Abstract:
An apparatus includes a carrier, and a system that is responsive to wireless signals transmitted by tags on items carried by the carrier for maintaining a local inventory of items carried by the carrier. A different apparatus involves a carrier having a container with an interior, a sensor for detecting a condition externally of the container that can be related to an environment within the container, and a system that handles information from the sensor in a manner facilitating an evaluation of the likelihood that a problem exists within the container. Another apparatus involves a carrier for a plurality of items, and a system that is responsive to wireless signals received from a remote location for determining a current location of the carrier and for evaluating whether the carrier is proceeding along an intended route.

Description:
[0001]     This application claims the priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 of U.S. provisional application No. 60/588,229 filed Jul. 15, 2004, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     This invention relates in general to monitoring and security for containers and, more particularly, to devices that provide automated monitoring and security for shipping containers.  
       BACKGROUND  
       [0003]     A variety of different products are shipped in cargo containers. Products are packed into the container by a shipper, and then the container doors are closed and secured with some type of lock. The container is then transported to a destination, where a recipient removes the lock and unloads the container.  
         [0004]     The shipper often finds it advantageous to have some form of monitoring while the container is being transported. For example, the cargo within the container may be relatively valuable products such as computers or other electronic devices, and thieves may attempt to break into the container and steal these products if the container is left unattended during transport. Alternatively, the cargo may be products such as fresh fruit, for which it is advantageous to continuously monitor environmental conditions such as temperature and humidity, in order to avoid or minimize spoilage. As still another example, the cargo may include items that can be damaged by moisture that leaks into the container during a rainstorm, or that escapes from some other item in the container.  
         [0005]     It is not cost-feasible to have a person watch a container at all times in order to provide security and/or monitoring. Accordingly, electronic systems have previously been developed to provide a degree of automated security and/or monitoring. Although these pre-existing systems have been generally adequate for their intended purposes, they have not been satisfactory in all respects.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0006]     One of the broader forms of the invention involves: providing a carrier; supporting on the carrier a plurality of items; receiving wireless signals transmitted by tags on the items carried by the carrier; and maintaining a local inventory of items carried by the carrier.  
         [0007]     Another of the broader forms of the invention involves: providing a carrier having a container with an interior, the container being adapted to carry a plurality of items within the interior; detecting with a sensor at a location external to the container a condition that can be related to an environment within the container; and handling information from the sensor in a manner facilitating an evaluation of the likelihood that a problem exists within the container.  
         [0008]     Yet another of the broader forms of the invention involves: providing a carrier adapted to carry a plurality of items; storing in a system on the carrier information representing an intended route for the carrier; responding to wireless signals received from a remote location by determining a current location of the carrier; and evaluating whether the carrier is proceeding along the intended route.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0009]     A better understanding of the present invention will be realized from the detailed description that follows, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:  
         [0010]      FIG. 1  is a diagrammatic perspective view of an apparatus that embodies aspects of the present invention, and that includes a cargo container and a monitoring and control unit.  
         [0011]      FIG. 2  is a diagrammatic view of the container and the monitoring and control unit, showing certain components within each of the container and the monitoring and control unit.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0012]      FIG. 1  is a diagrammatic perspective view of an apparatus that embodies aspects of the present invention, and that includes a cargo carrier in the form of a container  10  of a known type, and a monitoring and control (MC) unit  11 . The major parts of the container  10  are all made of steel, except that the floor of the container  10  is made of wood. However, the container  10  could alternatively be made of any other suitable materials. The container  10  has two pivotally supported doors  12  and  13  that can each move between open and closed positions, and has a latch assembly  14  that can releasably secure the doors  12  and  13  in their closed position. The illustrated configuration of the container  10  and the MC unit  11  is exemplary, and each could alternatively have any of a number of other configurations. In this regard, the MC unit  11  could be configured to be easily retrofit onto an existing container or pallet, or it could be configured as a built-in arrangement that is installed at the factory while a container or pallet is being assembled.  
