Abstract:
A portable checkpoint system is disclosed that incorporates a configurable freight container to intercept and inspect an approaching vehicle. The container includes a quadrilateral set of walls connectable to form a rectangular box, first and second ends of the walls, a blast plate disposed within the box, and a receptacle for mounting a device. At least one of the ends includes a door. The blast plate is disposed between two interior surfaces of the quadrilateral set of walls for absorbing shock and shrapnel, such as at an oblique angle. The mounted device is an instrument for measuring a characteristic of the vehicle. Another such device is a lamp for illuminating the vehicle. The checkpoint includes an obstacle to direct the vehicle in traffic flow, and a pair of configurable freight containers as described. The obstacle directs the vehicle towards the zone. The containers are disposed substantially parallel to each other and separated apart to form a zone that enables the vehicle to pass there-between. The checkpoint includes a communications system accessible to a database having information on vehicle identification, vehicle sensory characteristics, personal identification and facial-recognition photographs for comparison with the vehicle and its occupants.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     The invention is a Continuation-in-Part, claims priority to and incorporates by reference in its entirety U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/801,769 filed May 7, 2007 titled “Mobile, Self-Contained and Networked Checkpoint” to Steven E. Anderson and assigned Navy Case 98342. 
    
    
     STATEMENT OF GOVERNMENT INTEREST 
     The invention described was made in the performance of official duties by one or more employees of the Department of the Navy, and thus, the invention herein may be manufactured, used or licensed by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     The invention relates generally to a portable system for establishing a temporary roadway checkpoint for investigating entry and egress therethrough, with communication linkage to verification databases. More particularly, the invention relates to a system of sensor-equipped portals through which a vehicle passes while being inspected, each portal being foldable into a shipping container configuration. 
     The frequency of terrorist incidents that employ an improvised explosive device (IED) has increased dramatically since 1998, according to the Memorial Institute for the Prevention of Terrorism at http://www.tkb.org/Home.jsp. Mitigating this threat to life and property necessitates improved inspection of road-mobile vehicles that harbor such IEDs, as well as their occupants who clandestinely deploy them. 
     Unscheduled investigation of a vehicle traveling along a road typically necessitates tradeoffs that exacerbate the ability to intercept and mitigate against nefarious activities injurious to civil society, e.g., transport of contraband, deployment of improvised explosive devices, escape of individuals sought for custody, etc. 
     A roadblock checkpoint may entail risk to personnel for investigating a detained vehicle. Such an impromptu arrangement may locally lack information resources to identify any occupants or verify the vehicle&#39;s status. Moreover, the time devoted to such investigation may be curtailed to mitigate traffic impedance, resulting in reduced interception of intended targets. Static checkpoints for fixed installations with a more complete range of investigative tools may not be suitable for evasive targets. 
     Currently, modular checkpoints have been established to provide stations for screening individual persons seeking to enter a controlled area, such as an airport terminal. Such art includes U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,106,192 to Johnson et al. and 7,102,512 to Pendergraft. 
     SUMMARY 
     Conventional checkpoint arrangements yield disadvantages addressed by various exemplary embodiments of the present invention. In particular, the conventional systems lack a convenient ability to provide comprehensive sensory information on a vehicle at relocatable positions. 
     Various exemplary embodiments provide a portable checkpoint system that incorporates a configurable freight container. A portable checkpoint system is disclosed that incorporates a configurable freight container to intercept and inspect an approaching vehicle. The container includes a quadrilateral set of walls connectable to form a rectangular box, first and second ends of the walls, a blast plate disposed within the box, and a receptacle for mounting a device. At least one of the ends includes a door. The blast plate is disposed between two interior surfaces of the quadrilateral set of walls for absorbing shock and shrapnel, such as at an oblique angle. The mounted device is an instrument for measuring a characteristic of the vehicle. Another such device is a lamp for illuminating the vehicle. 
