Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
ADAPTIVE COMMODITY DELIVERY DISPATCH
Serhan
FIELD OF THE INVENTION:
This invention is in the field of remote sensor monitoring and more
particularly presents
hardware, software and methodology for the adaptive dispatch of commodity
deliveries to
remote locations, between mobile delivery system and potentially mobile
delivery locations,
using remote sensor apparatus at both ends of the delivery chain with long-
term uptime and
availability.
BACKGROUND:
Many industries including agriculture, petrochemical production and the like
have seen increases
in the remote staging of stored inputs ¨ liquid and dry supplies and the like
are in more cases
than ever desired to be stored near their locations of use. As those locations
become more
distributed however, it is desirable to optimize the delivery schedules to
those locations to
minimize cost. To optimize delivery schedules to such locations, it is
necessary to monitor the
state or storage level of different products stored at such locations, so that
the timing for the
necessity of deliveries to replenish supplies can be properly calculated and
deliveries schedule.
Just-in-time delivery and pickup schedules require the best data possible,
which becomes harder
to monitor and to obtain as the logistic lines are geographically extended
further and further. To
avoid the need for humans to attend and manually capture these readings that
particular storage
or operation sites it would be desirable to come up with a reliable remote
sensing technology
which can quickly and efficiently monitor available storage or product at
particular locations.
Similarly in extractive or production industries, the storage of extracted or
produced products
such as oil or gas which needs to eventually be transported ¨ for example in
the case of oil wells
that are not connected to pipelines or the like ¨ the extracted output also
needs to be stored to be
Page 1
Date recue/Date Received 2019-09-27
monitored for optimized pickup schedules. For example the collection of crude
oil extracted
from various oil wells and stored on site or in proximity to the wells in
staging tanks until tankers
can pick up product and transported to a pipeline or to an aggregation point.
Again, to optimize
the pickup schedules for these products, it would be desirable to have access
to automated
remote sensing technology which did not require human attendance to sample the
contents of
storage tanks, storage bins and the like to determine the level of storage
remaining in a particular
tank, bin or location.
Many existing storage bins, storage tanks and other similar operating
environments include pre-
existing sensors capable of capturing the necessary information but the
information is not
captured on a sensor unit which can communicate over long distances to avoid
the need for
significant manual attendance to either capture the sensor information or to
regularly maintain,
charge or otherwise attend to the sensor equipment. If it were possible to
come up with a long
range sensor technology which could address some of the shortcomings in the
industry for just-
in-time sensor information for scheduled pickup or delivery in such commercial
applications,
using a piece of technology that could be retrofitted to pre-existing sensors
within storage bins,
storage tanks and the like, it is felt this would accelerate further the
commercial adoption of such
technology.
A further shortcoming of current sensor technologies which it is desired to
overcome to assist in
this just-in-time logistics category is the desire for remote sensing
technology on mobile
containers ¨ for example to sample available capacity or available product in
a moving container
such as a trailer or train car or the like. This has heretofore been difficult
since typical remote
sensing technologies require tethered power supplies, tethered network
bandwidth for
communication and the like. If it was possible to produce a remote-sensing
unit that could
communicate over long distances with no tethered network conductivity or
tethered power, this
would be commercially valuable.
If it were possible to facilitate mobile general technologies which would
allow for sampling the
remote capacity or remote contents of particular containers such as tanks,
storage bins and the
like, many types of software or business methodologies could be built upon
such data. For
Page 2
Date recue/Date Received 2019-09-27
example, if it were possible to build a data system which encompassed remote
sensor readings
which could display the remote sensor readings captured from mobile remote
sensors in a
mapped format, so data points captured within a particular timeframe could be
geographically
viewed, this would be useful in some applications. Also, some users may wish
to graphically
.. view sensor readings regarding more than one sensor or more than one
storage location to plan
those optimized delivery schedules the status, and if it were possible to
provide such a dataset
and data tool is again believed this would be a significant commercial
development which would
be valuable in industry.
In a more elaborate adaptive dispatch method, it is contemplated that the
concept of "virtual
pipelines" could also be facilitated, using remotely installed level sensing
technology both
regarding a receiving commodity storage container and regarding a mobile
delivery or system to
implement a sophisticated system of adaptive delivery dispatch, matching
available commodity
requirements and commodity delivery availability.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION:
The invention consists of the method of adaptive commodity delivery dispatch,
for a system
.. comprising several components. The first component of the system used in
the method of the
present invention is at least one remote commodity storage container, for
storage of a
transportable commodity. The remote commodity storage container would have a
particular
capacity volume, being the total amount of commodity which can be stored, and
a threshold
volume of which it delivery of commodity to or from the commodity storage
containers required.
Dependent upon the phase and type of the commodity itself, for example if the
commodity
comprises liquid, gaseous or particulate dry commodities, the specific nature
of the remote
commodity storage container might vary. Insofar as the system and method of
the present
invention pertains to an adaptive delivery method and dispatching system for
use with the
dispatching of deliveries of a particular commodity, it is likely that the
specific configuration and
type of commodity storage container from the perspective of the type of
commodity which can
be stored would be the same across the remote commodity storage containers
within the system.
Page 3
Date recue/Date Received 2019-09-27
The specifics of the remote commodity storage containers can vary, while their
overall
configuration from one container to the next within the system and method in
so far as they
could contain the same commodity will be understood to be the same.
The capacity volume of the remote commodity storage container, and the
threshold volume at
which a delivery of commodity might be required are two variables required in
performing the
method of the present invention. It is necessary to understand the total
volume of the remote
commodity storage container from the purpose of calculating required dispatch
or delivery
amounts, and the threshold volume of the container is contemplated to be a
threshold level at
which it might be desired to trigger a delivery to or from the container. The
threshold volume
might be a particular volume or might be a percentage of full for example, or
different
approaches to calculating threshold volume versus total volume will be
understood to be within
the scope of the present invention.
Besides the at least one remote commodity storage container, the system used
in the method
would also comprise at least one mobile delivery system, for delivery of the
commodity to or
from a commodity storage container. The mobile delivery system would comprise
a commodity
delivery container which has a total delivery volume, being the total volume
of commodity
which could be transported in the commodity delivery container. The mobile
delivery system
might comprise a delivery truck, delivery trailer or train car, or several
types of delivery vehicles
understood to be within the scope of the present invention. It is specifically
contemplated that the
mobile delivery system could be moved onto the site of at least one remote
commodity storage
container. The commodity delivery container, similar to the commodity storage
containers, could
be configured so it would permit the transport of a particular phase or type
of commodity to or
from remote commodity storage containers. For example, where a liquid or gas
commodity was
to be transported, the commodity delivery container might be a tank, with the
remaining
necessary loading or unloading equipment on the mobile delivery system in
other cases, if the
commodity to be transported and delivered was a particulate solid, a hopper or
other type of a
trailer or transportable container will be understood to be within the scope
of the present
invention.
Page 4
Date recue/Date Received 2019-09-27
Each remote commodity storage container would be fitted with a container
sensor apparatus
associated therewith. The container sensor apparatus can capture a measurement
of the current
storage volume of commodity within the associated remote commodity storage
container, and
has a network interface capable of communication with the server. The
container sensor
apparatus would contain the necessary software and hardware measurement
interface to allow for
the capture of the current storage volume measurement regarding its associated
remote
commodity storage container. In certain embodiments of the method of the
present invention
where the remote commodity storage container associated with the container
sensor apparatus is
mobile, the container sensor apparatus might also include a geo-positioning
interface which
would allow for a capture of the geolocation of the container sensor apparatus
and by extension
the associated remote commodity storage container when a measurement of the
current storage
volume of commodity within the associated container was captured. Container
sensor apparatus
with or without a geolocation interface will be contemplated for association
with various
embodiments of the method of the present invention and any necessary
additional modifications
will be understood to those skilled in the art and are all contemplated within
the scope of the
present invention.
Besides the container sensor apparatus being associated with each remote
commodity storage
container, each of the mobile delivery systems of the system of the method
would include a
delivery sensor apparatus. The delivery sensor apparatus would be capable of
capturing the
geolocation of the delivery sensor apparatus and the associated mobile
delivery system along
with the current available volume within the associated delivery system, being
the available
commodity which was capable to be delivered or received from or to the mobile
delivery system
in a particular transport dispatch. The delivery sensor apparatus would also
include a network
interface capable of communication with a server.
The system used with the method of the present invention would also comprise a
server which
had a processor, and a server network interface capable of communication with
the at least one
container sensor apparatus, the at least one delivery sensor apparatus, and
user devices associated
with mobile delivery systems. Additionally, the system would host or be
operatively connected
to a database comprising at least two types of records, being container
records and delivery
Page 5
Date recue/Date Received 2019-09-27
records. The database would contain a container record corresponding to each
remote
commodity storage container being administered in the method, which would
contain data
corresponding to at least the identity of the corresponding container sensor
apparatus, the
geolocation of the container sensor apparatus and associated remote commodity
storage
container, the capacity volume, the threshold volume and the current storage
volume of the
remote commodity storage container. Besides the container records, the
database will also
include a delivery record corresponding to each mobile delivery system, which
contained data
corresponding to at least the identity of the corresponding delivery sensor
apparatus, the
geolocation, and the total delivery volume and current available volume of the
mobile delivery
system communication coordinates for a user device associated with the mobile
delivery system
would in many embodiments also be stored. Besides the hardware server and
related database,
the server would also comprise a monitoring software component capable of
carrying out the
steps of the method as outlined in the remainder of the specification.
In the execution of the method of the present invention as outlined, the
server and the monitoring
software component will conduct the monitoring, calculations and dispatch
functions as follows.
The first step in the method of the present invention, operating in the
confines of a system similar
to that outlined above, would be the monitoring of the current storage volume
within each remote
commodity storage container. This would be achieved by receiving at the server
via the server
network interface container level transmissions from individual container
sensor apparatus
associated with remote commodity storage containers within the system, each
container level
transmission comprising a data packet which corresponds to and contains at
least the identity of
the container sensor apparatus originated the transmission, along with the
recently sampled value
for the current storage volume within the associated remote commodity storage
container.
Many types of periodic frequencies or triggering approaches will be understood
within the
context and scope of the present pension ¨ the container sensor apparatus
could for example the
program to trigger the generation of a container level transmission of time to
periodic frequency,
or for example triggered based on a change in the volume level within the
associated remote
commodity storage container or the like. All such approaches will be
understood and
contemplated within the scope of the present invention. Sometimes, the
periodic container level
transmission could also be pulled from the server by polling the container
sensor apparatus
Page 6
Date recue/Date Received 2019-09-27
associated with the particular remote commodity storage container seeking the
triggering of a
container level transmission.
On receipt of a container level transmission by the server network interface,
the monitoring
software component and other related components of the server and related
software would
process that container level transmission by first extracting the sampled
value of the current
storage volume of the remote commodity storage container, along with the
identity of the
container sensor apparatus, from the received packet. Following the parsing or
extraction of that
information from the received packet from the container level transmission,
the monitoring
software component would identify the relevant container record in the
database corresponding
to the related storage container, being the target container record, based
upon the extracted
identity of the container sensor apparatus from which the transmission was
received. Finally, the
server and the monitoring software component would effect the saving of the
extracted current
storage volume value from the transmission and the related data packet to the
target container
record.
In addition to monitoring the current storage volume within each remote
commodity storage
container, the monitoring software component and the server would also monitor
the current
available volume within each mobile delivery system by receiving periodic
availability
transmissions via the server network interface from the individual delivery
sensor apparatus
associated with individual mobile delivery systems. An availability
transmission, received via
the server network interface, would comprise a data packet corresponding to at
least the identity
of the delivery sensor apparatus originating same, and a recently sampled
value for the currently
available volume within the associated delivery system as well as the
geolocation of the delivery
sensor apparatus and the associated mobile delivery system.
As outlined regarding the container sensor apparatus, many types of periodic
frequencies or
triggering approaches will be understood within the context and scope of the
present invention
and the delivery sensor apparatus associated with each mobile delivery system.
