Shipping container security system including RF door alarm module

• US 7,828,345 B2
• Filed: 12/31/2008
• Issued: 11/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: TeraHop Networks Incorporated
• Inventors: Terry, Daniel J., Kenney, Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuomo, Peter M
• Assistant Examiner(s): FULTON, KRISTINA ROSE
• Application Number:
  US12/347,698
• Publication Number:
  US 20090126424A1
• Time in Patent Office: 678 Days
• Field of Search: 292/327, 292/307.R, 340/572.9, 340/572.8, 340/546, 340/547, 340/539.22, 340/540, 340/541, 340/542, 70/55, 70/56, 70/4, 70/24, 70/35, 70/50, 70/571, 70/58, 70/63, 70/71, 701/63, 702/29, 702/31, 702/65, 703/33.R
• US Class Current: 292/327
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 39/02 with destructible seal closures or paper closures
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 3/0317 having bolt like sealing means means for preventing relative axial movement of a pin, spigot, shaft or the like and a member surrounding it F16B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 3/0358 using a rigid hasp lock
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/31 Hasps
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/48 Seals
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/51 Seal bolts
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/5031 Receptacle

Abstract

The system described here is a shipping container security system which includes an RF data communications device; and an RF device mounted on an interior surface of a door of the shipping container and configured to form a short-range communications link with the radio communication component inside the shipping container via the antenna mounted on the exterior of the shipping container when the RF device and the radio communication component are within radio communications range. The RF device is mounted on the interior surface of the door such that, the RF device and the radio communication component are within radio communications range when the door is closed, and the RF device and the radio communication component are outside of radio communications range when the door is opened, whereby the opening and closing of the door of the shipping container is determinable.

Claims

1. A shipping container security system for a shipping container, comprising:

(a) an RF data communications device, comprising,

(i) electronics for storing and communicating data associated with the shipping container, mounted on an interior surface of a cross-wise door beam of the shipping container, the electronics including,

(A) a microprocessor,

(B) memory for storing data, and

(C) a radio communication component configured to wirelessly communicate data,

(ii) a power source for powering the electronics, and

(iii) an antenna mounted on an exterior surface of the cross-wise door beam of the shipping container for facilitating wireless data communications by the radio communication component; and

(b) an RF device mounted on an interior surface of a door of the shipping container and configured to form a short-range communication link with the radio communication component inside the shipping container via the antenna mounted on the exterior of the shipping container when the RF device and the radio communication component are within radio communications range;

(c) wherein the RF device is mounted on the interior surface of the door such that,

(i) the RF device and the radio communication component are within radio communications range when the door is closed, and

(ii) the RF device and the radio communication component are outside of radio communications range when the door is opened, whereby the opening and closing of the door of the shipping container is determinable;

further comprising a seal lock module located on an exterior surface of a door of the shipping container, the seal lock module comprising,

(a) a bolt comprising,

(i) a shaft having a proximal portion and a distal portion, and

(ii) a head located at the proximal portion of the shaft, the head being wider than the distal portion of the shaft,

(iii) wherein the shaft of the bolt extends through an opening in a hasp of the door of the shipping container such that the shaft of the bolt must be withdrawn from the opening of the hasp in order to open the door of the shipping container without causing structural damage to the shipping container, the head of the bolt being too wide to pass through the opening in the hasp of the door of the shipping container;

(b) a locking body having a passageway with an open end through which the distal portion of the shaft of the bolt is received and retained in locking engagement such that the distal portion of the shaft is kept from being withdrawn from the open end of the passageway, the locking body being too wide to pass through the opening in the hasp of the door of the shipping container, whereby the shipping container door may be sealed shut; and

(c) a housing connected to the locking body such that the housing and locking body are rotatable relative to each other, the housing being removably mounted to the exterior surface of the door of the shipping container, whereby the locking body does not freely swing on the distal portion of the shaft of the bolt during movement of the shipping container.

2. The shipping container security system of claim 1, wherein the RF device mounted on the door is specifically coded with the RF data communications device to deter spoofing the short-range communication link formed between the RF device and the radio communication component.

3. The shipping container security system of claim 1, wherein the RF data communications device further comprises a chronometer component for measuring time, whereby a duration in which the shipping container door is opened is determinable.

4. The shipping container security system of claim 1, wherein the RF data communications device comprises a mounting arrangement including,

(a) adhesive mounting components, each having a surface with a pressure sensitive adhesive, by which the RF data communications device is mounted to the interior and exterior surfaces of the cross-wise door beam, and

(b) a generally U-shaped member traversing the cross-wise door beam, to which the adhesive mounting components are attached.

5. The shipping container security system of claim 4, wherein the attachment of each of the adhesive mounting components to the U-shaped member comprises a snap-fit attachment.

