MXPA06012818A - Marine asset security and tracking (mast) system. - Google Patents

Abstract

Methods and apparatus are described for marine asset security and tracking (MAST). A method includes transmitting identification data, location data and environmental state sensor data from a radio frequency tag. An apparatus includes a radio frequency tag that transmits identification data, location data and environmental state sensor data. Another method includes transmitting identification data and location data from a radio frequency tag using hybrid spread-spectrum modulation. Another apparatus includes a radio frequency tag that transmits both identification data and location data using hybrid spread-spectrum modulation.

Description

SECURITY SYSTEM AND MONEY ASSET TRACKING (MAST) FIELD OF THE INVENTION One embodiment of the invention generally relates to the field of security and tracking. More particularly, one embodiment of the invention relates to security and tracking of marine assets (MAST). BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The freight transport infrastructure that goes over the ocean worldwide, known as the Marine Transportation (MTS), is under stress on several fronts that include: terrorism, outdated technology, environmental restrictions, on-time manufacturing practices, overlapping state / federal / local jurisdictions, and the lack of a basic technological infrastructure. Terrorist attacks can probably focus on economic terrorism to affect changes in the modern world. One need only seeks to open the movement of containerized cargo to find simple, effective, and efficient means of large-scale economic damage (RFID Journal, 2003). The destruction or obstruction of the flow in some key ports could damage our economy and hinder the nation in a matter of weeks (Flynn, 2003). Consequently, there is a need to develop and deploy tracking and monitoring technologies at the container level to help REF.177313 ensure the global supply chain and critical port facilities that serve the economic well-being of our nation and other nations (Gills and McHugh, 2002, Bonner, 2002, Verton, 2002). A port is an assembly of many facilities, entities and functions that include: federal shareholders (for example, US Customs, Coast Guard, DOD, TSA, FNI, etc.), shareholders of the state government (for example, the Port Authority, State Law Enforcement, Emergency Preparedness, etc.), and local shareholders (for example, compliance with local laws, local fire department, port security, and commercial terminal operators, and work unions, etc.). The development of additional facilities for the network of critical components and operations in each port to provide a security / administration to the port, and security / tracking / administration of the shipment / cargo will help in an efficient and safe use of each port. Finally, these local port facilities should be linked to a regional center and / or national center with potential for international expansion. Consequently, there is a need to adopt technologies, such as geographic information systems (GIS), global satellite communications, the Internet, and the monitoring / tracking / security infrastructure and for the management / assurance of the chain of modern supply preferably with an architecture of open systems to allow multiple public and private entities to participate. Shipment through the marine transport system (MTS) totaled $ 480 billion in cargoes and contributed $ 750 billion to the gross national product in the United States in the calendar year of 1999, and the current volume of domestic maritime shipments is expected to be the double (USDOT, 1999) for the next 20 years. International maritime shipping is expected to triple during the same period of time (Prince, 2001). Many port facilities are under economic strain from the aforementioned various fronts, including outdated technology, environmental restrictions, on-time manufacturing practices, overlapping federal / state / local jurisdictions, and the lack of basic technological infrastructure to orchestrate a safe and efficient container management system. In addition, ground competition and environmental regulations will restrict expansion. geographical area of most port facilities. The information systems that have the task of handling the containers are still heavily dependent on the input of manual data. Consequently, there is a need for automated technology solutions to increase efficiency and security in port facilities (Gills and McHugh, 2002; Verton, 2002; Gills, 2002). In addition to concerns about the economic inefficiencies of MTS, the MTS currently has an unprecedented emphasis on the security of its homeland. In 2001, 5.7 million containers entered the United States through the MTS (Gills and McHugh, 2002). US Customs inspects less than 2% of these containers manually, based on intelligence to "profile" the containers. The US Coast Guard and Customs do not have the personnel or resources to manually investigate every container entering the United States, and in doing so could lead the supply chain to a catastrophic stoppage (Loy, 2002). The intelligent profile of cargo and containers is critical to secure the global supply chain and enable legitimate trade. Tracking and monitoring could provide better data from which smart profiles are built. Therefore, there is a need to invest in appropriate tracking and monitoring technology as the key to increasing safety and economic efficiency (Flynn, 2003). A key concern with the transport of cargoes in containers is the relative ease with which the thermonuclear device or radioactive material for a "dirty bomb" could be introduced illegally in the target country in a shipping container. A specific significant problem for the security of the homeland is the potential shipment of radioactive material for a "dirty bomb" to enter the United States in a shipping container. The standard marine shipping container has become the dominant method for importing and exporting goods around the world. The number of containers arriving and departing from the ports of the United States each day is so great that only an extremely small fraction is inspected. Since only a small fraction of the containers can be inspected, some method must be used to "mark" containers for inspection. The location sensor portals through which each container must pass in each port facility are considered unrealistic. Such a bottleneck could cost the United States economy billions of dollars each day. The use of a radiation sensor in, on or near the cargo container to look for high levels of radiation could be a method to mark containers. However, there are problems with the existing radiation sensors that have been proposed for shipping containers. First, existing radiation sensors must use energy during the time of dose integration (active sensitization). The existing active radiation sensors must either use times of very short integration, in this way reducing the sensitivity, or must use all their available battery power before the end of the service life of the container. The replacement of the batteries requires maintenance personnel time, the coordination between the maintenance schedule and the physical location of the container, and logistical support. There is a need for radiation sensors with a much longer service life unattended. Secondly, the existing active radiation sensors do not make the dose integration data available for a safe and uninterrupted monitor of each container. The reading of the dose integration data requires that the individual sensors be removed and read, or at least individually read, leading to the same problems of costly maintenance staff time, the coordination between the data collection schedule and the physical location of the container and logistic support. There is a need for radiation sensors to make the dose integration data automatically and remotely available for the profile and intelligent analysis. Third, the existing active radiation sensors are prone to false alarms. The existing active radiation sensors can not discriminate between different types of radiation that lead to false alarms substance used for medical diagnoses and even for benign loads such as bananas that naturally contain concentrations of radiation substances by ionization (eg, potassium). There is a need for more sophisticated and discriminating radiation sensors. Therefore, the requirements of tracking and monitoring at the container level have not been achieved by long-term sensors, making the critical data automatically and remotely available for the profile and intelligent analysis and the reduction of false alarms. What is needed is a global container security and asset tracking system (shipping and loading) that satisfies (preferably simultaneously all of these) these requirements. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION There is a need for the following embodiments of the invention. Of course, the invention is not limited to these modalities. According to one embodiment of the invention, a method comprises: transmitting identification data, location data, and environmental state sensor data from a radio frequency tag. According to another embodiment of the invention, an apparatus comprises: a radio frequency label that transmits the identification data, the location data, and the environmental state sensor data. According to another embodiment of the invention, a The method comprises transmitting the identification data and the location data from a radiofrequency tag using the hybrid broad-spectrum modulation. According to another embodiment of the invention, an apparatus comprises a radio frequency tag that transmits both identification data and location data using hybrid broad-spectrum modulation. According to another embodiment of the invention, a method comprises grouping in situ a group of passive integration ionization radiation sensors that include the reading of the dosimetric data from a first passive integration ionization radiation sensor and a second passive integration sensor. passive integration ionization radiation, where the first passive integration ionization radiation sensor and the second passive integration ionization radiation sensor remain located where the dosimetric data were integrated while reading. According to another embodiment of the invention, an apparatus comprises a first passive integration ionization radiation sensor; a second passive integration ionization radiation sensor coupled to the first passive integration ionization radiation sensor; and a communications circuit coupled to the first passive integration ionization radiation sensor and the second passive integration ionization radiation sensor, wherein the The first passive integration ionization radiation sensor and the second passive integration ionization radiation sensor read the dosimetric data for the communication circuit. According to another embodiment of the invention, a method comprises arranging a plurality of ionization radiation sensors in a spatially dispersed array; determining a relative position of each of the plurality of sensors to define a volume of interest; collecting the radiation data by ionization of at least a subset of the radiation sensors by ionization; and activating an alarm condition when a dose level of a ionization radiation source is calculated to exceed a threshold. According to another embodiment of the invention, an apparatus comprises a plurality of ionization radiation sensors organized in a spatially dispersed array wherein a relative position of each of the array of the plurality of sensors is determined to define a volume of interest; a data collection circuit coupled to the plurality of ionization radiation sensors for collecting the radiation data by ionization from at least a subset of the ionization radiation sensors; and a computer coupled to the data collection circuit to i) calculate a dose level of a radiation source by ionization and compare the dose level with a threshold and ii) activate an alarm when the dose level is equal to or greater than that threshold. These and other embodiments of the invention will be better appreciated and understood when considered in conjunction with the following description and the accompanying drawings. It should be understood, however, that the following description, while indicating various embodiments of the invention and numerous specific details thereof, is given by way of illustration and not limitation. Many substitutions, modifications, additions and / or rearrangements may be made within the scope of one embodiment of the invention without departing from the spirit thereof, and embodiments of the invention include all such substitutions, modifications, additions and / or rearrangements. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES The appended figures and which form part of this specification are included to describe certain embodiments of the invention. A clear conception of the embodiments of the invention, and of the combinable components, and the operation of the systems provided with the embodiments of the invention, will be more readily evident, by reference to the illustrative, and therefore non-limiting, modes illustrated. in the figures. The embodiments of the invention will be understood as minor by reference to one or more of these drawings in combination with the description presented. here. It should be noted that the features illustrated in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. Figure 1 illustrates a schematic perspective overall view of a marine asset tracking and security system (MAST), which represents one embodiment of the invention. Figure 2 illustrates a schematic view of a radiofrequency RF data link operation to use both on-board and terminal shipments with radio frequency identification (RFID) tags capable of communicating with both shore-based and base-based receivers on the boat, simultaneously, representing one embodiment of the invention. Figure 3 illustrates a schematic view of the communications between the RFID tags and a network operations center (NOC) through a site server on the ground or aboard the ship when the tags use RF for local area communications (for example). example, for operations on board the ship and terminals), which represents an embodiment of the invention. Figure 4 illustrates a schematic view of bidirectional communications between the RFID tags and a network operations center (NOC), when cellular or satellite communications are used during transport on the road or on rails, which represents a modality of the invention.

