# US 7,612,338 B2 · Real time system for monitoring containers from a quayside crane > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 7,612,338 B2 - Document ID: US7612338B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 11/605,530 - Filed: 2006-11-28 - Published: 2009-10-01 - Granted: 2009-11-03 - Earliest claimed: 2006-11-28 - Assignees: Veritainer Corporation - Inventors: John I. Alioto; Matthew T. Alioto - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7612338B2 ## CPC - G01V 5/26: Passive interrogation, i.e. by measuring radiation emitted by objects or goods - B66C 1/101: {for containers (B66C1/223 and B66C1/663 take precedence)} - B66C 19/002: {Container cranes (B66C19/007 takes precedence)} - G01V 5/271: {using a network, e.g. a remote expert, accessing remote data or the like} - G01V: GEOPHYSICS; GRAVITATIONAL MEASUREMENTS; DETECTING MASSES OR OBJECTS; TAGS (means for indicating the location of accidentally buried, e.g. snow-buried, persons A63B29/02) - B66C: CRANES; LOAD-ENGAGING ELEMENTS OR DEVICES FOR CRANES, CAPSTANS, WINCHES, OR TACKLES ({specially adapted for lifting invalids A61G7/10;} rope, cable, or chain winding mechanisms, braking or detent devices therefor B66D; specially adapted for nuclear reactors G21) ## 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. ## Claims ### Claim 1 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. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A monitoring system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said data collection computer is further operative to store periodically said information conveyed by said electrical signal from each of said radiation sensors during said time duration. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) A monitoring system as set forth in claim 1 wherein during a prior time duration in which said twist lock control signal is indicative that said twist locks are in said disengaged position said data collection computer is further operative to store at least once said information conveyed by said electrical signal from each of said radiation sensors as background digital data, and further wherein said background 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 further operative to analyze said container digital data and said background digital data to determine whether said container digital data and said background digital data upon analysis thereof is indicative of said threat material being present in said current one of said containers. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) A monitoring system as set forth in claim 3 wherein said data collection computer is further operative to store periodically said information conveyed by said electrical signal from each of said radiation sensors during said prior time duration. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) A monitoring system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said data collection computer is further operative to store in association with said container digital data a selected one of a container identification for said current one of said containers, a timestamp at which said container digital data is stored and a radiation sensor identification associated with each of said radiation sensors. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) A monitoring system as set forth in claim 5 further comprising a port facility computer and a local area network, each of said control computer, said port facility computer and said data collection computer being in communication over said local area network with a selected one other of said control computer, said port facility computer and said data collection computer, a selected one of said control computer and said port facility computer being operative to obtain a selected one of said container identification and said timestamp wherein said selected one of said container identification and said timestamp are made available to said data collection computer over said local area network. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) A monitoring system as set forth in claim 5 wherein said electrical signal from each of said radiation sensors further conveys information of said radiation sensor identification at which said electrical signal is developed. ### Claim 8 (depends on 5) A monitoring system as set forth in claim 5 wherein said radiation sensor identification is obtained from a channel on which said electrical signal developed from said associated one of said radiation sensors is applied to said data collection computer. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) A monitoring system as set forth in claim 1 further comprising a local area network, said data collection computer being in communication with said data analysis computer over said local area network. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) A monitoring system as set forth in claim 9 further comprising a port facility computer in communication over said local area network to monitor said control computer, said data analysis computer being a software implementation within said port facility computer. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) A monitoring system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said container crane further includes a machinery/electrical room and an interface in said machinery/electrical room, said twist lock control signal being applied to said interface by said control computer and further applied to said data collection computer through a connection in said interface. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) A monitoring system as set forth in claim 11 wherein said data collection computer and said control computer are disposed in said machinery/electrical room. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) A monitoring system as set forth in claim 1 wherein each of said radiation sensors is further operative to develop continuously said electrical signal. ### Claim 14 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. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) A monitoring system as set forth in claim 14 wherein said data collection computer associated with each respective one of said container cranes periodically stores said information conveyed by said electrical signal from each of said radiation sensors carried by said hoist attachment of each respective one of said container cranes during said time duration. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) A monitoring system as set forth in claim 14 wherein during a prior time duration in which said twist lock control signal is indicative that said twist locks are in said disengaged position said data collection computer is further operative to store at least once said information conveyed by said electrical signal from each of said radiation sensors as background digital data, and further wherein said background digital data when stored in each of said data collection computers is made available in real time at said data analysis computer, said data analysis computer being further operative to analyze said container digital data and said background digital data from each of said data collection computers to determine whether said container digital data and said background digital data from each of said data collection computers 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. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) A monitoring system as set forth in claim 16 wherein each of said data collection computers associated with each respective one of said container cranes is further operative to store periodically said information conveyed by said electrical signal from each of said radiation sensors carried by said hoist attachment of each respective one of said container cranes during said further time duration. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) A monitoring system as set forth in claim 14 wherein each of said data collection computers associated with each respective one of said container cranes is further operative to store in association with said container digital data therein a selected one of a container identification for said current one of said containers grasped by said hoist attachment of said respective one of said container cranes, a timestamp at which said container digital data is stored in each of said data collection computers associated with each respective one of said container cranes and a radiation sensor identification associated with each of said radiation sensors carried by said hoist attachment of said respective one of said container cranes. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) A monitoring system as set forth in claim 18 further comprising a port facility computer and a local area network, said control computer associated with said hoist attachment of each respective one of said container cranes, said port facility computer and said each of said data collection computers associated with each respective one of said container cranes being in communication over said local area network with a selected one other of said control computer associated with said hoist attachment of each respective one of said container cranes, said port facility computer and each of said data collection computers associated with each respective one of said container cranes, a selected one of said control computer associated with said hoist attachment of each respective one of said container cranes and said port facility computer being operative to obtain a selected one of said container identification for said current one of said containers grasped by said hoist attachment of said respective one of said container cranes and said timestamp at which said container digital data is stored in each of said data collection computers associated with each respective one of said container cranes wherein said selected one of said container identification for said current one of said containers grasped by said hoist attachment of said respective one of said container cranes and said timestamp at which said container digital data is stored in each of said data collection computers associated with each respective one of said container cranes are made available to each of said data collection computers associated with each respective one of said container cranes over said local area network. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) A monitoring system as set forth in claim 18 wherein said electrical signal from each of said radiation sensors carried by said hoist attachment of said respective one of said container cranes further conveys information of said radiation sensor identification at which said electrical signal is developed. ### Claim 21 (depends on 18) A monitoring system as set forth in claim 18 wherein said radiation sensor identification is obtained from a channel on which said electrical signal is applied to said each of said data collection computers associated each respective one of said container cranes. ### Claim 22 (depends on 14) A monitoring system as set forth in claim 14 further comprising a local area network, each of said data collection computers associated with each respective one of said container cranes being in communication with said data analysis computer over said local area network. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) A monitoring system as set forth in claim 22 further comprising a port facility computer in communication over said local area network to monitor said control computer associated with said hoist attachment of each respective one of said container cranes, said data analysis computer being a software implementation within said port facility computer. ### Claim 24 (depends on 14) A monitoring system as set forth in claim 14 wherein each of said container cranes further includes a machinery/electrical room and an interface in said machinery/electrical room of a same one of said container cranes, said twist lock control signal developed by said control computer associated with said hoist attachment of said same one of said container cranes being applied to said interface at said same one of said container cranes and further applied to one of said data collection computers associated with said same one of said container cranes through a connection in said interface of said same one of said container cranes. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) A monitoring system as set forth in claim 24 wherein said one of said data collection computers associated with said same one of said container cranes and said control computer associated with said hoist attachment of said same one of said container cranes are disposed in said machinery/electrical room at said same one of said container cranes. ### Claim 26 (depends on 14) A monitoring system as set forth in claim 14 wherein each of said radiation sensors is further operative to develop continuously said electrical signal. ### Claim 27 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. ### Claim 28 (depends on 27) A monitoring system as set forth in claim 27 wherein said data collection computer associated with each respective one of said container cranes periodically stores said information conveyed by said electrical signal from each of said radiation sensors carried by said hoist attachment of each respective one of said container cranes during said time duration. ### Claim 29 (depends on 27) A monitoring system as set forth in claim 27 wherein during a prior time duration in which said twist lock control signal is indicative that said twist locks are in said disengaged position said data collection computer is further operative to store at least once said information conveyed by said electrical signal from each of said radiation sensors as background digital data, and further wherein said background digital data when stored in each of said data collection computers is made available in real time at said data analysis computer, said data analysis computer being further operative to analyze said container digital data and said background digital data from each of said data collection computers to determine whether said container digital data and said background digital data from each of said data collection computers 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. ### Claim 30 (depends on 29) A monitoring system as set forth in claim 29 wherein each of said data collection computers associated with each respective one of said container cranes is further operative to store periodically said information conveyed by said electrical signal from each of said radiation sensors carried by said hoist attachment of each respective one of said container cranes during said further time duration. ### Claim 31 (depends on 27) A monitoring system as set forth in claim 27 wherein each of said data collection computers associated with each respective one of said container cranes is further operative to store in association with said container digital data therein a selected one of a container identification for said current one of said containers grasped by said hoist attachment of said respective one of said container cranes, a timestamp at which said container digital data is stored in each of said data collection computers associated with each respective one of said container cranes and a radiation sensor identification associated with each of said radiation sensors carried by said hoist attachment of said respective one of said container cranes. ### Claim 32 (depends on 31) A monitoring system as set forth in claim 31 further comprising a port facility computer and a local area network, said control computer associated with said hoist attachment of each respective one of said container cranes, said port facility computer and said each of said data collection computers associated with each respective one of said container cranes being in communication over said local area network with a selected one other of said control computer associated with said hoist attachment of each respective one of said container cranes, said port facility computer and each of said data collection computers associated with each respective one of said container cranes, a selected one of said control computer associated with said hoist attachment of each respective one of said container cranes and said port facility computer being operative to obtain a selected one of said container identification for said current one of said containers grasped by said hoist attachment of said respective one of said container cranes and said timestamp at which said container digital data is stored in each of said data collection computers associated with each respective one of said container cranes wherein said selected one of said container identification for said current one of said containers grasped by said hoist attachment of said respective one of said container cranes and said timestamp at which said container digital data is stored in each of said data collection computers associated with each respective one of said container cranes are made available to each of said data collection computers associated with each respective one of said container cranes over said local area network. ### Claim 33 (depends on 31) A monitoring system as set forth in claim 31 wherein said electrical signal from each of said radiation sensors carried by said hoist attachment of said respective one of said container cranes further conveys information of said radiation sensor identification at which said electrical signal is developed. ### Claim 34 (depends on 31) A monitoring system as set forth in claim 31 wherein said radiation sensor identification is obtained from a channel on which said electrical signal is applied to said each of said data collection computers associated each respective one of said container cranes. ### Claim 35 (depends on 27) A monitoring system as set forth in claim 27 further comprising a local area network, each of said data collection computers associated with each respective one of said container cranes being in communication with said data analysis computer over said local area network. ### Claim 36 (depends on 35) A monitoring system as set forth in claim 35 further comprising a port facility computer in communication over said local area network to monitor said control computer associated with said hoist attachment of each respective one of said container cranes, said data analysis computer being a software implementation within said port facility computer. ### Claim 37 (depends on 27) A monitoring system as set forth in claim 27 wherein each of said container cranes further includes a machinery/electrical room and an interface in said machinery/electrical room of a same one of said container cranes, said twist lock control signal developed by said control computer associated with said hoist attachment of said same one of said container cranes being applied to said interface at said same one of said container-cranes and further applied to one of said data collection computers associated with said same one of said container cranes through a connection in said interface of said same one of said container cranes. ### Claim 38 (depends on 37) A monitoring system as set forth in claim 37 wherein said one of said data collection computers associated with said same one of said container cranes and said control computer associated with said hoist attachment of said same one of said container cranes are disposed in said machinery/electrical room at said same one of said container cranes. ### Claim 39 (depends on 27) A monitoring system as set forth in claim 27 wherein each of said radiation sensors is further operative to develop continuously said electrical signal.