GB2445613A

GB2445613A - Detection of the transportation of unauthorised cargo

Info

Publication number: GB2445613A
Application number: GB0700410A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Sergey Wasiliewich Mitko
Original assignee: BRIXS Ltd
Current assignee: BRIXS Ltd
Priority date: 2007-01-10
Filing date: 2007-01-10
Publication date: 2008-07-16
Also published as: GB0700410D0

Abstract

A method of detecting unauthorised transportation in a storage container 10 comprises installing within the container 10 a detector (22) to sense a physical parameter within the container 10 while the container 10 is in transit. On arrival of the container 10 at its destination, output signals generated by the detector (22) at intervals during the transit are analysed to determine the likelihood of the presence within the container 10 of unauthorised cargo. In an alternative embodiment the detector output may be remotely communicated (32) and analysed during transport. The detector (22) may comprise a gas ionisation detector, a carbon dioxide detector, an infrared detector, a sound or vibration detector, or a radar detector, or a combination thereof, to detect cargo such as radioactive materials, live animals, narcotics, or illegal immigrants.

Description

Detection of Unauthorised Cargo Transportation

Field of the invention

The present invention is concerned with detection of transportation of unauthorised cargo.

Background of the invention

It has recently become important to be able to prevent entry into a country of certain types of cargo, Radioactive materials are one example, but there are several others such as live animals, narcotic drugs and illegal immigrants.

In the case of radioactivity, one cannot just use a radiation sensor, such as a Geiger counter, to test for radioactive materials on arrival of a container at an entry port. For example, polonium needs a Geiger counter to be placed within a few inches of it for it to be detected and it would be totally impracticable to open every single container arriving at an entry port and to search its entire contents in this manner. Even such a search may lead to incorrect detection because some parts of the world have high background levels of radioactivity. For example, sufficient radon gas can be found in the atmosphere in some places to trigger a radiation sensor even though no radioactive material is being transported.

Object of the invention The present invention seeks to enable detection of unauthorised cargo but is not restricted in its application to detection of radioactive materials in cargo containers.

Embodiments of the invention can be used to detect other unauthorised cargo that can be concealed successfully for the short time during which a container is searched manually.

Summary of the invention

According to the present invention, there is provided a method of detecting unauthorised transportation in a storage container, which comprises installing within the container a detector to sense a physical parameter within the container while the container is in transit, and, on arrival of the container at a destination, analysing output signals generated by the detector at intervals during the transit to determine the likelihood of the presence within the container of unauthorised cargo.

in one embodiment of the invention, the detector serves to monitor the level of ionisation of gas within the container, analysis of the detector output signal serving to determine the likelihood of the presence of a radioactive substance within the container.

In the case of radioactive materials, a side effect of the particles that they emit is that they ionise the air within the container. One can detect ionisatjon of the air in the container on its arrival in a port but, for the reasons given above, that of itself is not conclusive proof of the presence of radioactive material in a container.

Furthermore, one would need to open the container to take a reading and that would of itself interfere with the results of the measurement.

The present invention takes advantage of the fact that cargo containers are sealed during transit. While a single reading taken at the end of a journey indicating a high level of ionisation may not necessarily be caused by a radioactive source, if one monitors the ionisation over a period of time and discovers a constant increase in the level of air ionisation, then that is very likely to be caused by the presence of radioactive material in the container.

In an alternative embodiment of the invention the detector serves to monitor the concentration of carbon dioxide within the container, analysis of the detector output signal serving to determine the likelihood of the presence of a live animal or vegetable cargo within the container.

In a further embodiment of the invention, the detector may serve to monitor infrared radiation within the container, analysis of the detector output signal serving to determine the likelihood of the presence of a live animal cargo within the container.

As still further possibilities, the detector serve to monitor sound or mechanical vibration within the container, or may serve to radiate and receive a radar signal, analysis of the detector output signal in both these cases serving to determine the likelihood of the presence of a live animal cargo within the container.

Cf course, different types of detector may be used in conjunction with one another, the combination of the data gleaned from all the detectors adding certainty to a positive detection and enabling the false alarms caused by any one detector to be diagnosed more easily.

It is important in the invention to analyse readings of relevant physical parameters taken while the container is sealed and in transit. Different possibilities present themselves for accumulating and accessing this data.

It has already been proposed to equip containers with radio devices that can be tracked by radio. Such radio devices can be used to relay the information to a central station while the container is still in transit so that the container can be intercepted by the authorities on its arrival.

The data can alternatively be stored in a local memory to be read and analysed when the container arrives at its destination. Once again, one can use radio signals to communicate with a detection device mounted within the container arid fitted with a memory or one may provide a socket on the exterior of the container into which an analysing instrument can be plugged in.

In accordance with a second aspect of the invention, there is provided an apparatus for installation in a container to enable detection of unauthorised transportation in a container, comprising a detector for monitoring continuously or at intervals a physical parameter within the container and means for communicating detector output signals generated while the container is in transit to a remote location for analysis to determine the likelihood of the presence of a live animal or vegetable cargo within the container.