     In various exemplary embodiments, the checkpoint includes an obstacle to direct the vehicle in traffic flow, and a pair of configurable freight containers as described. The obstacle directs the vehicle towards the zone. The containers are disposed substantially parallel to each other and separated apart to form a zone that enables the vehicle to pass there-between. In other embodiments, the checkpoint includes a communications system accessible to a database having information on vehicle identification, vehicle sensory characteristics, personal identification and facial-recognition photographs for comparison with the vehicle and its occupants. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       These and various other features and aspects of various exemplary embodiments will be readily understood with reference to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like or similar numbers are used throughout, and in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a modified freight container in stowed configuration; 
         FIGS. 2A ,  2 B and  2 C are elevation views of the container in stowed, deploying and deployed configurations, respectively; 
         FIG. 3A  is a perspective view of the container in deployed configuration as a channel; 
         FIG. 3B  is an elevation view of a visual indicator for the bumper; 
         FIG. 3C  is a perspective view of interchangeable sensors; 
         FIGS. 4A and 4B  are section views of the channel in single and double-length configurations; 
         FIG. 5  is an analogous section view of a support bay; 
         FIG. 6  is a network diagram view of a linked communication and database system; 
         FIG. 7  is a plan view of single-lane checkpoint; 
         FIG. 8  is a plan view of a multilane checkpoint; 
         FIG. 9  is a perspective view of an integral freight container; and 
         FIG. 10  is a perspective view of a bi-directional checkpoint. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     In the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments of the invention, reference is made to the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration specific exemplary embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention. 
     Other embodiments may be utilized, and logical, mechanical, and other changes may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention. The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present invention is defined only by the appended claims. 
     The portable system to provide vehicle checkpoints, for various exemplary embodiments, employs at least one freight container. The system preferably uses the 40-ft (12.2 m) version for cargo shipping as well as rail transport, also known as the “forty-foot equivalent unit” (FEU). The 40-ft container has interior dimensions of length 39 ft ⅜ in, width 7 ft 8⅜ in, and height 7 ft 9⅝ in for a total volume of 2,376 ft 3 . 
     An alternative is the 20-ft (6 m) version, also known as the “twenty-foot equivalent unit” (TEU). Thus, an FEU is equivalent to two TEUs. Other standard lengths include 45-ft (13.7 m), 48-ft (14.6 m) and 53-ft (16.2 m). These freight containers comply with ISO (International Standards Organization) requirements. The maximum gross mass for a 20-ft dry cargo container is 24,000 kg, and for a 40-ft is 30,480 kg yielding respective payload masses (gross minus tare) of about 21,600 kg and 26,500 kg. 
     The FEU and TEU freight container sizes developed over the 1960s through the United States Marine Administration and the ISO during the automization of the cargo transportation industry from breakbulk to containerized freight. Description of this process can be found in  The Box: How the Shipping Container Made the World Smaller and the World Economy Bigger  by Marc Levinson, Princeton, ©2006, pp. 134-137 and 144-146. The container&#39;s introduction reduced freight rates from Asia to North America by an estimated forty to sixty percent ( The Box , p. 263). With the lowering of transportation costs, the volume of sea freight quadrupled as with, for example, Hamburg, Germany, which increased from handling eleven million tons of cargo in 1960 to over forty million tons in 1996, eighty-eight percent in containers ( The Box , p. 271). 
     Deployable Embodiment:  FIG. 1  shows an isometric view of an exemplified embodiment of an FEU freight container  100  in folded and stowed configuration for transportability. Upon delivery to an installation site, the container  100  may be disposed with a bottom floor  110  on the ground opposite a top ceiling  115  and subsequently unfolded for checkpoint deployment. 
     The container  100  includes front and rear ends, with the front end  120  being closed or alternatively having doors, and the aft end having doors  125  that may be opened and secured to their respective left and right side walls  130 ,  135 . (The front and rear ends merely represent an orientation convention, which is not intended to be limiting.) Alternatively, the doors  125  may be removed and installed as ramps for vehicle approach and departure. The floor  110 , left wall  130 , ceiling  115  and right wall  135  may be connected along their edges to form a rectangular box, which can be closed by securing the doors  125 . 
     A longitudinal hinge  140  (shown along the lower starboard edge) enables the container  100  to separate at an opposite lockable joint or latch  145  (shown along the upper port edge). The right side wall  135  may swing down to the ground, substantially parallel to the bottom floor  110 , while the top ceiling  115  forms a deployed starboard barrier. The left side wall  130  forms the deployed port barrier, substantially parallel to the ceiling  115  as deployed. 