Figure 5 illustrates a schematic block diagram of the functional components comprising an RFID tag, which represents an embodiment of the invention. Figure 6 illustrates a schematic perspective view of readers and RFID tags in the context of a stacked array of containers, which represents one embodiment of the invention. Figure 7 illustrates a flow chart of an RFID tag start sequence that includes a node discovery sequence mode that can be implemented through a computer program, which represents one embodiment of the invention. Figure 8 illustrates a flow chart of an RFID tag start sequence mode that can be implemented through a computer program, which represents one embodiment of the invention. Figure 9 illustrates a schematic top plan view of a group of slightly stacked containers (nominally 40 units) on the deck of a ship or within a terminal yard, with a single RF emitter (described as radiation point) mounted near the center of the top of its host container; the arrows denote the RF energy that leaks from the ends of the container in adjacent corridors and then reflects along the corridors; and the potential RF reception locations are denote through points located at the ends of the corridors, which represents a modality of the invention. Figure 10 illustrates a schematic block diagram of a group of in situ sensors, each sensor having a different filter, representing one embodiment of the invention. Figure 11 illustrates a schematic structural diagram of an on-site grouped sensor with integrated temperature compensation, which represents one embodiment of the invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The embodiments of the invention and the various advantageous features and details are therefore explained more fully with reference to the non-limiting embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings and detailed in the following description. Descriptions of the well-known starting materials, processing techniques, components and equipment are omitted so as not to unnecessarily obscure the embodiments of the invention in detail. It should be understood, however, that the detailed description and specific examples, as they indicate preferred embodiments of the invention, will be by way of illustration only and not by way of limitation. Various substitutions, modifications, additions and / or rearrangements within the spirit and scope of the concept of the invention underlying will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this description. The patents of E.U.A. previously referenced, the published PCT Requests designating the described modalities of E.U.A. and the patent applications of E.U.A. they are useful for the purpose for which they are intended. The full contents of the US patents Nos. 6,603,818; 6,606,350; 6,625,229; 6,621,878; 6,556,942 are expressly incorporated by reference herein for all purposes. The total content of the published PCT application Nos. WO 02/27992; WO 02/19550; WO 02/19293; and WO 02/23754 are incorporated herein by reference for all purposes. The total content of the documents of E.U.A. Series Nos. 09 / 671,636 filed on September 27, 2000; 09 / 653,788 filed the lo. September 2000; 09 / 942,308 filed on August 29, 2001; 09 / 660,743 filed on September 13, 2000; 10 / 726,446 filed on December 3, 2003; 10 / 726,475 filed on December 3, 2003; and 10 / 817,759 filed on December 31, 2003 are expressly incorporated by reference and for all purposes. The description of the content of the application herein is also contained in the document of E.U.A. co-pending Series No. (Attorney's Record No. UBAT1570), filed on May 6, 2004, now pending, the total content of which is expressly incorporated by reference for all purposes One embodiment of the invention may include a method and / or apparatus for monitoring the status of and tracking the location of shipping containers on board a ship, at the boarding terminal, and during transportation on the road (truck and rail) ). In this way, the invention can include a truthful "inter-modal" tracking and monitoring system. This method and / or apparatus can use hybrid broad-spectrum communications (HSS) for the solid bidirectional transmission of data to and from the container on board the ship and at the boarding terminal. The phrase "broad-spectrum hybrid" (HSS) as used herein is defined as a combination of broad-spectrum direct sequence (DSSS), for example, multiple access code division (CDMA), and at least one frequency hopping , time hop, time division multiple access (TDMA), orthogonal frequency division multiplex OFDM and / or spatial division multiple access (SDMA), for example as described in published PCT application No. WO 02/27992 and / or the US document Series No. 10 / 817,759 filed on December 31, 2003. Fast HSS is a particularly preferred embodiment where expansion and jumping occurs during a bit time (ie, each bit is broadcast and skipped individually). The invention may use cellular and / or satellite data transmissions for communications during transport over the highway. Sensors can be included in this system to monitor the condition of the container's cargo and condition. The location of the container can be determined using the global positioning system (GPS) during transport on the road, and through the use of more localized radiolocation techniques using HSS communication RF signals. The location and status of a container can be based on the national operations center, which combines this data with the cargo manifest in a geographic information system database to monitor, track, manage, and display the information of the container. One embodiment of the invention may include a marine asset tracking and security (MAST) system that links a large-scale, robust RFID technology to a GIS-based tracking infrastructure through a global satellite communications network to create a reliable global asset management system and tracking / visibility of the load using open system architectures. The MAST system aims to provide real-time tracking of the container and cargo in ship / road / rail in the context of an open system architecture for the needs of port and supply chain security. This tracking technology will create a number of business opportunities, which include Homeland security, supply chain management, port automation, insurance applications, and port recovery / salvage of lost and irregular cargoes in the commercial market to found the expansion and adoption of the system. The system effort MAST will also facilitate the development of new "best management" standards and practices to track and monitor the safety of cargo and containerized assets. The invention can also be designed to provide tracking of assets, container, and cargo in real time for the security / administration needs of the port, and increase the security of life and property through intermodal transport networks. The ability to globally track containers in real time with internal condition monitoring is essential to secure the supply chain and port system. The preferred HSS, low bidirectional power wireless communications will work well in the context of ship and / or terminal communication distances (eg in the 300-500 meter range) at an energy of approximately 10 mW. RF propagation problems in and around closely stacked steel shipping containers dictate the use of extremely robust data communication techniques (eg, wide modulation). advanced spectrum and diverse reception systems) to successfully transmit telemetry signals from the RF labels of the individual container to the ship's receivers (readers). The purpose of highly accurate radiolocation of these containers in large, carefully compacted piles, especially down in the ship's warehouses, will continue to be elusive unless numerous receivers (readers) are distributed throughout the yard facilities and on the decks and reservoirs of each ship. If some loss in the resolution of the position in normal operation can be tolerated, then in most cases the use of RF container labels carefully manufactured by engineering and infrastructure components, customized in their development for the specific environment (ie, yard or boat), could provide effective telemetry of the container ID and status data (eg, door security, temperature) and reasonably accurate container location information (ie, within a position of the pile) in a vast majority of specific environmental cases. A preferred MAST system implementation can use the ISM band 2450-2483.5 MHz to comply with international regulations, particularly for ships that are being loaded at foreign ports. In addition, the foreign port facilities eventually undoubtedly they will use some kind of RF telemetry to track the containers. If the MAST system protocol conforms to the international assignment in the 2.45-GHz ISM band, it can be adopted globally for the tracking of shipping containers, first in ports and eventually in other veins such as railways, airplanes and trucks. For the warning signals of the narrow band system, the headlights, and the like, other ISM band possibilities include the 13.56 and 433-MHz slots; 868-MHz (European) and 915-MHz (North America) that provides in some way more amplitude for the use of higher speeds and broad spectrum. The data protocol of a commercial embodiment of the invention is probably a hybrid broad-spectrum or direct-sequence signal with equally wide bandwidths (> 1 MHz), long code lengths (eg,> 63) for a better procedure gain and blocking resistance, and controlled time channeling for lower collision statistics. To deploy the MAST system in a marine environment (yard / boat), several areas of functionality must be combined in one system. The first functional group covers the basic architecture for a system based on the sea, which includes (1) communication links; (2) antennas; (3) electronic; (4) container unit energy sources; (5) the system interface from ship to coast; for example satellite link; (6) the integration of the container's telemetry system; (7) detection of container location [GPS, optimally enhanced by local RF triangulation]; (8) sensors; (9) central monitoring units of the system; and (10) container database interfaces; the second functional group includes the container / yard system of the port, which is mostly equal in function to the configuration on board the ship, except that the logic of the additional system is necessary to handle the transfer of the tracking system between the systems of the boat and the patio. 1. Introduction. Referring to Figure 1, one or more radio frequency identification tags 101 coupled to containers 105 are in bidirectional radio communication with a reader 107 on a ship 110. Ship 110 also includes a site server (not shown in the Figure). 1) but is in bidirectional radiofrequency communication with a lower orbital satellite of the earth.120. The satellite of the lower orbit of the earth 120 is a bidirectional radio frequency communication with a station on the ground 125. Simultaneously, another radio frequency identification tag 102 and an intermodal container 106 (carried by the truck chassis) are also in touch with him lower orbital satellite of the earth. It is important to note that the radio frequency identification tag 102 can also be (alternately and / or simultaneously) in communication with a tower of cells 130. Since the radio frequency identification tag 102 is described as being in direct communication with the orbital satellite below the ground 120 and / or cell tower 130, it is important to note that the radio frequency identification tag 102 could be based through a reader and / or a site server located in the chassis of the truck. A network operation center 140 is in bidirectional communication with both the ground station 125 and the cell tower 130. The network operation center (NOC) in turn downloads the data to a plurality of receivers that include in This modality is Customs, the Department of Defense, the National Transportation Security Commission, the Department of Homeland Security, the United States Coast Guard, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and commercial shareholders. The security and tracking system of marine assets (MAST), illustrated in Figure 1, is a communications system based on wireless (RF) and sensitivity / telemetry to track and monitor shipping containers of 6.096 m and 12.19 m standards of the maritime industry, both during loading operations , unloading, and transfer in the dock facilities on the port side, as well as on board the ships during the transport of the containers on the sea. This system can provide a truthful inter-modal tracking and monitoring system capable of operating on ships, railroads, airplanes, trucks on the road and within the associated terminal facilities, using both the local terminal communication system and the commercial communication system wide area, including satellite and / or cellular / PCS. This RFID tagging system can include RFID tags attached to each shipping container, local site readers located along the ship and at the boarding terminal, a central site server on each ship or at each terminal, and a hub network operations (NOC) where all data can be collected, consolidated, stored, analyzed, and disseminated. The shipping containers can be either refrigerated cargo shipping containers (refrigerated ships) or dry cargo shipping containers (dry boxes). In addition to identifying and tracking the location of containers or other equipment organized with one of the RFID tags, each tag can be equipped with a sensor interface (for example, IEEE 1451) and extra optional serial interfaces to allow the connection of a wide scale of sensors with the RFID tag to monitor the condition of the cargo container or other marked equipment. Sensors that can be connected to the RFID tag include (but are not limited to) temperature, pressure, relative humidity, accelerometer, radiation, and GPS (global positioning system). Additional sensors may be included for monitoring the condition of the machinery, such as refrigeration compressors, or for reading from the diagnostic data port in some of the refrigerated cargo containers. The MAST system has three main operational modes: the first is when the RFID tag is on a ship, the second is when the RFID tag is on a terminal; and the third is when the RFID tag is being transported over the race or rail (this includes all the times when the RFID tag is not on a ship or a terminal). A terminal can be considered any local area that serves through the RF communications system. The RFID dialing system may include: a) the network operations center (NOC), which may include the status and data on all RFID tags and their associated freight containers (or other assets) and provide this information to the users; b) local site servers (one per ship or terminal), which can handle local area communications (ie each ship or terminal) and regulate the RFID tag data to a central system server; c) RFID tag readers, which can receive the communication from RFID tags in the local area, and regulate them at the local site receiver; and d) RFID tags. Referring to Figure 2, the flexibility of communications on the shore and / or ship of the invention is described. A first identification radiofrequency tag 201, coupled to the first container 211, is communicatively coupled to the multiple radio frequency identification tag readers 221, 222, 223, 224 located on the ship 230. The multiple radio frequency identification tag readers 221, 222, 223, 224 are communicatively coupled to a site server 235 on ship 230. Site server 235 is communicatively coupled to a satellite (not shown in Figure 2) but is in turn communicatively coupled to the center of network operations. A second radio frequency identification tag 202 coupled to a second container 212 that is communicatively coupled to the multiple radio frequency identification tag readers 221, 222, 223, 224, and also simultaneously communicatively coupled with multiple tag identification readers. radiofrequency of site 241, 242 located in the luminous poles or towers in or around a terminal. The multi-site radio frequency identification tag readers 241, 242 are communicatively coupled with a site server 250 associated with the terminal. The site server 250 is communicatively coupled to the network operations center via a satellite data link or other communication circuit (e.g., a wired Internet connection). A third radio frequency identification tag 203, coupled to a third container 213, is communicatively coupled to multiple site radio frequency identification tag readers 241, 242. It is important to note that the third radio frequency identification tag 203 is not described as in communication with the multiple radio frequency identification tag readers 221, 222, 223, 224, but it could be, if its third container 213 was physically moved closer to the ship 230. Still referring to Figure 2, the RFID tags of Communications on board the ship or terminals, can use RF communications to communicate with RFID tag readers. Preferred RF communications are a hybrid broadband (HSS) data link operating in a 2.45 GHz band. The radiolocation or triangulation of the RF signal of each tag can be used to determine the location of each RFID tag. With reference to Figure 3, a network operations center 310 is bidirectionally coupled to a site server on the 320 ground side through an Ethernet or satellite data link. Simultaneously, the network operations center 310 is bidirectionally connected to a site server on board ship 330 via a satellite data link. The on-site on-site server 320 is bi-directionally coupled to a first radio frequency identification tag reader 340, a second radio frequency identification tag reader 350 and a third radio frequency identification tag reader 360. It is important to note that in this mode the coupling of communications between the site server 320 and the three tag readers 340, 350, 360, can be any one or more of wireless radio frequency, power line, Ethernet, or optical data link. A plurality of radio frequency identification tags located in the terminal 345 is bidirectionally coupled in communication form to at least one of the three tag readers 340, 350, 360. The shipboard site server 330 is communicatively coupled in bidirectional way to a fourth radio frequency identification tag reader 370, a fifth radio frequency identification tag reader 380, and a sixth radio frequency identification tag reader 390. It is important to note that the shipboard site server 330 is coupled with the three tag readers 370, 380, 390 via one or more power line, wireless radio or Ethernet data link. A plurality of radio frequency identification tags located on ship 375 is in bidirectional communication with at least one of the three tag readers 370, 380, 390. As shown in Figure 3, RFID tag communications can be collected through the RFID tag readers and transmitted to the local site server, through one or more of several possible methods: a) an RF data link; b) Ethernet; c) a power line data link; d) optical; and / or e) other (s). Once the data is transmitted to the local site server, the data can be uploaded to the NOC either through a satellite-based data link, or other provider link to provide Internet service (eg, Ethernet) . Local site servers can also generate reports for use by local personnel, such as engineers on ships. Once the data is uploaded to the NOC, the NOC can re-communicate the label instructions, verifications and / or queries. The data of any specific container can be made available to any user in a worldwide network with access to the Internet, and the appropriate security validation. With reference to Figure 4, a center of network operations 410 is coupled with a first cellular or satellite system 420, a second cellular or satellite system 430 and a third satellite or cellular system 440. The bidirectional communication links between the network operations center 410 and the systems 420, 430, 440 can be through a telephone line or a base station connection. Each of these three systems 420, 430, 440 is associated with a subset of a plurality of radio frequency identification tags outside the local area area 450 (RF coverage). The coupling of bidirectional communications between the three systems 420, 430, 440 with their respective subgroup of RFID tags outside the local area area 450 may be via a cellular or satellite data link. For communications on the road and rail, as illustrated in Figure 4, RFID tags can communicate with the NOC through cellular or satellite data links. Direct satellite communications are the preferred method, since cell phones will not provide worldwide coverage. The satellite or cellular system can transmit the data from the RFID tag to the NOC through a base station (satellite) connected to the NOC or through a modem bank (cell) connected to the NOC. The operation on the road can include all operations when the RFID tag is not on board a ship or in a terminal (any local area that is served by the RF communications system). A GPS receiver on each tag can be used during transport on the road to track movement, and the location of the container. It is preferred that the containers are not stacked during the operation on the road. If a marked container is stacked with another container on it, as is possible on some rail cars, the data links of the satellite or cellular modem and the GPS system may not work. This is possible for other containers marked on top of a stack to act as a repeater or transmitter (extender) for the first container. In more detail, the first container can use RF HSS communications when its other methods fail. The second container can receive these communications with its HSS RF receiver and then transmit them to the NOC using its satellite or cellular MODEM data link. 2. Description of the RFID Tag Each RFID tag can include four main functional blocks; (1) a microprocessor control subsystem; (2) a sensor subsystem; (3) a communications subsystem; and (4) a power supply subsystem. Figure 5 shows a block diagram of an RFID tag. Referring to Figure 5, a label of radio frequency identification 500 includes a microprocessor control subsystem 510, a power supply subsystem 520, a sensor subsystem 530 and its communications subsystem 540. The microprocessor control subsystem 510 includes an input / output interface circuit 511. A microprocessor circuit 512 is coupled to the input / output interface circuit 511. A non-volatile memory circuit 513 is coupled to the microprocessor circuit 512. A random access memory circuit 514 is also coupled to the microprocessor circuit 512. The microprocessor circuit 512 is coupled to the power supply subsystem 520 through a power line 515. The power supply subsystem 520 includes a circuit of the power management module 521. An AC to DC power circuit 522 is coupled to the power management module 521. A 523 battery (for example, lithium ion) is coupled to the power management module 521. An alternative power source 524 is coupled to the power management module 521. The power supply subsystem 520 provides power to the sensor subsystem 530 through a group of power lines 525 The power supply subsystem 520 provides power to the communications subsystem 540 through a group of power lines 526.

The sensor subsystem 530 includes a serial interface 531 coupled to the input / output interface circuit 511 of the control subsystem of the microprocessor 510 via line 532. A temperature sensor 533 is coupled to the serial interface 531. A sensor of relative humidity 534 is coupled to serial interface 531. A half-open door sensor 535 is coupled to serial interface 531. Other sensors 536 (eg, ionization radiation sensors) are coupled to serial interface 531. The sensor subsystem 530 includes a GPS module 537 coupled to the input / output interface circuit 511 of the control subsystem of the microprocessor 510. The sensor subsystem 530 includes a reference unit data port 538 coupled to the input / output interface circuit 511 of the subsystem of control of the microprocessor 510 through an interface converter circuit 539. The communication subsystem 540 includes a circuit of local / serial communication 541, a cellular modem module 542, a hybrid broad-spectrum radio frequency module 543 and a satellite module 544, all of which are coupled to the input / output interface circuit 511 of the microprocessor control subsystem 510 a through line 545. One or more antennas 546 are coupled to the cellular modem module 542, the hybrid broad-spectrum module or radio 543 and / or satellite module 544.

Microprocessor Control Subsystem: The microprocessor control subsystem can operate as the controller for the RFID tag. It can be interconnected with the communication modules, with the sensor modules, and with the power modules. The microprocessor can use both nonvolatile and volatile memory to store system software, system commands, and sensor data. Sensor Subsystem: The sensor subsystem can use the protocols in accordance with IEEE 1451 to communicate with one or more sensor modules. This allows the future addition of any sensor while complying with the 1451 protocol. Some of the basic sensors, such as GPS and the ship's data port reader, can use serial communications ports in the processor. The types of sensor that can be part of the RFID tag "can include temperature, relative humidity, radiation, biological, chemical, accelerometer, door switch, intrusion, etc. Communications subsystem: The communications subsystem can allow multiple different types of communication links to be incorporated into the label platform, these can be connected through, for example, a serial port or an Ethernet port.The basic communication modes can be follow: RF Communications - RF communications can take the form of any number of available wireless communications protocols. However, the preferred method is a hybrid broad-spectrum protocol. This protocol provides high reliability, low power, and more robust communications than other wireless techniques. RF communications can be planned for use mainly when the tags are located on a ship or in a terminal (local area communications). Cellular Communications / PCS - standard commercial cellular analog or digital modems, such as CDMA or GSM, can be used through the label during road communications (truck or rail transport). However, there is no standard cellular infrastructure installed in the world. Accordingly, each label could require several different protocols to be able to operate in more than just a limited commercial area. In addition, labels will likely travel through areas that do not have cellular coverage. Satellite Communications - use a communications network based on a satellite to provide a communications link on the road that can work anywhere in the world. This provides a simpler, more robust, and more secure communications system like a alternative to, or in addition to the cellular system. A preferred mode may use a Lower Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite network system. Local Communications - each tag can have a serial port used for development, troubleshooting, and / or initial configuration. The serial port can take the form of, for example RS232, USB or IrDA (infrared). Energy Supply Subsystem: The energy supply subsystem can provide power to all other subsystems. The sources of energy that can be used include battery, AC power (for example, from a cooling power supply in reefer vessels and other search and / or power generation devices such as a photoelectric vibration transducer, an electrostatic charger , a radiofrequency energy rectifier, a thermoelectric generator and / or radioisotope energy weakening recovery device.For the RFID tags located in the different assets of the containers, the DC power of the electrical systems of the The power supply subsystem can convert the voltage from the power source to the voltage required for each subsystem, or it can perform the power management functions to monitor the condition of the battery and the availability of the power source.

