Smart pallet-box cargo container

• US 20050232747A1
• Filed: 05/13/2005
• Published: 10/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: VerdaSee Solutions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Private Pallet Security Systems LLC
• Inventors: Ash, David, Dulin, Jacques M., Kossnar, Dennis J., Brackmann, Rogers F., Brackmann, Jay R.
• Granted Patent: US 7,714,708 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 414/803
• CPC Class Codes: B60P 3/03 for transporting money or other valuables
• CPC Class Codes: B60P 3/14 the object being a workshop for servicing, for maintenance, or for carrying workmen during work lifting devices for movable platforms or cabins for workmen B66F11/04

Abstract

Smart cargo container system comprising auditable, secure, sealable, stackable, trackable and pollable, universal, “pallet boxes” used: 1) auto-latchingly secured to the under-carriage transverse I-beams of over-the-road semi-trailers by means of a guiding latching system; and 2) stackable, up to three or more high, in the trailers or warehouses. Sophisticated battery-powered electronic locks, sensors and alarms are provided, as well as an RF communications and GPS locator module that radios to a base station the time, location and status of the inventive smart cargo container, and any anomalous events as they occur, including unauthorized attempts to open or break into the container, or potential damage events. In addition, both the locks and comm modules are programmable, and provide extensive, and selectably pollable and downloadable event, access and transport history and audit trails. The comm system permits remote tracking and real time status check via the Internet, LAN or WAN wireless networks

Claims

1. A smart cargo container for secure, trackable, pollable and auditable, shipment and warehousing of products and materials comprising in operative combination:

a) a unitary container body having two pairs of opposed, spaced, generally orthogonally oriented generally planar vertical side walls integral with a bottom, a first pair of said side walls defining a front wall and a back wall and a second pair defining a left and a right side wall;

b) a generally planar, openable lid including a margin having a lip for sealingly engaging the tops of said side walls, said lid is hinged to said back wall and includes tangs to engage lid latch members mounted in association with said body front wall, and said lid includes an anti-pry catch system disposed medially along the remaining two walls adjacent their top margin;

c) said body walls, bottom and lid defining a cargo load space;

d) an external structural exoskeleton for both said lid and said body, said lid skeleton comprising criss-crossed straps and a marginal band, and said body external structural exoskeleton is comprised of three panels, a front panel, a rear panel and a bottom panel, said front and rear panels being hinged at a lower marginal edge to the front and back of said bottom panel, said body exoskeleton panels provide a continuous sling structure for carrying the suspended weight of said container;

e) an auditable electronic lock system integrated into the front panel of said exoskeleton;

f) said front panel includes a pivoting cover for the body of said electronic lock and for said lid latches to prevent access thereto, said cover including a flange extending over the front lip of said lid and said electronic lock preventing said cover from being opened to reveal said lid latches until said electronic lock is opened by an authorized person at an authorized time or place;

g) at least one sensor disposed to provide a signal relating to an internal security condition of said cargo container; and

h) a pollable communications module disposed in at least one of said container walls, bottom or top, said module including a battery power supply, a microprocessor controller, an RF transceiver unit and a GPS locator unit, said controller including inputs for said sensor and said GPS unit, and including timing circuit for periodically sending data via RF signals representing a unique identifier of said cargo container, and the status and location of said cargo container.

2. Smart cargo container as in claim 1 wherein said at least one internal security condition sensor is selected from a security screen assembly disposed in the load space to cover at least said left and right side wall to provide a signal to said controller in the event the screen is breached and at least one RF sensor.

3. Smart cargo container as in claim 1 wherein said at least one security condition sensor comprises a sensor disposed in communication with said load space selected from a sensor for:

intrusion;

ionizing radiation and X-ray;

sound;

light color, contrast and intensity;

ultrasound (US);

infra-red (IR);

electromagnetic fields;

current, voltage and resistance;

humidity;

pH;

temperature, including both external ambient and internal;

motion, including change of direction, acceleration and speed;

transient vibration, displacement, inclination and shock;

pressure, weight, load and force;

gases;

fine particulates;

fumes;

chemicals;

biologicals, volatile hydrocarbons;

smoke;

explosives; and

immobilizing, irritating, incapacitating or lethal gases, including single components of binary, ternary or quarternary gas mixtures.

4. Smart cargo container as in claim 1 wherein said lid is a divided into two panels hinged to each other, and said anti-pry catch system is disposed on said left and right side walls adjacent the location of said lid panel hinges, said body exoskeleton panels are bolted through to the interior of said container and said container includes an audio alarm unit selectively triggerable upon opening said lid.

5. Smart cargo container as in claim 1 wherein said electronic lock system includes a lock body that opens only upon recognition exchange with a programmable key that communicates with said lock body, and said lock system includes at least one memory element that retrievably stores data on lock opening events, including data selected from at least one of time, duration, and unique key identifiers.

6. Smart cargo container as in claim 5 wherein said key is selectively programmable to open only at least one of a plurality of selected containers and to open only at a selected time or location.