Brief description of the drawings

The invention will now be described further, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:-Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of a cargo container, and Figure 2 is a block diagram of an apparatus of the present invention.

Detailed description of the preferred embodiment

Figure 1 shows a container of the type used for transportation over both land and water. The container 10 can be lifted by attaching a hoist or crane to e'yelets 12 and is fitted with two hinged doors 14. After it has been filled, the container 10 is locked by means of a locking bar 16 which is secured by means of a padlock and/or a tamper-evident bolt seal to avoid any of its contents being stolen while it is in transit. Such containers are entirely conventional and the invention is not restricted to any specific type of container.

The modification of such a container proposed by the present invention is to install within it, prior to its being locked, an apparatus 20 to monitor one or more measurable physical parameters within the container 10 before it is opened on arrival at its destination.

The apparatus, as shown in Figure 2, comprises one or more detectors 22, as will be described below, a micro-computer 24 and a power supply 34. The micro-computer is is made up of a processing unit 30 connected to receive the output signals of the detectors 22, a non-volatile memory 28 for storing data relating to the measured parameters and an output or communications unit 32 which allow the processor to communicate the stored data to external apparatus in which the data is analysed.

The nature of the detectors 22 will depend on the type of unauthorised cargo to be detected. For radioactive materials, one can use an ionisation sensor. For narcotics, or specific chemicals, one may use as a detector an ion mobility spectrometer. For live cargo, one may use a carbon dioxide sensor, a passive infrared sensor, an active radar sensor to detect movement or a microphone to detect sound or speech. Because the sensor is active while the cargo is in transit, the effect of taking readings from the sensors 22 and storing them in the memory 28 is to generate cumulative data that is not seriously affected by the odd random or spurious reading and which therefore reliably indicates if unauthorised cargo is present in the container. Thus, a general trend of increasing ionisation will indicate the presence of a radioactive source while a persistently high concentration of carbon dioxide will signal live cargo.

The output unit 32 may simply allow a hard wired connection to be made to the processing unit 30 through a plug accessible from outside the container 10.

Alternatively, if may allow the processing unit to communicate by a wireless link either throughout the period that the container is in transit or only when interrogated from outside the container when the container arrives at its destination. In this respect, the communication unit may resemble the tags used identify farm animals.

Because the current requirement of the apparatus is very small, the power supply 34 may simply be a battery but, if desired, it may include a solar cell or even a motion operated generator.

Claims

CLPIMS

1. A method of detecting unauthorised transportation in a storage container, which comprises installing within the container a detector to sense a physical parameter within the container while the container is in transit, and, on arrival of the container at a destination, analysing output signals generated by the detector at intervals during the transit to determine the likelihood of the presence within the container of unauthorised cargo.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the detector serves to monitor the level of ionisation of gas within the container, analysis of the detector output signal serving to determine the likelihood of the presence of a radioactive substance within the container.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the detector serves to monitor the concentration of carbon dioxide within the container, analysis of the detector output signal serving to determine the likelihood of the presence of a live animal or vegetable cargo within the container.

4. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the detector serves to monitor infrared radiation within the container, analysis of the detector output signal serving to determine the likelihood of the presence of a live animal cargo within the container.

5. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the detector serves to monitor sound or mechanical vibration within the container, analysis of the detector output signal serving to determine the likelihood of the presence of animal cargo within the container.

6. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the detector serves to radiate and receive a radar signal, analysis of the detector output signal serving to determine the likelihood of the presence of a live animal cargo within the container.

7. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, which further comprises installing a memory in the container and storing the output signals of the detector in the memory for io analysis on arrival of the container at its destination.

8. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, which further comprises installing a radio transmitter in the container for communicating current or stored values of the output signals of the detector to a remote location for analysis.

9. Apparatus for installation in a container to enable detection of unauthorised transportation in a container, comprising a detector for monitoring continuously or at intervals a physical parameter within the container and means for communicating detector output signals generated while the container is in transit to a remote location for analysis to determine the likelihood of the presence of a live animal or vegetable cargo within the container.

10. Apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the means for communicating the detector output signals comprises a wireless link for relaying the detector output signals to the remote location for analysis as they are generated.

11. Apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the means for communicating the detector output signals comprises a memory installed on the container for storing the detector output signals and a wireless or wired communication link for transferring data stored in the memory to a unit not installed in the container for analysis.

12. Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 9 to 11, wherein the detector includes an ionisation detector.

13. Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 9 to 12, wherein the detector includes a carbon dioxide detector.

14. Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 9 to 13, wherein the detector includes an infrared detector.

15. Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 9 to 14, wherein the detector includes a sound or vibration detector.

16. Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 9 to 15, wherein the detector includes a radar transmitter and detector.

17. A container having installed therein an apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 9 to 16.