Energy . 3. RFID Tag Reader RFID tag readers transmit RFID tag communications to (and from) the site's server. RFID tag readers can be similar to RFID tags, but with different communication modules, and optionally without sensors. RFID tag readers can communicate with RFID tags through a local RF communications module (preferably using the HSS protocol). RFID tag readers can communicate with site servers through one of several possible techniques: wireless RF communications (preferably HSS communications at a different frequency than RFID tag communications, such as 5.8 GHz) , wired communications (such power line, Ethernet, or serial communications), and / or optical communications (such as through fiber optic or line of sight laser communications). Referring to Figure 6, a plurality of inter-modal shipping containers 610 are stacked in an array of two rows high. Each of the inter-modal shipping containers 610 includes a radiofrequency identification tag 620. A plurality of tag readers 630 are located at the ends of the open aisles defined by the array of two stacks of high. Another optional feature of the MAST system is the use of "handheld (portable) readers" to read the RFID tag data and the manifest of the load directly from the container. The portable reader can be used by the Customs, the Coast Guard, the Embarcadores, and other certified groups to evaluate the content of a container and its loading status (sensor data, movement history, etc.). The portable reader can be located and then operated near the container. The appropriate identification code (or perhaps the bar code) can be entered into the portable reader, and after the RF communications used for the portable reader communicate it to the RFID tag. RF communications can preferably use the HSS communications used by the local terminal and ship communications. The RFID tag could then download the container manifest from the portable reader (from the manifest stored in the RFID tag or download it from NOC through a request for an uplink of the RFID tag) and a record of the sensor's travel (from the) sensor (s) of the container. This trip record could contain the historical reports of all the sensors, any sensor alarms (including intrusions in the container, temperature excursions, etc.), and a history of the specific geographic route of the container . Portable readers can also be used to upload the manifest of the container's load (this could also be done through the use of the portal). As the container is loaded, bar codes or other types of packaging-type RFID tags can be read on a portable reader. From the reader (or another type of RFID reader), the identifiers of the load can be loaded into the container manifest of the container's RFID tag and then uploaded to NOC: An alternative method could be to use an IrDA data port ( infrared) in the container. The portable reader could then point to the IrDA port and establish communications. The downloaded data would be the same as the previous ones. 4. Site Server Site servers can receive data from RFID tags from RFID tag readers. The site servers can send the data from the RFID tag to the NOC. The site server can also perform the local analysis of the RFID tag data and handle the multi-access aspect of the invention that allows tens of thousands of tags to be in a terminal or on a ship. The site servers can include three main subsystems: (1) a server based on a computer and system controller; (2) a communications subsystem of the RFID tag reader that includes the same communications modules as RFID tag readers to communicate with RFID tag readers [ie, they can have wireless RF communications (preferably HSS communications at a frequency different from RFID tag communications, such as 5.8 GHz), wired communications (such as power line, Ethernet, or serial communications), or optical communications (such as fiber optic or line-of-sight laser communications) ]; and (3) a NOC communications subsystem that can utilize wired, cellular, optical, or satellite communication modules. 5. Network Operations Center The Network Operations Center (NOC) can be the information center for a Maritime Transport Control System around the world. All RFID tag data from all RFID tags located around the world can be transmitted to the NOC through local site servers or through direct cellular or satellite communications. The NOC collects, stores, and disseminates RFID tag data, including location sensor data, and the status of the RFID tag. The invention may include merging technologies into a central operations center architecture that includes: global positioning systems; the tracking system based on radio frequency identification (RFID) for asset and cargo containers; globally available satellite and Internet communication systems commercially available; geographic information systems (GIS) and logistic analysis capabilities in real time; Fault-tolerant systems to provide continuous data flow protected for owners of assets and charges from the private sector, relevant state and federal government entities (Coast Guard, TSA, Customs, NTSB, and DoD, etc.), and shareholders of first local response (law enforcement, fire departments, local government); and existing federal systems and commercial programs for the tracking of assets and cargo. The use of the geographic information system (GIS) in NOC will allow the analysis and presentation of the location of the asset in a variety of formats from a latitude / longitude report based on a simple web browser to city / state / postal code information / country based on a map. This system can provide the ability to monitor and profile assets in real time based on specified criteria including geographic patterns. This method also provides the incorporation of logistic analysis in real time with respect to the movement of assets. The long-term goal of GIS development is to create a information infrastructure capable of analyzing the movement of commodities and assets along the supply chain and intelligently profiling containers that include geographic patterns. The RFID tag data can be integrated into a centralized GIS-based tracking infrastructure through a global satellite communications network to create the MAST system. A preferred embodiment of the MAST system of the invention uses one or more global satellite networks. Satellite networks provide the ability to track and monitor assets globally in real time with the ability to concentrate all information effectively in one place. This provides security benefits, fault tolerance, data backup / maintenance, and maintenance. The NOC can integrate the technology of geographic information systems (GIS), satellite communications, global positioning systems, RFID (electronic stamps, etc.), and the Internet into an open systems architecture to create a tracking management system and assets in real time. The NOC can provide a single location for real-time logistics support for the global management of mobile assets using a web-based tracking system that will allow individuals or organizations to manage assets in real time through of the Internet with strict information protection protocols (for example, registration and / or coding). The information can be distributed to relevant parties through secure transactions on the basis of need for knowledge in this way prevents the use of the system to allocate assets for theft. The NOC may have one or more of the following resulting operational capabilities: 1) tracking the location of the global ship, in real time with a detailed history of the passage; 2) tracking the location of the container and the forgery condition and an internal environment and radiation status; 3) timely warning / threat identification of ship and containers arriving at waters and ports in the United States with an audit test that identifies potential threats, risks, and liabilities; 4) detection and monitoring of suspicious boarding activities (unscheduled port calls, etc.) and long-term pattern identification of the activity at both the vessel and container levels; 5) Safe data for (and / or from) the Department of Defense, the United States Coast Guard, United States Customs, Department of Homeland Security, as well as law enforcement agencies "first responders "premises for homeland security, port security, contraband, and theft concerns; 6) secure data for (and / or from) shippers and ports to plan and handle the arrival and distribution of cargo on a basis as needed; 7) the system to understand the administration of the port, ship, and container and the "fast track" protocols for customs inspection; 8) real-time monitoring capacity for refrigerated, critical and hazardous material loads (HAZMAT); 9) remote control tower (s) for the marine industry to maximize efficiency and the central point of contact for important information (eg, rules, regulations, weather warnings, notices to sailors, etc.); and 10) integrate the supply chain management of warehouses, port, ship, highway, and intermodal railways and security applications on a global scale. 6. Multiple Access The multiple access method described herein enables a multiple access network that can operationally accommodate the organization of 10,000 RFID tags distributed on a terminal or ship located in an environment that can include up to 90,000 RFID tags (potential interference sources). located in / or on terminals under nearby boats. This multiple access design can use one or more of CDMA, FDMA, TDMA and / or SDMA (spatial division multiple access) to achieve these requirements. RFID tags can each report the identification codes electronic, sensor data, and location information to an array of RFID tag readers that form either a perimeter around or a grid along the terminal or ship. The RFID tag reader locations can use the existing infrastructure of lighting towers that are currently in the yards. These RFID tag readers can coordinate tag data and report useful data to the nearby site server. The site server can then transmit the significant events and sensor data to the NOC. Following is a description of the communications of the finish / ship area with a focus on the RFID tag for the reader links of the RFID tag. General strategy The following describes the elements of a preferred global communications strategy. One embodiment of the invention may include a combination of Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), which utilizes both the Wide Sequence Direct Sequence (DSSS) and the Wide Frequency Leap Spectrum (FHSS), the Division Multiple Access Time (TDMA) and a Spatial Division Multiple Access (SDMA) that can be used by the link from the label to the reader. One embodiment of the invention may include a reader-server link using a different frequency band (e.g., 5 GHz). One type of The invention may include bidirectional communications that can enable control of the energy to be used to optimize the CDMA and SDMA methods. One embodiment of the invention may include independent terminals (patio) in close proximity giving distinguishable groups of scattered codes of neighboring neighboring patios. One embodiment of the invention may include an option to subdivide a patio into micro-cells. The following describes the key operating parameters of the preferred global communications strategy described above. A site server can receive the update of 10,000 upcoming tags at least once every 100 seconds with a 99.99% chance of success. The network that includes the site server can have the ability to "ignore" up to 90,000 semi-close tags. The high priority message (s) of the tag (s) can be sent within 1 second of delay. Implementation The following analysis of the implementation includes the following assertions. 1000 bits of each node are used once every 100 seconds. Modulation of the Compensation-Quadrature Phase Exchange Structure (OQPSK) with a bandwidth of 5 MHz and closely constant envelope signals are used. Sixteen or more jumping frequencies. not overlapped with an overlapping fraction administered.

Extension codes of length 63 for the direct sequence were used. Based on the above explicit assertions, the 1000 bit (125 byte) packets will be transmitted once every 100 seconds from each of the 10,000 nodes at a bit rate of 80 kbps with a break length of 63. In this way , the embodiment of the invention has a breaking speed of approximately 2.5 Mbps which translates to a spectrum bandwidth of approximately 5 MHz, with the OQPSK modulation. It is assumed that RFID tag readers will need to communicate with the RFID tag about once every 100 seconds. Consequently, 10,000 RFID tags are translated to an average of 20,000 packets every 100 seconds. These 20,000 packets will be multiplexed into 4,000 time slots (25 ms long) and 32 CDMA users (combination of 63 length codes with 16 jumps, assuming that the maximum concurrent users are approximately the square root of the chip length times the number square root of jumps). Perimeter RFID tag readers can use directional antennas directed between rows of containers for RFID tag communications. Directional antennas operating in a different frequency band (eg, 5 GHz) [or alternatively power line communications] can be used to communications tower to tower / server. Depending on the size of the yard and other environmental parameters, the towers may also be required to provide transferred communications. The main functions of RFID tag readers can be to capture information from all RFID tags and then transmit this information to the site server. These can be coordinated with each other in a way that optimizes the multiple access plane for up to 10K of tags, or can only communicate directly with the site server. For example, if several readers are capturing data from an individual RFID tag, then readers can cooperatively determine the lowest power level at which at least one reader can reliably communicate with the RFID tag. Energy control As mentioned earlier, energy control can be used to optimize network communications. Of course, energy control is desirable to a large extent through the use of DS-CDMA. This multiple access method can include protocols for network discovery, power transfer, and interference mitigation techniques that are all involved in the control of energy transmitted from the RFID tag.

Redundancy of re-transmission The above analysis assumes that the system needs to hear from each RFID tag at a rate of once every 100 seconds and that approximately 1000 messages per bit are sufficient. This includes a conservative estimate for the inter-pack guard time of 100% of the packet length. In the previous example, the packets could be approximately 12.5 ms long and the average guard time could be about 12.5 ms too. This time of guard is very conservative and can probably be reduced up to 90%, thus enabling almost double the production or redundancy. A subsection of guard time will be used for "emergency" events in a CSMA form. In addition, most applications will not require refresh rates of 100 seconds; consequently the successive time slots during the next cycle of 100 seconds, can be used to retransmit bad packets. For example, update rates of once per hour, or every second or even every third hour could be sufficient for most applications. In order to carry out the energy control as discussed above and to carry out the typical duties of channel assignment and network utilization, strict fluid control must be established for the boot sequence of all the nodes. The following description in conjunction with Figures 7-8 (flow charts) presents an example of designing that process. Discovery Procedure As shown in Figure 7, the nodes will start the RF channel of the system control (by default). The nodes will cycle through a small group of "pilot" channels until they establish a link with one of the readers of the RFID tag. This loop is necessarily infinite until, or unless successful communication is established with a reader (or other label if another method of labeling an alternative label is available in a given system). One embodiment of the invention may include staggering the energy up to and / or during this procedure. Referring to Figure 7, a start sequence of the illustrative tag may be initiated with a tag activated in step 710. In step 720, the tag sets a default receiving code. In step 730, the tag listens to the pilot transmission signal from a tower. In step 740, if a signal from the tower is identified, then the label advances to the transmission communications to the network 750. If a tower is not identified, then the label determines whether a period of time spent in step has elapsed. 760. If the period of time spent has not elapsed, then the label continues trying to identify a tower. If the spent time period has elapsed, then the label advances to step 770 which includes the configuration of the frequency codes of the alternative receiver. After configuring an alternative receiver frequency code, the tag then advances to step 730 and again listens to the pilot transmission from a tower. During the discovery process, it may be desirable to minimize the number of labels they transmit in a given time. This can be achieved by having control of the reader node in the discovery procedure. The reader will send an ID request requesting all tags within this scale to transmit in a given order in a given temporary code (see Transmission Order ID of the following Network). Then the reader will initiate the reception and processing of the messages from the labels. After the first cycle of node identification is completed, the reader will send a message to the labels as acceptance receipt and assign both an ID to the network and a time slot assignment for the label. The cycle will be repeated, with the qualification that all labels that have network ID assignments (associated with the reader ID) will not recognize the Request ID message. The invention may include the protocol to resolve conflicts, etc.

Network ID Transmission Order The reader can request that all the tags that are able to decode their ID request (and that have not been previously registered by the reader) transmit a message of 5 ms for 10 ms times after receiving the message. the request where x is the least significant 3 digits in UUID. (For example, a label has a UUID of 12345678 could wait, 6,780 ms before being transmitted to the reader).

In addition, the tag may use the next higher 2 digits (in this example 45) to select a combination of FH and DS codes. In this way, a reader could be able to handle 100,000 labels unambiguously.

Once the RFID tag and the RFID tag reader have established a link, the reader will assign to the RFID tag a combination of code and frequency that makes it part of an optimized network. This procedure is shown in Figure 8.

Referring to Figure 8, after transmission from the communications discovery 810, the tag obtains or adopts a default transmission frequency code in step 820. In step 830, the tag sends the transmission frequency code by default to the tower. In step 840, if the torra recognizes the default transmission frequency code, then the The site server will assign to the tag a code frequency and time slot in step 850. If the tower does not accept it in step 840, then the tag will advance to step 860 where it determines whether an exhausted period of time has elapsed . If the exhausted time period has not elapsed, then the label returns to step 840 and will continue to wait for acceptance of the tower. If the exhausted time period has elapsed in step 860, then the tag will advance to step 870 where it will obtain or adopt an alternative transmission transfer code. Label then moves back to step 830. Package Structure This section focuses on the portions of a package dedicated to securing solid communications such as the coding of preamble and error correction / detection. The payload of the packet can be any sufficient payload (eg, identity, location, dosimetry, etc.). Since the preferred waveform uses frequency hopping as well as the broad direct sequence spectrum, the preamble can have two portions: a 64-bit constant frequency DSSS portion and then a 63-bit hybrid FH / DSSS portion. The receiver correlator can search for the start of the transmitted waveform for the Autocorrelation of the peaks at a known frequency. Once the receiver has derived the location (in time) of the edges of the "bit", it can initiate the jumps of its carrier frequency. The transmitted waveform can initiate the jumps at the beginning of the second portion of the preamble which can act as a word delimiting the data. The receiver can re-establish the synchronization with the jump sequence at the start of this sequence of seconds (63 bits). This allows the receiver to avoid the 5-bit uploads of the sequence and still successfully find the start of the payload of the data. A 32-bit long CRC word will complete the packet and can be used to ensure the payload integrity of the current data.

Broad Spectrum of Direct Sequence The DSSS assignments may be selected from a Kasami code generator that produces approximately 520 codes of length 63. Only about 32 codes may be in use of a given cell, within a given time slot. However, the use of this large group of codes makes code assignment procedures easy to handle.

