Simulation chamber and method for setting off explosive charges contained in freight in a controlled manner

• US 9,335,139 B2
• Filed: 09/19/2012
• Issued: 05/10/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nautilus Software Design
• Original Assignee: Nautilus Software Design
• Inventors: Bck, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): JOHNSON, STEPHEN
• Application Number:
  US14/345,697
• Publication Number:
  US 20140245879A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,329 Days
• Field of Search: 86/50, 102/202.1, 102/202.2
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 33/06 Dismantling fuzes, cartridges, projectiles, missiles, rockets or bombs F42B33/004 and F42B33/04 take precedence; elimination of undesirable components of explosives C06B21/0091
• CPC Class Codes: F42D 5/02 Locating undetonated charges
• CPC Class Codes: F42D 5/04 Rendering explosive charges harmless, e.g. destroying ammunition F42B39/14 and F42B39/20 take precedence ; extracting primers, dismantling ammunition F42B33/04, F42B33/06 ; chemical deactivating of explosives C06B21/0091; Rendering detonation of explosive charges harmless

Abstract

The invention relates to a simulation chamber for setting of explosive charges contained in freight in a controlled manner under simulated conditions, comprising a closed explosion chamber (1), into which the freight (2) is introduced and in which real-time conditions are specified that match ambient conditions of the freight (2) on an intended transport path. In order to further develop such a simulation chamber in such a way that even explosive charges that cannot be detected by means of the hitherto existing examination and testing methods can be recognized, a mobile radio testing unit (4) is provided according to the invention, by means of which a mobile radio device contained in the freight (2) can be detected.

Claims

1. Simulation chamber for activation of explosive charges contained in freight to be transported on an intended transport path, with mobile radio base stations of mobile radio networks sending downlink signals into areas of the transport path, the simulation chamber comprising:

a closed explosion chamber for receiving freight that may contain explosive charges activated by mobile radio terminal devices;

a mobile radio testing unit sending mobile radio signals into the explosion chamber, the mobile radio signals simulating the mobile radio base stations of mobile radio networks and causing a mobile radio terminal device contained in the freight to send back an uplink signal to the mobile radio testing unit and thereby activate the explosive charges activated by a mobile radio terminal device contained in the freight in a controlled manner within the closed explosion chamber.

2. Simulation chamber according to claim 1, wherein the intended transport path of the freight has a predetermined destination and/or predetermined intermediate targets and wherein the mobile radio signals sent by the mobile radio testing unit into the explosion chamber are simulating downlink mobile radio signals that are sent by local mobile base stations at the destination of the freight and/or at intermediate targets of the freight.

3. Simulation chamber according to claim 1, wherein the mobile radio testing unit further sends an update signal into the explosion chamber that causes a mobile radio terminal device contained in the freight to carry out a “

location update”

.

4. Simulation chamber according to claim 3, wherein the “

location update”

carried out in the mobile radio terminal device enables the mobile radio terminal device to have access to a mobile radio network that is simulated by the mobile radio testing unit, for which purpose the network components and/or settings of the mobile radio terminal device are updated for the mobile radio network simulated by the mobile radio testing unit.

5. Simulation chamber according to claim 3, wherein the mobile radio testing unit detects the carrying out of a “

location update”

by a mobile radio terminal device in the freight and stores detection of a “

location update”

in a data bank and/or displays it on a screen and/or emits a warning signal if the carrying out of a “

location update”

was detected by a mobile radio terminal device located in the freight.

6. Method for activation of explosive charges contained in freight in a simulation chamber, in a controlled manner and under simulated conditions, wherein the freight is to be transported on an intended transport path and may contain explosive charges that can be activated by a mobile radio terminal device, the method comprising:

introducing the freight into a closed explosion chamber of the simulation chamber,

transmitting mobile radio signals with a mobile radio testing unit into the explosion chamber, the mobile radio signals simulating mobile radio base stations of mobile radio networks and causing all mobile radio terminal devices contained in the freight to send back an uplink signal to the mobile radio testing unit and thereby activate the explosive charges contained in the freight in a controlled manner within the closed explosion chamber.

7. Method according to claim 6, wherein the intended transport path of the freight has a predetermined destination and/or predetermined intermediate targets and wherein the mobile radio testing unit sends at least one mobile radio signal into the explosion chamber that corresponds to a downlink signal of a local mobile radio network at the destination or an intermediate target of the freight.

8. Method according to claim 6, wherein upon detection of a mobile radio terminal device in the freight, the detected mobile radio terminal device is located and/or called by the mobile radio testing unit.

9. Method according to claim 6, wherein upon detection of a mobile radio terminal device in the freight by the mobile radio testing unit based on a running time measurement, the mobile radio testing unit carries out a determination of the position of the detected mobile radio terminal device.

10. Method according to claim 6, wherein upon detection of a mobile radio terminal device in the freight, identification data of the detected mobile radio terminal device including an “

International Mobile Subscriber Identity”

(IMSI) of the detected mobile radio terminal device and/or an “

International Mobile Station Equipment Identity”

(IMEI) of the detected mobile radio terminal device are read by the mobile radio testing unit and/or stored in a data bank or a testing protocol.

11. Method according to claim 6, wherein the signals sent by the mobile radio testing unit into the explosion chamber are shielded by the explosion chamber, and the signal strength outside the explosion chamber is below a maximum limiting value, which is selected in such a manner that it does not influence or interfere with the local mobile radio networks at the site of the simulation chamber.

12. Method according to claim 6, wherein the intended transport path of the freight has a predetermined destination and/or predetermined intermediate targets and wherein the mobile radio signals sent by the mobile radio testing unit into the explosion chamber simulate the mobile radio signals that are sent by local mobile base stations at the destination of the freight and/or at intermediate targets of the freight.

13. Method according to claim 6, wherein the intended transport path of the freight has a predetermined destination and/or predetermined intermediate targets and wherein the mobile radio testing unit sends at least one mobile radio signal into the explosion chamber that corresponds to a downlink signal of a local mobile radio network at the destination or an intermediate target of the freight.

14. Method according to claim 13, wherein the intended transport path of the freight has a predetermined destination and/or predetermined intermediate targets, each mobile radio terminal device contained in the freight is comprising a data storage unit in which an actual operator site is registered and wherein upon the execution of the “

location update”

in one of the mobile radio terminal devices, the registered actual operator site of said mobile radio terminal device is changed into a feigned operator site, the feigned operator site corresponding to an operator site of the mobile radio device at the destination of the freight and/or an intermediate site of the freight.

15. Method according to claim 6, wherein the mobile radio testing unit sends an update signal into the explosion chamber that causes at least one of the mobile radio terminal devices contained in the freight to execute a “

location update”

.

16. Method according to claim 15, wherein the “

location update”

executed in the mobile radio terminal device enables the at least one of the mobile radio terminal devices to have access to a mobile radio network that is simulated by the mobile radio testing unit, for which purpose the network components and/or settings of the at least one of the mobile radio terminal devices are updated for the mobile radio network simulated by the mobile radio testing unit.

17. Method according to claim 15, wherein the mobile radio testing unit detects the execution of the “

location update” and

stores the execution in a data bank and/or displays the execution on a screen and/or emits a warning signal notifying that the execution of the “

location update”

was detected.