Apparatus For Monitoring A Package Handling System

• US 20100010664A1
• Filed: 07/08/2008
• Published: 01/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2008
• 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
• Granted Patent: US 7,982,764 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/225
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0428 Safety, monitoring G05B19/0423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/41875 characterised by quality surveillance of production
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31458 Test workpiece during transport
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/45048 Packaging
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

A monitoring apparatus for sensing conditions associated with a package handling system. The monitoring apparatus includes a test package configured for being handled by the package handling system with non-test packages handled by the package handling system. The test package has a housing defining a test package interior and has at least one sensor positioned within the interior for sensing conditions associated with the package handling system. The sensor produces an output signal corresponding to the conditions that it senses. The test package further includes a support positioned within the test package interior and connecting the sensor to the housing so that the sensor is directed generally toward an outside of the test package for sensing conditions associated with the package handling system.

Claims

1. An apparatus for monitoring conditions associated with a package handling system, the monitoring apparatus comprising:

a test package configured for being handled by the package handling system, the test package including;

a housing defining a test package interior;

at least one sensor positioned within the interior of the housing for sensing conditions associated with the package handling system while the test package is being handled by the system, the sensor producing an output signal corresponding to the sensed conditions; and

a support positioned within the test package interior and connecting the sensor to the housing.

2. A monitoring apparatus as set forth in claim 1 further wherein:

the housing includes at least one visually transparent surface; and

the sensor includes a video camera connected to the test package housing by way of the sensor support so that the camera is directed generally toward the visually transparent surface for capturing images of the conditions associated with the package handling system.

3. A monitoring apparatus as set forth in claim 2 wherein the video camera is a high-definition and low-light camera.

4. A monitoring apparatus as set forth in claim 2 wherein:

the at least one visually transparent surface includes multiple visually transparent surfaces;

the at least one sensor includes multiple cameras, each camera corresponding to a particular surface of said multiple visually transparent surfaces; and

the sensor support is configured so that each camera is positioned within the interior of the test package so that the camera is directed generally toward the corresponding visually transparent surface for capturing images of the conditions associated with the package handling system.

5. A monitoring apparatus as set forth in claim 2 wherein:

the at least one visually transparent surface includes six visually transparent surfaces; and

the at least one camera includes six particular cameras corresponding to the six visually transparent surfaces of the test package housing, each particular camera being positioned within the interior of the test package housing and connected to the housing by the sensor support so that the particular camera is directed toward the corresponding visually transparent surface.

6. A monitoring apparatus as set forth in claim 1 further comprising:

a processor positioned remote from the test package during operation of the monitoring apparatus; and

a receiver connected to the remote processor for wirelessly receiving signals corresponding to the signals received by the test package sensor and relaying the signals to the processor;

wherein the test package further comprises a transmitter positioned within the interior of the test package, the transmitter being connected to the sensor for wirelessly transmitting the signal produced by the sensor to the receiver.

7. A monitoring apparatus as set forth in claim 6 wherein the system is configured so that the transmitter transmits the signal from the sensor to the receiver in real time.

8. A monitoring apparatus as set forth in claim 6 wherein the processor is configured to identify a particular event occurring within or adjacent the package handling system by analyzing the signal received from the sensor by way of the transmitter and the receiver.

9. A monitoring apparatus as set forth in claim 8 wherein the processor is configured to identify as the particular event at least one event selected from a group of events consisting of an operational problem of the package handling system and a potential operation problem of the package handling system.

10. A monitoring apparatus as set forth in claim 8 wherein the processor is configured to identify as the particular event at least one event selected from a group of events consisting of a jam in the handling system, a leak in the handling system, a tear in a component of the handling system, and a potential jam in the handling system.

11. A monitoring apparatus as set forth in claim 6 further comprising a communication interface connected to the processor for communicating with a user of the monitoring apparatus regarding the conditions of the package handling system.

12. A monitoring apparatus as set forth in claim 1 further comprising a label affixed to the test package housing, the test package label corresponding to labels affixed to non-test packages in the package handling system so that the system can recognize the test package by its label in the same way that the package handling system recognizes the non-test packages by their labels.

13. A monitoring apparatus as set forth in claim 12 wherein the test package label includes at least one label element selected from a group of label elements consisting of a bar code, an RFID tag, and human-readable data.

14. A monitoring apparatus as set forth in claim 12 wherein the test package label and the test package housing are configured so that the test package label affixed to the test package can be readily removed from the package for being replaced with another test package label.

15. A monitoring apparatus as set forth in claim 1 further comprising a locating subsystem for determining a position of the test package while it is handled by the package handling system.

16. A monitoring apparatus as set forth in claim 15 wherein the locating subsystem includes a global positioning system.

17. A method of monitoring a package handling system using an apparatus including a test package having a sensor positioned within an interior of the test package, the method comprising:

sensing conditions associated with the package handling system using the sensor of the test package while the test package is being handled by the handling system.

18. A method as set forth in claim 17 wherein the sensor includes a camera and the sensing step includes capturing images of the conditions associated with the package handling system.

19. A method as set forth in claim 17 wherein the test package further includes a transmitter connected to the sensor and the monitoring apparatus further includes a processor remote from the test package and the method further comprises:

producing a signal using the sensor, the signal corresponding to the conditions associated with the package handling system sensed by the sensor during the sensing step;

transferring the signal from the sensor to the transmitter; and

transmitting the signal received from the sensor to the remote processor wirelessly using the transmitter.

20. A method as set forth in claim 19 further comprising:

processing the signal received from the transmitter of the test package using the remote processor, the processing including analyzing the signal for identifying whether a particular event is occurring within or adjacent the package handling system.

21. A method as set forth in claim 20 wherein the processor is configured so that the processing step includes analyzing the signal to identify as the particular event at least one event selected from a group of events consisting of an operational problem of the package handling system and a potential operation problem of the package handling system.

22. A method as set forth in claim 20 wherein the processor is configured so that the processing step includes analyzing the signal to identify as the particular event at least one event selected from a group of events consisting of a jam in the handling system, a leak in the handling system, a tear in a component of the handling system, and a potential jam in the handling system.

23. A method as set forth in claim 19 wherein the monitoring apparatus further includes a communication interface connected to the processor and the method further comprises communicating with a user of the monitoring apparatus regarding the conditions of the package handling system using the processor and the communication interface.

24. A method as set forth in claim 17 further comprising:

introducing non-test packages into the package handling system;

introducing the test package into the package handling system; and

handling the test package and the non-test packages at the same time using the package handling system;

wherein the sensing step is performed while the test package and the non-test packages are being handled using the handling system.

25. A method as set forth in claim 17 further comprising:

affixing a first label to the test package corresponding to labels affixed to non-test packages; and

reading information from the first label affixed to the test package while the test package is being handled by the package handling system.

26. A method as set forth in claim 25 wherein the first label includes at least one label element selected from a group of label elements consisting of a bar code, an RFID tag, and human-readable data.

27. A method as set forth in claim 25 further comprising:

removing the first label from the test package and affixing a second label to the test package; and

reading information from the second label affixed to the test package while the test package is being handled by the package handling system.

28. A method as set forth in claim 25 wherein the monitoring apparatus further includes a locating subsystem and the method further comprising locating the test package while the test package is being handled by the package handling system using the location subsystem.