Container security system
First Claim
1. A security system for a group of shipping containers carried on a vessel, comprising:
- a detection device carried on each container for detecting an intrusion into the container;
a wireless transmitter carried on each of the containers and coupled with the corresponding detection device, said wireless transmitter for transmitting a signal indicating detection of the intrusion,a plurality of base receiver stations located in spaced apart relationship on the vessel for receiving signals from the wireless transmitters carried on the containers;
wherein each of the base receiver stations receives and transmits signals in two-way communication with a respective container in closest proximity to a respective base receiver station, said two-way communication comprising signals originating with said respective base receiver station, and,a communication system onboard the vessel, the communication system being communicatively coupled with each base receiver station and operable for transmitting information relating to the detected intrusion to a location off-board the vessel.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A security system for shipping containers transported onboard a vessel detects intrusions into the containers and transmits a security message to a land-based security monitoring station that identifies the container and the current geographic location of the vessel. Each container protected by the security system is provided with a cellular telephone that initiates a limited range telephone call transmission in response to an intrusion. Multiple base stations spread over the vessel each receive calls from proximal containers and forwards call messages to the vessel'"'"'s communication system which retransmits the call information in the form of the security message to the land based monitoring station.
24 Citations
36 Claims
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1. A security system for a group of shipping containers carried on a vessel, comprising:
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a detection device carried on each container for detecting an intrusion into the container; a wireless transmitter carried on each of the containers and coupled with the corresponding detection device, said wireless transmitter for transmitting a signal indicating detection of the intrusion, a plurality of base receiver stations located in spaced apart relationship on the vessel for receiving signals from the wireless transmitters carried on the containers; wherein each of the base receiver stations receives and transmits signals in two-way communication with a respective container in closest proximity to a respective base receiver station, said two-way communication comprising signals originating with said respective base receiver station, and, a communication system onboard the vessel, the communication system being communicatively coupled with each base receiver station and operable for transmitting information relating to the detected intrusion to a location off-board the vessel. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A security system for a group of shipping containers carried on a shipping conveyance, such as a vessel, comprising:
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a plurality of security event detection devices respectively associated with the containers for detecting a security event occurring at the associated container; a plurality of cellular telephone units respectively coupled with the detection devices and operable for initiating a telephone call when the associated detection device detects a security event; and
,a communication system onboard the conveyance for receiving telephone calls initiated by the cellular telephone units, and for sending messages to a security monitoring station off-board the conveyance each of the cellular telephone units is attached to the associated container, wherein each of the cellular telephone units is attached to the associated container, wherein the communication system includes a plurality of base communication stations positioned at spaced apart locations on the shipping conveyance, each of the base stations being within communication range of certain ones one of the telephone units, and wherein the cellular telephone units and the base communication stations are arranged in a plurality of communication cells in which a group of the cellular telephone units are associated with and communicate only with one of the base communication stations, said communication comprising two-way communication, said two-way communication comprising signals originating with said one of the base communication stations. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A system for container security based on cellular communications, comprising:
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a shipping conveyance for carrying shipping containers; a GPS receiver on said shipping conveyance for providing the geographic position of said shipping conveyance; a satellite terminal on said shipping conveyance for transmitting security status information to a security monitoring station; a plurality of cellular base stations on said shipping conveyance; a cellular device associated with each shipping container on said shipping conveyance for transmitting the security status of the container to a proximal cellular base station wherein the cellular devices and the cellular base stations are arranged in a plurality of communication cells in which a group of the cellular devices are associated with and communicate only with one of the cellular base stations, said communication comprising two-way communication, said two-way communication comprising signals originating with said one of the cellular base stations; and
,a central computer for receiving the security status information from the base station, for receiving the shipping conveyance position from the GPS receiver, and for directing the satellite transmitter to transmit the security status information and the shipping conveyance position to the security monitoring station. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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21. A method of monitoring the security status of shipping containers being transported on a shipping conveyance, comprising the steps of:
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(A) detecting a breach of security in one of the containers, a cellular communication device associated with each container; (B) initiating a cellular communication transmission from the container to a base communication station onboard the conveyance, wherein said base communication station comprises one of a plurality of base communication stations arranged in a plurality of communication cells on said shipping conveyance wherein a respective cellular communication device initiating a respective cellular communication transmission is associated with and communicates only with one of said base communication stations, said communication comprising two-way communication said two-way communication comprising signals originating with said one of the base communication stations; (C) receiving the cellular transmission at the base communications station; (D) generating a security status message onboard the conveyance using the information contained in the transmission received in step (C); and
,(E) transmitting the message generated in step (D) to a security monitoring station off-board the conveyance. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A method of monitoring security intrusions into shipping containers on a vessel, comprising the steps of:
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(A) detecting an intrusion into one of the containers, a wireless radio device associated with each container; (B) initiating a limited range wireless radio transmission from the container, wherein the wireless transmission contains information related to the intrusion detected in step (A); (C) receiving the transmission at a base communication station onboard the vessel within range of the transmission wherein said base communication station comprises one of a plurality of base communication stations arranged in a plurality of communication cells on said vessel wherein a respective wireless radio device initiating a respective wireless radio transmission is associated with and communicates only with one of said base communication stations, said communication comprising two-way communication, said two-way communication comprising signals originating with said one of the base communication stations; and
,(D) retransmitting the information from the vessel to a security monitoring station off-board the vessel. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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Specification