     Thus, the hinge  140  rotatably connects two joined adjacent walls (floor  110  and right side  135 ) of the container  100  along a first common edge, and the latch  145  connects the opposite adjacent walls (ceiling  115  and left side  130 ) along a second common edge opposite the first. The hinge  140  at the first common edge may swing from an orthogonal closed position to a coplanar open position. Similarly, the latch  145  at the second common edge may remain integral at the closed position and separated at the open position. 
     The closed position maintains the two joined adjacent walls mutually perpendicular to each other and the opposite walls together, also mutually perpendicular. The open position disposes the joined adjacent walls to be parallel and alongside each other, as well as the opposite walls to be separate and facing each other from opposing ends of the coplanar walls. 
     Cutaway portions illustrate interior structures of the floor  110 , ceiling  115 , left side wall  130  and right side wall  135 . The floor  110  and ceiling  115  include cross-members  150  extending substantially perpendicular from edge rails  155  (e.g., including the hinge  140 ) and sandwiched between interior boards  160  and exterior panels  165 . 
     The side walls  130 ,  135  include posts  170  disposed in corrugated fashion outside of interior panels  175  as corrugation structural support and substantially parallel to the cross-members  150 . The corners  180  between the headers may be reinforced for increased structural integrity. The doors  125  may be locked by locking bars or latches  185  and hinged to support frames  190 . The boundaries of the container  100  enclose a cargo space  195  having a standard volume defined based on length and height. 
       FIGS. 2A ,  2 B and  2 C illustrate elevation views of the container as observed from the forward (front) end looking towards the aft (rear) end.  FIG. 2A  shows the container  100  as stowed with the latch  145  closed and locked.  FIG. 2B  shows, in deployment configuration, the container as a channel  200  unfolding with the hinge  140  extending and pivoting to rotate the right side wall  135  toward the ground.  FIG. 2C  shows, after deployment, the container as a channel  200  having been unfolded with the latch  145  open and right side wall  135  parallel to the floor  110 . 
     The hinge  140  may include an hydraulic actuator  210  to enable the right wall  135  to pivot relative to the floor  110  without interference. The rotation is shown in the direction of the angling arrow  215 . As the latch  145  unlocks, cables  220  may extend between a left edge on the left side wall  130  and a right edge on the ceiling  115  to facilitate control during deployment, thereby avoiding sudden descent of the right side wall  135  with possible risk of injury for crew. Upon deployment as shown in  FIG. 2C , the channel  200  includes a drive platform  225  flanked by a port barrier  230  and a starboard barrier  235 . 
       FIG. 3A  shows an isometric view of the deployed channel  200  as observed from the aft end looking toward the forward end. The floor  110  and the right side wall  135 , parallel and in tandem, form the deployed drive platform  225 . Thus, the left side wall  130  in the stowed configuration represents the deployed port barrier  230 , whereas the ceiling  115  forms the deployed starboard barrier  235 . The substantially parallel barriers  230 ,  235  define an inspection or surveillance zone  240  in which a vehicle therethrough can be investigated and/or detained as a further security procedure. 
     The underside of the drive platform  225  (from either the floor  110  and/or the right side wall  135 ) may include conformable pads  245  that extend from the outer surfaces thereby enabling the channel  200  to be disposed level to the ground. These pads  245  may be independently or automatically controlled to provide self-leveling capability. Otherwise, local variations in ground topology, such as obstructions or cavities from natural or artificial causes may produce unevenly distributed loading. Such conditions could adversely influence instrumentation and/or buckle the deployed channel  200 , thereby inhibiting stowage reconfiguration. 
     Deformably elastic rails or bumpers  250  may protrude into the zone  240  to inhibit a vehicle from inadvertent contact with the barriers  230 ,  235 . The bumpers  250  may be intermittently distributed over portions of the barriers  230 ,  235  or alternatively extend over their entire lengths. Lightweight anti-personnel barriers  255  may pivotably overhang from the tops of the barriers  230 ,  235  to inhibit unauthorized intruders from invading the zone  240 . As shown, the barriers  255  are mounted on hinges to the latch  145 . 
     A variety of embedded sensors  260  and recessed light sources or lamps  265  may be disposed along the interior surfaces of the drive platform  225  and the barriers  230 ,  235 . These sensors  260  may include instruments to measure or detect, for example, chemical and/or physical responses to particular contraband, such as conventional explosives, narcotics, materials for such synthesis, etc. 