7. Smart cargo container as in claim 5 wherein said electronic lock system communicates with said controller module for real time monitoring, reprogramming, and location data.

8. Smart cargo container as in claim 1 which includes a trickle charger for said battery, and an outlet for connection to external power is included in at least one side wall.

9. Smart cargo container as in claim 1 which includes container status lights visible on the exterior of said container, said status including at least one of an armed condition, an open condition, a battery low condition, an attention-required condition, a wrong location warning, and a breach or damage condition,

10. Smart cargo container as in claim 1 wherein said controller reports back condition and location of said container upon RF polling from a separate location.

11. Computer-enabled Internet cargo container tracking system comprising in operative combination:

a) a plurality of secure cargo containers, each having a body and lid defining a cargo space, said lid being hinged at one end and including tangs for engaging latches to secure said lid on said body;

b) each said cargo container including;

i) an exoskeleton of steel strapping on the lid and steel panels on a front and back side and the bottom, each bolted to said body;

ii) an auditable electronic lock system secured to said front panel;

iii) said front panel includes a pivoting cover for the body of said electronic lock and for said lid latches to prevent access thereto, said cover including a flange extending over the front of said lid and said electronic lock preventing said cover from being opened to reveal said lid latches until opened by an authorized person activating said electronic lock at an authorized time or place;

iv) a pollable communications module disposed in at least one of said container walls, bottom or top, said module including a battery power supply, a microprocessor controller, an RF transceiver unit and a GPS locator unit, said controller including inputs for at least one sensor disposed to provide a signal relating to a security condition of said cargo container and said GPS unit, and including a timing circuit for periodically sending data via RF signals representing a unique identifier of said cargo container, and the status and location of said cargo container;

c) a base station including a transceiver for receiving RF signals from said container RF transceiver, and a computer system including;

a web server for securely serving pages to clients and a CPU and memory, including operating and applications programs that receive, analyze and save, in at least one database structure, real time and time-related security status and location data from a plurality of said containers, and serve pages to clients, including pages having annotated map information of the container identification, map location and movement and event alerts;

d) at least one client container monitoring computer system including a CPU, memory, at least one display, and input/output peripherals, said CPU and memory including operating and applications programs that cause said computer to access the Internet and receive and display the web pages served by said server upon entry of client authorization data, said web pages including at least said real time and time-related security status and location data about containers for which said client has authorization to monitor in graphical or text format.

12. Computer-enabled Internet cargo container tracking system as in claim 11 wherein said containers include at least one sensor providing a signal relating to a security condition of said cargo container which is relayed to said base station and postable to said web page for retrieval by said client computer system.

13. Computer-enabled Internet cargo container tracking system as in claim 12 wherein said at least one sensor includes a security screen assembly disposed in the load space to cover at least said left and right side wall to provide a signal to said controller in the event the screen is breached.

14. Computer-enabled Internet cargo container tracking system as in claim 12 wherein said base station or said client monitoring system includes executable code permitting said container to be polled for its location and status at a given time.

15. Computer-enabled Internet cargo container tracking system as in claim 14 wherein said electronic lock system includes a lock body that opens only upon recognition exchange with a programmable key that communicates with said lock body, and said lock system includes at least one memory element that retrievably stores data on lock opening events, including data selected from at least one of time, duration, and unique key identifiers.

16. Computer-enabled Internet cargo container tracking system as in claim 15 wherein said key is selectively programmable to open only at least one of a plurality of selected containers and to open only at a selected time or location.

17. Computer-enabled Internet cargo container tracking system as in claim 16 wherein said electronic lock system communicates with said controller module for real time monitoring, reprogramming, and location data.

18. Computer-enabled Internet cargo container tracking system as in claim 14 wherein said at least one sensor comprises a sensor disposed in communication with said load space selected from a sensor for:

intrusion;

ionizing radiation and X-ray;

sound;

light color, contrast and intensity;

ultrasound (US);

infra-red (IR);

electromagnetic fields;

current, voltage and resistance;

humidity;

pH;

temperature, including both external ambient and internal;

motion, including acceleration;

transient vibration, displacement, inclination and shock;

pressure, weight, load and force;

gases;

fine particulates;

fumes;

chemicals;

biologicals, volatile hydrocarbons;

smoke;

explosives; and

immobilizing, irritating, incapacitating or lethal gases, including single components of binary, ternary or quarternary gas mixtures.

19. Computer-enabled Internet cargo container tracking system as in claim 12 wherein said sensors are short range RF sensors, and said controller includes code for processing signals from said sensors into data relating to the condition sensed by said sensors.

20. Computer-enabled Internet cargo container tracking system as in claim 11 wherein said web server system maintains a database of the history of handling of each container tracked and serves said history to said client upon request, said history includes at least one of:

a unique identifier for each container;

a map graphically showing location and/or movement of said container;

opening attempts, times and durations;

personnel authorized to open a container;

electronic lock configuring information;

handling locations and times comprising shipping and storage events;

anomalous events sensed by container sensors;

ownership of each container;

identification of shipper and customer for each shipping and storage period;

nature or type and amount of goods shipped or stored, and the times and periods involved.