GB2572214A

GB2572214A - A border control system and method of operating same

Info

Publication number: GB2572214A
Application number: GB1804674.8A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Greaney Cathal
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2018-03-23
Filing date: 2018-03-23
Publication date: 2019-09-25
Also published as: GB201804674D0

Abstract

A method of operating a border control system comprising placing a monitoring device 7(a-e) with a location sensor on a portable container 9(a-e) and monitoring the location of the container over time. The location information is periodically transferred to a remote processor 3 via a communications unit, where it is analysed in order to calculate a risk score for the container. The risk score is displayed on a user interface of a user computing device 13(a, b) operated by a customs official, who determines whether or not to inspect the container based on the risk score. The monitoring device 7(a-e) may also include a camera along with sensors that detect: motion, acceleration, the atmosphere, the presence of persons, or the presence of a specified gas. The risk score can also depend on inspection data, or, historical data of the container or a driver of a delivery vehicle.

Description

(57) A method of operating a border control system comprising placing a monitoring device 7(a-e) with a location sensor on a portable container 9(a-e) and monitoring the location of the container over time. The location information is periodically transferred to a remote processor 3 via a communications unit, where it is analysed in order to calculate a risk score for the container. The risk score is displayed on a user interface of a user computing device 13(a, b) operated by a customs official, who determines whether or not to inspect the container based on the risk score. The monitoring device 7(a-e) may also include a camera along with sensors that detect: motion, acceleration, the atmosphere, the presence of persons, or the presence of a specified gas. The risk score can also depend on inspection data, or, historical data of the container or a driver of a delivery vehicle.

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Figure 1

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Figure 2 “A border control system and method of operating same”

Introduction

This invention relates to a border control system and a method of operating the border control system.

When transporting goods over long distances, it is quite common for hauliers and others transporting goods to cross one or more borders. When doing so, their cargo is liable for inspection by customs officials to ensure contraband is not permitted into the country, and to ensure that any taxes due on the cargo are paid. However, this represents a significant problem for both the haulier and the customs officials.

First of all, the hauliers have to stop at each border crossing and make their vehicles available for inspection. They may be required to provide extensive documentation, often in a foreign language, and deal with the customs officials before they can resume their journey onwards to their final destination. This represents a significant logistical burden for the hauliers. There is a great deal of uncertainty regarding the length of time that they will be detained at the customs checkpoint and this makes planning and scheduling increasingly complex. A lengthy delay can result in a ferry or other connection being missed, thereby increasing the complexity of the logistics.

Secondly, the customs officials are required to inspect the containers and other vehicles passing through their border to ensure that there is no illegal activity going on. The volume of traffic crossing the borders has increased exponentially over the last number of years and it is becoming increasingly difficult, with relatively limited and already stretched resources, for the customs officials to correctly target and stop the importation of contraband.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a system and method that overcome at least some of the above-identified problems. In particular, it is an object of the present invention to provide a system and method that will permit easier passage of containers through customs checkpoints and more efficient and effective use of customs resources.

-2Statements of Invention

According to the invention there is provided a method of operating a border control system comprising:

placing a monitoring device on a portable container to be monitored, the monitoring device having at least a location sensor to determine the location of the monitoring device and a communications unit for communications with a remote processor;

the location sensor monitoring the location of the container overtime;

the communications unit periodically transmitting the location of the container to the remote processor;

the remote processor processing the received location data of the container and calculating a risk score for the container, based, at least in part, on the location data of the container;

displaying, on a user interface of a user computing device operated by a customs official, the risk score for the container; and a customs official determining whether or not to inspect the container based on the risk score of the container.

By having such a method, there are substantial advantages for both the haulier and the customs officials. Once the movements of the container are known, it is possible to give that container a risk score, which is the likelihood of the container containing contraband. By providing the risk score to the customs officials, the customs officials can weed out those vehicles that have a low risk score and hence a low likelihood of carrying contraband. The customs officials can select those vehicles for inspection in a more nuanced way. In this way, the customs officials will be able to use their resources more effectively and they will be more efficient. Furthermore, if the container has a low risk