     Additionally or alternatively, the sensors  260  may include video-graphic instruments to distinguish and/or record optical and audio signatures of the transiting vehicle&#39;s exterior and interior features. Photometric sensors for optical measurements may, for example, be sensitive to the ultraviolet, visible, infrared, microwave and/or radio electromagnetic spectrums. The light sources  265  may provide illumination for the zone  240 , particularly for nighttime operations. 
     A traffic signal  270  may be disposed at or adjacent to one or both of the barriers  230 ,  235 . The traffic signal  270  may be positioned at the aft end of the channel  200 , as shown for approach instruction, and/or towards the forward end (for departure instruction) to control entrance and egress of vehicles for inspection. 
     Additional illumination in the zone  240  can be provided by equipping ends of the anti-personnel barrier  255  with floodlights  275  and rotating the barrier  255  across the starboard barrier  235  by the indicated angle  280 . Protection from explosion for the personnel at the checkpoint can be provided by blast deflector plates  285  to obliquely reflect the pressure wave and shrapnel, thereby redirecting the destructive energy away from its intended target. The deflector plates  285  may but need not be flat. Preferably the deflector plates  285  may be composed of sheet metal, e.g., steel, having a thickness of at least one-half-inch. 
       FIGS. 3B and 3C  illustrate details within the zone  240 .  FIG. 3B  shows an elevation view of a visual warning indicator  290  that may be disposed on the bumpers  250 . The design provided represents an example with black slanting stripes superimposed over a yellow strip field.  FIG. 3C  shows the flexibility of replacing one sensor type with another for the sensor  260  within the barriers  230 ,  235 . A reconfigurable sensor platform  300  includes a mounting station or receptacle, as provided by a cavity  310  from which a first sensor  320  may be removed and replaced by a second sensor  330 . For sensors  260  that require power and/or communication interface, coupling cables having standard ports or plugs may be provided, such as the power cable  340  and the interface cable  350 . 
       FIGS. 4A and 4B  illustrate section (side-elevation) views of the channel  200  as observed from the port side with the port barrier  230  removed for clarity.  FIG. 4A  shows a single channel  400  having an aft entrance ramp  410  and a front exit ramp  415  disposed between the drive platform  225 . 
     The entrance and exit ramps  410 ,  415  may be converted from the container doors  125 ,  120 . The bumpers  250  may include slanted stripes or other appropriate markings to denote direction or visually draw attention to them for contact avoidance. 
     A single vehicle (a minivan)  420 , enters the inspection zone  240  and travels along the drive platform  225 . The traffic signal  270  indicates to the vehicle&#39;s driver when to depart, passing along the drive platform  225  onto the exit ramp  415  and clear the zone  240 , thereby enabling the single channel  400  to receive another vehicle and direct traffic in the direction of arrow  425 . 
       FIG. 4B  shows dual channels  200  concatenated together as a double FEU-length configuration  430 , with the entrance ramp  410  at an aft end and the exit ramp  415  at the forward end of the combination. The double configuration  430  may include elevated extension panels  435  with retractable booms  440  that contain sensors and/or light sources. Such an arrangement may be intended for convoys and/or extended vehicles, such as a semi-tractor-trailer truck  350  as shown. The bumpers  250  (shown with the striped warning indicator  290 ) and traffic signals  270  may provide ancillary instructions to the truck&#39;s driver. 
     A checkpoint may include, in addition to the instrumented channel  200 , a support bay with auxiliary equipment.  FIG. 5  shows an elevation view of the support bay  500  having mounts for antennas  510  and racks  515  for various equipment  520 . The support bay  500  may be separately portable from the channel  200 , such as in a separate freight container (e.g., a TEU equivalent), or stored within the stowed container  100  within the cargo space  195 . 
     The antennas  510  may be designed for radios, satellite communications, cell phones, et. The equipment  520  for the support bay  500  may be deployed to be installed on the racks  510  disposed alongside the barriers  230 ,  235 . This equipment  520  may include computation, memory and communication components, such as a server  525 , a central processing unit (CPU)  530 , a redundant array of independent disks (RAID)  535  and a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver  540 . The server  525  may be connected to a local or wide network by connection lines  545  (e.g., fiber optics, cables, twisted pair leads). 
