Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
UNITED STATES PATENT APPLICATION
of
Inventor Name
Qiaowei Liu
Shiwei Liu
Xiaoge Cheng
Lishao Wang
Riming Hao
Lei Yang
Fred Lu
for a
Marine Product Logistics Monitoring Apparatus
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-08-31
PATENT APPLICATION
TITLE
Marine Product Logistics Monitoring Apparatus
Copyright Notice
A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains
material which is subject to copyright protection. The
copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile
reproduction by anyone of the patent disclosure, as it
appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent files or
records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights
whatsoever.
BACKGROUND
Field of the Invention:
[0001] The present invention relates generally to computerized systems for
expediting the shipping of goods in commerce. More particularly, the
invention relates to a computerized logistics system for managing and
integrating various aspects of order processing, order fulfillment and goods
transportation and tracking in marine transportation services.
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-08-31
Description of the Related Art:
[0002] The shipment of packages and/or freight is an age-old method of
transporting items from one location to another. Today, packages are
shipped using a particular method (e.g., air, ground, rail, ocean, etc.) based
on a desired and/or requested delivery date. For example, local domestic
packages are shipped via ground using a truck. In some instances, a package
is shipped using multiple methods of transportation between the originating
and destination locations and are consolidated and deconsolidated several
times at the various transportation mode interchange locations before
reaching the final destination.
[0003] Multiple transitions between multiple links such as land
transportation and air transportation are involved in a long-distance
transportation process of marine products such as Cambarus and crabs from
a source of supply to a supplier. Some uncertain factors such as the delay of
a flight, weather conditions during the transitions, and whether careless
loading and unloading are performed in this process would seriously affect
the survival rates of marine products. Therefore, the external environment
state and the internal environment where the marine products are located in
the transportation process are monitored, and the transportation process can
be reproduced by analyzing and processing data so that a logistics link that
cannot be controlled by a supplier and a consignee becomes a link in which
the process is clear and risks are controllable.
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-08-31
[0004] By looking at prior art there are multiple advancements that have
been seen in logistics monitoring methods. For instance, a Chinese patent
1,057,61031A on logistics management system is issued to Tianjin City
Kejian Electronic Mechanical Co Ltd. The patent provides a logistics
management system. The logistics management system includes a transfer
station, a carriage acceptance terminal, a monitoring device, a safety
detection device and a scanning input device; the carriage acceptance
terminal is equipped with a GPS; the monitoring device comprises a central
processor and a memory, wherein the central processor is connected with the
memory, and the central processor is connected with the safety detection
device, the scanning input device, the transfer station and the GPS of the
carriage acceptance terminal. With the logistics management system of the
invention adopted, substantive safety inspection and whole-process tracking
of logistic goods can be realized, and the safety of logistics can be
improved.
[0005] Another US patent 5,631,827A on Logistics system for automating
transportation of goods is issued to United Parcel Service Deutschland Inc
and Co oHG United Parcel Service of America Inc. The various
transportation logistics tasks, such as order processing, order fulfillment,
transportation of goods and tracking, are assigned to individual client/server
objects which make up the building blocks of the computerized logistics
management system. A tokenized message handling scheme allows client
and server objects to share information, even where the respective data types
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-08-31
do not match. An external processing manager provides script handling
services to other client applications, allowing those applications to modify
the performance of other program objects and to communicate with the
outside world.
[0006] A Modern logistics monitoring system bearing Chinese patent
1,057,61324A is issued to )(fan Zi Zhu Electronic Science and Technology
Co Ltd. The invention discloses a modern logistics monitoring system
comprising a controller, an AID conversion circuit and a carriage detection
system; the carriage detection system comprises a temperature sensor, a
humidity sensor and a smoke concentration sensor, and the temperature
sensor, the humidity sensor and the smoke concentration sensor are all
connected with the controller by virtue of the AID conversion circuit; the
controller is also connected with an input module and an alarm driving
module; the alarm driving module is connected with an alarm; the controller
is connected with a wireless communication module; the wireless
communication module is also connected with a driving recorder and a
vehicle-mounted GPS module; the vehicle-mounted GPS module is mounted
in a cab of a vehicle; the controller is also connected with a displayer.