The delivery
sensor apparatus could for example be programmed to trigger the generation of
a availability
transmission on a timed periodic frequency, or could also be triggered based
on a change in the
Page 7
Date recue/Date Received 2019-09-27
volume level commodity container associated with the mobile delivery system.
All such
approaches will be understood and contemplated within the scope of the present
invention.
Sometimes, the periodic availability transmission can also be pulled by the
server, by polling the
delivery sensor apparatus associated with a particular mobile delivery system,
seeking the
triggering of an availability transmission.
On receipt of a availability transmission at the server from a mobile delivery
system and its
associated delivery sensor apparatus, the monitoring software component and
the server would
process that availability transmission to update the database and the
corresponding delivery
record therein with up-to-date information related to the mobile delivery
system question.
Specifically, the sampled value of the geolocation of the associated mobile
delivery system and
delivery sensor apparatus would be extracted along with the current available
volume of the
mobile delivery system, and using the identity of the delivery sensor
apparatus from the received
packet the delivery record corresponding to the related mobile delivery
system, being the target
.. delivery record, could be identified. The geolocation in the current
available volume from the
transmission would be saved to the target delivery record. In terms of
monitoring both the
commodity level in the remote commodity storage containers and the mobile
delivery systems,
the server and the network interface of the server could basically comprise a
listener routine as
understood to those in the art of computer network design and computer
programming in this
field capable of receiving the container level transmissions and availability
transmissions at the
server as they are originated and transmitted from their respective locations.
Besides monitoring the current storage volume within each remote commodity
storage container
and the current available volume within each mobile delivery system, the
monitoring software
.. component would next also detect the existence of a delivery condition in
the remote commodity
storage containers. A delivery condition would be any volume level within the
related remote
commodity storage container which required the dispatch of a delivery for
commodity to be
delivered to or from this remote commodity storage container. The monitoring
software
component would detect the existence of a delivery condition by monitoring the
container
records within the database ¨ a delivery condition exists regarding any remote
commodity
storage container regarding which the current storage volume exceeds the
threshold volume.
Page 8
Date recue/Date Received 2019-09-27
When a delivery condition is detected to exist regarding at least one remote
commodity storage
container, the monitoring software component would effect dispatch of a mobile
commodity
delivery thereto, for each remote commodity storage container at which a
delivery condition
exists, by first calculating the required delivery quantity of commodity
required at this remote
commodity storage container by subtracting the current storage volume from the
capacity
volume. It will be understood that the method of the present invention could
be used in both
aggregating environments in which commodities or materials produced or
extracted at a
particular remote site or stored within the remote commodity storage container
for eventual take
away transport by a mobile delivery system, or where the remote commodity
storage containers
were staging containers in which delivered inputs or related materials could
be stored for
consumption or use at a particular remote location. With a take away transport
embodiment, the
required delivery quantity might relate to the empty volume of the remote
commodity storage
container i.e. where it was desired to maintain at least a minimum level of
emptiness in the
container to allow for capacity on site to recover additional products or
materials, versus in a
delivery scenario the required delivery quantity would more likely relate to
the required
commodity to be delivered to the container to provide for an additional amount
of volume of
stored material within the container at the remote location. Both such
approaches are
contemplated within the scope of the present invention.
Following the calculation of the required delivery quantity, representing the
amount of
commodity required to be delivered or taken away from a remote commodity
storage container at
which the threshold volume value has been reached, the monitoring software
component would
compare the required delivery quantity for the specific remote commodity
storage container to
the available volume stored in the delivery records for each mobile delivery
system, to identify at
least one qualified mobile delivery system capable of delivering the required
mobile delivery
quantity. Effectively, the software would identify a subset of delivery
records from the database
representing one or more mobile delivery systems which would be capable of
singly or in
combination making a delivery to this remote commodity storage container. This
one or more
qualified mobile delivery systems would be the group from which delivery would
be selected
and dispatched.
Page 9
Date recue/Date Received 2019-09-27
Following the identification of a subset of qualified mobile delivery systems
from the delivery
records in the database, the monitoring software component would then select
at least one mobile
delivery system and closest geographic proximity to the specific remote
commodity storage
container requiring the delivery, or at which the delivery condition exists,
based upon the
geolocation stored in the related container record specific remote commodity
storage container
and the most recent geo-locations of each qualified mobile delivery system
stored in the related
delivery records. Effectively, the monitoring software component would select
at least one
mobile delivery system from the identified qualified mobile delivery systems,
which system
either singly or combined with others in the closest geographic proximity to
the location at which
the delivery with required and had sufficient available volume to permit the
completion of the
required delivery of commodity to or from this remote commodity storage
container.
The final step in this basic embodiment of the method of the present invention
would be the
transmission of the dispatch notification regarding the at least one selected
delivery system, to
the communication coordinates of the user device associated with the delivery
record for the
selected delivery system from the database, facilitated by the monitoring
software component
and the remainder of the components and network interface of the server.
Effectively, a dispatch
notification would be transmitted to the user device of the user associated
with the mobile
delivery system in question, which dispatch notification would include the
details of the location
to which delivery was to be made, required delivery quantity etc. The method
of the present
invention is adaptive insofar as the mobile delivery system selected for a
delivery of commodity
to or from a particular remote commodity storage container would be dictated
by selecting at
least one selected delivery system which could make the required delivery
based upon the
available amount of commodity or commodity space within the transport
container associated
with the delivery system, and the delivery system being selected being in the
closest geographic
proximity to the remote commodity storage container requiring the delivery, at
which the
delivery condition exists. It will be understood that additional parameters
can also be
incorporated into the selection methodology, whereby additional parameters
besides geographic
proximity could narrow down the subset of qualified mobile delivery systems in
any number of
Page 10
Date recue/Date Received 2019-09-27
additional such modifications as understood to those skilled in the art are
all contemplated within
the scope of the present invention.
Two different types of remote commodity storage containers are contemplated.
In certain
embodiments of the method of the present invention the remote commodity
storage containers
would be aggregation containers in which on-site commodity production would be
stored, and
the commodity delivery required involves transporting commodity from the
remote commodity
storage container by a selected mobile delivery system for take away from the
container, and the
second type of a remote commodity storage containers a supply container in
which commodity
.. supply is stored for on-site consumption or use, and commodity delivery
required involves
transporting commodity to the remote commodity storage container by selected
mobile delivery
system for delivery to the container. Both such types of containers are
contemplated within the
scope of the present invention. It will also even be understood that in
certain embodiments of the
system and method of the present invention, where the commodity itself was the
same, some of
the remote commodity storage containers could be aggregation containers, and
other remote
commodity storage containers could be supply containers.
The method of the present invention could be practised using one or more
remote commodity
storage containers. It is specifically contemplated that a plurality of mobile
delivery systems
would be used in embodiments of the present invention, to maximize the
adaptive nature of the
method based upon the selection of the mobile delivery system at the closest
geographic location
to a remote commodity storage container delivery.
It is specifically contemplated that in many embodiments of the present
invention, the selected
delivery apparatus selected to be dispatched for delivery of transported
commodity to or from a
particular remote commodity storage container would be a single selected
delivery apparatus. In
other embodiments however, the monitoring software component could select a
plurality of
selected delivery apparatus to effect a delivery to a commodity storage
container under a delivery
condition, where there was not a single qualified delivery apparatus having
the available volume
.. to deliver the required amount to this remote commodity storage container.
Both such
approaches ¨ namely the dispatch of a single selected delivery apparatus or a
plurality of remote
Page 11
Date recue/Date Received 2019-09-27
commodity storage container for delivery to a particular remote commodity
storage container
under delivery condition are both contemplated within the scope of the present
invention.
The method of the present invention can be practised regarding the delivery of
commodities of
various types and phases to particular remote commodity storage containers. It
is specifically
contemplated that the actual stored commodity for storage and transport to or
from a particular
grouping of remote commodity storage containers could be a liquid, a gas or a
flowable or
particulate solid, and the necessary adjustments to the container sensor
apparatus of these remote
commodity storage containers and to mobile delivery systems and the delivery
sensor apparatus
associated therewith will all be understood to be within the scope of the
present invention.
The container sensor apparatus associated with at least one remote commodity
storage container
could be self-contained insofar as it would include a self-contained long-term
power supply
which did not require external power input. This would allow for the use of
the container sensor
apparatus of the method and system of the invention with remote commodity
storage containers
in extremely remote and off grid locations. It is specifically contemplated
that the self-contained
long-term power supply could be a battery with the solar charging system. In
other embodiments,
the container sensor apparatus could be connected to an external power bus.
Similarly, the delivery sensor apparatus used in the system and method of the
present invention
could also incorporate a self-contained long-term power supply which did not
require external
power input. This would allow for the rapid retrofit of the delivery sensor
apparatus of the
present invention to pre-existing mobile delivery systems. Again however,
other mobile delivery
systems such as delivery trucks, trains or other modes of transportation might
include a power
bus to which the delivery sensor apparatus of the present invention can be
connected in both such
approaches are contemplated within the scope.
Insofar as the delivery sensor apparatus as outlined herein includes a
geolocation module or
capability, allowing for the capture of current geolocation of the delivery
sensor apparatus and
associated mobile delivery system at any time, in certain embodiments of the
present invention
the remote commodity storage containers could also be mobile, which would be
facilitated by the
Page 12
Date recue/Date Received 2019-09-27
,
associated container sensor apparatus for a mobile remote commodity storage
container also
including a geolocation capability allowing for the capture of geolocation of
the container sensor
apparatus and the associated when a sensor readings captured for the
generation of a
transmission to the server. The sensor captured by the related container
sensor apparatus and
subsequent container level transmission would include the current capture
information of the
geolocation of the remote commodity storage container in those cases, and the
geolocation of the
corresponding container record would be updated during the extraction and
storage of the
contents of the container level transmission. Both such approaches, namely
that of a fixed
geolocation stored within the container record, or an adjustable geolocation
being updated
occasionally are contemplated within the scope of the present invention.
The network interface of either the container sensor apparatus or the delivery
sensor apparatus is
explicitly contemplated to potentially be a cellular modem connected to a
cellular data network
capable of communication with the server via the server network interface.
Several types of
networks and network topologies can be contemplated within the scope of the
present invention.
In certain embodiments of the method of the present invention, the container
level transmissions
transmitted from container sensor apparatus could include timestamps of the
related sensor
capture contained, and the database on the related container record structure
associated there
with could be adapted to store multiple current stored volume values along
with the related
timestamps regarding the related remote commodity storage container. This
would allow the
monitoring software component to predictably determine the existence of a
delivery condition at
a particular time regarding a particular remote commodity storage container
based upon
predicting the current storage volume value in the container based upon the
time and stored
volume curve established by multiple previously captured timestamp and volume
combinations
or values.
Besides the method embodiments of the present invention there is also
disclosed a server for a
method of adaptive commodity delivery dispatch regarding at least one remote
commodity
storage container for the storage of a transportable commodity, which
commodity storage
container has a capacity volume being the total amount of commodity which can
be stored in the
Page 13
Date recue/Date Received 2019-09-27
commodity storage container as well as a threshold volume at which a delivery
of commodity to
or from the commodity storage container might be required. That method also
incorporates
reliance upon at least one mobile delivery system for the delivery of the
commodity to or from a
commodity storage container, which mobile delivery system comprises a
commodity delivery
container having a total delivery volume being the total volume commodity
which can be
transported in the commodity delivery container.
The server comprises a processor and a server network interface capable of
communication with
the container sensor apparatus associated with each remote commodity storage
container, which
container sensor apparatus can capture the current stored volume of commodity
within the
associated commodity storage container. The server network interface is also
capable of
communication with the delivery sensor apparatus associated with each mobile
delivery system,
which delivery sensor apparatus can capture the geolocation thereof and the
current available
volume within the associated mobile delivery system. Finally, the server
network interface would
also be capable of vacation with user devices associated with the mobile
delivery systems.
