System and method for generating a transporting instruction using an environmental sensor

• US 8,280,686 B2
• Filed: 03/28/2011
• Issued: 10/02/2012
• 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): Le, Toan M
• Application Number:
  US13/073,555
• Publication Number:
  US 20110169636A1
• Time in Patent Office: 554 Days
• Field of Search: 702/184, 702 34- 36, 702/81, 702/84, 702/127, 702130-136, 702138-140, 702182-183, 702187-188, 700/9, 700/11, 700/28, 700/32, 700108-110, 700/113, 700/115, 700213-215, 700/299, 705/6, 705 22- 23, 705/28, 340/539.1, 340/539.22, 340/539.26, 340/540, 340/572.1, 235/384
• 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

A system including an environmental sensor that can travel with a product within a carrier'"'"'s logistics network. The environmental sensor being configured to sense an environmental condition capable of affecting the product to generate product environment data. The system includes a scanner configured to read product environment data from the environmental sensor. The system also includes a hub control unit configured to communicate with the scanner and receive the product environment data from the scanner and determines whether the product environment data transcends a limit of exposure of the product to an environmental condition. The hub control unit is also configured to generate 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.

Claims

1. A method comprising the steps of:

collecting environmental data using an environmental sensor physically associated with a container as the container travels within a carrier'"'"'s logistics network, wherein the environmental data includes (a) a sensed condition, and (b) a time when the condition was sensed;

receiving the collected environmental data at a computer system;

determining with the computer system whether an environmental condition of the container has transcended a limit based on the collected environment data; and

when the computer system determines the environmental condition has transcended the limit, automatically generating a transporting instruction with the computer system to alter the delivery of the container.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the transporting instruction redirects the container to an alternate destination different from its original destination.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the transporting instruction upgrades the service level of the container.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

collecting tracking data including identification data identifying the container and location data identifying the location of the container;

receiving the tracking data at the computer system; and

linking the tracking data with the environmental data based at least in part on time or location.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the environment data relates to at least one of temperature, pressure, vacuum, vibration, shock, humidity, moisture, light, air and a chemical to which the container has been subjected.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the transporting instruction comprises the identification of an alternate tip position corresponding to the alternate destination.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the environmental sensor is a radio frequency identification tag (RFID).

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the RFID tag is a passive radio frequency identification tag.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the RFID tag is an active radio frequency identification tag.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the environmental sensor stores the data at a frequency based at least in part on the severity of the environmental condition.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the environmental sensor associated with said container further comprises a visual indicator activated automatically by the environmental sensor if the environmental sensor determines the environmental condition has transcended a limit for the product, wherein the visual indicator changes its visual appearance when the environmental condition has transcended the limit.

12. A system comprising:

an environmental sensor physically associated with a container that travels with the container as it moves within a carrier'"'"'s logistics network wherein the environmental sensor collects environmental condition data including (a) a sensed condition, and (b) a time when the condition was sensed;

a computer system configured to;

receive the collected environmental data; and

determine whether an environmental condition of the container has transcended a minimum or maximum limit based on the collected environment data; and

when the computer system determines the environmental condition has transcended the limit, automatically generate a transporting instruction with the computer system to redirect the container to an alternate destination different from its original destination.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the environmental sensor senses at least one of temperature, pressure, vacuum, vibration, shock, humidity, moisture, light, air and a chemical to which the container has been subjected.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the transporting instruction comprises the identification of an alternate tip position corresponding to the alternate destination.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the environmental sensor is a radio frequency identification tag (RFID).

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the RFID tag is a passive radio frequency tag.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the RFID tag is an active radio frequency identification tag.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the environmental sensor associated with said container comprising a visual indicator activated automatically by the environmental sensor if the environmental sensor determines the environmental condition has transcended a limit for the product, wherein the visual indicator changes its visual appearance when the environmental condition has transcended the limit.

19. A method comprising the steps of:

collecting environmental data using an environmental sensor physically associated with a container as the container travels within a carrier'"'"'s logistics network, wherein the environmental data includes (a) a sensed condition, and (b) a time when the condition was sensed;

determining whether an environmental condition of the container has transcended a minimum or maximum limit based on the collected environment data; and

indicating an alert when the environmental data transcends the limit;

receiving the alert at a computer system;

generating a transporting instruction with the computer system, based at least in part on the alert, to redirect the container to an alternate destination different from its original destination.