Systems, apparatus, and methods for detecting an environmental anomaly and initiating an enhanced automatic response using elements of a wireless node network and using sensor data from ID nodes associated with packages and environmental threshold conditions per package

An improved method for monitoring a shipping container and responding to an environmental anomaly using a wireless node network having at least a plurality of ID nodes disposed within the shipping container and a command node mounted to and associated with the shipping container, each of the ID nodes having at least one environmental sensor and being associated with a respective one of a plurality of packages maintained within the shipping container, and wherein the command node being operative to communicate with each of the ID nodes and an external transceiver associated with a transit vehicle, the method comprising:

• generating, by the environmental sensor on each of the ID nodes, sensor data related to an environmental condition of the respective package associated with each of the ID nodes as the packages reside within the shipping container;
• broadcasting, by each of the ID nodes, the generated sensor data;
• detecting, by the command node, the sensor data broadcasted from the ID nodes;
• comparing, by the command node, the detected sensor data from each of the ID nodes and locally maintained context data related to each of the ID nodes, the context data including at least a plurality of environmental threshold conditions respectively corresponding to the packages;
• detecting, by the command node, the environmental anomaly for the shipping container when the comparison of the detected sensor data and the context data indicates an environmental condition for at least one of the packages exceeds its respective environmental threshold condition;
• generating, by the command node, a layered alert notification related to the environmental anomaly for the shipping container in response to detecting the environmental anomaly, wherein the layered alert notification identifies a targeted mediation recipient, identifies a targeted mediation action, and establishes a mediation response priority based upon the comparison of the received sensor data and the context data;
• and
• transmitting, by the command node, the layered alert notification to the transceiver unit to initiate a mediation response related to the targeted mediation action.

An improved system for detecting and automatically reporting on an environmental anomaly in a shipping container onboard a transit vehicle, the shipping container maintaining a plurality of packages, the system comprising:

• a plurality of ID sensor nodes disposed within the shipping container, each of the ID sensor nodes being associated with a respective one of the packages maintained within the shipping container, wherein each of the ID sensor nodes comprising
• an ID sensor node processing unit,
• an ID sensor node memory coupled to the ID sensor node processing unit, the memory maintaining at least an ID sensor node monitoring program code,
• at least one environmental sensor configured to generate sensor data related to an environmental condition of the respective package associated with each of the ID sensor nodes,
• a wireless radio transceiver coupled to the ID sensor node processing unit, the wireless radio transceiver being configured to access the sensor data generated by the at least one environmental sensor and broadcast the sensor data in response to a report command from the ID sensor node processing unit when the ID sensor node processing unit executes the ID sensor node monitoring program code;
• and
• a command node mounted to the shipping container, the command node further comprising
• a command node processing unit,
• a command node memory coupled to the command node processing unit, the command node memory maintaining at least command node container management program code and context data related to each of the ID sensor nodes, the context data including at least a plurality of environmental threshold conditions respectively corresponding to each of the packages,
• a first communication interface coupled to the command node processing unit, the first communication interface being configured to communicate with each of the ID sensor nodes using a first wireless communication format compatible with the wireless radio transceiver on each of the ID sensor nodes,
• a second communication interface coupled to the command node processing unit, the second communication interface being configured to communicate over a second wireless communications format;
• and
• a transit vehicle transceiver in communication with the second communication interface of the command node, the transit vehicle transceiver comprising at least a display interface and a fire suppression system interface;
• wherein the command node processing unit is programmatically configured, when executing the command node container management program code, to be operative to
• detect the sensor data broadcasted from the ID sensor nodes using the first communication interface,
• compare the detected sensor data from each of the ID sensor nodes and the context data related to each of the ID sensor nodes,
• detect the environmental anomaly for the shipping container when the comparison of the detected sensor data and the context data indicates an environmental condition for at least one of the packages exceeds its respective environmental threshold condition,
• generate a layered alert notification related to the environmental anomaly for the shipping container in response to detecting the environmental anomaly, wherein the layered alert notification identifies a targeted mediation recipient, identifies a targeted mediation action, and establishes a mediation response priority based upon the comparison of the received sensor data and the context data, and
• cause the second communication interface to transmit the layered alert notification to the transit vehicle transceiver to initiate a mediation response related to the targeted mediation action;
• wherein the transit vehicle transceiver, in response to receiving the layered alert notification, is operative to
• automatically generate a mediation message as the mediation response, the mediation message reflecting the targeted mediation action and the mediation response priority, and
• provide the mediation message to the targeted mediation recipient.