Smart connected digital container bolt seal and associated methods

An apparatus, comprising:

• a rod having an integrated head disposed at a first end of the rod, wherein the rod has a first outside cross-section dimension, and wherein a second outside cross-section dimension of the head is greater than the first outside cross-section dimension of the rod;
• a cap element, wherein a third outside cross-section dimension of the cap element is greater than the first outside cross-section dimension of the rod, wherein the rod has a second end opposite to the first end, and wherein the cap element becomes permanently attached to the rod after placement on the second end;
• an energy distribution element;
• an antenna;
• and
• a processing system configured to be powered by the energy distribution element, wherein the processing system facilitates wireless communications via the antenna, wherein the wireless communications comprise a first message indicative of a first time and a first location of a locking event and a second message indicative of a second time and a second location of a removal event, wherein the locking event is when the cap element becomes permanently attached to the rod after placement on the second end of the rod, wherein the removal event is subsequent to the locking event, and wherein the removal event is when either of the head or the cap element are destructively separated from the rod.

A method, comprising:

• receiving, by a processing system including a processor, a first data feed from a first container bolt seal, wherein the first container bolt seal comprises a first rod portion having a first end and a second end, wherein the first container bolt seal further comprises a first head located at the first end of the first rod portion, wherein the first container bolt seal further comprises a first locking member, wherein the first rod portion is sized such that at least a part of the first rod portion can fit through a standard-sized hole in a door locking handle retainer of a shipping container or a standard-sized hole in a secure cam position of a shipping container, wherein the first head is sized such that the first head cannot fit through the standard-sized hole in the door locking handle retainer of the shipping container or the standard-sized hole in the secure cam position of the shipping container, wherein the first container bolt seal is installed by passing the second end of the first rod portion through the standard-sized hole and then attaching the first locking member to the second end of the first rod portion, wherein the first container bolt seal further comprises a first electronic processor, wherein the first electronic processor facilitates wireless transmission of the first data feed, wherein the first data feed comprises an attachment message indicative of a first time and a first location of the first locking member being attached to the second end of the first rod portion, and wherein the first data feed further comprises a removal message indicative of a second time and a second location of either the first head or the first locking member being separated from the first rod portion;
• and
• displaying by the processing system, on a graphical user interface (GUI), geospatial information from the first data feed, wherein the displaying comprises displaying on a map the first location and displaying on the map the second location.