System and method for transport security control and tracking

• US 20080042842A1
• Filed: 06/04/2007
• Published: 02/21/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Surelock Seals LLC
• Original Assignee: Intelli-Site, Inc.
• Inventors: Ulibarri, Giovanni
• Granted Patent: US 7,602,296 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/572.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management

Abstract

The invention disclosed provides an apparatus and method to monitor and track the security of bulk cargo from a dispatch point to a receipt point. The apparatus includes a plurality of RFID antennas at a dispatch location and at a receipt location, networked software modules in communication with the RFID antennas, and disposable RFID tags used as security seals affixed to a carrier at multiple locations. The software modules include a Cargo Registration Module, a Dispatch Scanning Module, and a Receipt Scanning Module. The apparatus and method reduce cargo inspection time and labor at the points of departure and receipt. The automation of the dispatch and receipt process eliminates the human element thereby increasing the efficiency of the process. An additional embodiment includes a “single-use” disposable RFID tagged seal adapted to be attached to a transport portal unable to be removed without damaging an RFID transmitter contained within.

Claims

1. A system for tracking a cargo in a trailer comprising:

a dispatch computer, in operative connection with a database, attached to a network;

the dispatch computer operatively connected to a first RFID scanner and to a set of dispatch video cameras;

the set of dispatch cameras further connected to a first video recorder controlled by the dispatch computer;

a receipt computer, attached to the network;

the receipt computer operatively connected to a second RFID scanner and to a set of receipt video cameras;

the set of receipt video cameras operatively connected to a second video recorder controlled by the receipt computer;

a set of temporary RFID tags, each having a first set of unique identifiers, connected to the trailer;

a set of semi-permanent RFID tags, each having a second set of unique identifiers, connected to the trailer;

the dispatch computer further comprising a cargo registration module for receiving and recording the first set of unique identifiers and the second set of unique identifiers in the database and for receiving and recording a dataset related to the cargo;

the dispatch computer further comprising a dispatch scan module for activating the first RFID scanner to read a first status condition of the set of temporary RFID tags and the set of semi-permanent RFID tags and to store a first status dataset related to the first status condition;

the receipt computer further comprising a receipt security module for activating the second RFID scanner to read a second status condition of the set of temporary RFID tags and the set of semi-permanent RFID tags; and

,

comparing the second status condition with the first status condition to determine a match condition.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the first status condition triggers the dispatch computer to activate the set of dispatch cameras to record an image of the trailer on the first video recorder.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the second status condition triggers the receipt computer to activate the set of receipt cameras to record an image of the trailer on the second video recorder.

4. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a departure gate operatively connected to the dispatch computer; and

,

wherein the first status condition triggers the dispatch computer to activate the departure gate.

5. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a receipt gate operatively connected to the receipt computer; and

,

wherein the second status condition triggers the receipt computer to activate the receipt gate.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the trailer is connected to a truck and wherein the dataset further comprises one or more of the group of:

A transport carrier ID, a cargo ID an operator ID, an inspector ID, a dispatcher ID, a dispatch date and time, a dispatch location, and a dispatch destination.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the set of temporary RFID tags include at least one seal;

the seal comprising a cylindrical bolt having a bolt head and a base flange;

the cylindrical bolt further comprising an embedded RFID unit integrally affixed within the bolt head;

the seal further comprising a sealing nut adjacent the base flange and surrounding the cylindrical bolt; and

the sealing nut further comprising a bias means for preventing removal of the sealing nut from the cylindrical bolt.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the seal is non-metallic and wherein the RFID unit is affixed within the cylindrical bolt with a non-metallic epoxy.

9. The system of claim 7 wherein the bias means further comprises a set of frustroconical locking arms resiliently attached to a cylindrical collar;

and,

the set of frustroconical locking arms non-releasably abuts the flange.

10. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a first GPS base station operatively connected to the dispatch computer;

a second GPS base station operatively connected to the receipt computer; and

a GPS transceiver fixed on the trailer for locating the trailer during transit and communicating the location to the first GPS base station and the second GPS base station.

15. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

providing a first temporary RFID seal having a plastic cylindrical bolt integrally containing an RFID transceiver;

providing a deformable plastic nut for non-releasably securing the plastic cylinder; and

,

sealing the entrance port comprising the step of securing the plastic cylindrical bolt to the deformable plastic nut.

