Shipping container security system

• US 7,883,127 B2
• Filed: 12/31/2008
• Issued: 02/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: TeraHop Networks Incorporated
• Inventors: Kenney, Daniel, Terry, Daniel J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Barrett, Suzanne D
• Assistant Examiner(s): FULTON, KRISTINA ROSE
• Application Number:
  US12/347,684
• Publication Number:
  US 20090115202A1
• Time in Patent Office: 769 Days
• Field of Search: 292/327, 292/307.R, 340/572.9, 70/55, 70/56
• 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 including a bolt-type seal lock module located on an exterior surface of a door of a shipping container; and a sensor module mounted to an interior surface of the shipping container. The bolt-type seal lock module and the sensor module are configured to wirelessly communicate data therebetween.

Claims

1. A shipping container security system, comprising:

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

(i) a bolt comprising,

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

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

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extends through an opening in a hasp of the door of the shipping container such that the shaft of the bolt must be withdrawn from the opening of the hasp in order to open the door of the shipping container without causing structural damage to the shipping container, the head of the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

(ii) 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of the bolt is received and retained in locking engagement such that the distal portion of the shaft is kept from being withdrawn from the open end of the passageway, the locking body being too wide to pass through the opening in the hasp of the door of the shipping container, whereby the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;

(iii) 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 an 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, the housing containing therein,

(A) electronics for storing and communicating data associated with the shipping container, the electronics including,

(1) a microprocessor,

(2) memory for storing data, and

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

(B) a power source for powering the electronics; and

(b) a sensor module mounted to an interior surface of the shipping container, the sensor module comprising,

(i) electronics for storing and communicating data associated with the shipping container, the electronics including,

(A) a microprocessor,

(B) memory for storing data,

(C) one or more sensor components for acquiring data for detecting a condition of the shipping container, and

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

(ii) a power source for powering the electronics;

(c) wherein the seal lock module and the sensor module are configured to wirelessly communicate data therebetween.

2. The shipping container security system of claim 1, wherein the seal lock module and the sensor module are each configured to exchange and update their respective data on an ongoing basis such that data redundancy is maintained between the seal lock module and the sensor module.

3. 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.

4. The shipping container security system of claim 1, wherein the electronics of the sensor module are configured to detect motion, vibration, impact or shock.

5. The shipping container security system of claim 1, wherein the electronics of the sensor module are configured to detect humidity.

6. The shipping container security system of claim 1, wherein the electronics of the sensor module are configured to detect temperature.

7. The shipping container security system of claim 1, wherein the electronics of the sensor module are configured to detect the presence of light within the shipping container.

8. The shipping container security system of claim 1, wherein the electronics of the sensor module are configured to detect the presence of nuclear material.

9. The shipping container security system of claim 1, wherein the electronics of the sensor module are configured to detect the presence of biological material.

10. The shipping container security system of claim 1, wherein the electronics of the housing are configured to detect the presence of the bolt in the locking engagement with the locking body.

11. The shipping container security system of claim 10,

(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 wireless communication component of the sensor module, and

(b) wherein the sensor module 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 sensor module,

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 sensor module on the interior of the shipping container, as the modules travel with the shipping container.

12. The shipping container security system of claim 11,

(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.

13. The shipping container security system of claim 1,

(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 wireless communication component of the sensor module, and

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

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 sensor module on the interior of the shipping container, as the modules travel with the shipping container.

14. The shipping container security system of claim 1, further comprising an antenna secured to the housing and configured to facilitate wireless communications by the wireless communication component contained within the housing.

15. The shipping container security system of claim 1, further comprising two antennas each respectively secured to an opposite side of the housing and configured to facilitate wireless communications by the wireless communication component contained within the housing.

16. The shipping container security system of claim 1, wherein the locking body contains therein

(a) electronics including,

(i) memory for storing data, and

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

(b) a power source for powering the wireless communication component.

17. The shipping container security system of claim 16, wherein each of the seal lock module and the sensor module are configured to wirelessly communicate with the locking body.

18. The shipping container security system of claim 16, 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 16, wherein data stored within the memory contained within the locking body includes shipping or transportation data pertaining to the shipping container.

20. The shipping container security system of claim 16, wherein the seal lock module, the sensor module, and the locking body each is configured to be individually addressed by a wireless communication device external to the shipping container.