         [0013]     The MC unit  11  has an external portion  17  that is secured to the exterior of the container, and has an internal portion that is not visible in  FIG. 1 . The external portion  17  and the internal portion are both discussed in more detail later. The MC unit  11  can send and receive radio frequency (RF) wireless signals  26 , in order to communicate with a stationary reader  27  when the container is in the vicinity of the reader  27 . In addition, the MC unit  11  can send and receive RF wireless signals  28 , in order to communicate with a handheld unit  29  when the handheld unit is in the vicinity of the container  10 .  
         [0014]      FIG. 2  is a diagrammatic view of the container  10  and the MC unit  11 , showing certain components that are within each of the container  10  and the MC unit  11 . In more detail, a plurality of items  51 - 53  are disposed within the container  10 , and the container  10  serves as a carrier for the items  51 - 53  during shipment. The items  51 - 53  each have supported thereon a respective radio frequency identification (RFID) tag  56 - 58  of a known type. The items  51 - 53  are packed within a case  61 , and an RFID tag  63  of a known type is mounted on the case  61 . The RFID tags  56 - 58  and  63  emit respective RF wireless signals  71 - 74 , and the signals  71 - 74  each contain a respective unique code. The tags  56 - 58  and  63  emit these wireless signals at periodic intervals, or in response to receipt of a wireless interrogation signal.  
         [0015]     In  FIG. 2 , the cargo includes the items  51 - 53  and the case  61 , but this cargo is exemplary, and could have a variety of other configurations. For example, the case  63  could be omitted, or there could be a plurality of cases that each contain one or more items. Further, the total number of items in the container  10  could be larger or smaller than that shown in  FIG. 2 , and the number of items in each case  61  could be larger or smaller.  
         [0016]     An environmental control unit (ECU)  78  of a known type is installed within the container  10 . The ECU  78  can influence the environment within the container  10 , for example by heating or cooling the air within the container, by adjusting the pressure of the air within the container, and/or by removing humidity from the air within the container. These environmental control functions are merely exemplary, and the ECU  78  may be configured to control any other selected environmental conditions.  
         [0017]     As mentioned above, the internal portion of the MC unit  11  is not visible in  FIG. 1 , but it is shown diagrammatically at  81  in  FIG. 2 . The internal portion  81  includes a plurality of sensors, which are collectively shown in a diagrammatic manner at  83 . In the disclosed embodiment, the sensors  83  include a temperature sensor, a pressure sensor, a humidity sensor, a moisture sensor, a door sensor for detecting when the container doors  12  and  13  are closed, a radiation sensor for detecting radioactive emissions, and a gas sensor for detecting hazardous or poisonous gases, such as hydrogen cyanide or phosgene. The sensors  83  may optionally include more than one sensor of any given type. In addition, the sensors  83  could optionally include sensors for detecting unauthorized intrusion into the container, such as electro-mechanical sensors that can determine whether the container doors remain in a closed position, and/or RF sensors that can monitor an RF signal for any change indicative of unauthorized intrusion.  
         [0018]     The internal portion  81  of the MC unit  11  includes a reader  84 , which can receive the wireless signals  71 - 74  emitted by each of the tags  56 - 58  and  63  within the container  10 . The reader can also selectively emit a wireless interrogation signal to each of the tags  56 - 58  and  63  within the container  10 , in order to cause each of these tags to transmit its wireless signal  71 - 74 . Although the reader  84  is shown diagrammatically as a single block in  FIG. 2 , it would be possible for the reader  84  to include multiple readers disposed at spaced locations within the container  10 , in order to provide better coverage with respect to receipt of the wireless signals emitted by tags within the container.  
         [0019]     A manually operable control panel  86  is also part of the internal portion  81  of the MC unit  11 , and serves as a user interface for a purpose discussed later. The control panel  86  includes a not-illustrated keypad, and a not-illustrated display, such as a liquid crystal display (LCD). The internal portion  81  of the MC unit  11  further includes an ECU interface, which is operatively coupled to and can control the ECU  78 . Thus, the MC unit  11  can cause the ECU  78  to adjust one or more characteristics of the environment within the container  10 , for example by heating or cooling the air in the container, or dehumidifying the air in the container.  
