Integrated data acquisition system for product in transit

• US 6,944,574 B2
• Filed: 03/21/2003
• Issued: 09/13/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Rahimi, Jalal, Malimabe, Matile D., LeBlanc, Ewart O.
• Primary Examiner(s): Barlow, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Taylor, Victor J.
• Application Number:
  US10/393,679
• Publication Number:
  US 20040186691A1
• Time in Patent Office: 907 Days
• Field of Search: 702/2, 702/187, 702/1, 702/178, 702/33, 702/34, 702/41, 702/56, 702/127, 702/130, 702/136, 702/140, 702/141, 702/150, 700/1, 455/575, 340/870.21
• US Class Current: 702/187
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 9/005 Solid-state data loggers
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management

Abstract

A data acquisition system includes a product for shipment to an end user, a sensor system removably connected to the product for recording environmental conditions to which the product is exposed, and a computing device, which upon being connected to the product, is operable to retrieve the recorded environmental conditions. The product may be operable to control the operation of the sensor system, or the sensor system may be operable to record environmental conditions independent of the operation of the product.

Claims

1. A system for acquiring environmental data comprising:

an existing product for shipment to an end user controlled by a microcontroller;

a sensor system removably integrated within the existing product and initialized by the microcontroller for recording environmental conditions to which the existing product is exposed; and

a computing device, which upon being connected to the existing product, is operable to retrieve the recorded environmental conditions.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the existing product further comprises a device for storing the recorded environmental conditions.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor system is operable to record environmental conditions independent of the operation of the existing product.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor system further comprises a device for storing the recorded environmental conditions.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the computing device, upon being connected to the sensor system, is operable to retrieve the recorded environmental conditions.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the sensor system further comprises communication port for providing the recorded environmental conditions to the computing device.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor system further comprises one or more of a humidity sensor, a temperature sensor, an acceleration sensor, and a position sensor.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the computing device further comprise a program operable to analyze the retrieved recorded environmental conditions.

9. An existing product for shipment to an and user comprising:

a microcontroller for controlling the existing product;

a sensor system removably integrated within the existing product and initialized by the microcontroller for recording environmental conditions to which the existing product is exposed; and

a communication port for communicating with a computing device, which upon being connected to the existing product, is operable to retrieve the recorded environmental conditions.

10. The existing product of claim 9, further comprising a device for storing the recorded environmental conditions.

11. The existing product of claim 9, wherein the sensor system is operable to record environmental conditions independent of the operation of the existing product.

12. The existing product of claim 9, wherein the sensor system further comprises a device for storing the recorded environmental conditions.

13. The existing product of claim 9, wherein the sensor system further comprises a communication port for providing the recorded environmental conditions to the computing device.

14. The existing product of claim 9, wherein the sensor system further comprises one or more of a humidity sensor, a temperature sensor, an acceleration sensor, and a position sensor.

15. A sensor system for removable connection to an existing product for shipment to an end user, comprising:

an interface to a microcontroller controlling the existing product; and

one or more sensors for recording environmental conditions to which the existing product is subjected,

wherein the sensor system is removably integrated within the existing product and is initialized by the microcontroller for recording environmental conditions to which the existing product is exposed, and is operable to provide the recorded environmental conditions to a computing device, upon the computing device being connected to the existing product.

16. The sensor system of claim 15, wherein the microcontroller operates the sensor system independently of the operation of the existing product.

17. The sensor system of claim 15, further comprising a device for storing the recorded environmental conditions.

18. The sensor system of claim 15, further comprising one or more of a humidity sensor, a temperature sensor, an acceleration sensor, and a position sensor.