US Patent 7978067 Intelligent container

A system for remotely identifying, tracking, and monitoring transported goods includes a sensing and communications device (14) embedded in a shipping container (2). The sensing and communications device (14) includes onboard sensors (58,60,62) and wirelessly communicates with external sensors (24,26) to receive environmental and structural condition data. The device (14) communicates the data via either an RF interface (52,54) or a cellular telephone system interface (48,50) to a remote monitoring station (68). The remote monitoring station (68) analyzes the data, presents the data to a user, and enables the user to program the device (14).