Boarding team members from the USS Lake Champlain rappel down cargo containers stacked on the deck of the merchant ship for a routine inspection.
WiFi Wireless, Inc., with the assistance of their lawyers Baker Botts LLP, the issuance of two U.S. patent numbers for its cargo container monitoring device and cargo container monitoring system.
"We are very excited that after several months of due diligence and certification of our system, Baker Botts LLP has obtained two patent numbers. The recently patented technology provides an entirely new class of cargo security that is ideally suited for homeland security," said Eugene Curcio, chairman of WiFi Wireless, Inc.
Currently The Homeland Security Department only inspects (opens) 6 percent of 11 million cargo containers that enter U.S. seaports annually. This small percentage of inspections performed only on high risk containers is not an effective security measure even when complemented with the use of X-ray scanners at these ports.
However, the Wi-Fi solution satisfies the hazardous material detection measure and many other concerns which are expected to be part of future mandates.
U.S. Senator Susan Collins, chairwoman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, has described America's 361 seaports in the U.S. as a potential "Trojan Horse." In a September 2006 Congressional Hearing, Senator Collins stressed the need to "better protect the American people from attack through seaports that are both vulnerable points of entry and vital centers of economic activity."
The Cargo Container System, called WFSCT System, is an end-to-end solution which includes all electronic devices, wireless control, monitoring and tracking communications equipment, network infrastructure and proprietary software systems, security algorithms and user interfaces, all of which combined are exclusive Wi-Fi innovations. The system works in extreme severe weather conditions and dramatically improves signal stability and reception with virtually no losses or degradation.
WiFi Wireless has taken the concept of a cargo container ID tag and turned it into a ship board solution offering continuous cargo monitoring and management features such as: real-time container identification, security alerts (cargo tampering detection), temperature monitoring, and hazardous or explosive materials detection.
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DoD photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Charles Abell, U.S. Navy.
