SHIPPING CONTAINER SECURITY SYSTEM
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The system described here is a bolt-type seal lock which includes a bolt, having a shaft with proximal and distal portions, a head that is wider than the distal portion of the shaft and located at the proximal portion of the shaft, and a microchip that electronically contains a unique serial number of the bolt; and a locking body having a passageway with an open end for receiving and retaining the distal portion of the shaft of the bolt in locking engagement after the shaft has been inserted a predetermined extent into the open end of the passageway, at which point the shaft cannot be withdrawn from the open end of the passageway. The locking body contains electronics, including memory for storing data, wireless communications equipment, and a power source, configured to read and store the serial number form the microchip after the locking engagement.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. (canceled)
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2. A bolt-type seal lock, comprising:
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(a) a bolt comprising (i) a shaft having a proximal portion and a distal portion, (ii) a head located at the proximal portion of the shaft, the head being wider than the distal portion of the shaft, and (iii) a microchip that electronically contains a unique serial number of the bolt; and (b) a locking body having a passageway with an open end for receiving and retaining the distal portion of the shaft of the bolt in locking engagement after the shaft has been inserted a predetermined extent into the open end of the passageway, at which point the shaft cannot be withdrawn from the open end of the passageway; (c) wherein the locking body contains electronics therein, the electronics including, (i) memory for storing data, (ii) a wireless communication component configured to wirelessly communicate data, and (iii) a power source for powering the wireless communication component, (iv) wherein the electronics are configured to read the serial number from the microchip after the locking engagement of the bolt with the locking body, store the serial number read from the microchip in the memory of the locking body, and wirelessly communicating the serial number read from the microchip from the locking body using the wireless communication component of the locking body. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method of securing a shipping container, comprising the steps of:
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(a) providing a bolt-type seal lock, comprising, (i) a bolt comprising, (A) a shaft having a proximal portion and a distal portion, (B) a head located at the proximal portion of the shaft, the head being wider than the distal portion of the shaft, and (C) a microchip that electronically contains a unique serial number of the bolt, and (ii) a locking body having an open-ended passageway and containing electronics, including, (A) memory for storing data, (B) a wireless communication component configured to wirelessly communicate data, and (C) a power source for powering the wireless communication component.; (b) inserting the distal portion of the shaft of the bolt, (i) through an opening in a locking structure of a door of the shipping container such that the shaft of the bolt must be withdrawn from the opening of the hasp in order to open the door of the shipping container without causing structural damage to the shipping container, the head of the bolt being too wide to pass through the opening in the locking structure of the door of the shipping container, and (ii) into an open end of the passageway of the locking body a predetermined extent such that the locking body receives and retains the shaft of the bolt in locking engagement therewith; and (c) after the locking engagement of the bolt with the locking body, reading the serial number from the microchip, storing the serial number in the memory of the locking body, and wirelessly communicating the serial number from the locking body using the wireless communication component of the locking body. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21)
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Specification