HK1097074B - Tracking of containers - Google Patents

Description

Tracking of containers

Technical Field

The present invention relates to the tracking of containers such as intermodal containers.

Technical Field

Intermodal transportation provides a cargo transportation service that eliminates the need to remove and reload cargo from a container when changing from one vehicle to another. For example, containers carrying fruit may be packed in a country, loaded onto ships, then trains, and then trucked to a destination without having to unpack and repack.

The recent growth in the intermodal container transport market has led to an increase in theft, container loss, container delay, etc., and has led to the view of: the container may be utilized by a terrorist to smuggle the weapon to a country.

In the present invention, the definition of container is not limited to standard intermodal containers (typically 20 feet, 40 feet and 45 feet in length), but may also include other forms of containers and vehicles such as trucks and trailers.

US20030038172 describes a system for tracking items such as intermodal containers. The system identifies an object and an interaction between the objects. RFID tags are used to identify objects.

The present invention aims to provide improved container tracking.

Disclosure of Invention

According to the present invention, there is provided a tracking system comprising a tracking agent, the tracking system comprising:

a plurality of container monitoring devices within a wireless local area associated with the tracking agent,

a local area interface configured to communicate with the plurality of container monitoring devices,

wherein the tracking agent comprises:

a processor for receiving the monitoring device data and generating a report message using the same,

a remote communication interface for uploading the report message;

wherein the system further comprises a location monitoring device and the processor determines geographical location data using input from the location monitoring device and inserts the geographical location data in the report message,

wherein the processor of the tracking agent is configured to exchange heartbeat messages with the plurality of container monitoring devices to detect a communication error in the wireless local area and to insert data regarding the detected error into the report message, wherein the processor is configured to drop a response to the polling message as the communication error;

the system further includes a tracking gateway for receiving the report messages from a plurality of distributed tracking agents,

the tracking gateway is configured to upload tracking information based on the received report message to a tracking application.

In one embodiment, the processor inserts geographic location data in the report message.

In another embodiment, the system further comprises a location monitoring device, and the processor determines the location data using input from the location monitoring device.

In yet another embodiment, the processor parses the monitoring device data to detect specific events and generate notifications accordingly, and inserts the notifications into the report message.

In one embodiment, the local interface communicates with a plurality of monitoring devices, each of which in turn communicates with an electronic tag.

In another embodiment, the local area interface communicates with the monitoring device using a mobile network protocol.

In yet another embodiment, the protocol employs SMS.

In one embodiment, the processor reads the container identifier from the monitoring device data.

In another embodiment, the processor and the monitoring device are in two-way communication.

In yet another embodiment, the processor interrogates the monitoring device to determine status data.

In one embodiment, the processor remotely configures the monitoring device.

In another embodiment, the local area interface receives input from a transportation system, the processor determines information related to the transportation system and location, and the processor inserts the information into the reporting information.

In yet another embodiment, the processor determines valid container monitoring devices from the electronic manifest.

In one embodiment, the agent and container monitoring device exchange heartbeat messages to detect communication errors and insert data regarding the detected errors into the report message.

In another embodiment, the processor treats absence of a response to the polling message as a communication error.

In yet another embodiment, the processor inserts a verification challenge in the polling message and indicates a communication error if the challenge is not responded to correctly.

In one embodiment, the local area interface communicates with a manually activated security alert device, and the processor automatically generates a security alert report message in response to manual activation.

In another embodiment, the local area interface treats the mobile device transmitting the security code as a wireless security alert device.

In yet another embodiment, the system further comprises a tracking gateway for receiving the report message from the tracking agent.

In one embodiment, the tracking gateway communicates with a plurality of distributed tracking agents.

In another embodiment, the tracking system uploads tracking information based on the received report message to a tracking application.

In yet another embodiment, the trace gateway routes the trace information through a plurality of redundant paths.

In one embodiment, the tracking gateway periodically polls the tracking proxy.

In another embodiment, the tracking gateway issues a verification challenge to each agent and indicates an error if no valid response is made to the challenge.

In yet another embodiment, a local control terminal is included, and the processor receives status and event data at the terminal and generates the report message using the data.

In one embodiment, status and event messages sent by the container monitoring devices are displayed on the local control terminal.

In another embodiment, the local control terminal has an interface for directly interrogating the monitoring device.

In yet another embodiment, the local control terminal is a handheld device that communicates over a mobile network.

In one embodiment, the agent is located on a transport device having a private mobile network and the local control terminal communicates in the network.

In another embodiment, the processor automatically selects a path for reporting information upload based on the nature of an event included in the reporting message.

