US 12,470,077 B2Granted

Active container with data bridging

AssigneeDoubleday Acquisitions LLC

InventorJonathan Peter Neeld

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A container having a battery and one or more active systems for maintaining temperature or other characteristics of goods stored within the container relies on a battery to maintain those active systems during transit. The size of the battery required for such applications may be reduced by providing access to external power during a shipment cycle. For example, shelves within transit vehicles or warehouses can supply electricity to the active systems via a wireless or wired connection, or they may recharge the container's battery, or both. The container may also have data bridging capabilities that use short range wireless technology to communicate with nearby devices that have access to other data streams, such as GPS data and internet connectivity. When bridged with a provider, the container may have access to new data streams, or may be able to disable internal devices providing those same data streams to conserve power.

Claims20

Dependent claims

An active container comprising:

(a) a storage compartment adapted to store materials during transit;
(b) a bridge connection device;
(c) a user input device;
(d) an automatic lock configured to selectively prevent or allow access to the storage compartment;
(e) an alert indicator;
(f) a memory operable to store information associated with transit of the active container;
and
(g) a controller configured to control the operation of the bridge connection device, wherein the controller is further configured to:
(i) establish a connection between the bridge connection device and a bridge provider when the bridge connection device detects that the bridge provider is within connectable range of the bridge connection device,
(ii) receive a set of transit data from the bridge provider via the bridge connection device, wherein the set of transit data originates from a data stream accessible by the bridge provider,
(iii) determine whether an alert condition exists based upon the set of transit data,
(iv) when the alert condition exists based upon the set of transit data originating from the data stream accessible by the bridge provider, provide an alert indication via the alert indicator and, when the alert condition is critical, operate the automatic lock to prevent access to the storage compartment using the connection between the bridge connection device and a bridge provider,
(v) receive a set of input from the user input device,
(vi) determine whether the set of input is valid based upon the set of transit data, and
(vii) when the set of input is valid and when the alert condition is not a critical alert condition, operate the automatic lock to allow access to the storage compartment.

12 more elements

An active container comprising:

(a) a storage compartment adapted to store materials during transit;
(b) a GPS or cellular data receiver configured to receive signals over a GPS or cellular network;
(c) a bridge connection device;
(d) a user input device;
(e) an automatic lock configured to selectively prevent or allow access to the storage compartment;
(f) an alert indicator;
(g) a memory operable to store information associated with transit of the active container;
(h) a temperature management system operable to manage the temperature of the storage compartment;
and
(i) a controller configured to control the operation of the GPS or cellular data receiver and the bridge connection device, wherein the controller is further configured to:
(i) establish a connection between the GPS or cellular data receiver of the active container and the GPS or cellular network,
(ii) establish a connection between the bridge connection device and a bridge provider when the bridge connection device detects that the bridge provider is within connectable range of the bridge connection device,
(iii) receive a set of transit data from the bridge provider via the bridge connection device instead of using the connection to the GPS or cellular data receiver of the active container,
(iv) determine whether an alert condition exists based upon the set of transit data,
(v) when the alert condition exists based upon the set of transit data, provide an alert indication via the alert indicator and, when the alert condition is critical, operate the automatic lock to prevent access to the storage compartment,
(vi) receive a set of input from the user input device,
(vii) determine whether the set of input is valid based upon the set of transit data, and
(viii) when the set of input is valid and when the alert condition is not a critical alert condition, operate the automatic lock to allow access to the storage compartment.

15 more elements

An active container comprising:

(a) a storage compartment adapted to store materials during transit;
(b) a GPS or cellular data receiver configured to receive signals over a GPS or cellular network;
(c) a bridge connection device;
(d) a user input device;
(e) an automatic lock configured to selectively prevent or allow access to the storage compartment;
(f) an alert indicator;
(g) a memory operable to store information associated with transit of the active container;
and
(h) a controller configured to control the operation of the GPS or cellular data receiver and the bridge connection device, wherein the controller is further configured to:
(i) establish a connection between the GPS or cellular data receiver of the active container and the GPS or cellular network,
(ii) establish a connection between the bridge connection device and a bridge provider in response to a loss of a connection from the GPS or cellular data receiver of the active container,
(iii) receive a set of transit data from the bridge provider via the bridge connection device,
(iv) determine whether an alert condition exists based upon the set of transit data,
(v) when the alert condition exists based upon the set of transit data, provide an alert indication via the alert indicator and, when the alert condition is critical, operate the automatic lock to prevent access to the storage compartment,
(vi) receive a set of input from the user input device,
(vii) determine whether the set of input is valid based upon the set of transit data, and
(viii) when the set of input is valid and when the alert condition is not a critical alert condition, operate the automatic lock to allow access to the storage compartment.

14 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 18/225,717Filed 25 Jul 2023 · continuation
Priority: 2 Aug 2017
Published: US 2024/0030734 A125 Jan 2024
Granted: 11 Nov 2025
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification21 codes

H02J 7/865
Circuit arrangements for charging or discharging batteries or for supplying loads from batteries: battery or charger load switching, e.g.…
B65D 88/74
Large containers: having means for heating, cooling, aerating or other conditioning of contents
B65D 90/0073
Contents retaining means: storage racks
B65D 90/48
Component parts, details or accessories for large containers: arrangements of indicating or measuring devices

Family

Application62/540,096Us provisional application · filed 2 Aug 2017
Application62/540,099Us provisional application · filed 2 Aug 2017
Application16/046,286Parent of this continuation · filed 26 Jul 2018
US 2024/0030734 A1Pre-grant publication · published 25 Jan 2024
US 11,750,008 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2019/0044753 A1Published application
US 12,470,077 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.