Systems and methods for transporting a product using an environmental sensor
First Claim
1. A system comprising:
- an environmental sensor associated with a product in a container;
at least one scanner for scanning the sensor at one or more locations to read product environment data from the sensor; and
a computer connected to communicate with the at least one scanner, the computer generating a transporting instruction for transporting the container and product based on the scanned product environment data.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Systems and methods disclosed herein use environmental sensor technology to enhance the tracking and transporting capabilities of a product delivery system. The systems and methods provide the capability to track and verify the environmental condition(s) to which a product is subjected during its transportation or movement through a supply chain. In particular, the systems and methods allow a sender, a receiver, and other authorized persons to access or interrogate environmental data that describes the environmental conditions to which a product within a container has been subjected during transport from the sender to the receiver. The systems and methods also permit in-transit intercept handling when it is determined that a package was unexpectedly subjected to an environmental condition that by definition makes it unfit for delivery to the original receiver.
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Citations
89 Claims
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1. A system comprising:
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an environmental sensor associated with a product in a container;
at least one scanner for scanning the sensor at one or more locations to read product environment data from the sensor; and
a computer connected to communicate with the at least one scanner, the computer generating a transporting instruction for transporting the container and product based on the scanned product environment data. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A computer system comprising:
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a server capable of communicating with a plurality of remote computers via a network, said remote computers operable to transmit at least one of product environment data, tracking data and identification data associated with at least one of a container and product, to the server via the network; and
a database accessible by the server for storing product environment and tracking data in association with identification data. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25)
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26. An apparatus comprising:
a database storage unit storing identification data associated with at least one of a container and product;
tracking data associated with the identification data; and
product environment data associated with the identification data and the tracking data. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28)
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29. A method comprising:
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scanning an environmental sensor physically associated with a product in a container at one or more locations to read product environment data from the sensor; and
transporting the container and product based on the product environment data. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66)
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67. A method comprising:
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receiving identification data associated with at least one of a container and product at a computer system via a network from a remote scanner;
receiving product environment data at the computer system via the network from the remote scanner, said product environment data obtained by scanning an environmental sensor associated with the contained product;
storing the product environment data in association with the identification data in the computer system;
receiving tracking data associated with the contained product at the computer system via the network from the remote scanner; and
storing the tracking data in association with the identification data and the product environment data in the computer system. - View Dependent Claims (68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74)
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- 75. A computer-readable medium storing a computer program that can be executed by a computer to receive product environment data, said product environment data obtained by scanning an environmental sensor associated with a product in a container, and to generate a transporting instruction for transporting the container and product based on the product environment data.
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86. A computer-readable medium storing a computer program that can be executed by a computer to:
- receive product environment data at the computer via a network from a remote scanner, said product environment data obtained by scanning an environmental sensor associated with a contained product;
store the product environment data in the computer;
receive tracking data associated with the contained product at the computer via the network from the remote scanner; and
store the tracking data in association with the product environment data in the computer. - View Dependent Claims (87, 88, 89)
- receive product environment data at the computer via a network from a remote scanner, said product environment data obtained by scanning an environmental sensor associated with a contained product;
Specification