SYSTEMS, METHODS, AND DEVICES FOR SECURING CARGO

• US 20140218218A1
• Filed: 01/28/2014
• Published: 08/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Commercial Finance Corp. s. de R.L.
• Original Assignee: Commercial Finance Corporation
• Inventors: Lloreda, Mauricio, Lopez, Ivan, Herrera, Daniel
• Granted Patent: US 9,260,896 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/989
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 39/005 Locks with means for tracking the location of locked items, e.g. freight containers
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 83/02 Locks for railway freight-cars, freight containers or the like; Locks for the cargo compartments of commercial lorries, trucks or vans
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 83/08 with elongated bars for actuating the fastening means
• CPC Class Codes: E05C 19/186 with a pair of hooks, which are movable towards each other for grasping of an element on the wing, respectively on the frame, or for grasping of an element on each of the wings forming a double door
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/34 Route searching; Route guidance
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/0092 for cargo, freight or shipping containers and applications therefore in general
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00309 operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00896 specially adapted for particular uses
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/127 to a central station ; Indicators in a central station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/207 with respect to certain areas, e.g. forbidden or allowed areas with possible alerting when inside or outside boundaries

Abstract

Enhanced methods and systems for securing and monitoring cargo are described. Some examples provide a cargo monitoring system (“CMS”) that is configured to track, identify, and report about anomalous conditions or events related to cargo shipments. The CMS may include a software system that receives conditions information from electromechanical locks that secure cargo. The locks include data terminals that facilitate near real time monitoring of cargo. The electromechanical locks are installed on the bars or other mechanism (e.g., door rings) that lock the doors of a cargo container, train car, van door, or the like. The data terminals include logic that is configured to transmit to the CMS information about current conditions, such as location, temperature, lock status (e.g., open, closed), tamper attempts, and the like. The cargo monitoring system interprets the received information and performs various actions based thereon, such as to transmit alerts if anomalous conditions are detected.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring cargo, the method comprising:

receiving conditions information from a lock that secures cargo and that is configured to transmit conditions information that includes an indication of a current location of the cargo;

receiving an indication of a route that is to be traveled by the cargo;

determining whether the cargo has deviated from the route based on the current location of the cargo; and

transmitting a notification of the deviation when the cargo has deviated from the route.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the lock secures a cargo container that includes the cargo.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the lock secures a van that includes the cargo.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a photograph of the lock when it is installed to secure the cargo; and

in response, activating the lock.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the conditions information includes an indication of at least one of:

a temperature, an acceleration sensed by the lock, an attempt to tamper with the lock, an inclination of the lock, a battery level within the lock, leaning of doors of a container secured by the lock, and vibration sensed by the lock.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving an indication of a route includes:

receiving an indication of a road segment that must be traveled by the cargo.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

receiving indications of multiple segments that are part of the route; and

generating a data structure that reflects the route and includes indications of the multiple segments.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the determining whether the cargo has deviated from the route includes:

determining, based on the current location of the cargo, that the cargo container is no longer on the road segment.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the determining whether the cargo has deviated from the route includes:

determining, based on the current location of the cargo, that the cargo is traveling in a disallowed direction along the road segment.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the determining whether the cargo has deviated from the route includes:

determining, based on the current location of the cargo, that a vehicle carrying the cargo has made a U-turn.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein the determining whether the cargo has deviated from the route includes:

determining, based on the current location of the cargo, a current distance to a destination for the cargo; and

determining that the current distance is greater than a previously determined distance to the destination.

12. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

receiving an indication of multiple road segments that must be traveled by the cargo, the multiple road segments specified via an interactive mapping user interface.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving an indication of a route includes:

receiving an indication of a location or region where travel or stopping is or is not allowed.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

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determining, based on the conditions information, that a vehicle carrying the cargo is wandering prior to entering the route; and

in response, transmitting a notification that the vehicle is wandering.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, based on the conditions information, a current or average speed of a vehicle carrying the cargo; and

when the speed exceeds a specified threshold, transmitting a notification.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that conditions information has not been received from the lock.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

when the cargo is in or near a region of poor communication coverage, determine a time when the cargo is expected to exit the region of poor communication coverage; and

when the cargo does not exit the region by the determined time, transmitting a notification.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

if the cargo is in or near a region of poor communication coverage, transmitting a notification that informs a recipient of an expected loss of communication; and

if the cargo is not in or near a region of poor communication coverage, transmitting a notification that warns of an unexpected loss of communication.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing multiple notification levels, including a first level for informational messages, a second level for warning messages, and a third level for serious alert messages.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the multiple notification levels each have corresponding notification mechanism including at least one of email, text message, telephone call to a contact person, and telephone call to law enforcement.

21. A non-transitory computer-readable medium including contents that are configured, when executed, to cause a computing system to perform a method for monitoring cargo, the method comprising:

receiving conditions information from a lock that secures cargo and that is configured to transmit conditions information that includes an indication of a current location of the cargo;

receiving an indication of a route that is to be traveled by the cargo;

determining whether the cargo has deviated from the route based on the current location of the cargo; and

transmitting a notification of the deviation when the cargo has deviated from the route.

22. A system for monitoring cargo, the system comprising:

a processor;

a memory; and

a module that is stored in the memory and that is configured, when executed by the processor, to perform a method comprising;

receiving conditions information from a lock that secures cargo and that is configured to transmit conditions information that includes an indication of a current location of the cargo;

receiving an indication of a route that is to be traveled by the cargo;

determining whether the cargo has deviated from the route based on the current location of the cargo; and

transmitting a notification of the deviation when the cargo has deviated from the route.