Integrated system monitoring use of materials, controlling and monitoring delivery of materials and providing automated billing of delivered materials
First Claim
1. A system for using a fleet of vehicles to provide material to a plurality of tanks at various customer locations comprising:
- a central station;
an inventory indicator associated with each of the tanks and providing a quantity signal to the central station indicating the quantity in each of the tanks; and
a processor at the central station for;
collecting and storing information from the inventory indicators;
monitoring the quantity signals of each of the tanks to determine past usage rates of the contents of each of the tanks;
projecting future tank quantities of each of the tanks based on the determined past usage rates;
determining possible delivery routes for each of the vehicles to each of the tanks;
optimizing the delivery routes for each of the vehicles based on the projected future tank quantities and based on the possible routes to minimize delivered cost;
optimizing the delivery amounts for the routes for each of the vehicles based on the projected future tank quantities and based on the possible routes to minimize delivered cost;
optimizing the delivery schedule for the routes for each of the vehicles based on the projected future tank quantities and based on the possible routes to minimize delivered cost; and
dispatching each of the vehicles in accordance with the its optimized route and delivery schedule.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
The system and method include a fleet of vehicles to provide material to a plurality of tanks at various customer locations. An inventory indicator associated with each of the tanks provides a quantity signal to the central station indicating the quantity and temperature of each of the tanks. A processor at the central station monitors the quantity signals of each of the tanks to determine past usage rates of the contents of each of the tanks. The processor projects future tank quantities based on the past usage pattern and determines possible routes for each of the vehicles to each of the tanks. The processor optimizes the routes, delivery amounts, and delivery schedule to minimize total delivered cost for the products based on the projected future tank levels and the possible routes to dispatch each of the vehicles.
257 Citations
15 Claims
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1. A system for using a fleet of vehicles to provide material to a plurality of tanks at various customer locations comprising:
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a central station; an inventory indicator associated with each of the tanks and providing a quantity signal to the central station indicating the quantity in each of the tanks; and a processor at the central station for; collecting and storing information from the inventory indicators; monitoring the quantity signals of each of the tanks to determine past usage rates of the contents of each of the tanks; projecting future tank quantities of each of the tanks based on the determined past usage rates; determining possible delivery routes for each of the vehicles to each of the tanks; optimizing the delivery routes for each of the vehicles based on the projected future tank quantities and based on the possible routes to minimize delivered cost; optimizing the delivery amounts for the routes for each of the vehicles based on the projected future tank quantities and based on the possible routes to minimize delivered cost; optimizing the delivery schedule for the routes for each of the vehicles based on the projected future tank quantities and based on the possible routes to minimize delivered cost; and dispatching each of the vehicles in accordance with the its optimized route and delivery schedule. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A system for providing material to a plurality of tanks at various customer locations comprising:
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a fleet of vehicles to provide materials to the plurality of tanks; a central station; an inventory indicator associated with each of the tanks and providing a quantity signal to the central station indicating the quantity in each of the tanks; and a processor at the central station for; collecting and storing information from the inventory indicators; monitoring the quantity signals of each of the tanks to determine past usage rates of the contents of each of the tanks; projecting future tank quantities of each of the tanks based on the determined past usage rates; determining possible delivery routes for each of the vehicles to each of the tanks; optimizing the delivery routes for each of the vehicles based on the projected future tank quantities and based on the possible routes to minimize delivered cost; optimizing the delivery amounts for the routes for each of the vehicles based on the projected future tank quantities and based on the possible routes to minimize delivered cost; optimizing the delivery schedule for the routes for each of the vehicles based on the projected future tank quantities and based on the possible routes to minimize delivered cost; and dispatching each of the vehicles in accordance with the its optimized route and delivery schedule.
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15. A method for using a fleet of vehicles to provide material to a plurality of tanks at various customer locations comprising the steps of:
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collecting from an inventory indicator associated with each of the tanks a quantity signal indicating the quantity in each of the tanks; storing information from the inventory indicators; monitoring the quantity signals of each of the tanks to determine past usage rates of the contents of each of the tanks; projecting future tank quantities of each of the tanks based on the determined past usage rates; determining possible delivery routes for each of the vehicles to each of the tanks; optimizing the delivery routes for each of the vehicles based on the projected future tank quantities and based on the possible routes to minimize delivered cost; optimizing the delivery amounts for the routes for each of the vehicles based on the projected future tank quantities and based on the possible routes to minimize delivered cost; optimizing the delivery schedule for the routes for each of the vehicles based on the projected future tank quantities and based on the possible routes to minimize delivered cost; and dispatching each of the vehicles in accordance with the its optimized route and delivery schedule.
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Specification