The server also comprises a database which includes container records
corresponding to each
remote commodity storage container and containing data corresponding to lease
the identity of
the corresponding container sensor apparatus and the geolocation, the capacity
volume, the
threshold volume in the current stored volume of this remote storage
container. The database
would also include delivery records corresponding to each mobile delivery
system, and which
would contain data corresponding to at least the identity of the corresponding
delivery sensor
apparatus, the current geolocation of the mobile delivery system along with
the total delivery
volume of the current available volume of the mobile delivery system. The
delivery record
would also include communication coordinates for a user device associated
therewith.
The server would host processor instructions comprising a monitoring software
component for
carrying out the steps of the method, by:
1. monitoring the current stored volume within each remote commodity storage
container
by receiving periodic container level transmissions via the server network
interface from
Page 14
Date recue/Date Received 2019-09-27
individual container sensor apparatus, each container level transmission
comprising a
data packet corresponding to at least the identity of the container sensor
apparatus and a
recently sampled value for the current stored volume within the associated
remote storage
container and on receipt of any periodic container level transmission:
a. extracting the sampled value of the current stored volume of
the remote storage
container and the identity of the container sensor apparatus from the received
packet;
b. identifying the container record corresponding to the related remote
storage
container, being the target container record, based on the extracted identity
of the
container sensor apparatus from which the transmission was received; and
c. saving the extracted current stored volume value from the transmission to
the
target container record;
2. monitoring the current available volume within each mobile delivery system
by receiving
periodic availability transmissions via the server network interface from
individual
delivery sensor apparatus, each availability transmission comprising a data
packet
corresponding to at least the identity of the identity of the delivery sensor
apparatus and a
recently sampled value for the current available volume within the associated
mobile
delivery system and on receipt of any periodic availability transmission:
a. extracting the sampled value of the geolocation, the current available
volume of
the mobile delivery system and the identity of the delivery sensor apparatus
from
the received packet;
b. identifying the delivery record corresponding to the related mobile
delivery
system, being the target delivery record, based on the extracted identity of
the
delivery sensor apparatus from which the transmission was received; and
Page 15
Date recue/Date Received 2019-09-27
c. saving the geolocation and the current available volume from the
transmission to
the target delivery record;
3. detecting the existence of a delivery condition at any of the remote
storage containers by
monitoring the container records in the database, wherein a delivery condition
exists
regarding any remote storage container regarding which the current stored
volume
exceeds the threshold volume; and
4. on detection of a delivery condition in respect of any specific remote
storage container,
dispatching a mobile commodity delivery thereto by:
a. calculating the required delivery quantity of commodity
required by subtracting
the current stored volume from the capacity volume;
b. comparing the required delivery quantity for the specific remote storage
container
to the available volume stored in the delivery records for each mobile
delivery
system, to identify at least one qualified mobile delivery system capable of
delivering the required mobile delivery quantity;
c. selecting at least one mobile delivery system in closest geographic
proximity to
the specific remote storage container based upon the geolocation stored in the
related container record and the most recent geolocations of each qualified
mobile
delivery system stored in the related delivery records, being the selected
delivery
apparatus; and
d. transmitting a dispatch notification regarding the selected delivery
apparatus to
the communication coordinates of the user device associated with the delivery
record of the selected delivery apparatus.
Page 16
Date recue/Date Received 2019-09-27
The server would comprise any combination of hardware and software as outlined
above that
would allow for the execution of adaptive commodity dispatch method outlined
in any
embodiment outlined.
The server could be used in the execution of a method where the remote
commodity storage
containers are aggregation containers, in which on-site commodity production
is stored, and the
commodity delivery required involves transporting commodity from the remote
commodity
storage container by a selected mobile delivery system for takeaway from the
container, or
wherein the remote commodity storage containers are supply containers in which
commodity
supply is stored for on-site consumption, and the commodity delivery required
involves
transporting commodity to the remote commodity storage container by a selected
mobile
delivery system for delivery to the container.
The server network interface would comprise any necessary combination of
software and
hardware facilitate the communication the external hardware modules outlined
above, namely
container sensor apparatus, the delivery sensor apparatus and the user
devices.
The invention also comprises a monitoring software component for use on a
server in the
execution of a method of adaptive commodity delivery dispatch regarding at
least one remote
commodity storage container for storage of a transportable commodity, said
commodity storage
container having a capacity volume being the total amount of commodity which
can be stored in
the commodity storage container and a threshold volume at which a delivery of
commodity to or
from the commodity storage container is required, and at least one mobile
delivery system for
delivery of the commodity to or from a commodity storage container, said
mobile delivery
system comprising a commodity delivery container having a total delivery
volume being the total
volume of commodity which can be transported in the commodity delivery
container. The server
comprises a processor and a server network interface capable of communication
with the
container sensor apparatus associated with each remote commodity storage
container, which
container sensor apparatus can capture the current stored volume of commodity
within the
associated commodity storage container. The server network interface is also
capable of
communication with the delivery sensor apparatus associated with each mobile
delivery system,
Page 17
Date recue/Date Received 2019-09-27
which delivery sensor apparatus can capture the geolocation thereof and the
current available
volume within the associated mobile delivery system. Finally, the server
network interface would
also be capable of vacation with user devices associated with the mobile
delivery systems. The
server also comprises a database which includes container records
corresponding to each remote
commodity storage container and containing data corresponding to lease the
identity of the
corresponding container sensor apparatus and the geolocation, the capacity
volume, the threshold
volume in the current stored volume of this remote storage container. The
database would also
include delivery records corresponding to each mobile delivery system, and
which would contain
data corresponding to at least the identity of the corresponding delivery
sensor apparatus, the
current geolocation of the mobile delivery system along with the total
delivery volume of the
current available volume of the mobile delivery system. The delivery record
would also include
communication coordinates for a user device associated therewith.
The monitoring software component would comprise processor instructions
executable on the
server for carrying out the steps of the method, by:
1. monitoring the current stored volume within each remote commodity storage
container
by receiving periodic container level transmissions via the server network
interface from
individual container sensor apparatus, each container level transmission
comprising a
data packet corresponding to at least the identity of the container sensor
apparatus and a
recently sampled value for the current stored volume within the associated
remote storage
container and on receipt of any periodic container level transmission:
a. extracting the sampled value of the current stored volume of the remote
storage
container and the identity of the container sensor apparatus from the received
packet;
b. identifying the container record corresponding to the related remote
storage
container, being the target container record, based on the extracted identity
of the
container sensor apparatus from which the transmission was received; and
Page 18
Date recue/Date Received 2019-09-27
c. saving the extracted current stored volume value from the transmission to
the
target container record;
2. monitoring the current available volume within each mobile delivery system
by receiving
periodic availability transmissions via the server network interface from
individual
delivery sensor apparatus, each availability transmission comprising a data
packet
corresponding to at least the identity of the identity of the delivery sensor
apparatus and a
recently sampled value for the current available volume within the associated
mobile
delivery system and on receipt of any periodic availability transmission:
a. extracting the sampled value of the geolocation, the current
available volume of
the mobile delivery system and the identity of the delivery sensor apparatus
from
the received packet;
b. identifying the delivery record corresponding to the related mobile
delivery
system, being the target delivery record, based on the extracted identity of
the
delivery sensor apparatus from which the transmission was received; and
c. saving the geolocation and the current available volume from the
transmission to
the target delivery record;
3. detecting the existence of a delivery condition at any of the remote
storage containers by
monitoring the container records in the database, wherein a delivery condition
exists
regarding any remote storage container regarding which the current stored
volume
exceeds the threshold volume; and
4. on detection of the existence of a delivery condition in respect of any
specific remote
storage container, dispatching a mobile commodity delivery thereto by:
a. calculating the required delivery quantity of commodity required by
subtracting
the current stored volume from the capacity volume;
Page 19
Date recue/Date Received 2019-09-27
b. comparing the required delivery quantity for the specific remote storage
container
to the available volume stored in the delivery records for each mobile
delivery
system, to identify at least one qualified mobile delivery system capable of
delivering the required mobile delivery quantity;
c. selecting at least one mobile delivery system in closest geographic
proximity to
the specific remote storage container based upon the geolocation stored in the
related container record and the most recent geolocations of each qualified
mobile
delivery system stored in the related delivery records, being the selected
delivery
apparatus; and
d. transmitting a dispatch notification regarding the selected delivery
apparatus to
the communication coordinates of the user device associated with the delivery
record of the selected delivery apparatus.
The monitoring software component could execute the steps in many variants of
the method of
the present invention including any outlined above and herein, including those
with variable
numbers of selected delivery apparatus. Any monitoring software component
facilitating the
execution by the server of the present invention of the steps to execute the
method outlined
elsewhere in this specification are all contemplated within the scope of the
present invention.
Certain embodiments of the method envision at least one remote commodity
storage container
being mobile with the associated container sensor apparatus be capable of
capturing its
geolocation, and the monitoring software component in such an embodiment could
receive and
process or facilitate use of the geolocation of the container sensor apparatus
for storage in the
related container record of the database.
In certain embodiments of the present invention the database and the container
records would be
structured to facilitate the repeated storage or capture of the results of
container level
transmissions from various container sensor apparatus, along with timestamps
thereof, to allow
Page 20
Date recue/Date Received 2019-09-27
for the rendering of a time correlated volume curve allowing for the
predictive determination of
the existence of a delivery condition at a particular remote commodity storage
container. Any
necessary adjustments to the software of the present invention to accommodate
such a data
structure and an adaptive or predictive method of determination of the
existence of delivery
conditions at remote commodity storage containers are all contemplated within
the scope of the
invention.
It will also be understood that the monitoring software component would be
capable of the
execution of various geographic information system type functions i.e. the
determination of
geographic proximity of the geolocations of particular remote commodity
storage containers and
particular mobile delivery systems. Incorporation of such GIS or geographic
functionality to the
monitoring software component or components, or the facilitation of an
interface with a third-
party GIS component to achieve these results, will again all be understood to
be within the scope
of the present invention.
Also disclosed is a container sensor apparatus for use in in association with
a remote commodity
storage container in a use in a method of adaptive commodity delivery dispatch
regarding a
transportable commodity, said commodity storage container having a capacity
volume being the
total amount of commodity which can be stored in the commodity storage
container and a
threshold volume at which a delivery of commodity to or from the commodity
storage container
is required, said container sensor apparatus comprising a processor; a local
volume sensor
capable of capturing the current stored volume in the associated remote
storage container; a
network interface; and a sensing software component capable of capturing the
current stored
volume of commodity within the associated remote commodity storage container.
The container
sensor apparatus of the present invention and the related sensing software
component are capable
of participation in the adaptive dispatch method of the present invention by,
on a periodic basis:
a. capturing the current stored volume in the associated container from the
local volume
sensor;
Page 21
Date recue/Date Received 2019-09-27
b. assembling a data packet for transmission to a remote server, said data
packet
containing a network address or other identity of the container sensor
apparatus and
the captured current stored volume in the container; and
c. transmitting a container level transmission containing the data packet to
the server;
wherein upon receipt of the container level transmission at the server that
transmission and the
data encapsulated therein is processed under the remainder of the method of
the present
invention.
The container sensor apparatus could have various types of local volume
sensors associated
therewith dependent upon the type or phase of the particular stored commodity
regarding which
it was desired to measure volume within a container.
In certain embodiments of the container sensor apparatus of the present
invention an external
power supply would be connected, and in other embodiments, the container
sensor apparatus
would incorporate a self-contained long-term power supply not requiring
external power input.
Some embodiments of the container sensor apparatus could also include the
hardware and
.. software to provide a geo-capture function by which the current geolocation
of the container
sensor apparatus could be captured for use in a container level transmission.
This is specifically
contemplated to have utility where a particular remote commodity storage
container was mobile
and it was desired to always store the current geolocation of the container
along with its volume
levels in the database.
In most embodiments the network interface of the container sensor apparatus
would be a cellular
modem connected to a cellular data network, capable of communicating with the
server network
interface. In other instances the network interface of the container sensor
apparatus could rely
upon different networks are networked apologies for communication.