Wide Spectrum of the Frequency Hopping During any part of the given package, a part of the orthogonal form of the channel can be achieved through frequency hop assignments. Since, the spectrum of the RF tag assumed is about 5 MHz and the industrial, scientific, and medical band (ISM) at 2.45 GHz is 80 MHz, only the center hop frequencies 16 could be used in this example. Since the broad hybrid spectrum is preferred primarily to improve the robustness of individual links exposed to a severe muiti-path environment, it can also advantageously be used to increase the number of concurrent users occupying a time slot. If the time synchronization for this system in a particular implementation is not sufficient to support the high-speed skip scheme, then the broad DSSS spectrum can only be used to distinguish multiple simultaneous users. 7. Observations and Analysis of Marine Systems The size of the ship's terminal installation will strongly affect the configuration of the RF system on the shore side (ie number and distribution of receivers) required to track the containers along the facilities . The poles of light in the terminal are in preferred places for the receivers and transmitters of the installation (transmitter-receivers).

The monitoring receiver (s) of the RF container on board the ship could be placed on the mast at the end of the ship's bow. It is important to note that the Containers are not always stacked at a uniform height on the deck or in a very consistent distribution. The RF propagation inside and outside the tanks (steel hatch) can be essentially zero; therefore, it may be necessary to provide a receiver (s) of the RF system inside the tanks to facilitate the monitoring of the containers there.

In a loaded ship, the containers are usually stacked on the deck aligned with the edges of the hull. The inter-deck and masts can be used to mount the components of the RF infrastructure for the MAST system. The gaps between each row and stack of containers can allow an RF signal of a suitable wavelength to bounce back and forth before finally reaching the edge of the ship. It may be desirable to place a system antenna at each end of this space, along the periphery of the ship, to achieve consistent coverage of all containers on the deck. The containers are typically stacked tightly in the bin. The containers slide down vertically on the retention rails attached to the ship's structure. Metal screens effectively compartmentalize the areas around the edges of the containers, further impeding the RF propagation of the containers inside the deposit. Once the hatch is placed over the tank, a good enough Faraday cage is formed and very little RF can enter or exit. Therefore, it may be necessary to install some RF infrastructure in the reservoir (ie, receivers and associated data links back to the central monitoring station on the ship's bridge) if near-real-time telemetry is required (e.g. , daily) from the containers stacked down in the tanks. The locking mechanism of the container ensures a gap of 5.08 to 7.63 cm. between the upper and lower parts of the stacked containers. The space of approximately 5.08 to 7.63 cm. between the upper and lower parts of the containers should be sufficient to provide an RF path (adequate frequencies) between the containers. The corresponding space between the sides of the containers typically varies from 1.27 cm. To 5.08 cm. , this configuration can create an ohms (dissipated) and / or capacitive connection to radio frequencies between the containers, which in some way can harm the propagation of the signal outside the row.

Referring to Figure 9, a plurality of intermodal shipping containers 910 are arranged in an orthogonal arrangement. A radio frequency identification tag 920 is described on top of one of the inter-modal ship containers 910. A plurality of Readers 930 are located at the ends of the aisles formed by the plurality of multi-modal shipping containers 910.

Figure 9 depicts a plan view of a group of heavily stacked containers (nominally 40 units) as arranged on the deck of the ship or on the ground within a terminal yard. A signal RF emitter (represented by the red dot of radiation in the diagram) can be mounted near the center of the top of a container. Because the container's undercarriages and top rails tend to channel the signal length, most of the RF energy will leak from the two ends of the container in the adjacent aisles in both directions (upwards). and down in the diagram). These signals will bounce between the ends of the containers linking the corridor until they emerge at the edges of the array, suffering moderate losses and a distortion of the significant waveform. Wide-bandwidth-equitable signals (ie, several MHz) with high immunity for distribution and multi-path type distortions will probably be better received. Of course, the invention is not limited to any particular contextual configuration.

The locations of the reception and / or transmission of RF potentials are denoted in Figure 9 through points at the ends of the corridors. Although each point could represent a discrete antenna, a solid, more practical configuration could use short pieces of "coaxial leaking" cables to span the aisles and coaxial sections with low standard losses in between. To better enable this physical protection, the "leaky" cable could be housed inside sections of heavy-walled PVC pipe, which presents relatively low losses of up to a few GHz in frequency. Standard cables could run in the PVC or even metal conduit for better compressive strength, since the conventional coaxial is fully shielded. These reception and / or transmission location systems could be mounted (semi) permanently on the periphery of the ship, or close to deck levels, and perhaps even on handrails or other convenient structures. Typically there is a corridor for personnel between the rows of containers on each side of the cargo depots. It is possible to locate the antennas of the RF system for the telemetry links of the container in appropriate places in the assemblies of the corridors. The precise locations and mode (s), for mounting these antenna components will be highly dependent on the detailed specifications of an individual ship construction. In the case of containers in one of the As the ship's deposits, the leaky coaxial cable could be installed along one side of the wall, in approximately the same vertical plane as the rails guide the container. In both cases, the orientation of the coaxial cable with leakage could be maintained to provide the most efficient transfer of energy with respect to the polarization and orientation of the antennas in the containers. For example, for horizontal container RF launchers, the cable could also run approximately horizontally to maintain relatively low coupling losses at container-to-local receiver RF links (assuming horizontally polarized container antennas).

Other main system design considerations are based on the selection of the appropriate RF operating frequencies. The legal licensing restrictions in favor of the use of bands of assignment of license-free bands such as the scientific, and medical (ISM) bands of 13. 56, 27.55, 433, 902-928, 2450-2483.5 and 5725-5825 MHz and the so-called unlicensed national information infrastructure (U-NII) bands of 5150-5250 and 5250-5350 MHz in the United States and the rest of North America [and / or similar assignments in other parts of the world]. The first three segments are narrow in width (they are well under 1 MHz), while the last five are predicted for several forms of broad spectrum signaling.

Although narrow bands can support very low speed data transmission, their capacity for radiolocation and highly solid links are decidedly limited. On the other hand, high-spectrum bands allow significantly higher RF energy levels and will support much more resistant modulation techniques. In general, the 902-928 MHz band will provide the much wider scale, but the 2450-2483.5 MHz band is essentially universal and can be used (at least in parts) throughout the world. There are several emergency RF standards in the general fields of radiolocation and telemetry. The HSS protocol is already explicitly allowed in the ISM and U-NII bands by means of the rules of the current Federal Communications Commission.

The flexibility in multiband and / or multi-protocol devices for container tracking can also be used by the invention, although the penalty is the cost of the label, the energy efficiency, and the complexity can be equally serious. The invention can utilize highly integrated multiband RF devices (including transmitter and receiver electronics, filter structures, and antennas) that are preferred for worldwide versions of the MAST system concept. An additional consideration is the specific type of RF system architecture required to achieve the desired level of functionality. A bi-directional data-telemetry system will allow a more sophisticated device label feature configuration, including more accurate RF signal energy control; remote reprogrammability; consultations of the individual label (locatable); multi-label transmission capabilities; routing of label data to ad-hoc dynamic label to overcome RF path locks and nodes with low battery conditions; and network tasks, such as operation of security codes, changes / updates of remote software through the network, and node status queries. The global node's energy deficiency and energy utilization is also usually optimal with a bidirectional protocol, resulting in longer possible battery lifetimes and more timely node-alarm reporting and diagnostic capabilities. Of course, the penalty for this type of RFID tag node is the increased complexity and the increase in cost due to the presence of an on-board RF receiver, but the additional acquisition cost will be more than compensated through the life of the increased battery and, consequently, reduced maintenance of interventions by the ship's personnel or other maintenance / service personnel.

In contrast, the basic unidirectional network comprises stand-alone labels that generally operate in a "silly screeching" mode where the tags simply send their burst data out of the receiver (s) of the system infrastructure at predetermined intervals. These intervals in the transmission can be regulated, randomized, randomized by slot, or even altered by the nature of the tag data. For example, a highly preferred modality is an "intelligent" tag that could simply omit the redundant data transmissions, but rather send only new readings, changed. A slight modification to this protocol could involve the direct insertion of a few additional transmissions at a selectable interval to reiterate the true value of the dice (in case a change was inadvertently omitted) and transport some of the basic state information to confirm that the node is still operating properly.

A third type of architecture of the telemetry system could support the strategic mixing (or even fortuitous case) of bidirectional and unidirectional labels as dictated by a particular implementation scenario. This format allows for significant flexibility in the selection of label types, at the same cost in the operation of the global RF system and generally reduced label battery life. Although the descriptions The above are based on single-band network configurations nominally, a more flexible and better operation can be obtained even more in a multiband system, despite a significant cost penalty (mainly in the total price of all tags). In all these cases, the use of the HSS technique allows for advantages in error rates per bit, packet losses, collision speeds, RF energy efficiencies, and apparent interference levels to other RF systems in the facility, particularly those that they share the same general bands. One embodiment of the invention may include mixing bidirectional transmission labels with "silly screener" tags in a system. A refrigerated container ("refrigerated vessel") typically includes a three-phase power cable that is connected to the power supply of the outlet connection above the deck from the ship's electrical distribution system. In general, the application of refrigerated vessel monitoring is particularly important because of the high values of chilled loads (eg, pharmaceuticals, perishable foods, and medical supplies). The current practice is for the ship's personnel to periodically monitor manually and record (ie, with pen and clipboard) a single internal temperature while at sea; any deviations are reported to the personnel of boat engineering. In addition to the internal temperature (perhaps in several places), additional data such as relative humidity, compressor pressures, refrigerant flows, power supply voltage / current and container integrity (door gap) can be acquired through of automatic monitoring and alarm telemetry. This information could add great economic value to one embodiment of the invention by providing timely warnings of refrigeration failures, thereby facilitating quick repairs and avoiding costly deterioration of the load. This telemetry could be handled through RF techniques, as explained above, or through the transport of robust data in the ship's ac power system. Even more advanced methods, such as the electrical signature analysis, can more accurately assess the operating conditions of compressors, fans, pumps, valves, and other loads driven by the motor and solenoids and provide a high level of monitoring capability. Real-time condition for the team aboard the critical ship. 8. Analysis of the Communication Requirements of the RFID Marking System Perhaps the superior technical aspect in the development of a protocol of the marking system based on functional RF is the need for low energy, solid, reliable RF communication links, particularly between sensor / ID tags mounted on the containers and infrastructure of the receiver of the facilities or on board the ship. A telemetry method that uses a hybrid broad-spectrum transmission technique (direct sequence / frequency hopping) to simultaneously improve the performance of the RF tag markedly (re: accuracy of data and location) and reduce the generation of RF interference and the susceptibility with respect to other labels and other installation RF system should preferably be used. As noted above, the phrase "broad-spectrum hybrid" (HSS) as used herein is defined as a combination of direct-sequence broad spectrum (DSSS), e.g., code division multiple access (CDMA), and at least one frequency hopping, time hopping, time division multiple access (TDMA), orthogonal frequency division multiplex OFDM and / or spatial division multiple access (SDMA), for example as described in the published PCT application No. WO 02/27992, and in the US patent series No. 10 / 817,759 filed on December 31, 2003. Another benefit of this technique is in the area of energy utilization, the HSS protocol incorporates characteristic capabilities to facilitate energy savings by limiting the number of RF transmissions from each label and concurrently dynamically minimizes conditions with other labels, thereby reducing the requirements of label data messages (eg, re-transmission (s)) to a minimum (absolute). Another operational aspect of the key system is that of the internal energy management for the label subsystem (ie, logic, RF electrical circuit and sensors).

To maintain useful battery recharge intervals, both the command-reception and data-transmission functions of the RFID tags can be carried out on very low duty cybases, since the power consumption levels of the receiving-system They are usually not much lower than those of the transmitters. In addition, all data for smart tag sensors can be processed to eliminate redundant transmissions at the same time. Finally, low battery warnings can be transmitted as needed (embedded in bursts of tag data) to the receiver (s) of the facility to ensure proper label operability (ie, data access). and the location of the label), preferably at all times. The alternative label energization options may include local passive energization through an interrogator, photoelectric on board, or other energy sources. Some of the system protocols described above assume bidirectional transmission to the container labels, but it is more feasible to consider the "stupid squeaky" tags unidirectional for some of the system implementations that do not require tag interrogation capabilities on demand.

Aspects of system design of the relevant port facility (on the shore side) include the placement of distributed transmitter-receiver / radiolocation units, internal infrastructure signaling options, and the use of RF repeaters to provide RF coverage adequate and consistent spatial throughout the installation. The basic structure can use twisted pair cables, coaxial cables, power line RF transmission techniques, or wireless RF transmitter-receivers to transfer data between the receiver-transmitters of the installation and the central container monitoring and control point . The RF receiver-transmitters in the courtyard will probably be mounted on existing structures, although such configuration will depend greatly on the specific configuration of the terminal. The RF infrastructure aboard the corresponding ship will be much more restricted by the design of the ship and the limited opportunities to optimally seat the RF equipment for better coverage. Many compromises can be incorporated, since the fixed RF equipment may need to be operated from the power of the ship and may have to be mounted at locations far away from the ship. normal shipboard operations and maintenance activities. At this point, it is highly desirable to handle the communication of the RF infrastructure data through the ship's AC power distribution system; in doing so, a physically protected trajectory will be provided and the need to run additional wiring along the ship will be obviated when an embodiment of the system of the invention on the ship is conditioned. 9. Requirements for Container Monitoring and Sensors Tracing the location of the container may require different solutions for transporting the ship against rail and truck transportation. A GPS-based tag, on board the ship, alone may not be viable unless combined with a triangulation function. In more detail, GPS is a line of sight localization system where the receiver must be able to "see" three or more satellite sources. Containers buried in piles on the deck or inside a ship's tank will not be able to obtain the line-of-sight signals required to use the GPS satellite sources; By adding a local GPS repeater on board the boat may not solve this problem either. Even if GPS signals of adequate resistance are received and repeated, the high levels of local RF multi-path reflections in the piles may cause greater uncertainties in the location of truths and convert the generally unacceptable results. In addition, requirements for extremely low label operation energies will almost certainly exclude individual GPS receivers even when adequate satellite reception may be possible. The preferred onboard solution includes the use of a triangulation system. By using the local triangulation system configured for the local on-board environment, you can allow the best possible container location operation. Due to severe multi-trajectory reflections and limited label transmission times (restricted energy), such a system may not be able in all cases to give an exact position of the container, but rather give only an approximate location, probably within of ± 1 container up / down, forward / backward, and port / starboard. In a great majority of cases, this level of accuracy could be quite adequate.

For triangulation on board the ship, multiple receivers may be required. The lack of propagation of the line of sight from a given container to a fixed central receiver will require a group of receivers to locate the position of the container transmission for containers stacked on the deck. In addition, it will be difficult to locate the containers in the tanks other than identify in which deposit they are. Due to the overwhelming multi-path levels and obstructions of the RF signal paths, each deposit could require up to one receiver and one antenna per container, mounted on a bulkhead near the end of each container, to exactly locate the position of the container inside a warehouse. This is probably beyond the acceptable amount for a cost effective solution with current technology. In addition, the incremental value of knowing the exact location of the container in the tank is probably not large, and there is no practical way to access most of the containers once they are stacked inside the warehouse. In any case, the priority of finding a specific container inside a warehouse is certainly lower than that of exactly tracking it through loading and unloading, which has a strong economic effect (due to time) on boarding procedures and transfer of the global load. One solution to this problem is to deploy intelligent antenna structures (ie, multiple bipolar antennas of horizontally polarized wired type, interconnected, mounted on the walls of the tanks, all coupled in common cables with remotely controlled RF PIN diode switches). This configuration could effectively implement an antenna array group of exploration for the deposit, which could identify a container that is being loaded in the deposit, and give its location as it is loaded. The function of locating a specific deposit can be activated through a container tag RF interrogation signal (ie, a burst of RF energy at 13.56 MHz or another convenient frequency) that could be passive or semi-passively perceived by container labels as an "alert" or "wake-up" signal. The containers thus interrogated whose codes match the alert signal (eg, the last few digits of the container's serial ID number) then could each respond in a pseudo-random-timed fashion with a HSS burst signal. The tank reception subsystem could acquire these signals and transmit the results to the system on board the main ship for correlation with the complete serial numbers in the manifest database of the ship's container.

