Container real-time monitoring method based on satellite internet

Abstract

The invention discloses a container real-time monitoring method based on the satellite internet, and relates to the technical field of container satellite positioning. An autonomous node is arranged in each container, and a dual-mode communication system is constructed through industrial internet satellite short message communication and UWB near-field grid communication. When satellite signals are normal, data are directly uploaded, and when the satellite signals are blocked, the data are converged to edge nodes for uplink through a multi-hop UWB link. Through a calculation mechanism combining relative positioning and absolute positioning, continuous position calculation in a satellite failure environment is realized. A controllable electromagnetic metamaterial unit is arranged on the surface of the autonomous node, and zero active radio frequency power consumption communication is achieved in a passive echo modulation mode. And in combination with a hierarchical grid structure and a dynamic edge node election mechanism as well as an energy collection and deep dormancy control strategy, low-power-consumption, continuous and anti-blocking real-time monitoring in a global environment is realized.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of container satellite positioning technology, specifically a method for real-time monitoring of containers based on satellite internet. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, monitoring systems in container shipping primarily use cellular communication terminals or single satellite positioning terminals for data collection and uploading. Existing solutions typically install positioning modules and environmental sensors inside the container, periodically transmitting data via cellular networks or satellite links. While these systems can achieve basic monitoring functions under unobstructed conditions and with good network coverage, they often suffer from severe signal obstruction and frequent communication interruptions in ocean shipping, polar routes, cross-border desert regions, or densely stacked container yard environments. Furthermore, traditional communication nodes often employ active radio frequency transmission, requiring power amplifier circuits and continuous standby circuits, resulting in high overall power consumption. In long-cycle transportation scenarios, this leads to a high dependence on battery capacity, frequent maintenance, and difficulty in achieving truly ultra-low power operation. Summary of the Invention

[0003] To overcome the shortcomings of the prior art, the present invention provides the following technical solution: a real-time container monitoring method based on satellite internet, comprising the following steps: Step S1: setting up an autonomous node in each container, the autonomous node including a sensor module, a communication module, a network control module, and a power and energy management module; Step S2: the sensor module collects the container's status information, including location, temperature and humidity, vibration, battery status, switch status, and illegal opening information; Step S3: the communication module includes an industrial internet satellite radio frequency link and a UWB wireless transceiver, and when the industrial internet satellite signal is detected to meet a preset threshold, it connects to the container via the industrial internet satellite radio frequency link and a UWB wireless transceiver. Step S4: When the industrial internet satellite signal does not meet the preset threshold, the network control module controls the UWB wireless transceiver to start UWB near-field mesh networking, and transmits the status information to the edge node with industrial internet satellite communication capability through multi-hop UWB links; Step S5: The edge node uploads the status information gathered by the UWB near-field mesh to the remote management center through the industrial internet satellite radio frequency link; Step S6: The power and energy management module performs periodic wake-up and deep sleep control on each module to achieve low power consumption operation.

[0004] Preferably, the sensor module includes: an industrial internet satellite positioning unit for acquiring the geographic coordinates of the container; a temperature and humidity sensor for detecting internal temperature and humidity data of the container; a triaxial accelerometer for detecting vibration and collision conditions; a battery management module for measuring voltage and remaining capacity to obtain battery status; a door lock sensor and a reed sensor for detecting switch status; and a micro-motion sensor for detecting unauthorized opening. The sensor module uses a combination of event triggering and periodic sampling for data acquisition.

[0005] Preferably, the industrial internet satellite radio frequency link realizes bidirectional data communication based on the industrial internet satellite short message communication function; the location information and status information obtained by the industrial internet satellite positioning unit are encapsulated into industrial internet satellite short message data frames; the data frames are sent in one go within the satellite's visible window; the network control module pre-calculates the communication window according to the industrial internet satellite's overhead time and controls the industrial internet satellite radio frequency link to enter the boost and launch preparation state.

[0006] Preferably, the UWB near-field grid adopts the ultra-wideband pulse ranging principle, and calculates the relative distance between nodes by measuring the time difference of signal arrival; each autonomous node calculates its relative position in the UWB near-field grid by performing bidirectional ranging with at least three adjacent nodes and using triangulation; the relative position is combined with the most recent valid industrial internet satellite positioning data to generate the estimated position of the container in an environment where satellite signals are blocked.

