Sensor-Based Systems and Methods for Monitoring Temperature Sensitive Products

A device for monitoring a temperature of a product, the device comprising:

• a microcontroller (MCU) comprising an MCU on-chip temperature sensor configured to generate first sensor signals;
• a product-interfacing temperature sensor in thermal contact with the product and configured to generate second sensor signals;
• computer instructions stored in non-volatile computer-readable media and executable by a processor to:
• receive the first sensor signals generated by the MCU on-chip temperature sensor;
• receive the second sensor signals generated by the product-interfacing temperature sensor;
• determine a product temperature of the product based on at least one of (a) the first sensor signals generated by the MCU on-chip temperature sensor or (b) the second sensor signals generated by the product-interfacing temperature sensor;
• identify the existence of a notification condition based at least one the determined product temperature;
• and
• generate a notification in response to identifying the existence of a notification condition.

A method for monitoring a temperature of a product, the method comprising:

• receiving, at a processing unit, the first sensor signals generated by the product temperature sensor;
• receiving, at the processing unit, the second sensor signals generated by the ambient temperature sensor;
• determining, by the processing unit, a predicted product temperature of the product based at least on (a) the first sensor signals and (b) the second sensor signals, the predicted product temperature indicating a predicted temperature of the product at a future time;
• comparing, by the processing unit, the predicted product temperature with one or more threshold values;
• determining, by the processing unit, based on the comparison, whether to generate an alert signal.

A device for monitoring a temperature of a product, the device comprising:

• at least one temperature sensor configured to generate temperature sensor signals associated with the product;
• a processor;
• and
• computer instructions stored in non-volatile computer-readable media and executable by the processor to:
• receive the temperature sensor signals generated by the at least one temperature sensor;
• determine a product temperature of the product based at least on the temperature sensor signals;
• calculate a time-based trend in the product temperature;
• calculate, based at least on the time-based trend in the product temperature, a predicted time at which the product temperature will exceed a threshold temperature value;
• and
• generating a notification based on the predicted time at which the product temperature will exceed a threshold temperature value.