Apparatus for detecting tampering with a latch mechanism

• US 8,111,157 B2
• Filed: 10/16/2008
• Issued: 02/07/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: N7 Systems, LLC
• Original Assignee: N7 Systems, LLC
• Inventors: Diener, Mark A., Keller, John R., Montrose, Rodney C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bugg, George
• Assistant Examiner(s): WANG, JACK K
• Application Number:
  US12/253,032
• Publication Number:
  US 20090102652A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,209 Days
• Field of Search: 340/545.6, 340/542, 340/541, 340/568.1, 340/239.12, 324/207.2
• US Class Current: 340/545.6
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 2047/0097 including means for monitoring voltage, e.g. for indicating low battery state
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 45/06 Electric alarm locks E05B45/005 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 83/10 Rotary bars
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/08 by opening, e.g. of door, of window, of drawer, of shutter, of curtain, of blind
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/31 Hasps
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/51 Seal bolts

Abstract

A system, method, and apparatus for monitoring and detecting movement of components of a shipping container latch. A latch monitor may embody an electromagnetic sensing unit and a nearby magnet or light emitter for measuring and characterizing the profile of a nearby electromagnetic field. The field profile is monitored to detect a change in the profile, log the change, and report any abnormal disturbance to the electromagnetic field, indicating a breach of the integrity of a latching mechanism on a shipping container. An alert of a breach event may be sent via a communication network to an authority for response. The invention can distinguish authorized, incidental, and tampering events, and also store and upload an electronic manifest for a shipping container.

Claims

1. Apparatus for detecting tampering with a latch mechanism of a door of a shipping container, said latch mechanism having a stationary component and a movable component, comprising:

an emitter of electromagnetic flux disposed on said movable component of said latch mechanism;

an array of at least first and second sensors, responsive to said flux, disposed on said stationary component of said latch mechanism;

a set of detection zones defined proximate said movable and stationary components of said latch mechanism; and

a processor configured to receive and analyze output signals from said at least first and second sensors to distinguish tampering attempts from authorized or incidental movements among said components of said latch mechanism.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said emitter of electromagnetic flux comprises:

a bar magnet having a north pole and a south pole aligned along a common, substantially straight axis.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said magnet is aligned substantially along a radial line extending from an axis of rotation of said movable component of said latch mechanism such that an outermost one of said north and south poles swings in an arc as said movable component is rotated between predetermined closed and open states of said latch mechanism.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said at least first and second sensors comprise:

a set of Hall Effect Sensor (HES) elements arranged in a straight line configuration in association with said stationary component of said latch mechanism.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein said first and second sensors are enclosed in a housing disposed in a fixed relationship with said stationary component of said latch mechanism.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said set of detection zones comprises:

a series of defined regions defined along a circular arc centered on a rotation axis of said movable component of said latch mechanism and disposed within plus and minus 90 degrees relative to a zero degree reference with the center of said array of sensors.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said processor comprises:

a non-transitory memory for storing data provided by said at least first and second sensors corresponding to relative positions of said magnet with respect to said first and second sensors; and

an executable program running on said processor for analyzing said data to distinguish said tampering events from authorized or incidental movements among said movable and stationary components of said latch mechanism.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said executable program comprises:

an algorithm for distinguishing changes in a signature profile of a set of output signal values of said at least first and second sensors that characterize a magnetic field profile of said magnet for a defined state of said latch produced by said first and second sensors and stored as data in a corresponding set of locations in said memory.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said defined state of said latch is selected from the group consisting of closed and latched, closed but not latched, partially open, and open.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said algorithm comprises:

comparing said data representing said changes in said magnetic field profile with said stored signature profile corresponding to sensor data representing a closed and latched container door; and

confirming a closed and latched condition of said container door if no disparity relative to said signature profile is found;

or

analyzing said data representing said changes in said magnetic field profile if a disparity relative to said signature profile is found.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein analyzing further comprises:

determining whether said disparity relative to said signature profile is an indication of an incidental event or a tampering event;

logging an alert if said disparity indicates a tampering event; and

initiating an alert sequence if said indication is determined to be a tampering event.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said emitter of electromagnetic flux comprises:

a light emitting device producing a beam of light along an axis of emission of said light emitting device.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said light emitting device is aligned substantially along a radial line extending from an axis of rotation of said movable component of said latch mechanism such that a light emitting end of said light emitting device swings in an arc as said movable component is rotated between predetermined closed and open states of said latch mechanism.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said at least first and second sensors comprise:

a set of light sensitive elements arranged in a straight line configuration in association with said stationary component of said latch mechanism.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said first and second sensors are enclosed in a housing disposed in a fixed relationship with said stationary component of said latch mechanism.

16. A lock detector for a shipping container latch member having a longitudinal axis and configured to rotate about or slide along said longitudinal axis, comprising:

an emitter of electromagnetic flux having an axis of emission and integral with said latch member wherein said axis of emission is disposed substantially along a radius of said latch member in a direction outward from said longitudinal axis of said latch member;

a detector of said electromagnetic flux comprising at least first and second detection elements fixedly disposed proximate said emitter and on a line perpendicular to said axis of emission wherein said line lies in the plane of motion of said emitter respectively whether it rotates about or slides along said longitudinal axis;

wherein further

said first and second elements are disposed substantially equidistant on either side of said axis of emission when said container latch member is in a closed and latched condition.

17. The lock detector of claim 16, wherein:

said first and second elements of said detector are fixedly disposed proximate said emitter and on an arc centered on said axis of emission and whose tangent at its intersection with said axis of emission is perpendicular to said axis of emission, wherein said arc lies in the plane of motion of said emitter respectively whether it rotates about or slides along said longitudinal axis.

18. The lock detector of claim 16, wherein said emitter of electromagnetic flux is a bar magnet having north and south poles disposed along a longitudinal axis and producing a magnetic field centered on and along said axis of emission.

19. The lock detector of claim 16, wherein said emitter of electromagnetic flux is a light emitting device producing a beam of light along said axis of emission.

20. The lock detector of claim 16, wherein said latch member is an elongated rod having a substantially round cross section.