-3score, it is less likely that the container will be stopped for inspection and therefore the haulier can become more efficient and effective by allowing monitoring in this way.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a method of operating a border control system in which the method comprises the step of a customs official inputting inspection data relating to the container, transmitting that inspection data to the processor, and the processor thereafter calculating the risk score for the container, based, at least in part, on the inspection data. This is seen as a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention. In this way, if the container is checked at a customs checkpoint entering one country (or indeed at a customs roadside checkpoint anywhere in the country), it is unlikely that it will have to be checked again the next time it crosses the border. This is particularly the case if the container has been in constant transit since the last customs inspection. By co-operating in this way, the customs officials can avoid duplicating each other’s efforts and can reduce the number of vehicles that are needlessly checked.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a method of operating a border control system in which the method comprises the step of the monitoring device capturing one or more of: (i) the motion of the container; (ii) the acceleration of the container; (iii) a pictorial image recording; (iv) a sound recording; (v) the atmospheric conditions outside the container; (vi) the atmospheric conditions internal the container; (vii) presence of a person in the container; (viii) the presence of a specified gas in the container; (ix) the level of the container; and thereafter transmitting the captured data to the processor, and the processor thereafter calculating the risk score for the container, based, at least in part, on the captured data. This is also seen as a particularly beneficial aspect of the invention. By having such a method, the method can detect with more accuracy whether or not a vehicle is likely to have been tampered with or likely to be smuggling contraband. For example, the method can detect if the container has stopped for a prolonged period of time but experienced motion of the container over that time, indicative of the container being loaded or unloaded. In this way, the vehicles may be screened more effectively.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a method of operating a border control system in which the method comprises the step of the processor calculating the

-4risk score for the container, based, at least in part, on historical data relating to one or more of (i) the container; (ii) the haulier; and (iii) the driver. The use of historical data may come in particularly useful in the detection of contraband smuggling. For example, if a particular haulier has an impeccable record whereas another has been found in the past to be smuggling goods, the historical information can feed into the decision as to which container to stop.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a method of operating a border control system in which the method comprises the step of alerting a customs official of the impending arrival of a container along with the risk score of the container. This is seen as a particularly useful aspect of the present invention. Due to the fact that the location of the containers is being tracked continuously, it will be possible to determine when the vehicles towing those containers are approaching the customs checkpoint and the customs officers can make a decision in advance whether or not a vehicle needs to be stopped. If the vehicle does not need to be stopped, this will assist the haulier as they will be detained for the minimum time possible thereby making their role more efficient.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a method of operating a border control system in which the method comprises the step of storing in memory the raw data received from the monitoring device. By storing the raw data, it will be possible to use this data later if evidence is required or if there is an investigation to determine whether others were involved in smuggling. Furthermore, this raw data can be used for subsequent training purposes.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a method of operating a border control system in which the method comprises the step of storing in memory the processed data produced by the processor. Again, the processed data may be used for subsequent training purposes and making the method more accurate.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a method of operating a border control system in which the data is stored in one of: (i) a block chain ledger; and (ii) a trusted ledger. A block chain ledger is seen as a particularly effective ledger to use for the storage of the raw data and the processed data. If desired, a different block chain

-5ledger may be used to store the raw data from the processed data. The blockchain ledger is seen as a particularly robust and trustworthy way to store the data.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a method of operating a border control system in which upon an interruption to the provision of data from the monitoring unit, an alert is transmitted to the customs official. In this way, if someone should attempt to interfere with the monitoring unit, the customs official will be alerted to the fact and this will be highly indicative that someone is interfering with the monitoring device.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a method of operating a border control system in which each monitoring device is provided with a unique identifier in a machine readable format, and in which the method includes the step of the customs official interrogating the monitoring device and capturing the unique identifier. For example, the machine readable format may be a QR code or an RFID tag that transmits the RFID signal upon excitation by an RFID reader or an NFC tag that transmits the NFC signal upon excitation by an NFC reader.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a method of operating a border control system in which the method comprises the step of refining the risk scoring algorithm with a machine learning technique. Artificial Intelligence (Al) techniques such as machine learning may be used by the border control system to increase the accuracy and effectiveness of the system. It is envisaged that a machine learning technique may be used to recognize activity patterns that warrant further investigation or activity patterns that have been found in fact to be innocuous and that can be disregarded. The artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques will become more accurate over time as they are trained by human operators and developers and as they self-train themselves in a feedback loop. These techniques may be used in parallel with human produced algorithms and over time may replace older ‘seed’ algorithms.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a border control system comprising:

a processor having access to memory;

-6a monitoring device for placement on a portable container, the monitoring device comprising at least a location sensor to determine the location of the monitoring device over time and a communications unit for transmitting the location of the container to the remote processor;

and in which the processor having a risk assessment program thereon operable to receive data from the monitoring device and calculate a risk score for the container; and at least one user computing device having a user interface, operable by a customs official, the user interface operable to display the risk score of the container to the customs official so that the customs official may decide, based on the risk score, whether or not to inspect the container.