         [0020]     The internal portion  81  of the MC unit  11  includes a battery  91  that powers the circuitry of the MC unit  11 . A double headed arrow  94  in  FIG. 2  is a diagrammatic representation of the fact that the internal portion  81  of the MC unit  11  is operatively coupled to the external portion  17  thereof. In the disclosed embodiment, the internal and external portions are electrically coupled by not-illustrated wires that extend through a not-illustrated opening in the metal wall of the container  10 . However, it would alternatively be possible for the internal and external portions of the MC unit  11  to be operatively coupled by a wireless link, especially in a configuration where the walls of the container  10  were made of a nonmetallic material that did not tend to obstruct radio waves.  
         [0021]     The external portion  17  of the MC unit  11  includes a plurality of sensors that are collectively indicated in a diagrammatic manner at  101 . In the disclosed embodiment, the sensors  101  include a temperature sensor, a pressure sensor, a humidity sensor, a moisture sensor, a radiation sensor for detecting radioactive emissions, and a gas sensor for detecting hazardous or poisonous gases, such as hydrogen cyanide or phosgene. The sensors  101  may optionally include more than one sensor of any given type. In addition, the sensors  101  could optionally include sensors for detecting unauthorized intrusion into the container, such as electro-mechanical sensors that can determine whether the container doors remain in a closed position, and/or RF sensors that can monitor an RF signal for any change indicative of unauthorized intrusion.  
         [0022]     The external portion  17  further includes RFID tag circuitry  106  of a known type. The circuitry  106  can send and receive the wireless signals  26  and  28  that are respectively associated with the reader  27  and the handheld unit  29 . As evident from the foregoing discussion, the disclosed embodiment includes RFID tag circuitry  106  and a reader  84 . However, it would alternatively be possible to use an RF transmitter in place of the tag circuitry  106 , and an RF receiver in place of the reader  84 .  
         [0023]     The external portion  17  includes a processor  111  of a known type, and a memory  116 . The memory  116  stores information that includes a database  121 , an event log  122 , and a container inventory  123 . The hardware of the processor  111  and the memory  116  may, for example, be implemented using a commercially available micro-controller.  
         [0024]     The RFID tag  106  in  FIG. 2  is a type of tag referred to in the industry as a long-range tag. The wireless signals that it emits have a relatively long range, such as 100 meters or more. It would be advantageous if each of the tags  56 - 58  and  63  could also be a long-range tag. However, long-range tags are typically too expensive to be placed on all of the items and cases. Consequently, long-range tags are typically placed on valuable items and/or on larger devices, including carriers such as containers, trucks and pallets that are used to carry a number of smaller items. For smaller items, it is common to use tags of a type commonly known in the art as short-range tags.  
         [0025]     Consequently, in  FIG. 2 , the RFID tags  56 - 58  and  63  are short-range tags, and may be either passive or active short-range tags. They emit wireless signals with relatively short ranges, and usually need to be within about 1-10 meters of a reader in order for the reader to receive the tag&#39;s RF signal. If there is a metal obstruction between the tag and the reader, for example where the tag is disposed within a metal container and the reader is disposed outside the container, it can be difficult or impossible for the reader to directly and reliably receive wireless signals emitted by the tag.  
         [0026]     In the disclosed embodiment, the reader  84  is provided within the container  10 , in order to reliably receive the signals transmitted by all of the tags within the container, including the short-range tags  56 - 58  and  63 . This permits the MC unit  11  to survey the contents of the container. This survey can be done periodically, and/or in response to an event such as detection of the opening or closing of a door  12  or  13  of the container.  
