A system for the secure transportation of articles

摘要

A system for the secure transportation of articles such as cheques and bank notes comprises first and second docking stations (18) at different locations, and a secure container (20) which mates with the docking stations. The container has a number of lockable doors (42, 44) into which bank notes are fed by a feeder mechanism (40) at the first docking station. The container has its own microcontroller which monitors the status of the doors and the integrity of the container, and which can respond to external control signals while it is in transit. Once the container has been loaded at one docking station, it is transported to the second docking station at a different location, where it can be unloaded. A one-time code is generated each time the container is loaded, and must be communicated to the second docking station before the container can be unloaded. Any attempt to tamper with the container while it is in transit results in the activation of a dye dispenser, which marks the contents of the container. $$