Systems and methods for securely monitoring a shipping container for an environmental anomaly

A system for securely monitoring a shipping container for an environmental anomaly using elements of a wireless node network that interact with an external transceiver associated with a transit vehicle having at least temporary custody of the shipping container, the shipping container maintaining at least a plurality of sensor-based ID nodes, the system comprising:

• a subset of the sensor-based ID nodes, wherein each within the subset of the sensor-based ID nodes being disposed in different locations within the shipping container, wherein each within the subset of the sensor-based ID nodes comprising
• an ID node processor,
• an environmental sensor coupled to the ID node processor, the environmental sensor operative to generate sensor data related to an environmental condition proximate the respective sensor-based ID node within the shipping container, wherein the environmental sensor on at least one of the subset of the sensor-based ID nodes comprises a chemical sensor, and
• a wireless radio transceiver coupled to the ID node processor, the wireless radio transceiver being operative to broadcast the sensor data in response to a sensor data broadcast command from the ID node processor;
• and
• a command node mounted to the shipping container, wherein the command node further comprising
• a command node processor,
• a command node memory coupled to the command node processor, the command node memory maintaining at least command node container management program code, and a plurality of security credentials where each of the security credentials are specific to a respective one from the subset of the sensor-based ID nodes,
• a wireless transceiver-based communication interface operatively coupled to the command node processor, the wireless transceiver-based communication interface being configured to communicate with each from the subset of the sensor-based ID nodes and communicate with the external transceiver associated with the transit vehicle,
• wherein the command node processor is programmatically configured, when executing the command node container management program code, to be operative to
• identify which of the sensor-based ID nodes is one of a plurality of trusted sensors disposed within the shipping container based the security credentials, the identified ones of the sensor-based ID nodes being confirmed sensor-based ID nodes;
• monitor, via the wireless transceiver-based communication interface, only the confirmed ones of the sensor-based ID nodes for sensor data broadcast from each of the confirmed sensor-based ID nodes while disregarding any sensor data broadcast from those of the sensor-based ID nodes not identified as being confirmed sensor-based ID nodes;
• detect the environmental anomaly for the shipping container based upon the sensor data monitored from at least one of the confirmed sensor-based ID nodes;
• automatically generate an alert notification related to the detected environmental anomaly for the shipping container;
• and
• cause the wireless transceiver-based communication interface to transmit the alert notification to the external transceiver to initiate a mediation response related to the detected environmental anomaly.

A method for securely monitoring a shipping container for an environmental anomaly using elements of a wireless node network having at least a plurality of sensor-based ID nodes disposed within the shipping container and a command node associated with the shipping container, wherein the command node being operative to securely communicate with each of the sensor-based ID nodes and an external transceiver associated with a transit vehicle having at least temporary custody of the shipping container, the method comprising:

• monitoring, by the command node, signals broadcast from each of the sensor-based ID nodes, the monitored signals including sensor data generated from each of the sensor-based ID nodes;
• identifying, by the command node, which of the sensor data is trusted sensor data based upon validation data included within each of the respective monitored signals that includes the sensor data, wherein the trusted sensor data including trusted chemical sensor data;
• detecting, by the command node, the environmental anomaly for the shipping container based upon only the identified trusted sensor data;
• automatically generating, by the command node, an alert notification related to the detected environmental anomaly for the shipping container;
• and
• transmitting, by the command node, the alert notification to the external transceiver to initiate a mediation response related to the detected environmental anomaly.

A system for securely monitoring a shipping container for an environmental anomaly using elements of a wireless node network that interact with an external transceiver associated with a transit vehicle having at least temporary custody of the shipping container, the shipping container maintaining at least a plurality of sensor-based ID nodes, the system comprising:

• a subset of the sensor-based ID nodes, wherein each within the subset of the sensor-based ID nodes being disposed in different locations within the shipping container, wherein each within the subset of the sensor-based ID nodes comprising
• an ID node processor,
• an environmental sensor coupled to the ID node processor, the environmental sensor operative to generate sensor data related to an environmental condition proximate the respective sensor-based ID node within the shipping container, and
• a wireless radio transceiver coupled to the ID node processor, the wireless radio transceiver being operative to broadcast the sensor data in response to a sensor data broadcast command from the ID node processor;
• and
• a command node mounted to the shipping container, wherein the command node further comprising
• a command node processor,
• a command node memory coupled to the command node processor, the command node memory maintaining at least command node container management program code, and a plurality of security credentials where each of the security credentials are specific to a respective one from the subset of the sensor-based ID nodes,
• a wireless transceiver-based communication interface operatively coupled to the command node processor, the wireless transceiver-based communication interface being configured to communicate with each from the subset of the sensor-based ID nodes and communicate with the external transceiver associated with the transit vehicle,
• wherein the command node processor is programmatically configured, when executing the command node container management program code, to be operative to
• monitor, via the wireless transceiver-based communication interface, signals broadcast from each of the sensor-based ID nodes, the monitored signals including sensor data generated from each of the sensor-based ID nodes;
• identify which of the sensor data is trusted sensor data based upon validation data included within each of the respective monitored signals that includes the sensor data;
• detect the environmental anomaly for the shipping container based upon only the identified trusted sensor data;
• automatically generate an alert notification related to the detected environmental anomaly for the shipping container;
• and
• cause the wireless transceiver-based communication interface to transmit the alert notification to the external transceiver to initiate a mediation response related to the detected environmental anomaly.

A command node apparatus for securely monitoring a shipping container for an environmental anomaly using elements of a wireless node network that interact with an external transceiver associated with a transit vehicle having at least temporary custody of the shipping container, the shipping container maintaining at least a plurality of sensor-based ID nodes, the command node apparatus being disposed with the shipping container and comprising:

• a command node processor,
• a command node memory coupled to the command node processor, the command node memory maintaining at least command node container management program code, and a plurality of security credentials where each of the security credentials are specific to a respective one from a subset of the sensor-based ID nodes,
• a wireless transceiver-based communication interface operatively coupled to the command node processor, the wireless transceiver-based communication interface being configured to communicate with each from the subset of the sensor-based ID nodes and communicate with the external transceiver associated with the transit vehicle;
• and
• wherein the command node processor is programmatically configured, when executing the command node container management program code, to be operative to
• monitor, via the wireless transceiver-based communication interface, signals broadcast from each of the sensor-based ID nodes, the monitored signals including sensor data generated from each of the sensor-based ID nodes,
• identify which of the sensor data is trusted sensor data based upon validation data included within each of the respective monitored signals that includes the sensor data,
• detect the environmental anomaly for the shipping container based upon only the identified trusted sensor data,
• automatically generate an alert notification related to the detected environmental anomaly for the shipping container, and
• cause the wireless transceiver-based communication interface to transmit the alert notification to the external transceiver to initiate a mediation response related to the detected environmental anomaly.