Page 22
Date recue/Date Received 2019-09-27
Also disclosed is a delivery sensor apparatus for use in in association with a
mobile delivery
system in a use in a method of adaptive commodity delivery dispatch regarding
a transportable
commodity, said mobile delivery apparatus comprising a commodity delivery
container having a
total delivery volume being the total volume of commodity which can be
transported in the
commodity delivery container, said delivery sensor apparatus comprising a
processor; local
availability sensors capable of capturing the geolocation and the current
available volume within
the associated mobile delivery system; a network interface; and an
availability software
component. The availability software component can participate in the method
by on a periodic
basis:
a. capturing the current geolocation and current available volume in the
associated
mobile delivery system from the local volume sensor;
b. assembling a data packet for transmission to a remote server, said data
packet
containing a network address or other identity of the delivery sensor
apparatus and
the captured geolocation and current available volume; and
c. transmitting a availability transmission containing the data packet to the
server.
Upon receipt of the availability transmission at the server that transmission
and the data
encapsulated therein is processed under the remainder of the method of the
present invention.
The delivery sensor apparatus could have various types of local volume sensors
associated
therewith dependent upon the type or phase of the particular stored commodity
regarding which
it was desired to measure volume within a container.
In certain embodiments of the delivery sensor apparatus of the present
invention an external
power supply would be connected, and in other embodiments, the container
sensor apparatus
would incorporate a self-contained long-term power supply not requiring
external power input.
Page 23
Date recue/Date Received 2019-09-27
In most embodiments the network interface of the container sensor apparatus
would be a cellular
modem connected to a cellular data network, capable of communicating with the
server network
interface. In other instances the network interface of the container sensor
apparatus could rely
upon different networks are networked apologies for communication.
The container sensor apparatus and the delivery sensor apparatus could both be
the same type of
hardware used for both purposes ¨ this use of a consolidated sensor apparatus
would yield the
most simplified deployment of the method. A consolidated sensor apparatus and
its necessary
hardware and software components are outlined and claimed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS:
While the invention is claimed in the concluding portions, preferred
embodiments are provided
in the detailed description which may be best understood with the diagrams
where like parts in
each of the several diagrams are labeled with like numerals, and where:
Figure 1 is a block diagram showing the components of one embodiment of a
system
under the present invention;
Figure 2 is a block diagram showing the components of one embodiment of the
server of
Figure 1;
Figure 3 is a block diagram showing the components of one embodiment of the
consolidated sensor apparatus of the invention;
Figure 4 is a diagram showing a sample of a data structure of the database of
the present
invention;
Page 24
Date recue/Date Received 2019-09-27
Figure 5 is a flowchart demonstrating the steps of one embodiment of a
container level
data capture and transmission transaction by a container sensor apparatus
under the
method of the present invention;
Figure 6 is a flowchart demonstrating the steps in one embodiment of an
availability
capture and transmission transaction by a delivery sensor apparatus under the
method of
the present invention;
Figure 7 is a flowchart demonstrating the steps in one embodiment of the
overall method
of the present invention is executed by the server and the monitoring software
component;
Figure 8 is a flowchart demonstrating the steps in one embodiment of a capture
subroutine related to container level transmissions received at the server,
called from the
method of Figure 7;
Figure 9 is a flowchart demonstrating the steps in one embodiment of a capture
subroutine related to availability transmissions received at the server,
called from the
method of Figure 7;
Figure 10 is a flowchart demonstrating steps in one embodiment of a delivery
dispatch
subroutine to a remote commodity storage container at which a delivery
condition exists,
called from the method of Figure 7.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENTS:
As outlined above it is the object of the present invention to provide a
method and related online
software for the adaptive dispatch of commodity deliveries to remote commodity
capture or
consumption locations. The following provides additional background and
information, to
appreciate the functionality of the invention it is beneficial to also
establish certain terminology
and context in relation to the remainder of the specification to describe the
invention.
Page 25
Date recue/Date Received 2019-09-27
Commodity types:
As outlined, the present invention comprises a method and related hardware for
the execution of
an adaptive dispatch method for the delivery of transportable commodities to
or from remote
commodity storage locations. Many types of commodities are contemplated to be
within the
foreseeable scope of the method of the present invention ¨ basically any type
of a commodity
which in a storage container or delivery container can be volumetrically
measured.
Many formats of commodities which could be measured, transported and
transloaded between
delivery and storage containers could be encompassed by the method of the
present invention ¨
for example commodities of various phases or types could be envisioned -
including liquids,
gases or flowable or particulate solids. Any type of a commodity which could
be volumetrically
contained within a delivery container or a remote commodity storage container
and the volume
of which within the delivery and storage containers can be measured using a
volume sensor or
some other type of a sensor method yielding a volumetric measurement result
are all
contemplated within the scope of the present invention.
The method of the present invention can be practised with multiple types of
commodities. It may
even be the case that certain mobile delivery systems would allow for the
transport of multiple
commodities on a single mobile delivery platform. It is contemplated that the
method of the
present invention as outlined herein is outlined for practice regarding
individual commodities,
but the method of the present invention could also be practised with mobile
delivery systems
transporting multiple commodities to multiple types of remote commodity
storage containers.
Any such modification expansion of the method of the present invention to
encompass multiple
commodities within a single overarching system or method embodiment will be
understood to be
within the scope of the present invention.
Container types:
Page 26
Date recue/Date Received 2019-09-27
Many types of containers could be used to volumetrically contain a commodity
at a remote
storage site or on a mobile delivery system. A remote commodity storage
container, or the
delivery container on a mobile delivery system, comprise a bin, a tank or the
like - any type of a
container which could contain a commodity which could be volumetrically
measured - is
contemplated within the scope of the present invention. It is specifically
contemplated that in the
context of liquid or gaseous phase commodities being dispatched within the
adaptive dispatch
method of the present invention that both the remote commodity storage
containers and the
transport container on the mobile delivery systems would be one or more tanks.
With flowable
solids or particulate solids, tanks or bins or the like could be used.
It is also specifically contemplated that the remote commodity storage
containers used, insofar as
they are associated with other equipment at their remote storage site or
location, could either be
in the category of what is referred to as aggregation containers, or storage
containers. An
aggregation container should denominate a container to store produced or
extracted commodity
at the remote location in question. For example, a factory which is yielding a
production volume
of a particular commodity ¨ the container or containers used to contain the
production volume of
a commodity for take away from that location for distribution or further
processing etc., or in an
extractive context remote commodity storage containers might aggregate oil or
gas products
extracted and aggregated for subsequent take away transport where the
particular oil and gas
locations are not connected by pipeline. With an aggregation container, the
dispatch and
transport of commodity required will typically be the dispatch of mobile
delivery systems having
take away capacity to transport commodity away from the particular remote
commodity storage
container.
Rather than aggregation or take away containers, the second category of
containers contemplated
to be within the scope of the adaptive dispatch method of the present
invention are storage
containers at remote storage locations. These would be tanks, bins or other
storage containers
containing transportable commodities in association with the remainder of the
invention
consumed at their storage location i.e. the stored quantity of commodity
within the remote
.. commodity storage container would decrease as consumed, versus the stored
quantity of
commodity within an aggregation container as outlined above increasing as
produced. Again it is .
Page 27
Date recue/Date Received 2019-09-27
contemplated that in both such cases the adaptive dispatch method of the
present invention can
be used ¨ with aggregation container to dispatch mobile delivery systems with
available take
away transport volume, and with storage containers to dispatch mobile delivery
systems with
available volume stored therein for delivery to a remote storage container
requiring same.
Sensor types:
As outlined throughout, the adaptive dispatch method of the present invention
depends upon
sensor apparatus regarding both the remote commodity storage containers and
the mobile
delivery systems encompassed by the system and method of the present invention
all having a
sensor apparatus associated therewith capable of yielding a measurement of the
available
delivery commodity quantity, or the current storage volume within a remote
storage container.
The sensors used could either be integrated or hardwired to the remainder of
the sensor apparatus
of the present invention, or a sensor apparatus could also be developed
provide a sensor interface
or box allowing for the connection of the sensor interface to a preinstalled
sensor on either a
remote commodity storage container or a mobile delivery system. Both such
approaches are
contemplated within the scope of the present invention.
Different sensors could sense the available quantity or the full or empty
volume of commodity
within a particular container. Some sensors which could be used under the
remainder of the
present invention would directly yield a volume based reading, and in other
circumstances,
different sensors which could capture particular parameters or measurements
regarding a volume
of commodity stored within a delivery or storage container which could be
mathematically
converted into a volumetric calculated result are all contemplated within the
scope of the present
invention.
System overview:
Referring to Figure 1 there is shown a schematic diagram of one embodiment of
a system under
the remainder of the specification and present invention, to demonstrate the
operation of the
method and related hardware.
Page 28
Date recue/Date Received 2019-09-27
As outlined, the adaptive dispatch method of the present invention is
practised regarding at least
one remote commodity storage container 1 at a remote storage location. The
remote commodity
storage containers 1 each can store a volume of the transportable commodity at
their remote
location. In this Figure, three remote commodity storage containers 1 are
shown ¨ it will be
understood that the method of the present invention could be practised with
anywhere from one
to infinity number of remote commodity storage containers 1 configured or
interfaced with
sensor apparatus and the remainder of the system and method of the present
invention.
Besides the three remote commodity storage containers 1 there are shown two
mobile delivery
systems 2. The mobile delivery systems 2 are any type of a mobile transport
unit capable of
transporting the commodity being stored in the remote commodity storage
containers 1, for
delivery to or from the remote commodity storage containers 1. The mobile
delivery systems 2
shown are two tank trucks. It will be understood that several types of mobile
delivery systems 2
if they were capable of travel and mobile arrival at the remote locations of
the remote commodity
storage containers 1 are all contemplated within the scope of the present
invention.
Each of the remote commodity storage containers 1 has a container sensor
apparatus 3. The
container sensor apparatus 3, as outlined in further detail herein, is a
sensor hardware interface,
connected to one or more sensors 5 within the tank or other container 1 to
measure the current
storage volume within the container 1. Each of the container sensor apparatus
3 also includes a
network interface capable of communicating with a server 6 via the network
shown at 15. The
container sensor apparatus 3 is also locationally aware, having the ability to
capture a
geolocation of the sensor apparatus 3 and by inference the associated remote
commodity storage
container 1 at any time and particularly when network transmissions of sensor
readings are
originated. A satellite is shown at 13 to simply demonstrate the potential for
GPS or other similar
systems to support the locational awareness aspect of the container sensor
apparatus 3 as shown.
In some embodiments, the container sensor apparatus 3 may not be locationally
aware and the
geolocation of the particular related remote commodity storage container 1 may
be hardcoded
into the container record 10 of the database 9 pertaining to that container 1
¨ both such
approaches are contemplated within the scope.
Page 29
Date recue/Date Received 2019-09-27
Each of the mobile delivery systems 2 is shown having a delivery sensor
apparatus 4. The
delivery sensor apparatus 4 is a hardware sensor apparatus again either
hardwired to a sensor 5
on the mobile delivery system 2, or connected to a pre-existing sensor via a
sensor interface.
Again, the delivery sensor apparatus 4 are also shown in connection with the
network 15 for
communication with the server 6, and shown again in communication with the
locational
network 13 by which the geolocation of the mobile delivery system 2 can be
captured in the
process of generation of a location and volume transmission to the server 6.
Details of the
operation of the container sensor apparatus 1 and the delivery sensor
apparatus 4 are outlined in
further detail below.
Also shown is a user device 12 connected to the network 15. The user device 12
would be the
device of an operator or user of one or more of the mobile delivery systems 2
via which the user
or operator could receive dispatch instructions from the server 6 under the
remainder of the
adaptive dispatch method of the present invention. The server 6 as shown as a
network interface
7 capable of participating occasion with the user devices 12 associated with
the mobile delivery
systems 2, the delivery sensor apparatus 4 and the container sensor apparatus
3.