6. The shipping container security system of claim 4, wherein the U-shaped member is configured to be detached from each of the adhesive mounting components and then reattached to each of the adhesive mounting components.

7. The shipping container security system of claim 4, wherein the electronics, power source, and antenna of the RF data communications device are attached to the U-shaped member.

8. The shipping container security system of claim 7, wherein the attachment of the electronics to the U-shaped member, the attachment of the power source to the U-shaped member, and the attachment of the antenna to the U-shaped member each comprises a snap-fit attachment.

9. The shipping container security system of claim 7, wherein the electronics, power source, and antenna of the RF data communications device each is configured to be detached from the U-shaped member and then reattached to the U-shaped member.

10. The shipping container security system of claim 4, wherein the U-shaped member further comprises a ribbon cable connecting the radio communication component inside the shipping container to the antenna outside the shipping container.

11. The shipping container security system of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises magnets configured to magnetically mount the housing to the exterior surface of the door of the shipping container.

12. The shipping container security system of claim 1, wherein the housing contains therein,

(a) electronics including,

(i) a microprocessor,

(ii) memory for storing data, and

(iii) a wireless communication component configured to wirelessly communicate data, and

(b) a power source for powering the electronics;

(c) wherein the bolt-type seal lock module outside the shipping container and the RF data communications device inside the shipping container are configured to wirelessly communicate data therebetween.

13. The shipping container security system of claim 12, wherein the electronics of the housing are configured to detect the presence of the bolt in the locking engagement with the locking body.

14. The shipping container security system of claim 12, wherein the bolt-type seal lock module and the RF data communications device are each configured to maintain data redundancy therebetween.

15. The shipping container security system of claim 14,

(a) wherein the bolt further comprises a microchip containing a unique serial number of the bolt, and wherein the electronics in the housing are configured to read the unique serial number of the bolt from the microchip when the bolt is in the locking engagement with the locking body, store the unique serial number of the bolt read from the microchip in the memory contained in the housing, and wirelessly communicate the unique serial number of the bolt read from the microchip to the radio communication component of the RF data communications device, and

(b) wherein the RF data communications device is configured to receive the unique serial number of the bolt, wirelessly communicated from the housing, and store the unique serial number of the bolt in the memory of the RF data communications device,

whereby the unique serial number of the bolt is maintained both in the memory of the housing on the exterior of the shipping container, and in the memory of the RF data communications device on the interior of the shipping container, as the bolt-type seal lock module and the RF data communications device travel with the shipping container.

16. The shipping container security system of claim 15,

(a) wherein the electronics in the housing are configured to detect cutting of the bolt when the bolt is in the locking engagement with the locking body as a function of a failed attempt to read the unique serial number from the microchip of the bolt after reading the unique serial number from the microchip of the bolt, store data indicative of the cutting of the bolt in the memory contained in the housing, and wirelessly communicate data indicative of the cutting of the bolt to the wireless communication component of the sensor module, and

(b) wherein the sensor module is configured to receive data indicative of the cutting of the bolt, wirelessly communicated from the housing, and store the data indicative of the cutting of the bolt in the memory of the sensor module,

whereby the data indicative of the cutting of the bolt is maintained both in the memory of the housing on the exterior of the shipping container, and in the memory of the sensor module on the interior of the shipping container, as the modules travel with the shipping container.

17. The shipping container security system of claim 14,

(a) wherein the electronics in the housing further include one or more sensor components for acquiring data for detecting an environmental condition external to the shipping container, and

(b) wherein the electronics in the housing are configured to store sensor acquired data in the memory contained in the housing, and wirelessly communicate the sensor acquired data to the radio communication component of the RF data communications device, and

(c) wherein the RF data communications device is configured to receive the sensor acquired data, wirelessly communicated from the housing, and store the sensor acquired data in the memory of the RF data communications device,

whereby the sensor acquired data is maintained both in the memory of the housing on the exterior of the shipping container, and in the memory of the RF data communications device on the interior of the shipping container, as the bolt-type seal lock module and the RF data communications device travel with the shipping container.

18. The shipping container security system of claim 13, wherein the locking body contains electronics therein, the electronics including,

(a) memory for storing data,

(b) a wireless communication component configured to wirelessly communicate data, and

(c) a power source for powering the wireless communication component,

(d) wherein data stored within the memory contained within the locking body includes shipping or transportation data pertaining to the shipping container, and

(e) wherein the electronics of the locking body further include a USB port that is externally accessible for reading data from the memory contained within the locking body.

19. The shipping container security system of claim 18, wherein the bolt-type seal lock module, the RF data communications device, and the locking body each is configured to be individually addressed by a wireless communication device external to the shipping container.