According to the modern logistics monitoring system provided by the
invention, an intemet of things technology is utilized to monitor the vehicle
and simultaneously monitor goods in a carriage in real time, simple
regulation can be carried out, and alarm information can be sent under
severe conditions, so that monitoring people can do timely and correct
commands, and the safety and the smoothness of running of a logistics
vehicle are ensured.
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-08-31
[0007] Another Tracking and logistics management system and method
bearing WO patent 2001075700A3 is issued to William R BoeschMark
McgladeDavid J PulestonLars Skarke. The patent discusses a system for
tracking containers for customer shipments using services from third party
service providers, comprising a host management system. The host
management system allows third party service providers and customers to
enter in accounts containing information including preferences for shipping
and/or services. The customer logs into the host management system through
a network interface to enter in a shipment order. The host management
system allows the customer to provide information concerning the shipment
to ensure that the shipment can be performed and if any special services are
needed from third party service providers. The customer can either choose
their own third-party service providers or request quotes from third party
service providers having a pre-established relationship with the host
management system. The host management system receives tracking and
other information concerning the shipment and automatically notifies the
customer and third-party service providers providing services for the
customer shipment of the shipment status so that any appropriate actions
needed can be reported and/or taken.
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-08-31
[0008] Another US patent 8,756,167B2 on Transmodal and logistics system
and method are issued to EXPEDITORS MANAGEMENT SERVICES
LLC. The patent relates to a transmodal and logistics method, comprising
generating at least one transportation route for shipping a shipment using
one or more different transportation modes and at least two transportation
providers, and calculating a cost rate associated with the at least one
transportation route.
[0009] A US patent 8,150,781B2on Package shipping system and method,
including usage of historical analytic data is issued to Enroute Systems Corp.
Embodiments provide methods, apparatus, systems, and computer-readable
media associated with using historic analytic data to identify shipping
options for a user to use when shipping a package. Historic analytic data
may be received and maintained by a package shipment facilitation system.
The analytics may then be used to generate business rules which may be
applied to parameters for a package that is to be shipped. Through
application of the business rules, one or more preferred shipping options
may be identified. Business rules may be received after being manually-
generated by a user, or may be automatically generated based at least in part
on the maintained historic analytics. After a shipping option is chosen for
the
package, a shipping label may be printed for the package, and the package
may be entered into a carrier's system for processing.
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-08-31
[0010] Another patent on Determining optimal routes and rates for cargo
transportation bearing US patent 2,015,0248639A1 is issued to Synchro Net
Logistics Inc. The patent provides a computer systems, methods, and non-
transitory computer-readable medium configured for determining optimal
routes and rates for cargos transportation between an origin location and a
destination location, which determination takes into consideration available
truck services from the origin to an origin rail ramp, rail services from the
origin rail ramp to a destination rail ramp, and truck services from the
destination rail ramp to the destination, along with location of empty
containers as well as rates and incentives provided by each vendor.
[0011] Another US patent 1,101,7347B1on Supply chain visibility platform
is issued to Fourkites Inc. The patent provides systems, methods, and non-
transitory media are provided for dynamically predicting visibility of
freights in a constrained environment. An example method can include
determining attributes associated with a load transported by a carrier from a
source to a destination, the attributes including an identity of the carrier,
an
identity of an industry associated with the load, an identity of a shipper of
the load, load characteristics, and/or a pickup time of the load; based on the
attributes, predicting a route the carrier will follow when transporting the
load to the destination, at least a portion of the route being predicted
without
data indicating an actual presence of the carrier within the portion of the
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-08-31
route, the data including location measurements from a device associated
with the carrier and/or a location update from the carrier; and generating a
tracking interface identifying the route the carrier is predicted to follow.
[0012] Looking at prior art, transportation monitoring apparatuses currently
adopted on the market only acquire and record information such as the
temperature and the humidity inside a logistics box, but do not take external
environment information as a reference, while the environment information
directly affects the internal environment, especially for high-sensitivity
objects requiring cold-chain logistics. Therefore, the apparatuses are not
suitable for subsequent analysis and determination of the overall
environment information in the transportation process. Thus, the
optimization and risk assessment of a transportation route is affected.
[0013] There are multiple solutions that have been presented in prior art.