The hardware and software used to facilitate the execution of the adaptive
dispatch method of the
present invention comprises a server 6, being a typical hardware device with
the processor and
other components. The server would contain processor instructions comprising a
monitoring
software component 8 for the execution of the steps of the method of the
present invention and a
database 9. Database 9 comprises at least a plurality of container records 10
each corresponding
to a remote commodity storage container 1, and a plurality of delivery records
11 each
corresponding to a mobile delivery system. The data structure of the records
in the database 9 are
outlined in further detail below.
Remote commodity storage container:
As outlined above both regarding commodities which could be stored and
dispatched within the
context of the remainder of the adaptive dispatch method of the present
invention and with
Page 30
Date recue/Date Received 2019-09-27
specific reference to the remote commodity storage container 1 disclosed in
Figure 1 et al., the
remote commodity storage containers I could comprise any type of a container
capable of
containing a particular transportable commodity at a remote location,
regarding which the
dispatch for transport to or from the remote commodity storage container 1 of
this commodity
might be required. Many types of remote commodity storage containers I will be
conceivable
dependent upon the commodity to be stored and transported. The remote
commodity storage
container 1 may also include on the ground additional loading and unloading
equipment,
conduits or other items as required to allow for the loading or unloading of
the transportable
commodity to or from the container as dispatched under the method.
There are several key variables tracked in the container record 10
corresponding to a particular
remote commodity storage container 1. These will include the identity of the
corresponding
container sensor apparatus 3 ¨ which might effectively comprise the network
address of the
corresponding container sensor apparatus and or other identifying information
which could
identify and correlate sensor transmissions regarding the container 1
associated therewith when
transmitted back to the server 6. Besides the identity of the associated
container sensor apparatus
3, the system and method of the present invention will require the tracking of
the geolocation of
the particular remote commodity storage container 1. Where the associated
container sensor
apparatus 3 was not locationally aware, the geolocation of the particular
remote commodity
storage container I could be hardcoded into this container record 10. In other
cases, where the
associated container sensor apparatus 3 was locationally aware, and
particularly if the container
sensor apparatus 3 on the delivery sensor apparatus 4 were identical
consolidated sensor
apparatus, the geolocation of the container sensor apparatus 3 and the
associated boat commodity
storage container 1 could be updated in the container record 10 along with
updating current
storage volume values when a current level transmission was received at the
server 6. This
would be of particular interest where one or more of the remote commodity
storage containers I
was also mobile, so the current geolocation of the container 1 was required
for the purpose of the
execution of the remainder of the adaptive dispatch method of the present
invention.
Besides the geolocation and the identity of the container sensor apparatus 3
the container record
would also include data corresponding to the capacity volume of the related
container 1, the
Page 31
Date recue/Date Received 2019-09-27
threshold volume of the container 1 which is the volume at which a delivery
condition is
determined to exist and at which volumetric level or point in time it is
necessary to request the
dispatch of a transport of commodity to or from the container 1. Finally, the
container record 10
would also include the current stored volume of the associated body storage
container 1 sampled
occasionally by the associated sensor 5 and container sensor apparatus 3.
The remote commodity storage container 1 as outlined in further detail above
would have at least
one sensor connected to an associated container sensor apparatus 3, by which
ongoing the
container sensor apparatus 3 could sample the current storage volume within
the container 1 to
ascertain whether or not the volume stored in the container 1 of the current
time exceeded the
threshold volume value stored regarding that container 1 in the database 9 so
a delivery condition
existed regarding that container 1.
The remote commodity storage containers 1 shown in Figure 1 are all stationary
tanks. It will be
understood however that if the container sensor apparatus 3 was locationally
aware, the remote
commodity storage containers 1 could be mobile and could be additional trucks
or trains or other
storage units that can be moved temporarily or because I permanently to
particular locations.
Both such approaches are contemplated within the scope of the present
invention.
Mobile delivery system:
Two mobile delivery systems 2 are shown in the embodiment of Figure 1. The
systems 2 as
shown are tank trucks which would be capable of transporting fluid
commodities, although as
outlined exhaustively herein different mobile transport units could also be
used, capable of
hauling different types and phases of commodities including liquids, gases,
particulates or solids
etc. The mobile delivery systems 2 as shown each consist of a commodity
delivery container,
namely a tank. Each mobile delivery system 2 is associated and interfaced
physically with a
delivery sensor apparatus 4, which includes either a connection to a pre-
existing sensor 5 on the
system 2, or an integrated or OEM connected sensor 5, capable of rendering a
measurement of
the current stored volume of commodity within the commodity delivery container
and available
on the system 2 for delivery to or from a container 1. The sensor 5 could be a
volume
Page 32
Date recue/Date Received 2019-09-27
measurement sensor that could capture a direct measurement of the available
commodity storage
capacity within the commodity delivery container, or in other embodiments,
different sensors 5
which could capture sensor readings which could be converted mathematically by
the software
on the delivery sensor apparatus 4 or the server 6 to yield the available
storage volume value for
storage in the related delivery record 11.
There are several key variables tracked in the delivery record 11
corresponding to a particular
mobile delivery system 2. These would include the identity of the
corresponding delivery sensor
apparatus 4 ¨ which might effectively comprise the network address of the
corresponding
delivery sensor apparatus 4 or other identifying information which could
identify and correlate
sensor transmissions regarding the mobile delivery system 2 associated
therewith when
transmitted back to the server 6. Besides the identity of the associated
delivery sensor apparatus
4, the system and method of the present invention requires the tracking of the
geolocation of the
particular mobile delivery system 2 ¨ the associated delivery sensor apparatus
4 would be
.. locationally aware and capable of capturing a GPS snap or other geolocation
coordinates of the
delivery sensor apparatus 4 and by inference the associated mobile delivery
system 2. The up-to-
date geolocation of the delivery sensor apparatus 4 would be stored in the
corresponding delivery
record 11 along with the identity information for the hardware.
Besides the identity and geolocation of the sensor apparatus and associated
mobile delivery
system, the delivery record 11 would also include data corresponding to the
current available
volume available on the mobile delivery system 2 for delivery to or from a
particular remote
commodity storage container 1.
The mobile delivery system 2 as outlined in further detail herein would have
at least one sensor
connected to the associated delivery sensor apparatus 4, by which on an
ongoing basis the
delivery sensor apparatus could sample the current available volume to
ascertain the available
volume for delivery to or from a particular container 1.
Container sensor apparatus:
Page 33
Date recue/Date Received 2019-09-27
As outlined, each remote commodity storage container 1 would be associated
with a container
sensor apparatus 3, which has at least one sensor associated therewith for
periodically sampling
the stored volume of commodity within the container I. The container sensor
apparatus
effectively comprises a hardware and software combination, connected either to
an integrated or
wired sensor or sensors permitting the measurement of the stored volume of
commodity within
the associated remote commodity storage container 1, or comprising the
hardware and software
combination with the sensor bus or connection capable of connection to pre-
existing sensors in
relation to the container I.
In basic embodiments of the method of the present invention, the container
sensor apparatus 3
would not be locationally aware and would not send the geolocation of the
container or the
sensor apparatus to the server along with a current volume transmission. In
other embodiments
of the method, and embodiments most likely to be implemented, particularly
where the container
sensor apparatus 3 is the same as the delivery sensor apparatus 4, the
hardware of the container
sensor apparatus 3 would also be locationally aware and the Ardmore and
software combination
could be modified to permit the capture of the geolocation of the device when
the transmission to
the server is made.
Delivery sensor apparatus:
Each mobile delivery system 2 would be associated with a delivery sensor
apparatus 4 which has
at least one sensor 5 associated therewith for periodically sampling the
available volume of
commodity within the associated mobile delivery system 2. The delivery sensor
apparatus 4
effectively comprises a hardware and software combination having a GPS or some
other type of
a location awareness interface so the geolocation can be determined from time
to time, and a
connection either to an integrated or wired sensor or sensors permitting the
measurement of the
available volume commodity storage within the associated mobile delivery
system 2, or
comprising the hardware and software combination with a sensor bus for
connection capable of
connection to pre-existing sensors 5 in relation to the system 2 rather than
hardwired or OEM
sensor equipment.
Page 34
Date recue/Date Received 2019-09-27
It is particularly contemplated that the same hardware could be used for the
container sensor
apparatus 3 and the delivery sensor apparatus 4 to make the deployment of the
necessary
hardware of the method the most efficient. Some or no modification may be
required to the
software of a consolidated sensor apparatus to achieve the performance
required in respect of the
roles of the container sensor apparatus 3 or the delivery sensor apparatus 4.
Consolidated sensor apparatus:
It is specifically contemplated that the most efficient deployment of the
hardware and method of
the present invention we need to use a consolidated sensor apparatus as both
the container sensor
apparatus 3 and the delivery sensor apparatus 4. The same type of a sensor
hardware device can
be used in both applications with modest or no modifications required
regarding the software on
the sensor apparatus itself.
Figure 3 shows a block diagram demonstrating the key architectural components
of one
embodiment of a consolidated sensor apparatus which could be used under the
remainder of the
present invention, in both the role of the container sensor apparatus 3 and
the delivery sensor
apparatus 4.
The consolidated sensor apparatus in this Figure would likely comprise a self-
contained and
purpose built sensor interface device for a sensor monitoring method such as
outlined herein. It is
particularly contemplated that this sensor apparatus would most cost
efficiently be produced as a
custom manufactured hardware device including the necessary equipment outlined
although it
will be understood that pre-existing hardware components could also be
programmed with an
appropriate software interface and approach to achieve the same objective.
The design of freestanding industrial hardware or computer controller such as
those shown will
be understood to those skilled in the art of hardware design. The consolidated
sensor apparatus
includes one or more processors 21 which in conjunction with the clock etc.
would facilitate the
execution of various storing processor instructions in conjunction with the
remainder of the
method of the present invention. Also shown in the embodiment of this Figure
is a memory 22
Page 35
Date recue/Date Received 2019-09-27
which would contain BIOS, operating system instructions etc. and a customized
set of processor
instructions for execution of the aspects of the method of the present
invention facilitated by this
apparatus used either as the container sensor apparatus 3 or the delivery
sensor apparatus. The
memory 22 either static or fixed might also include additional processor
instructions or storage
locations for the storage of processor instructions for the execution of the
method or other
interim or long-term variables and information to be stored thereon.
Besides the processor 21 and the memory 22 including the various software
components
associated therewith, the consolidated sensor apparatus splitting a GPS module
25 or other
hardware device capable of capturing the geolocation of the consolidated
sensor apparatus. The
GPS module 25 or similar hardware is shown also in connection to a geolocation
network. Many
types of geolocation methods and hardware and software systems for
accomplishing same will
be understood to those skilled in the art and are all contemplated within the
scope of the present
invention, although a GPS module 25 is the likely most cost efficient means of
capturing the
geolocation of the device on demand.
The consolidated sensor apparatus also includes at least one network interface
23, explicitly
contemplated to likely comprise a cellular modem or the like which would not
consume much
power and would enable the remote communication of the consolidated sensor
apparatus with
the server 6 under the remainder of the present invention by a data network.
The data network is
shown elsewhere in the figures of the specification. The network interface 23
could also
comprise other types of radio or transmission and receiving hardware and
related software to
allow for mobile communication of the consolidated sensor apparatus as
instructed or directed by
the software and related components thereon in participation in the method of
the present
invention.
The consolidated sensor apparatus would also require a power supply 26. The
power supply
could either comprise a connection of the consolidated sensor apparatus to an
external power
supply 26, or particularly given the desired to render the consolidated sensor
apparatus mobile a
self-contained power supply 26 could be used. It is particularly contemplated
that the hardware
of this consolidated sensor apparatus could be manufactured in such a way that
not a lot of power
Page 36
Date recue/Date Received 2019-09-27
requirements existed, so the self-contained power supply 26 such as a battery
with a small solar
charging panel or the like could cause a self-contained consolidated sensor
apparatus that
required little to no external power input or attention. It is specifically
contemplated that the self-
contained power supply approach would be the most desirable one although
connect ability of
the consolidated sensor apparatus to external power is another obvious
approach which could be
taken and both are contemplated within the scope.
