Electronic monitoring systems, shipment container monitoring systems and methods of monitoring a shipment in a container
First Claim
1. An electronic monitoring system, comprising:
- a container having a wall comprising a first side and an opposing second side;
an external communications device disposed external to the container;
an internal communications device disposed within the container;
a passive radio antenna element comprising a first antenna disposed within the container, a second antenna disposed external to the container, and a connector spanning the wall and joining the first and second antennas, at least a portion of the connector electrically insulated from the wall; and
an antenna housing mounted to the first side of the wall and covering the first antenna.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A shipping container has a passive radio antenna element having internal and external antennas. A connector spanning the wall joins the two antennas. An internal communications device is disposed within the container and an external communications device is disposed external to the container. Another shipping container has a repeater element having internal and external antennas. A repeater unit spans the wall joining the two antennas. A communications device is disposed within the container and another communications device is disposed externally. RF signals are re-radiated by the antennas. Methodology includes emitting RF signals from a communication device disposed at a first location, receiving the signals through an antenna comprised by an antenna element, and re-radiating the signal from a second antenna comprised by the element, where the element spans the wall of a shipping container. The re-radiated signal is received by a second communications device disposed at a second location.
26 Citations
59 Claims
-
1. An electronic monitoring system, comprising:
-
a container having a wall comprising a first side and an opposing second side; an external communications device disposed external to the container; an internal communications device disposed within the container; a passive radio antenna element comprising a first antenna disposed within the container, a second antenna disposed external to the container, and a connector spanning the wall and joining the first and second antennas, at least a portion of the connector electrically insulated from the wall; and an antenna housing mounted to the first side of the wall and covering the first antenna. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
-
-
16. A shipping monitoring system, comprising:
-
a shipping container having an external wall comprising an interior wall surface and an exterior wall surface, the wall having an opening passing therethrough; a first RF communications device disposed external to the shipping container; a second RF communications device disposed within the shipping container; a passive antenna element comprising a first antenna external to the container, a second antenna internal to the container, and a connector passing through the opening and connecting the first and second antennas, at least a portion of the connector electrically insulated from the wall; an external antenna housing over the first antenna; and an internal antenna housing over the second antenna. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19)
-
-
20. A method of monitoring a shipment, comprising:
-
providing a shipping container having a container wall comprising a first side and an opposing second side; providing a passive antenna element having a first antenna disposed on the first side of the wall, a second antenna disposed on the second side of the wall, and a connector spanning the wall and connecting the first and second antennas, at least a portion of the connector electrically insulated from the wall; mounting an antenna housing to the first side of the wall to cover the first antenna; emitting an RF signal from a first location; receiving the RF signal through the first antenna; re-radiating the RF signal through the second antenna; and receiving the re-radiated signal at a second location. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
-
-
29. A method of improving communications between an RF communications device outside a shipping container comprising a material substantially impenetrable to RF signals, and an RF communications device inside the shipping container, the method comprising:
-
providing a hole in a wall of the shipping container; supporting a first antenna inside the container; supporting a second antenna outside the container; and connecting the first antenna to the second antenna using at least one coax connector and a conductor extending through the hole, wherein the conductor extends through no more than one wall, and wherein the conductor is electrically insulated relative to the container wall. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
-
-
40. An electronic monitoring system, comprising:
-
a container having a wall comprising a first side and an opposing second side; a repeater element comprising a first antenna disposed proximate the first side of the wall, a second antenna proximate the second side of the wall, a repeater unit spanning the wall and joining the first and second antennas, wherein the repeater unit is connected to a power supply; an internal communications device disposed within the container; and an external communications device disposed external to the container. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55)
-
-
56. A shipping monitoring system, comprising:
-
a shipping container having an external wall comprising an interior wall surface and an exterior wall surface, the wall having an opening passing therethrough; a repeater element comprising a first antenna exterior to the container, a second antenna interior to the container, and a repeater unit passing through the opening and connecting the first and second antennas, the repeater unit connected to a power supply; an external antenna housing over the first antenna; an internal antenna housing over the second antenna; a first RF communications device disposed external to the shipping container; and a second RF communications device disposed within the shipping container. - View Dependent Claims (57, 58, 59)
-
Specification