Securing, monitoring and tracking shipping containers

Abstract

A method of securing a container includes inserting, into a seal device at a container, an electronic bolt; 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, a barcode 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; inputting, by a user at the container via the handheld device, information associated with the container; communicating, from the handheld device to the user application, the information associated with the container; associating, in a database by the user application, the information associated with the container with the bolt serial number and the identification of the seal device; communicating, by the user application, a confirmation to the seal device.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 transmitting, by a first gateway, a first beacon signal containing a first location type associated with the first gateway;   transmitting, by a second gateway, a second beacon signal containing a second location type associated with the second gateway;   receiving, at a wireless communication device, the first beacon signal;   receiving, at the wireless communication device, the second beacon signal;   determining, at the wireless communication device, that the second location type contained in the second beacon signal is preferred as compared to the first location type contained in the first beacon signal;   registering, by the wireless communications device based on the determination that the second location type is preferred, with the second gateway;   communicating a registration event message indicating the wireless communications device's registration with the second gateway to an application running at a remote computing device, the registration event message including the second location type;   selecting, at a remote computing device based on the second location type included in the received registration event message, a profile maintained in association with the second location type;   communicating, from the remote computing device to the wireless communications device, an instruction to engage the selected profile;   engaging, by the wireless communications device in response to the received communication from the remote computing device, the selected profile.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises steps of:
 presenting, to a user via an electronic display, a user interface of a management application configured to allow a user to associate location types with profiles;   receiving, from a user at the management application, input effecting association of a particular location type with a particular electronic device profile;   wherein the second location type is the same as the particular location type, and the selected profile is the same as the particular electronic device profile.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the management application is loaded on the remote computing device. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the management application is loaded on a handheld electronic device. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the handheld electronic device comprises a PDA. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first beacon signal received at the wireless communication device was retransmitted by another wireless communication device. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second beacon signal received at the wireless communication device was retransmitted by another wireless communication device. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the wireless communication device comprises a seal device. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the wireless communication device comprises a container security device. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the wireless communication device comprises a remote sensor node. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second gateways comprises a wireless reader device. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second location type corresponds to ports. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the selected profile includes an operational parameter set, and wherein the method further comprises:
 determining, at the wireless communications device based on GPS data, that a location of the wireless communication device meets a condition specified in the operational parameter set; and   effecting transition, by the wireless communication device based on the determination that a location of the wireless communication device meets a condition specified in the operational parameter set, to a new state.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the method further includes utilizing, at the wireless communication device following registration with the second gateway, a beacon timer to control broadcasting of beacon signals containing the second location type by the wireless communication device. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 comparing, at the wireless communications device, the selected profile to a list of profiles stored at the wireless communications device; and   determining, based on such comparison, that the selected profile does not correspond to any profile of the list of profiles stored at the wireless communications device;   communicating, from the wireless communications device, an identification of the selected profile to a remote database;   comparing, at the remote database, the communicated identification of the selected profile to stored profiles;   determining, from the remote database, a stored profile corresponding to the selected profile; and   receiving, at the wireless communications device, the determined stored profile;   wherein the step of engaging, by the wireless communication device, the selected profile, comprises engaging, by the wireless communications device, the received profile.   
     
     
         16 . A method comprising:
 receiving, at a wireless communication device currently registered with a first gateway that is associated with a first location type, a beacon signal containing a second location type originating from a second gateway;   determining, at the wireless communication device, that the second location type contained in the second beacon signal is preferred as compared to the first location type;   registering, by the wireless communications device based on the determination that the second location type is preferred, with the second gateway;   communicating a registration event message indicating the wireless communications device's registration with the second gateway to an application running at a remote computing device, the registration event message including the second location type;   selecting, at the remote computing device based on the second location type indicator included in the received registration event message, a profile maintained in association with the second location type;   communicating, from the remote computing device to the wireless communications device, an instruction to engage the selected profile;   engaging, by the wireless communications device in response to the received communication from the remote computing device, the selected profile.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the method further comprises steps of:
 presenting, to a user via an electronic display, a user interface of a management application configured to allow a user to associate location types with profiles;   receiving, from a user at the management application, input effecting association of a particular location type with a particular electronic device profile;   wherein the second location type is the same as the particular location type, and the selected profile is the same as the particular electronic device profile.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the management application is loaded on the remote computing device. 
     
     
         19 . A method comprising:
 connecting, by a wireless communications device, to a first network comprising a first gateway associated with a first location;   receiving, at the wireless communications device, an indication of the presence of a second network comprising a second gateway associated with a second location;   determining, at the wireless communications device, that the second location is preferred comparatively to the first location;   connecting, by the wireless communications device based on the determination that the second location is preferred, to the second network;   communicating a message indicating the wireless communications device's connection to the second network to an application running at a remote server, the communicated message further including an indication of the second location;   comparing, by the application at the remote server, the second location associated with the second network to a stored database;   selecting, based on this comparison, a profile corresponding to the second location;   communicating, from the application at the remote server, to the wireless communications device, an instruction to engage the selected profile;   engaging, by the wireless communications device, the selected profile.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising:
 comparing, at the wireless communications device, the selected profile to a list of profiles stored at the wireless communications device; and   determining, based on such comparison, that the selected profile does not correspond to any profile of the list of profiles stored at the wireless communications device;   communicating, from the wireless communications device, an identification of the selected profile to a remote database;   comparing, at the remote database, the communicated identification of the selected profile to stored profiles;   determining, from the remote database, a stored profile corresponding to the selected profile; and   receiving, at the wireless communications device, the determined stored profile;   wherein the step of engaging, by the wireless communication device, the selected profile, comprises engaging, by the wireless communications device, the received profile.