CA1316584C - Electronic chemical identification system - Google Patents

Electronic chemical identification system

Info

Publication number
CA1316584C
CA1316584C CA000518678A CA518678A CA1316584C CA 1316584 C CA1316584 C CA 1316584C CA 000518678 A CA000518678 A CA 000518678A CA 518678 A CA518678 A CA 518678A CA 1316584 C CA1316584 C CA 1316584C
Authority
CA
Canada
Prior art keywords
interrogator
transponder
unit
chemical
identification system
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Fee Related
Application number
CA000518678A
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Phani K. Raj
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Individual
Original Assignee
Individual
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Individual filed Critical Individual
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of CA1316584C publication Critical patent/CA1316584C/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Fee Related legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • BPERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B61RAILWAYS
    • B61LGUIDING RAILWAY TRAFFIC; ENSURING THE SAFETY OF RAILWAY TRAFFIC
    • B61L25/00Recording or indicating positions or identities of vehicles or vehicle trains or setting of track apparatus
    • B61L25/02Indicating or recording positions or identities of vehicles or vehicle trains
    • B61L25/04Indicating or recording train identities
    • GPHYSICS
    • G07CHECKING-DEVICES
    • G07CTIME OR ATTENDANCE REGISTERS; REGISTERING OR INDICATING THE WORKING OF MACHINES; GENERATING RANDOM NUMBERS; VOTING OR LOTTERY APPARATUS; ARRANGEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS FOR CHECKING NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE
    • G07C9/00Individual registration on entry or exit
    • G07C9/20Individual registration on entry or exit involving the use of a pass
    • G07C9/28Individual registration on entry or exit involving the use of a pass the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence
    • GPHYSICS
    • G08SIGNALLING
    • G08BSIGNALLING OR CALLING SYSTEMS; ORDER TELEGRAPHS; ALARM SYSTEMS
    • G08B5/00Visible signalling systems, e.g. personal calling systems, remote indication of seats occupied
    • G08B5/40Visible signalling systems, e.g. personal calling systems, remote indication of seats occupied using smoke, fire or coloured gases

Abstract

ABSTRACT

An electronic remote chemical identification system is described, in which a transponder for recording information regarding the contents of a railroad tank car, highway tank truck or other container is placed thereon, the transponder being coded with said information and interrogated when desired by a remotely located coder/interrogator unit. In the case of an accident, emergency response personnel can utilize the coder/interrogator to interrogate the transponders of damaged tank cars or the like to safely and immediately ascertain the exact contents of the containers, as well as the proper emergency responses required at the scene. Similarly, the system can be used in normal commerce to inventory the contents of a passing freight train or truck.

Description

~31~8~
BACKGROUND OF THE IMVENTION
1. Field of the Invention There have been several major tr~nsportation accidents in the United States involving the release of hazardous chemicals, followed by spectacular fires and explosions, dispersion of toxic vapors, extensive property damage and potential ground water pollution. In many of these incidents, there has been injury to people and/or loss of human life. Property and environmental damage has been estimated in the hundred~of millions of dollars.
Many of these catastrGphes have involved railroad tank cars and tractor-trailer tank trucks transporting hazardous chemicals.
The transportation of hazardous chemicals in the United States on railroads, roads, highways and waterways is regulated by various agencies of the U.S. Department of Transportation, as well as by state and local bodies. These agencies have instituted numerous regulations to reduce accident ~requency, severity and public impact. These regulations stipulate technological modifications as well as operations and management changes in the transportation of hazardous chemicals to provide safety to the public. For example, one regulation requestes the carrying of bills of lading or waybills identifying the chemicals being transported. The railroads, for example, have become conscious of potential public hazards and economic costs resulting from accidental chemical releases, and have undertaken changes in operational procedures, development o~ contingency plans, and have instituted emergency response management procedures to cope with hazardous materials accidents. Truck fleet operators also are considering various operational measures to reduce tractor-trailer accidents involving chemicals.

