Method and apparatus for presenting supply chain information to a consumer
First Claim
1. A method for presenting pallet trip data associated with delivering a manufactured product to a retail consumer through a social media application created by a manufacturer and downloaded by the consumer onto a personal smart phone comprising the steps:
- the product manufacturer affixing a machine readable identifier onto the product,the manufacturer hiring a pallet owner to supply a smart pallet to ship the product through a designated supply chain for delivery to the consumer,the pallet owner supplying the smart pallet with a unique identifier and monitoring and reporting capabilities and a connection to a nation-wide wireless network,the pallet owner using a first e-commerce business application layer to pre-configure the smart pallet for the manufacturer'"'"'s proposed trip in the designated supply chain using the wireless network and thereafter transferring custody of the trip enabled smart pallet together with an access code to a dashboard available through an internet portal to the manufacturer,the manufacturer using the access code to remotely access a second e-commerce business application layer to configure the programmable condition monitoring and reporting capabilities of the smart pallet for the purpose of documenting a pallet trip record and associating product trip data on the dashboard at a remote work station with an internet connection to generate an electronic supply chain pedigree,physically loading the product on the smart pallet and thereafter electronically associating the unique identifier of the smart pallet with the machine readable identifier of the product on the smart pallet through the designated supply chain,the smart pallet monitoring conditions and reporting conditions in response to instructions pre-programmed in the first and second e-commerce business application layers during the pallet'"'"'s trip, and subsequently accessing the condition reports of the second e-commerce business application layer by the manufacturer using the access code to view updates on the dashboard,electronically disassociating the product from the smart pallet when the smart pallet reaches its intended destination and custody of the smart pallet is transferred from the manufacturer to the pallet owner,the pallet owner providing the manufacturer with an invoice for using the smart pallet along with a pallet rental trip file containing information documented through the first e-commerce business application layer used by the smart pallet owner to manage the smart pallet for rental purposes and information documented through condition reports of the second e-commerce business application layer used by the manufacturer to provide an electronic supply chain pedigree of the product,the manufacturer using a third e-commerce business application layer to extract information from aggregated data records of the first and second layers,presenting the extracted information in the social media application sponsored by the manufacturer to influence purchasing decisions of the consumer, andthe consumer bringing the smart phone into communication range of the machine readable identifier on the product to launch a proprietary social media application for displaying the product'"'"'s supply chain pedigree and other useful information of interest about the product to the consumer.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A smart tracking device, such as a cellular M2M device, is attached to a plastic pallet for monitoring, recording and reporting the location, condition and manifest record of the pallet as it moves through a supply chain for shipment of products from a manufacturer to a consumer. The cellular M2M device has a subscriber identification module (SIM) to uniquely identify the pallet with which it is associated in a cellular network. The M2M device receives and transmits data about the products on the pallet, as the pallet moves through the supply chain. Actionable data allows supply chain managers to mitigate risks and losses in the supply chain. The supply chain data is also used to provide an electronic supply chain pedigree for a product shipped on the pallet. The product supply chain pedigree is made available to a consumer in a structured format, in order to influence the consumer'"'"'s purchasing decisions.
109 Citations
14 Claims
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1. A method for presenting pallet trip data associated with delivering a manufactured product to a retail consumer through a social media application created by a manufacturer and downloaded by the consumer onto a personal smart phone comprising the steps:
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the product manufacturer affixing a machine readable identifier onto the product, the manufacturer hiring a pallet owner to supply a smart pallet to ship the product through a designated supply chain for delivery to the consumer, the pallet owner supplying the smart pallet with a unique identifier and monitoring and reporting capabilities and a connection to a nation-wide wireless network, the pallet owner using a first e-commerce business application layer to pre-configure the smart pallet for the manufacturer'"'"'s proposed trip in the designated supply chain using the wireless network and thereafter transferring custody of the trip enabled smart pallet together with an access code to a dashboard available through an internet portal to the manufacturer, the manufacturer using the access code to remotely access a second e-commerce business application layer to configure the programmable condition monitoring and reporting capabilities of the smart pallet for the purpose of documenting a pallet trip record and associating product trip data on the dashboard at a remote work station with an internet connection to generate an electronic supply chain pedigree, physically loading the product on the smart pallet and thereafter electronically associating the unique identifier of the smart pallet with the machine readable identifier of the product on the smart pallet through the designated supply chain, the smart pallet monitoring conditions and reporting conditions in response to instructions pre-programmed in the first and second e-commerce business application layers during the pallet'"'"'s trip, and subsequently accessing the condition reports of the second e-commerce business application layer by the manufacturer using the access code to view updates on the dashboard, electronically disassociating the product from the smart pallet when the smart pallet reaches its intended destination and custody of the smart pallet is transferred from the manufacturer to the pallet owner, the pallet owner providing the manufacturer with an invoice for using the smart pallet along with a pallet rental trip file containing information documented through the first e-commerce business application layer used by the smart pallet owner to manage the smart pallet for rental purposes and information documented through condition reports of the second e-commerce business application layer used by the manufacturer to provide an electronic supply chain pedigree of the product, the manufacturer using a third e-commerce business application layer to extract information from aggregated data records of the first and second layers, presenting the extracted information in the social media application sponsored by the manufacturer to influence purchasing decisions of the consumer, and the consumer bringing the smart phone into communication range of the machine readable identifier on the product to launch a proprietary social media application for displaying the product'"'"'s supply chain pedigree and other useful information of interest about the product to the consumer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A method for supplying a retail consumer with information about a product of interest shipped on a pallet through a social media application comprising the steps of:
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positioning a smart tracking device on a rented pallet to uniquely identify the pallet and to observe and record conditions indicative of a status of the pallet as it is shipped through a supply chain to the consumer, linking the smart tracking device on the pallet to a wireless network and configuring the smart tracking device to capture a first layer of data for a pallet management data base concerning the status of the pallet during shipment in the supply chain, affixing a machine readable identifier to the product, associating the smart tracking device with the machine readable identifier in the pallet management data base, programming the smart tracking device by a pallet customer to selectively capture a second layer of data in a product data base concerning conditions of the product during shipment in the supply chain, communicating the first and second layers of data by the smart tracking device to a host server administered by a pallet owner during a pallet rental trip, aggregating the first layer of data on the status of the movement of the pallet and the second layer of data on the status of the movement of the product in the supply chain to record a complete supply chain history of the product on the pallet at the host server, filtering from the complete supply chain history on the host server a third layer of data extracted for presentation in a structured format on a social media application sponsored by the product manufacturer, disassociating the smart tracking device from the machine readable identifier by removing the product from the pallet, displaying the machine readable identifier on the product to the consumer, and establishing a communications link between a smart phone and the machine readable identifier to launch the social media application to influence the purchasing behavior of the retail consumer of the product. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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Specification