Container tracking system
AssigneeGoogle Inc.
InventorRobert W. Twitchell, Jr.
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Shipping containers are networked for transferring data between the shipping containers. The shipping containers include sensors for detecting conditions associated with the shipping containers. The conditions sensed by any shipping container whether transported by rail or ship is transmitted from an ad hoc network, via a gateway configured for satellite or cellular communications for example, to a container-tracking application server or equivalent computer system. The computer system is remotely located to the shipping container for central compilation, analysis, and/or display of data regarding the shipping containers.
Claims20
A shipping container, comprising:
- a sensor configured to detect a predetermined condition associated with said shipping container and, if said predetermined condition is detected, to formulate an alarm signal indicating a predetermined condition;
- and
- a transmitter configured to transmit said alarm signal to at least one of another shipping container;
- wherein said transmitter is configured to transmit a class designation for a class-based network together with said alarm signal, and
- wherein said transmitter is configured to transmit said alarm signal during a duty cycle corresponding to the class designation.
A method of detecting a predetermined condition of a shipping container, comprising:
- detecting a predetermined condition associated with said shipping container and, if said predetermined condition is detected, formulating an alarm signal indicating said predetermined condition;
- and
- transmitting said alarm signal to at least one of another shipping container;
- wherein a class designation for a class-based network is transmitted together with said alarm signal, and
- wherein the said alarm signal is transmitted during a duty cycle corresponding to the class designation.
A system for detecting a predetermined condition of a shipping container, comprising:
- means for detecting a predetermined condition associated with said shipping container and, if said predetermined condition is detected, formulating an alarm signal indicating said predetermined condition;
- and
- means for transmitting said alarm signal to at least one of another shipping container;
- wherein said means for transmitting is configured to transmit a class designation for a class-based network together with said alarm signal, and
- wherein said means for transmitting is configured to transmit said alarm signal during a duty cycle corresponding to the class designation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.