Patent ID: 8890683

Claim:
A device for attaching to an outside surface of a shipping container for tracking the shipping container, comprising: a solar panel for converting light-energy into electrical power; a battery for receiving and storing said electrical power from said solar panel; a GPS receiver module for receiving signals from a global positioning system and determining a location of said shipping container; a cellular data transceiver module for communicating via a cellular data network; a local wireless network master transceiver module having a transceiver for wirelessly communicating with a wireless sensor located entirely within said shipping container without penetrating through walls of the shipping container, the transceiver wirelessly communicating with the wireless sensor by transmitting wireless signals through the walls of the shipping container without any holes through the walls of the shipping container; and a microcontroller for controlling said GPS receiver module to periodically obtain said location of said shipping container from said GPS receiver module, for controlling said local wireless network master transceiver module to periodically obtain data from said wireless sensor, and for controlling said cellular data transceiver module to transmit said location and said sensor data using said cellular data transceiver module; wherein said solar panel, said battery, said GPS receiver module, said cellular data transceiver module, said local wireless network master transceiver module, and said microcontroller are integrated into a master control unit attached to the outside surface of the shipping container without penetrating into an interior of the shipping container.