         [0027]     In more detail, the reader  84  receives the RF signals  71 - 74  that are emitted by tags within the container  10 , and passes information from these signals on to the processor  111  of the MC unit. The processor  111  then formulates an inventory of what is present in the container  10 , and stores this inventory at  123  in the memory  116 . Each time the processor formulates such an inventory, it compares the newly-formulated inventory with a previously-formulated inventory that is already stored in the memory  116 .  
         [0028]     If the newly-formulated and previously-formulated inventories do not match, it may possibly be due to a theft of something from the interior of the container. Consequently, the MC unit  11  stores in the event log  122  of the memory  116  an event entry, which includes a time and date, and an indication of the event that occurred. The MC unit  11  can then use the tag  106  to broadcast a wireless signal that contains an indication of an alarm. If the tag  106  is currently within range of a reader  27 , the reader  27  will receive and handle the alarm, for example by bringing it to the attention of a person so that the person can go to the container and investigate. If the tag  106  does not happen to currently be within the range of a reader  27  when the tag begins broadcasting the alarm signal, the tag  106  can continue periodically broadcasting the alarm signal until the tag eventually does come to be within the range of a reader  27 . The MC unit  11  will remain in a state that reflects the occurrence of the alarm condition, until the reader  27  sends a signal instructing the MC unit  11  to clear the condition and return to normal operation. In this manner, the MC unit  11  provides a degree of theft detection.  
         [0029]     The database  121  in the memory  116  includes a definition of internal and external parameters for each of a plurality of different items, such as the items  51 - 53 . As discussed above, the MC unit  11  periodically inventories the contents of the container  10 . Alternatively, or in addition, the MC unit can inventory the contents of the container  10  whenever it receives from the reader  27  an instruction to inventory the contents. For each item detected within the container  10 ,. the processor  111  can check to see whether the database  121  has a set of specified parameters for that item.  
         [0030]     For example, if a detected item within the container happens to be coffee beans, the temperature and humidity within the container  10  must be maintained within acceptable ranges, in order to keep the coffee beans fresh. Similarly, if a detected item happens to be fresh fruit, the specified parameters may include an appropriate temperature and humidity needed to keep the fruit fresh as long as possible. If the internal conditions currently detected within the container using the internal sensors  83  are not consistent with the specified parameters, then the MC unit  11  can control the ECU  78  through the ECU interface  88  in order to bring one or more of the environmental conditions within container  10  into conformity with the specified parameter. For example, if a detected item is fresh fruit, and if the absolute value of the difference between the current temperature and a specified temperature parameter is greater than a specified differential, the MC unit  11  can use the ECU  78  to heat or cool the air inside the container  10  until the actual temperature conforms to the specified temperature parameter.  
         [0031]     Where fresh fruit is detected, a different parameter is an indication of how long the fruit can safely remain within a container without spoiling. If the fruit remains in the container  10  for longer than the specified number of days, the MC unit  11  can transmit through the tag  106  a wireless signal raising an alarm condition. Items other than fruit may also have corresponding parameters that specify expiration dates.  
         [0032]     With respect to the parameters stored in the database.  121  of the memory  116 , a user has the ability to make adjustments to the parameters. For example, a user holding the handheld device  29  can use the device to make changes to parameters. A second approach for changing the stored parameters would be for the user to make the adjustments in a not-illustrated central computer at a remote location, and then download the revised parametric information from the computer to the MC unit  11 , for example using the reader  27 , wireless signals  26 , and tag  106 . In the disclosed embodiment, both the handheld device  29  and the control panel  86  require the user to enter a valid password, in order to ensure that adjustments to parameters are only made by persons with appropriate authorization. For example, when wireless signals at  26  or  27  include adjusted data, they would also include an encrypted password known to the particular MC unit.  
         [0033]     A third approach is that a user who is inside the container  10  can use the manually-operable control panel  86  to make adjustments to the parameters. Since the control panel  86  is inside the container, a prospective thief or other person outside the container cannot tinker with the control panel  86  and try to guess the password while the container doors are closed and secured with a seal. Moreover, even from inside the container, a user would need to enter a valid password, in order to ensure that only authorized persons make adjustments to parameters.  
