System and method for automatic redirection of a product under transport using an environmental sensor

• US 7,454,315 B2
• Filed: 10/24/2006
• Issued: 11/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2004
• Status: Expired due to Term

• 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): Cosimano; Edward R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Le; Toan M
• Application Number:
  US11/552,413
• Publication Number:
  US 20070058804A1
• Time in Patent Office: 756 Days
• Field of Search: 702/184, 702/81, 702/84, 702/130, 702/138, 702/175, 702/187, 705/28, 705/6, 705/8, 705/9, 340/572.1, 340/539.1, 340/539.22, 340/539.26, 707/10
• 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 comprising:

an environmental sensor physically associated with a product in a container so that the environmental sensor travels with the product in the container as the product is transported within a carrier'"'"'s logistics network, the environmental sensor sensing an environmental condition capable of affecting the product to generate product environment data;

at least one scanner configured to read product environment data from the environmental sensor;

a hub control unit configured to communicate with the scanner, for receiving the product environment data from the scanner and determining whether the product environment data transcends a limit of exposure of the product to an environmental condition based on the product environment data received from the environmental sensor, the hub control unit further generating a transporting instruction to redirect transport of the product to an alternate destination different from its original destination if the hub control unit determines that the product environment data indicates the environmental condition of the product has transcended the limit of exposure;

a machine controller configured to receive and execute the transporting instruction to transport the product in the container to the alternate destination; and

a sorting machinery unit associated with the machine controller, configured to sort the container with the product to the alternate destination under control of the machine controller as it executes the transporting instruction generated by the hub control unit.

2. A system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the product environment data relates to at least one of temperature, pressure, vacuum, vibration, shock, humidity, moisture, light, air and a chemical to which the product has been subjected.

3. A system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the hub control unit is configured to generate the transporting instruction to route the package to an alternate tip position corresponding to the alternate destination.

4. A system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the scanner comprises a radio-frequency identification (RFID) interrogator for electromagnetically scanning the product environment data from the environmental sensor.

5. A system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the hub control unit is configured to generate the transporting instruction to route the product in the container to the alternate destination which is a disposal site.

6. A system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the hub control unit is configured to generate the transporting instruction to route the product in the container to the alternate destination which is that of a second receiver that can make use of the product affected by the environmental condition.

7. A system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the hub control unit is configured to generate the transporting instruction to route the product in the container to the alternate destination which is that of a holding area for inspection of the product to determine whether the product has been adversely affected by the environmental condition.

8. A method comprising the steps of:

scanning, with a scanner, an environmental sensor physically associated with a product in a container to read product environment data from the environmental sensor, the product in the container under transport within a carrier'"'"'s logistics network;

transmitting the product environment data from the scanner to a computer;

determining with the computer whether an environmental condition of the contained product has transcended a limit based on the product environment data scanned from the environmental sensor;

if the determining establishes that the environmental condition has transcended the limit, automatically generating a transporting instruction with the computer to redirect the product to an alternate destination different from its original destination; and

executing the transporting instruction to route the product in the container to the alternate destination.

9. A method as claimed in claim 8 wherein the product environment data relates to at least one of temperature, pressure, vacuum, vibration, shock, humidity, moisture, light, air and a chemical to which the product has been subjected.

10. A method as claimed in claim 8 wherein the computer is a hub control unit that generates the transporting instruction to route the package to an alternate tip position corresponding to the alternate destination.

11. A method as claimed in claim 8 wherein the scanner comprises a radio-frequency identification (RFID) interrogator for electromagnetically scanning the product environment data from the environmental sensor.

12. A method as claimed in claim 8 wherein the computer generates the transporting instruction to route the product in the container to the alternate destination which is a disposal site.

13. A method as claimed in claim 8 wherein the computer generates the transporting instruction to route the product in the container to the alternate destination which is that of a second receiver that can make use of the product affected by the environmental condition.

14. A method as claimed in claim 8 wherein the computer generates the transporting instruction to route the product in the container to the alternate destination which is that of a holding area for inspection of the product to determine whether the product has been adversely affected by the environmental condition.