This is seen as a very simple yet effective construction of border control system for use in the detection of smuggling of contraband and for streamlining the customs inspection process for both the customs officials and the hauliers.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a border control system in which the user computing device comprises a data entry device for receipt of data from a customs official and a communications unit to transfer the data input by the customs official to the processor for use in the calculation of the risk score for the container. This is seen as a particularly effective system as the customs officials can input data into the system that will be used in the calculation of the risk score. For example, the customs official may mark that they carried out a comprehensive search or a simply cursory inspection of the container when it passed their checkpoint. This information can be used subsequently by other customs officials in deciding whether or not to inspect a given container.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a border control system in which the monitoring device comprises one or more of: (i) a motion sensor; (ii) an acceleration sensor; (iii) a camera; (iv) a sound recorder; (v) an external atmosphere sensor; (vi) an internal atmosphere sensor; (vii) a person detection sensor; (viii) a specified gas sensor;

-7(ix) a level sensor; for subsequent transmission to and use by the processor in calculating the risk score of the container.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a border control system in which there is provided, stored in memory, historical data relating to one or more of (i) the container; (ii) the haulier; and (iii) the driver.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a border control system in which the memory comprises one of (i) a block chain ledger; and (ii) a trusted ledger.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a border control system in which each monitoring device is provided with a unique identifier in a machine readable format.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a border control system in which the processor has a machine learning technique program thereon for refinement of the risk assessment program.

Detailed Description of the Invention

The invention will now be more clearly understood from the following description of some embodiments thereof given by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:Figure 1 is a diagrammatic representation of a first embodiment of border control system according to the invention; and

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic representation of a second embodiment of border control system according to the invention.

Referring to Figure 1, there is shown a border control system, indicated generally by the reference numeral 1, comprising a processor 3 having access to memory 5. There is further provided a plurality of monitoring devices 7(a)-7(e) each of which is placed on a container, represented graphically in this case by container 9(a) and vehicles 9(b)-9(e). for simplicity, reference will be made simply to “containers” however these could, if

-8desired be vehicles. The monitoring devices 7(a)-7(e) each comprise a location sensor to determine the location of the monitoring device over time and a communications unit for transmitting the location of the container to the remote processor over a communications network 11.

The monitoring devices 7(a)-7(e) each may further comprise one or more of a motion sensor, an acceleration sensor, a camera, a sound recorder, an external atmosphere sensor, an internal atmosphere sensor, a person detection sensor, a specified gas sensor, and a level sensor. The processor 3 has a risk assessment program running thereon operable to receive data from each of the monitoring devices 7(a)-7(e) and calculate a risk score for the container 9(a)-9(e) on which the monitoring device is mounted. Finally, there is provided a plurality of user computing devices 13(a)-13(c), each of which is located at a customs location 15(a)-15(c), and each of which has a user interface operable to display the risk score of the container to a customs official (not shown). In the embodiment shown, two of the user computing devices, 13(a), 13(b) are configured for two way communication between the user computing device and the processor and a third user computing device 13(c) is simply configured for one way communication from the processor 3 to the user computing device 13(c).

In use, the monitoring devices 7(a)-7(e) transmit the location data along with any other sensor data collected by the monitoring device 7(a)-7(e) to the processor 3. The raw data is preferably stored in memory 5. The processor passes the data through the risk assessment program and the risk assessment program calculates a risk score for the container to which the particular monitoring device is connected and stored the processed data including the risk score in memory 5. For example, the data collected from the monitoring device 7(a)-7(e) may indicate that the container has not stopped moving since the last time it passed through a customs check and therefore the possibility that the container is carrying contraband is deemed to be relatively low. Alternatively, the monitoring device may determine that the container stopped for an unscheduled stop off a main route and during that time, movement sensed by a motion sensor included in the monitoring device indicates that the container was loaded or unloaded during the stopover. This may result in a slightly higher risk score as there was some opportunity for the container to be loaded with contraband during the stop. If more stops are made or if other sensors pick up other data indicative of contraband, for

-9example the video or an infra-red sensor detects people entering or remaining in the container, the risk score will increase proportionately.