~ 3 1 ~
Unfortunately, major transportation accidents involving hazardous chemicals continue to occur. One of the major problems associated with railroad accidents involving hazardous materials in tank cars and their accidental release is the proper identiflca-tion of the chemicals being transported. The National TransportationSafety ~oard and the National Fire Protection Association have repeatedly pointed out that emergency response personnel need immediate, accurate information concerning the materials involved, and guidance in the handling of transportation emergencies lnvolving hazardous materials.
The National Transportation Safety Board noted in a recent investigation (NTSB-RAR-79-1) that "Fire fighters experienced a forty-five minute delay in obtaining the waybills and consist information with pertinent hazardous materials emergency information.
This delay could have had serious consequences, particularly if they had attempted to fight the fire before the second explosion.
Fi~e fighters should have known immediately where to find the train's hazardous materials information. Also, if the crew members had been injured, a longer delay in obtaining the information would have occurred. If the crew members had been killed or injured, there was no identified location where the consist information could be obtained from."
Also in 1979, in a train derailment in Mississaga, Canada, lack of identification of the leaking chemicals for over eight hours led to considerable confusion as to the proper emergency response actions to be taken. Finally, after the chemical was identified as chlorine, over 2507000 people were evacuated--the largest evacuation due to a hazardous materials incident in North America.

13~g~
The initiation of emergeney action in evaeuation of inhabitants from potential hazard zones surrounding a train derailment involving several chemical cars in Livingston, ~ouisiana in 1981 was also delayed by several hours, to almost a day, beeause of the inability of emergeney personnel to identify the ehemicals in the derailed ears. Placards attached to the ears identifying their contents were lost, and the car sequences were jumbled as a result of the accident, making identification of contents extremely difficult, even though the waybill for the train was available. There have been several such incidents relating to highway and road trueks in which the single major problem in initiating an emergency response was the lack of knowledge of the eontents of the damaqed vehicles on the part of first responders on the scene.

.