[0007] Preferably, the UWB wireless transceiver adopts a time-frequency dual-domain hopping UWB encoding method; the time-frequency dual-domain hopping UWB encoding method includes: using a time-hopping sequence to control the pulse transmission time in the time domain; using a frequency-hopping sequence to change the carrier center frequency in the frequency domain; and achieving data encoding by changing the pulse polarity; the encoding method is used for data transmission and ranging synchronization.

[0008] Preferably, a controllable electromagnetic metamaterial unit is set on the surface of the autonomous node; the controllable electromagnetic metamaterial unit changes its reflection characteristics when it receives industrial internet satellite signals or UWB pulse signals; the state information is modulated into the reflected signal through passive echo modulation; passive echo modulation is a reflective communication method that does not require active transmission of radio frequency signals.

[0009] Preferably, the UWB near-field mesh adopts a hierarchical mesh structure; the hierarchical mesh structure includes internal nodes and edge nodes; the edge nodes are autonomous nodes that can directly communicate with industrial internet satellites; the internal nodes send status information to the edge nodes through multi-hop UWB links; the edge nodes are dynamically elected by the network control module based on the node location and remaining power.

[0010] Preferably, the power and energy management module includes a main battery and an energy replenishment unit; the energy replenishment unit includes a solar panel or a vibration energy harvester; the power and energy management module controls the autonomous node to enter a deep sleep state during non-communication cycles; when illegal opening information, vibration exceeding the threshold, or a preset time is detected, the communication module is triggered to enter a short burst transmission mode.

[0011] Preferably, the status information is compressed and timestamped before communication; the data compression adopts an encoding method based on differential change; the timestamp is generated based on industrial internet satellite timing information; when communication is restored, the status information stored during the satellite signal interruption is uploaded in batches in chronological order.

[0012] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages: (1) The present invention combines industrial internet satellite short message communication with UWB near-field grid communication to form a satellite-near-field cooperative communication architecture. When the industrial internet satellite signal meets the threshold, it is directly uploaded. When the satellite signal is blocked, it automatically switches to UWB multi-hop grid transmission to achieve uninterrupted data transmission. It avoids the communication blind spot problem caused by signal blockage in traditional single-link systems, and enables the system to maintain information continuity in ocean, dense storage yard or metal shielding environment, significantly improving the overall communication reliability and environmental adaptability; (2) The present invention uses UWB bidirectional pulse ranging and triangulation algorithm, so that each node can still obtain centimeter-level relative position in the environment where the satellite signal is blocked, and then combines it with the most recent valid industrial internet satellite positioning data to generate the estimated position. This invention compensates for the shortcomings of traditional systems that rely solely on absolute satellite positioning, enabling container tracking even inside the ship's hold or in a storage environment, ensuring the continuity and traceability of location data; (3) This invention uses controllable electromagnetic metamaterial units on the surface of the container to modulate reflection characteristics when receiving external industrial internet satellite or UWB signals to achieve data transmission without the need for active radio frequency transmission circuits and power amplifiers. The reflective communication method greatly reduces the average power consumption of the system, extends the battery life, and forms a collaborative power supply structure with the energy harvesting unit, solving the problem of excessive energy consumption of traditional active transmission nodes; (4) This invention divides internal nodes and edge nodes through a hierarchical grid structure, and dynamically selects nodes with satellite communication capabilities as edge nodes based on remaining power and location conditions to achieve centralized uplink of data. This enables the nodes to form a collaborative network structure, and even if some nodes are in the obstructed area, they can still complete data forwarding with the help of neighboring nodes, significantly improving the system's anti-interference capability and network resilience; (5) This invention introduces a dual-domain coding method of time-domain time-hopping sequence and frequency-domain frequency-hopping sequence in UWB communication, and combines it with pulse polarity modulation to make data transmission and ranging synchronized. Enhance the ability to identify direct paths in multipath environments, improve anti-interference performance, and ensure stable ranging performance in complex stacked environments, thus solving the problem of insufficient anti-interference capability of traditional narrowband communication; (6) Control the nodes to periodically wake up and deep sleep through the power and energy management module, and start the burst transmission mode when the box is illegally opened or the vibration exceeds the threshold, so that the system is in a low power consumption state most of the time and only performs high-frequency communication when critical events occur. Combined with vibration energy harvesting and solar energy supply mechanism, the independent operation time of the system is significantly extended and the maintenance cost is reduced. Attached Figure Description