However, these solutions are limited and restricted to their conventional
architecture, installation system and have considerable shortcomings which
adversely affect the convenience with which they can be used. The prior
systems have certain limitations including the design of assemblies which
make them not suitable for every type of user. Moreover, the ease-of-use
ability of these assemblies is also questionable.
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-08-31
[0014] In order to solve the defects and deficiencies existing in the prior
art,
the utility model provides a marine product logistics monitoring apparatus,
which controls the operation or shutdown of an evaporator or a humidifier
by acquiring environment information inside and outside a logistics box for
analysis and determination. The environment information can be tailored to
the requirements of the specific embodiment through additional sensor
modules and the tuning of the parameters, while additional environment
control components may be added based on the requirements of the cargo.
The apparatus will alert the user if any parameter falls outside a set
threshold.
[0015] None of the previous inventions and patents, taken either singly or in
combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed. Hence, the
inventor of the present invention proposes to resolve and surmount existent
technical difficulties to eliminate the aforementioned shortcomings of prior
art.
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-08-31
SUMMARY
[0016] In light of the disadvantages of the prior art, the following summary
is provided to facilitate an understanding of some of the innovative features
unique to the present invention and is not intended to be a full description.
A
full appreciation of the various aspects of the invention can be gained by
taking the entire specification, claims, drawings, and abstract as a whole.
[0017] The primary desirable object of the present invention is to provide a
novel and improved form of marine product logistics monitoring system.
[0018] It is more particularly objective of invention to provide data
acquisition component which is configured to acquire environment
information inside and outside a logistics box and send the environment
information to the microcontroller.
[0019] It is further the objective of the invention to provide a
microcontroller which determines the acquired environment information
according to set environment parameter thresholds, and then controls the on
or off of the humidity control component and the temperature control
component according to the determination results.
[0020] It is also the objective of the invention to provide a microcontroller
which sends the environment information inside and outside the logistics
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-08-31
box sent by the data acquisition component to the user device by means of a
wireless module, and the environment information is displayed on the user
device; and the power component is configured to supply power to the
microcontroller.
[0021] A further object is to provide a data acquisition component which
includes a temperature sensor I for acquiring temperature information inside
the logistics box, a temperature sensor II for acquiring temperature
information outside the logistics box, a humidity sensor for acquiring
humidity information inside the logistics box, an acceleration sensor for
acquiring acceleration amplitude information and frequency domain
information of a transportation tool within a sampling duration.
[0022] A still further object is to provide a method where a camera is
utilized for acquiring image information inside the logistics box; and the
temperature sensor I, the temperature sensor II, the humidity sensor, the
acceleration sensor, and the camera are respectively connected to the
microcontroller.
[0023] Other aspects, advantages and novel features of the present invention
will become apparent from the detailed description of the invention when
considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-08-31
[0024] This Summary is provided merely for purposes of summarizing some
example embodiments, so as to provide a basic understanding of some
aspects of the subject matter described herein. Accordingly, it will be
appreciated that the above-described features are merely examples and
should not be construed to narrow the scope or spirit of the subject matter
described herein in any way. Other features, aspects, and advantages of the
subject matter described herein will become apparent from the following
Detailed Description, Figures, and Claims.
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-08-31
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0025] The accompanying figures, where like reference numerals refer to
identical or functionally similar elements throughout the separate views,
together with the detailed description below, are incorporated in and form
part of the specification, and serve to further illustrate embodiments of
concepts that include the claimed invention and explain various principles
and advantages of those embodiments.
[0026] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the utility model, according to
some example embodiments.
[0027] FIG. 2 is a logical flow chart of the utility model, according
to
one example embodiment.
[0028] Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are
illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to
scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures
may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve
understanding of embodiments of the present invention.
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-08-31
[029] The apparatus and method components have been represented where
appropriate by conventional symbols in the drawings, showing only those
specific details that are pertinent to understanding the embodiments of the
present invention so as not to obscure the disclosure with details that will
be
readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of
the
description herein.
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-08-31
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0030] Detailed descriptions of the preferred embodiment are provided
herein. It is to be understood, however, that the present invention may be
embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific details disclosed herein are
not to be interpreted as limiting, but rather as a basis for the claims and as
a
representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to employ the present
invention in virtually any appropriately detailed system, structure or manner.