The key function of the consolidated sensor apparatus would be to allow for
the Association of a
volume sensor or a sensor capable of taking measurements to be used in
calculation of storage or
available volume in a container. The sensor bus 24 is shown in the embodiment
of this Figure,
operatively connected to a sensor 5. As outlined throughout, the consolidated
sensor apparatus
could either be hardwired to the sensor 5 or the sensor 5 could be provided in
an integrated or
OEM fashion, or in other embodiments, the consolidated sensor apparatus could
simply provide
a connection or a sensor bus 24 capable of connection to a pre-existing sensor
or sensors on a
container which could achieve the method. Both such approaches are again
contemplated within
the scope.
The software components operable on the processor 21, besides having the
configuration to read
and capture values from the local sensors 5 connected to the sensor bus 24
would also be capable
of initiating and completing periodic data transmissions via the network
interface 23 to the server
6 via at least one connected network, and coordinating the capture of
geolocation's of the device
via the GPS module and whatever associated locational network was integrated.
Server:
The server 6, a sample embodiment of which is shown in Figure 2, might consist
of one or more
servers ¨ a single server or a server farm approach. The server 6 would
comprise one or more
processors 15 and memory 16. The memory 16 might include various processor
instructions for
the method of the present invention or otherwise in operating the server 6.
Processor instructions
corresponding to the monitoring software component 8 are shown stored within
the memory 16
in this Figure. The server 6 may be configured by machine-readable
instructions, which may
Page 37
Date recue/Date Received 2019-09-27
include one or more instruction components. The instruction components may
include one or
more of server firmware or operating systems, the monitoring software
component 8, and/or
other instruction components.
Memory 16 may comprise non-transitory storage media that electronically stored
information.
Electronic storage media of memory 16 may include one or both of system
storage provided
integrally with server 6 and or removable storage that is removably connected
to the server 6 via,
for example, a port or a drive. Memory 16 may include one or more of optically
readable storage
media, magnetically readable storage unit electrical charge based storage
media, solid-state
storage media and or other electronically readable storage media. Memory 16
may include one or
more virtual storage resources i.e. cloud storage, a virtual private network
or the like. Memory
16 may store software algorithms, information determined by processors 15,
information
received from servers, information received from user devices 12 and or other
information that
enables the server 6 to function as described as outlined herein.
The processor 15 may be configured to provide information processing
capabilities in the server
6. Processor 15 may include one or more of a digital processor, an analog
processor, a digital
circuit design and process information, and analog circuit designed to process
information, state
machine and/or other mechanisms for electronically processing information.
Although the
.. processor 15 is shown regarding this Figure as a single entity, in some
implementations the
processor 15 may include a plurality of processing units which may be
physically within the
same device, or may represent processing functionality of a plurality of
devices operating in
coordination.
In many embodiments the server 6 is contemplated to be a Web server 6, where
user devices 12
would use a web browser or a locally installed software application for
interaction therewith via
a network communication or a call. Where a local application was developed,
the server 6 might
not be a Web server 6 per se but might be a network server 6 capable of
interaction with the type
of an interface on the remote user devices 12 required to facilitate the
operation of that software
application. Either such approach is contemplated within the scope.
Page 38
Date recue/Date Received 2019-09-27
The server 6 would also be operatively connected to or comprise a database 9.
Besides the
general operating system instructions, the server 6 would comprise a
monitoring software
component 8 responsible for execution of the process and method of the present
invention at the
server 6 and coordinating communication with user devices 12 and the sensor
apparatus
associated with the remote commodity storage containers and the mobile
delivery systems. The
monitoring software component 8 might itself act as the interface with the
database 9, or the
server 6 might include additional software interfaces to the database 9.
The monitoring software component 8 would comprise subroutines to administer
the database 9,
creating, modifying and processing data transactions and records in the
database 9, and any
additional financial or numerical transactions, searches for reporting as
required. The details of
the monitoring software component 8 and its key functionality are outlined
elsewhere herein.
Server 6 also requires at least one network interface 7 by which the server 6
could communicate
with at least one user device 12, at least one container sensor apparatus 3
and a plurality of
delivery sensor apparatus 4.
Server network interfaces:
The server 6 includes at least one network interface 7 by which it is a fit to
communicate with
container sensor apparatus 3, the delivery sensor apparatus 4 and the user
devices 12. The
particular hardware and software requirements of the network interface of this
nature will be
understood to those skilled in the art of hardware design and any type of an
interface capable of
communicating with the necessary number of networks to facilitate this
communication are all
contemplated within the scope of the present invention.
It is specifically contemplated that the communications network used for
communication
between the server 6 and the user devices 12 and the sensor apparatus 3, 4
could be the Internet
or another publicly available wide-area network. The specific protocol of
communication
between the devices can vary, and different communication protocols could be
used between
different devices in the system. All such approaches and architectures will be
understood to those
Page 39
Date recue/Date Received 2019-09-27
skilled in the art of wide-area computer network design and all are
contemplated within the
scope of the present invention. It will be understood that private networks
could also be used in
place of the internet albeit with the added cost and complexity in terms of
client software
communication. Also contemplated is a scenario in which more than one
communications
network was used i.e. one communications network and a first network interface
on the server 6
to communicate with one or more user devices 12 of a particular type, and a
separate network
interface and/or data network might facilitate communications with sensor
apparatus 3,4.
User devices:
As outlined throughout, the method of the present invention explicitly
contemplates the use of
network enabled user devices 12 in the dispatch method of the present
invention, whereby upon
determining the need for a commodity dispatch to or from a particular remote
commodity storage
container a notification of a particular dispatch requirement could be
transmitted to a user
associated with a particular selected mobile delivery system. User devices 12
could initiate
various types of data transactions with the server and the remainder of the
method outlined, and
it will be understood by those skilled in the art of client/server application
design that any type of
a user device 12 which could communicate with the server 6 via at least one
data network and a
related network interface would be within the scope of the present invention.
It is explicitly
contemplated that the user devices 12 might comprise smart phones, PCs,
tablets or other remote
and network capable computing devices, and the scope of the present invention
insofar as they
will each include a network interface by which the user device 12 could
communicate via a data
network with the server 6.
The user device 12 may include pre-existing software such as a browser or
local application for
example, which could facilitate the method of the present invention or in
other cases specific
purpose built client software could be used. Architecturally and conceptually,
the concept of
"apps" use of smart phones and other personal devices is widely known. The
specifics of
implementing the client/server software system using a website or a central
bureau and an
interface for the user device 12 of users will be easily understood by those
skilled in the art of
Page 40
Date recue/Date Received 2019-09-27
client/server software design and the method of the present invention of
implementing such a
similar approach is contemplated within the scope of the present invention.
Development of either a browser interface or a local app interface as the user
interface between
the user of a user device 12 and the server 6 and the monitoring software
component 8, along
with the remainder of the hosted and executed method, will be understood to
those skilled in the
art of client/server database and application design and again all such
approaches are
contemplated within the scope of the present invention.
Monitoring software component:
The monitoring software component 8 will generally be understood to be any set
of computer
processor instructions that will facilitate the execution of the method of the
present engine as
otherwise outlined. The monitoring software component 8 will, in cooperation
and operation
with hardware components of the server 6, facilitate the execution of the
method such as shown
throughout.
The monitoring software component 8 or other software on the server 6 could
also provide a user
interface by which an administrator or user of the method either by a user
device 12 in
communication with the servers 6, or otherwise through a device interface
could administer,
create and edit necessary configurations and records in the database 9 or
otherwise ¨ for example
to create new container records 10, delivery records 11 or other data
housekeeping tasks.
Creation of the necessary administrative or reporting interface within the
software component 8
will be understood to be within the scope of the present invention.
Database:
Figure 4 shows a sample of a basic data structure which could be used by those
skilled in the art
to understand the general concept of the dataflow and handling of volumes and
other
mathematical values under the remainder of the present invention. The database
9 comprises at
least two sets of records, namely container records 10 each corresponding to a
remote
Page 41
Date recue/Date Received 2019-09-27
commodity storage container 1, and delivery records 11, each corresponding to
a mobile delivery
system 2. It is effectively contemplated that there would be a container
record 10 regarding each
remote commodity storage container 1 managed under the method of the present
invention and
similar that there would be a delivery record 11 regarding each mobile
delivery system 2
encompassed within the dispatch method outlined. The data structure shown is
merely
demonstrative and it will be understood that in terms of the specific nature
of the data structure
used in the administration of the method of the present invention many types
of file structures,
data structures be they relational, flat or otherwise are all within the scope
of the present
invention.
In the sample embodiment of the database 9 shown, the data structure of the
container record 10
demonstrated is fairly straightforward. As shown, the record would likely
include a record key or
a database key of some type, shown as the container ID 30. Additionally as
outlined throughout,
each remote commodity storage container 1 would be associated with a container
sensor
apparatus 3 and identifying information or a network address or the like for
the associated
container sensor apparatus 3 would be stored in the corresponding container
record 10, shown as
the container sensor ID 31 in this embodiment. Also included is the container
geolocation 32,
which in some embodiments could be hardcoded or entered in a data interface
where the
container 1 was permanently installed or not mobile, or in other cases, the
method of the present
invention can be extended to use regarding mobile remote commodity storage
containers 1 by
ongoing receiving geolocation updates for recordal to the container record 10
from the associated
container sensor apparatus 3. Both such approaches are contemplated within the
scope of the
present invention.
As outlined elsewhere herein there are at least three volume related values of
the related
container 1 which typically be stored in the execution of even basic
embodiments of the method
of the present invention. The capacity volume 33 would be the total volume
which it was capable
to store of the commodity in question within the related container 1.
Effectively this would be
the capacity of the container 1. The second value tracked would be the
threshold volume 34. The
threshold volume 34 would be the volume level at which it was desired to
typically trigger the
dispatch of a delivery of commodity to or from the remote commodity storage
container 1 at its
Page 42
Date recue/Date Received 2019-09-27
current geolocation. For example if it was desired to never let the stored
contents of the container
go below one third of the available volume and the container, the threshold
volume 34 might be
set in proximity of one third of the amount of the capacity volume 33.
Finally, the current storage
volume 35 is also shown is another field in the record. The current storage
volume would be the
current stored level of commodity within the container 1 and would be updated
each time the
transmission was received from the associated container sensor apparatus 3.
These are the
variables which would be tracked for the execution of the method of the
present invention
regarding individual remote commodity storage containers 1. It will be
understood that
additional fields or data could be tracked for reporting or other query
purposes in the database 9
and in the related container records 10 and any such further modifications are
also contemplated
within the scope of the present invention.
Also shown is one embodiment of a delivery record 11 under the method of the
present
invention. Each delivery record 11 would correspond to a mobile delivery
system capable of
being dispatched under the adaptive dispatch method of the present invention.
The delivery
record 11 would again likely include a record key or a database key, shown
here is the delivery
ID 40. In some database designs the record key 40 could also be another one of
the data tokens
stored regarding this mobile delivery system in both such approaches will be
understood to be
within the scope of the present invention.
Besides a record key 40, the delivery record 11 would include a delivery
sensor ID 41 which
would as outlined throughout comprise identifying information such as a
network address or the
like for the delivery sensor apparatus 4 associated with the mobile delivery
system 2 question.