[0013] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall detection process of this method. Detailed Implementation

[0014] The technical solution of the present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0015] This invention provides a method for real-time monitoring of containers based on satellite internet, comprising the following steps: Step S1: Set up an autonomous node in each container. The autonomous node includes a sensor module (the sensor module includes: an industrial internet satellite positioning unit for acquiring the container's geographical coordinates; a temperature and humidity sensor for detecting internal temperature and humidity data; a triaxial accelerometer for detecting vibration and collision; a battery management module for measuring voltage and remaining capacity to obtain battery status; a door lock sensor and a reed sensor for detecting switch status; and a micro-motion sensor for detecting unauthorized opening; the sensor module uses a combination of event triggering and periodic sampling for data acquisition), a communication module, a network control module, and a power and energy management module. Step S2: The sensor module collects the status information of the container, including location, temperature and humidity, vibration, battery status, switch status and information on unauthorized opening; Step S3: The communication module includes an industrial internet satellite radio frequency link and a UWB wireless transceiver. When the industrial internet satellite signal is detected to meet a preset threshold, short message communication is conducted with the industrial internet satellite via the industrial internet satellite radio frequency link to upload status information to the remote management center. The industrial internet satellite radio frequency link realizes bidirectional data communication based on the industrial internet satellite short message communication function. The location information and status information obtained by the industrial internet satellite positioning unit are encapsulated into industrial internet satellite short message data frames. The data frames are sent in one go within the satellite's visible window. The network control module pre-calculates the communication window based on the industrial internet satellite's overhead time and controls the industrial internet satellite radio frequency link to enter the boost and transmission preparation state.

[0016] Step S4: When the industrial internet satellite signal does not meet the preset threshold, the network control module controls the UWB wireless transceiver to start UWB near-field mesh networking. It transmits status information to edge nodes with industrial internet satellite communication capabilities via multi-hop UWB links (multi-hop UWB links refer to a communication method in which data sent from the source node to the target node needs to be forwarded through one or more intermediate nodes, i.e., each intermediate node acts as both a receiving node and a forwarding node, so that even when the source node cannot directly establish a communication connection with the edge node, data can still be relayed through multiple nodes, thereby expanding the network coverage and ensuring that the data is eventually uploaded to the industrial internet satellite link). The UWB near-field mesh uses the ultra-wideband pulse ranging principle, calculating the relative distance between nodes by measuring the signal arrival time difference. Each autonomous node calculates its relative position in the UWB near-field mesh by performing bidirectional ranging with at least three adjacent nodes and using triangulation. The relative position is combined with the most recent valid industrial internet satellite positioning data to generate the estimated position of the container in an environment where satellite signals are blocked. The UWB wireless transceiver employs a time-frequency dual-domain hopping UWB encoding method. This method includes: using a time-hopping sequence to control the pulse transmission time in the time domain; using a frequency-hopping sequence to change the carrier center frequency in the frequency domain; and achieving data encoding by changing the pulse polarity. This encoding method is used for both data transmission and ranging synchronization.

[0017] Step S5: Edge nodes upload status information aggregated via the UWB near-field mesh to the remote management center through the Industrial Internet satellite radio frequency link. The UWB near-field mesh adopts a hierarchical mesh structure, which includes internal nodes and edge nodes. Edge nodes are autonomous nodes capable of directly communicating with the Industrial Internet satellite. Internal nodes send status information to edge nodes via multi-hop UWB links. Edge nodes are dynamically elected by the network control module based on node location and remaining battery power. Status information is compressed and timestamped before communication. Data compression uses a differential change-based encoding method. Timestamps are generated based on Industrial Internet satellite timing information. When communication is restored, the status information stored during the satellite signal interruption is uploaded in batches in chronological order.

[0018] Step S6: The power and energy management module performs periodic wake-up and deep sleep control on each module to achieve low-power operation. The power and energy management module includes a main battery and an energy replenishment unit; the energy replenishment unit includes a solar panel or a vibration energy harvester (a device that converts mechanical vibration energy in the environment into electrical energy, using piezoelectric materials, electromagnetic induction structures, or capacitive deformation structures, which deform or move under the action of micro-vibrations or periodic vibrations caused by vehicle movement, ship swaying, loading and unloading impacts, etc. during container transportation, thereby generating charge or induced current, which is converted into stable electrical energy through rectification and energy storage circuits to provide auxiliary power replenishment for the power and energy management module of the autonomous node); the power and energy management module controls the autonomous node to enter a deep sleep state during non-communication cycles; when illegal opening information, vibration exceeding the threshold, or the preset time is detected, the communication module is triggered to enter a short burst transmission mode.