Once there is a risk score for a container, the most up-to-date risk score is transmitted to the user computing device 13(a)-13(c) at the customs location that the container is travelling towards. This may be automatic or may be in response to a prompt from the user computing device for information on approaching containers. The user computing devices 13(a)-13(c) are each operated by a customs official (not shown) who will be able to decide, based at least in part on the risk score of the container, whether or not to stop the container for searching.

In the embodiment shown, two of the user computing devices 13(a) and 13(b) are configured for two way communications with the processor 3. In this way, as well as receiving information relating to each of the containers, the user computing devices 13(a) and 13(b) are configured so that they can transmit information to the processor that can be used by the processor in the generation of the risk score. For example, if the container is searched at the customs checkpoint 15(a), the user computing device 13(a) may transmit this information to the processor so that the processor can adjust the risk score appropriately. The customs officer may indicate whether sniffer dogs were used, whether the container was X-rayed, whether a full and comprehensive search was undertaken or whether a cursory search was undertaken. Each of these may assist in the generation of a risk score for the container. Similarly, the customs officer may notice that there are goods that are legal in the present jurisdiction (i.e. fireworks) but that may be illegal in another jurisdiction and a warning relating to the nature of the goods may be uploaded onto the system to generate an up-to-date risk score for the container as it continues its journey. The user computing device 13(c) in checkpoint 15(c) is not equipped for two way communications in this instance. It is envisaged that in some circumstances, it may be preferable to simply have one-way communications between the processor and the user computing device 15(c).

Referring now to Figure 2, there is shown an alternative embodiment of the border control system, indicated generally by the reference numeral 21, where like parts have been given the same reference numerals as before. The border control system 21 differs from the border control system 1 of Figure 1 in that the memory 5 comprises a block

- 10chain database and each of the customs checkpoints has a node or an instance of the block chain database 23(a)-23(c) stored locally. It will be understood that this provides for a very robust system in which the veracity of the information can be trusted. Each of the block chain node 23(a)-23(c) contains an up-to-date copy of the raw and processed data ledgers. The block chain nodes may be duplicated at many more locations. Furthermore, the block chain may reside on a private border control system block chain infrastructure or may reside on an existing block chain service.

It will be understood that various modifications could be made to the foregoing examples without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, it has been mentioned above that various different sensors could be used to detect whether or not there is contraband or stowaways in the container that can impact on the risk score. For example, the monitoring devices may comprise one or more of one or more of: (i) a motion sensor; (ii) an acceleration sensor; (iii) a camera; (iv) a sound recorder; (v) an external atmosphere sensor; (vi) an internal atmosphere sensor; (vii) a person detection sensor; (viii) a specified gas sensor; and (ix) a level sensor. This list is not exhaustive. The motion sensor may comprise one or more accelerometers and or gyroscopes and or tilt switches to determine when the container is being loaded or unloaded. The acceleration sensor may also be used to detect movement of the container bed. A camera, which may be either or both of a video and a still image camera, can be provided to take images of persons entering the container. The video or camera may be backed up by a facial recognition program to detect known and unknown faces. A sound recorder would be useful to detect stowaways. The external atmosphere sensor will be useful to help detect if the container is kept under a bridge or driven indoors for a period of time and the internal atmosphere sensor will be useful to determine a sudden change in the internal air pressure or temperature, which may in itself be indicative that the container has been opened. The person detection sensor may comprise an Infra-red, a heat detection or a proximity sensor to detect the presence of stowaways. The specified gas sensor may be able to detect certain chemicals or a change in the gas concentration in the container indicative that there is something or someone in the container breathing the oxygen in the container. Finally, the level sensor may be used to detect someone tampering with the sensor. Various other sensors may be provided if desired.

