Method and system for monitoring containers to maintain the security thereof

• US 20050179545A1
• Filed: 11/15/2004
• Published: 08/18/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CommerceGuard AB (GE Aerospace)
• Original Assignee: All Set Marine Security AB
• Inventors: Bergman, Johan, Sandberg, Eric, Voigt, Martin
• Granted Patent: US 7,417,543 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/545.200
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2209/62 Comprising means for indicating the status of the lock
• 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: G08B 13/126 for a housing, e.g. a box, a safe, or a room
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/08 using communication transmission lines G08B13/19658, G08B21/0286, G08B25/016 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/10 using wireless transmission systems G08B25/009 takes precedence

Abstract

A method and system for monitoring the integrity of a container specifically adapted for the system and constructed with at least one door. A sensor is secured in the container for detecting proximity of the at least one door relative to another area of the container and for providing sensor data that may be communicated from the container relative to its integrity.

Claims

1. A sensor system for monitoring the integrity of a container, the container being specifically adapted for the system and having at least one door, the system comprising:

a sensor housing secured in the container in a position to permit monitoring of a position of the at least one door;

a sensor secured in the housing for detecting proximity of the at least one door relative to another area of the container and for providing sensor data;

a data interpretation device disposed inside the container in communication with the sensor for interpreting the sensor data; and

a transmitter interoperably connected to the data interpretation device for communicating information relative to the sensed proximity to a location outside the container.

2. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the sensor housing is secured in the at least one door of the container.

3. The system as set forth in claim 2, wherein the sensor housing is integrally mounted in the at least one door of the container.

4. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the container includes a second door adjacent the at least one door, the system further comprising:

the sensor housing being secured in the at least one door; and

the sensor secured in the housing being adapted to detect proximity of the at least one door relative to the second door.

5. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the container is constructed with an aperture adapted for receipt of a portion of the sensor housing.

6. The system as set forth in claim 5, wherein the transmitter is secured in the housing in a position for communicating information, via the aperture, relative to a detected proximity to a location outside the container.

7. The system as set forth in claim 6, wherein the sensor housing includes a gasket extending therearound for sealed engagement of the housing relative to the aperture.

8. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the sensor further includes an interface for additional sensors.

9. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the sensor housing is secured in the at least one door of the container, the at least one door of the container includes an aperture formed therein and adapted for receipt of a portion of the housing therethrough, the data interpretation device is disposed within the housing, and the transmitter is disposed within the housing and positioned for communicating information to a location outside the container via the aperture formed therein.

10. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the container includes a metal plate, the sensor comprises a Hall effect sensor, the sensor housing is secured in the at least one door, and the Hall effect sensor and the plate are mounted within the container for functional interaction of the Hall effect sensor and the plate with one another to monitor the position of the at least one door.

11. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the container includes a second door mounted adjacent the at least one door and the sensor plate comprises a door keeper plate extending outwardly of the second door in position for the functional interaction with the sensor.

12. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises an analog magnetic flux vector sensor.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the sensor comprises a Hall effect sensor.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the Hall effect sensor comprises:

a ring magnet;

a ferrous ring displaced co-axially within the ring magnet; and

a Hall effect sensor card positioned co-axially adjacent to the ferrous ring.

15. A method of manufacturing a container of a type having at least one door and capable of monitoring for a breach in the integrity thereof, the method comprising:

providing a sensor system comprising a sensor, a housing for the sensor, a data interpretation device, and a transmitter;

structurally mounting the sensor housing in the container in a position to monitor a position of the at least one door;

securing in the housing of a sensor for detecting proximity of the at least one door relative to another area of the container and for providing sensor data;

securing, inside the container, of a data interpretation device adapted for communication with the sensor for interpretation of the sensor data; and

securing, in the container, of a transmitter adapted for communicating information relative to a sensed proximity to a location outside the container.

16. The method as set forth in claim 15, and further including the step of securing the sensor housing in the at least one door.

17. The method as set forth in claim 16, further comprising integrally mounting the sensor housing in the at least one door of the container.

18. The method as set forth in claim 15, wherein the container includes a second door adjacent to the at least one door, the sensor housing is mounted in the at least one door and further including the step of mounting a keeper plate to the second door in position to operably interact with the sensor.

19. The method as set forth in claim 15, and further including constructing the container with an aperture adapted for receipt of a portion of the sensor housing for extension through the aperture in the mounting of the sensor housing.

20. The method as set forth in claim 19, wherein the step of securing the transmitter comprises securing the transmitter in the housing in a position adapted for communicating information via the aperture relative to the sensed proximity to a location outside the container.