Another key part of the MAST system is to track the location of the containers in the loading dock or container yard. Given the tremendous volume of containers moving in and out of these facilities, a tracking system capable of telling the operator of the facility where a particular container is located could be a significant time saver. Inside the courtyard, you could use a local wide-spectrum RF triangulation system to track the location of the container. The strategic location of four or more receivers around the yard (more for larger facilities) could provide dynamic tracking of the location of the container. The additional reception unit could be located generally at the entrances and exits of the terminal, where its data could be used to record the entrance and exit of the containers of the installation. Communication distances from the typical direct line of sight in open yards could be from approximately 300 meters to approximately 500 meters from the RF transmission energy levels of the 10 mW label, easily extending to approximately 1 Ion for 100 mW labels . The reliability of the radiolocation can be within 1 m for typical (short) average tag reading times. In addition, a higher resolution of the position can be obtained if longer average times are used. A group of radiolocation receivers equipped with adaptive path direction antennas could typically be installed on each loading crane to obtain complete telemetry and location data in each container at short intervals as it is transferred to or from the ship. This group of data will probably be the most reliable verification for the tracking database system that a particular container has currently moved from the patio towards the boat or vice versa. An optional feature that can be incorporated into the container location monitoring software is motion detection, as long as the position of the container changes by more than one incidental amount (ie, greater than the uncertainty specification of the position of the container). system), you can activate a security routine that could then track the movement of the container as its ID is compared against the active shipping manifests. If the container moves at a significant distance (more than normal yard stacking / re-stacking operations could assume) but was not scheduled not to be transferred, the yard staff could automatically be alerted to a lack of potential placement or attempted theft.

In general, tracking the location of the GPS container is theoretically possible for containers with a clear line of sight to GPS satellites; but it may not be practical in the terminal yard, particularly, in piles, for the reasons mentioned above with respect to the containers on board the ship (ie, sufficient line-of-sight reception light). The same logic applies to containers that are being transported by rail or truck.

The invention may also include optional technologies to monitor or perceive the state of charge of the container that includes a wide scale of sensor devices capable of detecting the sabotage of a container load, container temperature, mechanical impact, radiation, clandestine passenger, or chemical / biological agents. Some of these sensors (eg, temperature sensors, door switches, accelerometers, cord type impact sensors) are essentially commercial devices that need only minimal engineering efforts to be incorporated into a container monitoring system. The integrity monitoring of the door could use a sensor to indicate if the doors of the container are open or removed. This sensor could probably be a mechanical or magnetic switch, although other means such as optical, capacitive, or resistance measuring devices could also be used. All these items are commercial and could easily be used at a low cost. Radiation monitoring can be achieved by using a sensor that records the interaction of the radiation with a material, such as a standard thermoluminescent dosimeter (TLD) of the type used by general-purpose dosimetry monitoring. The analysis of the changes induced by radiation in the material for several days could still be detected at very high radiation levels. low. This sensor may not require a continuous battery power, but only battery power that intermittently measures the disturbance in the perception medium. TLDs are commercial items, and reasonably inexpensive automated reader units are commercially available, but application to the container will likely dictate a moderate optimization engineering effort. To provide a continuous perception of radiation in the container, a number of methods are available at a moderate cost, depending on whether the measurement of alpha, beta, gamma, and X rays and / or neutron emissions is desired, and at what levels of sensitivity. For large-scale applications, the invention can include inexpensive multilayer detection materials that can respond to small radiation flows with low-level photocurrents readable through the low-energy CMOS electromechanical circuit (similar to home smoke detectors, not expensive). Radiation monitoring can also be achieved using passive integration ionization radiation sensors described in detail below. An alternative strategy for large-scale, rapid, containerized radiation exploration could probably be better implemented through a sensitive multi-detector configured scanning system mounted on the loading crane or within the facility on the coast. Without However, due to the economic pressure in terms of extreme time in loading / unloading operations, such container scans can be conducted on the fly or even offline before (or just after) the crane transfer operation. to avoid the impact of the production speed of the global container. Monitoring for clandestine passengers inside containers can be achieved with several types of sensors. The invention may include the use of heartbeat detectors, known as the Enclosed Space Detection System. This sensor system, which includes a vibration probe (for example, accelerometer) and detection and recognition electronics, which can periodically record the micro-vibrations in the container and analyze them through small waveform transformation methods for signal identifications of time / frequency characteristics of the heartbeat of humans (or animals). This system is more effective for the monitoring of a single isolated container (for example, inside the dock yard) but could still be adapted for use on the ship. Another potential method to detect illegal passengers or other unauthorized items inserted in the containers could be a device to generate a specific electromagnetic field pulse within the container. Field levels in two or more places later could be detected, collect and send, and register. Periodic forwarding of the electromagnetic field pulse and comparison of new and original responses could reveal any significant changes in field patterns dictated by the distribution of material within the container. This, in turn, could indicate the movement of the material inside the container due to the movement of the load or the presence of human beings (or animals). Although the technology is commercially available, the more conventional (and probably less expensive) methods for this problem include less sensitive stable systems or pulsed ultrasonic systems and / or RF (microwave) similar in function to commercial intrusion alarms. The above technologies are primarily commercial, but may be blocked or detected by the load stacked in front of the sensor. Chemical / biological agents can be difficult to detect, mainly due to the extremely small amounts of these agents that must be perceived with high accuracy (low false negatives and false positives). The invention may include a chemical or biochemical "laboratory on a chip" detector. A less expensive chemical / biological detection system for containers could mount the detector on or near the transfer crane, where the container could be passed through a "sniffer funnel" for rapid examination at line. In addition, the individual chemical / biological detector (s) can be mounted inside and / or on the container (s). The perception of the impact and / or acceleration for sensitive loads can be carried out with any of the various technologies, including MEMS / electronic devices (similar to automotive air bag sensors), beads or glass granules (for perception). impact or tilt limit), piezoelectric devices (eg, classical accelerometers), micro-brackets and induction sensors (eg, geophones). The main restriction is generally that of the available energy; most of these devices require too much energy to be easily handled by a small battery for a significant time (for example, a month). However, the use of a continuously sampled acceleration profile could be of great value in the tracking of fragile loads and the determination of instances of overly approximate handling of containers in transit. Most of these types of sensors can now be commercially available, and they are properly packaged and interconnected with the container's telemetry system which could be quick and easy. Refrigerated container systems, particularly compressor system components and cooling, could ideally be monitored using the techniques previously explained related to reefer vessels. This compressor and cooling system technology, which includes electrical identification analysis components, is readily available commercially and could be targeted to implement the transportation environment. The typical container label, be it a simple wide-scale ID device, or a more elaborate data acquisition / telemetry device for detailed monitoring of container safety and internal conditions (ie, temperature, humidity, impact) preferably it is battery powered. In this way, careful design of the unit and the system is also preferred to ensure proper unattended operation over long intervals, while ensuring wide acceptance by the shipping industry. The labels could preferably have periods of use without maintenance of at least one year. Most shipping companies may want 3 to 5 year intervals, calculating the lightly charged life of a camera-type lithium battery, which is the highest energy density format currently available in a readily available commercial product. . Since the life span of lithium-ion batteries is typically on the 10-year scale, Sealed container labels stored in a de-energized state for several years before use could still exhibit the normal operational lifetime goal of 3 to 5 years. Suggested label consultation intervals in most projected scenarios are on a scale of one to four times daily, depending on the type of container; the relative fragility or sensitivity of its charge; and other factors such as safety, heat of the load, theft potential, and traumatic events (for example, a container thrown into the sea). Some of the latter factors may also dictate the deployment of an emergency transmitter or warning light in the container to facilitate the immediate response of the crew to such emergency situations. A routine consultation once per hour (occupying an average of 10 mA for 10 seconds), assuming a typical battery capacity of 1400 mAh (size 3-V AA), could result in an effective operational battery life of slightly more than 5 years. If recharging is implemented, this interval could easily exceed 20 years, which is probably very close to the expected life of the electronics package. Although solar recharge is a preferred recharging mechanism to be used, other energy mechanisms are possible, including micro-fuel cells, kinetic generators (for example, micro-pendulum or MEMS types), thermopiles (temperature differential), and yet RF energy seekers. One embodiment of the invention may include embedding the RFID tag within the structure of a container. One embodiment of the invention may include providing a plurality of RFID tags in a single container for redundancy or as a (non) functional decoy (s). Space Load Dosimeters for Extremely Low Radiation Energy Measurements in Shipping Containers Electronic dosimetry devices can measure the dose in the container, but they must be energized (activated) during the integration times. Therefore, they must be integrated for short periods of time to conserve battery power (thus reducing sensitivity). The use of large quantities of large batteries or batteries is not economically feasible, nor is the replacement of the batteries during the life of the container (the life of the typical shipping container is 5 to 7 years). What is needed is a simple, rugged, low-cost, low-energy device that can be installed in each shipping container to passively integrate the radiation dose. During transport this device could integrate the radiation dose for very long periods to obtain a very sensitive measurement of the presence of radiation in the container. Even the material Well-shielded radioactive will result in a slight increase in radiation levels in the context in the container. What is also needed is a device that can reduce the incidence of false positives. The space charge dosimeters (SCD) are able to passively integrate the radiation dose continuously, while only requiring energy to read or recharge the device. The devices work through the loading or generation of the initial potential between an anode and a cathode. A dielectric average is located between the cathode and the anode. This potential creates an electric field through the dielectric medium. As the radiation passes through the dielectric material, it causes the ionization of the dielectric. The electric field then sweeps the ions or charges the carriers out of the dielectric, thereby reducing the potential between the anode and the cathode. The measurement of the load consumed during the exposure period is a measure of the integrated ionization during the measurement period. The charge (or some physical aspect of the device controlled by the charge) is read before and after exposure to obtain a dose rate. By using various materials as filters around an SCD, the type of radiation received or the energy scale of the radiation can be determined. One group (plurality) of these low cost sensors in each container with a Different filter around each SCD can give not only an indication of an increased context radiation, but an indication of the type and energy levels of the radiation. This can help identify the potential type of radioactive material in the container, for example, to identify whether the increased radiation levels in a container are due to bananas (potassium-40) instead of cobalt-60 in a lead-armored box. One embodiment of the invention can solve the problem of how to measure the radiation in a shipping container where the radiation sensor must be low cost and an battery powered but still has a battery life of many years. One embodiment of the invention can use low cost space charge dosimeters (SCDs), such as ion chambers (EICs), field effect transistors (FETs) such as IGFETs (Isolated Gate Field Effect Transistor), MOSFETs (Semiconductor Metal Oxide Field Effect Transistors) and / or micro-brackets, to passively integrate the radiation dose. In these devices, the radiation that passes through the sensitive volume of the dosimeter (the air chamber for EIC's or the dielectric layer for FETs and micro-brackets) ionizes the gas or the dielectric (that is, creates charge pairs). This radiation induces charges that lead to a change in the potential or electric field of the device. This change in potential or field electrical is proportional to the dose of radiation received. One embodiment of the invention may include a detection volume of active radiation of the material that is an electrical insulator. When the radiation hits this volume, the electrical charge that is created is trapped inside the volume. The trapped charge changes the distribution of the electric field within the volume. One embodiment of the invention can then perceive this change in the field through the placement of electrodes on opposite sides of the volume. It is important to note that these electrodes will react with this field. If these electrodes are, for example, the gate and the body of the IGFET transistor, one embodiment of the invention can indirectly measure in the field instead through the conductance monitoring of the transistor channel without affecting the trapped charge. Alternatively, if one embodiment of the invention includes a detection volume in which the generated charge moves towards an isolated electrode, such as for example a micro-cantilever, the embodiment of the invention can read the deflection of the bracket and achieve the same results. The intermittent reading of the voltage or potential of the SCD dosimeter gives a reading proportional to the radiation dose received by the device. One or more SCDs can be mounted inside the shipping container, optionally in the context of an identification tag of radiofrequency During transport of the container (such as by ship or rail), the SCD integrates the radiation dose received. After a time interval, such as every 24 hours, the voltage potential of each SCD can be read. The change in reading-to-reading potential is proportional to the radiation dose. Multiple SCDs with various types of filters can be used to discriminate through radiation types eg, gamma, X-ray, neutron or beta, and to discriminate between the energy levels of these particles or protons. An SCD placed outside the container or shielded inside the container can be used to subtract the radiation from the environment or context. The data from these radiation sensors can then be transmitted to an RFID tag in the container. This RFID tag can collect data from radiation sensors, other sensors (for example, temperature, acoustics, etc.), and location information (from, for example, GPS or triangulation), and send them through wireless communications (for example, HSS) to a receiver coupled to a central database. In the central database, the radiation dose readings can be analyzed to look for indications that a container has a radiation field higher than normal. A higher than normal level of radiation may indicate that a dangerous load (Radioactive) can be in the container and, therefore, that a particular container needs to be marked for a more detailed inspection. One embodiment of the invention may include a system that uses Space Load Dosimeters (SCDs). SCDs include Electret Ion Cameras (EICs), semiconductor devices such as Isolated Gate Field Effect Transistors (IGFETs) and / or micro-brackets. SCDs can be used to continuously monitor radiation levels in shipping containers. These radiation sensors can be combined with a communications and tracking system located in each container to allow global monitoring in real time of the level of radiation in the container as well as the position of the container. Unexplained or higher than expected levels in a container can then be used to mark a container for a more detailed inspection at the port of entry to the United States, or preferably before the ship enters the dock at the port of the United States. U.S . As noted above, the basic principle of operation of SCDs is that ionization radiation interacts with a material (such as air or a dielectric) to create charge pairs (ionization). These charge pairs then migrate through the material due to the presence of an electric field. The migration and collection of charge carriers then cause a reduction in voltage potential across the device. Once the SCD is discharged, ionization in the active region causes a reduction in potential. Charging the device takes an extremely small amount of energy. Once it is charged, the device continuously integrates the received dose, measured as a drop in potential. In this way, reading this potential before and after the exposure gives an indication of the dose received. Significantly, the SCD does not require energy during the period of dose integration. The only time the energy is required is when the device is charged or the potential reading. As was also observed, three possible SCDs that can passively integrate the dose are the Electret Ion Chamber (EIC) dosimeter, the Isolated Gate Field Effect Transistor (IGFET) dosimeter, and the Micro-cantilever dosimeter. A preferred method of operation of the radiation sensors in this invention is as follows. A container configured with one or more radiation sensors and the RFID communications system and then the cargo container with the cargo. The container is then transported to the boarding terminal. The container is then loaded onto the ship for transport to the United States or another country importer. During the trip in the ocean, a signal is sent to the RFID system to activate the radiation sensor (read the sensor to obtain the reading of the baseline, or recharge the sensor and then obtain the reading of the baseline). The radiation sensor then passively integrates the radiation dose received until the RFID system directs the sensor to another reading or a pre-set amount of time has passed. The radiation sensor then energizes, reads the voltage level, and sends the reading to the RFID system. This reading is then transmitted to a surrounding RFID system for collection at one or more central locations and analysis. The time of integration of the dose (intervals) can be anything from minutes to days. Since the trip in the ocean can last several days, it is possible to allow several days of dose integration for extremely sensitive measurements. A central RFID system can send a message to each container to take a reading of the baseline when the ship leaves the port. The central system can then direct the RFID tags to read the radiation sensors at some regular interval (for example, every 12 hours or 24 hours) during the trip. The sensor readings can be passed to the central RFID system through RFID tags, tag readers, site servers, etc., while the received doses are collected and analyzed. As the ship moves in the ocean (ie, during the trip), any reading of radiation doses above the expected levels of context will be marked and the appropriate authorities notified. This could allow the ship to be stopped and the container inspected before the ship arrives at the port of the United States (or another importing country). Dosimeters of the Electote Ion Chamber (EIC) An EIC consists of an electrically charged polymer filament or disk (for example, Teflon), called an electret, located inside an electrically conductive plastic chamber that has a known volume of air. The electret serves as a high-voltage source (anode) necessary for the camera to operate as an ion chamber. It also serves as a sensor for measuring ionization in the air of the chamber. The negative ions produced within the sensitive volume of the chamber through the ionization induced by the radiation of the air collected by the electret cause a depletion of the charge. A measurement of the reduced load during the exposure period is a measurement of the integrated ionization during the measurement period. The electret load can be read before and after the exposure or in a known programming using a non-contact electret voltage reader. In a preferred embodiment of this invention, the voltmeter of the electret load reading is a circuit Very low cost electronic, or possibly an ASIC chip, that not only reads the electret charge, but also recharges the electret as needed. This circuit or chip may also contain sufficient data to convert the measured voltage into a radiation dose and transmit this data through the common conductor of the sensor (for example, in accordance with IEEE 1451). A further optional feature of the invention is the incorporation of radiation filtration materials or converters around the EICs to make each EIC sensitive to different types of radiation (e.g., neutron, gamma, or X-rays) or energies (hard X-rays). , soft x-rays, etc.). The measurement not only of the presence or quantity of increased radiation levels but also of some quality characteristics of the radiation can help to distinguish the radioactive dangerous load from the normal safe charge that has normally high radiation levels (such as bananas, some ceramics, etc.). Additionally, an EIC sensor can be mounted and shielded to measure the radiation of the context for the subtraction of the context of the sensor measurements within the container. EIC devices are impact sensitive and can be partially discharged when agitated or dropped. To prevent radiation measurements false positives due to severe handling experienced by shipping containers, the invention can incorporate active and passive preventive measurements. First, the ability to communicate with each sensor through the RFID tag in each container allows the radiation sensors to integrate the doses and then read during the known low-impact potential times, such as during marine transport. The readings can be taken starting when the boat leaves the port and during the trip. Secondly, it is possible to co-locate an accelerometer with the sensors to identify the impact events of sufficient magnitude to cause the EIC discharge. After these events, the EIC can be read and the integration time of the dose restarted. Field Effect Transistor Dosimeters The operation of the FET dosimeter is based on the generation of pairs of electron holes in the oxide (or other insulating material that has a very low orifice mobility) of the structure (eg, IGFET) ( gate oxide) due to radiation by ionization. The energy to produce a pair of electron holes (e-h) in silicon oxide is approximately 18 eV. The mobility of the electron is such that the electrons are obtained in the transistor gate (assuming a n-channel device) but the mobility of the orifice is much smaller. The holes are therefore effectively immobilized within the oxide between the gate and the body. This causes a variation in the electric field between the gate and the transistor channel that changes the carrying capacity of the channel. This change can then be read at any time without affecting the dosimetrically altered electric field. Therefore, the gate bias voltage is a direct measurement of the dose of radiation absorbed. This technique can be applied either to FETs intentionally manufactured in a given CMOS procedure, or to field oxide FETs (FETs, parasitics, IGFETs). The above will exhibit much more sensitivity because the oxides are thicker. Micro-bracket dosimeters The micro-bracket dosimeters are created by making the micro-bracket an electrode separated from the floor through an insulator. A load is applied to the micro-bracket. This charge remains unchanged until the radiation creates electron hole pairs in the insulator. In this way, the dose of radiation absorbed is continuously and passively integrated. To read the radiation dose, the change in the potential voltage in the micro-cantilever is measured. This potential or change in potential is determined by measuring the deflection of the micro-cantilever.

