Object monitoring, locating, and tracking system employing RFID devices

A system for monitoring a container in transit via one or more carriers from an origin location to a destination location, said system comprising:

• a container having an exterior surface with a closable opening therein that when closed defines a closable substantially electromagnetically shielded interior space, wherein the closable opening is sealed at the origin location;
• an RFID device disposed in the interior space of said container prior to said container leaving the origin location, said RFID device comprising:
• a memory having stored therein unique identifying information and codes representing transmitter power levels;
• an antenna for transmitting and/or receiving electromagnetic signals;
• a modulator coupled to said memory for modulating the unique identifying information and the transmitter power level codes stored in said memory;
• and
• a transmitter coupled to said modulator and to said antenna for periodically transmitting messages via said antenna, wherein each of the messages includes the modulated unique identifying information and a modulated one of the transmitter power level codes, wherein the power level of said transmitter is controlled responsive to the power level code to correspond to the power level represented by the power level code in each transmitted message when each message is transmitted;
• whereby the transmitter power level of said RFID device corresponds to the power level code contained in the messages transmitted;
• wherein when the closable opening of said container is closed said RFID device therein is substantially electromagnetically shielded and wherein when the closable opening of said container is not closed or said container is tampered with said RFID device therein is not substantially electromagnetically shielded;
• a first relay device located at the origin location, said first relay device comprising a receiver for receiving messages transmitted by said RFID device, said first relay device further comprising a transmitter for relaying messages received from said RFID device when said container is at the origin location, a memory for storing messages received from said RFID device when said container is at the origin location, or a transmitter and a memory for relaying and storing messages received from said RFID device when said container is at the origin location;
• a second relay device located on the carrier, said second relay device comprising a receiver for receiving messages transmitted by said RFID device, said first relay device further comprising a transmitter for relaying messages received from said RFID device when said container is on said carrier, a memory for storing messages received from said RFID device when said container is on said carrier, or a transmitter and a memory for relaying and storing messages received from said RFID device when said container is on said carrier;
• a third relay device located at the destination location, said third relay device comprising a receiver for receiving messages transmitted by said RFID device said first relay device further comprising a transmitter for relaying messages received from said RFID device when said container is at the destination location, a memory for storing messages received from said RFID device when said container is at the destination location, or a transmitter and a memory for relaying and storing messages received from said RFID device when said container is at the destination location;
• wherein ones of the messages transmitted by the RFID device interior the container when the closable opening thereof is closed are not received by any of the first, second and third relay devices exterior to the container and ones of the messages transmitted by the RFID device interior the container are received and stored by the first relay device when the closable opening of said container is not closed and/or said container is tampered with at the origin location, are received and stored by the second relay device when the closable opening of said container is not closed and/or said container is tampered with aboard the carrier, and are received and stored by the third relay device when the closable opening of said container is not closed and/or said container is tampered with at the destination location, and
• wherein the messages received by said first, second and third relay devices and the power levels at which the messages were transmitted provide an indication of the location of said container and whether the closable opening of the container has or has not been opened and/or whether said container has been tampered with.

A system for monitoring containers having an RFID device associated therewith, wherein each of the containers defines an enclosable interior space, said system comprising:

• at least one RFID device associated with each of the containers, each RFID device comprising:
• a memory having stored therein unique identifying information and codes representing transmitter power levels;
• an antenna for transmitting and/or receiving electromagnetic signals;
• a modulator coupled to said memory for modulating the unique identifying information and the transmitter power level codes stored in said memory;
• and
• a transmitter coupled to said modulator and to said antenna for transmitting via said antenna, wherein each of the messages includes the modulated unique identifying information and a modulated one of the transmitter power level codes, wherein the power level of said transmitter is controlled responsive to the power level code to correspond to the power level represented by the power level code in each transmitted message when each message is transmitted;
• whereby the transmitter power level corresponds to the power level code contained in the messages transmitted;
• a plurality of containers each having an exterior surface with a closable opening therein that when closed defines a closable substantially electromagnetically shielded interior space, each said container enclosing the at least one said RFID device associated therewith in its interior space so that when the closable opening is closed the at least one said RFID device therein is substantially electromagnetically shielded and so that when the closable opening is not closed or said container is tampered with the at least one said RFID device therein is not substantially electromagnetically shielded;
• at least one relay device exterior to said container, each said relay device comprising a receiver for receiving messages transmitted by said at least one RFID device interior said container, a memory for storing the messages received from said at least one RFID device interior said container, and a transmitter for transmitting the messages received from said at least one RFID device interior said container or the messages stored in the memory of said relay device or both;
• whereby messages transmitted by the RFID device interior the container when the closable opening thereof is closed are substantially attenuated and/or are not received by the relay device exterior to the container and messages transmitted by the RFID device interior the container when the closable opening thereof is not closed and/or said container is tampered with are received by the relay device exterior to the container, thereby to provide an indication that the closable opening thereof has been opened and/or said container has been tampered with.

A system for monitoring a container having an exterior surface with a closable opening therein that when closed defines a closable substantially electromagnetically shielded interior space, said system comprising:

• an RFID device disposed in the interior space of the container, said RFID device comprising:
• a memory having stored therein unique identifying information;
• an antenna for transmitting and/or receiving electromagnetic signals;
• a modulator coupled to said memory for modulating the unique identifying information stored in said memory;
• and
• a transmitter coupled to said modulator and to said antenna for transmitting messages via said antenna, wherein each of the messages includes the modulated unique identifying information;
• wherein when the closable opening of the container is closed said RFID device therein is substantially electromagnetically shielded and when the closable opening of the container is not closed or said container is tampered with said RFID device therein is not substantially electromagnetically shielded;
• a receiving device exterior to the container, said receiving device comprising a receiver for receiving messages transmitted by said RFID device interior the container and a memory for storing the messages received from said RFID device interior the container;
• wherein ones of the messages transmitted by the RFID device interior the container when the closable opening thereof is closed are substantially attenuated and/or are not received by the receiving device exterior to the container and ones of the messages transmitted by the RFID device interior the container when the closable opening thereof is not closed and/or said container is tampered with are received and stored by the receiving device exterior to the container,
• whereby the messages stored in said receiving device provide an indication of whether the closable opening of the container has or has not been opened and/or said container has been tampered with.

A system for monitoring a container having at least one RFID device interior thereto, said system comprising:

• an RFID device interior to a container, the RFID device periodically transmitting messages;
• wherein each of the messages includes information uniquely identifying the RFID device;
• and
• wherein ones of the messages that are transmitted when the container is closed are substantially attenuated by the container, and wherein ones of the messages that are transmitted when an opening in the container is open are not substantially attenuated by the container;
• a receiver exterior the container for receiving messages transmitted by the RFID device interior the container;
• whereby ones of the messages that are transmitted when the container is closed are substantially attenuated and/or are not received by the receiving device, and wherein ones of the messages that are transmitted when the container is tampered with and/or when the opening of the container is open are received by the receiving device;
• and
• means for determining from the messages received from the RFID device whether the opening of the container has or not been opened and/or the container has been tampered with,
• whereby a container having an RFID device therein is monitored for being opened and/or tampered with.