The delivery sensor ID 41 would be the information used to match data
transmissions received
from the delivery sensor apparatus 4 associated with this mobile delivery
system 2 when
received. Also shown is a field for the geolocation of the mobile delivery
system 42. Also as
outlined, the delivery records 11 would include the user coordinates 43 of at
least one user
device associated with a question. Basically the user coordinates 43 would be
the communication
coordinates be they network address, telephone number, email address or other
information used
to address and transmit notifications to a user when it was desired to
dispatch the associated
mobile delivery system 2 to make a delivery of commodity to or from a
particular remote
Page 43
Date recue/Date Received 2019-09-27
commodity storage container 1. Finally, there is shown a field for the
available volume 44 within
the mobile delivery system. The available volume would be the commodity
available on this
mobile delivery system 2 where a delivery to remote commodity storage
containers were desired,
or free volume within the commodity transport container of the mobile delivery
system to where
the method is being used to effect the adaptive dispatch of take away volume
capacity i.e. where
it is desired to transport commodity away from a storage container rather than
to its location. As
in the case of the container records 10, it will be understood that additional
information might be
desired to be tracked regarding the mobile delivery system two, the associated
delivery sensor
apparatus 4 etc. and any additional information to allow extended
functionality of the method of
the present invention or to allow for using the database 9 in added business
functions will be
understood to be within the scope.
In certain embodiments of the invention it may be desired to modify the data
structure of the
database 9 to allow for the storage of individual moment in time volume
readings regarding
containers are mobile delivery systems, particularly where it was desired to
execute a predictive
method of determination of the existence of delivery condition at a particular
remote storage
container. Adaptation of the database approach outlined will be understood to
those again skilled
in the art of database and software design.
Adaptive dispatch method:
Referring first to Figures 5 and 6 there are shown two precursor routines or
methods regarding
the container sensor apparatus 3 and the delivery sensor apparatus 4, which
will capture and feed
periodic volume information to the server 6 for use by the monitoring software
component 8 in
the execution of the remainder of the steps of the method. The first of these
is shown in Figure 5,
being a container level data capture and transmission transaction method to be
executed by the
hardware and software of a particular container sensor apparatus 3 associated
with a remote
commodity storage container 1 under the present invention. As outlined
throughout, each remote
commodity storage container 1 would be associated with a container sensor
apparatus 3 having at
least one sensor 5 operatively connected thereto capable of capturing
measurements which could
calculate the current volume stored within the container 1.
Page 44
Date recue/Date Received 2019-09-27
The container sensor apparatus 3 would provide periodic container level
transmissions to the
server 6. These transmissions could be triggered on a preprogrammed time or
frequency basis, or
the software of the container sensor apparatus 3 could for example on an
ongoing monitoring
basis trigger the transmission of a container level transmission to the server
6 based upon a
particular change in the storage level within the associated container 1 or
any number of different
types of periodic schedules or programs will be understood to be within the
scope of the present
invention. In further embodiments of the present invention, the server 6 could
pull a periodic
container level transmission from the container sensor apparatus 3 by polling
or querying the
container sensor apparatus 3 by its network interface. Either a push or pull
arrangement is
conceived to be within the scope of the present invention. Initiating a
periodic container level
data capture transaction is shown in this Figure and is shown at step 5-1.
Upon initiation of the particular periodic container level data capture and
transmission
transaction, the first step as shown would be for the container sensor
apparatus 3 to capture the
geolocation of the present time of the container sensor apparatus 3 and by
inference the
associated door attached remote commodity storage container 1. The geolocation
would be
captured by capturing a snap from the GPS or other location interface within
the hardware, in an
embodiment of the method where the geolocation were captured regarding each
container level
data capture transaction. As outlined above in certain embodiments of the
method of the present
invention, the container sensor apparatus 3 may not contain a geolocation
interface and the
geolocation of the container 1 associated therewith might be hardcoded into
the related container
record 10 and that will be understood to be encompassed as well although for
the method
outlined, in the circumstance where both the container sensor apparatus 3 and
the delivery sensor
apparatus 4 would comprise the same consolidated sensor apparatus including a
geolocation
interface the capture of the geolocation shown at step 5-2.
The next step in the process would be to sample the sensor or sensors 5
attached to the container
sensor apparatus 3 to capture measurements there from which could determine or
calculate the
Page 45
Date recue/Date Received 2019-09-27
current volume level within the container 1. Volume sensors 5 could be used or
in other
embodiments, different sensors capturing different measurements within the
container be used,
where the software of the container sensor apparatus 3 or the monitoring
software component 8
on the server 6 could translate those captured sensor readings into a rendered
and determined
current volume for storage in the related container record 10. Capture of the
sensor readings is
shown at step 5-3.
In the embodiment shown, following the capture of the sensor readings at 5-3,
the software of the
container sensor apparatus 3 would compile the captured information a data
packet representing
the container level transmission. Assembly of the data packet is shown at 5-4,
and the
transmission of the container level transmission from the container sensor
apparatus three to the
server 6 is shown at step 5-5. It is effectively contemplated that the
monitoring software
component 8 and other software or hardware components of the server 6 would,
on the network
interface 7 of the server, have a listener capable of receiving and processing
the container level
transmission packet.
Similar to the steps of Figure 5, Figure 6 shows the steps in one embodiment
of a method of the
execution of an availability capture and transmission transaction by a
delivery sensor apparatus 4
associated with a mobile delivery system 2 of the present invention. Each
mobile delivery system
2 would be associated with a delivery sensor apparatus 4 having at least one
sensor 5 operatively
connected thereto capable of capturing the necessary measurements which could
be used to
calculate the current availability of the mobile delivery system 2 in
question.
The delivery sensor apparatus 4 would provide periodic availability
transmissions to the server 6.
These transmissions could be triggered on a preprogrammed time frequency
basis, or the
software of the delivery sensor apparatus 4 could for example on an ongoing
basis trigger the
transmission of an available capacity transmission to the server 6 based upon
a particular change
in the available capacity or storage volume remaining within the associated
mobile delivery
system 2, or several types of periodic schedules or programs could be
understood to be within
the scope of the present invention. In further embodiments of the present
invention, the server 6
could pull a periodic available capacity transmission from one or more of the
mobile delivery
Page 46
Date recue/Date Received 2019-09-27
systems 2 associated with the system and method thereof by polling or querying
the delivery
sensor apparatus 4 via its network interface. Either a push or pull
arrangement is conceived to be
encompassed by the invention. Initiating a periodic available volume or
capacity capture
transaction shown in this Figure and is shown initiated at step 6-1.
Upon initiation of the particular available capacity data capture and
transmission transaction the
first step is shown would be for the delivery sensor apparatus 4 to capture
the geolocation of the
present time of the delivery sensor apparatus 4 and by inference the
associated or attached
mobile delivery system 2. The geolocation would be captured from the GPS or
other location
interface contained within the hardware of the delivery sensor apparatus 4 or
operatively
connected thereto. Capture of the geolocation is shown at step 6-2.
Besides capturing the geolocation of the mobile delivery system 2, the next
step in this method
comprises sampling of the sensor or sensors 5 attached to the delivery sensor
apparatus 4 to
capture measurements therefrom which could determine or calculate the
available delivery
volume within mobile delivery system 2. Volume sensors 5 could be used or in
other
embodiments, different types of sensors capturing different measurements
within the container
be used, where the software of the delivery sensor apparatus 4 or the
monitoring software
component 8 could translate those captured sensor readings into a rendered and
determined
available volume of commodity currently onboard the mobile delivery system and
available for
delivery in the related delivery record 11. Capture of the sensor readings is
shown at step 6-3.
Following capture of the sensor readings, the software of the delivery sensor
apparatus and will
forward compile the captured information into a data packet representing the
availability
transmission. Assembly of the data for transmission is shown at 6-4. The
transmission of the
availability transmission packet from the delivery sensor apparatus 4 to the
server 6 is shown at
step 6-5. It is effectively contemplated that the monitoring software
component 8 and other
software or hardware components of the server 6 would, on the network
interface 7 of the server,
have a listener capable of receiving and processing the availability
transmission packet.
Page 47
Date recue/Date Received 2019-09-27
As understood from the method of Figures 5 and 6, the server 6 via its network
interface 7 would
occasionally receive container level transmissions and availability
transmissions and the server
level method outlined in the claims would be executed on this basis. Figure 7
demonstrates the
steps involved in the server-based method of adaptive dispatch of the present
invention, based
upon receiving such transmissions at a server 6 under the remainder of the
outline herein.
Referring to Figure 7, the method of the present invention is an adaptive
delivery or dispatch
method for the delivery of commodity to a plurality of remote commodity
storage containers 1
from a plurality of mobile delivery systems 2. Effectively, using a
consolidated sensor system
and a central monitoring server, upon the need for a delivery of commodity to
or from a
particular remote commodity storage container 1, one or more mobile delivery
systems 2 having
the capacity to replenish or accommodate the quantity of volume of transport
required the
dispatch to the location of the remote commodity storage container 1 in
question. The method
will be facilitated by a monitoring software component 8 hosted upon a server
6, which server
communicates with a container sensor apparatus 3 associated with each remote
commodity
storage container 1, a delivery sensor apparatus 4 associated with each mobile
delivery system 2,
and user devices 12 associated with the mobile delivery systems 2. The server
6 besides the
usual processor hardware and the hardware and software to facilitate a network
interface for
communication with the devices outlined would also host or be operatively
connected to a
database 9 as outlined elsewhere herein comprising a container record 10
corresponding to each
remote commodity storage container lcontaining data corresponding to at least
the identity of
the corresponding container sensor apparatus 3 and the geolocation thereof and
the capacity
volume, the threshold volume, and the current stored volume of the associated
remote
commodity storage container 1; and a delivery record 11 corresponding to each
mobile delivery
system 2 containing data corresponding to at least the identity of the
corresponding delivery
sensor apparatus 4 and the geolocation thereof along with the current
available volume of the
associated mobile delivery system 2, and communication coordinates for a user
device 12
associated therewith.
The monitoring software component 8 would execute the steps of the method of
the present
invention, as shown in one embodiment in this Figure, by maintaining up-to-
date records in the
Page 48
Date recue/Date Received 2019-09-27
database 9. A flowchart demonstrating the steps of one high-level embodiment
of the
overarching method of the present invention is shown in Figure 7. The method
of Figure 7 is
effectively a server monitoring loop to be conducted by the server 6 and the
monitoring software
component 8 ¨ the monitoring loop is shown at 7-1. Rather than a monitoring
loop it will also be
understood to those skilled in the art of software design of applications such
as that outlined that
there would be other overarching architectures and methodologies that could be
used which
would achieve the same objective and those are also encompassed within the
intentions of this
application. Within the monitoring loop 7-1, the monitoring software component
8 would
comprise a listener on the network interface 7 of the server 6 which would
effectively "listen" for
receipt of container volume transmissions or availability transmissions at the
server 6 from
container sensor apparatus 3 or delivery sensor apparatus 4 in the field and
operatively connected
to the network interface 7. The activity of such a listener or monitoring loop
regarding a
container level transmission received by the server 6 is shown at step 7-2.
Upon receipt of any
container level transmission at the server 6 from a container sensor apparatus
3, the yes leg of the
listener loop at 7-2 would be followed and the subroutine of Figure 8 would be
executed as
shown at step 7-3. Following the completion of that subroutine, and the
logging of the contents
of the received container level transmission to the appropriate container
record 10 and the
database 9, the program would return to the loop of Figure 7.
The subroutine of Figure 8 outlines the method steps conducted by the
monitoring software
component 8 regarding the processing and logging of a container level
transmission received at
the server 6 to the database 9. Initiation of the subroutine is shown at step
8-1 - upon receipt of a
container level transmission at the server 6 via the network interface 7 and
detection of same at
8-2, the data packet or packets of the container level transmission received
would be parsed or
extracted, to yield the identity or network address of the container sensor
apparatus 3 in question,
along with the geolocation and the current stored volume in the associated
remote commodity
storage container. Extraction of the values from the received transmission is
shown at 8-3. As
outlined elsewhere herein, there are potential embodiments of the method of
the present
invention and of the container sensor apparatus 3 which would not include a
locational
awareness or the transmission of a geolocation of the container sensor
apparatus and in any
particular container level transmission ¨ in such a case, the geolocation of
the fixed location
Page 49
Date recue/Date Received 2019-09-27
remote commodity storage container 1 would be hardcoded into the related
container record 10.