Filters and Converters for Discrimination between Radiation Types or Energy Levels The invention may include the use of different types and thicknesses of materials to make radiation sensors sensitive to particular types of radiation or for different energy levels. The invention may include the use of a plurality (e.g., array) of low cost detectors, each with a different filter, in the shipping container. Since the types of SCD radiation detectors described above can be mass produced at very low cost, an array of detectors can be located along a container. Variable density metal filters such as lead, tin, and aluminum can be used to commonly determine the energy for the impact on gamma or X rays. A radiation converter such as boron or lithium-6 can be used to make the devices sensitive to thermal neutrons. Teflon or a plastic with high nitrogen content can be used to increase the sensitivity of intermediate energy neutrons. By using an array of detectors, each using a different filter and converter, located inside the container, any radiation detected in the container can be categorized into energy bands (eg, low, medium, and high) and type of radiation ( beta, X-rays, gamma).

RFID Communications System The invention can combine radiation sensors with a communications and tracking system that transmits the sensor data and the location of the container to a centralized database where the radiation data of each container can be analyzed for mark containers that require additional detailed inspection. The global RFID system can be referred to as a "Marine Asset Safety and Tracking System (MAST)". The system 10. MAST is preferably a wireless (RF) -based communications and perception / telemetry system for tracking and monitoring standard shipping containers of the maritime industry, both during loading and unloading and transfer operations at the dock facilities 15 on the side of the port, as well as on board the ships during transport in the ocean of containers. This system also provides an intermodal tracking and monitoring system capable of operating on ships, railroads, trucks on the highway, and within its associated terminal facilities or using both the local terminal communications system and the commercial area communications system. wide, including satellite and / or PCS cells. This RFID tagging system can include RFID tags attached to each shipping container, local site readers located along the ship, and at the boarding terminal, a site server central in each ship or in each terminal, and a national operations center (NOC) where all data is collected, consolidated, stored, analyzed, and disseminated. Ship containers can be both refrigerated cargo shipping containers (refrigerated vessels) and dry cargo shipping containers (dry boxes). In addition to identifying and tracking the location of containers or other equipment configured with one or more RFID tags, each tag is equipped with, for example, an IEEE 1451 sensor interface and extra serial interfaces to allow connection with a wide range of sensors to the RFID tag to monitor the condition of the container's load or other marked equipment. Other sensors can be connected with the RFID tag that include (but are not limited to) temperature, pressure, relative humidity, accelerometer, radiation, door seals, and GPS (Global Positioning System). Additional sensors can also be included for the monitoring condition of machinery, such as refrigeration compressors, or to read port diagnostic data in some refrigerated cargo containers. This invention may include the implementation of a radiation sensor system for the RFID tags of the MAST system. The MAST system provides the solution to the problem of combining the data of a container installation with a system of monitoring, tracking, or global communications, while the problem of or using energy during the time of integration of the dose is conducted through the use of a group of passively integrated radiation sensors. One embodiment of the invention may include a class of radiation dosimeters that continuously, passively integrate the radiation dose, send this data to the RFID tag in the container through an IEEE 1451 sensor interface, and then transmit this data with the position sensor data and other data to the MAST system of the National Operations Center (NOC). At the NOC, all the sensor data, the container manifest, the route traveled by the container and other information is analyzed and used to identify the containers for detailed inspection at the Ports of Entry. The invention can passively include the integration of the radiation dose for long periods while only using energy to read the received doses. The invention may include connecting a radiation sensor to an RFID system which will communicate the sensor data in near real time to a central database where the analysis of the sensor data can be carried out to identify and mark containers with abnormal radiation readings. The invention may include the in situ grouping of a group of integrating ionization radiation sensors that include the reading of dosimetric data of a first passive integration ionization radiation sensor and a second passive integration ionization radiation sensor, where the first ionization radiation sensor of passive integration Passive integration and the second passive integration ionization radiation sensor are located where the dosimetric data are integrated during the reading of the dosimetric data and where the first passive integration radiation sensor and the second integration radiation sensor are connected to reading circuits that exhibit extremely high impedance while in passive integration mode and while in active read mode, without the destruction of integrated dosimetric data that allows continuous integration of ionizing radiation to an extension Maximum radiation sensor by passive integration ionization and the second passive integration ionization radiation sensor. After the perception of the realization of the maximum integration limits, the reading circuits can reset the passive integration radiation sensors and accumulate in a non-volatile form a number of reset cycles of the sensor. The invention may include a first passive integration ionization radiation sensor; one second radiation sensor by passive integration ionization; a reading circuit coupled to both the first passive integration ionization radiation sensor and the second passive integration ionization radiation sensor, the reading circuit presents an extremely high impedance to both the first passive integration ionization radiation sensor and the second passive integration ionization radiation sensor while both reading circuits are in a passive integration mode and while the reading circuit is in an active reading mode; and the communication circuit coupled to the reading circuit, wherein the dosimetric data of the reading of both the first passive integration radiation sensor and the second passive integration radiation sensor are presented to the communications circuit. One or both of the first passive integration ionization radiation sensor and the second passive integration ionization radiation sensor may include a thick oxide oxide gate field transistor space charge charge dosimeter. The reading circuits may have an impedance of about 1011 ohms to about 1015 ohms, preferably about 1012 ohms to about 1014 ohms, more preferably about 1013 ohms. As noted above, the invention can Include a thick oxide dosimeter (TOD). In this TOD, the FETs can be organized in such a way that the gates are connected to two or more levels of metal or polysilicon. This will increase the active volume of Si02 that can interact with the radiation by ionization. These devices have a significant optional advantage of temperature and process compensation by reading the voltage between the drains assuming that the sources are connected to a common electrical potential. The gates and drains for a given IGFET can be connected together. This technique can be extended simply by adding FETS, and metal layers stacked on top of each other within the limits of the semiconductor fabrication process that is being used. The advantage of this is that the active volume of the oxide used for the description is increased but the electric field created through a charge trapped between any of the two layers is reduced by increasing the distance between the plates. As many plates can be used as the manufacturing process allows to obtain the largest electric field for a given ionization radiation event to ensure the highest probability of detection. Figure 10 and Figure 11 describe two IGFET examples of the invention. The use of the terms first, second, and third in the description of the elements described in these figures is only for distinguish between similar elements and the assignment of these terms is arbitrary. Referring to Figure 10, a group of passive integration ionization radiation sensors includes a first sensor 1010 shielded by a first filter 1011. This group of passive integration ionization radiation sensors also includes a second sensor 1020 shielded by a second filter 1021. The first sensor 1010 and the second sensor 1020 are both coupled to a communications circuit 1030. A temperature compensation circuit 1040 is coupled to the communications circuit 1030. A calibration circuit 1050 is also coupled to the communications circuit 1030. Each of the sensors 1010, 1020 is based on a pair of isolated gate field effect transistors. The invention may include an apparatus, comprising: a thick oxide dosimeter; and a reading circuit coupled to the thick oxide dosimeter, wherein both the thick oxide dosimeter and the reading circuit are constructed on a single high impedance and low leakage substrate. The thick oxide dosimeter can include a thick oxide oxide gate field transistor space charge charge dosimeter. The high impedance and low individual leak substrate may include a construction of sapphire silicon, silicon in an insulator and / or High transmuted resistivity silicon. The substrate may have an impedance of about 1011 ohms to about 1015 ohms, preferably about 1012 ohms to about 1014 ohms, more preferably about 1014 ohms. Referring to Figure 11, a passive integration ionization radiation sensor 1100 includes a first active area (region) 1110 and a second active area (region) 1120. The second active area 1110 is sandwiched between a conductor 1130 and a first active area conductor 1140. Second active area 1120 is sandwiched between common conductor 1130 and a second active area conductor 1150. The first conductor of active area 1140 is coupled to the gate of a first isolated gate field transistor 1160. The second active-area conductor 1150 is coupled to the gate of a second insulated gate effect transistor 1170. The sources of both the first isolated gate effect transistor 1160 and the second isolated gate field-effect transistor 1170 are connected and coupled to a common conductor 1130. A third isolated gate field transistor 1180 provides a functional ad of integrated temperature compensation. During the dosimetry operation in the passive mode of the examples described in Figure 11, the radiation ionization passes through the active area and generates a net charge that is trapped in the oxide. This load generates an electric field between the adjacent conductors, thus creating a net change in the resistance seen between the source and the gate of the FET whose active area was activated. During the operation of reading the examples described in Figure 11, the resistance between the source and each drain is read. The net amount of radiation is proportional to the change in resistance. The temperature compensation is applied through the tracking of the change in the third IGFET which has a radiation sensitivity much smaller than the others. The invention may include a first isolated gate field-effect transistor including a first source, a first drain, and a first isolated gate; a second isolated gate field-effect transistor including a second source, a second drain, and a second isolated gate, the second source coupled to the first source; a first conductor coupled to the second gate; a first active region connected to the first conductor, the first active region accumulates the dosimetric data of the radiation by incident ionization; a second conductor connected to the first active region; a second active region coupled to the second conductor, the second active region accumulates the dosimetric data of the radiation incident by ionization; and a third conductor coupled to the second active region and the first gate, wherein the second connector is coupled to both the first and the second source. A third isolated gate field transistor can provide the temperature compensation data. The invention may include arranging a plurality of sensors in a spatially dispersed configuration (e.g., an array) and setting an alarm condition based on the reading of multiple sensors. The invention may include pattern recognition. For example, a method may include arranging a plurality of passive integration ionization radiation sensors in a spatially dispersed array; determining a relative position of each of the plurality of radiation sensors by passive integration ionization to define a volume of interest; collecting the radiation data by ionization of at least one subgroup of the plurality of radiation sensors by passive integration ionization; and activating an alarm condition when the radiation data is collected by ionization of the subgroup from the plurality of passive integration ionization radiation sensors that meet a predetermined spatial pattern criterion. The criterion of the predetermined spatial pattern may include a plurality of alternative patterns. The spatial pattern criterion The default may include a dosimetric data pattern defined by a function that includes a cube root of a radius of an approximate location of a radiation source by ionization. The embodiments of the invention can be effective in cost and advantageous for at least one of the following reasons. One embodiment of the invention can provide tracking, monitoring, and security of assets and / or cargo worldwide. One embodiment of the invention may include the integration of the RFID tag data into a GIS-based system for the tracking, administration, and visualization of the asset. One embodiment of the invention may include RFID tag communications using hybrid broad-spectrum signaling. One embodiment of the invention may include multi-access technology that allows communications with approximately 10,000 RFID tags, while ignoring up to 90,000 tags, in the same reading area of the RFID tag. The embodiments of the invention improve the quality and / or reduce the costs compared with the previous methods. The phrase "broad-spectrum hybrid" (HSS) as used herein is defined as a combination of direct-sequence broad spectrum (DSSS), e.g. code division multiple access (CDMA), and at least one frequency of jump, jump time, multiple access of time division (TDMA), or OFDM of orthogonal frequency division multiplex and / or spatial division multiple access (SDMA). The terms one, or one, as used here, are defined as one or more than one. The term plurality, as used herein, is defined as two or more than two. The term other, as used herein, is defined as at least one second or more. The terms "comprising" (understood, understood), "including" (including, included) and / or "having" (have, had), as used here, are defined as open language (ie, requiring what is recited) below, but open for the inclusion of the unspecified procedure (s), structure (s), and / or ingredient (s) even in larger quantities The terms "consisting" (consist, consisted) and / or "compound" (compounds, or compound), as used herein, closes the recited method, apparatus or composition to the inclusion of procedures, structure (s) and / or ingredient (s) different from those recited except by auxiliaries, adjuncts, and / or impurities ordinarily associated therein.The relationship of the term "essentially" together with the terms "consisting" or "compound of" makes the recited method, apparatus and / or composition open only for the inclusion of the procedure (s) of non-specific structure (s) and / or ingredient (s) icated (s) that does not materially affect the basic novel features of the composition. He Coupled term, as used herein, is defined as connected, although not necessarily directly and not necessarily mechanically. The term either, as used herein, is defined as all applicable members of a group or of at least a subgroup of all applicable members of the group. The term "about", as used herein, is defined as being at least about a given value (eg, preferably 10%, more preferably within 1% of, and most preferably within 0.1% of). The term "substantially", as used herein, is defined as "mostly" but not necessarily "wholly" to which it is specified. The term generally, as used herein, is defined as at least reaching a given state. The term exploiting, as used herein, is defined as designating, constructing, shipping, installing and / or operating. The term media, as used here, is defined as hardware, firmware and / or software to achieve a result. The term program or the phrase computer program, as used herein, is defined as a sequence of instructions designed for execution in a computer system. A program, or computer program, can include a subroutine, a function, a procedure, an object method, an object implementation, an executable application, an applet copy, a servlet copy, a source code, an object code, a collection of load and shared / dynamic collection and / or other sequence of instructions designed for execution on a computer or computer system. The term "close" as used herein, is defined, close, close adjacent and / or coincident; and includes spatial situations in which the specified functions and / or results can be carried out and / or achieved. The radiofrequency phase, as used herein, is defined as including infrared, as well as frequencies less than or equal to about 300 GHz. All embodiments described in the invention described herein may be made and used without undue experimentation in light of the description. One embodiment of the invention is not limited by the theoretical statements recited herein. Although the best mode of carrying out the embodiments of the invention contemplated by the inventor (s) is described, the practice of one embodiment of the invention is not limited thereto. Accordingly, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that one embodiment of the invention may be practiced differently than specifically described herein. It will be apparent that the various substitutions, modifications, additions and / or reconfigurations of the features of one embodiment of the invention can be made without deviating from the spirit and / or scope of the underlying concept of the invention. It is estimated that the spirit and / or scope of the concept of the underlying invention as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents covers all such substitutions, modifications, additions and / or reconfigurations. All the described elements and characteristics of each described modality can be combined with, or replaced by, the described elements and characteristics of each other modality described except when said elements or characteristics are mutually exclusive. Variations can be made in the steps in the sequence of steps that define the methods described here. Although the sensor (s) with or without their filters described here can be a separate module, it will be shown that the sensor (s) can be integrated in the system with which they are (are) associated (s) The individual components do not need to be formed in the ways described, or combined in the described configurations, but can be provided in all forms, and / or combined in all configurations. The individual components do not need to be manufactured from the described materials, but could be manufactured from all suitable materials. The appended claims shall not be construed as including means limitations plus function unless such limitation is explicitly stated in a given claim using the phrase (s) "means for" and / or "step for "The subgeneric embodiments of the invention are delineated by the appended independent claims and their equivalents." The specific embodiments of the invention are differentiated by the appended dependent claims and their equivalents. The best method known to the applicant to carry out the aforementioned invention is that it is clear from the present description of the invention.

