CIRCUIT WITH SENSOR TO MONITOR AND TRACK A CONTAINER

• US 20200134554A1
• Filed: 10/29/2018
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products BV (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products BV (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Bikumala, Sathish Kumar, Files, Jace W.
• Granted Patent: US 11,625,667 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/44 Electric circuits for command of an exposure part G03B7/02
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/407 for investigating or analysing gases G01N27/411 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0833 Tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0835 Relationships between shipper or supplier and carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0837 Return transactions
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/025 using location based information parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

In some examples, a server may receive a first order to acquire a product. The server may receive a request to cancel the first order and determine that the product has shipped. The server may determine, based on sensor data received from a sensor of a circuit board in the container, that the container is unopened. After receiving a second order to ship the product to a second location, the server may instruct a courier to transport the product to the second location. For example, if the container is located at the first location, the server may instruct the courier to transport the container from the first location to the second location. If the server determines that the courier is currently transporting the container to the first location, the server may instruct the courier to transport the container to the second location instead of to the first location.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by one or more processors, a request to cancel a first order to acquire a product and ship the product to a first location;

determining, by the one or more processors, that the product has been shipped to the first location in a container that includes a circuit board comprising a sensor and a modem;

receiving, by the one or more processors, sensor data from the sensor, the sensor data transmitted by the modem over a wireless network;

determining, by the one or more processors and based on the sensor data, that the container is unopened;

placing, by the one or more processors, the product in a canceled order inventory;

receiving, by the one or more processors, a second order to ship the product to a second location; and

instructing, by the one or more processors, a courier to transport the product to the second location.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein instructing the courier to transport the product to the second location comprises:

determining that the container is located at the first location; and

instructing the courier to transport the container from the first location to the second location.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein instructing the courier to transport the product to the second location comprises:

determining that the courier is transporting the container to the first location; and

instructing the courier to transport the container to the second location instead of to the first location.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

an insulated cable is wrapped around an exterior of the container;

the insulated cable is electrically coupled to the circuit board to create a circuit having a closed state; and

cutting a portion of the insulated cable to open the container causes the circuit board to determine that the circuit has changed from the closed state to an open state indicating that the container has been opened.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

packing tape that includes an embedded conductor is used to seal one or more flaps of the container;

the embedded conductor is electrically coupled to the circuit board to create a circuit having a closed state; and

cutting a portion of the packing tape causes the circuit board to determine that the circuit has changed from the closed state to an open state indicating that the container has been opened.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the sensor comprises an oxygen sensor to detect the presence of oxygen;

the container includes a seal sufficient to prevent oxygen from entering into the container; and

breaking the seal of the container causes the sensor to detect oxygen in the atmosphere, causing the circuit board to determine that the container has been opened.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the sensor is light sensitive;

the container includes a seal sufficient to prevent light from entering into the container; and

breaking the seal of the container causes the light to strike the sensor, causing the circuit board to determine that the container has been opened.

8. A server comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more non-transitory computer readable media storing instructions executable by the one or more processors to perform operations comprising;

receiving a request to cancel a first order to acquire a product and ship the product to a first location;

determining that the product has been shipped to the first location in a container that includes a circuit board comprising a sensor and a modem;

receiving sensor data from the sensor, the sensor data transmitted by the modem over a wireless network;

determining, based on the sensor data, that the container is unopened;

placing the product in a canceled order inventory;

receiving a second order to ship the product to a second location; and

instructing a courier to transport the product to the second location.

9. The server of claim 8, wherein instructing the courier to transport the product to the second location comprises:

instructing the courier to transport the container from the first location to the second location based at least in part on determining that the container is located at the first location;

or

instructing the courier to transport the container to the second location instead of to the first location based at least in part on determining that the courier is transporting the container to the first location.

10. The server of claim 8, wherein:

an insulated cable is wrapped around an exterior of the container;

the insulated cable is electrically coupled to the circuit board to create a circuit having a closed state; and

cutting a portion of the insulated cable to open the container causes the circuit board to determine that the circuit has changed from the closed state to an open state indicating that the container has been opened.

11. The server of claim 8, wherein:

packing tape that includes an embedded conductor is used to seal the container;

the embedded conductor is electrically coupled to the circuit board to create a circuit having a closed state; and

cutting a portion of the packing tape causes the circuit board to determine that the circuit has changed from the closed state to an open state indicating that the container has been opened.

12. The server of claim 8, wherein:

the sensor comprises an oxygen sensor that can detect the presence of oxygen;

the container includes a seal sufficient to prevent oxygen from entering into the container; and

breaking the seal of the container causes the sensor to detect oxygen in the atmosphere, causing the circuit board to determine that the container has been opened.

13. The server of claim 10, wherein:

the sensor is light sensitive;

the container includes a seal sufficient to prevent light from entering into the container; and

breaking the seal of the container causes the light to strike the sensor, causing the circuit board to determine that the container has been opened.

14. One or more non-transitory computer readable media storing instructions executable by one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

receiving a request to cancel a first order to acquire a product and ship the product to a first location;

determining that the product has been shipped to the first location in a container that includes circuit board comprising a sensor and a modem;

receiving sensor data from the sensor, the sensor data transmitted by the modem over a wireless network;

determining, based on the sensor data, that the container is unopened;

placing the product in a canceled order inventory;

receiving a second order to ship the product to a second location; and

instructing a courier to transport the product to the second location.

15. The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of claim 14, wherein instructing the courier to transport the product to the second location comprises:

determining that the container is located at the first location; and

instructing the courier to transport the container from the first location to the second location.

16. The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of claim 14, wherein instructing the courier to transport the product to the second location comprises:

determining that the courier is transporting the container to the first location; and

instructing the courier to transport the container to the second location instead of to the first location.

17. The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of claim 14, wherein:

an insulated cable is wrapped around an exterior of the container;

the insulated cable is electrically coupled to the sensor to create a circuit having a closed state; and

cutting a portion of the insulated cable to open the container causes the sensor to generate the sensor data indicating that the circuit has changed from the closed state to an open state.

18. The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of claim 14, wherein:

packing tape that includes an embedded conductor is used to seal the container;

the embedded conductor is electrically coupled to the sensor to create a circuit having a closed state; and

cutting a portion of the packing tape to open the container causes the sensor to generate the sensor data indicating that the circuit has changed from the closed state to an open state.

19. The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of claim 14, wherein:

the sensor comprises an oxygen sensor that can detect the presence of oxygen;

the container includes a seal sufficient to prevent oxygen from entering into the container; and

breaking the seal of the container causes the sensor to detect oxygen in the atmosphere, causing the sensor to determine that the container has been opened.

20. The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of claim 14, wherein:

the sensor is light sensitive;

the container includes a seal sufficient to prevent light from entering into the container; and

breaking the seal of the container causes the light to strike the sensor, causing the sensor to generate the sensor data indicating that the container has been opened.