         [0034]     The MC unit  11  also has the capability to maintain within the database  121  a record of environmental measurements, and to monitor the environment within the container  10  for changes. For example, and without regard to the parameters that are stored in the database  121 , if the MC unit finds that the temperature or humidity within the container has changed by a specified amount, and/or has done so in less than a specified interval of time, the MC unit  11  can treat this as an alarm condition and use the tag  106  to broadcast a wireless alarm signal at  26  and  28 .  
         [0035]     The sensors  83  and  101  can be used to detect leakage of the contents of cargo being transported within the container  10 . For example, the radiation sensor at  83  can detect excessive radioactive emissions within the container  10 , and the radiation sensor at  101  can detect the extent to which such radioactive emissions may be escaping the container. As another example, the gas sensor at  83  can detect leakage from a cargo item of hazardous or poisonous gases, such as hydrogen cyanide or phosgene. The radiation sensor at  101  can be used to detect the extent to which radioactive radiation is escaping the container  10 . Detection of such leakage within a container can be helpful in permitting a person to be warned of a problem before he or she opens the container doors, rather than simply opening the doors of the container and being unexpectedly exposed to a hazard such as radioactive radiation or a poisonous gas. Detection of such leakage outside the container is helpful in determining the extent to which the integrity of the container may have become compromised, and thus the extent to which there may be a hazard externally of the container.  
         [0036]     As another example, the external moisture sensor at  17  can be helpful in determining whether the container has been subjected to rain, because rain can present the potential for leakage of water into the container, especially where it is already known that the particular container has experienced some physical damage and is no longer fully resistant to the entry of rain. And the internal moisture and humidity sensors at  83  can be helpful in directly detecting water that has leaked into the container from the exterior thereof, or from items being transported within the container. It will be understood that rainwater leakage within a container can be very localized, and so it could be difficult to provide enough sensors throughout the interior of the container to reliably detect all possible moisture leakage anywhere within the container. Consequently, using an external moisture sensor to detect the exposure of the container to rain can in some circumstances provide a more reliable warning of the potential for moisture leakage than the use of several internal moisture sensors.  
         [0037]     The MC unit  11  may be a “smart” device that is capable of certain types of intelligent activity. For example, the memory  116  may contain not-illustrated geographic information of a general type, as well as information specific to the route along which the container is currently supposed to be traveling.. When the MC unit  11  comes within proximity of a reader  27 , the reader  27  can provide the MC unit with information about where that particular reader  27  is located. Since the container  10  is in the general vicinity of that reader, the MC unit  11  knows where it is currently located. The MC unit  11  can compare this to the intended route of the container, in order to verify that the container  10  is in fact being transported along the route that it is supposed to be following. If not, it may mean that the container  10  has been stolen, and so the MC unit can store an event entry in the event log  122 , and then use the tag  106  to broadcast a wireless signal that contains an indication of an alarm.  
         [0038]     On a more specific level, the memory  116  in the MC unit  11  may also contain shipment information and/or supply chain management information, such as a shipping number, a billing number, and so forth. With this additional information, the MC unit  11  (acting as a smart device) can determine not only whether it is being transported along the proper route, but also whether it is progressing along that route according to the expected timetable. If a discrepancy is detected, the MC unit  11  can store an event entry in the event log  122 , and then use the tag  106  to broadcast a wireless signal that contains an indication of an alarm.  
         [0039]     Another capability of the MC unit  11  as a “smart device” would involve downloading local business logic to the MC unit  11  through a nearby reader  27 . For example, depending on the value of the current contents of the container, and/or the current location of the container, the MC unit  11  could select an appropriate security level from two or more pre-defined security levels, and then implement that selected level for purposes of controlling what is required for someone to obtain access to the interior of the container.  
         [0040]     Although the disclosed embodiment involves a carrier that is a shipping container, some or all of the aspects of the invention can also be applied to other types of carriers, such as trucks and pallets. Many other variations, modifications and configurations are also possible, without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, as defined by the following claims.