SENSING A SIGNAL TO SENSE SECUIRTY OF A CONTAINER

• US 20110005282A1
• Filed: 06/28/2010
• Published: 01/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Cubic Corporation
• Original Assignee: Cubic Corporation
• Inventors: Bertuna, Daniel, Bonneau, Walter C. JR., Waddell, Stuart J., Aberizk, David K., Powers, David R.
• Application Number:
  US12/825,123
• Publication Number:
  US 20110005282A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 70/63
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 2047/0057 Feeding
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 2047/0058 by batteries
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 2047/0069 bolt position
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 2047/0094 Mechanical aspects of remotely controlled locks electronic locks G07C9/00
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 2047/0096 Mechanical aspects of locks whose actuation is dependent on geographical location, e.g. by means of a GPS system electronic locks G07C9/00
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 2047/0097 including means for monitoring voltage, e.g. for indicating low battery state
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 39/005 Locks with means for tracking the location of locked items, e.g. freight containers
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 51/02 by pneumatic or hydraulic means E05B17/0029 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 81/10 Hydraulic or pneumatic hydraulic or pneumatic circuits E05B81/52
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 83/02 Locks for railway freight-cars, freight containers or the like; Locks for the cargo compartments of commercial lorries, trucks or vans
• CPC Class Codes: E05C 19/186 with a pair of hooks, which are movable towards each other for grasping of an element on the wing, respectively on the frame, or for grasping of an element on each of the wings forming a double door
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00634 Power supply for the lock
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/0092 for cargo, freight or shipping containers and applications therefore in general
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00174 Electronically operated locks; Circuits therefor; Nonmechanical keys therefor, e.g. passive or active electrical keys or other data carriers without mechanical keys mechanical locks with electric permutation E05B49/00; arrangements for sensing or reading record carriers G06K7/00; electronic switching H03K17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00896 specially adapted for particular uses
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/06 by tampering with fastening
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/10 using wireless transmission systems G08B25/009 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 292/32 Freight car door fasteners
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/23 Cross bars
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/37 : Portable securer plate or bar
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/51 : Seal bolts
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/40 : Portable
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/498 : Shields or canopies
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/5031 : Receptacle
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/554 : Cover, lid, cap, encasing shield
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/5544 : Pivoted
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/5566 : External locking devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/5765 : Rotary or swinging
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/5779 : With padlock
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/5973 : Remote control
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/7051 : Using a powered device [e.g., motor]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/7062 : Electrical type [e.g., solenoid]

Abstract

A system for sensing the security of a container includes a housing, at least two lock members coupled to the housing, the lock members configured to couple to first and second portions of the container to lock at least one container door in a closed position, a signal generator configured to generate a first signal and couple the first signal to the first portion of the container, the generated first signal having a known profile, and a lock controller configured to cause the signal generator to generate the first signal upon occurrence of a trigger event. The system further includes a signal detector configured to receive a second signal, the second signal resulting from the first signal, and a signal analyzer configured to analyze the second signal to determine a profile of the second signal, retrieve stored data representing a signal profile indicative of the lock mechanism being coupled to the first and second portions of the container, compare the profile of the second signal to the stored signal profile, and determine that a relationship between the lock mechanism and the container has changed based on the comparison.

Claims

1. A system for sensing the security of a container, the system comprising:

a lock mechanism comprising;

a housing,

at least two lock members coupled to the housing, the lock members configured to couple to first and second portions of the container to lock at least one container door in a closed position,

a signal generator configured to generate a first signal and couple the first signal to the first portion of the container, the generated first signal having a known profile, and

a lock controller configured to cause the signal generator to generate the first signal upon occurrence of a trigger event;

a signal detector configured to receive a second signal, the second signal resulting from the first signal; and

a signal analyzer configured to;

analyze the second signal to determine a profile of the second signal,

retrieve stored data representing a signal profile indicative of the lock mechanism being coupled to the first and second portions of the container;

compare the profile of the second signal to the stored signal profile, and

determine that a relationship between the lock mechanism and the container has changed based on the comparison.

