Life Raft Container Security System and Method

Abstract

A method comprises providing a container having a first container portion and a second container portion, placing an inflatable life raft within the container, placing a transmitter mechanism adjacent the container, and automatically detecting whether a tamper condition has occurred. The tamper condition comprises at least one of the following: removal of the life raft from the container; an increase in distance between the first and second container portions; and a change in position of at least a portion of the life raft relative to one of the portions of the container. The transmitter mechanism is adapted and configured to transmit a signal upon the detection of the tamper condition.

1 . A method comprising: 
 providing a container having a first container portion and a second container portion;    placing an inflatable life raft within the container;    placing a transmitter mechanism adjacent the container;    automatically detecting whether a tamper condition has occurred, the tamper condition comprising at least one of the following: removal of the life raft from the container; an increase in distance between the first and second container portions; and a change in position of at least a portion of the life raft relative to one of the portions of the container;    the transmitter mechanism being adapted and configured to transmit a signal upon the detection of the tamper condition.    
   
   
       2 . A method comprising: 
 providing a container having a first container portion and a second container portion;    placing an article within the container;    placing a transmitter mechanism adjacent the container;    automatically detecting whether a removed tamper condition has occurred, the removed tamper condition comprising a condition in which the article is removed from the container;    automatically detecting whether a distance increase tamper condition has occurred, the distance increase tamper condition comprising an increase in distance between the first and second container portions; and    automatically detecting whether a position change tamper condition has occurred, the position change tamper condition comprising a change in position of at least a portion of the article relative to one of the portions of the container.    
   
   
       3 . A method comprising: 
 providing a container having a first container portion and a second container portion;    placing an inflatable life raft within the container;    automatically detecting whether a tamper condition has occurred, the tamper condition comprising at least one of the following: removal of the life raft from the container, an increase in distance between the first and second container portions, and a change in position of at least a portion of the life raft relative to one of the portions of the container;    intermittently transmitting a status signal, the status signal being a tamper signal if after a point in time the tamper condition is detected via the detecting step, the status signal being a non-tamper signal if after the point in time the tamper condition is not detected via the detecting step, the tamper signal being different than the non-tamper signal.