[0019] The autonomous node surface is equipped with controllable electromagnetic metamaterial units (an artificial periodic electromagnetic structure deployed on the metal surface of a container, which modulates the phase or amplitude of the reflected signal by changing its equivalent inductance, capacitance, and other electromagnetic parameters when receiving industrial internet satellite signals or UWB pulse signals, thereby achieving passive echo modulation communication; it does not actively transmit radio frequency power, but represents binary data by controlling the reflection characteristics, equivalent to a smart mirror, and can complete data transmission under extremely low power conditions); the controllable electromagnetic metamaterial units change their reflection characteristics when receiving industrial internet satellite signals or UWB pulse signals; through passive echo modulation communication... Passive echo modulation (CA) modulates state information into the reflected signal. CA modulates the reflected signal by changing the target device's electromagnetic impedance or reflection characteristics, causing controllable changes in the phase, amplitude, or spectral characteristics of the reflected electromagnetic wave. The receiver can then deduce the information by detecting changes in the reflected signal. This method requires no power amplifier or active transmission circuitry, resulting in extremely low power consumption. Passive echo modulation is a reflective communication method that does not require active RF signal transmission. It uses passive echo modulation technology to reflect industrial internet satellite or UWB signals from the environment and superimpose payloads, achieving zero-power carrier relay. The container surface is transformed into a dynamically programmable antenna array. When receiving satellite or UWB signals, it passively changes its reflection characteristics to transmit sensor data, eliminating the need for additional active transmission and significantly reducing power consumption.

[0020] Local auxiliary equipment can also be deployed: a small number of UWB auxiliary base stations or relay equipment (such as cranes / UWB-satellite repeaters) can be deployed in locations such as ports and warehouses to help expand the grid coverage and enhance signal relay capabilities. For example, a UWB-industrial Internet satellite dual-mode relay can be installed on the top layer of a stack, enabling internal nodes to access the satellite through it, thus compensating for the shortcomings of direct links.

[0021] In unobstructed environments, nodes receive Industrial Internet satellite navigation signals to obtain precise locations and simultaneously transmit data using the Industrial Internet satellite short message communication channel. Covering the globe, it can directly transmit sensor data and early warning information back to the ground control center. The Industrial Internet satellite system has completed global deployment, providing satellite-based augmentation (SBAS) and two-way communication capabilities. When Industrial Internet satellite signals are blocked, nodes activate ultra-wideband (UWB) mode. UWB utilizes the principle of pulse ranging (a ranging method that transmits ultra-wideband pulse signals with extremely narrow time widths and accurately measures the time it takes for the pulse to travel from the transmitter to the receiver (time of flight), then converts the time difference into a distance value based on the physical law that electromagnetic waves propagate at the speed of light; due to the extremely short duration and extremely wide bandwidth of UWB pulses, the receiver can distinguish between direct paths and reflected paths in complex multipath environments, thereby achieving centimeter-level distance calculation accuracy. In cases of container stacking or satellite signal obstruction, relative positions can be calculated and a near-field positioning network established through bidirectional pulse round-trip measurements between multiple nodes), achieving centimeter-level relative positioning by measuring signal time differences. Each node transmits extremely short, broadband pulses, utilizing time-domain overlap technology to separate direct paths in multipath environments, thereby calculating distances to neighboring nodes with high accuracy. Through triangulation and cooperative algorithms, each node can calculate its position relative to the grid. Positioning does not require satellite involvement; based on the characteristics of ultra-short pulse communication, multi-node synchronous ranging is performed in low-interference environments. Time-frequency dual-domain jump-change UWB coding, which embeds data encoding and special timing codes into traditional UWB pulses, enables both communication and location assistance. By hopping and changing the pulse frequency and polarity, multipath tolerance and anti-interference capabilities are enhanced.