Brief Description of Drawings

Some embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

fig. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an on-board communication system of the present invention.

Detailed Description

In the present invention, the location of a container equipped with a monitoring device may be monitored using the mobile cellular network of the vehicle transporting the container. The mobile network provides GSM (SMS and GPRS) coverage in the ship and is connected to the terrestrial GSM network using satellites. Thereby, the container can be continuously monitored from one location to another.

Briefly, an onboard piconet (pico-network) connected to a satellite includes a tracking agent. The role of the tracking agent is to capture data from the monitoring device and generate report messages for enhanced information exchange with the tracking center. For example, if a monitored container located deep in the ship's cargo bay does not "see" GPS satellites, the monitoring agent may insert location information in a report message sent to the tracking center. The report message is sent to the tracking proxy gateway, and the function of the report message is to improve the information flow between a plurality of shipborne tracking proxies and the tracking center or the safety monitoring center.

On-board systems, which are primarily used to track and monitor containers, may also be used to track the vessel itself. The tracking proxy 12 may generate an SMS message that includes location information and other events and data related to the ship. This functionality can be used to meet the need for long distance tracking and identification (LRIT).

If newer packet-based technologies, such as GPRS, can be used, these technologies can be used by the same terminal in conjunction with or instead of SMS to exchange IP packets.

The tracking proxy 12 improves the flow of SMS messages, especially for the following cases: GSM coverage capability has expanded to other areas not covered by ships, ports and traditional terrestrial GSM networks due to restrictions imposed by international radio regulations and laws.

Referring to fig. 1, a communication system 1 of the present invention includes:

10: several containers are provided with monitoring devices, i.e. GSM/GPS modules, for periodically reporting information over the GSM air interface using SMS or GPRS channels. These monitoring devices may be equipped with an RFID tag reader to enable communication with the RFID tag 24 in the container.

11: the onboard BTS and its associated antenna system provide GSM wireless coverage for all locations on the vessel where containers may be stored.

12: an on-board tracking agent, located between the BTS 11 and the satellite communication system 13, intercepts SMS messages from the container module 10 and uses it to generate report messages for uploading. The tracking agent 12 also supports interaction with a GPS receiver 20, a manually activated alarm system 21 and a local control terminal 22 for managing onboard equipment. The tracking agent inserts the position data in the report message using input from the GPS receiver 20.

13: a conventional shipboard satellite communication system ("SatCom") provides a data link between a ship and ground equipment. It is used by the proxy 12 to upload the report message to the gateway 15.

14: a ground station (GES), which is the ground counterpart of the shipborne SatCom system 13.

15: a fixed tracking proxy gateway located between the GES 14 and a conventional terrestrial network such as a GSM network (PLMN) or an IP network. Which is used to receive report messages from a plurality of distributed tracking agents 12 and route corresponding tracking information to the various systems.

16: a number of tracking centers that send and receive messages to and from container tracking devices and include tracking applications for monitoring container status and location.

17: several security monitoring centres which receive security related messages from the gateway 15.

18: several tracking application clients typically access the tracking data through an internet portal supported by tracking center 16.

20: a GPS receiver or an existing on-board navigation system 25 for indicating position, speed, heading and other pertinent information to the tracking agent 12. The tracking agent 12 uses this data to enhance the "value" of the report message.

21: a manually activated alarm system. It may be hardwired. Alternatively, it may be a conventional mobile phone programmed to transmit an alert code.

22: a local control terminal for operating and maintaining the tracking agent 12.

23: an RFID tag reader for communicating with an RFID 24 on a vehicle.

System operation

Each container is equipped with one or more GSM/GPRS modules 10 for interacting with sensors in the container and a container GPS receiver for location monitoring. Parameters that sensors typically monitor include:

container door status. The GSM module logs all opening and closing of the door and may be configured to report door activity periodically or upon the occurrence of a door event. The act of opening the container by attempting to remove the door without opening the seal also causes a door event to occur.

The temperature of the container. The GSM module logs temperature changes and may be configured to report these changes periodically or instantaneously upon reaching a predetermined temperature threshold.

The container location. The GPS receiver sends location information to the GSM module periodically or on demand. The location information is reported by the GSM module periodically or when the location changes by a configurable amount.

Speed detection. The GPS module 10 indicates the speed at each location update and the speed may also be monitored and logged. An alarm may be generated if the speed exceeds a configurable threshold.

Container humidity. The GSM module 10 logs humidity changes and may be configured to report these changes periodically or instantaneously upon reaching a predetermined humidity threshold.

Container power status. Refrigerated containers are typically powered by an internal generator or battery or an external power source from the ship.

