Container defense system

• US 8,803,685 B2
• Filed: 02/01/2008
• Issued: 08/12/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ANGEL Secure Networks, Inc.
• Original Assignee: ANGEL Secure Networks, Inc.
• Inventors: Smith, Fred Hewitt
• Primary Examiner(s): Bugg, George
• Assistant Examiner(s): Afrifa-Kyei, Anthony D
• Application Number:
  US12/596,971
• Publication Number:
  US 20100295679A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,384 Days
• Field of Search: 340/541
• US Class Current: 340/541
• CPC Class Codes: G01T 1/178 for measuring specific activity in the presence of other radioactive substances, e.g. natural, in the air or in liquids such as rain water
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 5/271 using a network, e.g. a remote expert, accessing remote data or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 5/281 detecting special nuclear material [SNM], e.g. Uranium-235, Uranium-233 or Plutonium-239
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10366 the interrogation device being adapted for miscellaneous applications
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083

Abstract

A method for scanning and securing a container including a plurality of at least partially composite panels defining an interior volume is disclosed. The method includes: storing unique identification information in an identification element within container; sealing the container; monitoring the container for intrusion; without breaching the seal of the container, remotely identifying the container based on the unique identity information without breaching the seal of the container; without breaching the seal of the container; scanning the identified container to determine the presence or absence of a nuclear weapon in the interior volume; and if the scan determines no nuclear weapon is present remotely storing certificate information associated with the identity of the container in a remote monitor unit.

Claims

1. A system for scanning and securing a container comprising a plurality of at least partially composite panels defining an interior volume, said system comprising:

a remote control unit;

a receiver unit in communication with said remote control unit;

a scanner comprising a beam generator adapted to emit a directed radiation scan beam, said scanner in communication with said remote control unit;

a first beam detector element positioned within the interior volume of the container adapted to detect said scan beam;

a security element positioned within the interior volume of the container adapted to detect an intrusion into the container;

an identification element positioned within the interior volume of the container, communicatively coupled to the first beam detector element and adapted to store identification information as stored identification information indicative of the identity of the container; and

a transmitter element positioned within the interior volume of the container and communicatively coupled to the identification element,

wherein the beam generator is adapted to direct the scan beam along a path into the interior volume of the container through a first one of the plurality of at least partially composite panels, across a portion of the interior volume and onto the first beam detector element resulting in a first detected scan beam,

wherein the scanner is adapted to determine material property information indicative of material properties of contents of the interior volume based on the first detected scan beam,

wherein the scanner is adapted to modulate a query message from the remote control unit onto the scan beam, and the first beam detector element is adapted to demodulate the message from within the interior volume of the container, resulting in a demodulated query message,

wherein the identification element is adapted to produce a response message from within the interior volume of the container based on the demodulated query message and the stored identification information without breaking a seal of the container when sealed,

wherein the transmitter element is adapted to transmit the response message to the receiver unit.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the remote control unit is adapted to receive the response message from the receiver unit and verify the identity of the container based on the response message.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the query message comprises a number generated randomly by the remote control unit.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein:

the remote control unit is adapted to determine a presence or absence of a nuclear device within the container based on the material property information and, if no nuclear device is determined to be present, store a certificate associated with the identity of the container.

5. The system of claim 4, further comprising a second beam detector element, the scan beam detected along a path into the interior volume of the container through one of the plurality of at least partially composite panels, across a portion of the interior volume, through a second one of the plurality of at least partially composite panels and onto the second beam detector element resulting in a second detected scan beam,

wherein the scanner is located in proximity to the receiver unit.

6. The system of claim 5, further comprising:

a dosimeter positioned within the interior volume of the container, said dosimeter comprising;

a radon detection element adapted to detect a radon level for the interior volume; and

a neutron detection element adapted to detect a neutron level for the interior volume,

wherein the dosimeter is adapted to measure the radon level and neutron level, resulting in a measured radon level and a measured neutron level, for a period of time, compare the measured radon level to a first threshold and compare the measured neutron level to a second threshold, resulting in further comparisons, determine dosimeter information indicative of the presence or absence of fissile material within the interior volume based on the further comparisons, and communicate said dosimeter information to one of the identification element, the transmitter element, the first beam detector element, the second beam detector element, or a combination thereof.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the identification element is adapted to destroy a portion of the stored identification information in response to an intrusion detected by the security element, wherein the first one of the plurality of at least partially composite panels comprises a first plurality of plugs of composite material positioned within apertures through a first metal wall, wherein the second one of the plurality of at least partially composite panels comprises a second plurality of plugs of composite material positioned within apertures through a second metal wall, wherein the path into the interior volume extends through a first plug of the first plurality of plugs and a second plug of the second plurality of plugs, a separation distance between the first and second plugs spanning the interior volume of the container.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the identification element is adapted to destroy a portion of the stored identification information in response to a detection of fissile material within the container by the dosimeter.

9. The system of claim 5, further comprising a verification unit comprising:

a verification scanner unit comprising a beam generator adapted to emit a directed radiation verification scan beam; and

a verification receiver unit located in proximity to the verification scanner unit,

wherein the verification scanner unit is adapted to modulate a verification query message received from the remote control unit onto the verification scan beam, and direct the verification scan beam to the first beam detector element located within the container,

wherein the first beam detector element is adapted to detect the verification scan beam and demodulate the verification query message, resulting in a demodulated verification query message,

wherein the identification element is adapted to produce a verification response message based on the demodulated verification query message and the stored identification information,

wherein the transmitter element is adapted to transmit a verification response message to the receiver unit,

wherein the remote control unit is adapted to receive the verification response message from the receiver unit and verify the identity of the container based on the verification response message.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising a loading device in communication with the remote control unit and located in proximity to the verification unit, said loading device adapted to selectively load the container onto a transport based on the verification of the certificate associated with the identity of the container, and wherein the container comprises a maritime shipping container.

