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Shipping container monitoring and tracking systemShipping container monitoring and tracking system description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20080094209, Shipping container monitoring and tracking system. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/994,781, filed on Nov. 22, 2004, which parent application was and is hereby incorporated herein in its entirety for all purposes. All benefit under 35 U.S.C. .sctn. 120 for and to that application was and is hereby claimed. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] The present invention relates generally to the field of container shipping, and particularly to methods and systems for monitoring and tracking containers and cargo during transportation. [0003] Intermodal container shipping involves the shipment of various commodities in a container from an origin to a destination using multiple modes of transportation such as trucks, trains, barges, feeder vessels, ocean-going ships, and planes. The shipping industry uses standardized containers, which can be mounted on wheeled chassis for truck transportation. These standard containers have two doors at the rear, which can be opened and closed using externally-mounted camshaft levers. [0004] Today, securing container doors generally involves attaching a numbered seal to the door's camshaft lever. The seal can take the form of a bolt, a plastic tie, or an electronic seal, which stores information for later retrieval. Conventional methods of tracking containers typically involve logging of container arrivals and departures from designated facilities. Even the newer electronic seals do not communicate security alerts until after a container arrives at a facility where readers are available. Because conventional security measures do not include real-time alerts, containers protected with conventional seals are vulnerable to tampering or breach during transit. [0005] Following the tragic events of Sep. 11, 2001, there have been several attempts to address container security issues. For example, Boman et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2004/0100379, discloses a system for monitoring the security of intermodal freight containers. The system comprises a monitoring device, reader, server and software backbone. The monitoring device includes one or more sensors for determining if a security condition has occurred. The sensors are capable of detecting temperature, vibration, radioactivity, gas or motion. The device communicates with a fixed or mobile reader in order to determine the security and location of the container to which the device is attached. The reader electronically transmits the information from the device to the server. [0006] However, the Boman system has a number of disadvantages that make it impractical for most conventional intermodal shipping applications. For example, the monitoring device attached to the container does not have the capability to communicate directly with the software backbone. Rather, it communicates via a separate fixed or mobile reader using a short-range, low power radio system. The reader serves as a relay station between the monitoring device and the server. Thus, the monitoring device must be in close proximity to a reader in order to transmit alert signals to the software backbone. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 6 of Boman, a reader 16 must be installed on the cargo ship to allow the monitoring devices attached to the containers to communicate via satellite during transit. The positioning of reader devices throughout the transit route is impractical. For example, many carriers would not permit such reader devices to be even temporarily installed for a variety of reasons, including concern that such radio communications devices would interfere with critical shipboard radio communications. In addition, the installation of reader devices on other modes of transportation, such as trucks, trains, barges, feeder vessels and planes would be prohibitively expensive. [0007] Yagesh, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2004/0113783, discloses an intermodal threat identification, detection, and notification transportation security system. The Yagesh system includes a container locking seal configured to be removably coupled to a freight shipping container. The seal includes sensors capable of detecting, container conditions, such as temperature, seal tampering, etc. The Yagesh system may be used to monitor the actual position of a cargo vehicle to determine whether the actual position of the vehicle corresponds to its predetermined route. An alarm condition is generated if the actual position of the vehicle does not correspond to the predetermined route. [0008] Like the Boman monitoring device, the Yagesh locking device attached to the container is incapable of communicating directly with a computerized alarm monitoring system. Rather, the locking device must communicate with a nearby container state recorder (CSR). For example, as illustrated in FIG. 1 of Yagesh, a CSR must be installed onboard the vessel or vehicle on which the containers will be transported. As discussed above, such a solution is logistically impractical. [0009] In addition, both the Boman and Yagesh systems do not provide useful cargo tracking and logistics functions. For example, both systems focus on the physical condition of container itself, and lack tools for processing and tracking data relating to the cargo within the container. Thus, these devices are generally limited to providing a security function and do not provide any useful cargo tracking and logistics functions. [0010] For the foregoing reasons, there is a strong need for a system for monitoring and tracking containers and cargo during transportation that can monitor container conditions, track container position, and provide current logistics information relating to the cargo, which does not require installation reader devices to carry out communications. The present invention provides these and other advantageous results. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0011] The present system provides a system for monitoring and tracking a container for transporting cargo. The system includes an onboard device attached to the container and a central computer system. The central computer system processes alerts transmitted by the onboard device and tracks the position of the onboard device. The onboard device includes a processor/sensor component and an antenna component. The processor/sensor component comprises a processor for controlling the device and a memory. The processor/sensor component also includes one or more sensors in communication with the processor for sensing container conditions. A satellite modem in the processor/sensor component transmits alerts relating to container conditions and other satellite communications. The antenna component includes a satellite antenna, which is connected to the satellite modem. [0012] The onboard device can also include a global positioning system (GPS) receiver/antenna in communication with the processor for determining the position of the device. [0013] In one embodiment, the onboard device further comprises a short-range wireless communications module and RF antenna for transmitting and receiving short-range radio-frequency (RF) communications and/or a cellular telephone modem/antenna in communication with the processor for transmitting and receiving cellular telephone communications comprising alerts relating to container conditions. The processor can be programmed to select a mode of communications from multiple modes of wireless communications comprising satellite communications, cellular telephone communications, and short-range wireless communications based upon one or more rules. [0014] In one embodiment, the onboard device includes a rechargeable battery and a solar panel for recharging the battery. [0015] The system can also include one or more fixed communications devices for creating a communications hotspot to facilitate communications between the onboard device and the central computer system. Each fixed communications device preferably includes a processor for controlling the fixed communication device. A short-range wireless communications module for transmits and receives short-range RF communications between the fixed communications device and the onboard device. A cellular modem and cellular telephone antenna for transmitting and receiving communications between the fixed communications device and one or more external computing device via a computer network. [0016] The system can also include one or more handheld computing devices in communication with the onboard device via short-range RF signals and the central computer system via a wired or wireless connection to a computer network. The handheld computing devices can control the mode of operation and update the onboard device. At least one of the handheld computing devices preferably includes a computer readable tag reader for reading the cargo information. The handheld computing device receives and correlates the container identification number and cargo information and transmits the correlated container identification number and cargo information to the central computer system. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0017] These and other features, aspects and advantages of the invention will become more fully apparent from the following detailed description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings where: [0018] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a shipping container monitoring and tracking system in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; [0019] FIG. 2A is a front view of an embodiment of an onboard device; [0020] FIG. 2B is a side view of the onboard device of FIG. 2A showing the antenna unit, processor/sensor unit and bracket/clamp; Continue reading about Shipping container monitoring and tracking system... Full patent description for Shipping container monitoring and tracking system Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Shipping container monitoring and tracking system patent application. ###
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