11. A method of tracking a cargo in a container attached to a vehicle where the container further comprises a discrete bin where the bin includes an entrance port, an exit port and a cleaning port, the method comprising:

placing a first permanent RFID seal having a first ID on the vehicle;

placing a second permanent RFID seal having a second ID on the container;

placing a first semi-permanent RFID seal having a third ID on the cleaning port;

placing a first temporary RFID seal having a fourth ID on the entrance port;

placing a second temporary RFID seal having a fifth ID on the exit port;

entering a first dataset into a database, the dataset comprising the first ID, the second ID, the third ID, the fourth ID and the fifth ID;

performing a first remote RFID scan of the first permanent RFID seal, the second permanent RFID seal, the first semi-permanent RFID seal, the first temporary RFID seal and the second temporary RFID seal to derive a second dataset;

storing the second dataset in a database;

comparing the first dataset to the second dataset;

recording a first recorded video image of the container and of the vehicle if the second dataset does not match the first dataset;

dispatching the container and the vehicle if the second dataset matches the first dataset;

transmitting the second dataset to a receiving station;

performing a second remote RFID scan of the first permanent RFID seal, the second permanent RFID seal, the first semi-permanent RFID seal, the first temporary RFID seal and the second temporary RFID seal to derive a third dataset;

storing the third dataset;

comparing the second dataset to the third dataset;

recording a second recorded video image of the container and of the vehicle if the third dataset does not match the second dataset;

admitting the container and the vehicle into a receiving station if the third dataset matches the second dataset.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

storing a notification in the database upon admitting the container and the vehicle into the receiving station.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

destroying the first semi-permanent RFID seal upon removal from the container according to a first delay schedule;

destroying the second semi-permanent RFID seal upon removal from the container according to a second delay schedule;

destroying the first temporary RFID seal upon removal from the container upon admittance to the receiving station; and

,

destroying the second temporary RFID seal upon removal from the container upon admittance to the receiving station;

14. The method of claim 12 wherein entering a first dataset includes entering one or more of the group of transport carrier ID, cargo ID, operator ID, inspector ID, dispatcher ID, dispatcher date and time, dispatch location and receipt location in the database.

16. The method of claim 11 further comprising monitoring a geographic location of the container by GPS locator.

17. The method of claim 11 further comprising repeating the step of performing a first remote RFID scan if the second dataset does not match the first dataset.

18. The method of claim 11 further comprising repeating the step of performing a second remote RFID scan if the third dataset does not match the second dataset.

19. The method of claim 11 wherein dispatching the container includes sending a first signal to a gate.

20. The method of claim 11 wherein admitting the container includes destroying the second temporary RFID seal.

21. The method of claim 11 further comprising displaying a first live video image of the container before departure and the first recorded video image of the container simultaneously on a display.

22. The method of claim 21 further comprising displaying a second live video image of the container after departure and the second recorded video image of the container simultaneously on a display.

23. The method of claim 11 further comprising storing a dispatch message in the database upon dispatch.

24. A method for securely transporting a cargo with a truck and a trailer comprising:

identifying a cargo type in a bin in the trailer and storing the cargo type in a database;

sealing an opening in the bin with a destructible electronic seal having a first ID and storing the first ID in the database;

polling the destructible electronic seal at a departure location and remotely recording second ID transmitted by the destrubtible electronic seal;

comparing the first ID with the second ID;

if the first ID does not match the second ID, then detaining the trailer in the departure location, activating a first live video feed, recording a first recorded video image of the destructible electronic seal and storing a departure aborted event in the database;

if the first ID matches the second ID, then releasing the trailer from the departure location and storing a departure occurred event in the database;

transporting the cargo to a receiving quarantine location;

transmitting the second ID to the receiving quarantine location;

polling the destructible electronic seal at the receiving quarantine location and remotely recording a third ID transmitted by the destrubtable electronic seal;

comparing the second ID to the third ID;

if the second ID does not match the third ID, then detaining the trailer in the receiving quarantine location, activating a second live video feed, recording a second recorded video image of the destructible electronic seal and storing a receive failure event in the database; and

,

if the second ID matches the first ID, then releasing the trailer from the receive quarantine location and storing a receive occurred event in the database.

25. The method of claim 24 further comprising:

simultaneously displaying the first live video feed and the first recorded video signal on a first video display; and

,

simultaneously displaying the second live video feed and the second recorded video signal on a second video display.

26. The method of claim 24 further comprising:

providing a destructible electronic seal comprising a bolt section integrated with an RFID tag and a non-removable nut section; and

,

sealing the opening by joining the bolt section with the non-removable nut section.

27. The method of claim 24 further comprising:

identifying a plurality of cargo types in a plurality of bins in the trailer and storing each of the plurality cargo types in the database;

sealing an opening from each of the plurality with a set of destructible electronic seals wherein each of the set of destructible electronic seals has a unique ID; and

,

storing each unique ID in the database.

28. The method of claim 24 further comprising:

associating a first non-destructible RFID tag with the truck having a forth ID;

associating a second non-destructible RFID tag with the trailer having a fifth ID; and

,

recording the fourth ID and the fifth ID in the database.

29. The method of claim 28 further comprising:

transmitting the fourth ID and the fifth ID to the receipt quarantine location;

polling the first non-destructible RFID tag and the second non-destructible RFID tag to receive a sixth ID and a seventh ID;

comparing the sixth ID to the fourth ID;

comparing the fifth ID to the seventh ID; and

,

recording the results of the comparison in the database.

30. The method of claim 24 further comprising:

tracking the transportation of the cargo with a GPS signal.