- 11 The monitoring devices are each provided with a power supply. This may be a battery and /or a solar panel and /or a back-up supply from the carrying vehicle. For example, the battery may be rechargeable and there may be provided means to connect the monitoring device up to a power take off (PTO) of the tractor unit. Additional sensors may be provided in the cab of the vehicle to monitor the driver and the interior of the cab to detect suspicious activity. For example, in addition to the monitoring devices placed on and/or in the container, one or more monitoring devices could also be placed on and/or in the tractor unit and/or on the driver themselves. When a monitoring device is placed on the driver themselves the monitoring device may be in the form of a separate device or may be installed on the drivers smart phone in the form of software which leverages the smartphones sensors and systems. It will be appreciated that the more devices associated with a container (including devices that may be on/in the tractor and on the driver), then the more sophisticated the risk scoring algorithm may be and the greater potential for a low risk score for the haulier.

In addition to the foregoing, other factors may be taken into account when considering the risk score for a given container. For example, the hauler’s previous record, the driver’s previous record and the container’s previous record may be used in the assessment of the risk score for the present journey. It the haulier has had an exemplary record, this may lower their risk score. The customs officials input can also play a significant factor in the risk score and if the container has been searched in this journey, it may be less likely to be searched again unless there has been suspicious activity. In the examples shown, a number of vehicles have been used including a container 9(a), a truck 9(b), a van 9(c), a rail car 9(d) and a minivan 9(e), however for convenience, all have been described as “containers”. Generally speaking, they need not necessarily be a container per se and could be a vehicle to transport goods. In most cases however, the monitoring devices will be connected to an actual 20 foot or 40 foot container for transport on the bed of a carrying vehicle. The present invention may be used on roads, rail or sea borders if desired.

The risk score may take a number of formats. For example, the risk score may be a numerical value (for example a score between 0 and 1, 0 and 10, 0 and 100 (or other) scale) or could use alphanumerical characters, colours, sounds, a combination of two or more of the above or other indicators to indicate the level of risk associated with a container. For example, the risk score may be provided on a scale of 0 to 10 with zero being indicative of no risk (for example immediately after a truck has been comprehensively searched and before it has had an opportunity to stop again) and 10 being indicative of very high risk, almost certainty, that the container should be inspected (for example after detecting an unscheduled stop in a certain area, corresponding with an opening of the container and a detection of a loading of additional goods). The customs official or other law enforcement officer may then decide, based on the risk score, whether or not to search the vehicle.

It is envisaged that different agencies may decide on different thresholds before deciding whether or not a container should be stopped. For example, law enforcement agents in Germany may decide that any vehicle with a risk score of 7 or more (on a 0 to 10 scale) should be searched whereas customs officers in Belgium may decide that any vehicle with a risk score of 5 or more should be searched. These thresholds may be decided upon on a policy basis or may vary depending on the volume of traffic and the available resources at the customs official’s disposal. For example, it may be desirable to stop any vehicle with a risk score over 4 (on a scale of 0 to 10) however this may be impractical if the number of vehicles to be searched would result in inordinate delays and backlog. In that instance, the threshold may be increased to only search those vehicles with a risk score of 7 or above as the number of such vehicles is such that they may be searched with the available resources without causing unnecessary delays and backlog. The threshold may be decided at a management level or may be determined by the system itself one the resources at their disposal are known. The threshold may vary from day to day, hour to hour (e.g. peak and off peak times) or year to year.

The risk score may be determined by the number of factors that are taken into account in the provision of the risk score. For example, each sensor may be given a score of 0 or 1 and if there are seven factors taken into account, there could be a risk score of between 0 and 7. Indeed, some factors may be given a weighting. For example, a sensor to detect the opening of the container door may be given a high weighting. Furthermore, if excessive levels of carbon dioxide are detected by a sensor, this may be highly indicative that there are people in the container and that it should be stopped. In those instances, the sensor for detecting gas may be given a very high weighting. Alternatively, if certain sensors are triggered (such as the carbon dioxide sensor), they may cause the

- 13risk score to be such that the container will require inspection irrespective of the remaining sensors outputs.

In the embodiments described, the customs officials or other law enforcement personnel have interpreted the risk score data and then made the decision whether or not to stop a container for inspection. However, it is envisaged that the interpretation may be removed and certain containers will be flagged by the system for inspection and those containers will be inspected as a matter of course, effectively removing the choice as to whether or not a container is stopped.

