System and method for optimization of and analysis of insulated systems

• US 7,130,771 B2
• Filed: 08/05/2002
• Issued: 10/31/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Xerxes Aghassipour
• Original Assignee: Xerxes Aghassipour
• Inventors: Aghassipour, Xerxes
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoff, Marc S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Desta, Elias
• Application Number:
  US10/485,932
• Publication Number:
  US 20040243353A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,548 Days
• Field of Search: 702/128, 702/130, 702/179, 702/187, 235/462.01, 235/472.01, 235/375, 206/301, 701/25
• US Class Current: 702/187
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/047 Optimisation of routes or paths, e.g. travelling salesman problem
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a method for generating a list of package shipment routes in a shipment solution system comprising the steps of entering product information, place of origin, destination and shipment temperature parameters for a package into the system. A list is generated containing a listing of all possible shipment routes available for the package between the place of origin and the destination. For each of the shipment routes, an ambient thermal temperature model is generated corresponding to the external temperatures the package is exposed to during each of the possible shipment routes. The thermal characteristics of the package are calculated along the available shipping routes, based on each of the ambient thermal temperature models, so as to determine feasible shipment routes and corresponding packaging information. For each of the feasible shipment routes, the cost for shipment along the feasible shipment routes is calculated based on packaging and delivery cost and a route is selected for delivery from among the feasible shipment routes.

Claims

1. A method for generating a list of package shipment routes in a shipment solution system, said method comprising the steps of:

entering product and packaging information, place of origin, destination and shipment temperature parameters for a package into said system, wherein said product is a perishable product, and the temperature parameters corresponds to an exposure level beyond which said product will perish;

generating a listing of all possible shipment routes available for said package between said place of origin and said destination;

for each of said shipment routes, generating an ambient thermal temperature model corresponding to the external temperatures said package including said product information, insulation in said package, and refrigeration or heating used in said package and analyzing said thermal characteristics along said available shipping routes, based on each of said ambient thermal temperature models, so as to determine feasible shipment routes and corresponding packaging information, sufficient to prevent said product from perishing by preventing the temperature of said perishable product from diverting from said exposure level;

for each of said feasible shipment routes, calculating the cost for shipment along said feasible shipment routes based on packaging and delivery cost;

selecting a route for delivery from among said feasible shipment routes, and presenting said selected route to a user so as to allow said user to ship said perishable product via said selected route.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step of entering shipment temperature parameters includes the entering of an acceptable temperature range in degrees.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step of generating a listing of all possible shipment routes available for said package between said place of origin and said destination is based on carriers employed by a shipper employing said shipment solutions system and modes of delivery available by each of said carriers.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step of generating an ambient thermal temperature model further comprises the step of retrieving stored weather temperatures for each portion of the shipment route.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein said step of generating a thermal temperature model further comprises the step of retrieving historical data contained in said weather database collected from prior shipments.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein said step of generating a thermal temperature model further comprises the step of retrieving forecasted information contained in said weather database.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of forwarding to a selection module for selection by a user said costs for shipment along said feasible shipment routes.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein said step of forwarding to a selection module further comprises the step of presenting to a user, information related to expected arrival date of said package at said destination.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step of selecting a route for delivery further comprises the step of storing shipper selection preferences so as to automatically select a particular feasible shipment route based on a desired criteria.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein said selection of a particular feasible shipment route based on a desired criteria, includes a decision based on any one of a cheapest solution, a most cost efficient solution and a worst case scenario solution.