GSM/GPS module battery. The GSM/GPS module 10 is typically powered by one or more dry cell batteries. The module monitors the battery voltage and sends an alarm when the charge drops to a configurable value.

A breach indication. If any of the on-board container devices is damaged, the GSM module sends an immediate indication (alarm) to the monitoring center.

Opening an electronic or physical seal.

Impact detection, if the container is dropped or dropped, the speedometer can detect the amount of impact, which is logged and reported by the GSM module in a log.

Pressure, container pressure can be logged and reported as before for temperature and humidity. This is particularly applicable to containers for shipping liquids and gases.

Radiation detection for monitoring the nuclear radiation levels inside and outside the container.

Gas detection for monitoring the concentration levels of different gases within the container.

Chemical, biological and nuclear weapons detection.

RF identification tags (RFID tags) are widely used on containers for identification and tracking of containers. The GSM module 10 may be equipped with an RFID tag reader that reads data from the tag and sends it to the tracking center periodically or on demand.

GSM coverage. The GSM module 10 may be configured to transmit a change in the strength of the received signal so that it can indicate that the container is moving out of range of the GSM network. The GSM module 10 may save and log the start and end times of the GSM coverage. It will also record any reduction in GSM network output power caused by incorrect configuration, system failure, burst corruption or destruction. By checking the log it can be determined whether the GSM module is out of coverage and its length of time.

GPS coverage, the GPS receiver indicating the number of satellites in view each time the position is updated. This may indicate the quality and accuracy of the location information. This information can be used by the GSM module to report reduced GPS coverage or a complete lack of GPS coverage.

Deviation from the planned route; airline information, including waypoints and flights, may be downloaded to the tracking agent 12 and events may be generated if the system deviates from the airline or delays the flight.

The tracking agent 12 generates a report message based on information received from the monitoring device 10, and possibly also based on the RFID tag 24 via the reader 23. The following is an example of a trace and status message that occurs between the device 10 and the trace agent 12:

SMS

Lat

Lon

UTC

Fix

Sat

form of

A/D-1

A/D-2

Head with a rotatable shaft

State of the art

SMS header: routing information for messages

Lat: latitude

Lon: longitude (G)

UTC: time stamp

Fix: GPS positioning quality; and 0 is invalid, 1 is GPS positioning, and 2 is differential GPS positioning.

Sat: the number of satellites used for positioning.

The state is as follows: 1 bit per input, e.g., door open, refrigerator failure.

A/D: analog-to-digital converters, e.g., temperature sensors.

The message format forwarded to the tracking gateway 15 after processing by the tracking proxy 12 replaces the invalid location information with valid data and attaches its own identifier as follows:

SMS header

Lat

Long

UTC

Fix

Sat

Status of state

A/D-1

A/D-2

TP-Id.

SMS header: the routing information of the message, modified by the tracking proxy, is the SMS routed to a different or multiple destinations.

Lat: latitude, if the original positioning data is invalid, the latitude of the tracking agent is replaced.

Lon: longitude, if the original positioning data is invalid, it is replaced by the tracking agent's longitude.

UTC: time stamp

Fix: GPS positioning quality; and 0 is invalid, 1 is GPS location, 2 is differential GPS location, and 3 is tracking proxy location.

Sat: the number of satellites used for positioning. If Fix is 3, it is inserted by the tracking proxy.

The state is as follows: each status inputs 1 bit, e.g., door open, refrigerator failure.

A/D: analog-to-digital converters, such as temperature sensors.

TP-Id: the identity of the agent is tracked.

The tracking agent 12 may also aggregate data from many devices 10 to produce a consolidated report message with lower bandwidth. The report message may also be generated by the tracking proxy in response to an input from the local terminal 22. To accomplish this, a crew member may enter the identification of the container and the associated parameters of the local control terminal 22.

Alternatively, more than one module may be installed in a container. This provides greater reliability for high value containers and better damage detection. For example, if two modules 10 are installed, they may be configured to monitor each other using successive heartbeat messages. If one module 10 does not respond to the heartbeat message, the other module 10 sends an alert. Heartbeat messages may also be exchanged between the container module 10 and the tracking agent 12. If the tracking agent 12 does not receive a heartbeat message within a configurable time, it may send an alarm message to the associated tracking or security monitoring center.

The reporting frequency and threshold values for the above parameters may be remotely configured by a tracking application or tracking agent within tracking center 16. This is achieved by sending a configuration message to the container GSM module 10 using SMS or IP over a GPRS channel.