     Electrical power may be independently supplied by a multi-kilowatt diesel power generator  550  and controlled by an automated power management conditioner  555 . Fuel (e.g., diesel oil) for the generator may be stored in a 500-gallon storage tank  560  (as shown on the container floor  110 ). 
     Additionally, a hazardous material (HAZMAT) storage bin  565  may be used to provisionally collect chemically or radioactively contaminated items until final removal and disposal. The power conditioner  555  and the fuel tank  560  may be externally accessible for maintenance and refueling beyond the inspection zone  240 . The equipment  520  may include shock and vibration absorption mechanisms (e.g., spring-mounts on the racks), as well as noise mitigation dampeners. 
     Each portable checkpoint deployed as the channel  200  may communicate with other checkpoints or with a coordination center having access to one or more databases consulted for investigations.  FIG. 6  depicts a network constellation  600  connecting communication nodes  610  to a nexus depicted as a laptop computer  620 . Each node may correspond to a checkpoint (whether permanent or relocatable) located within or near a geographical urban site, such as shown for an example region in the Middle-East. 
     The computer  620  may be in contact with a variety of databases with which to compare information regarding the vehicles  420 ,  450 , or their occupants. Such databases may include vehicle records as lost or stolen vehicles  630 , and vehicle registration and licensing  635 , personal records for pedestrians or vehicle occupants, such as criminal records  640 , and personal identification  645  (e.g., driver&#39;s license, passport). The databases may also or alternatively include non-tabular information, such as digitally-recorded facial-recognition photographs  650 , vehicle license plates  655  and vehicle sensor data  560 . 
     The CPU  530  may be incorporated as part of or otherwise associated with the computer  620 . The server  525  may provide connection to the databases  630 ,  635 ,  640 ,  645 ,  650 ,  655 ,  660 . The CPU  530  may perform comparisons between the data received from the sensors  260  and information in these databases. In addition, the CPU  530 , in conjunction with the GPS receiver  540 , may provide information or instructions, to other nodes  610  for coordination of operations to address against an indicated threat. 
     The checkpoint may include several components integrated together to investigate a vehicle traveling along a road.  FIG. 7  shows a plan view of a checkpoint  700  for one direction on a two-lane bi-directional road  710 , with vehicles to be intercepted traveling in the direction indicated by arrow  715 . The checkpoint  700  may include netted sensor grids  720 , strategically positioned cameras  725 , instruction signs  730 , concrete barricades (e.g., obstacles) or jersey walls  735 , containment buildings  740 , trailers  745 , a guard shelter  750  and gates  755 . The grids  720  may optionally be stowed in the space  195  of the container  100  while in transport prior to being unfurled. Similarly, the cameras  725  and signs  730  may also be stowed in the space  195 . 
     The grids  720  may engage in surveillance of vehicles traveling in the direction indicated by arrow  715 . The instruction signs  730  may provide information to alert drivers to reduced speed and preparation to stop. The jersey walls  735  provide portable obstacles against traffic deviation. The containment buildings  740  may be used for maintaining personnel or detaining custodials. The trailers  745  may be for housing network and power equipment. The guard shelter  750  and gates  755  may be used to control through-traffic. 
     The checkpoint  700  may be divided into sections. The first section represents a surveillance and monitoring zone  760  having the grid  720  and the cameras  725 . The second section represents a commitment zone  770  within which a vehicle may turn around indicated by curved arrow  775 . The vehicle reaches a line-of-no-return  780  upon reaching the earliest jersey wall  735 , after which the vehicle enters a checkpoint operations zone  785  to approach and enter the channel  200 . At this stage, the checkpoint personnel may have options flexible response in depth regarding the approaching vehicle, depending on the level of apparent or perceived risk. 
     After completion of sensory investigation within the channel  200 , the vehicle may be directed by the gates  755  to a detainment (or detention) area  790  for incarceration and/or interrogation of vehicle occupants and possible vehicle impoundment. Otherwise, the vehicle may be permitted to pass through after investigation and proceed past the guard shelter  750  and beyond the line of passage  795 . 
       FIG. 8  shows a plan view of a checkpoint  800  for one direction on a single-direction side of an eight-lane divided bi-directional highway  810  with shoulders  815  and a divider  820  separating the two directions. Jersey walls  735  may be disposed along the approach to each of the channels  200  in staggered arrangement, one for each lane. 
