Smart container monitoring system

• US 7,375,619 B2
• Filed: 08/14/2003
• Issued: 05/20/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Capital Bank, NA, Hi-G-Tek, Inc. (Eagle Technologies, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Hi-G-Tek, Ltd.
• Inventors: Blum, Shmuel, Isenberg, Alex, Golan, Eli, Auerbach, Micha, Genin, Arcadi, Cohen, Rony, Sender, Ran
• Primary Examiner(s): Goins; Davetta W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LAI, ANNE VIET NGA
• Application Number:
  US10/526,318
• Publication Number:
  US 20060103524A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,741 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.13, 340/539.22, 340/539.31, 34042615-42628
• US Class Current: 340/426.15
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 39/00 Locks giving indication of authorised or unauthorised unlocking with key identification means E05B35/001; alarm locks E05B45/00
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 39/005 Locks with means for tracking the location of locked items, e.g. freight containers
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 83/10 Rotary bars
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07798 part of the antenna or the integrated circuit being adapted for rupturing or breaking, e.g. record carriers functioning as sealing devices for detecting not-authenticated opening of containers electronic seals G09F3/03
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 11/00 Arrangements, systems or apparatus for checking, e.g. the occurrence of a condition, not provided for elsewhere
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0841 Registering performance data recording measured values G01D; information storage G11B
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/126 for a housing, e.g. a box, a safe, or a room
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1463 Physical arrangements, e.g. housings devices to prevent theft or loss of purses, luggage or hand carried bags A45C13/18

Abstract

A remotely monitorable shipping container including a shipping container body having associated therewith at least one door (10) and at least one door latch having a latch locking element arranged for locking engagement (17) with a door mounted locking element, at least one wireless communicator mounted in a secure location within the shipping container and being operative to wirelessly transmit information to a remote monitor regarding the status of an electronic seal mounted onto the locking element for confirming locking of the at least one door, and at least one wireless antenna mounted within a protected enclosure on the outside of the shipping container for transmitting the information from the at least one wireless communicator.

Claims

1. A remotely monitorable shipping container comprising:

a shipping container body having associated therewith at least one door and at least one door latch having a latch locking element arranged for locking engagement with a door mounted locking element;

at least one wireless communicator operative to wirelessly transmit information regarding the status of an electronic seal mounted onto the locking element for confirming locking of the at least one door; and

at least one wireless antenna mounted within a protected enclosure on the outside of the shipping container for transmitting the information from the at least one wireless communicator, at least a portion of said protected enclosure being formed of a material which does not appreciably attenuate the output of said at least one wireless antenna, said wireless communicator being located on the inside of said door and being coupled via a wire to said antenna, and said antenna being fixed to and mounted on the outside of said door.

2. A remotely monitorable shipping container according to claim 1 and wherein the at least one wireless communicator comprises a transceiver.

3. A remotely monitorable shipping container according to claim 2 and also comprising at least one GPS antenna for receiving signals relating to location of the shipping container and location reporting circuitry responsive to an output from the at least one GPS antenna for providing information to the at least one wireless communicator indicating location of the shipping container.

4. A remotely monitorable shipping container according to claim 2 and wherein the at least one wireless communicator comprises at least one RF transmitter.

5. A remotely monitorable shipping container according to claim 2 and wherein the at least one wireless communicator comprises at least one long range transmitter.

6. A remotely monitorable shipping container according to claim 2 and wherein the at least one wireless communicator comprises a transmitter communicating via at least one of cellular, radio and satellite communication networks.

7. A remotely monitorable shipping container according to claim 1 and wherein the latch locking element comprises a tamper-resistant remotely monitorable electronic seal comprising:

a shaft portion;

a socket arranged to engage the shaft portion in a monitorable manner, whereby disengagement of the socket and the shaft portion results in a monitorable event; and

a wireless communicator associated with at least one of the shaft portion and the socket and being operative to provide a remotely monitorable indication of the monitorable event.

8. A remotely monitorable shipping container according to claim 7 and also comprising at least one GPS antenna for receiving signals relating to location of the shipping container and location reporting circuitry responsive to an output from the at least one GPS antenna for providing information to the at least one wireless communicator indicating location of the shipping container.

9. A remotely monitorable shipping container according to claim 7 and wherein the at least one wireless communicator comprises at least one RF transmitter.

10. A remotely monitorable shipping container according to claim 7 and wherein the at least one wireless communicator comprises at least one long range transmitter.

11. A remotely monitorable shipping container according to claim 1 and also comprising at least one sensor operative to sense at least one condition within the shipping container and wherein the at least one wireless communicator and the at least one wireless antenna are operative to wirelessly transmit information regarding an output of the at least one sensor to a remote monitor.

12. A remotely monitorable shipping container according to claim 11, and wherein the at least one sensor senses at least one of carbon dioxide, infra-red emissions and temperature.

13. A remotely monitorable shipping container according to claim 11 and wherein the at least one wireless communicator also transmits information regarding the status of cargo, within said shipping container body.

14. A remotely monitorable shipping container according to claim 1 and also comprising at least one GPS antenna for receiving signals relating to location of the shipping container and location reporting circuitry responsive to an output from the at least one GPS antenna for providing information to the at least one wireless communicator indicating location of the shipping container.

15. A remotely monitorable shipping-container according to claim 1 and wherein the at least one wireless communicator comprises at least one RF transmitter.

16. A remotely monitorable shipping container according to claim 1 and wherein the at least one wireless communicator comprises at least one long range transmitter.

17. A remotely monitorable shipping container according to claim 1 and wherein the at least one wireless communicator comprises a transmitter communicating via at least one of cellular, radio and satellite communication networks.

18. A remotely monitorable shipping container according to claim 1 and also comprising at least one sensor operative to sense at least one of carbon dioxide and motion within the shipping container and wherein the at least one wireless communicator and the at least one wireless antenna are operative to wirelessly transmit information regarding an output of the at least one sensor to a remote monitor.

19. A shipping container communications systems comprising:

a remotely monitorable shipping container including;

a shipping container body having associated therewith at least one door and at least one door latch having a latch locking element arranged for locking engagement with a door mounted locking element;

at least one wireless communicator operative to wirelessly transmit information regarding the status of an electronic seal mounted onto the locking element for confirming locking of the at least one door; and

at least one wireless antenna mounted within a protected enclosure on the outside of the shipping container for transmitting the information from the at least one wireless communicator, at least a portion of said protected enclosure being formed of a material which does not appreciably attenuate the output of said at least one wireless antenna, said wireless communicator being located on the inside of said door and being coupled via a wire to said antenna, and said antenna being fixed to and mounted on the outside of said door; and

at least one remote communicator communicating with the at least one wireless communicator.

20. A shipping container communications system according to claim 19 and wherein the at least one remote communicator comprises at least one of:

a presence sensor and communicator;

a remote monitor; and

an electronic seal.

21. A shipping container communications system according to claim 19 and wherein the at least one wireless communicator comprises at least one transceiver, communicating with the at least one remote communicator and wherein:

the at least one remote communicator comprises at least one of;

a presence sensor and communicator;

a remote monitor; and

an electronic seal.

22. A shipping container communications system according to claim 19 and also comprising at least one sensor operative to sense at least one of carbon dioxide and motion within the shipping container and wherein the at least one wireless communicator and the at least one wireless antenna are operative to wirelessly-transmit information regarding an output of the at least one sensor to a remote monitor.