11. The system of claim 5, wherein the identification element stores private identification information which cannot be transmitted to any scanner or receiver located outside the container.

12. The system of claim 5, wherein the security element comprises a sensor grid embedded in a partially composite panel of the plurality of at least partially composite panels.

13. The system of claim 5, wherein the container comprises a sealed container having a substantially air tight interior volume, and the security element comprises a radon detector unit adapted to:

detect a change in radon level, resulting in a detected change, in the interior volume of the sealed container;

compare the detected change to an expected change value based on a four day half-life of radon; and

indicate the presence or absence of an intrusion into the sealed container based on comparing of the detected change to the expected change value.

14. The system of claim 5, comprising:

a first scanner adapted to produce a relatively low energy directed radiation scan beam;

a second scanner adapted to produce a relatively high energy directed radiation scan beam; and

a sorting module adapted to direct containers represented to contain substantially no metal material to the first scanner and to direct containers represented to contain metal material to the second scanner,

wherein the first scanner is adapted to receive a container represented to contain substantially no metal material from the sorting module, and to scan said container to verify that substantially no metal material is present inside the container, and

wherein the second scanner is adapted to receive a container represented to contain metal material from the sorting module, and to scan said container to detect the presence of a nuclear device.

15. The system of claim 14, further comprising a third scanner adapted to produce a relatively moderate energy directed radiation scan beam,

wherein the sorting module is adapted to direct containers represented to contain metal material having density above a threshold value to the second scanner, and to direct containers represented to contain metal material consisting only of metal material having a density below the threshold value to the third scanner, and

wherein the third scanner is adapted to receive a container represented to contain metal material consisting only of metal material having a density below the threshold value from the sorting module, and to scan said container to verify that substantially no material is present inside the container having a density above the threshold value.

16. The system of claim 5, wherein the scanner and the receiver unit each comprise an information security element adapted to prevent access to data stored in said scanner and said receiver unit by an entity other than the remote control unit.

17. A method for scanning and securing a container comprising a plurality of at least partially composite panels defining an interior volume, said method comprising:

storing unique identification information in an identification element within the interior volume of the container;

sealing the container;

monitoring the container for intrusion;

detecting from within the interior volume of the container, a scan beam originating externally from the interior volume of the container,

without breaching the seal of the container, remotely identifying the container in response to the detecting of the scan beam based on the unique identity information;

without breaching the seal of the container;

scanning said identified container to determine a presence or absence of a nuclear weapon in the interior volume; and

if the scan determines no nuclear weapon is present, storing certificate information associated with the identity of the container in a remote monitor unit.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein storing unique identification information in an identification element within container comprises:

at a secure trusted location, providing identification information to be stored in the identification element positioned within the container, said identification information comprising a public ID portion and a corresponding private ID portion, and

storing a copy of the public ID portion and the private ID portion in the remote monitor unit.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein remotely identifying the container comprises:

at a first location, providing the remote monitor unit;

at a second location providing a scanning unit in communication with said remote monitor unit, said scanning unit adapted to communicate with the identification element within the container without breaching the seal of said container;

generating query information at the remote monitor unit;

transmitting the query information to the remote scanning unit;

without breaching the seal of the container transmitting the query information from the remote monitor to the identification element;

at the identification element, using a hash algorithm to hash the query information with the private ID portion to produce response hash information;

in response to said query information, without breaching the seal of the container, transmitting the public ID stored in the identification element and the response hash information to the scanning unit;

transmitting the public ID stored in the identification element and the response hash information from the scanning unit to the remote monitor unit; and

at the remote monitor unit;

identifying the private ID portion corresponding to the public ID portion received from the scanning unit;

using the hash algorithm to hash the query information with the private ID portion to produce verification hash information; and

comparing the response hash information to the verification hash information to verify the identity of the container.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising, in response to an intrusion of the container, modifying or destroying at least a portion of the identification information.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein the scanning comprises:

generating a directed radiation scan beam having a beam energy sufficient to penetrate through a composite panel of the plurality of at least partially composite panels but insufficient to penetrate through bulk metal material;

directing the scan beam, resulting in a detected scan beam, along a path into the interior volume of the container through one of the plurality of at least partially composite panels, across a portion of the interior volume, out of the interior volume through another one of the plurality of at least partially composite panels, and onto a scan beam detector;

detecting the scan beam with the scan beam detector, and

analyzing the detected scan beam to determine information indicative of material properties of contents of the interior volume based on the detected scan beam; and

outputting the information indicative of the material properties of contents of the interior volume.

22. The method of claim 17, further comprising

using a dosimeter positioned within the container to measure a radon level and to measure a neutron level in the interior volume over a period of time, resulting in a measured radon level and a measured neutron level;

detecting the presence or absence of fissile material within the interior volume based on the measured radon level and the measured neutron level; and

in response to a detection of fissile material, destroying a portion of the identification information stored in the identification element.

23. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

monitoring the container for an indication of an imminent nuclear explosion, and

in response to a detection of an imminent nuclear explosion, transmitting a message comprising information indicative of the identity of the container.