ENVIRONMENTAL DATA COLLECTION

• US 20090066505A1
• Filed: 10/21/2008
• Published: 03/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Copeland Cold Chain LP
• Original Assignee: PakSense Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Gruell, Kirk M., Jensen, Thomas P.
• Granted Patent: US 8,947,224 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/539.220
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 1/14 giving a distribution function of a value, i.e. number of times the value comes within specified ranges of amplitude
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 1/022 for recording
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 1/024 for remote indication
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 3/04 in respect of time
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 1/08 using electric transmission ; transformation of alarm signals to electrical signals from a different medium, e.g. transmission of an electric alarm signal upon detection of an audible alarm signal

Abstract

One computer readable medium embodiment includes computer readable instructions stored thereon for execution by a device to perform a method of environmental data collection. The method can include receiving environmental data and associated time data. The method can also include aggregating time data into categories of environmental data within, above, and below a range. The method can further include outputting the aggregated and categorized time data.

Claims

1. A computer readable medium having computer readable instructions stored thereon for execution by a device to perform a method of environmental data collection, comprising:

receiving environmental data and associated time data from one or more environmental sensors;

aggregating time data into categories of environmental data within, above, and below a range; and

outputting the aggregated and categorized time data.

2. The medium of claim 1, wherein the method includes outputting the aggregated and categorized time data to a display.

3. The medium of claim 1, wherein the method includes outputting the aggregated and categorized time data as percentages of a total time over which environmental data is measured by a source of the received environmental data.

4. The medium of claim 1, wherein the method includes outputting the aggregated and categorized time data as hours and minutes for each of within, above, and below the range.

5. The medium of claim 1, wherein the method includes receiving environmental data and associated time data via a wireless communication link.

6. The medium of claim 1, wherein the method includes:

receiving environmental data and associated time data via a physical contact communication link; and

providing power to an environmental sensing assembly via the physical contact communication link.

7. The medium of claim 1, wherein the environmental data includes one selected from the group including:

temperature data, humidity data, physical orientation data, proximity data, acceleration data, atmospheric pressure data, molecular compounds data, chemical change data, shock data, vibration data, light data, and combinations thereof.

8. A computer readable medium having computer readable instructions stored thereon for execution by a device to perform a method of environmental data collection, comprising:

receiving environmental data and associated time data from one or more environmental sensors;

multiplying an amount by which environmental data is out of a range by the associated time data to determine a product characterizing a relative magnitude of an alert event; and

outputting the product.

9. The medium of claim 8, wherein the method includes summing a number of products, each corresponding to environmental data that is out of the range by different amounts during the alert event, and outputting the sum.

10. The medium of claim 8, wherein the alert event begins when environmental data is out of the range and ends when environmental data is within the range.

11. The medium of claim 8, wherein the environmental data is temperature, and wherein outputting the product includes outputting the product in degree-minutes.

12. The medium of claim 8, wherein the instructions are stored in memory of one selected from the group including:

an environmental sensing assembly for environmental sensing; and

a remote reader device for the environmental sensing assembly.

13. The medium of claim 12, wherein outputting the product includes outputting the product on a display of the remote reader device.

14. The medium of claim 8, wherein the method includes:

receiving environmental data and associated time data from more than one environmental sensing assembly; and

outputting an environmental sensing assembly identifier along with the product to indicate which environmental sensing assembly is reporting the alert event.

15. The medium of claim 8, wherein the method includes:

outputting an indication of whether the environmental data out of the range is above or below the range;

outputting the aggregated time data;

outputting the environmental data out of the range; and

outputting a start time for the environmental data out of the range.

16. A remote reader device for collecting environmentally sensed data, comprising:

a logic circuit coupled to a display and a communication link, wherein the logic circuit is configured to;

receive environmental data and associated time data via the communication link from one or more environmental sensing assemblies;

aggregate time data associated with environmental data into categories including;

within, above, and below a range; and

output the aggregated and categorized time data to the display.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein the logic circuit is coupled to a data input device, a data memory, and a power source.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein:

the data memory is a non-volatile memory;

the power source is a battery;

the communication link is a radio frequency (RF) transceiver; and

the device is housed in a molded plastic handheld clamshell.

19. The device of claim 18, wherein the wireless communication link includes a circuit board trance antenna.

20. The device of claim 18, wherein the data input device is a touchscreen on the display.

21. The device of claim 17, wherein the logic circuit is coupled to:

a universal serial bus (USB) controller that is coupled to a USB port to transfer data stored in the memory to a computing device; and

battery charging and gauge circuitry to charge the battery and provide an indication of charge status on the display.

22. The device of claim 16, wherein the communication link is a physical contact communication link to communicate with and recharge, via physical contact, an environmental sensing assembly from which environmental data and associated time data is sent.

23. A remote reader device for communicating environmentally sensed data, comprising:

a logic circuit coupled to a display and a communication link, wherein the logic circuit is configured to;

receive environmental data and associated time data from one or more environmental sensing assemblies via the communication link;

multiply an amount by which environmental data is out of a range by the associated time data to determine a product characterizing a relative magnitude of an alert event; and

output the product to the display.

24. The device of claim 23, wherein the logic circuit is configured to output environmental data corresponding to a maximum amount by which environmental data is out of the range during the alert event to the display.

25. The device of claim 23, wherein the logic circuit is configured to output associated time data for a first environmental data point that is out of the range to the display.

26. The device of claim 23, wherein the logic circuit is configured to output an indication of whether the alert event corresponds to environmental data that is above the range or below the range to the display.

27. The device of claim 23, wherein the logic circuit is configured to output a duration of the alert event to the display.

28. The device of claim 23, wherein the logic circuit is configured to:

receive environmental data and associated time data from more than one source; and

output the product to the display for each source along with an identifier for each source.