[0031] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing
particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the
invention. As used herein, the term "and/or" includes any and all
combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. As used herein,
the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" are intended to include the plural
forms as well as the singular forms, unless the context clearly indicates
otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms "comprises" and/or
"comprising," when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated
features, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude
the presence or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations,
elements, components, and/or groups thereof
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-08-31
[0032] The present invention relates to a marine product logistics monitoring
apparatus, belonging to the field of Internet of Things technologies.
[0033] The utility model provides a marine product logistics monitoring
apparatus, including: a data acquisition component 120, a humidity control
component 130, a temperature control component 140, a power component
150, a microcontroller 101, and a user device 110. The data acquisition
component is configured to acquire environment information inside and
outside a logistics box and send the environment information to the
microcontroller; the microcontroller determines the acquired environment
information according to set environment parameter thresholds, and then
controls the on or off of the humidity control component and the temperature
control component according to the determination results; moreover, the
microcontroller sends the environment information inside and outside the
logistics box sent by the data acquisition component to the user device by
means of a wireless module 103, and the environment information is
displayed on the user device; and the power component is configured to
supply power to the microcontroller.
[0034] The data acquisition component 120 includes a temperature sensor I
121 for acquiring temperature information inside the logistics box, a
temperature sensor II 122 for acquiring temperature information outside the
logistics box, a humidity sensor 123 for acquiring humidity information
inside the logistics box, an acceleration sensor 124 for acquiring
acceleration
amplitude information and frequency domain information of a transportation
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-08-31
tool within a sampling duration, and a camera 125 for acquiring image
information inside the logistics box; and the temperature sensor I, the
temperature sensor II, the humidity sensor, the acceleration sensor, and the
camera are respectively connected to the microcontroller. Additional sensor
modules may be added to the data acquisition component as required by the
specific embodiment.
[0035] The humidity control component 130 includes an evaporator control
circuit 132 and a humidifier control circuit 134 respectively connected to the
microcontroller, and the microcontroller respectively controls the on or off
of an evaporator 131 and a humidifier 133 by means of the evaporator
control circuit and the humidifier control circuit. The temperature control
component 140 includes a temperature control device control circuit 142
connected to the microcontroller, and the microcontroller controls the on or
off of a temperature control device 141 by means of the temperature control
device control circuit. Additional environmental control components may be
added as required by the specific embodiment.
[0036] The wireless module 102 allows connection between the apparatus
and the user device through several different connections, including both
Bluetooth and through the internet.
[0037] The power component 150 includes a storage battery 152 and a solar
panel 151.
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-08-31
[0038] The user device 110 is a PC 111 or a mobile device 112. The user
device connects with the apparatus through the wireless module to update
the microcontroller for the specific embodiment and set the parameters, as
well as receiving real-time updates.
[0039] The monitoring apparatus further includes a GPS module 103 for
locating the position of the transportation tool in real-time, and the GPS
module is connected to the microcontroller.
[0040] The apparatus further includes a data storage module 104 connected
to the microcontroller.
[0041] The beneficial technical effects achieved by the utility model are: the
utility model provides a marine product logistics monitoring apparatus; in
the apparatus, environment information inside and outside a logistics box is
acquired by means of a data acquisition component and sent to a
microcontroller; the microcontroller determines the received information
according to pre-set environment parameters, and if the temperature is not
within a set threshold range, the operation or shutdown of the temperature
control device is controlled by means of a temperature control device control
circuit; by the same reasoning, if the humidity is not within a threshold
range,
the operation or shutdown of an evaporator or a humidifier is controlled by
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-08-31
means of a corresponding control circuit. Additional sensors and
environmental control components can be added as required by the specific
embodiment, including ambient light, vibration, sound, movement, oxygen,
chemical levels, and more.
