Container Monitoring Device with Cable Lock and Remote Sensor Pods

• US 20140091931A1
• Filed: 09/28/2012
• Published: 04/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hutchison International Ports Enterprises Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hutchison International Ports Enterprises Ltd.
• Inventors: Cova, Nicholas D., Carpenter, Ryan Scott Luong
• Application Number:
  US13/631,063
• Publication Number:
  US 20140091931A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/568.2
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/12 by the breaking or disturbance of stretched cords or wires
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1427 with transmitter-receiver for distance detection

Abstract

In some implementations, a container monitoring device can include an electrically conductive cable for securing the doors of a shipping container. The container monitoring device can transmit a signal through the cable and detect when the cable has been cut or tampered with based on the transmitted signal. In some implementations, the conductive cable can be reused to secure the doors of the shipping container after the cable has been cut. In some implementations, the container monitoring device can wirelessly communicate with one or more sensor pods located inside the shipping container. The sensor pods can include various environmental sensors configured to take measurements of environmental conditions within the shipping container. The sensor pods can transmit the sensor measurements to the container monitoring device and the container monitoring device can report the sensor measurements to a server for review by a user.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a shipping container having one or more doors, the doors having fixtures for securing the doors in a closed position;

a container monitoring device having a conductive cable for securing the one or more doors in the closed position, the cable being routed around the door fixtures to prevent opening of the container doors;

where the container monitoring device is configured to transmit a signal through the conductive cable and detect that the conductive cable has been cut based on the signal; and

where the conductive cable is configured to be reattachable to the container monitoring device after the conductive cable has been cut.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the container monitoring device is configured to detect that the conductive cable has been cut when the signal is no longer detectable in the conductive cable.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the container monitoring device includes a Rogowski coil for detecting that the signal is no longer being transmitted through the cable.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the container monitoring device is configured to detect that the conductive cable has been cut by detecting a reflected signal.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the container monitoring device is configured to detect that the conductive cable has been cut based on a detected change in a waveform corresponding to the signal.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the signal is transmitted from an originating end of the conductive cable to a terminating end of the conductive cable;

wherein the conductive cable is cut proximate to the terminating end and reattached to the container monitoring device at the cut in the conductive cable.

7. A system comprising:

a shipping container having one or more doors, the doors having fixtures for securing the doors in a closed position;

a container monitoring device affixed to the exterior of the shipping container;

one or more sensor pods located inside the shipping container, where the sensor pods are configured to receive measurements from one or more sensors and wirelessly transmit the sensor data to the container monitoring device; and

where the container monitoring device is configured to receive measurements from the sensor pods and generate events based on the measurements.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein at least one of the sensor pods includes a temperature sensor and wherein the at least one sensor pod is configured to transmit temperature sensor measurements to the container monitoring device.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein at least one of the sensor pods includes a humidity sensor and wherein the at least one sensor pod is configured to transmit humidity sensor measurements to the container monitoring device.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein at least one of the sensor pods includes a light sensor and wherein the at least one sensor pod is configured to transmit light intensity measurements to the container monitoring device.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the sensor pods and the container monitoring device communicate over a wireless mesh network.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the container monitoring device is configured to transmit the events to a server using a general packet radio service network.

13. The system of claim 7, wherein the sensor pods are associated with the container monitoring device and the container monitoring device is configured to detect when the container monitoring device is not able to communicate with one or more of the associated sensor pods.

14. A system comprising:

a shipping container having one or more doors, the doors having fixtures for securing the doors in a closed position; and

a monitoring device having a conductive cable for securing the one or more doors in the closed position, the cable being routed around the door fixtures to prevent opening of the container doors;

where the container monitoring device is configured to transmit a signal through the conductive cable and detect that the conductive cable has been cut based on the signal.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the container monitoring device is configured to detect that the conductive cable has been cut by comparing a first signal transmitted through the conductive cable to a second signal transmitted through a conductive pathway internal to the container monitoring device.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the container monitoring device is configured to detect that the conductive cable has been cut by comparing properties of a first signal measured at a first time to properties of a second signal measured at a second time that is later than the first time.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the compared signal properties include phase or gain.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the container monitoring device is configured to detect that the conductive cable has been cut by comparing electrical properties of the conductive cable measured at a first time to electrical properties of the conductive cable measured at a second time that is later than the first time.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the compared electrical properties include impedance, conductance or capacitance of the conductive cable.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein the container monitoring device is configured to detect that the conductive cable has been cut by comparing radiated properties of the conductive cable measured at a first time to radiated properties of the conductive cable measured at a second time that is later than the first time.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the compared radiated properties include magnetic field, magnetic flux, Lorentz force, Laplace force, or electromagnetic radiation.

22. A system comprising:

a device having an open position and a closed position, the device having one or more fixtures for securing the device in the closed position;

a container monitoring device having a conductive cable for securing the device in the closed position, the cable being routed around the device fixtures to prevent opening of the device;

where the container monitoring device is configured to transmit a signal through the conductive cable and detect that the conductive cable has been cut based on the signal; and

where the conductive cable is configured to be reattachable to the container monitoring device after the conductive cable has been cut.