Cargo security sensing system

• US 7,427,918 B2
• Filed: 11/09/2007
• Issued: 09/23/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Original Assignee: Accenture GmbH (Accenture PLC)
• Inventors: Fano, Andrew E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Tai T
• Application Number:
  US11/938,014
• Publication Number:
  US 20080055075A1
• Time in Patent Office: 319 Days
• Field of Search: 340/541, 340/540, 340/572.1, 340/572.4, 340/572.8, 340/10.33, 340/5.9, 340/539.22, 340/539.26, 340/552, 235/382, 235/492
• US Class Current: 340/541
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/08 by opening, e.g. of door, of window, of drawer, of shutter, of curtain, of blind
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/189 using passive radiation detection systems
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/10 using wireless transmission systems G08B25/009 takes precedence

Abstract

A cargo security sensing system includes a smart container having a sensor, wherein the smart container is a standard shipping cargo container that includes the sensor. The sensor may be any suitable type of sensing device capable of sensing changes in environmental conditions. The sensing system includes a plurality of dumb containers in corresponding relation to the smart container, wherein, the dumb container may be any suitable shipment container, including the same type of cargo shipment container or other type, as the smart container, excluding the sensor. The system for cargo security provides for the smart container to detect an event occurring with respect to either the smart container itself and/or the nearby dumb containers. An event may be an occurrence detected by the sensor, such that the smart container may notify of any potential security breaches in any of the containers.

Claims

1. A method for cargo security comprising:

detecting, by a plurality of smart containers each comprising at least one sensor for sensing environmental conditions and each in corresponding relation to a dumb container, at least one event for the dumb container;

associating the at least one event with the dumb container in at least one database; and

determining by at least one computer in communication with the at least one database a threat level for the dumb container based on the at least one event detected by the plurality of smart containers, wherein the plurality of smart containers communicate with the at least one computer via at least one transmitter.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the at least one event further comprises detecting an event at a single location by the plurality of smart containers.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the at least one event further comprises detecting a first event at a first location by a first smart container of the plurality of smart containers and detecting a second event at a second location by a second smart container of the plurality of smart containers.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein associating the at least one event with the dumb container further comprises associating data indicative of the at least one event with an identification of the dumb container in at least one database.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein associating the at least one event with the dumb container further comprises storing data indicative of the at least one event on any of the plurality of smart containers and the dumb container.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the threat level is based on a number of events associated with the dumb container.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

associating data indicative of the threat level with an identification of the dumb container in at least one database.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing data indicative of the threat level on any of the plurality of smart containers and the dumb container.

9. A system for cargo security comprising:

a plurality of smart containers, each smart container including a sensor for sensing environmental conditions;

a plurality of dumb containers in corresponding relation to the plurality of smart containers such that, for each of the plurality of smart containers, the sensor is operative to detect at least one event from a dumb container of the plurality of dumb containers;

at least one storage device, in communication with the plurality of smart containers, operative to store data indicative of the at least one event detected by the plurality of smart containers for the dumb container; and

a computer system in communication with the plurality of smart containers and the at least one storage device operable to determine a threat level for the dumb container based on the at least one event detected by the plurality of smart containers, wherein the plurality of smart containers communicate with the computer via at least one transmitter.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the computer system determines the threat level based on a number of events associated with the dumb container.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the at least one storage device comprises a database in communication with the computer system.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the dumb container comprises the at least one storage device.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the at least one storage device comprises a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag associated with the dumb container, and wherein the plurality of smart containers communicate with the RFID tag via at least one transmitter.

14. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon a data structure comprising:

an identification of a dumb container that is in corresponding relation to a plurality of smart containers, each smart container of the plurality of smart containers including a sensor for sensing environmental conditions and operable to detect at least one event for the dumb container;

data, associated with the identification of the dumb container, indicative of the at least one event detected by the plurality of smart containers; and

a threat level, associated with the identification of the dumb container, the threat level determined by at least one computer, in communication with the plurality of smart containers via at least one transmitter, based on the at least one event detected by the plurality of smart containers.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the threat level is determined based on a number of events associated with the dumb container.