint mechanism, attached to the housing adjacent the shaped exterior portion, the restraint mechanism serving to secure the apparatus to the vertical locking bar.

2. An apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the shaped exterior portion is a recess formed on one surface of the housing.

3. An apparatus as in claim 2 wherein the recess runs longitudinally along an axis of the housing.

4. An apparatus as in claim 2 wherein the restraint mechanism is a restraint latch, and the restraint latch is moveable from an open position to a closed position, whereby when the restraint latch is in an open position, the housing is free to be moved into position adjacent to or away from the vertical locking bar, and when the restraint latch is in a closed position, the housing is held in position against the vertical locking bar.

5. An apparatus as in claim 4 wherein the restraint latch is attached to the housing via a hinge pin such that the restraint latch may pivot on the hinge pin.

6. An apparatus as in claim 4 additionally comprising:

a locking pin disposed within the housing, the locking pin being operable to selectively engage the restraint latch.

7. An apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the shaped exterior portion is at least one arm member that is shaped to engage the vertical locking bar.

8. An apparatus as in claim 7 wherein the restraint mechanism is a second arm member, also shaped to engage the vertical locking bar.

9. An apparatus as in claim 1 additionally comprising:

a controller, connected to control the position of the restraint mechanism, so that the apparatus may be locked or unlocked in position on the locking bar under control of electrical signals.

10. An apparatus as in claim 9 wherein the controller is additionally connected to receive an activation signal sequence to control the position of the restraint mechanism.

11. An apparatus as in claim 10 wherein a hand-held electronic device is used to provide the activation signal sequence to the controller.

12. An apparatus as in claim 11 wherein the hand-held electronic device is connected to provide the activation signal sequence to the controller via a wireless link.

13. An apparatus as in claim 1 additionally comprising:

at least one status sensor, the status sensor providing physical state information concerning at least one physical state of the container.

14. An apparatus as in claim 13 wherein the sensor is a lock integrity sensor attached to detect a state of a physical locking apparatus on the container.

15. An apparatus as in claim 13 wherein the sensor is a light sensor placed in an interior portion of the container.

16. An apparatus as in claim 13 wherein the sensor senses an environmental condition associated with the container, the environmental condition selected from the group consisting of temperature, humidity, and pressure.

17. An apparatus comprising:

a housing;

a power source located within the housing;

location data circuitry, also located within the housing and energized by the power source, the location data circuitry for determining physical location data for the housing;

satellite data communications circuitry, also located within the housing and also powered by the battery source, the satellite data communication circuitry for communicating at least the physical location data to a central system; and

wherein the housing is removably attachable to a shipping container on an exterior portion thereof.

18. An apparatus comprising:

a housing;

a reusable mounting apparatus, attached to the housing to permit the housing to be attached and detached mechanically from a surface of a shipping container;

circuitry, disposed within the housing, for determining status data associated with the attached shipping container; and

an electrical actuator, for electrically activating or deactivating the mounting apparatus.

19. An apparatus as in claim 18 wherein the reusable mounting apparatus comprises:

a shaped exterior portion on the housing, the position being shaped to accommodate positioning of the housing adjacent to a vertical locking bar associated with a shipping container; and

a restraint mechanism, attached to the housing adjacent the shaped exterior portion, the restraint mechanism serving to secure the apparatus to the vertical locking bar.

20. An apparatus as in claim 19 wherein the shaped exterior portion is a recess formed on one surface of the housing.

21. An apparatus as in claim 20 wherein the restraint mechanism is a restraint latch, and the restraint latch is moveable from an open position to a closed position, whereby when the restraint latch is in an open position, the housing is free to be moved into position adjacent to or away from the vertical locking bar, and when the restraint latch is in a closed position, the housing is held in position against the vertical locking bar.

22. An apparatus as in claim 20 wherein the recess runs longitudinally along an axis of the housing.

23. An apparatus as in claim 21 wherein the restraint latch is attached to the housing via a hinge pin such that the restraint latch may pivot on the hinge pin.

24. An apparatus as in claim 21 additionally comprising:

a locking pin disposed within the housing, the locking pin being operable to selectively engage the restraint latch.

25. An apparatus as in claim 19 wherein the shaped exterior portion is at least one extended arm member that is shaped to engage the vertical locking bar.

26. An apparatus as in claim 25 wherein the restraint mechanism is a second extendible arm member, also shaped to engage the vertical locking bar.

27. An apparatus as in claim 19 additionally comprising:

a controller, connected to control the position of the restraint mechanism, so that the apparatus may be locked or unlocked in position on the locking bar under control of electrical signals.

28. An apparatus as in claim 27 wherein the controller is additionally connected to receive an activation signal sequence to control the position of the restraint mechanism.

29. An apparatus as in claim 28 wherein a hand-held electronic device is used to provide the activation signal sequence to the controller.

30. An apparatus as in claim 29 wherein the hand-held electronic device is connected to the controller via a wireless link.

31. An apparatus as in claim 19 additionally comprising:

at least one cable, the cable attached to a status sensor, with the status sensor providing state information concerning at least one physical state of the container.

32. An apparatus as in claim 31 wherein the cable is attached to a lock integrity sensor, the lock integrity sensor being attached to detect a state of a physical locking apparatus on the container.

33. An apparatus as in claim 31 wherein the sensor is a light sensor placed in an interior portion of the container.

34. An apparatus as in claim 31 wherein the sensor senses an environmental condition associated with the container, the environmental condition selected from the group consisting of temperature, humidity, and pressure.

35. A method comprising the steps of:

requesting, by a cargo owner, access to a shipping container;

receiving a shipping container at an origin point location designated by the cargo owner;

attaching a device to an exterior portion of the shipping container, the device being a self-contained, reusable electronic device thus traveling with the container over multiple transport modes that are to be used to move the container from the origin point to a destination point, the device reporting at least position information of the container to a central location via a wireless communication system; and

wherein the device is not under control of at least one transportation service provider that is responsible for movement of the container over at least one mode in the sequence of transportation modes.

36. A method as in claim 35 wherein the same wireless communication system is capable of reporting position over at least two continents.

37. A method as in claim 35 wherein the position information is reported at an interval specified by the cargo owner.

38. A method as in claim 35 additionally comprising:

reporting at least one event associated with a physical condition of the container while the container is enroute from the origin to the destination.

39. A method as in claim 38 wherein the event is an entry into the container.

40. A method as in claim 38 wherein the event is operation of a door latch.

41. A method as in claim 35 additionally comprising:

upon arrival at the destination point, detaching the device from the container; and

returning the device to the cargo owner.