Acclimation process

• US 10,571,342 B1
• Filed: 08/21/2018
• Issued: 02/25/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: David, Milnes, Green, William J., Prisco, Joseph, Sanders, Robert T., Spaulding, Sharon T., Timothy, Hemphill M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lieu, Julie B
• Application Number:
  US16/107,286
• Publication Number:
  US 20200064205A1
• Time in Patent Office: 553 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 3/04 in respect of time
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0717 the sensor being capable of sensing environmental conditions such as temperature history or pressure
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0832 Special goods or special handling procedures, e.g. handling of hazardous or fragile goods

Abstract

An advisory element of an acclimation system for an item being shipped from a source to a destination is provided with the item being disposable in a polybag. The advisory element is attachable to or is disposable remotely from the polybag. The advisory element is configured to receive shipment information input at the source, to sense environmental conditions to which the item and the polybag are exposed during shipment and at the destination and to calculate an acclimation time for the item based on the shipment information and the sensed environmental conditions. The advisory element is further configured to provide operational guidance to a user in accordance with the acclimation time at the destination.

Claims

1. An advisory element of an acclimation system for an item being shipped from a source to a destination with the item being disposable in a polybag,

the advisory element being attachable to or disposable remotely from the polybag, and

the advisory element being configured to:

receive shipment information input at the source,

sense environmental conditions to which the item and the polybag are exposed during shipment and at the destination,

calculate an acclimation time for the item based on the shipment information and the sensed environmental conditions, and

provide operational guidance to a user in accordance with the acclimation time at the destination.

2. The advisory element according to claim 1, wherein the advisory element is one of magnetically attachable to the polybag and configured for adhesion to the polybag.

3. The acclimation system according to claim 1, wherein the polybag is formed to define an aperture with a gasket and the advisory element is attachable to the polybag at the gasket.

4. The acclimation system according to claim 1, wherein the advisory element is further configured to automatically open the polybag in accordance with the acclimation time.

5. The acclimation system according to claim 1, wherein the shipment information comprises physical characteristics of the item and initial shipping and destination conditions.

6. The acclimation system according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the shipment information is at least one of manually input and automatically input into the advisory element.

7. The acclimation system according to claim 1, wherein the advisory element continually senses and records the environmental conditions during the shipment and at the destination.

8. The acclimation system according to claim 1, wherein the acclimation time is calculated to comprise:

a first acclimation time component to be indicative of a first suggested delay between an initial time at which the item and the polybag arrive at the destination and a second time at which the polybag is to be opened, and

a second acclimation time component to be indicative of a second suggested delay between the second time and a third time at which the item is to be operated.

9. The acclimation system according to claim 8, wherein the operational guidance comprises a display of at least one of the first acclimation time component and the second acclimation time component.

10. An acclimation system for an item being shipped from a source to a destination, the acclimation system comprising:

a polybag into which the item is disposable; and

an advisory element, which is attachable to or disposable remotely from the polybag, and being configured to;

receive shipment information input at the source,

sense environmental conditions to which the item and the polybag are exposed during shipment and at the destination,

calculate an acclimation time for the item based on the shipment information and the sensed environmental conditions, and

provide operational guidance to a user in accordance with the acclimation time at the destination.

11. The acclimation system according to claim 10, wherein the advisory element is one of magnetically attachable to the polybag and configured for adhesion to the polybag.

12. The acclimation system according to claim 10, wherein the polybag is formed to define an aperture with a gasket and the advisory element is attachable to the polybag at the gasket.

13. The acclimation system according to claim 10, wherein the advisory element is further configured to automatically open the polybag in accordance with the acclimation time.

14. The acclimation system according to claim 10, wherein the shipment information comprises physical characteristics of the item and initial shipping and destination conditions.

15. The acclimation system according to claim 10, wherein at least a portion of the shipment information is at least one of manually input and automatically input into the advisory element.

16. The acclimation system according to claim 10, wherein the advisory element continually senses and records the environmental conditions during the shipment and at the destination.

17. The acclimation system according to claim 10, wherein the acclimation time is calculated to comprise:

a first acclimation time component to be indicative of a first suggested delay between an initial time at which the item and the polybag arrive at the destination and a second time at which the polybag is to be opened, and

a second acclimation time component to be indicative of a second suggested delay between the second time and a third time at which the item is to be operated.

18. The acclimation system according to claim 17, wherein the operational guidance comprises a display of at least one of the first acclimation time component and the second acclimation time component.

19. A method of managing a shipment from a source to a destination of an item that is disposed in a polybag from a source to a destination,

the method being executable by an advisory element that is attachable to or disposable remotely from the polybag, and

the method comprising:

receiving shipment information input at the source;

sensing environmental conditions to which the item and the polybag are exposed during shipment and at the destination;

calculating an acclimation time for the item based on the shipment information and the sensed environmental conditions; and

providing operational guidance to a user in accordance with the acclimation time at the destination.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the calculating of the acclimation time comprises:

calculating a first acclimation time component to be indicative of a first suggested delay between an initial time at which the item and the polybag arrive at the destination and a second time at which the polybag is to be opened, and

calculating a second acclimation time component to be indicative of a second suggested delay between the second time and a third time at which the item is to be operated.