Container security system
First Claim
1. A security system for a group of shipping containers carried on a vessel, comprising:
- a detection device carried on each container for detecting an intrusion into the container;
a wireless transmitter carried on each of the containers and coupled with the corresponding detection device;
at least one base receiver station on the vessel for receiving signals from the wireless transmitters carried on the containers; and
, a communication system on-board the vessel, the communication system being communicatively coupled with the base receiver station and operable for transmitting information relating to the detected intrusion to a location off-board the vessel.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A security system for shipping containers transported onboard a vessel detects intrusions into the containers and transmits a security message to a land-based security monitoring station that identifies the container and the current geographic location of the vessel. Each container protected by the security system is provided with a cellular telephone that initiates a limited range telephone call transmission in response to an intrusion. Multiple base stations spread over the vessel each receive calls from proximal containers and forwards call messages to the vessel'"'"'s communication system which retransmits the call information in the form of the security message to the land based monitoring station.
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Citations
41 Claims
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1. A security system for a group of shipping containers carried on a vessel, comprising:
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a detection device carried on each container for detecting an intrusion into the container;
a wireless transmitter carried on each of the containers and coupled with the corresponding detection device;
at least one base receiver station on the vessel for receiving signals from the wireless transmitters carried on the containers; and
,a communication system on-board the vessel, the communication system being communicatively coupled with the base receiver station and operable for transmitting information relating to the detected intrusion to a location off-board the vessel. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A security system for a group of shipping containers carried on a shipping conveyance, such as a vessel, comprising:
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a plurality of security event detection devices respectively associated with the containers for detecting a security event occurring at the associated container;
a plurality of cellular telephone units respectively coupled with the detection devices and operable for initiating a telephone call when the associated detection device detects a security event; and
,a communication system on-board the conveyance for receiving telephone calls initiated by the cellular telephone units, and for sending messages to a security monitoring station off-board the conveyance. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A system for container security based on cellular communications, comprising:
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a GPS receiver for providing the position of a container;
a satellite terminal for transmitting security status information to a security monitoring station;
at least one cellular base station;
a cellular device for transmitting the security status of the container to said cellular base station; and
,a central computer for receiving the security status information from the base station, for receiving the container position from the GPS receiver, and for directing the satellite transmitter to transmit the security status information and the container position to the security monitoring station. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A method of monitoring the security status of shipping containers being transported on a shipping conveyance, comprising the steps of:
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(A) detecting a breach of security in one of the containers;
(B) initiating a cellular communication transmission from the container to a base communication station onboard the conveyance;
(C) receiving the cellular transmission at the base communications station;
(D) generating a security status message onboard the conveyance using the information contained in the transmission received in step (C); and
,(E) transmitting the message generated in step (D) to a security monitoring station off-board the conveyance. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. A method of monitoring security intrusions into shipping containers on a vessel, comprising the steps of:
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(A) detecting an intrusion into one of the containers;
(B) initiating a limited range wireless radio transmission from the container, wherein the wireless transmission contains information related to the intrusion detected in step (A);
(C) receiving the transmission at a base communication station onboard the vessel within range of the transmission; and
,(D) re-transmitting the information from the vessel to a security monitoring station off-board the vessel. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41)
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Specification