Active Shipping Container Remote Access for In-Transit Climate Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Active shipping containers face challenges in remote management, leading to potential misconfigurations and damage to goods due to unpredictable transit events and human errors, especially when couriers are unfamiliar with the devices, resulting in temperature fluctuations and battery exhaustion.
Innovation Solution
A system for remote access and management of active shipping containers, which includes a remote access device that communicates with the control system via wireless networks, allowing users to monitor and configure climate control, battery status, and other features, enabling bi-directional communication and automatic configuration changes based on detected conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If remote access and monitoring capabilities are added to active shipping containers, then the ability to intervene and mitigate damages is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a remote access device as an intermediary between the container control system and external users. This device includes a processor and memory that enable bidirectional communication over wireless networks, allowing remote monitoring and configuration without requiring physical access to the container. The intermediary handles complex communication protocols and data processing, isolating the container's control system from direct external interactions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables self-service capabilities through automated alert generation and configuration management. The remote access device can automatically detect transit events, generate alerts when conditions exceed thresholds, and allow users to remotely configure temperature ranges, battery settings, and other parameters without requiring specialized courier knowledge or physical presence.
2Measurement precision
If automated alert systems are implemented, then the detection of temperature excursions is improved, but the loss of time for intervention increases if alerts are not noticed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the remote access device continuously monitors container conditions, compares them against predefined thresholds, and automatically generates alerts when excursions are detected. The system provides real-time feedback to users through wireless communication, enabling immediate awareness of temperature deviations and prompting timely intervention before goods are damaged.
3Ease of operation
If couriers are trained to handle active shipping containers, then the ease of operation is improved, but the loss of time for training and configuration increases
Solution Approach 1:
The remote access device enables users to independently configure and monitor container settings without requiring specialized training. Users can remotely adjust temperature ranges, battery settings, and other parameters through a user interface that communicates with the container's control system, eliminating the need for extensive courier training while maintaining ease of operation.
4Reliability
If comprehensive monitoring of all container parameters is implemented, then the reliability of goods protection is improved, but the use of energy increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements selective monitoring by allowing users to define specific temperature thresholds and parameters that require alert generation. Rather than continuously processing all possible data points, the remote access device focuses on critical parameters and predefined thresholds, reducing computational energy consumption while maintaining reliable protection for temperature-sensitive goods.
Data Source
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AI summary
A system for remote access to active shipping containers may gather information and analytics on containers during transit, and allow automated and manual configuration changes to be transmitted, from remote users, to the container during transit. A remote access device capable of long range communication over cellular or satellite networks may be coupled with a control system of the active shipping container, in order to send information from the control system to a remote server, and to receive and provide configuration changes to the control system. The remote access device may also include sensors, or may be coupled with a plurality of sensors that may be placed in an around the container to provide additional and more detailed sources of sensor data. Sensor and status data from containers may trigger automatic configuration changes or notifications, and may also be aggregated to provide high level analytics related to transit lanes.