Portable and trackable security box and method for delivering and tracking security box

Abstract

A shipping box system and method are provided in which a shipping box has a container having a bottom surface and a plurality of walls, the container walls forming a perimeter about a container cavity. The shipping box further has a lid having a top surface and walls, the lid walls forming a perimeter about a lid cavity. The box further provides a sensor module for determining a physical location and orientation of the container, a computations module for evaluating data retrieved from the sensor module, and a locking assembly for locking the container and the lid in a closed configuration. The container and the lid are sized to nest, such that when the lid is fixed to the container, the container cavity and the lid cavity occupy substantially the same space and the container walls and the lid walls overlap.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A shipping box system comprising a first shipping box having:
 a container having a bottom surface and a plurality of container walls extending from the bottom surface, the container walls forming a perimeter about a container cavity;   a lid having a top surface and a plurality of lid walls extending from the top surface, the lid walls forming a perimeter about a lid cavity;   a sensor module for determining a physical location and orientation of the container;   a computations module for evaluating data retrieved from the sensor module;   a locking assembly for locking the container and the lid in a closed configuration;   wherein the container and the lid are sized to nest, such that when the lid is fixed to the container, the container cavity and the lid cavity occupy substantially the same space and the container walls and the lid walls overlap.   
     
     
         2 . The shipping box system of  claim 1 , wherein the perimeter about the lid cavity is larger than the perimeter about the container cavity, such that the container is nested within the lid, and wherein the container walls and the lid walls have substantially similar heights, such that the container is fully within the lid cavity when the lid is fixed to the container. 
     
     
         3 . The shipping box system of  claim 1 , wherein the locking assembly is not accessible from an outer surface of the shipping box. 
     
     
         4 . The shipping box system of  claim 3 , wherein the locking assembly locks when the lid is fixed to the container, and wherein the locking assembly may be unlocked only by the computations module. 
     
     
         5 . The shipping box system of  claim 4 , wherein the computation module is provided with a shipping destination, and wherein the computation module unlocks the locking assembly only upon an indication from the sensor module that the shipping box is at the shipping destination. 
     
     
         6 . The shipping box system of  claim 1 , wherein the container walls and the lid walls are applied with an impact resistive coating. 
     
     
         7 . The shipping box system of  claim 6  wherein the container walls and the lid walls comprise a polycarbonate material coated with the impact resistive coating. 
     
     
         8 . The shipping box system of  claim 6 , wherein the container walls and the lid walls are perforated or mesh coated with the impact resistive coating. 
     
     
         9 . The shipping box system of  claim 8 , wherein the container walls and the lid walls form a faraday cage blocking radio signals in and out of the container. 
     
     
         10 . The shipping box system of  claim 9 , further comprising a communications module, wherein the communications module is tuned to correspond with the physical structure of the faraday cage. 
     
     
         11 . The shipping box system of  claim 10  further comprising a second shipping box, wherein a first shipping box comprises container walls and lid walls forming a faraday cage tuned differently than container walls and lid walls of the second shipping box. 
     
     
         12 . The shipping box system of  claim 1  further comprising a communications module wherein the computation module receives data from the sensor module and evaluates the data to determine whether forced opening of the first shipping box has been attempted, and wherein the communication module transmits an alert in the event of an attempted forced opening. 
     
     
         13 . A shipping method for shipping goods to a recipient, the method comprising:
 providing a locking box comprising a geolocation module, a communications module, and a computation module;   locking the locking box upon closure;   monitoring transportation of the box by way of the communications module;   determining an expected destination for the locking box at the computation module;   determining a current location for the locking box at the computation module based on data retrieved from the geolocation module;   unlocking the box only upon confirming that the current location corresponds to the expected destination.   
     
     
         14 . The shipping method of  claim 13  further comprising:
 determining an expected route for transportation of the box; 
 monitoring an actual route traveled by the box by way of the communications module based on data retrieved from the geolocation module; 
 generating an alert if the actual route traveled does not correspond to the expected route for transportation of the box; 
 transmitting the alert. 
 
     
     
         15 . The shipping method of  claim 13 , the locking box further comprising a sensor module for monitoring characteristics of the interior of the box, the method further comprising:
 determining a desired metric for a characteristic of the interior of the box;   monitoring an actual metric for the characteristic of the interior of the box corresponding to the desired metric by way of the sensor module;   generating an alert if the actual metric deviates from the desired metric;   transmitting the alert.   
     
     
         16 . The shipping method of  claim 15 , wherein the characteristic of the interior box is a temperature, air quality, vibration, or movement measurement. 
     
     
         17 . The shipping method of  claim 16 , the locking box further comprising a device for modifying the characteristic, the method further comprising, upon determining that the actual metric for the characteristic deviates from the desired metric, activating the device to modify the characteristic. 
     
     
         18 . The shipping method of  claim 17 , wherein the device is an air conditioning unit or a pump. 
     
     
         19 . The shipping method of  claim 17 , wherein the desired metric may be modified after initiating shipment of the locking box. 
     
     
         20 . A shipping method for shipping goods to a recipient, the method comprising:
 providing a plurality of locking boxes, each comprising a geolocation module, a communications module, and a computation module;   locking the locking boxes upon closure;   monitoring transportation of the locking boxes by way of the communications module;   determining an expected checkpoint destination for the locking boxes at the computation module;   receiving an identification of one of the plurality of the boxes to be opened at the checkpoint;   determining a current location for the locking box at the computation module based on data retrieved from the geolocation module;   unlocking the one of the plurality of boxes identified only upon confirming that the current location corresponds to the expected checkpoint destination.