When the container module 10 is to report an event, an SMS message is sent to the tracking proxy 12 via the shipborne BTS 11. The tracking proxy 12 generates a report message and uploads it to the tracking proxy gateway 15 via a satellite link. The tracking proxy 12 or tracking proxy gateway 15 may insert information such as position coordinates therein before forwarding the message. The tracking proxy 12 or tracking proxy gateway 15 may also decide whether the message needs to be routed to one or more tracking centers or security monitoring centers and create copies of the message for other centers if needed. This is particularly useful in tracking security sensitive containers, which require reporting of some emergency event, such as door opening or breach detection, to the relevant authorities. The decision which centers need to receive the message may depend on information such as the current location or local regulations. Typically, the safety message will be sent to a safety monitoring center located in the flag country, the destination port/country or the nearest country of the ship. This information may be configured locally or remotely at the tracking agent 12. SMS and/or other messaging protocols may be used to send messages to a tracking or security monitoring center. Alternatively, the routing function may be implemented in the GSM module or the tracking center. The GSM module 10 can be remotely configured with the address of the relevant tracking center or security monitoring center. Remote control of the module may be accomplished by a tracking agent or tracking/security center.

The initial message from the module 10 and/or all other messages generated by the tracking agent 12 may be displayed on the LCT 22 screen. In this way, personnel on board the vessel can monitor container parameters and intervene directly if necessary. The LCT 22 also enables the crew to enter status and events on behalf of a container without installed tracking equipment or malfunctioning tracking equipment. Typically, for each container on the ship's manifest, the address to which these manually entered messages are to be sent is entered. Otherwise, the agent may be configured with a default destination address, such as the address of the shipping company. LCT 22 may also display messages from tracking center 16 or security monitoring center 17.

Alternatively, the tracking agent 12 may access an electronic copy of the ship manifest. This can be used to cross check the containers whose location has been updated with the declared containers on the manifest. Any mismatch between the declared container and the container sending the location update will cause the tracking agent 12 to send an alarm report message.

The tracking agent 12 has an interface for manually activating the alarm system. Thus, the crew can send an alarm to the security monitoring center in an emergency, such as when someone attempts to hijack the vessel. Typically, the crew activates the alarm by pressing a hidden button or using a wireless device such as a cellular phone. The tracking proxy 12 sends a predetermined SMS report message to the designated security centre without generating any indication on the ship that an alarm has been sent. This function meets the requirements of SOLAS "ship safety alarm system".

Messages arriving at the tracking center are logged to provide a historical report of each container's events and the associated staff is alerted when a significant event occurs that requires human intervention. The tracking proxy 12 and tracking proxy gateway 15 may also log messages to provide a level of redundancy in the event that a tracking center or security monitoring center is not reachable.

The tracking agent 12 may also monitor the tracking device locally. The tracking device may periodically report status to the tracking agent 12 or the tracking agent 12 may periodically poll the tracking device. In the event of an accident such as an open door, the tracking proxy 12 only sends an indication to the tracking proxy gateway 15 or other tracking center. In this way, the system can check the container status frequently without using satellite bandwidth.

If the tracking application needs to monitor many containers on a ship and ensure that the tracking agent 12 is operational and continuously accessible, the tracking agent 12 may periodically send a comprehensive status report to the tracking agent application. For example, 100 containers on a ship may be polled every 60 seconds, and a consolidated status report may be sent to the tracking application every 60 seconds, which may save 100: 1 satellite resources and ensure that each container and tracking agent contact every 60 seconds. The locally exchanged monitoring message records may be sent to the tracking proxy gateway to generate charging records and statistics for local traffic. Polling the modules may include: the agent 12 provides a verification challenge and, when the challenge does not respond correctly, automatically generates an error report message.

The onboard GSM system and the ground GSM coverage ensure that the GSM module 10 on the container can in most cases communicate with the tracking centre. In the rare case where GSM coverage is not available, a small handheld wireless device emulating a GSM BTS and a tracking agent 12 may communicate with the module on the container to read the current status of the monitored parameters and configure the GSM module reporting scheme.

The GSM modules may also be equipped with an optional short-range wireless unit (e.g., WLAN802.11 or bluetooth) to enable the GSM modules within one or different containers to communicate with each other by establishing a local ad-hoc network. In this way, point-to-point monitoring of the GSM module is enabled and another communication path is provided between the particular container and the GSM network. The tracking proxy may also connect to 802.11 or other similar access points so that these modules can communicate directly using these short-range wireless links.

The tracking proxy 12 and tracking proxy gateway 15 may be monitored and configured locally using the LCT 22 or remotely using a conventional operations and maintenance center. The tracking proxy 12 and tracking proxy gateway 15 continuously monitor the status of the satellite link and send alarm messages to the tracking center or security monitoring center by configuration. The tracking proxy and tracking proxy gateway may generate billing records for post processing at the billing center if necessary.

