Systems and methods for tracking location and monitoring environmental conditions of an asset in transit

An article of manufacture comprising a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by computing system to cause the computing system to implement a process for providing an asset tracking and monitoring service by a service provider, the process comprising:

• receiving monitored information transmitted from a package label affixed to an asset being shipped by a registered user from an origin location to a destination location, wherein the package label comprises a global positioning system (GPS) receiver, and a plurality of sensors comprising a temperature sensor, wherein the monitored information comprises (i) real-time location information obtained from the GPS receiver regarding a current location of the asset, (ii) real-time temperature information obtained from the temperature sensor, wherein the real-time temperature information comprises at least one of an external ambient temperature surrounding the asset, and a temperature of the asset, and (iii) other real-time sensor information obtained from at least one other sensor of the plurality or sensors;
• storing the received monitored information in a database and associating the received monitored information with a registered user, wherein the received monitored information is associated with the registered user using a unique identifier of the package label which is included in the transmitted information and which is associated with the registered user during a package label provisioning process;
• rendering and presenting stored monitored information on a computing device of the registered user;
• maintaining a database of historical transit and package delivery performance information for a shipping carrier utilized by the registered user for shipping assets of the registered user;
• analyzing the historical transit and package delivery performance information against time-in-transit information provided by the shipping carrier to determine an effectiveness of the shipping carrier in providing overnight shipping services for assets of the register user;
• and
• automatically providing a recommendation to the registered user for utilizing an overnight shipping service of the shipping carrier based on results of said analyzing.

A package label, comprising:

• a flexible substrate comprising a plurality of components disposed on the flexible substrate, wherein the components comprise:
• a processor to control operations of the package label;
• a memory device;
• a global positioning system (GPS) device configured to determine a geolocation of the package label;
• plurality of sensors configured to determine sensor information;
• wherein the processor is configured to periodically collect real-time location data from the GPS device and sensor information from the plurality of sensors, at a first predetermined time interval, and store the collected information in the memory device;
• and
• a wireless communications device configured to transmit the collected real-time location data and sensor information to a remote service provider for access by registered user of the package label, under control of the processor;
• wherein the processor is configured to periodically access the real-time location data and sensor information in the memory device and command the wireless communication device to transmit the collected location data and sensor information to the remote service provider at a second predetermined time interval;
• wherein the plurality of sensors comprises one or more of:
• a temperature sensor to capture real-time temperature information which comprises at least one of an external ambient temperature surrounding the asset, and a temperature of the asset;
• a humidity sensor to capture real-time humidity information;
• an altimeter sensor to capture real-time barometric pressure information;
• a light sensor to capture real-time light exposure information;
• and
• an x-y-z accelerometer to capture real-time motion information.