[0042] As a specific embodiment of the utility model, environment data in a
transportation process is monitored by using the apparatus and used to adjust
one or more environmental conditions described herein. The parameters are
set by the user device through the wireless module. The temperature sensor I
acquires the temperature information in the logistics box and sends the
temperature information to the microcontroller, the microcontroller
determines the received temperature information according to the pre-set
temperature threshold, if the temperature exceeds the threshold range,
refrigeration is performed in the logistics box by means of the temperature
control device control circuit, and if the temperature is lower than the
threshold range, heating is performed in the logistics box by means of the
temperature control device control circuit till the temperature in the
logistics
box is within the threshold range; the temperature sensor II sends the
acquired temperature information outside the logistics box to the
microcontroller, and the microcontroller sends the temperature information
to a memory for storage or sends the temperature information to the user
device as a basis for subsequent optimization of a transportation route, so as
to minimize the risks in the transportation process; the humidity sensor
acquires the humidity information in the logistics box and sends the
humidity information to the microcontroller, and the microcontroller
controls the operation or shutdown of the evaporator by means of the
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-08-31
evaporator control circuit or controls the on or off of the humidifier by
means of the humidifier control circuit according to the pre-set humidity
threshold; the acceleration sensor acquires speed information of the
transportation tool and sends the speed information sends the
microcontroller, and the camera acquires picture information in the logistics
box and sends the picture information to the microcontroller; in addition, the
GPS module acquires real-time position information of the transportation
tool and sends the real-time position information to the microcontroller. The
microcontroller retains all recorded data through a data storage module and
updates the user device through the wireless module. Additional tweaks to
the parameters can be set by the user device, such as automatic adjustment
based on GPS location.
[0043] Further description is made by taking the transportation of fish and
shrimp as an example. The temperature threshold in the logistic box is pre-
set to be -20 C to 5 C, the temperature sensor 1 sends the acquired
temperature information in the logistic box to the microcontroller, the
microcontroller determines the received temperature information, if the
temperature exceeds the threshold range, refrigeration is performed in the
logistics box by means of the temperature control device control circuit, and
if the temperature is lower than the threshold range, heating is performed in
the logistics box by means of the temperature control device control circuit
till the temperature in the logistics box is within the threshold range; the
temperature sensor 2 acquires a weather environment parameter outside the
logistic box, and sends the acquired data to the microcontroller, the
microcontroller sends the acquired data to the memory for storage or sends
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-08-31
the acquired data to the user device, and a transportation party can obtain
optimal matched values of the temperature outside the logistics box and the
temperature inside the logistics box by matching according to the stored data
so as to ensure the freshness of the fish and shrimp. Data support is provided
for the subsequent setting of the temperature in the logistics box, so as to
minimize the risks in the transportation process; the humidity threshold in
the transportation process of the fish and shrimp is set to be 45% to 70%, the
humidity sensor sends the acquired humidity information in the logistics box
to the microcontroller, and the microcontroller controls the operation or
shutdown of the evaporator by means of the evaporator control circuit or
controls the on or off of the humidifier by means of the humidifier control
circuit according to the pre-set humidity threshold; in addition, in the
transportation process, the acceleration sensor acquires the speed
information of the transportation tool and sends the speed information to the
microcontroller; if a curve displayed in the microcontroller is in a flat
state,
it is indicated that the transportation process is relatively smooth, and if a
sudden increase in height occurs in the displayed curve, it is indicated that
cases such as bumpy or careless transportation occur in the transportation
process; the camera acquires the picture information in the logistics box and
sends the picture information to the microcontroller; in addition, the GPS
locator acquires the real-time position information of the transportation tool
and sends the real-time position information to the microcontroller, and
whether a flight is delayed or on time can be determined by combining
locating information of the GPS and the normal schedule of the flight.
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-08-31
[0044] While a specific embodiment has been shown and described, many
variations are possible. With time, additional features may be employed. The
particular shape or configuration of the platform or the interior
configuration
may be changed to suit the system or equipment with which it is used.
[0045] Having described the invention in detail, those skilled in the art will
appreciate that modifications may be made to the invention without
departing from its spirit. Therefore, it is not intended that the scope of the
invention be limited to the specific embodiment illustrated and described.
Rather, it is intended that the scope of this invention be determined by the
appended claims and their equivalents.
[0046] The Abstract of the Disclosure is provided to allow the reader to
quickly ascertain the nature of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with
the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or
meaning of the claims. In addition, in the foregoing Detailed Description, it
can be seen that various features are grouped together in various
embodiments for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure. This method of
disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the
claimed
embodiments require more features than are expressly recited in each claim.
Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive subject matter lies in less
than all features of a single disclosed embodiment. Thus, the following
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-08-31
claims are hereby incorporated into the Detailed Description, with each
claim standing on its own as a separately claimed subject matter.
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-08-31