The gateway 15 also generates an authentication challenge to each agent 12 and generates an error report message if the challenge is not responded to correctly. The gateway 15 also generates an error message if the periodic polling signal is not responded to.

The invention is not limited to the embodiments described but may be varied in construction and detail. For example, the BTS may support other wireless protocols including, but not limited to, the following:

CDMA (IS95) and evolved versions of CDMA (CDMA 2000, CDMA20001x, etc.)

Evolved versions of UMTS and UMTS

Evolved versions of GSM, e.g. GPRS, HSCSD, EDGE

-TDMA

-TD-SCDMA

Wireless local area network, RFC 802.11

-bluetooth

-RFID radio protocol

In another variation, the present invention may be used with any ground, marine or air-borne vehicle, as well as with ground networks.

Claims (23)

1. A tracking system including a tracking agent, the tracking system comprising:

a plurality of container monitoring devices within a wireless local area associated with the tracking agent,

a local area interface configured to communicate with the plurality of container monitoring devices,

wherein the tracking agent comprises:

a processor for receiving the monitoring device data and generating a report message using the same,

a remote communication interface for uploading the report message;

wherein the system further comprises a location monitoring device and the processor determines geographical location data using input from the location monitoring device and inserts the geographical location data in the report message,

wherein the processor of the tracking agent is configured to exchange heartbeat messages with the plurality of container monitoring devices to detect a communication error in the wireless local area and to insert data regarding the detected error into the report message, wherein the processor is configured to drop a response to the polling message as the communication error;

the system further includes a tracking gateway for receiving the report messages from a plurality of distributed tracking agents,

the tracking gateway is configured to upload tracking information based on the received report message to a tracking application.

2. A tracking system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the processor parses monitoring device data to detect specific events and generates notifications accordingly and inserts the notifications into the report message.

3. A tracking system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of monitoring devices communicate with an electronic tag.

4. The tracking system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of monitoring devices communicate with an electronic tag; and wherein the local area interface communicates with the plurality of monitoring devices using a mobile network protocol.

5. The tracking system of claim 4, wherein the protocol uses SMS.

6. The tracking system of claim 1, wherein the processor reads a container identifier from the monitoring device data.

7. A tracking system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the processor and monitoring device are in two-way communication.

8. The tracking system of claim 1, wherein the processor and monitoring device are in bidirectional communication; and wherein the processor interrogates the monitoring device to determine the status data.

9. The tracking system of claim 1, wherein the processor and monitoring device are in bidirectional communication; and wherein the processor remotely configures the monitoring device.

10. The tracking system of claim 1, wherein the local area interface receives input from a transportation system, the processor determines information related to the transportation system and location, and the processor inserts the information into the reporting information.

11. The tracking system of claim 1, wherein the processor determines valid container monitoring devices from an electronic manifest.

12. The tracking system of claim 1, wherein the processor determines valid container monitoring devices from an electronic manifest; and wherein the processor includes a verification challenge in the polling message and indicates a communication error if the challenge is not responded to correctly.

13. The tracking system of claim 1, wherein the local area interface is in communication with a manually activated security alarm device, and the processor automatically generates a security alarm report message in response to manual activation.

14. A tracking system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the local area interface treats the mobile device transmitting the security code as a wireless security alert device.

15. The tracking system of claim 1, wherein the tracking gateway routes the tracking information through a plurality of redundant paths.

16. A tracking system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tracking gateway periodically polls the tracking proxy.

17. A tracking system as claimed in claim 16, wherein the tracking gateway issues a verification challenge to each agent and indicates an error if the challenge is not responded to validly.

18. A tracking system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a local control terminal and the processor receives status and event data at the terminal and uses the data to generate the report message.

19. A tracking system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a local control terminal and the processor receives status and event data at the terminal and uses the data to generate the report message; and wherein status and event messages transmitted by the container monitoring devices are displayed on the local control terminal.

20. A tracking system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a local control terminal and the processor receives status and event data at the terminal and uses the data to generate the report message; and wherein said local control terminal has an interface for directly interrogating said monitoring device.

21. A tracking system as claimed in claim 20, wherein the local control terminal is a hand-held device which communicates over a mobile network.

22. A tracking system as claimed in claim 20, wherein the local control terminal is a handheld device which communicates over a mobile network; and wherein the agent is located on a transportation device having a private mobile network and the local control terminal communicates in the private mobile network.

23. A tracking system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the processor automatically selects a path for reporting information upload in dependence on the nature of the event included in the report message.