Patent ID: 7711654
Filing Date: 2010-05-04
Classification: G01K,G06Q,G08B

Abstract:
1. A method, comprising steps of: (a) storing, in memory accessible to at least one processor, an electronic copy of an advanced shipping notification (ASN) that was transmitted from a shipping location to a receiving location in advance of shipping at least one item therebetween, wherein the ASN comprises: (b) uploading to memory accessible to at least one processor, the time stamped sensor data from the sensor reflecting at least one determined value of the at least one monitored physical or environmental condition of the shipment between the shipping location and the receiving location together with information that uniquely identifies the sensor; (c) with the at least one processor, using the tracking number included in the ASN to retrieve location event information from a carrier responsible for transporting the at least one item between the shipping location and the receiving location the location event information comprising: using the retrieved location event information to identify at least a portion of the time stamped sensor data as having been accumulated when the sensor was associated with the at least one item by relating times from the time stamped sensor data and the shipment time data to relate shipment location data with sensor data; and using at least some shipment information from the ASN stored in memory including the identifier, together with at least a portion of the time stamped sensor data stored in memory that was uploaded from the sensor corresponding to the information that uniquely identifies the sensor, to generate at least one report involving the at least one determined value including the related shipment location data and sensor data.