Systems and methods for transporting a product using an environmental sensor

• US 7,149,658 B2
• Filed: 02/02/2004
• Issued: 12/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: United Parcel Service Of America Incorporated (United Parcel Service Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: United Parcel Service Of America Incorporated (United Parcel Service Incorporated)
• Inventors: Kadaba, Nagesh
• Primary Examiner(s): Bui, Bryan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Le, Toan M.
• Application Number:
  US10/770,119
• Publication Number:
  US 20050171738A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,044 Days
• Field of Search: 702/184, 702/81, 340/572.1, 340/539, 340/988, 340/991, 340/992, 340/539.1, 340/539.26, 340/10.1, 340/10.4, 340/870.28, 705/28
• US Class Current: 702/184
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 21/00 Measuring or testing not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/00 Digital computing or data processing equipment or methods, specially adapted for specific functions information retrieval, database structures or file system structures therefor G06F16/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0717 the sensor being capable of sensing environmental conditions such as temperature history or pressure
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/08 Registering or indicating performance data other than driving, working, idle, or waiting time, with or without registering driving, working, idle or waiting time
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers

Abstract

Systems and methods disclosed herein use environmental sensor technology to enhance the tracking and transporting capabilities of a product delivery system. The systems and methods provide the capability to track and verify the environmental condition(s) to which a product is subjected during its transportation or movement through a supply chain. In particular, the systems and methods allow a sender, a receiver, and other authorized persons to access or interrogate environmental data that describes the environmental conditions to which a product within a container has been subjected during transport from the sender to the receiver. The systems and methods also permit in-transit intercept handling when it is determined that a package was unexpectedly subjected to an environmental condition that by definition makes it unfit for delivery to the original receiver.

Claims

1. A system for transporting a product via a carrier, the system comprising:

an environmental sensor physically associated with a product, the environmental sensor configured to record product environment data during transport of the product through the carrier'"'"'s logistics network;

at least one scanner for reading the product environment data from the sensor at one or more locations within the carrier'"'"'s logistics network; and

a computer connected to communicate with the at least one scanner, the computer configured for;

determining, based on the product environment data, whether the environmental condition of the product has transcended a limit during transport;

routing the product through the carrier'"'"'s logistics network to a first receiver so long as the determining has not established that the environmental condition has transcended the limit; and

rerouting the product through the carrier'"'"'s logistics network to a second receiver, different from the first receiver, if the determining establishes that the environmental condition has transcended the limits;

wherein the environmental sensor associated with said product comprises a visual indicator for indicating to handlers of said product that the environmental condition of said product has transcended a limit and said product is to be rerouted to said second receiver.

2. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said rerouting comprises generating with the computer an updated transporting instruction that the computer transmits to at least one point within the carrier'"'"'s logistics network for performance of transporting the product to said second receiver.

3. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sensor stores shipping address data for said first receiver and said second receiver.

4. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the scanner is further used for scanning identification data associated with the product.

5. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sensor generates time data and stores product environment data in association with the time data to indicate the time of sensing the environment condition.

6. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the visual indicator comprises at least one light-emitting diode (LED) that illuminates in response to the environment condition to which the product is subjected transcending a limit.

7. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises a radio-frequency identification (RFID) sensor tag, and the scanner transmits and receives radio frequency signals from the tag in the performance of scanning the sensor.

8. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sensor is affixed to an outer surface of a container used for holding the product during transport.

9. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sensor is positioned on the product.

10. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the environmental condition sensed by the sensor to generate the product environment data includes at least one of temperature, pressure, vacuum, vibration, shock, humidity, moisture, light, air, and a chemical.

11. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises a temperature sensor, and the product environment data generated by the sensor comprises at least one measurement of a temperature level to which the product has been exposed.

12. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises a pressure sensor, and the product environment data generated by the pressure sensor comprises at least one measurement of a pressure level to which the product has been exposed.

13. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises a vacuum sensor, and the product environment data generated by the vacuum sensor comprises at least one measurement of a vacuum level to which the product has been exposed.

14. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises a light sensor, and the product environment data generated by the light sensor comprises at least one measurement of an amount of light to which the product has been exposed.

15. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises a chemical sensor, and the product environment data generated by the chemical sensor comprises at least one measurement of an amount of a chemical to which the product has been exposed.

16. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises an air sensor, and the product environment data generated by the air sensor comprises at least one measurement of an amount of air to which the product has been exposed.

17. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises a vibration sensor, and the product environment data generated by the vibration sensor comprises at least one measurement of an amount of vibration to which the product has been exposed.

18. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises a shock sensor, and the product environment data generated by the shock sensor comprises at least one measurement of an amount of shock to which the product has been exposed.

19. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises a humidity sensor, and the product environment data generated by the humidity sensor comprises at least one measurement of an amount of humidity to which the product has been exposed.

20. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises a moisture sensor, and the product environment data generated by the moisture sensor comprises at least one measurement of an amount of moisture to which the product has been exposed.

21. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said computer is further configured for:

receiving the product environment data in association with product identification data;

storing the product environment data in association with the product identification data in a database;

receiving tracking data in association with the product identification data, the tracking data identifying when and where at least one scanning of the product was performed within the carrier'"'"'s logistics network; and

storing the tracking data in association with the product identification data and the product environment data in said database.

22. The system as claimed in claim 21, wherein the product identification data comprises a tracking identifier for uniquely identifying the product within the carrier'"'"'s logistics network.

23. The system of claim 1, wherein said visual indicator comprises a sensor strip that changes color in response to the environmental condition of said product transcending a limit.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the sensor strip comprises a paper thermometer or liquid crystal temperature strip that changes color in response to a change in temperature.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein the sensor strip comprises an electrochemical sensor strip that changes color in response to the presence of a chemical.

26. A method of transporting a product via a carrier, the method comprising:

physically associating an environmental sensor with the product;

reading product environment data from the environmental sensor at a location within the carrier'"'"'s logistics network, the product environment data having been recorded by the environmental sensor during transport;

determining, based on the product environment data, whether the environmental condition of the product has transcended a limit during transport;

routing the product through the carrier'"'"'s logistics network to a first receiver so long as the determining has not established that the environmental condition has transcended the limit; and

rerouting the product through the carrier'"'"'s logistics network to a second receiver, different from the first receiver, if the determining establishes that the environmental condition has transcended the limit,

wherein the environmental sensor associated with said product comprises a visual indicator for indicating to handlers of said product that the environmental condition of said product has transcended a limit and said product is to be rerouted to said second receiver.

27. A method as claimed in claim 26, wherein said rerouting comprises generating with a computer system an updated transporting instruction that the computer system transmits to at least one point within the carrier'"'"'s logistics network for performance of transporting the product to said second receiver.

28. A method as claimed in claim 26, wherein a shipping label associated with the product includes shipping address data indicating a shipping address of said first receiver.

29. A method as claimed in claim 26, wherein the sensor stores shipping address data for said first receiver and said second receiver.

30. A method as claimed in claim 26, wherein the determining is performed by the sensor to produce determination data that is captured during said reading step.

31. A method as claimed in claim 26, wherein the sensor generates time data and stores product environment data in association with the time data to indicate the time of sensing the environmental condition.

32. A method as claimed in claim 26, wherein the visual indicator comprises at least one light-emitting diode (LED) that illuminates in response to the environment condition to which the product is subjected transcending the limit.

33. A method as claimed in claim 26, wherein the sensor comprises a radio-frequency identification (RFID) sensor tag, and a scanner performs said reading step by transmitting and receiving radio frequency signals from the tag.

34. A method as claimed in claim 26, wherein the sensor is affixed to an outer surface of a container used for holding the product during transport.

35. A method as claimed in claim 26, wherein the environmental condition sensed by the sensor to generate the product environment data includes at least one of temperature, pressure, vacuum, vibration, shock, humidity, moisture, light, air, and a chemical.

36. A method as claimed in claim 26, wherein the sensor comprises a temperature sensor, and the product environment data generated by the temperature sensor comprises at least one measurement of a temperature level to which the product has been exposed.

37. A method as claimed in claim 26, wherein the sensor comprises a pressure sensor, and the product environment data generated by the pressure sensor comprises at least one measurement of a pressure level to which the product has been exposed.

38. A method as claimed in claim 26, wherein the sensor comprises a vacuum sensor, and the product environment data generated by the vacuum sensor comprises at least one measurement of a vacuum level to which the product has been exposed.

39. A method as claimed in claim 26, wherein the sensor comprises a light sensor, and the product environment data generated by the light sensor comprises at least one measurement of an amount of light to which the product has been exposed.

40. A method as claimed in claim 26, wherein the sensor comprises a chemical sensor, and the product environment data generated by the chemical sensor comprises at least one measurement of an amount of a known chemical to which the product has been exposed.

41. A method as claimed in claim 26, wherein the sensor comprises an air sensor, and the product environment data generated by the air sensor comprises at least one measurement of an amount of air to which the product has been exposed.

42. A method as claimed in claim 26, wherein the sensor comprises a vibration sensor, and the product environment data generated by the vibration sensor comprises at least one measurement of an amount of vibration to which the product has been exposed.

43. A method as claimed in claim 26, wherein the sensor comprises a shock sensor, and the product environment data generated by the shock sensor comprises at least one measurement of an amount of shock to which the product has been exposed.

44. A method as claimed in claim 26, wherein the sensor comprises a humidity sensor, and the product environment data generated by the humidity sensor comprises at least one measurement of an amount of humidity to which the product has been exposed.

45. A method as claimed in claim 26 wherein the sensor comprises a moisture sensor, and the product environment data generated by the moisture sensor comprises at least one measurement of an amount of moisture to which the product has been exposed.

46. The method of claim 26, wherein said visual indicator comprises a sensor strip that changes color in response to the environmental condition of said product transcending a limit.

47. The method of claim 46, wherein the sensor strip comprises a paper thermometer or liquid crystal temperature strip that changes color in response to a change in temperature.

48. The meted of claim 46, wherein the sensor strip comprises an electrochemical sensor strip that changes color in response to the presence of a chemical.