_ --5~

131~
2. Description of the Prior ~rt At present, indirect methods are virtually the only means - available for identi~ying the chemicals contained in tan~ cars.
These methods include: reading labels and placards; identifying contents by sizet shape and type of container; reading package or container markings obtaining and reading shipping papers;
contacting transportation personnel; contacting CHEMTREC (Chemical Transportation Emergency Center); and utilization of existing emergency guides, cards or manuals.
10In the rare cases in which a chemical has been released, and appropriate measuring instruments are available to emergency response personnel, a positive identification of the leading chemical may be made. ~ut even in this case, the instruments may be useless if multiple chemicals have been released, or if there is fire or smoke obscuration.
Several of the indirect methods give information only as to classes of hazardous materials and not the identity of the specific chemicals involved. The new Department of Transportation identification numbering system is intended to aid in positive identification through placards; but this system has neither been completely implemented on all tank cars and highway tank trucks, n`or is the system failsafe in an accident. For example, the placard numbers can be erased due to mechanical scraping in an accident, or obscured by smoke and soot deposits in a fire. In many instances, the placards are mechanically released ~rom the tank car structure, and may lie far away from the accident. Heat or danger o~ explosion may prevent close enough access to read identifying information.
~ills of lading may be unavailable, lost, or may indicate insufficient information. In the case of multiple car derailments, the locations of tank cars are invariably jumbled. This makes it very difficult, if not impossible, to identify the cars from the train consist 131~
papers, which only list tank cars sequentially from the locomotive.
In the case of highway tank trucks, the placard s~stem leads to confusion and possible erroneous response action when a tank truck containing multiple chemicals is involved in an asciden~. The partitioning of the tank truckg necessary to avoid a large free surface liquid area allows these trucks to carry several different cargoes, and to have several different placards. The indirect methods of chemical identification are at best inadequate, and at worst, lead to exacerbation of the catastrophe due to incorrect identification and initiation of incorrect action. In short, these indirect methods of chemical identification in an accident are ineffective, and may pose potential hazards to emergency response personnel.
Another problem with the placarding system presently in use lS involves the lack of uniformity regarding placarding regulations between the United States and its neighboring nations of Canada and Mexico. Frequently, hazardous materials which are properly placarded and transported within the United States are turned back at the Canadian and Mexican borders when the placarding stan-dards for the materials involved differ between the two countries.
Yet another problem with the present placarding system ist`he "open" nature of the system. This system allows terrorists to easily identify dangerous or explosive chemicals being transport-ed through populous areas, and could conceivably allow such terror-ists to use such chemicals being transported to endanger largenumbers of the civilian population.
Active techniques of chemical identification available at present are useful only if the chemical has been released. These techniques are used for determining the concentration of the chemical in the atmosphere, rather than for strict identification. Most methods used in accident situations rely on remote sensing technol-ogies which utilize electromagnetic radiation in one form or another. Typically, the interaction between the particular ~31~
chemical in the atmosphere and the radiatiorl emitted by a sensor in the infrared, visible or ultraviolet region of the spectrum is sensed. Identification principles are based on absorption, emission or scattering of spectral characteristics of the radiation.
Many systems developed for air pollution studies use laser beams as sources of high intensity coherent radiation.
Unfortunately, while these techniques work very well under controlled conditions in a laboratory, their usefulness in the field is limited by various practical, logistical and cost-related difficulties, especially where unexpected and accidental chemical release conditions are concerned. Many of these systems are bulky, expensive, and not readily available at the accident site in a timely manner.
A survey conducted by Gross et al in 1982 for the Federal Emergency Management Administration of the actual experiences of a group of emergency response workers, indicates that in 33 per cent of the accidents, the placards were not visible, and in 52 per cent of the incidents, the manifest information was unavailable on a timely basis. Furthermore, the survey indicates that in the opinion of emergency personnel, while the quantative information on the concentrations of hazardous vapors was deemed desirable, the first priority was to identify the chemicals in the tank cars. Most of the research work at present is focused on developing more accurate methods of determining flammable or toxic vapor concentrations in the air subsequent to a chemical release, and not much effort (other than placarding) has been expended in developing techniques for identifying the chemical in its contained state.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The key questions facing the first emergency workers on the scene at a hazardous materials transportation accident involving a highway tank truck or multiple rail tank car derailment and a chemical spill -include: 1) What are the chemicals? 2) Are they hazardous, poisonous, toxic or corrosive? and 3) ~re they flammable or likely to explode?
The rapidity of response and the nature of corrective actions initiated, including evacuation and relocation of nearby inhabitants, will depend very crucially on the proper identification of the chemicals, knowledge of their physical and chemical properties, and their behaviour in the environment. The reduction of threat to life and property will depend to a large extent on the initial corrective action taken by emergency response teams arriving at the scene of a transportation accident involving either the release or potential release of a chemical. The corrective action has to be proper and timely so as not to exacerbate the situation.
Many accident investigators have recognized the need for reliable chemical identification in accidents. The National Transportation Safety Board has repeatedly recommended that both regulatory agencies and other institutions support research efforts for chemical identification and for improving procedures ar.d records on chemical consists in a train or truck transporting hazardous materials.
It is a feature of one form of this invention to provide an electronic remote chemical identification system capable of delivering upon demand to emergency response personnel information about the chemical being carried in a particular tank car, tank truck, barge or ship, such as its Department of Transportation chemical number, the chemical name, the shipper or manufacturer's name, and even detailed information as to the actions to be taken involving a spill of the specific chemical.
,~

