Systems and methods for monitoring vibrations during transportation of goods

• US 9,965,939 B2
• Filed: 09/01/2016
• Issued: 05/08/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Copeland Cold Chain LP
• Original Assignee: Locus Solutions Inc
• Inventors: Nygren, Blair, Parsons, Rodney
• Primary Examiner(s): Feild, Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): MORTELL, JOHN F
• Application Number:
  US15/254,449
• Publication Number:
  US 20180061207A1
• Time in Patent Office: 614 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 19/08 Detecting presence of flaws or irregularities
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/015 Attenuation, scattering
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/0258 Structural degradation, e.g. fatigue of composites, ageing of oils
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/00 Investigating or analysing materials by the use of ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves; Visualisation of the interior of objects by transmitting ultrasonic or sonic waves through the object G01N3/00, G01N5/00, G01N7/00, G01N9/00, G01N11/00, G01N13/00, G01N15/00, G01N17/00, G01N19/00, G01N21/00, G01N22/00, G01N23/00, G01N24/00, G01N25/00, G01N27/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/14 using acoustic emission techniques echo of particles G01N29/046; measuring mechanical vibrations or acoustic waves in solids in general G01H1/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/46 by spectral analysis, e.g. Fourier analysis or wavelet analysis spectral signal processing per se G06F17/14
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/48 by amplitude comparison
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/18 in two or more dimensions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0832 Special goods or special handling procedures, e.g. handling of hazardous or fragile goods
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/182 Level alarms, e.g. alarms responsive to variables exceeding a threshold
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/40 using a wireless architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/823 where the data is sent when the measured values exceed a threshold, e.g. sending an alarm
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom

Abstract

A method for estimating a level of damage to perishable cargo during transportation of the cargo using data collected by a portable monitoring device. The method includes measuring vibrational data associated with the cargo. The vibrational data is monitored by a vibration sensor of the portable monitoring device. The method further includes incrementing a counter in the portable monitoring device in response to an amplitude of the measured vibrational data exceeding a predetermined threshold. The method also includes determining if the counter value exceeds a predetermined value, and generating an alert indicating damage to the cargo in response to determining the counter value has exceeded the predetermined value.

Claims

1. A method for estimating a level of damage to perishable cargo during transportation of the cargo using data collected by a portable monitoring device, the method comprising:

receiving an input indicative of a frequency range of interest;

measuring vibrational data occurring within the frequency range of interest, the vibrational data associated with the cargo, the vibrational data monitored by a vibration sensor of the portable monitoring device;

incrementing a counter in the portable monitoring device in response to an amplitude of the measured vibrational data exceeding a predetermined threshold;

determining if value of the counter exceeds a predetermined value; and

generating an alert indicating damage to the cargo in response to determining the value has exceeded the predetermined value.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the vibrational data includes amplitude data across a spectrum of frequencies of vibration.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising setting the spectrum of frequencies of vibration to be monitored based on a type of cargo being monitored.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the vibrational data includes vibrational data across three axes of vibration.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating an interrupt using a processing circuit of the portable monitoring device, in response to determining the amplitude of the measured vibrational data has exceeded the predetermined threshold.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting the value to a remote server using the portable monitoring device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined value represents an expected level of damage to the cargo.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting the generated alert to a remote server using the portable monitoring device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the generated alert comprises an estimated percentage of damage to the cargo.

10. A system for determining a level of damage to perishable goods during transport, the system comprising:

an accelerometer configured to receive an input indicative of a frequency range of interest and measure vibrations occurring within the frequency range of interest transmitted to the perishable goods during transport;

a processing circuit comprising a memory and a processor, the processing circuit in communication with the accelerometer and configured to receive vibrational data associated with the measured vibrations from the accelerometer;

the processing circuit configured to generate an interrupt when an amplitude of the received vibrational data exceeds a predetermined threshold, the interrupt incrementing a counter value stored in the memory;

the processing circuit further configured to generate an alert in response to determining the counter value has exceeded a predetermined value; and

a portable monitoring device configured to attach to at least one of the perishable goods, a housing containing the perishable goods, and a pallet on which the perishable goods are placed, the portable monitoring device including the processing circuit.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the predetermined value represents an expected level of damage to the perishable goods.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the predetermined value is dependent on the type of perishable good.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the accelerometer is further configured to monitor one or more frequency ranges across a first axis, a second axis, and a third axis, wherein the frequency ranges dependent on the type of perishable good being monitored;

and

wherein the processing circuit is further configured to change an operation related to power consumption by the portable monitoring device in response to a low power situation with the portable monitoring device to ensure enough power remains for a duration of a scheduled trip.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the vibrational data includes an amplitude for each of a plurality of frequency ranges.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the predetermined threshold is user configurable.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the processing circuit further comprises a transmit/receive circuit configured to provide wireless communication to a remote server, wherein the portable monitoring device is configured to transmit the alert to the remote server using the transmit/receive circuit.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the accelerometer is integrated into the portable monitoring device.

18. A method of determining a level of damage to perishable cargo due to vibrations occurring during transport, the method comprising:

receiving an input indicative of a frequency range of interest;

measuring vibrational data occurring within the frequency range of interest using a vibration sensor attached to at least one of the perishable cargo, a container containing the perishable cargo, and a pallet on which the perishable cargo is placed, the vibrational data including an amplitude measurement of the vibrations at each of a plurality of predetermined frequency ranges;

transmitting the vibrational data to a processing circuit of a portable monitoring device;

determining if the vibrational data exceeds a threshold value associated with damage occurring to the perishable cargo using the processing circuit of the portable monitoring device;

generating an interrupt signal for every occurrence of the threshold value being exceeded using the portable monitoring device;

incrementing a counter in the portable monitoring device for every interrupt signal generated;

determining if a value of the counter exceeds a first predetermined value within a predetermined time period; and

generating an alert indicating a first level damage to the cargo in response to determining the value has exceeded the first predetermined value.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

determining if the value exceeds a second predetermined value within the predetermined time period; and

generating a second alert indicating a second level of damage to the cargo in response to determining the value has exceeded the second predetermined value.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the vibration sensor is attached to the container at a location experiencing the greatest amount of vibration during transport.