     Under these conditions, a portable checkpoint can be established by transporting one or more freight containers  100  to an intended destination site, such as along an otherwise non-blockaded road  710 . Upon delivery to the temporary checkpoint destination, the container  100  may be deployed to form an instrumented channel  200 . Auxiliary equipment and barriers may be tactically disposed at the site to direct traffic as individual vehicles  420  into the channel  200  for preliminary inspection. 
     Depending on verification of innocuous nature or else indication of threat possibility, the vehicle  420  may be authorized to proceed or be further detained for more thorough investigation. Upon completion of the mission objectives, the equipment may be recovered and the channel  200  be folded into the stowed container  100  again. 
     Integral Embodiment:  FIG. 9  shows an isometric view of an exemplified embodiment of an FEU freight container  900  in integral configuration. Upon delivery to an installation site, the container  900  may be disposed with a bottom floor  910  on the ground opposite a top ceiling  915 . 
     The container  900  includes front and rear ends, with the front end  920  being closed or alternatively having doors, and the aft end having doors  925  that may be opened and secured to their respective port and starboard side walls  930 ,  935 . (The front and rear ends merely represent an orientation convention, which is not intended to be limiting.) 
     The floor  910 , port wall  930 , ceiling  915  and starboard wall  935  may be connected along their edges to form a rectangular box, which can be closed by securing the doors  925 . The rectangular box is integrally retained in this configuration without any hinge or latch. The advantageous differences of the integral container  900  from the hinged container  100  include elimination of alteration processes (e.g., cutting, welding) to retrofit separation and reconnection elements (i.e., hinge, latch, etc.). 
     The front end  920  and the rear end maintaining the rear doors  925  may be structurally maintained with horizontal frames  940  (including mechanisms to facilitate loading and unloading of the container). The doors  925  may be secured to the frame  940  by locking bars  945 . The frames  940  are connected by vertical posts  950 . The front and rear ends are connected by rails  955  that provide the edges to secure the walls to the floor and ceiling. The frames  940 , posts  950  and rails  955  are substantially perpendicular to each other. 
     The starboard wall  935  is shown substantially in cutaway to display a blast plate  960 , which may be sized to lean against one side, shown as the port wall  930 , and secured by the edge between the floor  910  and the starboard wall  935 . Alternatively, the blast plate  960  may be welded into position or permanently mounted in an alternative fashion. 
     The blast plate  960  provides protection for personnel analogous to the blast plate  285  for the deployable configuration. In the integral configuration, the blast plate may be transported with the container  900  to facilitate deployment. The blast plate  960  may but need not be flat. Preferably the blast plate  960  may be composed of sheet metal, e.g., steel, having a thickness of at least one-half-inch. Such material is readily available and comparatively inexpensive. Nonetheless, the blast plate  960  may be composed of alternative materials and configurations to provide protection from an active threat. 
     The container  900  may be disposed adjacent to a road or entry to enable a vehicle  420  to pass alongside for investigation. The exterior surfaces of the container  900  may include sensors  260  and/or lamps  265 , as desired. Operational equipment  520  for computation, memory and communication may be housed and/or mounted inside the container  900 . 
       FIG. 10  illustrates a perspective view of a bi-directional checkpoint  1000 . Several integral containers  900  may be employed for this purpose. A pair of concatenated transmitter boxes  1010 ,  1020  may be disposed in tandem along the division of the opposing lanes  710 . A first receiver  1030  may be disposed along the right lane shoulder, and a second receiver  1040  may be disposed along the left lane shoulder to investigate traffic traveling opposite the right lane shoulder. 
     The transmitter boxes  1010 ,  1020  may interrogate an adjacent vehicle with electromagnetic radiation (e.g., radar) while the receives  1030 ,  1040  may receive scattered radiation reflected or diffused by the vehicle. In addition, booms  440  mounted on the containers  900  may provide flood-light illumination from lamps  265  or alternatively additional sensors  260 , such as a camera. Jersey barriers  735  may be disposed fore and aft of the containers  900  to direct traffic therebetween. 
     While certain features of the embodiments of the invention have been illustrated as described herein, many modifications, substitutions, changes and equivalents will now occur to those skilled in the art. It is, therefore, to be understood that the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications and changes as fall within the true spirit of the embodiments.