9 1316~8~
It is a feature of another form of this invention to provide a chemical identification system for meeting all the present standards of identification currently required, and also precluding identification of the chemicals during transport by groups such as terrorists who miyht have illicit uses for such information.
According to one embodiment of the invention, the system involves a transponder attached to each vehicle or tank ear, which transponder is coded for the particular ehemieal being transported by the shipper or manufacturer at the time the ear is loaded, and a master inquirer unit used at the accident scene to activate the transponder and decode its information.
This same system can also be used during the normal eommerce of transporting chemicals and commodities to identify the eargo in non-accident situations. Further uses to which this system can be applied include automatic classification of tank cars in classification yards, position location of tank cars, tank trucks or other vehicles utilizing a satellite-mounted interrogator, and taking of surveys of passing trainsor truck traffic for statistical or regulatory purposes.
According to another aspect of this invention, there is provided an electronic remote chemical identification system eonsisting of a transponder unit for mounting on a eontainer eontaining the ehemieal; memory and proeessor units associated with the transponder unit the memory unit having both permanent and programmable sections, the permanent seetion eontaining a unique transponder identification number; an eneoder unit for programming the memory unit with information relating to the chemical in the container being transported, the eontainer itself and other data; and a remote interrogator unit for remotely interrogating the transponder unit to cause the proeessor units in the transponder to eompare the data set content of the interrogation with both the data set in the permanent memory section and the data set in the programmable memory section of the transponder and to encode a response to 9a ~ 316~8~
the interrogation only if the data seks match, and to transmit the response.
In the above embodiment, preferably the electronic remote chemical identification system is one in which the transponder memory is programmed by the encoder with information rela~ing to the chemical being transported, as well as additional data necessary for appropriate responsive action should an accident occur.
In the above system, preferably the remote interrogator lo unit for remotely interrogating the transponder is one which causes it to relay the information to the interrogator includes means for decoding and displaying the information for immediate use by emergency response personnel at an accident site, as well as for use by supervisory personnel or control e~uipment during normal transport of chemicals and other ha~ardous materials in day-to-day commerce.
In a still further preferred embodiment, the electronic remote chemical identification system described above is one wherein the transponder comprises an antenna, a radio fre~uency transmitter and receiver, a pulse generating circuit, microprocessors, a programmable memory, a non-volatile memory and a battery and associated solar powered - charging circuit for powering the several elements of the transponder unit; the interrogator unit comprised of unidirectional and omnidirectional antennas, a radio frequency transmitter and receiver, microprocessors, a programmable memory, a non-volatile memory, a display means, and a keyboard for data entry and program control, a sighting device and a null meter, in which the interrogator unit is operable to program the programmable memory of the transponder unit with information relating to the chemical cargo and other data associated therewith, and the interrogator unit is also operable to cause the transponder unit to recall the information and other data relating to the chemical cargo, and transmit the data to the interrogator unit.
In a still further preferred embodiment, the interrogator unit is designed to interrogate a plurality of transponders on ~316~
gb different containers, the containers being either moving or stationary, to uniquely determine khe information content of each of the memories of the plurality of transponders associated with the plurality of containers, and storing the information content in the interrogator memory.
In another preferred form, the electronic remote chemical identification system as described above is one in which the interrogating process consists of a series of queries and responses between the interrogator and the plurality of transponders.
In yet another preferred embodiment, the electronic remote chemical identification system as described above is one in which the series of queries are arranged to provide an increasing level uniqueness for identifying the transponders with similar information content but di~fering by single or multiple attributes of the information.
A still further feature of another embodiment of the present invention is where the electronic remote chemical identification system as described above responds by the transponders in response to the queries by the interrogator are determined by the process of a comparison between the stored information content of the transponder memories and the queries received from the interrogator.
According to a further aspect of the present invention, in the electronic remote chemical identification system as described above, the interrogator may communicate with and command responses only from a single one of the plurality of transponders based upon the uniqueness of the information content o~ the transponder memories.
A still further aspect of the present invention, in the electronic remote chemical identification system as described above, is where the interrogator is designed to command the single transponder on a single container with which the interrogator is in communication to transmit a homing signal, thus allowing determination of the angular bearing of the transponder and container relative to a reference direction.

-~` 13~6~8~
~RIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1 is a side view depicting the programming of a trans-ponder unit during loading of a rail tank car;
Figure 2 is a top plan view of a railroad derailment accident site;
Figures 3A and 3B are front and side plan views of the hand-held interrogator unit:
Figure 4A is a block diagram of the interrogator-coder circuit;
and Figure 4~ is a block diagram of the master coder circuit.