However as outlined throughout, it is specifically contemplated that in most
deployments of a
system under the invention and the practice of the method, it is contemplated
that the container
sensor apparatus 3 and the delivery sensor apparatus 4 would each comprise the
same type of a
consolidated sensor apparatus or device and in such a case given that the
delivery sensor
apparatus 4 needs to be locationally aware and be capable of the identity and
transmission of the
geolocation ofthe apparatus and its associated mobile delivery system 2, the
geolocation ability
would also be possible and likely regarding container level transmissions
captured from the
remote commodity storage containers equipped with such a consolidated
container sensor
.. apparatus device 3.
In certain embodiments of the present invention and specifically embodiments
of the container
sensor apparatus 3, software within the memory of the container sensor
apparatus could convert
sensor readings captured from the sensor or sensors 5 connected thereto to
calculate the current
stored volume within the related container before the transmission of that
calculated volume
result within the data packet or packets of the container level transmission.
In other
embodiments, such as that shown in Figure 8, it is contemplated that the
sensor readings that
might require transformation or calculation to be applied thereto to yield the
volume calculation
could be transmitted as captured or in a raw format to the server 6 and the
container level
.. transmission and could be transformed for the current stored volume
calculated based on the
nature and type of those sensors and readings by the monitoring software
component 8 at the
server 6. Transformation of the sensor readings to the current stored volume
result by the
monitoring software component 8 is shown in this embodiment at step 8-4.
The monitoring software component 8 would identify the target container record
10 being the
container record 10 regarding the particular remote commodity storage
container 1 associated
with the container sensor apparatus 3 having originated the container level
transmission, by
matching the identity or network address of the container sensor apparatus 3
received within the
container level transmission and extracted there from with the identity or
network address within
the container records 10 of the database 9. Seeking and identifying the target
container record is
shown as a process step at 8-5.
Page 50
Date recue/Date Received 2019-09-27
Following the identification of the target container record 10, the monitoring
software
component would save the extracted geolocation and current stored volume of
the associated
remote commodity storage container to the target container record 10 ¨ shown
at step 8-6, and
control following this completion of the subroutine would return to the main
monitoring loop in
Figure 7. It will be understood that the steps of the subroutine outlined in
Figure 8 could be
conducted in a modified order without departing from the ultimate result and
that any such
reordering or modification of steps in such a subroutine are also contemplated
within the scope
of the present invention.
Besides listening for container level transmissions, the monitoring software
component 8 would
also monitor the network interface or interfaces 7 of the server 6 for receipt
of any availability
transmissions from delivery sensor apparatus for the field. Upon receiving any
availability
transmission at the server 6 via the network interface 7, the yes leg of the
listener loop shown at
7-4 would be followed in the subroutine of Figure 9 would be executed as shown
at step 7-5.
Following the completion of that subroutine and the logging of the contents of
the availability
transmission received to the appropriate delivery record 11 in the database 9,
the program would
return to the loop of Figure 7.
The subroutine of Figure 9 outlines the method steps that will acted by the
monitoring software
component 8 regarding the processing of logging of an available delivery
volume transmission
received at the server 6 to the database 9. Initiation of the subroutine is
shown at step 9-1. Upon
receipt of an available volume transmission at the server 6, received from a
delivery sensor
apparatus 4 based upon the periodic triggering of same, via the network
interface 7 of the server
and the detection of same at 9-2, the data packet or packets of the available
volume transmission
received would be parsed or extracted to yield the identity or network address
of the delivery
sensor apparatus 4 question along with the geolocation and the available
delivery volume of the
container associated with the associated mobile delivery system 2. Extraction
of the values from
the received transmission is shown at 9-3.
Page 51
Date recue/Date Received 2019-09-27
In some embodiments of the present invention and specifically embodiments of
the delivery
sensor apparatus 4, software within the memory of the delivery sensor
apparatus 4 could convert
sensor readings captured from the sensor or sensors 5 connected thereto to
calculate the available
delivery volume within the related mobile delivery system before the
transmission of that
calculated available delivery volume result within the available volume
transmission. In other
embodiments such as that shown in Figure 9 it is contemplated that the sensor
readings captured
from the sensors 5 might require transformation or calculation to be applied
thereto to yield the
volume calculation and could be transmitted as captured or in a raw format to
the server 6 where
the available volume transmission could be calculated and applied to those
sensor readings by
the monitoring software component 8. Transformation of the sensor readings to
the available
delivery volume result by the monitoring software component 8 in this
embodiment is shown at
step 9-4.
The monitoring software component 8 what identify the target delivery record
11 being the
delivery record 11 regarding the particular mobile delivery system 2
associated with delivery
sensor apparatus 4 having originated the available volume transmission, by
matching the identity
or network address of the delivery sensor apparatus 4 received within the
available level
transmission and extracted there from with the identity or network address
within the delivery
records 11 of the database 9. Seeking and identifying the target delivery
record 11 is shown at
step 9-5.
Following the identification of the target delivery record 11, the monitoring
software component
8 would save the extracted geolocation and the available delivery volume of
the associated
mobile delivery system 2 to the target delivery record 11. This is shown at
step 9-6, following
which the completion of the subroutine would cause return to the main
monitoring of Figure 7. It
will be understood that the steps of the subroutine outlined in Figure 9 could
be conducted in a
modified order without departing from the ultimate result and that any such
reordering or
modification of steps in such a subroutine are also contemplated within the
scope of the present
invention.
Page 52
Date recue/Date Received 2019-09-27
Either following the receipt and posting of any container level transmission
to the database 9, or
on a periodic basis, a monitoring step at step 7-6 would be conducted to
ascertain the existence
of a delivery condition regarding any remote commodity storage container 1
connected via a
container sensor apparatus 3 to the system. Determination of a delivery
condition would
effectively require the monitoring software component 82 scan the container
records 10 and the
database 9 and to identify any container records 10 in which the current
stored volume most
recently received from the associated container sensor apparatus 3 exceeds the
threshold volume
stored within the record 10 ¨ indicating that an action condition exists
regarding the container 1
in question in the delivery of commodity to or from that particular remote
commodity storage
container 1 was required. Any container record 10 satisfying this condition
exhibits a delivery
condition. Creation of a program instruction or a software subroutine to
achieve this database
monitoring step, which would consist of scanning the container records 10 and
applying the
threshold versus current stored volume calculation, will be understood to
those skilled in the art
of software design and all such approaches are contemplated within the scope
of the present
invention.
For any container record 10 regarding which a delivery condition exists, the
yes leg of the
decision block 7-6 would be followed and the dispatch subroutine of Figure 10
would be
executed as shown at off page subroutine block 7-7. Following the completion
of the dispatch
subroutine at 7-7, control would return to the overarching loop of Figure 7.
Determining the existence of a delivery condition by the monitoring software
component 8
comprises effectively determining a particular remote commodity storage
container 1 regarding
which a delivery of commodity to or from that container 1 is required and
regarding which one
or more mobile delivery systems 2 needs to be dispatched to effect the same.
In the delivery
dispatch subroutine in Figure 10, the first step conducted by the server 6 and
the monitoring
software component 8 is the calculation of the required delivery quantity of
commodity to be
delivered to or from the remote commodity storage container 1 in question. The
required
delivery quantity calculation would effectively comprise subtracting the
current stored volume
within the container from the total volume of the container yielding a
difference which is the
required delivery quantity. This is shown at 10-2.
Page 53
Date recue/Date Received 2019-09-27
Following the calculation of the required delivery quantity, the monitoring
software component 8
would identified qualified mobile delivery systems capable of effecting the
required dispatch or
delivery of commodity to this container 1. In this step, shown at 10-3, the
monitoring software
component 8 would conduct a scan of the delivery records 11 in the database 9
to identify any
delivery records indicating an available delivery volume at least equal or
over the required
delivery quantity calculated. Effectively this step is identifying any mobile
delivery systems via
their associated delivery records 11 which contain sufficient volume of
commodity or
commodity space to allow for a complete delivery to or take away from this
container. In some
embodiments it is contemplated that the software component 8 and its
programming could be
modified to allow for the identification of groups of more than one mobile
delivery system which
could be combined to effect a dispatch or delivery, where no one mobile
delivery system 2 had
sufficient available volume 2 take on or deliver the complete required
quantity but could in
combination with another geographically proximate mobile delivery system 2
satisfy the
complete need. Both such approaches will be understood to be within the scope
of the present
invention.
Following the identification of at least one and presumably a plurality of
qualified mobile
delivery systems 2, each of which are mobile delivery systems 2 corresponding
delivery records
11 indicate a sufficient available delivery volume of commodity stored to
satisfy the required
delivery quantity of a particular container exhibiting a delivery condition,
the next step at 10-4 is
the selection of at least one selected delivery system which would be
dispatched to effect the
required delivery of commodity to or from the container in question. In this
step, the monitoring
software component 8 directly or by interface with external GIS components
would identify at
least one selected delivery system from those in the group of qualified mobile
delivery systems
based upon selecting the mobile delivery system 2 which was geographically the
closest to the
location of the remote commodity storage container 1 requiring delivery. This
is the reason that
the geolocation of the remote commodity storage containers 1 and the mobile
delivery systems 2
are stored in the respective container records 10 and delivery records 11. The
details of
conducting such a geographic proximity calculation or comparison will be
understood to those
skilled in the art. In embodiments of the monitoring software component 8 in
which a group of
Page 54
Date recue/Date Received 2019-09-27
mobile delivery systems could be selected to satisfy a larger delivery
requirement than anyone
mobile delivery system can satisfy, the necessary adjustments could be made to
select a plurality
of geographically closest mobile delivery systems 2.
Upon selection of at least one selected delivery system to be dispatched for
the purpose of
making a delivery to satisfy the delivery condition at a particular remote
commodity storage
container 1, the monitoring software component 8 would use the communication
coordinates of a
user device associated with selected mobile delivery system 2 which were
stored in the
associated delivery record 11 to transmit a dispatch notification to that user
device. This user
device would be the user device of the operator are of a dispatch are of the
mobile delivery
systems 2 and could contain various types of database information including
location details and
coordinates, specifics of the required delivery quantity etc. The monitoring
software component
8 could also be programmed to allow for effectively the placement of holds
unavailable volumes
of deliverable commodity regarding particular mobile delivery systems 2 so the
mobile delivery
system in question 2 did not receive multiple dispatch requests requiring
resolution. Following
the completion of the dispatch subroutine regarding a particular delivery
condition at a particular
remote commodity storage container, the subroutine would be completed and
control would
return to the primary loop of Figure 7.
Predictive determination of delivery condition:
It is also contemplated that in certain embodiments of the method of the
present invention,
container volume transmissions initiated by asensor apparatus 3 to the server
6 could include a
timestamp, and the database 9 could be modified to store multiple volume
levels in association
with timestamps etc. regarding the container associated. This would permit the
monitoring
software component 8 to be modified to allow for the predictive determination
of the delivery
condition, wherein by comparison of the timestamps and volume readings
associated therewith
the monitoring software component 8 could proactively predict the timing of a
delivery condition
at a particular remote commodity storage container 1 and initiate a dispatch
request.
Page 55
Date recue/Date Received 2019-09-27
Although the present technology has been described for illustration based on
what is considered
the most practical and preferred implementations, it is to be understood that
such detail is solely
for that purpose and that the technology is not limited to the disclosed
implementations, but, on
the contrary, should cover modifications and equivalent arrangements within
the spirit and scope
of the appended claims. For example, it is to be understood that the present
technology
contemplates that, to the extent possible, one or more features of any
implementation can be
combined with one or more features of any other implementation.
In addition, it will be apparent to those of skill in the art that by routine
modification the present
invention can be optimized for a wide range of conditions and application. It
will also be
obvious to those of skill in the art there are various ways and designs with
which to produce the
apparatus and methods of the present invention. The illustrated embodiments
are therefore not
intended to limit the invention, but to provide examples of the apparatus and
method to enable
those of skill in the art to appreciate the inventive concept.
Page 56
Date recue/Date Received 2019-09-27
