Security for transport vehicles and cargo
First Claim
1. A method for providing security for a cargo unit transported by a vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:
- causing a first transmitter, carried on a selected cargo unit in a cargo container volume on a vehicle, to transmit a first selected signal;
monitoring a signal receiver that is spaced apart from the first transmitter, to determine if the first selected signal is received at the receiver;
when the first selected signal is received at the receiver, examining the selected signal;
when the first selected signal, as received at the receiver, satisfies a selected condition, accepting the selected signal;
when the first selected signal, as received at the receiver, does not satisfy the selected condition, determining the present location of the vehicle and comparing the vehicle present location with the location of at least one selected cargo destination; and
when the first selected signal, as received at the receiver, does not satisfy the selected condition and the vehicle present location is not within a selected distance from at least one approved cargo destination, causing a second transmitter, which may coincide with the first transmitter, to transmit a selected alarm signal to a selected central station.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Method and apparatus for providing security for a vehicle and for cargo transported on the vehicle. A location determination (LD) system determines vehicle location. A cargo unit carries a transceiver (or transmitter) that transmits a selected signal, either sua sponte or in response to receipt of a polling signal. The selected signal, if received by a receiver on the vehicle, is examined as to signal intensity, signal coding and/or time of receipt. If the received signal violates a selected condition, vehicle location is compared with an approved cargo destination. If the vehicle is not near a cargo destination, or if no selected signal is received at the receiver, an alarm signal is transmitted, which may include the vehicle location and/or the violated condition. If the LD system does not receive adequate LD signals to determine vehicle location, vehicle location coordinates are compared with a coordinate range for a signal obscuring region (SOR). Vehicle location within the SOR can be tracked using a supplemental LD system until the vehicle leaves the SOR. If LD signals are lost for too long, inside or outside an SOR, an alarm signal is transmitted. If vehicle location is outside a travel corridor, if the vehicle does not pass a waypoint, if vehicle velocity is below a low threshold for too long, or if vehicle velocity is above a high threshold, an alarm signal is transmitted. The LD system may be GPS, GLONASS, LORAN or other satellite- or ground-based system.
-
Citations
74 Claims
-
1. A method for providing security for a cargo unit transported by a vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:
-
causing a first transmitter, carried on a selected cargo unit in a cargo container volume on a vehicle, to transmit a first selected signal; monitoring a signal receiver that is spaced apart from the first transmitter, to determine if the first selected signal is received at the receiver; when the first selected signal is received at the receiver, examining the selected signal; when the first selected signal, as received at the receiver, satisfies a selected condition, accepting the selected signal; when the first selected signal, as received at the receiver, does not satisfy the selected condition, determining the present location of the vehicle and comparing the vehicle present location with the location of at least one selected cargo destination; and when the first selected signal, as received at the receiver, does not satisfy the selected condition and the vehicle present location is not within a selected distance from at least one approved cargo destination, causing a second transmitter, which may coincide with the first transmitter, to transmit a selected alarm signal to a selected central station. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
-
-
38. Apparatus for providing security for a cargo unit transported by a vehicle, the apparatus comprising:
-
a first transmitter, carried on a selected cargo unit on a vehicle, that can transmit a selected signal; a second transmitter, which may coincide with the first transmitter, that can transmit an alarm signal; location determination (LD) means, carried on the vehicle, for determining the present location of the vehicle; a receiver/processor (R/P) that is spaced apart from the transmitter, that is located on the vehicle, that contains the location coordinates of at least one selected cargo destination, and that is capable of receiving and examining the selected signal so that; when the selected signal, as received at the R/P, satisfies a selected condition, the R/P accepts the selected signal; when the selected signal, as received at the R/P, does not satisfy the selected condition, the R/P compares the vehicle present location with the location of at least one selected cargo destination; and when the selected signal, as received at the R/P, does not satisfy the selected condition and the vehicle present location is not within a selected distance from at least one approved cargo destination, the R/P causes the second transmitter to transmit a selected alarm signal to a selected central station. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74)
-
Specification