Cargo container security system communications

• US 7,482,924 B1
• Filed: 04/26/2007
• Issued: 01/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: 3-D Image Technology
• Original Assignee: Tamper Proof Container Licensing Corp.
• Inventors: Beinhocker, Gilbert D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bugg; George A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hunnings; Travis R
• Application Number:
  US11/796,130
• Time in Patent Office: 642 Days
• Field of Search: 340/556, 340/541, 340/545.1, 340/555, 340/545.2, 340/565, 340/545.3, 250/227.14
• US Class Current: 340/555
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/186 using light guides, e.g. optical fibres

Abstract

A system and method for detecting radiation from a source in a container is disclosed. A continuous optical fiber path is disposed in a medium which is part of or associated with a container and which encloses the volumetric space of the container. The optical fiber path provides a volumetric mass of optical fiber which is reactive to radiation from a radiation source in the container to cause an irreversible change in the light carrying capacity or other characteristic of the optical fiber. A light source is coupled to one end of the optical fiber path for introducing light having a predetermined characteristic. A light detector is coupled to the other end of the optical path for receiving light from the optical path. A circuit is coupled to the light detector and is operative to detect a total loss of light or a change in the predetermined characteristic of the light and to provide an alarm indication thereof. The alarm indication can be transmitted to one or more receiving sites via communications paths which can include existing communications networks.

Claims

1. A cargo container security system comprising:

at least one enclosure surface substantially enclosing a volumetric space of the cargo container;

a continuous optical fiber disposed in the at least one enclosure surface to define an optical fiber path extending across substantially an entire area of the at least one enclosure surface, the optical fiber comprising material with at least one optical characteristic that irreversibly changes when exposed to one or more types of radiation;

a light source optically coupled to one end of the optical fiber path for introducing light into the optical fiber path;

a light detector optically coupled to an other end of the optical fiber path for receiving light from the optical fiber path;

a circuit connected to the light detector and operative to detect a change in the at least one optical characteristic as a function of the light received at the light detector from the optical fiber path and to provide an alarm signal as a function of the detected change; and

a transmitter operative to receive the alarm signal and in response thereto to transmit an alarm notification to a receiver system.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the transmitter is operative to provide the alarm notification to a telecommunications network for transmission to the receiver system.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the transmitter includes a GPS capable cell phone for transmitting the alarm notification and GPS data to the receiver system.

4. The system of claim 1 including a receiver system operative to receive the alarm notification and in response thereto provide over at least one communications path to at least one receiving site, an output signal representing an alarm condition.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the at least one communications path includes a cellular telecommunications network.

6. The system of claim 4 wherein the at least one communications path includes a satellite telecommunications network.

7. The system of claim 4 wherein the at least one communications path includes a wireless telecommunications network.

8. The system of claim 4 wherein the at least one communications path includes a wireless communications link to a first receiving site and a telecommunications network link from the first receiving site to a second receiving site.

9. The system of claim 4 wherein the at least one communications path includes a port notification system.

10. The system of claim 4 wherein the at least one communications path includes the Internet.

11. The system of claim 4 wherein the at least one communications path includes an RFID tracking network.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the transmitter is operative to provide location data in conjunction with the alarm notification.

13. The system of claim 12 including receiving apparatus having a map for providing a visual indication of the location of a container associated with the alarm notification.

14. The system of claim 12 in which the transmitter provides location data identifying a container associated with the alarm notification from among an assemblage of containers in a defined location.

15. The system of claim 1 wherein the transmitter is operative to provide GPS data in conjunction with the alarm notification.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the transmitter includes a cell phone providing the GPS data.

17. The system of claim 1 wherein the transmitter is located within the container and is coupled to an antenna disposed on the exterior of the container.

18. The system of claim 1 wherein the transmitter is located within the container and is coupled to an antenna disposed in the interior of the container.

19. The system of claim 1 wherein the transmitter provides a code identifying the container in conjunction with the alarm notification.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the transmitter includes a cell phone providing the code identifying the container in conjunction with the alarm notification.

21. The system of claim 1, wherein the circuit is configured to measure the change in the at least one optical characteristic of the optical fiber as a function of at least one of:

an intensity of the detected light;

a frequency of the detected light;

polarization of the detected light; and

a phase of the detected light.

22. A security system for a multisided container, comprising:

a plurality of liner panels, each sized to line an interior wall of a respective side of the container to substantially enclose a volumetric space of the container;

each of the liner panels having an optical fiber extending in a path across substantially an entire area of the panel, each optical fiber having a first end and a second end;

each optical fiber configured such that exposure to a nuclear radiation causes an irreversible decrease in light-carrying capacity of the optical fiber;

one or more of the optical fibers of the plurality of liner panels coupled to another optical fiber to provide one or more optical paths through the plurality of liner panels;

a light source for providing light to the one or more optical paths;

a light detector for receiving light from the light source through the one or more optical paths;

a circuit connected to the light detector and operative to detect a change in the light-carrying capacity of the one or more optical paths as a function of an amount of light received at the light detector and to provide a signal indication as a function of the detected change in light-carrying capacity; and

a transmitter providing an alarm notification to a receiver system in response to the signal indication from the circuit.

