Granted Patent B2

US 8,279,067 · App. 12/468,047 · Granted Oct 2, 2012

Assignee: Google Inc.

Abstract

Claims (55)

1. A method of alerting a user of unauthorized tampering with a shipping container, comprising:

securing a seal device to a shipping container, the seal device including a bolt receiving area;

inserting, by a user at the container, an electronic bolt into the bolt receiving area of the seal device;

reading, by the seal device, a serial number stored in the electronic bolt;

communicating, from the seal device, to a user application, insertion of the bolt;

scanning, by the user via a handheld device, an electronically readable element on the seal device representative of an identification of the seal device;

communicating, from the handheld device to the user application, the identification of the seal device;

associating, in a database by the user application, the bolt serial number and the identification of the seal device;

communicating, by the user application, a confirmation to the seal device;

communicating, by the user application, a confirmation to the handheld device;

receiving, at the seal device, sensor data indicative of tampering;

communicating, by the seal device to the user application, an alert;

wherein the seal device is one of a plurality of wireless communications devices, and wherein the method further includes connecting, by the seal device, to a network via a gateway of a plurality of gateways, each gateway of the plurality of gateways being associated with a location;

wherein the method further includes communicating an indication of the seal device's connection to the user application;

wherein the method further includes comparing, by the user application, the location associated with the gateway to a stored database;

wherein the method further includes selecting, based on this comparison, a profile corresponding to the location associated with the gateway; and

wherein the method further includes communicating, from the user application to the seal device, an identification of the selected profile together with an instruction to engage the selected profile.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising comparing, by the seal device, the communicated identification of the selected profile to a list of profiles stored at the seal device.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining, based on such comparison, that the selected profile does not correspond to any profile of the list of profiles stored at the seal device.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising communicating, from the seal device, an identification of the selected profile to a remote database.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising comparing, at the remote database, the communicated identification of the selected profile to stored profiles.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising selecting, from the remote database, a stored profile corresponding to the selected profile.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising communicating, to the seal device, the stored profile.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising engaging, by the seal device, the identified profile.

9. A method of alerting a user of unauthorized tampering with a shipping container, comprising:

securing a seal device to a shipping container, the seal device including a bolt receiving area;

inserting, by a user at the container, an electronic bolt into the bolt receiving area of the seal device;

reading, by the seal device, a serial number stored in the electronic bolt;

communicating, from the seal device, to a user application, insertion of the bolt;

scanning, by the user via a handheld device, an electronically readable element on the seal device representative of an identification of the seal device;

communicating, from the handheld device to the user application, the identification of the seal device;

associating, in a database by the user application, the bolt serial number and the identification of the seal device;

communicating, by the user application, a confirmation to the seal device;

communicating, by the user application, a confirmation to the handheld device;

receiving, at the seal device, sensor data indicative of tampering;

communicating, by the seal device to the user application, an alert;

wherein the method further includes connecting, by the seal device, to a network via a gateway;

wherein the gateway is configured to

(i) broadcast a beacon signal, including a location identification, upon expiration of a beacon timer of the gateway, and

(ii) upon broadcasting the beacon signal, reset the beacon timer of the gateway based on a pre-selected maximum value; and

wherein the seal device is configured to,

(i) in response to receipt of the beacon signal, attempt to register with the gateway,

(ii) when registered with the gateway, utilize a beacon timer of the seal device to control broadcasting of beacon signals,

(iii) in response to receipt of another beacon signal which includes the location identification, reset the beacon timer of the seal device based upon a randomly selected value,

(iv) upon expiration of the beacon timer of the seal device, broadcast a device beacon signal, which device beacon signal includes the location identification, and

(v) upon broadcasting the device beacon signal, reset the beacon timer of the seal device based on the pre-selected maximum value.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the seal device is further configured to, when registered with the gateway,

(i) forward messages received from other wireless communications devices registered with the gateway to the gateway, and append an identification of the seal device to the message;

(ii) communicate a check-in message to the gateway, upon expiration of a check-in timer of the seal device,

(iii) upon communicating the check-in message, reset the check-in timer of the seal device.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the gateway is further configured to, in response to receipt of a message originated by one of the other wireless communications devices that was forwarded by the seal device, communicate an acknowledgment message to the seal device.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the seal device is still further configured to, in response to receiving the acknowledgment message,

(i) reset the check-in timer of the seal device, and

(ii) forward the acknowledgment message to the originating one of the other wireless communications devices.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the other wireless communications devices are other seal devices.

Assignments (4)

Continuity (13)