Method and apparatus for locating cargo containers

• US 6,356,802 B1
• Filed: 08/04/2000
• Issued: 03/12/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: HKI Systems and Service LLC
• Original Assignee: Paceco Corporation (Tsuneishi Holdings Company Limited)
• Inventors: Ng, Thomas, Takehara, Toru
• Primary Examiner(s): Ellis, Christopher P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, Khoi H.
• Application Number:
  US09/632,866
• Time in Patent Office: 585 Days
• Field of Search: 700/213, 700/214, 700/215, 700/217, 700/225, 235/375, 235/385, 414/267, 414/288, 414/289, 414/273, 414/274, 340/572.1
• US Class Current: 700/215
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 63/004 for containers
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

A method and apparatus for locating containers in a container storage area and identifying the containers by means of their ID tags and identifying the address of the repository location of the containers in the container storage area and wirelessly transmitting the ID and address of the containers to the container terminal management system for verification that the container is deposited at the proper repository.

Claims

1. A cargo container locating and database updating system for finding containers having an identification means which can be remotely machine read, said containers being disposed in a storage area location having an identifiable address for each container repository location in said storage area and a container terminal management system containing a database of information related to container ID numbers and letters and the location of containers in said terminal area, said system comprising

a transportable identification means reader capable of remotely interrogating said identification means on said containers and creating a first electronic signal containing information obtained from said identification means and relating thereto which can be processed by said container terminal management system,

means for generating a second electronic signal which identifies any particular repository address in said storage area and which can be processed by said container terminal management system,

means for transporting said identification means reader and said means for generating a second electronic signal together whereby when a container identification means is interrogated the location of said container is correlated with an address in said storage area,

means for integrating said first and second electronic signals, and

means for transmitting said first and second combined identification and address electronic signals specific to said container being interrogated to a central processing computer of said container terminal management system for verification from said database thereof whether said container is deposited at the proper address and updating said database.

2. The cargo container locating system of claim 1 wherein said identification means reader is an optical character recognition unit.

3. The cargo container locating system of claim 1 wherein said means for generating said second electronic signal includes a location determining unit for identifying any particular container address and location in said storage area.

4. The cargo container locating system of claim 3 wherein said location determining unit is a differential global positioning system receiver.

5. The cargo container locating system of claim 1 wherein said means for transmitting said electronic signals includes a modem for wireless transmission of data to said container terminal management system.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said signals are transmitted to said container terminal management system wirelessly.

6. A cargo container locating system for containers having standard numerical and alphabetical ID tags which can be remotely machine read, said containers being disposed in a storage area location having an identifiable address for each container repository location in said storage area and a container terminal management system containing a database of information related to the location of containers in said terminal area, said system comprising

a transportable optical character recognition unit for interrogating said ID tags on said containers and creating a first electronic signal which can be processed by the container terminal management system,

a transportable differential global positioning system receiver for determining the address of the repository of each of said containers deposited in said storage location area and for creating a second electronic signal which can be processed by said container terminal management system,

means for integrating said first and second electronic signals, and

a mobile transporter supporting said OCR unit and said GPS and said means for integrating said signals,

means for wirelessly transmitting said first and second combined ID and address electronic signals of said container to a central processing computer of said container terminal management system for verification from said database thereof whether said container is deposited at the proper address.

7. A method for locating cargo containers in a container terminal storage area and updating a container terminal management system CTMS database comprising the steps of

providing a mobile machine reader on a transporter for interrogating ID tags on cargo containers located in said storage area,

aiming said machine reader at said ID tags and capturing an image thereof

creating a first electronic signal specific to said images,

concurrently identifying the address of said container in said storage area,

converting said address into a second electronic signal, and

transmitting said signals from said transporter to said container terminal management system and comparing the information contained in said signals to the database contained in said management system for verification from the database thereof whether said container is deposited at the proper address and updating said database.