1316~8~

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREF'ERRED EM~ODIMENT
The principle purpose of the electronic remote chemical identification system is the same as placarding on a hazardous materials car, that is, to provide readily the name of the chemical being transported to emergency response personnel at an accident scene and, likewise, to provide the same information to supervisory personnel during normal, non-accident situations in commerce and trade. This system is, however, based on the principle of remote identification, and can be made much less vulnerable to damage and loss in an accident. It is based on the principle that a suitably protected transponder can be provided on each tank car or truck containing hazardous materials. This transponder can be electronically programmed with information about the chemical being carried in that particular tank car, tank truck or partitioned tank, such as the ~epartment of Transportation chemical number, the chemical name, shipper or manufacturer's name, and any other information of importance. In the case of an accident, the infor-mation in the transponder can be retrieved at a safe distance from the accident location by an interrogator or inquirer. The interrogator commands the transponder by radio signals to respond with the information stored in its memory. The signals recelved b~y the interrogator are interpreted and displayed on a small screen, such as that of a pocket calculator. The display will show the chemical name, DOT number, the shipper's name and any other informa-tion that may be helpful to the emergency response personnel.
The interrogator can also be used during routine and normaltransportation of hazardous materials to query the tank car~ or trucks for identification of their contents in transit for inventory~
or other purposes. In the case of a derailment or road truck accident, police, fire or other emergency responders can use portable interrogators from a safe distance from the accident for quick and positive identification of a chemical.

~316~8~
The electronic remote chemical identification system consists of three principle components: 1) the transponder; 2~ the master coder; and 3) the in~errogator or mas~er inquirer. The master coder and the interrogator can be incorporated in the same unit.
The transponder is a small microprocessor device powered by rechargeable solar batteries. The transponder is normally inactive. It may be enclosed, except for a small radiating antenna, in a protective box, permanently attached at a convenient and protected location on the tank car or tank truck. The trans-ponder will receive and transmit digitized radio signals on command only ~rom a master coder or an interrogator.
The maste~ coder and interrogator are similar in size to a pocket calculator, with an antenna, an alphanumeric keyboard, and a display screen.
Each tank car carrying hazardous materials or any other cargo whose identification is necessary is ~itted with a trans-ponder. At the time the car is filled with a chemical, the shipper will key in the name of the chemical, the shipper's name. and other in~ormation on the master coder. In operations where large numbers of tank cars are filled with the same chemical, the key-in procedure may be replaced by including a read head i`n the transponder, and utilizing a precoded magnetic card inserted into the read head during the initial coding procedure.
Other key-in procedures may include ultrasonic device-based coding of individual tank car transponders.
In case of an accident, the hand-held interrogator brought to the scene by emergency response personnel will provide all necessary chemical identification. A fireman or policeman can obtain this information at a safe distance of up to 500 meters from the accident by interrogating the individual tank car transponders and decoding their transmitted information.

_ -13-~3~6~8~
Two methods are described for interrogator operation. The flrst is to provide the interrogator with a highly directional antenna and sighting means such that the inter~oga~or can be aimed at a specific tank car, and will receive information from that car only. The second method involves storage of the names of all commonly transported chemicals in the memory o~ the interro-gator. At the accident scene, emergency personnel will approach to within 500 meters of the accident sight and switch on the device.
The interrogator then sends digital signals corresponding to each of the chemical names stored, commanding simultaneous responses from all transponders on the tank cars preprogrammed with the names of the chemicals being carried. The transponders simply reply YES or NO to the questions asked by the interrogator, and the interrogator then compiles a list of the chemicals for which it receives a YES signal. To pinpoint the cars containing particular chemicals of interest, the specific chemical is keyed into the interrogator, and the interrogator display will indicate an angular bearing on a null meter between the interrogator direction and the cars containing the chemical of interest. This same procedure can be employed with an interrogator in a helicopter over the accident scene.
Referring now to Figure 1, a railway tank car 1 is shown at a loading site being filled with a hazardous material through fill pipe 2~ At this time, a foreman 11 or other personnel utili~es an interrogator-coder 3 to code transponder unit 4 with the proper identifying codes for the particular chemical to be transported.
As mentioned earlier, these codes can be entered individually by the foreman through the use of alphanumeric keyboard 8, or alternatively, as when a plurality of tank cars or trucks are being filled with the same chemical, a pre-coded magnetic card with the required information may be used. ~

