Source: https://patents.google.com/patent/US20060164232A1/en
Timestamp: 2018-03-21 11:48:16
Document Index: 555845684

Matched Legal Cases: ['application No. 60', 'application No. 60', 'application No. 60', 'application No. 60', 'application No. 60', 'application No. 60']

US20060164232A1 - Auditable security for cargo containers and other repositories - Google Patents
US20060164232A1
US20060164232A1 US11275029 US27502905A US2006164232A1 US 20060164232 A1 US20060164232 A1 US 20060164232A1 US 11275029 US11275029 US 11275029 US 27502905 A US27502905 A US 27502905A US 2006164232 A1 US2006164232 A1 US 2006164232A1
US11275029
US7646301B2 (en )
This invention relates to a method and system for authenticating and for preventing alteration of histories of events occurring within at least one repository (e.g. a cargo container, fixed warehouse or a movable vehicle) for objects (e.g. auto parts, pharmaceutical materials, computer parts, laptops, etc.) held for a period of time, where the repository is exposed to an unauthorized intrusion therewithin (and potential theft of said objects therefrom and potential insertion of dangerous items therewithin). The events include changes in environmental conditions (e.g. light levels, infrared levels, temperature, air pressure, etc) which indicate an unauthorized intrusion.
This application claims priority from U.S. application Ser. No. 11/053,307 filed Feb. 8, 2005. U.S. application Ser. No. 11/053,307 in turn claims priority from U.S. application No. 60/627,984 filed Nov. 15, 2004, and from U.S. application No. 60/613,767 filed Sep. 28, 2004, and from U.S. application No. 60/589,524 filed Jul. 20, 2004, and from U.S. application No. 60/561,452 filed Apr. 12, 2004, and from U.S. application No. 60/542,952 filed Feb. 9, 2004, all of which are incorporated by reference for all purposes. U.S. application Ser. No. 11/053,307 is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/820,366 filed Apr. 8, 2004, which claims priority from U.S. application No. 60/461,562 filed Apr. 9, 2003, all of which are incorporated by reference for all purposes.
This invention relates to a method and system for authenticating the histories of events experienced by objects held in a repository (e.g. shipping container, fixed warehouse or a movable vehicle), and detecting the time and date of an unauthorized intrusion, which may entail potential theft therefrom of objects such as pharmaceutical products, auto parts, computer parts, laptop computers, etc. during storage in the repository. Moreover, such unauthorized intrusion may involve clandestine insertion of weapons, explosives, or other dangerous materials into the shipping container to enable such dangerous materials to be spirited into a target location for disastrous effect.
Most shipments contained in trucks and shipping containers are locked via doors at the rear of the vehicle or shipping container. Typically, such shipping/cargo containers are assembled out of corrugated steel and are 8 feet wide, 8′ 6″ high, and 20′ long, although some are as long as 40′ or 45′. Often special locking devices are attached (See U.S. Pat. No. 6,364,584) and several commercially available units (e.g. the Omni SeaLock System from Omni Security Consultants, Inc. of Miami, Fla., USA) are available to attach to the two locking rods so the doors canbnot be opened. In most cases, however, a simple seal with a fixed stamped number located on the front is used. These seals and numbers may be inspected by the consignee as well as customs authorities and others along the shipping route to insure that the freight is intact and has not been touched since it was shipped.
These systems however do not prevent the removal of freight by cutting a hole in the side or rear of a container to gain access. In many cases this hole can be sealed and paintedover, and then it appears as if it were a simple authorized repair. Selected objects may be removed from the container with the seal and lock still intact. It is estimated that over $50 billion worth of freight is stolen each year and most of his occurs with security seals intact. In addition security issues associated with 9/11 attacks have created concerns that dangerous materials (e.g. explosives, biological contaminants) useful to terrorists may be placed inside a truck or container and smuggled undetected into a target location.
According to an embodiment of the invention, safeguarding step (d) utilizes a selected algorithm to calculate a pair of checksums based on a selected sequence of event signals, the aforesaid pair of checksums having a selected relationship (e.g. being identical) in the event of data integrity, one of the aforesaid checksums being calculated from event signals generated at the repository (e.g. at a cargo container or at a sea vessel carrying many cargo containers), the other checksum being calculated from event signals transmitted to said data storage apparatus.
FIG. 2 shows a tag attached to an outer surface of a wall of a cargo container, with holes provided in the wall for communication with a photodetector exposied to the interior of the cargo container. The photodetector is securely affixed to the tag with at least one connecting member through an aperture in a wall of the cargo container, the connecting member being removable only upon access thereto from within the cargo container.
As shown in FIG. 9, at the end of the run the tag may use an algorith to calculate and display a checksum based on the light levels (e.g. visible or infrared) experienced at the tag. The ASP can independently calculate a checksum using the same algorithm based on its permanent record of the data stored at the ASP. In the simplest form of the system, these checksums will simply be compared upon delivery to confirm that the no unauthorized intrusions into the repository have occurred. As will be understood, this data may be stored permanently on a write-once-only CD-R disk at the ASP's data storage apparatus and even archived by an independent auditor (e.g. KPMG) who would have exclusive access to the CD-R disc.
c) transmitting a temporally ordered series of said event signals to a data storage apparatus. said data storage apparatus being operable to store said temporally ordered series of said event signals; and
US11275029 2003-04-09 2005-12-03 Auditable security for cargo containers and other repositories Active 2026-07-10 US7646301B2 (en)
US54295204 true 2004-02-09 2004-02-09
US56145204 true 2004-04-12 2004-04-12
US61376704 true 2004-09-28 2004-09-28
US62798404 true 2004-11-15 2004-11-15
US11053307 Continuation US20100033330A1 (en) 2003-04-09 2005-02-08 Auditable security for cargo containers and other repositories
US20060164232A1 true true US20060164232A1 (en) 2006-07-27
US7646301B2 US7646301B2 (en) 2010-01-12
US11053307 Abandoned US20100033330A1 (en) 2003-04-09 2005-02-08 Auditable security for cargo containers and other repositories
US11275029 Active 2026-07-10 US7646301B2 (en) 2003-04-09 2005-12-03 Auditable security for cargo containers and other repositories
WO2015040003A1 (en) * 2013-09-19 2015-03-26 Dubois Limited Retail security tag
JP3988736B2 (en) * 2004-03-18 2007-10-10 セイコーエプソン株式会社 Store management system and management methods
US7564353B2 (en) * 2004-11-15 2009-07-21 Visible Assets, Inc. Auditable authentication of event histories for shipped and stored objects
US20100033330A1 (en) 2010-02-11 application
US7646301B2 (en) 2010-01-12 grant
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:STEVENS, JOHN K.;AUGUST, JASON;WATERHOUSE, PAUL;REEL/FRAME:018492/0752;SIGNING DATES FROM 20060123 TO 20060821