Tracking movement of objects and notifications therefor

A method for tracking movement of one or more objects, the method comprising:

• receiving status information associated with an object at least during movement, the status information being provided by status electronic circuitry provided at the object at least during movement of the object, the status information including at least position information and condition information, and the condition information being related to at least one condition of or around the object being shipped;
• determining whether a notification condition pertaining to the object exists based on the status information, the notification condition being determined to exist at least when the condition information indicates that the at least one condition exceeds a predetermined threshold;
• producing a notification message when the notification condition is determined to exist;
• initiating electronically sending the notification message, after the notification message has been produced, to an interested user;
• activating, via at least the status electronic circuitry, an actuator at least based on the actuator being operatively coupled to the status electronic circuitry, the activating being dependent at least in part on the status information, and the actuator being operatively coupled to an air-cooling apparatus, with the air-cooling apparatus configured to be responsive to the actuator to cool an environment associated with the object;
• determining, during movement of the movable object, that the status information indicates that the movable object being moved should be replaced;
• and
• initiating shipment of a replacement movable object before the movable object arrives at its destination, provided that it is determined that the status information indicates that the movable object should be replaced.

An apparatus for monitoring movement of a plurality of movable objects suitable for deliveries, each of the movable objects having at least electronic circuitry and an electro-mechanical device associated therewith, said apparatus comprising:

• shared frequency synthesizing circuitry including a crystal oscillator;
• global positioning system circuitry operatively connected to the shared frequency synthesizing circuitry;
• communication RF circuitry operatively connected to the shared frequency synthesizing circuitry;
• a non-transitory storage device to store at least computer program code;
• and
• at least one processor to perform at least some of the stored computer program code, the at least one processor performing at least some of the stored computer program code to monitor a movable object during a delivery, the movable object being one of the movable objects, the stored computer program code includes at least:
• computer program code for receiving status information associated with the movable object, the status information being provided by the electronic circuitry provided with the movable object at least during the delivery, the status information including at least position information and environmental information, and the environmental information being related to at least a condition of or around the movable object;
• computer program code for determining whether a notification condition pertaining to the movable object exists based on the status information and at least one notification criterion;
• computer program code for producing a notification message when the notification condition exists;
• and
• computer program code for initiating electronically sending the notification message,
• wherein the at least one notification criterion includes at least a predetermined threshold,
• wherein the notification condition is determined to exist when at least the environmental information includes at least one condition that exceeds the predetermined threshold, and
• wherein the electronic circuitry of the movable object is configured to induce or influence activation of the electro-mechanical device associated with the movable object dependent at least in part on the status information, and
• wherein the electro-mechanical device is an air-cooling device configured to cool an environment associated with the movable object.

An apparatus for monitoring movement of a plurality of movable objects suitable for deliveries, each of the movable objects having at least electronic circuitry and an electro-mechanical device associated therewith, said apparatus comprising:

• a non-transitory storage device to store at least computer program code;
• and
• at least one processor to perform at least some of the stored computer program code, the at least one processor performing at least some of the stored computer program code to monitor a movable object during a delivery, the movable object being one of the movable objects, the stored computer program code includes at least:
• computer program code for receiving status information associated with the movable object, the status information being provided by the electronic circuitry provided with the movable object at least during the delivery, the status information including at least position information and environmental information, and the environmental information being related to at least a condition of or around the movable object;
• computer program code for determining whether a notification condition pertaining to the movable object exists based on the status information and at least one notification criterion;
• computer program code for producing a notification message when the notification condition exists;
• computer program code for initiating electronically sending the notification message;
• computer program code for determining, during movement of the movable object, that the status information indicates that the movable object being moved should be replaced;
• and
• computer program code for initiating shipment of a replacement movable object before the movable object arrives at its destination, provided that it is determined that the status information indicates that the movable object should be replaced,
• wherein the at least one notification criterion includes at least a predetermined threshold,
• wherein the notification condition is determined to exist when at least the environmental information includes at least one condition that exceeds the predetermined threshold,
• wherein the electronic circuitry of the movable object is configured to induce or influence activation of the electro-mechanical device associated with the movable object dependent at least in part on the status information, and
• wherein the electro-mechanical device is an air-cooling device configured to cool an environment associated with the movable object.

An apparatus for tracking movement of one or more objects, said apparatus comprising:

• a non-transitory storage device to store at least computer program code;
• and
• at least one processor to perform at least some of the stored computer program code, the at least one processor performing at least some of the stored computer program code to track movement of an object, the stored computer program code comprises:
• computer program code for receiving status information associated with the object at least during movement, the status information being provided by status electronic circuitry, the status electronic circuitry being provided at the object at least during its movement, the status information including at least position information and condition information, and the condition information being related to at least one condition of or around the object;
• computer program code for determining whether a notification condition pertaining to the object exists based on at least the status information;
• computer program code for producing a notification message when the notification condition is determined to exist;
• computer program code for initiating electronically sending the notification message, after the notification message has been produced, to an interested user;
• computer program code for determining, during delivery of the object, that the condition information indicates that the object being delivered should be replaced;
• and
• computer program code for initiating delivery of a replacement object before the object being delivered arrives at the destination, provided that it is determined that tho at least one condition of or around the object indicates that the object being delivered should be replaced,
• wherein the notification condition is determined to exist at least when the condition information indicates that the at least one condition exceeds a predetermined threshold, and
• wherein the status electronic circuitry is configured to control an actuator based at least in part on the status information, the actuator being operatively coupled to the status electronic circuitry at least during movement of the object, and the actuator being operatively coupled to an air-cooling apparatus, with the air-cooling apparatus configured to be responsive to the actuator so as to cool an environment associated with the object.

A system for monitoring movement of a plurality of movable objects during shipping, each of the movable objects having at least electronic circuitry and one or more of the movable objects having an electro- mechanical device associated therewith, said system comprising:

• a non-transitory storage device to store at least computer program code;
• and
• at least one processor to perform at least some of the stored computer program code, the at least one processor performing at least some of the stored computer program code to monitor a movable object during a shipment, the movable object being one of the movable objects having an electro-mechanical device associated therewith, the stored computer program code includes at least:
• computer program code for receiving status information associated with the movable object, the status information being provided by the electronic circuitry provided with the movable object at least during its shipment, the status information including at least position information and environmental information, and the environmental information being related to at least a condition of or around the movable object;
• computer program code for determining whether a notification condition pertaining to the movable object exists based on at least the status information and at least one notification criterion;
• computer program code for producing a notification message when the notification condition exists;
• computer program code for initiating electronically sending the notification message;
• and
• computer program code for initiating an environmental adjustment based on at least the status information, the initiating being through at least the electronic circuitry of the movable object influencing operation of the electro- mechanical device associated with the movable object, the electro-mechanical device includes an air-cooling device, and when the environmental adjustment is initiated, the air-cooling device is controlled to cool an environment associated with the movable object;
• computer program code for determining, during shipping of the movable object, that the status information indicates that the movable object being shipped should be replaced;
• and
• computer program code for initiating shipment of a replacement movable object before the movable object arrives at its destination, provided that it is determined that the status information indicates that the movable object should be replaced,
• wherein the at least one notification criterion includes at least a predetermined threshold, and
• wherein the notification condition is determined to exist when the environmental information includes at least one condition that exceeds the predetermined threshold.