~3~8~
As mentioned pxeviously, the interrogator mode of operation may be used simply for surveying or inventoring a rolling stock, but the most lmportant usage occurs in the event of a highway accident or railway car derailments as depicted in Figure 2.

A plurality of railway tan~ cars, lA through lD, are shown derailed following an accident. They may be damaged or leaking, and emergency response personnel arriving on the scene must first ascertain the nature of the chemicals being carried before emergency operations can proceed. These personnel, using a hand-held interrogator unit 3, can interrogate the transponder units 2A through 2D on all of the derailed tank cars, and immediately ascertain the cargoes being carried so that proper emergency procedures may be performed.
Figures 3A and 3B show in detail the hand-held interrogator-coder unit. It includes a handgrip 5 to facilitate its use, and a gun sight 6A, 6B as an aid in aiming the unit at the desired tank car transponder unit being interrogated. A whip antenna 7 is provided for receiving the returned signal from the transponder.
Other features include a keyboard 8 to allow coding of the trans-ponder at the loading station, and also selection of specific chemical names to be interrogated. Null meter 9 is utilized as a directional aid in locating the cars containing specific chemicals once the initial interrogation and chemical lists have been completed.
The initial interrogation involves queries of the transponders 2 from the list of all chemicals contained in the memory of the interrogator-coder. YES and NO responses are noted with respect to each of said chemicals, and then the interrogator 3 is programmed to locate a specific chemical through the use of the null meter 9 and directional gun site 6.

~3~658~
Once a specific tank car and its cargo are identified, a liquid crystal display screen 10, capable ~f displaying several linès o~ alphanumeric characters, allows direct display o~ the information identifying the chemical cargo being carried in the tank car, as well as any specific instructions regarding its handling.
Figure 4A is a block diagram of the interrogator-coder circuit.
The heart of the system is the microprocessor 12. It controls all the functions of the unit, and in conjunction with the timing and interrupt control 13, performs proper synchronization of all operations. The program memory and scratch pad memory 14 allows the sequential performance of all necessary functions of the interro-gator-coder. During initial coding operations, keyboard 8 is utilized to program non-volatile random access memory 15 with all necessary information reg`arding the chemicals to be transported, DOT number, shipper's name and any other information regarding the handling of the chemical. During the coding operation, the UART circuit 16, under control of CPU 12, translates the coded information for transfer by transmitter/receiver 17 and antenna 7 to tank car~mounted transponder 2. In the interrogator mode, CPU 12 directs UART 16 and transmitter/receiver 17 to query any t~ansponders 2 with respect to the chemicals stored in memory15.
Responses are received and processed under control of CPU 12, and the results displayed on display screen 10.
A separate block diagram for the master coder is shown in Figure 4~. While the functions of master coder and interrogator may be physically separated, and provided by different hand-held units, it is deemed desirable and more practical to combine their functions in a single apparatus as illustrated in the drawings.

-` 1316~
The transponder unit is similar in construction to that of the master interrogator-coder, in that it also is controlled by a small microprocessor operating in conjunction with a small on-board memory and transmitter/receiver circuit. The entire unit is battery-operated, and in order to conserve battery life, i~
is recharged by a small solar panel located atop the transponder.
It is also designed with a minimum amount of hardware in order to further conserve battery life, with most of i~s intelligence being generated by software. The transmitter/receiver circuit is normally in the receive mode, unless specific transmitting instructions are received from the interrogator. Also included is a non-volatile auxiliary memory to retain the coded information from the master coder even in the event of power loss or unit failure.
In use, master interrogator-coder 3 is utilized at the time of filling of a tank car 1 or the like to code transponder 4 with all necessary information regarding the chemical being transported, the shipper's name, and other information regarding the handling of the chemical. If, during transport an accident or derailment should occur, emergency response personnel arriving on the scene may utilize the interrogator-coder to identify and locate any chemicals which may have been involved in the accident. Once the chemicals are identified, the unit can also provide emergency response personnel with any pertinent information regarding the handling of the chemicals during clean-up and restoration of the crash site.

