US 7,612,338 B2Granted

Real time system for monitoring containers from a quayside crane

AssigneeVeritainer Corporation

InventorsJohn I. Alioto, Matthew T. Alioto

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

In a real time container monitoring system, a data collection computer is in communication with the control computer of a container crane. The electrical signal from each of the radiation detection units carried by the spreader of the container crane is applied to the data collection computer to store as digital data information commensurate with the electrical signal from each of the radiation detection units in response to the control signal being indicative that the container has been engaged by the twist locks. A data analysis computer is in network communication with the data collection computer to download the digital data from the data collection computer and analyze the digital data to determine whether the threat material is present in the container.

Claims39

Dependent claims

A real time monitoring system for the detection of threat material in one of a plurality of containers as each one of said containers is being hoisted by a container crane, said container crane having a hoist attachment and a control computer operative to develop a twist lock control signal, said hoist attachment having twist locks that are actuated between an engaged position and a disengaged position in response to said twist lock control signal, said monitoring system:

a plurality of radiation sensors carried by said hoist attachment, each of said radiation sensors in response to detected radiation being operative to develop an electrical signal conveying information commensurate with said detected radiation;
a data collection computer, said twist lock control signal and said electrical signal from each of said radiation sensors being applied to said data collection computer wherein, during a time duration in which said twist lock control signal is indicative that said twist locks are in said engaged position such that a current one of said containers is grasped by said hoist attachment, said data collection computer is operative to store at least once said information conveyed by said electrical signal from each of said radiation sensors as container digital data;
and
a data analysis computer in communication with said data collection computer wherein said container digital data when stored in said data collection computer is made available in real time at said data analysis computer, said data analysis computer being operative to analyze said container digital data to determine whether said container digital data upon analysis thereof is indicative of said threat material being present in said current one of said containers.

1 more element

A real time monitoring system for the detection of threat material in one of a plurality of containers as each of said containers is being hoisted at a port facility, said port facility having a plurality of container cranes to hoist said containers, each of said container cranes having a hoist attachment and a control computer associated with said hoist attachment, said control computer of each of said container cranes being operative to develop a twist lock control signal, said hoist attachment of each of said container cranes having twist locks that are actuated between an engaged position and a disengaged position in response to said twist lock control signal developed by said control computer associated with said hoist attachment of each of said container cranes, said monitoring system comprising:

a plurality of radiation sensors carried by said hoist attachment of each of said container cranes, each of said radiation sensors in response to detected radiation being operative to develop an electrical signal conveying information commensurate with said detected radiation;
a plurality of data collection computers, each of said data collection computers being associated with a respective one of said container cranes, said twist lock control signal developed by said control computer associated with said hoist attachment of said respective one of said container cranes and said electrical signal from each of said radiation sensors carried by said hoist attachment of said respective one of said container cranes being applied to said data collection computer associated with said respective one of said container cranes wherein, during a time duration said twist lock control signal developed by said control computer associated with said hoist attachment of said respective one of said container cranes is indicative that said twist locks of said hoist attachment of said respective one of said container cranes are in said engaged position such that a current one of said containers is grasped by said hoist attachment of said respective one of said container cranes, each of said data collection computers associated with said respective one of said container cranes is operative to store at least once said information conveyed by said electrical signal from each of said radiation sensors carried by said hoist attachment of said respective one of said container cranes as container digital data;
and
a data analysis computer in communication with each of said data collection computers wherein said container digital data when stored in each of said data collection computers is made available in real time to said data analysis computer, said data analysis computer being operative to analyze said digital data from each of said data collection computers to determine whether said container digital data from each of said data collection computers associated with said respective one of said container cranes upon analysis thereof is indicative of said threat material being present in said current one of said containers grasped by said hoist attachment of said respective one of said container cranes.

1 more element

A real time wide area monitoring system for the detection of threat material in one of a plurality of containers as each of said containers is hoisted between a container ship and wharfage at one of a plurality of port facilities, each of said port facilities having a plurality of container cranes to hoist said containers, each of said container cranes having a hoist attachment and a control computer associated with said hoist attachment, said control computer of each of said container cranes being operative to develop a twist lock control signal, said hoist attachment of each of said container cranes having twist locks that are actuated between an engaged position and a disengaged position in response to said twist lock control signal developed by said control computer associated with said hoist attachment of each of said container cranes, said monitoring system comprising:

a plurality of radiation sensors carried by said hoist attachment of each of said container cranes, each of said radiation sensors in response to detected radiation being operative to develop an electrical signal conveying information commensurate with said detected radiation;
a plurality of data collection computers, each of said data collection computers being associated with a respective one of said container cranes, said twist lock control signal and said electrical signal from each of said radiation sensors of said hoist attachment of said respective one of said container cranes being applied to said data collection computer associated with said respective one of said container cranes wherein, during a time duration said twist lock control signal developed by said control computer associated with said hoist attachment of said respective one of said container cranes is indicative that said twist locks of said hoist attachment of said respective one of said container cranes are in said engaged position such that a current one of said containers is grasped at said respective one of said container cranes, one of said data collection computers associated with said respective one of said container cranes is operative to store at least once said information conveyed by said electrical signal from each of said radiation sensors of said hoist attachment of said respective one of said container cranes as container digital data;
and
a data analysis computer in wide area network communication with each of said data collection computers wherein said container digital data when stored in each of said data collection computers is made available in real time to said data analysis computer, said data analysis computer being operative to analyze said digital data from each of said data collection computers to determine whether said container digital data from said one of said data collection computers associated with said respective one of said container cranes to determine whether said container digital data from said one of said data collection computers associated with said respective one of said container cranes upon analysis thereof is indicative of said threat material being present in said current one of said containers.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 11/605,530Filed 28 Nov 2006
Published: US 2009/0248365 A11 Oct 2009
Granted: 3 Nov 2009
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification6 codes

G01V 5/26
Detecting prohibited goods, e.g. weapons, explosives, hazardous substances, contraband or smuggled objects: passive interrogation, i.e. by…
B66C 1/101
By mechanical means: for containers
B66C 19/002
Cranes comprising trolleys or crabs running on fixed or movable bridges or gantries: container cranes
G01V 5/271
Detecting prohibited goods, e.g. weapons, explosives, hazardous substances, contraband or smuggled objects: using a network, e.g. a remote expert,…

Family

US 2009/0248365 A1Pre-grant publication · published 1 Oct 2009
US 7,612,338 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

Timeline

Citations

Open elsewhere

Building an agent or pulling many patents? Use the API or MCP server instead of scraping pages. Get an API key