2. The lock mechanism of claim 1, wherein the lock mechanism further comprises a motion sensor coupled to the lock controller and the lock controller is configured to receive information from the motion sensor indicative of motion of the lock mechanism and determine that the trigger event has occurred based upon the received motion information.

3. The lock mechanism of claim 1, wherein the signal generator is an electrical signal generator and the signal detector is an electrical signal detector.

4. The lock mechanism of claim 3, wherein the electrical signal generator is electrically coupled to a first of the two lock members and the electrical signal detector is electrically coupled to a second of the two lock members.

5. The lock mechanism of claim 1, wherein the signal generator is a mechanical pulse generator and the signal detector is an accelerometer.

6. The lock mechanism of claim 1, wherein the lock mechanism further comprises a memory and the lock controller is configured to store the data representing the signal profile indicative of the lock mechanism being engaged to the first and second portions of the container in the memory.

7. The lock mechanism of claim 1, wherein the signal detector is contained in a sensor module associated with the container, the sensor module being wirelessly coupled to the lock controller.

8. The lock mechanism of claim 1, wherein the signal analyzer is integral to the lock controller.

9. A container lock mechanism comprising:

a housing;

at least two lock members coupled to the housing, the lock members configured to engage portions of a container to lock at least one container door in a closed position; and

a lock circuit at least partially enclosed within the housing, the lock circuit comprising;

memory,

a motion sensor, and

a lock controller coupled to the motion sensor, wherein the lock controller is configured to;

receive a signal from the motion sensor indicative of motion of the lock mechanism,

analyze the received signal to determine a motion estimate of the lock mechanism, the motion estimate being at least one of an angular rate of rotation of the lock mechanism or an angle of rotation of the lock mechanism,

compare the motion estimate of the lock mechanism to a threshold level, and

determine that a relationship between the lock mechanism and the container has changed based upon the comparison.

10. A method of sensing the security of a container using a lock mechanism, the method comprising:

coupling at least two lock members of the lock mechanism to first and second portions of the container to lock at least one container door in a closed position;

generating a first signal, the generated first signal having a known profile;

coupling the first signal to the first portion of the container;

causing the signal generator to generate the first signal upon occurrence of a trigger event;

receiving a second signal with a signal detector, the second signal resulting from the first signal;

analyzing the second signal to determine a profile of the second signal;

retrieving stored data representing a signal profile indicative of the lock mechanism being coupled to the first and second portions of the container;

comparing the profile of the second signal to the stored signal profile; and

determining that a relationship between the lock mechanism and the container has changed based on the comparison.

11. The method of sensing the security of the container using the lock mechanism of claim 10, the method further comprising:

receiving information from a motion sensor indicative of motion of the lock mechanism; and

determining that the trigger event has occurred based upon the received motion information.

12. The method of sensing the security of the container using the lock mechanism of claim 10, wherein generating the first signal comprises generating the first signal with an electrical signal generator and receiving the second signal comprises receiving the second signal with an electrical signal detector.

13. The method of sensing the security of the container using the lock mechanism of claim 12, wherein the electrical signal generator is electrically coupled to a first of the two lock members and the electrical signal detector is electrically coupled to a second of the two lock members.

14. The method of sensing the security of the container using the lock mechanism of claim 10, wherein generating the first signal comprises generating the first signal with a mechanical pulse generator and receiving the second signal comprises receiving the second signal with an accelerometer.

15. The method of sensing the security of the container using the lock mechanism of claim 10, further comprising storing the data representing the signal profile indicative of the lock mechanism being engaged to the first and second portions of the container in a memory of the lock mechanism.

16. The method of sensing the security of the container using the lock mechanism of claim 10, wherein the signal detector is a sensor associated with the container, the sensor module is wirelessly coupled with a wireless module associated with the lock mechanism, and receiving the second signal comprises receiving the second signal with the sensor module associated with the container.

17. The method of sensing the security of the container using the lock mechanism of claim 10, wherein the signal detector is integral to the lock mechanism.