Claims (10)

THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:
1. An electronic remote chemical identification system consisting of a transponder unit for mounting on a container containing the chemical, memory and processor units associated with said transponder unit said memory unit having both permanent and programmable sections, said permanent section containing a unique transponder identification number; an encoder unit for programming said memory unit with information relating to the chemical in the container being transported, said container itself and other data; and a remote interrogator unit for remotely interrogating said transponder unit to cause said processor units in said transponder to compare the data set content of the interrogation with both said data set in said permanent memory section and said data set in said programmable memory section of said transponder and to encode a response to said interrogation only if said data sets match, and to transmit said response.
2. An electronic remote chemical identification system as described in claim 1, in which said transponder memory is programmed by said encoder with information relating to said chemical being transported, as well as additional data necessary for appropriate responsive action should an accident occur.
3. An electronic remote chemical identification system as described in claim 1, in which said remote interrogator unit for remotely interrogating said transponder to cause it to relay said information to said interrogator includes means for decoding and displaying said information for immediate use by emergency response personnel at an accident site, as well as for use by supervisory personnel or control equipment during normal transport of chemicals and other hazardous materials in day-to-day commerce.
4. An electronic remote chemical identification system according to claim 1, wherein said transponder comprises an antenna, a radio frequency transmitter and receiver, a pulse generating circuit, microprocessors, a programmable memory, a non-volatile memory and a battery and associated solar powered charging circuit for powering the several elements of said transponder unit; said interrogator unit comprised of unidirectional and omnidirectional antennas, a radio frequency transmitter and receiver, microprocessors, a programmable memory, a non-volatile memory, a display means, and a keyboard for data entry and program control, a sighting device and a null meter, in which said interrogator unit is operable to program said programmable memory of said transponder unit with information relating to the chemical cargo and other data associated therewith, and said interrogator unit is also operable to cause said transponder unit to recall said information and other data relating to said chemical cargo, and transmit said data to said interrogator unit.
5. In an electronic remote chemical identification system as described in claim 4, said interrogator unit being designed to interrogate a plurality of transponders on different containers, said containers being either moving or stationary, to uniquely determine the information content of each of said memories of said plurality of transponders associated with said plurality of containers, and storing said information content in said interrogator memory.
6. An electronic remote chemical identification system as described in claim 5, in which said interrogating process consists of a series of queries and responses between said interrogator and said plurality of transponders.
7. An electronic remote chemical identification system as described in claim 6, in which said series of queries are arranged to provide an increasing level uniqueness for identifying said transponders with similar information content but differing by single or multiple attributes of said information.
8. An electronic remote chemical identification system as described in claim 6, in which said responses by said transponders in response to said queries by said interrogator are determined by the process of a comparison between the stored information content of said transponder memories and said queries received from said interrogator.
9. An electronic remote chemical identification system as described in claim 5, in which said interrogator may communicate with and command responses only from a single one of said plurality of transponders based upon the uniqueness of the information content of said transponder memories.
10. An electronic remote chemical identification system as described claim 9, in which said interrogator is designed to command said single transponder on a single container with which said interrogator is in communication to transmit a homing signal, thus allowing determination of the angular bearing of said transponder and container relative to a reference direction.
CA000518678A 1985-09-27 1986-09-19 Electronic chemical identification system Expired - Fee Related CA1316584C (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US78093885A 1985-09-27 1985-09-27
US780,938 1985-09-27

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
CA1316584C true CA1316584C (en) 1993-04-20

Family

ID=25121146

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
CA000518678A Expired - Fee Related CA1316584C (en) 1985-09-27 1986-09-19 Electronic chemical identification system

