System for monitoring and control of transport containers

• US 8,461,958 B2
• Filed: 08/17/2005
• Issued: 06/11/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wireless Data Solutions, LLC
• Original Assignee: Wireless Data Solutions, LLC
• Inventors: Saenz, Jorge E., Jump, Dennis N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehmood, Jennifer
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jiang, Yong Hang
• Application Number:
  US11/205,498
• Publication Number:
  US 20070040647A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,855 Days
• Field of Search: 340/3.1, 340/3.31, 340/3.32, 340/3.7, 340/3.71, 340/3.9, 340/4.3, 340/5.1, 700/276
• US Class Current: 340/3.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/026 using orientation information, e.g. compass
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/40 for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/182 Network node acting on behalf of an other network entity, e.g. proxy

Abstract

The invention comprises a unit and system for remote monitoring and controlling of various conditions in a container during cargo. The system includes a local wireless or cable (wired) network with a local station and access points positioned in the vicinity of location of containers, a remote central station connected with the Internet and a container-mounted means for monitoring and control of reefer equipment, each of which includes a processor (CPU) and a transceiver of wireless local communication, a GPS-receiver and a transceiver of cellular communication (with all of them being connected to the said processor). In addition the processor (CPU) of the device is connected to the controller of reefer equipment, while the transceiver of wireless local communication is made so that the creation of Personal Area Network (PAN) with mobile electronic devices (e.g., Notebook, Pocket PC, PDA) is possible, and establishment of wireless communication with a communication gateway of the said local network is also possible.

Claims

1. A system for monitoring and controlling one or more conditions in a transport container, comprising:

a microprocessor unit coupled to a first bidirectional communication port for communication with a container'"'"'s controller disposed inside the container, to a second port for communication with a long-range wireless network, and to a third port for communication with a at least one microprocessor unit'"'"'s sensor of a condition in the container;

a global positioning module controlled by the microprocessor unit for determining a location of the container;

a transceiver of local wireless communication controlled by the microprocessor unit;

a transceiver of long-range wireless communication controlled by the microprocessor unit; and

means for monitoring and controlling communication by detecting availability of one or more types of communication networks based on the location of the container determined from the global positioning module, selecting one or more available types of communication networks based on the location of the container determined from the global positioning module and establishing communication with or switching over to one or more available types of communication networks between the unit and a condition-controlling one or more remote computer means via a communication gateway;

wherein the unit is capable of receiving human input data, data from at least one microprocessor unit'"'"'s sensor of a condition in the container, data from one or more remote computer means, and data from the global positioning module, communicating those data to one or more remote computer means via one or more available types of communication networks, receiving instructions based on those data from one or more remote computer means and allowing one or more computer means to remotely monitor and control one or more conditions in the container or the container'"'"'s controller during transportation of the container using the transceiver of local wireless communication and the transceiver of long-range wireless communication.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein one or more available types of communication networks is the local wireless communication network occurring via an 802.11 (Wi-Fi) and/or an 802.15 (Bluetooth) and/or ZigBee LAN.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the LAN is set up on a vehicle or a ship.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein one or more remote computer means is a computer or a mobile device which can bidirectionally communicate with the unit via the communication gateway.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein one or more available types of communication networks is the long-range wireless communication occurring via a cellular and/or satellite and/or 802.16 (WiMax) network.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein one or more remote computer means is a computer or a mobile device which can bidirectionally communicate with the unit via the communication gateway.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the communication gateway is a server, or an access point, or a modem.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising a port for coupling the transceiver of the long range wireless communication with a satellite modem.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the microprocessor unit is integrated with the container'"'"'s microprocessor.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one microprocessor unit'"'"'s sensor of the condition in the container monitors cargo condition in the container.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein the microprocessor unit communicates global positioning data to one or more remote computer means to determine position of the container on a vessel or in a container yard.

22. The system of claim 1, further comprising a power supply port, switch, or activator controlled by the microprocessor unit.

9. A detachable unit for monitoring and controlling one or more conditions in a transport container, comprising:

a microprocessor coupled to a first bidirectional communication port for communication with a container'"'"'s controller disposed inside the container, to a second port for long range wireless communication, and to a third port for communication with a at least one unit'"'"'s sensor of a condition in the container;

a global positioning module having an antenna and a connector for coupling to the unit, the module being controlled by the microprocessor and determining a location of the container;

a transceiver of local wireless communication controlled by coupled to the microprocessor;

a transceiver of long-range wireless communication controlled by the microprocessor; and

means for monitoring and controlling communication by detecting availability of one or more types of communication networks based on the location of the container determined from the global positioning module, selecting one or more available types of communication networks based on the location of the container determined from the global positioning module and establishing communication with or switching over to one or more available types of communication networks between the detachable unit and one or more remote computer means via a communication gateway;

wherein the detachable unit is capable of receiving human input data, data from at least one unit'"'"'s sensor of a condition in the container, data from one or more remote computer means, and data from the global positioning module, communicating those data to one or more remote computer means via one or more available types of communication networks, and receiving instructions based on those data from one or more remote computer means and allowing one or more remote computer means to remotely monitor and control one or more conditions in the container or the container'"'"'s controller during transportation of the container using the transceiver of local wireless communication and the transceiver of long-range wireless communication.

10. The unit of claim 9, wherein one or more available types of communication networks is the local wireless communication network occurring via an 802.11 (Wi-Fi) and/or an 802.15 (Bluetooth) and/or ZigBee LAN.

11. The unit of claim 9, wherein one or more available types of communication occurs between the unit and a mobile communication device.

12. The unit of claim 9, wherein one or more available types of communication occurs via a local and/or a long-range communication network.

13. The unit of claim 12, wherein the local network is a wireless 802.11 LAN, or a 802.3 Ethernet LAN, or a wireless 802.15 Bluetooth personal area network (PAN) or a ZigBee network.

14. The unit of claim 12, wherein the long-range network is a cellular network and/or satellite and/or 802.16 (WiMax) network.

15. The unit of claim 9, further comprising a fourth port for coupling the transceiver of the long range wireless communication with a satellite modem.

16. The unit of claim 9, wherein the microprocessor is integrated with the container'"'"'s microprocessor.

19. The unit of claim 9, wherein at least one microprocessor'"'"'s sensor of the condition in the container monitors cargo condition in the container.

21. The unit of claim 9, wherein the unit communicates global positioning data to one or more remote computer means to determine position of the container on a vessel or in a container yard.

23. The unit of claim 9, further comprising a power supply port, switch, or activator controlled by the microprocessor.