Claims

1. A method for real-time monitoring of containers based on satellite internet, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: Step S1: Set up an autonomous node in each container. The autonomous node includes a sensor module, a communication module, a network control module, and a power and energy management module. Step S2: The sensor module collects the status information of the container, including location, temperature and humidity, vibration, battery status, switch status, and information on unauthorized opening. Step S3: The communication module includes an industrial internet satellite radio frequency link and a UWB wireless transceiver. When the industrial internet satellite signal is detected to meet the preset threshold, the module communicates with the industrial internet satellite via the industrial internet satellite radio frequency link to send short messages and upload the status information to the remote management center. Step S4: When the industrial internet satellite signal does not meet the preset threshold, the network control module controls the UWB wireless transceiver to start UWB near-field mesh networking and transmits the status information to the edge node with industrial internet satellite communication capability through multi-hop UWB links. Step S5: The edge node uploads the status information aggregated via UWB near-field mesh to the remote management center through the industrial internet satellite radio frequency link; Step S6: The power and energy management module performs periodic wake-up and deep sleep control on each module.

2. The method for real-time monitoring of containers based on satellite internet according to claim 1, characterized in that: The sensor module includes: Industrial Internet satellite positioning unit, used to obtain the geographical coordinates of containers; Temperature and humidity sensors are used to detect temperature and humidity data inside the container; A triaxial accelerometer is used to detect vibration and collision conditions. The battery management module is used to measure voltage and remaining capacity to obtain battery status. Door lock sensors and reed sensors are used to detect the switch status; Micro-motion sensors are used to detect unauthorized opening of the box; The sensor module uses a combination of event triggering and periodic sampling to collect data.

3. The method for real-time monitoring of containers based on satellite internet according to claim 1, characterized in that: The industrial internet satellite radio frequency link achieves bidirectional data communication based on the industrial internet satellite short message communication function. The location and status information acquired by the industrial internet satellite positioning unit are encapsulated into industrial internet satellite short message data frames. The data frame is transmitted in one go within the satellite's visual window; The network control module pre-calculates the communication window based on the overhead time of the industrial internet satellite and controls the industrial internet satellite radio frequency link to enter the boost and launch preparation state.

4. The method for real-time monitoring of containers based on satellite internet according to claim 1, characterized in that: The UWB near-field grid uses ultra-wideband pulse ranging to calculate the relative distance between nodes by measuring the time difference of signal arrival. Each autonomous node calculates its relative position in the UWB near-field grid by performing bidirectional ranging with at least three adjacent nodes and using triangulation. The relative position is combined with the most recent valid industrial internet satellite positioning data to generate the estimated position of the container in an environment where satellite signals are blocked.

5. The method for real-time monitoring of containers based on satellite internet according to claim 1, characterized in that: The UWB wireless transceiver employs a time-frequency dual-domain hopping UWB encoding method. This method includes: using a time-hopping sequence to control the pulse transmission time in the time domain; using a frequency-hopping sequence to change the carrier center frequency in the frequency domain; and achieving data encoding by changing the pulse polarity. This encoding method is also used for data transmission and ranging synchronization.

6. The method for real-time monitoring of containers based on satellite internet according to claim 1, characterized in that: The autonomous node surface is provided with controllable electromagnetic metamaterial units; the controllable electromagnetic metamaterial units change their reflection characteristics when receiving industrial internet satellite signals or UWB pulse signals; the state information is modulated into the reflected signal through passive echo modulation; the passive echo modulation is a reflective communication method that does not require active transmission of radio frequency signals.

7. The method for real-time monitoring of containers based on satellite internet according to claim 1, characterized in that: The UWB near-field mesh adopts a hierarchical mesh structure; the hierarchical mesh structure includes internal nodes and edge nodes; the edge nodes are autonomous nodes that can directly communicate with industrial internet satellites; the internal nodes send status information to the edge nodes through multi-hop UWB links; the edge nodes are dynamically elected by the network control module based on the node location and remaining power.

8. The method for real-time monitoring of containers based on satellite internet according to claim 1, characterized in that: The power and energy management module includes a main battery and an energy replenishment unit; the energy replenishment unit includes a solar panel or a vibration energy harvester; the power and energy management module controls the autonomous node to enter a deep sleep state during non-communication cycles; when illegal opening information, vibration exceeding the threshold, or a preset time is detected, the communication module is triggered to enter a short burst transmission mode.

9. A method for real-time monitoring of containers based on satellite internet according to claim 8, characterized in that: The status information is compressed and timestamped before communication; the data compression adopts an encoding method based on differential change; the timestamp is generated based on industrial internet satellite timing information; when communication is restored, the status information stored during the satellite signal interruption will be uploaded in batches in chronological order.

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