23. The system of claim 22 including:

a GPS receiver providing location data; and

the transmitter providing location data from the GPS receiver in conjunction with the alarm notification.

24. The system of claim 23 including:

a source of data identifying the container in which the security system is located; and

the transmitter providing the identification data in conjunction with the alarm notification.

25. The system of claim 22 wherein the light source, light detector, circuit and transmitter are housed in a self powered unit in the container.

26. A security system for a container, the system comprising:

a medium having a first area, the medium configured to substantially enclose a volumetric space of the container;

an optical fiber disposed in the medium and extending in a first path across substantially the entire first area of the medium, the optical fiber having a first end and a second end, and the optical fiber configured such that exposure to radiation causes an irreversible change in one or more optical characteristics of the optical fiber;

a wire disposed in the medium and extending in a second path across substantially the entire first area of the medium, the wire having first and second wire ends;

a first detector circuit coupled to the optical fiber and configured to measure one or more optical characteristics of the optical fiber, and when one or more of the measured optical characteristics is not within a predetermined range, output a first signal;

a second detector circuit coupled to the wire and configured to detect electrical continuity of the wire from the first wire end to the second wire end, and when a loss of electrical continuity is detected, output a second signal; and

a transmitter configured to transmit an alarm notification upon occurrence of at least one of;

the first signal and the second signal.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the first detector circuit is configured to detect a light received from the optical fiber and to measure the one or more optical characteristics of the optical fiber as a function of one or more characteristics of the detected light.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the first detector circuit is configured to measure the one or more optical characteristics of the optical fiber as a function of at least one of:

an intensity of the detected light;

a frequency of the detected light;

polarization of the detected light; and

a phase of the detected light.

29. The system of claim 26, further comprising:

a light source optically coupled to the first end of the optical fiber to provide a first light into the optical fiber,

wherein the first detector circuit is coupled to the second end of the optical fiber to receive the first light from the light source.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein:

the light source is coupled to the second detector circuit and configured to turn off the first light upon receipt of the second signal.

31. The system of claim 26, wherein the transmitter is operative to provide the alarm notification to a telecommunications network for transmission to the receiver system.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein the transmitter comprises a GPS device, the transmitter configured to transmit the alarm notification and GPS data corresponding to a location of the container to the receiver system.

33. The system of claim 26, further comprising a receiver system operative to receive the alarm notification and in response thereto provide over at least one communications path to at least one receiving site, an output signal representing an alarm condition.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein the at least one communications path comprises at least one of:

a cellular telecommunications network;

a satellite communications network;

a telecommunications network;

a wireless communications network;

a port notification system network;

the Internet; and

an RFID tracking network.

35. The system of claim 33, wherein the at least one communications path comprises a wireless communications link to a first receiving site and a telecommunications network link from the first receiving site to a second receiving site.

36. The system of claim 26, wherein the transmitter is operative to provide location data in conjunction with the alarm notification.

37. The system of claim 36, wherein the transmitter is configured to provide location data identifying a container associated with the alarm notification from among an assemblage of containers in a defined location.

38. The system of claim 26, wherein the first detector circuit is configured to measure intensity of a detected light received from the optical fiber and when the measured intensity is less than a predetermined threshold, output the first signal.

39. The system of claim 26, wherein the transmitter is coupled directly to the first and second detector circuits.

40. The system of claim 26, wherein:

the optic fiber is disposed within the medium in an undulating pattern.

41. The system of claim 26, wherein the transmitter provides a code identifying the container in conjunction with the alarm notification.

42. The system of claim 26, wherein at least one of the optical fiber and the wire is provided in at least one of a fabric and an e-textile.

44. The system of claim 42, wherein the at least one continuity detector comprises at least one of:

a first detector circuit coupled to the optical fiber and configured to measure one or more optical characteristics of the optical fiber, and when one or more of the measured optical characteristics is not within a predetermined range, output the first signal; and

a second detector circuit coupled to the wire and configured to detect electrical continuity of the wire from the first end to the second end, and when a loss of electrical continuity is detected, output the first signal.

45. The system of claim 42, wherein at least one of the optical fiber and the wire is provided in at least one of a fabric and an e-textile.

43. A security system for a container, the system comprising:

a medium having a first area, the medium configured to substantially enclose a volumetric space of the container;

at least one signal path disposed in the medium and extending across substantially the entire first area of the medium, the at least one signal path having a first end and a second end;

at least one continuity detector coupled to the at least one signal path and configured to detect continuity of a signal in the signal path from the first end to the second end, and when a loss of signal continuity is detected, output a first signal; and

a transmitter coupled to the at least one continuity detector and configured to transmit an alarm notification upon occurrence of the first signal;

wherein the at least one signal path comprises at least one of;

an optical fiber configured to carry a light signal and comprising material such that exposure to radiation causes an irreversible change in one or more optical characteristics of the optical fiber; and

a wire configured to conduct an electrical signal.