Claims (1)

1. CLAIMS Having described the invention as above, the content of the following claims is claimed as property. 1. A method characterized in that it can transmit the identification data, the location data, and the data of the environmental state sensor from a radio frequency tag. 2. - The method of compliance with the claim 1, characterized in that it also comprises the description of the location of the radio frequency tag that uses a geographic information system. 3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the radio frequency label is set, with respect to the environmental state sensor data, a set point at a lower power consumption. 4. - The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the radio frequency tag can be exchanged to a receiver-transmitter mode that allows tag-to-tag communication. 5. - The method according to claim 4, characterized in that the transmitter-receiver mode includes the radio frequency tag that transmits during a random transmission interval and then receive and regulate. 6. - The method according to claim 4, characterized in that the radio frequency tag is exchanged to the transmitter-receiver mode when an alarm state is activated. 7. - The method according to claim 1, wherein the radio frequency tag includes a power source that includes an energy storage device that is recharged through at least one current source selected from the group consisting of a photoelectric, vibration transducer, an electrostatic charger, a radiofrequency energy rectifier, a thermo-electric generator and a lost radioisotope energy recovery device. 8. - The method of compliance with the claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises receiving the identification data, the location data, and the sensor data of the environmental status of the radiofrequency tag in the reader. 9. - The method of compliance with the claim 8, characterized in that the radio frequency tag can be exchanged to a transceiver mode that allows tag-to-tag communication. 10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that the transceiver-receiver mode includes the radiofrequency label that transmits during a random transmission interval and then the reception and regulation. 11. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that the radio frequency tag is exchanged to a tag-to-tag mode when the radio frequency tag does not receive a response from the reader. 12. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that the radio frequency tag is exchanged to a transmitter-receiver mode when an alarm state is activated. 13. - The method according to claim 8, characterized in that it also comprises describing the location of the radio frequency tag that uses a geographic information system. 14. - The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the radio frequency tag includes a sensor. 15.- The method according to the claim 14, characterized in that the sensor is distinguished in at least one member selected from the group consisting of radiation by ionization, chemical portions, biological species, acoustic emission, mechanical vibration, and actinic radiation. 16. The method according to the claim 14, characterized in that the sensor is distinguished in at least one member selected from the group consisting of electromagnetic radiation, humidity, temperature, vibration, acceleration, and mechanical interbiochemistry. 17.- The method according to the claim 16, characterized in that the radiofrequency label adjusts, with respect to the sensor, a fixed point at a lower power consumption. 18. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that it also comprises a sensor coupled to the radio frequency tag. 19. The method according to claim 18, characterized in that the sensor is distinguished in at least one member selected from the group consisting of radiation by ionization, chemical portions, biological species, acoustic emission, mechanical vibration, and actinic radiation. 20. The method according to claim 18, characterized in that the sensor is distinguished in at least one member selected from the group consisting of electromagnetic radiation, humidity, temperature, vibration, acceleration, and mechanical interbiochemistry. 21. The method according to claim 18, characterized in that the radio frequency label is adjusted, with respect to the sensor, a fixed point at a lower power consumption. 22. - The method according to claim 18, characterized in that the sensor includes a power source that is not necessarily for the label to transmit the identification data and the location data. 23.- The apparatus in accordance with the claim 22, characterized in that the power source includes an energy storage device that is recharged through at least one current source selected from the group consisting of a photoelectric, vibration transducer, an electrostatic charger, a power rectifier radio frequency, a thermo-electric generator, and an energy recovery energy recovery device. 24. The method according to claim 18, characterized in that the sensor is coupled to the radiofrequency tag wirelessly through at least one member selected from the group consisting of broad hybrid spectrum, broad spectrum direct sequence, frequency hopping, time hopping, time division multiplex, orthogonal frequency division multiplex, and infrared. 25. The method according to claim 24, characterized in that the identification data, location data, and sensor data of the environmental status of the radio frequency tag are transmitted. within a first frequency band and the sensor is wirelessly coupled to the radio frequency tag within a second frequency band that does not overlap with the first frequency band. 26.- The method of compliance with the claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises receiving identification data, location data, and sensor data of the environmental status of the radiofrequency tag in a reader, and retransmitting the identification data, location data, and sensor data of the environmental status from the reader to a server site that provides the accumulation and analysis of the data. 27. The method according to claim 26, characterized in that it also comprises the description of the location of the radio frequency tag that uses a geographic information system. 28. The method according to claim 26, characterized in that the transmission of the identification data, the location data, and the sensor data of the environmental status of the radio frequency tag are transmitted within a first frequency band and the identification data, the location data and the sensor data of the environmental state are retransmitted from the reader to the server of the site that occurs within a second frequency band that does not overlap with the first band of frequency. 29. The method according to claim 26, characterized in that the retransmission of the identification data, location data and environmental sensor data from the reader to the site server can include wireless transmission through at least Two alternatives selected from the group consisting of broad hybrid spectrum, broad sequence direct sequence, frequency hopping, time hopping, time division multiplex, orthogonal and infrared frequency division multiplex. The method according to claim 26, characterized in that the retransmission of the identification data, location data, and environmental sensor data from the reader to the site server includes a transmission of a power supply line of the reader. 31. The method according to claim 30, characterized in that the retransmission of the identification data, location data and environmental sensor data from the reader to the site server includes transmission through at least one member selected from the group consisting of broad hybrid spectrum, broad direct sequence spectrum, frequency division jump, time hopping, division multiplex of time, orthogonal and infrared frequency division multiples. 32. The method according to claim 30, characterized in that the retransmission of the identification data, location data, and environmental sensor data from the reader to the site server includes rejecting the noise at a frequency selected from the group. which consists of 50 Hz, and approximately 60 Hz, and substantially all their harmonics and diversification. 33.- The method of compliance with the claim 26, characterized in that the retransmission of the identification data, location data, and environmental status sensor data from the reader to the site server includes wireless transmission through at least one member selected from the group consisting of broad spectrum hybrid, broad direct sequence spectrum, frequency division hop, time hop, time division multiplex, orthogonal and infrared frequency division multiples. 34.- The method of compliance with the claim 33, characterized in that the wireless transmission through wide-spectrum modulation includes the rejection of the noise at a frequency selected from the group consisting of approximately 50 Hz and approximately 60 Hz, and substantially all harmonics thereof and the diversification. 35. The method according to claim 26, further comprising receiving the identification data, location data, and sensor data from the environmental status of the reader to the site server and retransmitting the identification data, data from location, and sensor data of the environmental status from the site server to at least one server of a common database that provides analysis, comparison, and tracking. 36.- The method of compliance with the claim 35, characterized in that it also comprises the description of the location of the radiofrequency tag using a geographic information system. 37. The method according to claim 35, characterized in that the common database defines a global database. 38.- The method according to claim 35, characterized in that the retransmission of the identification data, location data, and sensor data of the environmental status from the site server to the common database may include the transmission of the minus two alternatives selected from the group consisting of satellite, cellular phone, acoustic, power line, telephone line, coaxial line, fiber optic, and optical cable. 39.- The method according to the claim 35, characterized in that the retransmission of the identification data, location data, and environmental sensor data from the site server to the common database includes transmission over the Internet. 40.- An apparatus, characterized in that it comprises: a radio frequency tag that transmits data identification, location data and sensor data of the environmental status. 41. The apparatus according to claim 40, characterized in that the radio frequency tag includes a power source that includes an energy storage device that is recharged through at least one current source selected from the group consisting of photoelectric, vibration transducer, an electrostatic charger, a radiofrequency energy rectifier, a thermo-electric generator, and an energy deterioration energy recovery device. 42. - The apparatus according to claim 40, characterized in that the radio frequency tag includes a sensor. 43. - The apparatus according to claim 42, characterized in that the sensor is distinguished in at least one member selected from the group consisting of radiation by ionization, chemical portions, biological species, emission acoustics, mechanical vibration, and actinic radiation. 44. - The apparatus according to claim 42, characterized in that the sensor is distinguished in at least one member selected from the group consisting of electromagnetic radiation, humidity, temperature, vibration, acceleration, and mechanical interbiochemistry. 45. The apparatus according to claim 40, further characterized in that it comprises a sensor coupled to the radio frequency tag. 46.- The apparatus in accordance with the claim 45, characterized in that the sensor is distinguished in at least one member selected from the group consisting of radiation by ionization, chemical portions, biological species, acoustic emission, mechanical vibration, and actinic radiation. 47.- The device in accordance with the claim 45, characterized in that the sensor distinguishes in at least one member selected from the group consisting of electromagnetic radiation, humidity, temperature, vibration, acceleration, and mechanical interbiochemistry. 48.- The device in accordance with the claim 45, characterized in that the sensor includes a power source that is not necessarily from the label to transmit the identification data, location data, and environmental status data. 49. - The apparatus in accordance with the claim 48, characterized in that the radio frequency tag includes a power source that includes an energy storage device that is recharged through at least one current source selected from the group consisting of photoelectric, vibration transducer, electrostatic charger, a radiofrequency energy rectifier, a thermo-electric generator, and an energy deterioration energy recovery device. 50.- The device in accordance with the claim 45, characterized in that the sensor is coupled to the radiofrequency tag wirelessly through at least one member selected from the group consisting of broad-spectrum hybrid, broad-spectrum direct sequence, frequency hopping, time hopping, multiplexing division of time, orthogonal and infrared frequency division multiples. 51.- The apparatus according to claim 50, characterized in that the identification data, the location data and the environmental state sensor data of the radio frequency tag are transmitted within a first frequency band, and the sensor is coupled to the radiofrequency tag wirelessly within a second frequency band that does not overlap with the first frequency band. 52. - The apparatus according to claim 40, characterized in that the radiofrequency tag is coupled to a shipping container. 53. - The apparatus according to claim 52, characterized in that the sensor data of the environmental state includes an environmental status inside the shipping container. 54. - The apparatus according to claim 52, characterized in that it also comprises an antenna coupled to the shipping container. 55.- The device in accordance with the claim 52, characterized in that the shipping container includes a power supply of the shipping container and the radio frequency label can be connected to the power supply of the shipping container. 56. The apparatus according to claim 55, characterized in that the shipping container includes a member selected from the group consisting of a dry box, and a refrigerated vessel. 57. - The apparatus in accordance with the claim 40, characterized in that it further comprises a reader wirelessly coupled to the radio frequency tag, the reader receives the identification data, the location data, and the sensor data of the environmental status of the radio frequency tag and retransmits the data of the radio frequency tag. identification, location data, and the data of the environmental status sensor from the reader to a site server that provides the accumulation and analysis of the data. 58. - The apparatus according to claim 57, characterized in that the transmission of the identification data, location data, and sensor data of the environmental status of the radio frequency tag occur within a first frequency band, and retransmission of the identification data, location data, and environmental state sensor data from the reader to the site server occur within a second frequency band that does not overlap with the first frequency band. 5 . - The apparatus according to claim 58, characterized in that the retransmission of the identification data, location data, and environmental status sensor data from the reader to the site server can include wireless transmission through at least two alternatives selected from the group consisting of broad hybrid spectrum, broad direct sequence spectrum, frequency hopping, time hopping, time division multiplex, orthogonal and infrared frequency division multiples. 60.- The apparatus according to claim 57, characterized in that the reader is electrically coupled to the server of the site through a line of Reader power supply and retransmission of identification data, location data, and environmental status sensor data from the reader to the site server includes transmission over the reader's power supply line. 61.- The apparatus according to claim 60, characterized in that the retransmission of the identification data, location data, and data of the environmental status sensor from the reader to the site server can include wireless transmission through so minus two alternatives selected from the group consisting of broad hybrid spectrum, broad direct sequence spectrum, frequency hopping, time hopping, time division multiplex, orthogonal and infrared frequency division multiples. 62.- The apparatus according to claim 60, characterized in that the retransmission of the identification data, location data, and environmental sensor data from the reader to the site server includes rejecting the noise at a frequency selected from the group. which consists of 50 Hz, and approximately 60 Hz, and substantially all their harmonics and diversification. 63.- The apparatus according to claim 57, characterized in that the retransmission of the identification data, location data, and sensor data of the Environmental status from the reader to the site server includes wireless transmission through at least one member selected from the group consisting of broad-spectrum hybrid, broad-spectrum direct sequence, frequency hopping, time hopping, time division multiplex , orthogonal and infrared frequency division multiples. 64.- The apparatus according to claim 63, characterized in that the wireless transmission through hybrid broad-spectrum modulation includes the rejection of the noise at a frequency selected from the group consisting of approximately 50 Hz and approximately 60 Hz, and substantially all the harmonics of them and the diversification. The apparatus according to claim 57, characterized in that it also comprises a site server wirelessly coupled to the reader, the site server receives the identification data, location data, and data from the environmental status sensor from the reader and relays the identification data, location data and data of the environmental status sensor from the site server to at least one server of a common database that provides analysis, comparison and tracking. 66.- The apparatus according to claim 65, characterized in that the common database defines a global database. 67. - The apparatus according to claim 65, characterized in that the retransmission of the identification data, location data, and environmental sensor data from the site server to the common database can include the transmission of at least two alternatives selected from the group consisting of satellite, cellular phone, acoustic, power line, telephone line, coaxial line, fiber optic, and optical cable. 68.- The apparatus according to claim 65, characterized in that the retransmission of the identification data, location data, and environmental sensor data from the reader to the site server to the common database includes the transmission to through the Internet. 69.- A vehicle, characterized in that it comprises the apparatus according to claim 40. 70.- A port area network, characterized in that it comprises the apparatus according to claim 40. 71.- A network of regional area, characterized in that it comprises the apparatus of claim 40. 72.- A national area network, characterized in that it comprises the apparatus according to claim 40. 