Throughout this specification, reference has been made to a border control system and a method of operating a border control system. It will be understood that the system is not limited to use solely at a border and it is envisaged that it may be used by customs or other law enforcement officers for road-side or other spot checks. For example, if the system identified suspicious activity, this could be flagged to law enforcement personnel and the law enforcement personnel may decide to intercept the vehicle at a place of their choosing more suitable for inspecting the vehicle, apprehending villains and/or avoiding risk of injury to bystanders.

In addition to the foregoing, it is envisaged that the present invention will utilize machine learning techniques and input from customs officers to refine the risk assessment program.

It will be understood that a number of modifications may be made to the embodiments described above without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, the users could log their journeys with the system in advance so that the customs officials will know in advance where the vehicle will be travelling from and to and can make certain determinations on that basis. Throughout the specification, reference is made to analysing the location data of the container. It will be understood that the location data includes a historical record of the location data and the location data is not simply the present location of the vehicle but the location over a predetermined period of time. The period of time may be on a particular journey, for example over the last 6, 12, 24, 48 or 72 hours (purely for example) and may detect if the container is on a return journey or taking part in a new journey.

- 14It will be understood that the interface provided for the customs official or other law enforcement personnel may take a number of formats. For example, the user interface may include data displayed in a number of different formats to illustrate the containers that are in the area. For example, the user interface may comprise a list of containers including, inter alia, a list of registration numbers, the vehicle type, the vehicle colour, the risk level of the container, and the estimated time of arrival of the container to a given location, such as, but not limited to, a border crossing. Alternatively or in addition, the user interface may include a map showing the movement of the containers in this or other jurisdictions. It is envisaged that the customs officials will be able to “play back” a container’s journey so that more detailed analysis may be undertaken.

In addition to the foregoing, the present invention provides several advantages and solves several technical problems with the existing solutions. For example, the system and method provide enhanced data security through encryption of sensor data and encryption of stored data. The sensor data is aggregated to provide faster transmission of data as well as more efficient collection of data through aggregation of sensor data. Additionally, it is believed that there will be improved data processing due in part to the fact that the data will be stored in a more compact fashion than was heretofore the case. Furthermore, there will be a realization of more realistic physical state of containers through the use of Machine Learning (ANI - Artificial Narrow Intelligence) as well as improved accuracy through the processing of data based on iterative Machine Learning. Other advantages of the present invention include improved human (driver) security analysis through the combination of their online data and physical movements and social connections to known criminals, done through the use of statistical algorithms and Machine Learning techniques, and/or increased transparency and trust through the use of block chain based software patterns for storage of critical sensor and analytical data.

It will be understood that various components according to the present invention will be performed largely in software and therefore the present invention extends also to computer programs, on or in a carrier, comprising program instructions for causing a computer to implement the component and its function. The computer program may be in source code format, object code format or a format intermediate source code and object code. The computer program may be stored on or in a carrier, in other words a

- 15computer program product, including any computer readable medium, including but not limited to a floppy disc, a CD, a DVD, a memory stick, a tape, a RAM, a ROM, a PROM, an EPROM or a hardware circuit. In certain circumstances, a transmissible carrier such as a carrier signal when transmitted either wirelessly and/or through wire and/or cable could carry the computer program in which cases the wire and/or cable constitute the carrier.

It will be further understood that the present invention may be performed on two, three or more machines with certain parts of the invention being performed by one machine and other parts of the invention being performed by another device. The devices may be part of a LAN, WLAN or could be connected together over a communications network including but not limited to the internet. Many of the modules could be performed “in the cloud”, meaning that remotely located processing power may be utilised to implement certain modules of the present invention. Accordingly, it will be understood that many of the modules may be located remotely, by which it is meant that the modules could be located either on a separate machine in the same locality or jurisdiction or indeed on a separate machine or machines in one or several remote jurisdictions. The present invention and claims are intended to also cover those instances where the network component and the processing steps are performed across two or more machines or pieces of apparatus located in one or more jurisdictions and those situations where the parts of the system are spread out over one or more jurisdictions.

In this specification the terms “comprise, comprises, comprised and comprising” and the terms “include, includes, included and including” are deemed totally interchangeable and should be given the widest possible interpretation.

The invention is in no way limited to the embodiment hereinbefore described but may be varied in both construction and detail within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

The invention is in no way limited to the embodiment hereinbefore described but may be varied in both construction and detail within the scope of the appended claims.

