- Email: [email protected]
Container Tracking
CHAPTER
Container Tracking
26
In the information age, it is easy to forget that global trade is as much about physical items being moved across the world as it is about information being transferred across the Internet. Every day there are over 6 billion tons of goods transported in over 12 million containers across the world. In the United States alone over 17,000 containers are loaded and unloaded every day. Approximately 90% of the world’s traded goods are shipped inside so-called intermodal containers used for loading goods onto ships, trains, and freighter airplanes. Intermodal containers come in several formats, some of which are specified by ISO standards. For intermodal container shipping, there is a large installed base infrastructure of loading cranes, shipping docks, and freighter ships. Smart object technology is increasingly being used to track the movement of containers as they are transported on ships, at ports, and through exchange points at places around the world. Smart objects can be installed in the containers, in container locks, or in devices that are attached to the inside or outside of the containers. The ability to retrofit existing containers with smart objects is a key requirement, as the predicted lifetime of a container is many years. The ability to track the goods as they are shipped across the world is tremendously beneficial for both the shipping company as well as its customers. The shipping companies are able to verify that the location of the goods is what the company expects it to be, as well as to gauge the time delay, should there be problems with the shipment. Likewise, customers are able to track their goods as they are transported by the shipping company providing an added value to the customer. Container tracking is not only about tracking the location of the containers, however. With the ability to track goods and containers, additional services can be added. Container security is perhaps the most apparent one. With container security tracking, the shipping company is informed instantly when the integrity of its container is breached. Thus the shipment can be immediately stopped and inspected at the next port or exchange point. Security tracking is not the only application of smart object container tracking. The goods inside the containers can be monitored using sensor-equipped smart objects placed inside the containers. These sensors can monitor temperature, humidity, and vibration conditions for the goods in the containers. This information helps the customers assess the status of their goods after shipment is complete. This is of particular interest for the shipment of foodstuffs and other goods that are sensitive to the transportation environment. The sensor information can be stored by the smart object and transmitted as the goods are unloaded, or transmitted in real time to the shipping company. Container tracking has previously been implemented using bar codes and bar code readers allowing a coarse-grained tracking of the goods. Bar codes require a substantial amount of human labor, Interconnecting Smart Objects with IP. DOI: 10.1016/B978-0-12-375165-2.00026-0 Copyright © 2010 by Morgan Kaufmann. All rights of reproduction in any form reserved.
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CHAPTER 26 Container Tracking
however, increasing the cost of the solution. Subsequently, RFID tags have been used for similar purposes. RFID readers are available at ports and unloading points and can automatically scan large numbers of RFID tags, reducing the handling costs. Bar codes and RFID tags can only be used to track the location of containers at each unloading location. They cannot be used for real-time tracking or for additional services such as lock security or sensor monitoring. For these services, smart objects are needed. Two commercially deployed smart object-based container tracking systems, the GE CommerceGuard system and the IBM Secure Trade Lane system, are discussed next.
26.1 GE CommerceGuard The GE CommerceGuard system provides global tracking of containers as well as immediate notification if the security of the container is breached. The system is semi-IP-based where the end devices are not IP end points, but communicate with fixed readers that are IP end points. The CommerceGuard system was developed in 2002 by the company AllSet Marine Security AB and sold to General Electric in 2005. Its container security device and attachment to an intermodal container are shown in Figure 26.1. The CommerceGuard system consists of two components: container security devices and readers. The container security devices are placed on the containers and communicate with the readers. Readers are placed both at ports and reloading locations as well as on the ships. There are also mobile readers that are attached to mobile phones or laptops. The readers communicate with the container security device using a low-power radio and a proprietary protocol. The readers are connected to the Internet and communicate using TCP/IP over an Inmarsat satellite connection. The readers have contact with a database that maintains the location of all container security devices in the system. Customers and users can interact with the system through the database. The CommerceGuard architecture is shown in Figure 26.2. The container security device consists of a microprocessor, a radio transceiver, a power source in the form of a battery, and a set of sensors. Different container security devices have different configurations of the sensors, but all container security devices have a sensor that detects the opening and closing of the door. The door sensor can also detect if someone is trying to open the door, but fails.
Figure 26.1 The CommerceGuard container security device (left) and the lock installed in an intermodal container (right).
