Environmental data collection

• US 8,947,224 B2
• Filed: 10/21/2008
• Issued: 02/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Copeland Cold Chain LP
• Original Assignee: PakSense Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Jensen, Thomas P., Gruell, Kirk M., Lawler, Casimir E. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lim, Steven
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHERWIN, RYAN W
• Application Number:
  US12/255,332
• Publication Number:
  US 20090066505A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,296 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.22, 340 026- 028, 340/540, 340/601, 340/602, 340584-586, 340/588, 340/589, 340/669, 340/679, 340/683, 340/686.1, 340/689, 340/521, 340/522, 340/531, 340533-53817, 3405391-53932
• US Class Current: 340/531
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 1/14 giving a distribution function of a value, i.e. number of times the value comes within specified ranges of amplitude
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 1/022 for recording
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 1/024 for remote indication
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 3/04 in respect of time
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 1/08 using electric transmission ; transformation of alarm signals to electrical signals from a different medium, e.g. transmission of an electric alarm signal upon detection of an audible alarm signal

Abstract

One computer readable medium embodiment includes computer readable instructions stored thereon for execution by a device to perform a method of environmental data collection. The method can include receiving environmental data and associated time data. The method can also include aggregating time data into categories of environmental data within, above, and below a range. The method can further include outputting the aggregated and categorized time data.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer readable medium having computer readable instructions stored thereon for execution by a device to perform a method of environmental data collection, comprising:

receiving to the device environmental data and associated time data from one or more environmental sensors collectively associated with an environmental sensing assembly remote from the device via a universal serial bus (USB) controller that is coupled to a USB port;

providing power from the device to the environmental sensing assembly via the USB controller coupled to the USB port in response to a power source within the environmental sensing assembly being exhausted or otherwise nonfunctional, wherein the power source otherwise powers the environmental sensing assembly without the device;

aggregating time data into categories of environmental data within, above, and below a range; and

outputting the aggregated and categorized time data.

2. The medium of claim 1, wherein the method includes outputting the aggregated and categorized time data to a display.

3. The medium of claim 1, wherein the method includes outputting the aggregated and categorized time data as percentages of a total time over which the environmental data is measured by the one or more environmental sensors.

4. The medium of claim 1, wherein the method includes outputting the aggregated and categorized time data as hours and minutes for each of within, above, and below the range.

5. The medium of claim 1, wherein the method includes receiving additional environmental data and associated time data via a wireless communication link.

6. The medium of claim 1, wherein the environmental data includes one selected from the group including:

temperature data, humidity data, physical orientation data, proximity data, acceleration data, atmospheric pressure data, chemical data, chemical change data, shock data, vibration data, light data, and combinations thereof.

7. A non-transitory computer readable medium having computer readable instructions stored thereon for execution by a device to perform a method of environmental data collection, comprising:

receiving environmental data and associated time data from a plurality of environmental sensing assemblies, wherein the plurality of environmental sensing assemblies are each associated with a shipment and wherein each of the plurality of environmental sensing assemblies include an assigned environmental sensing assembly identifier;

for each of the plurality of environmental sensing assemblies that are reporting a respective alert event, multiplying an amount by which environmental data is out of a range by the associated time data to determine a product for the respective alert event, wherein the product characterizes a relative magnitude of the respective alert event that begins when the environmental data is out of the range and ends when the environmental data is within the range; and

for each of the plurality of environmental sensing assemblies reporting the respective alert event, simultaneously displaying the product, an indication of whether the environmental data out of the range is above or below the range, the associated time data comprising a duration of the respective alert event and a start time for the environmental data out of the range, and a respective environmental sensing assembly identifier to indicate an environmental sensing assembly that is reporting the respective alert; and

providing power from the device to one of the plurality of environmental sensing assemblies via a universal serial bus (USB) controller coupled to a USB port in response to a power source within the environmental sensing assembly being exhausted or otherwise nonfunctional, wherein the power source otherwise powers the environmental sensing assembly without the device event.

8. The medium of claim 7, wherein the method includes summing the product for each of a plurality of alert events, each corresponding to environmental data that is out of the range by different amounts during each of the plurality of alert events, and displaying the sum.

9. The medium of claim 7, wherein the environmental data is temperature, and wherein displaying the product includes outputting the product in degree-minutes.

10. The medium of claim 7, wherein the instructions are stored in memory of one selected from the group including:

an environmental sensing assembly for environmental sensing; and

a remote reader device for the environmental sensing assembly.

11. The medium of claim 10, wherein displaying the product includes displaying the product on a display of the remote reader device.

12. The medium of claim 7, wherein the method includes:

displaying the environmental data out of the range.

13. A remote reader device for collecting environmentally sensed data, comprising:

a logic circuit coupled to a power source, a display, and a physical contact communication link, wherein the logic circuit is configured to;

receive environmental data and associated time data via the physical contact communication link from one or more environmental sensing assemblies remote from the remote reader device;

provide power from the remote reader device to a particular one of the one or more environmental sensing assemblies via the physical contact communication link in response to the power source within the particular environmental sensing assembly being exhausted or otherwise nonfunctional, wherein the power source otherwise powers the particular environmental sensing assembly without the remote reader device;

aggregate time data associated with environmental data into categories including;

within, above, and below a range; and

output the aggregated and categorized time data to the display;

wherein the logic circuit is coupled to;

a universal serial bus (USB) controller that is coupled to a USB port to transfer data stored in a data memory to a computing device; and

charging and gauge circuitry to charge the power source and provide an indication of charge status on the display.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein the logic circuit is coupled to a data input device and a data memory.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein:

the data memory is a non-volatile memory;

the power source is a battery;

the device includes a second communication link that is a radio frequency (RF) transceiver; and

the device is housed in a molded plastic handheld clamshell.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the second communication link includes a circuit board trace antenna.

17. The device of claim 15, wherein the data input device is a touchscreen on the display.

18. The device of claim 13, wherein the device is configured to recharge, via physical contact, the particular environmental sensing.

19. A remote reader device for communicating environmentally sensed data, comprising:

a logic circuit coupled to a display and a communication link, wherein the logic circuit is configured to;

receive environmental data and associated time data from a plurality of environmental sensing assemblies via the communication link, wherein the plurality of environmental sensing assemblies are each associated with a shipment and wherein each of the plurality of environmental sensing assemblies include an assigned environmental sensing assembly identifier;

for each of the plurality of environmental sensing assemblies that are reporting a respective alert event, multiply an amount by which the environmental data is out of a range by the associated time data to determine a product for the respective alert event, wherein the product characterizes a relative magnitude of the respective alert event that begins when the environmental data is out of the range and ends when the environmental data is within the range; and

for each of the plurality of environmental sensing assemblies reporting the respective alert event, output the product, an indication of whether the environmental data out of the range is above or below the range, associated time data comprising a duration of the respective alert event and a start time for the environmental data out of the range, and a respective environmental sensing assembly identifier to indicate an environmental sensing assembly that is reporting the respective alert event to the display for simultaneous display thereon;

wherein the logic circuit is coupled to;

a universal serial bus (USB) controller that is coupled to a USB port to transfer data stored in a data memory to a computing device; and

charging and gauge circuitry to charge the power source and provide an indication of charge status on the display.

20. The device of claim 19, wherein the logic circuit is configured to output environmental data corresponding to a maximum amount by which environmental data is out of the range during the alert event to the display.

21. The device of claim 19, wherein the logic circuit is configured to output associated time data for a first environmental data point that is out of the range to the display.