System for monitoring product quality in real time

• US 9,016,564 B2
• Filed: 10/02/2012
• Issued: 04/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Korea Food Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Korea Food Research Institute
• Inventors: Kim, Byeong Sam, Kim, Ji Young, Kim, Jong Hoon, Kim, Ouiwoung, Kwon, Ki Hyun, Kim, Yoon Sook, Cha, Hwan Soo
• Primary Examiner(s): Frech, Karl D
• Application Number:
  US14/347,757
• Publication Number:
  US 20140252085A1
• Time in Patent Office: 938 Days
• Field of Search: 235/375, 235/380, 235/384
• US Class Current: 235/375
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 21/00 Measuring or testing not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0838 Historical data

Abstract

A product quality monitoring system includes: an RFID tag which is attached to a first packing container in which a product is packed, and transmits atmospheric history information and an identifier for a product distribution history; a QR code which is attached to a second packing container and stores the identifier and address information of a product quality predicting server; a product distribution history DB which stores the atmospheric history information and the identifier which are received from the RFID tag; a user terminal which connects with the product quality predicting server corresponding to the address information stored in the captured QR code, and requests a quality index of the product; and the product quality predicting server which calculates the quality index of the product or a time when the product has a specific quality index, from the atmospheric history information.

Claims

1. A product quality monitoring system, comprising:

an RFID tag which is attached to a first packing container in which a product is packed, and transmits atmospheric history information comprising at least one of temperature, humidity, and gas concentration information, which has been measured, and an identifier for a product distribution history;

a QR code which is attached to a second packing container, which the product is packed in and is relatively smaller than the first packing container, or the product itself, and stores the identifier and address information of a product quality predicting server;

a product distribution history DB that stores the atmospheric history information and the identifier which are received from the RFID tag;

a user terminal that connects with the product quality predicting server corresponding to the address information stored in the captured QR code, and requests a quality index of the product; and

the product quality predicting server that calculates the quality index of the product or a time when the product has a specific quality index, from the atmospheric history information received from the product distribution history DB in response to the request of the user terminal, wherein the product quality predicting server includes a quality predicting algorithm and calculates the quality index by using the quality predicting algorithm for predicting the quality of the product by means of the atmospheric history information.

2. The product quality monitoring system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the product quality predicting server differentiates information included in the quality index which is transferred to the user terminal, according to the product.

3. The product quality monitoring system as claimed in claim 2, further comprising:

an administrator terminal that administers the product quality predicting server,

wherein the administrator server sets the product quality predicting server to differentiate the information included in the quality index which is transferred to the user terminal, according to the product.

4. The product quality monitoring system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the quality index comprises at least one of a production history, a temperature history, a humidity history, a gas history, freshness, and the number of microorganisms.

5. The product quality monitoring system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the user terminal transmits the identifier of the RFID tag which is included in the QR code, to the product quality predicting server, and the product quality predicting server receives the atmospheric information corresponding to the identifier of the RFID tag from the product distribution history DB.

6. The product quality monitoring system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the QR code stores link information of the product quality predicting server, and the identifier of the RFID tag.

7. The product quality monitoring system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the user terminal acquires the identifier of the RFID tag from the QR code which is attached to the second packing container.