# US 2019/0318302 A1 · Systems And Methods For Environmental Monitoring Of Supply Chains

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- Number: US 2019/0318302 A1
- Document ID: US20190318302A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 16/380,560
- Filed: 2019-04-10
- Published: 2019-10-17
- Earliest claimed: 2018-04-12
- Assignees: Paksense, Inc.
- Applicants: PakSense, Inc.
- Inventors: Casimir E. LAWLER, JR.; Blair NYGREN
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190318302A1

## CPC

- G06Q 10/087: Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
- G06Q 10/00: Administration; Management
- G06Q 10/08: Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
- G06Q 10/0832: Special goods or special handling procedures, e.g. handling of hazardous or fragile goods
- G06Q 10/0833: Tracking
- G06Q 10/08776: {by management of storage life of perishable or hazardous products}
- H04W 4/80: Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
- H04W 4/02: Services making use of location information
- H04W 4/35: for the management of goods or merchandise
- H04W 4/38: for collecting sensor information
- G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72)

## Abstract

An environment monitoring method including measuring data from a plurality of sensors, wherein each of the plurality of sensors includes a unique identifier (UID). The method further includes instructing each of the plurality of sensors to measure data. The method also includes receiving the measured data from each of the plurality of sensors. The method then calculates a product degradation value of a product based on the measured data and compares the product degradation value with a threshold product degradation value. In response to the product degradation value of the product exceeding the threshold produce degradation value, the method generates and sends an alert to a device.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An environment monitoring method comprising:
measuring data from a plurality of sensors, wherein each of the plurality of sensors includes a unique identifier (UID);
instructing each of the plurality of sensors to measure data;
receiving the measured data from each of the plurality of sensors;
calculating a product degradation value of a product based on the measured data;
comparing the product degradation value with a threshold product degradation value; and
generating an alert in response to the product degradation value of the product exceeding the threshold produce degradation value; and
sending the alert to a device.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the measured data of each of the plurality of sensors includes: a temperature, a relative humidity, a carbon dioxide level, and a location of each of the plurality of sensors.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 further comprising storing the measured data of each of the plurality of sensors in a remote data storage.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3 further comprising transferring the measured data to the remote data storage via a reader, wherein the reader is configured to measure: a temperature, a relative humidity, a carbon dioxide level, a location, and vibration.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 further comprising indexing the measured data by product on a freshness calculation table, wherein the plurality of sensors are located in proximity to the product to trace the product along a supply chain.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5 further comprising accessing the freshness calculation table to calculate the product degradation value.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of sensors are passive radio frequency identification sensors, and wherein a reader supplies power to the plurality of sensors in response to transmitting a read request to the reader.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 further comprising:
determining a location of the product;
determining an operator device associated with the location; and
sending the alert to the operator device associated with the location.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the threshold product degradation value is determined from a freshness calculation table.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the UID is a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, and wherein, to monitor the product along a supply chain of the product, the UID is located in at least one of: (i) a shipping container, (ii) a trailer, and (iii) a cold room.

### Claim 11

An environment monitoring system comprising:
a plurality of sensors configured to measure data, wherein each of the plurality of sensors includes a unique identifier (UID);
a reader configured to instruct each of the plurality of sensors to measure data and receive the measured data from each of the plurality of sensors; and
a freshness assessment module including:
a freshness calculation module configured to calculate a product degradation value of a product based on the measured data;
a freshness determination module configured to compare the product degradation value with a threshold product degradation value; and
an alert generation module configured to generate and send an alert to a device in response to the product degradation value of the product exceeding the threshold produce degradation value.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The system of claim 11 wherein each of the plurality of sensors measures data including: a temperature, a relative humidity, a carbon dioxide level, and a location of each of the plurality of sensors.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The system of claim 11 wherein the freshness assessment module is included in the reader.

### Claim 14 (depends on 11)

The system of claim 11 wherein the reader is further configured to measure data including: a temperature, a relative humidity, a carbon dioxide level, a location, and vibration.

### Claim 15 (depends on 11)

The system of claim 11 further comprising a freshness calculation table indexing the measured data by product, wherein the plurality of sensors are located in proximity to the product to trace the product along a supply chain.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The system of claim 15 wherein the freshness calculation module accesses the freshness calculation table to calculate the product degradation value.

### Claim 17 (depends on 11)

The system of claim 11 wherein the plurality of sensors are passive radio frequency identification sensors, and wherein the reader supplies power to the plurality of sensors in response to the freshness assessment module transmitting a read request to the reader.

### Claim 18 (depends on 11)

The system of claim 11 wherein the alert generation module:
determines a location of the product;
determines an operator device associated with the location; and
sends the alert to the operator device associated with the location.

### Claim 19 (depends on 11)

The system of claim 11 wherein the threshold product degradation value is determined from a freshness calculation table.

### Claim 20 (depends on 11)

The system of claim 11 wherein the UID is a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, and wherein, to monitor the product along a supply chain of the product, the UID is located in at least one of: (i) a shipping container, (ii) a trailer, and (iii) a cold room.