Systems and methods for environmental monitoring of supply chains

• US 11,263,585 B2
• Filed: 04/10/2019
• Issued: 03/01/2022
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Copeland Cold Chain LP
• Original Assignee: Emerson Digital Cold Chain Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Lawler, Jr., Casimir E., Nygren, Blair
• Primary Examiner(s): Frenel, Vanel
• Application Number:
  US16/380,560
• Publication Number:
  US 20190318302A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,056 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0832 Special goods or special handling procedures, e.g. handling of hazardous or fragile goods
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0833 Tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/35 for the management of goods or merchandise
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/38 for collecting sensor information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

An environment monitoring method including measuring data from a plurality of sensors, wherein each of the plurality of sensors includes a unique identifier (UID). The method further includes instructing each of the plurality of sensors to measure data. The method also includes receiving the measured data from each of the plurality of sensors. The method then calculates a product degradation value of a product based on the measured data and compares the product degradation value with a threshold product degradation value. In response to the product degradation value of the product exceeding the threshold produce degradation value, the method generates and sends an alert to a device.

Claims

1. An environment monitoring method comprising:

measuring data from a first sensor staked in soil of a container including an individual seed planted in the soil of the container and at least one of the container or the first sensor including a first unique identifier (UID) associated with the individual seed;

updating a table with the measured data from the first sensor, the table being indexed according to the first UID;

measuring data from at least one second sensor located in a field including a seedling grown from the individual seed and planted in the field at a field location associated with a field marker, the at least one second sensor including at least one second UID;

updating the table with the measured data from the at least one second sensor and to associate the first UID with the field marker, the table being indexed according to the first UID, the second UID, and the field marker;

measuring data from a plurality of third sensors at a plurality of locations for a product grown from the seedling over a period as the product is transported to a destination, wherein each of the plurality of third sensors includes a third UID;

updating the table with the measured data from the plurality of third sensors for the product over the period, wherein the table is further indexed according to the third UID of each of the plurality of third sensors and stores historical data for a plurality of products including the product;

determining a product degradation value of the product based on the measured data and historical data for the product stored in the table;

comparing the product degradation value with a threshold product degradation value;

generating an alert in response to the product degradation value of the product exceeding the threshold product degradation value; and

sending the alert to a device.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the measured data of each of the plurality of third sensors includes:

a temperature, a relative humidity, a carbon dioxide level, and a location of each of the plurality of sensors.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising storing the measured data of each of the plurality of third sensors in a remote data storage.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising transferring the measured data to the remote data storage via a reader, wherein the reader is configured to measure:

a temperature, a relative humidity, a carbon dioxide level, a location, and vibration.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising indexing the measured data by product on a freshness calculation table, wherein the plurality of third sensors are located in proximity to the product to trace the product along a supply chain.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising accessing the freshness calculation table to calculate the product degradation value.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of third sensors are passive radio frequency identification sensors, and wherein a reader supplies power to the plurality of third sensors in response to transmitting a read request to the reader.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining a location of the product;

determining an operator device associated with the location; and

sending the alert to the operator device associated with the location.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the threshold product degradation value is determined from a freshness calculation table.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the first UID is included in a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, and wherein, to monitor the product along a supply chain of the product, the first UID is located in at least one of:

(i) a shipping container, (ii) a trailer, and (iii) a cold room.

11. An environment monitoring system comprising:

a first sensor staked in soil of a container and configured to measure data associated with an individual seed planted in the soil of the container, at least one of the container or the first sensor including a first unique identifier (UID) associated with the individual seed;

at least one second sensor located in a field including a seedling grown from the individual seed and planted in the field at a field location associated with a field marker, the at least one second sensor including at least one second UID;

a plurality of third sensors configured to measure data at a plurality of locations for a product grown from the seedling over a period as the product is transported to a destination, wherein each of the plurality of third sensors includes a third UID;

a reader configured to update a table with the measured data from the plurality of third sensors for the product over the period, the tables storing measured data from the first sensor and the at least one second sensor and being indexed according to the first UID, the second UID, and the field marker, and configured instruct the plurality of third sensors to measure data associated with the product, and receive the measured data from the plurality of third sensors; and

a freshness assessment module including;

a freshness calculation module configured to determine a product degradation value of the product based on the measured data and historical data for the product stored in the table;

a freshness determination module configured to compare the product degradation value with a threshold product degradation value; and

an alert generation module configured to generate and send an alert to a device in response to the product degradation value of the product exceeding the threshold product degradation value.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein each of the plurality of third sensors measures data including:

a temperature, a relative humidity, a carbon dioxide level, and a location of each of the plurality of sensors.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein the freshness assessment module is included in the reader.

14. The system of claim 11 wherein the reader is further configured to measure data including:

a temperature, a relative humidity, a carbon dioxide level, a location, and vibration.

15. The system of claim 11 further comprising a freshness calculation table indexing the measured data by product, wherein the plurality of third sensors are located in proximity to the product to trace the product along a supply chain.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the freshness calculation module accesses the freshness calculation table to calculate the product degradation value.

17. The system of claim 11 wherein the plurality of third sensors are passive radio frequency identification sensors, and wherein the reader supplies power to the plurality of third sensors in response to the freshness assessment module transmitting a read request to the reader.

18. The system of claim 11 wherein the alert generation module:

determines a location of the product;

determines an operator device associated with the location; and

sends the alert to the operator device associated with the location.

19. The system of claim 11 wherein the threshold product degradation value is determined from a freshness calculation table.

20. The system of claim 11 wherein the first UID is included in a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, and wherein, to monitor the product along a supply chain of the product, the first UID is located in at least one of:

(i) a shipping container, (ii) a trailer, and (iii) a cold room.