26.1 GE CommerceGuard
383
Phone
Database
Customer
Container seal Internet
Fixed reader
Figure 26.2 CommerceGuard architecture: container security devices communicate either with dedicated, fixed readers, or with a phone, and the reader or phone sends the packets over the Internet to a database from which customers download tracking data.
Container security devices can be equipped with additional sensors such as temperature, humidity, vibration, radioactivity, and motion. A particular set of sensors is configured depending on the goods transported in the container. The sensors collect data for storage and act on the data according to a set of applicationspecific rules. The radio transceiver on the container security device is duty cycled to provide a long lifetime when running on batteries. The reader and security device communicate using an out-of-band protocol to establish a duty cycle that fits the activities of the location at which the reader is deployed. Readers on a ship, where containers are likely to be present for a longer time and where there is no container mobility, announce a duty cycle that allows the security devices to keep the radio off most of the time. In contrast, readers placed at a busy sea port Figure 26.3 with high container mobility announce a high duty cycle. Thus security devices keep their radio on for longer amounts of time, allowing for more frequent comFixed reader. munication with readers. This allows the readers to communicate with security devices as they are moved between ships and freighter trucks while maintaining low-power consumption for the security devices. Readers are either stand-alone fixed readers as shown in Figure 26.3 or implemented as an add-on to a phone. The purpose of the reader is to communicate with the container security device using the short-range radio. The readers run the uIP IP stack [64]. The IP stack enables IP-based communication with the device. This reduces the need for custom communication software, leading to lower deployment costs. Users and customers interact with the CommerceGuard system using a web browser, as shown in Figure 26.4. The user interacts with the database that contains information about the security device’s location and physical conditions inside the containers to which they are attached.
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CHAPTER 26 Container Tracking
26.2 IBM Secure Trade Lane The IBM Secure Trade Lane (STL) system was recently developed for container tracking and secure management for IBM by ETH in Zürich in 2006 [58]. The STL system consists of a container security device called the tamper-resistant embedded controller (TREC), which communicates with a database that tracks the movement of the container to which the TREC is attached. Similar to the CommerceGuard system, the TREC device contains a microprocessor, sensors, and several communication options. Unlike the CommerceGuard system, which required a reader device to communicate with the security devices, the TREC is able to directly communicate with the Internet using its on-board General Packet Radio System (GPRS) communication device. A block diagram of the TREC is shown in Figure 26.5. The TREC contains three different communication devices: a GPRS interface that provides Internet connectivity when the device is within range of a mobile telephony system; a satellite communication system that allows Internet connectivity when the device is at sea, where there Figure 26.4 is little or no GPRS coverage; and an 802.15.4 The user interface of the CommerceGuard system low-power radio transceiver, which is used for running on a laptop. short-range communication such as with a mobile reader terminal. Additionally, the 802.15.4 device can be used for communicating with a gateway TREC device, which in turn connects to the Internet. MCU Sensors All communication devices are used to send information about the system to a database server over the Internet. The ability to use the Internet GPRS Satellite 802.15.4 to transport information significantly reduces management overhead due to the ubiquitous presence of Internet connectivity. Gateway The CommerceGuard system and the IBM STL system show the transition from semi-IPbased systems to fully IP-based systems. The Internet CommerceGuard system used IP at the readers but did not fully run IP to the end points. The more recent IBM STL system runs IP all the way Figure 26.5 into the containers, making management of the A block diagram of the TREC and its connections. system easier.
26.3 Conclusions
385
26.3 Conclusions Global trade relies on the efficient shipment of goods since 90% of all goods are shipped in containers. The ability to track the location of such containers and to continuously and remotely inspect their status helps both shipping companies and their customers. Because of its success, smart object technology is increasingly being used for global container tracking. We provide an overview of two container tracking systems: the GE CommerceGuard, developed in 2002, and the IBM Secure Trade Lane, developed in 2006. The GE CommerceGuard is semi-IPbased where IP end points are located at ships and ports, but the containers are not IP end points. The IBM STL system places the IP end points at every container, relying on the now-established infrastructure of Internet connectivity through satellite and GPRS connections. These are both examples of IP-based smart object systems that show the trend of pushing IP further into the actual devices.