- 16Claims:

(1) A method of operating a border control system comprising:

placing a monitoring device on a portable container to be monitored, the monitoring device having at least a location sensor to determine the location of the monitoring device and a communications unit for communications with a remote processor;

the location sensor monitoring the location of the container over time;

the communications unit periodically transmitting the location of the container to the remote processor;

the remote processor processing the received location data of the container and calculating a risk score for the container, based, at least in part, on the location data of the container;

displaying, on a user interface of a user computing device operated by a customs official, the risk score for the container; and a customs official determining whether or not to inspect the container based on the risk score of the container.
(2) A method of operating a border control system as claimed in claim 1 in which the method comprises the step of a customs official inputting inspection data relating to the container, transmitting that inspection data to the processor, and the processor thereafter calculating the risk score for the container, based, at least in part, on the inspection data.
(3) A method of operating a border control system as claimed in claim 1 or 2 in which the method comprises the step of the monitoring device capturing one or more of: (i) the motion of the container; (ii) the acceleration of the container; (iii) a pictorial image recording; (iv) a sound recording; (v) the atmospheric conditions outside the container; (vi) the atmospheric conditions internal the container; (vii) presence of a person in the container; (viii) the presence of a specified gas in the container; (ix) the level of the container; and thereafter transmitting the captured data to the processor, and the processor thereafter calculating the risk score for the container, based, at least in part, on the captured data.
(4) A method of operating a border control system as claimed in any preceding claim in which the method comprises the step of the processor calculating the risk score for the container, based, at least in part, on historical data relating to one or more of (i) the container; (ii) the haulier; and (iii) the driver.
(5) A method of operating a border control system as claimed in any preceding claim in which the method comprises the step of alerting a customs official of the impending arrival of a container along with the risk score of the container.
(6) A method of operating a border control system as claimed in any preceding claim in which the method comprises the step of storing in memory the raw data received from the monitoring device.
(7) A method of operating a border control system as claimed in any preceding claim in which the method comprises the step of storing in memory the processed data produced by the processor.
(8) A method of operating a border control system as claimed in any preceding claim in which the data is stored in one of: (i) a block chain ledger; and (ii) a trusted ledger.
(9) A method of operating a border control system as claimed in any preceding claim in which upon an interruption to the provision of data from the monitoring unit, an alert is transmitted to the customs official.
(10) A method of operating a border control system as claimed in any preceding claim in which each monitoring device is provided with a unique identifier in a machine readable format, and in which the method includes the step of the customs official interrogating the monitoring device and capturing the unique identifier.
(11) A method of operating a border control system as claimed in any preceding claim in which the method comprises the step of refining the risk scoring algorithm with a machine learning technique.
(12) A border control system comprising:

a processor having access to memory;

a monitoring device for placement on a portable container, the monitoring device comprising at least a location sensor to determine the location of the monitoring device over time and a communications unit for transmitting the location of the container to the remote processor;

and in which the processor having a risk assessment program thereon operable to receive data from the monitoring device and calculate a risk score for the container; and at least one user computing device having a user interface, operable by a customs official, the user interface operable to display the risk score of the container to the customs official so that the customs official may decide, based on the risk score, whether or not to inspect the container.
(13) A border control system as claimed in claim 12 in which the user computing device comprises a data entry device for receipt of data from a customs official and a communications unit to transfer the data input by the customs official to the processor for use in the calculation of the risk score for the container.
(14) A border control system as claimed in claim 12 or 13 in which the monitoring device comprises one or more of: (i) a motion sensor; (ii) an acceleration sensor; (iii) a camera; (iv) a sound recorder; (v) an external atmosphere sensor; (vi) an internal atmosphere sensor; (vii) a person detection sensor; (viii) a specified gas sensor; (ix) a level sensor; for subsequent transmission to and use by the processor in calculating the risk score of the container.
(15) A border control system as claimed in claims 12 to 14 in which there is provided, stored in memory, historical data relating to one or more of (i) the container; (ii) the haulier; and (iii) the driver.
(16) A border control system as claimed in claims 12 to 15 in which the memory comprises one of (i) a block chain ledger; and (ii) a trusted ledger.
(17) A border control system as claimed in claim 12 to 16 in which each monitoring device is provided with a unique identifier in a machine readable format.