Sino-US shipping line container RFID management system

1. Background and significance

As the pace of economic globalization further accelerates and international trade develops rapidly, container transportation has become an important form of transportation modernization due to its efficiency, convenience, and safety. The United States has implemented preferential inspections on containers from ports corresponding to the CSI (Container Security Protocol), which has strongly stimulated the rapid development of electronic seal technology.

Shanghai International Port (Group) Co., Ltd. is the largest port enterprise in mainland my country. The annual cargo throughput capacity of Shanghai Port is 136.6 million tons, and the container throughput capacity is 8.5 million TEUs. How to efficiently manage containers parked in Shanghai Port and ensure the safety of the entire container during transportation has become a problem that troubles Shanghai Port Group.

Traditional container management mainly relies on manual management, which is in a manual or semi-manual state and is very inefficient. Modern container management urgently needs an electronic label that can record box, cargo, and flow information in real time, as well as record the time and geographical information of opening and closing boxes, thereby improving the overall level of container logistics. The application environment of container electronic tags is very complex and the technology is very difficult. The proposed technical indicators, functional requirements, and process requirements are far greater than those of ordinary electronic tags. Container electronic labels place very stringent requirements on the safety and reliability of the labels.

Based on this, IFAST develops a new generation of electronic labels that can be used for container management. After three years, the RFID electronic seal developed for Shanghai Port has perfectly solved the problems that have plagued Shanghai Port for many years, and launched a new generation of reusable electronic tags that incorporate GPRS technology. The RFID electronic tags record data on boxes, goods, etc., and transmit it to the data center through wireless LAN. The containers are monitored online in real time throughout the entire process. All nodes in the container logistics chain can query logistics information on the system website at any time, including the time and date of legal and illegal unpacking. Locations can be accurately recorded and displayed on the website in real time. Including container information, loading/unloading information, container transportation information, inspection information, door opening/closing time, geographical location, status, and logistics information can be queried instantly, and can be transmitted in real time to people thousands of miles away. Backend management system, you can log in to the system platform from anywhere in the world to check the status of a container.

2. Introduction to process flow

Based on the characteristics of cross-border container transportation, the project team determined the process flow of applying container RFID electronic tags from the container packing point, arrival, loading, unloading, exit to unpacking point. According to the operation process, it can be divided into two major processes: "door to door" and "port to port".

(1) "Door to door" process

A. Packing point:

Use a handheld reading and writing device to first initialize the tag, enter the tag number, container number, cargo name, etc. onto the tag, and select the GPS location. Close the door of the loaded container, hang the RFID electronic tag and report the dynamic information to the server.

B. Port entrance/exit crossing:

a. When a container truck with an RFID electronic tag drives into the entry/exit crossing, the RFID fixed reader/writer installed at the entry crossing automatically reads the RFID electronic tag and uploads all safety and logistics dynamic information to the server. Logistics The information is displayed on the web page. Confirm the safety status of the RFID electronic tag (if the door is illegally opened and closed, the system will send an alarm message to facilitate the sender/consignee to trace).

b. According to the container number, obtain the EDI electronic packing list data from the server, record part of the EDI data into the label, and upload dynamic information such as safety and logistics to the server.

C. Customs inspection:

a. At the inspection point, after the customs confirms the safety status of the container, it authorizes the label to be opened, pulls out the steel bolt on the label to open the door, and the time and geographical location information of the door is automatically recorded into the label, and the dynamic information is uploaded to Server, logistics information is displayed on the web page.

b. After the customs inspection is completed, close the door and insert the steel bolt into the label to complete the labeling in the authorized state. At this time, the tag automatically records the time and geographical location information of the box closing into the tag, and at the same time, the dynamic information is uploaded to the server.

D. Loading/unloading:

When a container equipped with an RFID electronic tag is loaded/unloaded, the fixed reader/writer installed on the bridge crane automatically reads the information of the RFID electronic tag and uploads dynamic information such as the container's safety status and logistics to the server.

E. Unboxing point:

At the unpacking point of receiving goods, use a mobile reading and writing device to manually read the RFID electronic tag, upload the dynamic information of the entire container logistics process to the server for archiving, and authorize the opening and removal of the RFID electronic tag.

The entire security, container, cargo, logistics and other dynamic information of containers with RFID electronic tags passing through six control points are displayed on the web page.

(2) "Port to port" process

Export process:

Since the transported containers are distributed across the country, packing has been completed at various packing points. Therefore, the research team arranged the operation of attaching RFID electronic tags in this process before the container enters the port crossing.

Use a handheld reading and writing device to first initialize the tag, enter the tag number, container number, cargo name and other information on the tag, select the GPS location and report the dynamic information to the server.

The operation process of entry, inspection and shipment refers to the "door-to-door" process.

Import process:

The unloading operation follows the "door to door" process.

The operations of exiting and removing tags are completed at the exit crossing.

When a container truck equipped with an RFID electronic tag drives into the exit crossing, the fixed reader/writer installed at the crossing automatically reads the RFID electronic tag, uploads the entire container logistics dynamic information to the server for archiving, and removes the RFID electronic tag. , logistics information is displayed on the web page. Container truck exits the crossing.