Container Tracking
26
In the information age, it is easy to forget that global trade is as much about physical items being moved across the world as it is about information being transferred across the Internet. Every day there are over 6 billion tons of goods transported in over 12 million containers across the world. In the United States alone over 17,000 containers are loaded and unloaded every day. Approximately 90% of the world’s traded goods are shipped inside so-called intermodal containers used for loading goods onto ships, trains, and freighter airplanes. Intermodal containers come in several formats, some of which are specified by ISO standards. For intermodal container shipping, there is a large installed base infrastructure of loading cranes, shipping docks, and freighter ships. Smart object technology is increasingly being used to track the movement of containers as they are transported on ships, at ports, and through exchange points at places around the world. Smart objects can be installed in the containers, in container locks, or in devices that are attached to the inside or outside of the containers. The ability to retrofit existing containers with smart objects is a key requirement, as the predicted lifetime of a container is many years. The ability to track the goods as they are shipped across the world is tremendously beneficial for both the shipping company as well as its customers. The shipping companies are able to verify that the location of the goods is what the company expects it to be, as well as to gauge the time delay, should there be problems with the shipment. Likewise, customers are able to track their goods as they are transported by the shipping company providing an added value to the customer. Container tracking is not only about tracking the location of the containers, however. With the ability to track goods and containers, additional services can be added. Container security is perhaps the most apparent one. With container security tracking, the shipping company is informed instantly when the integrity of its container is breached. Thus the shipment can be immediately stopped and inspected at the next port or exchange point. Security tracking is not the only application of smart object container tracking. The goods inside the containers can be monitored using sensor-equipped smart objects placed inside the containers. These sensors can monitor temperature, humidity, and vibration conditions for the goods in the containers. This information helps the customers assess the status of their goods after shipment is complete. This is of particular interest for the shipment of foodstuffs and other goods that are sensitive to the transportation environment. The sensor information can be stored by the smart object and transmitted as the goods are unloaded, or transmitted in real time to the shipping company. Container tracking has previously been implemented using bar codes and bar code readers allowing a coarse-grained tracking of the goods. Bar codes require a substantial amount of human labor, Interconnecting Smart Objects with IP. DOI: 10.1016/B978-0-12-375165-2.00026-0 Copyright © 2010 by Morgan Kaufmann. All rights of reproduction in any form reserved.
381
382
CHAPTER 26 Container Tracking
however, increasing the cost of the solution. Subsequently, RFID tags have been used for similar purposes. RFID readers are available at ports and unloading points and can automatically scan large numbers of RFID tags, reducing the handling costs. Bar codes and RFID tags can only be used to track the location of containers at each unloading location. They cannot be used for real-time tracking or for additional services such as lock security or sensor monitoring. For these services, smart objects are needed. Two commercially deployed smart object-based container tracking systems, the GE CommerceGuard system and the IBM Secure Trade Lane system, are discussed next.
26.1 GE CommerceGuard The GE CommerceGuard system provides global tracking of containers as well as immediate notification if the security of the container is breached. The system is semi-IP-based where the end devices are not IP end points, but communicate with fixed readers that are IP end points. The CommerceGuard system was developed in 2002 by the company AllSet Marine Security AB and sold to General Electric in 2005. Its container security device and attachment to an intermodal container are shown in Figure 26.1. The CommerceGuard system consists of two components: container security devices and readers. The container security devices are placed on the containers and communicate with the readers. Readers are placed both at ports and reloading locations as well as on the ships. There are also mobile readers that are attached to mobile phones or laptops. The readers communicate with the container security device using a low-power radio and a proprietary protocol. The readers are connected to the Internet and communicate using TCP/IP over an Inmarsat satellite connection. The readers have contact with a database that maintains the location of all container security devices in the system. Customers and users can interact with the system through the database. The CommerceGuard architecture is shown in Figure 26.2. The container security device consists of a microprocessor, a radio transceiver, a power source in the form of a battery, and a set of sensors. Different container security devices have different configurations of the sensors, but all container security devices have a sensor that detects the opening and closing of the door. The door sensor can also detect if someone is trying to open the door, but fails.
Figure 26.1 The CommerceGuard container security device (left) and the lock installed in an intermodal container (right).