73.- A global area network, characterized in that it comprises the apparatus according to claim 40. 74.- A method, characterized in that it comprises transmit identification data, and location data from a radio frequency tag using broad-spectrum hybrid modulation. The method according to claim 74, characterized in that it also comprises the description of the location of the radio frequency tag using a geographic information system. 76.- The method of compliance with the claim 74, characterized in that it further comprises transmitting the sensor data of the environmental state from the radio frequency tag using the hybrid broad-spectrum modulation. 77.- The method according to claim 76, characterized in that the radio frequency label adjusts, with respect to the environmental state sensor data, a fixed point to decrease the energy consumption. 78. The method according to claim 74, characterized in that the radio frequency tag can be exchanged to a transceiver mode that allows tag-to-tag communication. 79.- The method of compliance with the claim 78, characterized in that the transmitter-receiver mode includes a radio frequency tag that transmits during a random transmission interval and then reception and regulation. 80. - The method according to claim 78, characterized in that the radio frequency tag is exchanged to a transmission-reception mode when an alarm state is activated. 81. - The method of compliance with the claim 80, characterized in that the radio frequency tag includes a power source that includes an energy storage device that is recharged through at least one current source selected from the group consisting of photoelectric, vibration transducer, electrostatic charger, radiofrequency energy rectifier, a thermo-electric generator and a lost energy radioisotope recovery device. 82. - The method according to claim 74, characterized in that it further comprises receiving the identification data and the location data of the radiofrequency tag in a reader. 83. - The method of compliance with the claim 82, characterized in that the radio frequency tag can be exchanged to a transceiver mode that allows tag-to-tag communication. 84. - The method of compliance with the claim 83, characterized in that the transmitter-receiver mode includes a radio frequency tag that transmits during a random transmission interval and then the reception and regulation. 85.- The method of compliance with the claim 83, characterized in that the radio frequency tag is exchanged to a tag-to-tag mode when the radio frequency tag does not receive a response from the reader. 86.- The method according to claim 83, characterized in that the radio frequency tag is exchanged to a transmission-reception mode when an alarm state is activated. 87. - The method according to claim 74, characterized in that it also comprises the description of the location of the radio frequency tag that uses a geographic information system. 88.- The method of compliance with the claim 74, characterized in that the radio frequency tag includes a sensor. The method according to claim 88, characterized in that the sensor is characterized in at least one member selected from the group consisting of radiation by ionization, chemical portions, biological species, acoustic emission, mechanical vibration, and actinic radiation. 90.- The device in accordance with the claim 88, characterized in that the sensor is characterized in at least one member selected from the group consisting of radiation electromagnetic, humidity, temperature, vibration, acceleration, and mechanical interbiochemistry. 91.- The method according to claim 90, characterized in that the radio frequency label is set, with respect to the sensor, a fixed point at a lower power consumption. 92. The method according to claim 74, characterized in that it also comprises a sensor coupled to the radio frequency tag. 93.- The method of compliance with the claim 92, characterized in that the sensor is characterized in at least one member selected from the group consisting of radiation by ionization, chemical portions, biological species, acoustic emission, mechanical vibration, and actinic radiation. 94.- The method of compliance with the claim 92, characterized in that the sensor is characterized in at least one member selected from the group consisting of electromagnetic radiation, humidity, temperature, vibration, acceleration, and mechanical interbiochemistry. 95.- The method of compliance with the claim 92, characterized in that the radiofrequency label adjusts, with respect to the sensor, a fixed point at a lower power consumption. 96.- The method according to claim 92, characterized in that the sensor includes a power source which is not necessarily for the label to transmit identification data and location data. The method according to claim 96, characterized in that the power source includes an energy storage device that is recharged through at least one current source selected from the group consisting of a photoelectric, vibration transducer , an electrostatic charger, a radiofrequency energy rectifier, a thermo-electric generator, and an energy deterioration energy recovery device. The method according to claim 92, characterized in that the sensor is coupled to the radiofrequency tag wirelessly through at least one member selected from the group consisting of broad hybrid spectrum, broad spectrum direct sequence, frequency hopping, time hopping, time division multiplex, orthogonal frequency division multiplex, and infrared. 99.- The method of compliance with the claim 98, characterized in that the identification data and the location data of the radiofrequency tag are transmitted within a first frequency band, and the sensor is coupled to the radio frequency tag wirelessly within a second frequency band that does not overlaps with the first frequency band. 100. The method according to claim 74, characterized in that it further comprises receiving the identification data and location data of the radio frequency tag in the reader and retransmitting the identification data location data from the reader to the site server which provides the accumulation and analysis of the data. 101.- The method according to claim 100, characterized in that it also comprises the description of the location of the radio frequency tag that uses a geographic information system. 102. -The method of compliance with the claim 100, characterized in that the transmission of the identification data and the location data of the radio frequency tag occurs within a first frequency band and the retransmission of the identification data and the location data of the reader to the site server occur within of a second frequency band that does not overlap with the first frequency band. 103. -The method of compliance with the claim 100, characterized in that the retransmission of the identification data and the location data of the reader to the site server can include wireless transmission through at least two alternatives selected from the group consisting of broad hybrid spectrum, broad spectrum of direct sequence, frequency hop, time hop, time division multiplex, orthogonal and infrared frequency division multiplex. 104. The method according to claim 100, characterized in that the retransmission of the identification data and location data of the reader to the site server includes a transmission of a power supply line of the reader. 105. The method according to claim 104, characterized in that the retransmission of the identification data and the location data of the reader to the site server includes the transmission through at least one member selected from the group consisting of a broad hybrid spectrum, broad direct sequence spectrum, frequency, time hop, time division multiplex, orthogonal and infrared frequency division multiples. 106. The method according to claim 104, characterized in that the retransmission of identification data and location data from the reader to the site server includes rejecting the noise at a frequency selected from the group consisting of 50 Hz, and approximately 60 Hz, and substantially all the harmonics thereof and the diversification. 107. The method according to claim 100, characterized in that the retransmission of the data of Identification, location data and sensor data from the environmental status of the reader to the site server includes wireless transmission through at least one member selected from the group consisting of broad-spectrum hybrid, broad-spectrum direct sequence, frequency hopping, time hopping, time division multiplex, orthogonal and infrared frequency division multiples. 108. The method according to claim 107, characterized in that the wireless transmission through wide-spectrum modulation includes the rejection of the noise at a frequency selected from the group consisting of approximately 50 Hz and approximately 60 Hz, and substantially all the harmonics of them and the diversification. 109. -The method of compliance with the claim 100, characterized in that it further comprises receiving the identification data and location data from the reader to the server site and retransmitting the identification data and the location data from the site server to at least one server of a database common that provides analysis, comparison, and tracking. 110. The method according to claim 109, characterized in that it also comprises the description of the location of the radio frequency tag using a geographic information system. 111. The method according to claim 109, characterized in that the common database defines a global database. 112. The method according to claim 109, characterized in that the retransmission of the identification data and the location data, from the site server to the common database can include the transmission of at least two alternatives selected from the group. consisting of satellite, cellular phone, acoustic, power line, telephone line, coaxial line, fiber optic, and optical cable. 113. -The method of compliance with the claim 109, characterized in that the retransmission of the identification data, location data, and environmental sensor data from the site server to the common database includes transmission over the Internet. 114. An apparatus, characterized in that it comprises: a radio frequency tag that transmits both identification data and location data using hybrid broad-spectrum modulation. 115. -The method of compliance with the claim 114, characterized in that the radio frequency tag includes a power source that includes an energy storage device that is recharged through at least one current source selected from the group consisting of photoelectric, vibration transducer, charger electrostatic, a radiofrequency energy rectifier, a thermo-electric generator and a lost energy radioisotope recovery device. 116. The apparatus according to claim 114, characterized in that the radiofrequency tag transmits the environmental state data using the hybrid broad-spectrum modulation. 117. - The apparatus according to claim 116, characterized in that the radio frequency tag includes a sensor. 118. The apparatus according to claim 117, characterized in that the sensor is characterized in at least one member selected from the group consisting of radiation by ionization, chemical portions, biological species, acoustic emission, mechanical vibration, and actinic radiation. 119. The apparatus according to claim 117, characterized in that the sensor is characterized in at least one member selected from the group consisting of electromagnetic radiation, humidity, temperature, vibration, acceleration, and mechanical interbiochemistry. 120. The apparatus according to claim 116, characterized in that it also comprises a sensor coupled to the radio frequency tag. 121. The apparatus according to claim 120, characterized in that the sensor is characterized in at least one member selected from the group consisting of radiation by ionization, chemical portions, biological species, acoustic emission, mechanical vibration, and actinic radiation. 122. -The apparatus in accordance with the claim 120, characterized in that the sensor is characterized in at least one member selected from the group consisting of electromagnetic radiation, humidity, temperature, vibration, acceleration, and mechanical interbiochemistry. 123. -The apparatus in accordance with the claim 120, characterized in that the sensor includes a power source that is not necessary for the tag to transmit the identification data and the location data. 124. The apparatus according to claim 123, characterized in that the power source includes an energy storage device that is recharged through at least one current source selected from the group consisting of a photoelectric, vibration transducer , an electrostatic charger, a radiofrequency energy rectifier, a thermo-electric generator, and an energy deterioration energy recovery device. 125. The apparatus according to claim 120, characterized in that the sensor is coupled to the radiofrequency tag wirelessly through at least one member selected from the group consisting of broad hybrid spectrum, broad direct sequence spectrum, frequency hop, time hop, time division multiplex, orthogonal frequency division multiplex, and infrared. 126. The apparatus according to claim 125, characterized in that the identification data and location data of the radiofrequency tag are transmitted within a first frequency band and the sensor is coupled to the radio frequency tag wirelessly. within a second frequency band that does not overlap with the first frequency band. 127. The apparatus according to claim 114, characterized in that the radiofrequency tag is coupled to a shipping container. 128. The apparatus according to claim 127, characterized in that the radio frequency label transmits the environmental status data using the broad hybrid spectrum modulation. 129. -The apparatus in accordance with the claim 128, characterized in that the sensor data of the environmental state includes an environmental status within the shipping container. 130. The apparatus according to claim 127, characterized in that it also comprises an antenna coupled to the shipping container. 131. -The apparatus in accordance with the claim 127, characterized in that the shipping container includes a power supply of the shipping container and the radio frequency label can be connected to the power supply of the shipping container. 132. The apparatus according to claim 131, characterized in that the shipping container includes a member selected from the group consisting of a dry box, and a refrigerated vessel. 133. The apparatus according to claim 114, characterized in that it further comprises a reader wirelessly coupled to the radio frequency tag, the reader receives the identification data and the location data of the radio frequency tag and retransmits the data of the radio frequency tag. identification, location data, and location data from the reader to a site server that provides for the accumulation and analysis of the data. 134. The apparatus according to claim 134, characterized in that the transmission of the identification data and the location data of the radio frequency tag occurs within a first frequency band, and the retransmission of the identification data and the location data, from the reader to the site server occur within a second frequency band that does not overlaps with the first frequency band. 135. The apparatus according to claim 134, characterized in that the retransmission of the identification data and the location data from the reader to the site server can include the wireless transmission through at least two alternatives selected from the group that It consists of broad hybrid spectrum, broad direct sequence spectrum, frequency hopping, time hopping, time division multiplex, orthogonal and infrared frequency division multiples. 136. The apparatus according to claim 133, characterized in that the reader is electrically coupled to the site server through a power supply line of the reader and the retransmission of identification data, location data, and data of the reader. Environmental status sensor from the reader to the site server includes transmission over the reader's power supply line. 137. The apparatus according to claim 136, characterized in that the retransmission of the identification data and the location data from the reader to the site server can include the transmission through at least one member selected from the group consisting of broad hybrid spectrum, broad spectrum direct sequence, frequency hopping, time hopping, division multiplex time, orthogonal and infrared frequency division multiples. 138. The apparatus according to claim 136, characterized in that the retransmission of the identification data and location data from the reader to the site server includes rejecting the noise at a frequency selected from the group consisting of 50 Hz, and approximately 60 Hz, and substantially all the harmonics thereof and diversification. 139. -The apparatus in accordance with the claim 133, characterized in that the retransmission of identification data, location data, and environmental status sensor data from the reader to the site server includes wireless transmission through at least one member selected from the group consisting of broad spectrum hybrid, broad direct sequence spectrum, frequency hopping, time hopping, time division multiplex, orthogonal and infrared frequency division multiples. 140. The apparatus according to claim 140, characterized in that the wireless transmission through hybrid broad-spectrum modulation includes the rejection of the noise at a frequency selected from the group consisting of approximately 50 Hz and approximately 60 Hz, and substantially all the harmonics of them and the diversification. 141. The apparatus according to claim 133, characterized in that it also comprises a site server wirelessly coupled to the reader, the site server receives the identification data and the location data from the reader and retransmits the identification data and the data of the user. Location and data from the environmental status sensor from the site server to at least one server in a common database that provides analysis, comparison and tracking. 142. -The apparatus in accordance with the claim 141, characterized in that the common database defines a global database. 143. The apparatus according to claim 141, characterized in that the retransmission of the identification data and the location data from the site server to the common database can include the transmission of at least two alternatives selected from the group that It consists of satellite, cellular telephone, acoustic, power line, telephone line, coaxial line, optical fiber, and optical cable. 144. -The apparatus in accordance with the claim 141, characterized in that the retransmission of the identification data, location data, and environmental sensor data from the reader to the site server to the common database includes transmission over the Internet. 145. -A vehicle, characterized in that it comprises the apparatus according to claim 114. 146. -A port area network, characterized in that it comprises the apparatus according to claim 114. 147. -A regional network, characterized in that it comprises the apparatus in accordance with claim 114. 148. A national area network, characterized in that it comprises the apparatus according to claim 114. 149. A global area network, characterized in that it comprises the apparatus according to claim 114.