21. The method as set forth in claim 20, further comprising providing the sensor housing with a gasket extending therearound for sealed engagement of the housing relative to the aperture.

22. The method as set forth in claim 15 wherein the sensor comprises a Hall effect sensor and the method further comprises measuring a Hall effect responsive to a spatial relationship between the at least one door and the another area of the container.

23. The method of claim 18, and further including the steps of:

constructing a keeper plate on the second door adapted to prevent the at least one door from opening independently of opening of the second door;

structurally mounting the sensor housing in position to define a sensor axis for detecting movement of the keeper plate away from the sensor; and

detecting movement of the keeper plate along the sensor axis relative to the sensor while being relatively insensitive to movement of the keeper plate in a plane generally orthogonal to the sensor axis.

24. A method of monitoring for a breach in the integrity of a container of the type having at least one door, the method comprising:

providing a sensor system comprising a sensor, a housing for the sensor, a data interpretation device, and a transmitter;

structurally mounting the sensor housing in the container in a position to monitor a position of the at least one door;

securing in the housing of a sensor for detecting proximity of the at least one door relative to another area of the container and for providing sensor data;

securing, inside the container, of a data interpretation device adapted for communication with the sensor for interpretation of the sensor data;

determining by the data interpretation device whether an integrity breach has occurred.

securing, in the container, of a transmitter adapted for communicating information relative to a sensed proximity to a location outside the container;

determining by the data interpretation device whether an integrity breach has occurred; and

transmitting information relative to the integrity breach.

25. The method as set forth in claim 24, and further including the step of securing the sensor housing in the at least one door.

26. The method as set forth in claim 25, further comprising integrally mounting the sensor housing in the at least one door of the container.

27. A sensor system adapted for monitoring the integrity of a container, the system comprising:

a container having at least one door;

a sensor housing secured in the container in a position to permit monitoring of a position of the at least one door;

a sensor secured in the housing for detecting proximity of the at least one door relative to another area of the container and for providing sensor data;

a data interpretation device disposed inside the container in communication with the sensor for interpreting the sensor data; and

a transmitter interoperably connected to the data interpretation device for communicating information relative to the sensed proximity to a location outside the container.

28. The system as set forth in claim 27, wherein the sensor housing is integrally mounted in at least one door of the container.

29. The system as set forth in claim 27, wherein the container includes a second door adjacent the at least one door, the system further comprising:

the sensor housing being secured in the at least one door; and

the sensor secured in the housing being adapted to detect proximity of the at least one door relative to the second door.

30. The system as set forth in claim 27, wherein the container is constructed with an aperture adapted for receipt of a portion of the sensor housing.

31. The system as set forth in claim 30, wherein the transmitter is secured in the housing in a position for communicating information, via the aperture, relative to a detected proximity to a location outside the container.

32. The system as set forth in claim 27, wherein the sensor housing is secured in the at least one door of the container, the at least one door of the container includes an aperture formed therein and adapted for receipt of a portion of the housing therethrough, the data interpretation device is disposed within the housing, and the transmitter is disposed within the housing and positioned for communicating information to a location outside the container via the aperture formed therein.

33. The system as set forth in claim 27, wherein the container includes a metal plate, the sensor comprises a Hall effect sensor, the sensor housing is secured in the at least one door, and the Hall effect sensor and the plate are mounted within the container for functional interaction of the Hall effect sensor and the plate with one another to monitor the position of the at least one door.

34. The system as set forth in claim 27, wherein the container includes a second door mounted adjacent the at least one door and the sensor plate comprises a door keeper plate extending outwardly of the second door in position for the functional interaction with the sensor.

35. The system as set forth in claim 27, wherein the sensor comprises an analog magnetic flux vector sensor.

36. The system of claim 33, wherein the sensor comprises a Hall effect sensor.

37. A method of detecting a security breach of a container, the method comprising the steps of:

integrating a proximity sensor into the container;

sensing by the proximity sensor a change in proximity of two container areas;

determining by a data unit whether a security breach of the container has occurred based on a sensed change in the proximity;

communicating by the data unit of a result of the determining step to an antenna interoperably connected to the data unit; and

transmitting by the antenna of information relative to the communicating step.

38. The method of claim 37, further comprising:

receiving, by a reader, of the information from the antenna; and

forwarding, by the reader, of the information to a server.

39. The method of claim 37, wherein the proximity sensor comprises an analog magnetic flux vector sensor and the step of sensing includes the step of determining if a change in magnetic flux has occurred between two container areas;

40. The method of claim 39, wherein the sensor comprises a Hall effect sensor, and the step of sensing includes the detection of Hall effect changes due to the change in proximity of two container areas.