Country Status (3)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0238640A1 (en)
CA (1) CA1316584C (en)
WO (1) WO1987002165A1 (en)

Families Citing this family (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2257278B (en) * 1991-06-28 1995-01-25 Esselte Meto Int Gmbh Security and information display
SE516570C2 (en) * 1992-02-14 2002-01-29 Combitech Traffic Syst Ab Systems for transmitting information by microwaves, as well as communication unit
DE4215872A1 (en) * 1992-04-09 1993-10-14 Ultrakust Electronic Gmbh Protection against mixing
NL9302219A (en) * 1993-12-20 1995-07-17 Gerritse Beheer Bv Holder with identification device
SG88748A1 (en) * 1999-03-15 2002-05-21 Univ Singapore An educational tool, entertainment system or search tool
PL407675A1 (en) * 2014-03-26 2015-09-28 Amateo Spółka Z Ograniczoną Odpowiedzialnością IRID system for the identification of object

Family Cites Families (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB1555606A (en) * 1975-03-27 1979-11-14 Stiftelsen Inst Mikrovags Systems for the registration of objects
US4090247A (en) * 1975-08-11 1978-05-16 Arthur D. Little, Inc. Portable data entry device
GB2077555A (en) * 1980-05-27 1981-12-16 Standard Telephones Cables Ltd Electronic tally apparatus
DE3242551C2 (en) * 1981-11-17 1984-05-17 Götting KG, 3161 Röddensen Arrangement for identifying an object
GB8318673D0 (en) * 1983-07-11 1983-08-10 Ici Plc Containers
DE3412588A1 (en) * 1984-04-04 1985-10-24 Gebhard Balluff Fabrik feinmechanischer Erzeugnisse GmbH & Co, 7303 Neuhausen Method for data transmission and data transmission system

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
WO1987002165A1 (en) 1987-04-09
EP0238640A1 (en) 1987-09-30

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
US5008661A (en) Electronic remote chemical identification system
US7342497B2 (en) Object monitoring, locating, and tracking system employing RFID devices
US7423535B2 (en) Object monitoring, locating, and tracking method employing RFID devices
US7319397B2 (en) RFID device for object monitoring, locating, and tracking
US7839289B2 (en) Object monitoring, locating, and tracking system and method employing RFID devices
US8174383B1 (en) System and method for operating a synchronized wireless network
USRE43178E1 (en) Electronic vehicle product and personnel monitoring
US7176800B2 (en) Electronic security system for monitoring and recording activity and data relating to persons or cargo
US7100052B2 (en) Electronic vehicle product and personal monitoring
CA2529186C (en) Electronic security system for monitoring and recording activity and data relating to cargo
WO2006026365A2 (en) Object monitoring, locating, and tracking method, system, and rfid device
MX2007014378A (en) System and method for detecting, monitoring, tracking and identifying explosive materials.
CA1316584C (en) Electronic chemical identification system
Miksa Hell et al. Accurate radiofrequency identification tracking in smart city railways by using drones
CN108154123A (en) Shipping enterprises safety in production mandatory system
EP2485201A1 (en) Telematic risk management system
US20070188330A1 (en) System and method for detecting, monitoring, tracking and identifying explosive materials using ID marks
Accettura et al. Security procedures and devices for road transportation of high consequence dangerous goods
CA2020327A1 (en) Electronic chemical identification system
CN110657835B (en) Method for judging working state of radioactive source based on LWRT-RGSSLT algorithm
KR20090011123A (en) System for administrating the transportation of nuclear waste using rfid
Greiper et al. Beyond aviation: the emerging ground transportation security market
CN110689296A (en) Method for judging place state of radioactive source library based on LWRT-RGST algorithm
Prokudin et al. Defining the ways to increase the safety of hazardous goods in international automobile transportation
Gheorghe et al. Hot spot based risk assessment for transportation dangerous goods by railway: a new proposal for transportation risk assessment

Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
MKLA Lapsed
MKLA Lapsed

Effective date: 19980420