26.1 GE CommerceGuard
383
Phone
Database
Customer
Container seal Internet
Fixed reader
Figure 26.2 CommerceGuard architecture: container security devices communicate either with dedicated, fixed readers, or with a phone, and the reader or phone sends the packets over the Internet to a database from which customers download tracking data.
Container security devices can be equipped with additional sensors such as temperature, humidity, vibration, radioactivity, and motion. A particular set of sensors is configured depending on the goods transported in the container. The sensors collect data for storage and act on the data according to a set of applicationspecific rules. The radio transceiver on the container security device is duty cycled to provide a long lifetime when running on batteries. The reader and security device communicate using an out-of-band protocol to establish a duty cycle that fits the activities of the location at which the reader is deployed. Readers on a ship, where containers are likely to be present for a longer time and where there is no container mobility, announce a duty cycle that allows the security devices to keep the radio off most of the time. In contrast, readers placed at a busy sea port Figure 26.3 with high container mobility announce a high duty cycle. Thus security devices keep their radio on for longer amounts of time, allowing for more frequent comFixed reader. munication with readers. This allows the readers to communicate with security devices as they are moved between ships and freighter trucks while maintaining low-power consumption for the security devices. Readers are either stand-alone fixed readers as shown in Figure 26.3 or implemented as an add-on to a phone. The purpose of the reader is to communicate with the container security device using the short-range radio. The readers run the uIP IP stack [64]. The IP stack enables IP-based communication with the device. This reduces the need for custom communication software, leading to lower deployment costs. Users and customers interact with the CommerceGuard system using a web browser, as shown in Figure 26.4. The user interacts with the database that contains information about the security device’s location and physical conditions inside the containers to which they are attached.
384
CHAPTER 26 Container Tracking
26.2 IBM Secure Trade Lane The IBM Secure Trade Lane (STL) system was recently developed for container tracking and secure management for IBM by ETH in Zürich in 2006 [58]. The STL system consists of a container security device called the tamper-resistant embedded controller (TREC), which communicates with a database that tracks the movement of the container to which the TREC is attached. Similar to the CommerceGuard system, the TREC device contains a microprocessor, sensors, and several communication options. Unlike the CommerceGuard system, which required a reader device to communicate with the security devices, the TREC is able to directly communicate with the Internet using its on-board General Packet Radio System (GPRS) communication device. A block diagram of the TREC is shown in Figure 26.5. The TREC contains three different communication devices: a GPRS interface that provides Internet connectivity when the device is within range of a mobile telephony system; a satellite communication system that allows Internet connectivity when the device is at sea, where there Figure 26.4 is little or no GPRS coverage; and an 802.15.4 The user interface of the CommerceGuard system low-power radio transceiver, which is used for running on a laptop. short-range communication such as with a mobile reader terminal. Additionally, the 802.15.4 device can be used for communicating with a gateway TREC device, which in turn connects to the Internet. MCU Sensors All communication devices are used to send information about the system to a database server over the Internet. The ability to use the Internet GPRS Satellite 802.15.4 to transport information significantly reduces management overhead due to the ubiquitous presence of Internet connectivity. Gateway The CommerceGuard system and the IBM STL system show the transition from semi-IPbased systems to fully IP-based systems. The Internet CommerceGuard system used IP at the readers but did not fully run IP to the end points. The more recent IBM STL system runs IP all the way Figure 26.5 into the containers, making management of the A block diagram of the TREC and its connections. system easier.
26.3 Conclusions
385
26.3 Conclusions Global trade relies on the efficient shipment of goods since 90% of all goods are shipped in containers. The ability to track the location of such containers and to continuously and remotely inspect their status helps both shipping companies and their customers. Because of its success, smart object technology is increasingly being used for global container tracking. We provide an overview of two container tracking systems: the GE CommerceGuard, developed in 2002, and the IBM Secure Trade Lane, developed in 2006. The GE CommerceGuard is semi-IPbased where IP end points are located at ships and ports, but the containers are not IP end points. The IBM STL system places the IP end points at every container, relying on the now-established infrastructure of Internet connectivity through satellite and GPRS connections. These are both examples of IP-based smart object systems that show the trend of pushing IP further into the actual devices.