Patent Description:
Typically, cold chain distribution systems are used to transport and distribute cargo, or more specifically perishable goods and environmentally sensitive goods (herein referred to as perishable goods) that may be susceptible to temperature, humidity, and other environmental factors. Perishable goods may include but are not limited to fruits, vegetables, grains, beans, nuts, eggs, dairy, seed, flowers, meat, poultry, fish, ice, and pharmaceuticals. Advantageously, cold chain distribution systems allow perishable goods to be effectively transported and distributed without damage or other undesirable effects.

Refrigerated trucks and trailers are commonly used to transport perishable goods in a cold chain distribution system. A transport refrigeration system is mounted to the truck or to the trailer in operative association with a cargo space defined within the truck or trailer for maintaining a controlled temperature environment within the cargo space.

Conventionally, transport refrigeration systems used in connection with refrigerated trucks and refrigerated trailers include a transport refrigeration unit having a refrigerant compressor, a condenser with one or more associated condenser fans, an expansion device, and an evaporator with one or more associated evaporator fans, which are connected via appropriate refrigerant lines in a closed refrigerant flow circuit. Air or an air/ gas mixture is drawn from the interior volume of the cargo space by means of the evaporator fan(s) associated with the evaporator, passed through the airside of the evaporator in heat exchange relationship with refrigerant whereby the refrigerant absorbs heat from the air, thereby cooling the air. The cooled air is then supplied back to the cargo space.

Certain perishable goods may not be able to be stored within the same cargo space due to a variety of contamination concerns. Improved systems and particularly improved compatibility monitoring systems would provide cost benefits and reduce the chances contamination with incompatible perishable goods.

<CIT> discloses a package-loading system that determines a target position for a package by using information from a data tag.

<NPL>" discusses types of container loading problems and possible constraint categories.

According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a as defined by claim <NUM>.

According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a system as defined by claim <NUM>.

According to a third aspect of the invention, there is provided a computer program product tangibly embodied on a computer readable medium as defined by claim <NUM>.

Technical effects of embodiments include the ability to the monitor compatibility of cargo within a transport container.

The subject matter which is regarded as the disclosure is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the claims at the conclusion of the specification.

Referring now to the drawings, <FIG> illustrates a schematic view of a system <NUM> for monitoring compatibility of cargo (e.g. perishable goods <NUM>) within a transport container <NUM>, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. <FIG> illustrates a schematic view a cold chain distribution system <NUM> that may incorporate embodiments of the present disclosure. Typically, transport refrigeration systems <NUM> are used to transport and distribute perishable goods and environmentally sensitive goods (herein referred to as perishable goods <NUM>) in various stages of a cold chain distribution system <NUM>. As illustrated in <FIG>, the cold chain distribution system <NUM> may include harvest <NUM>, packing <NUM>, storage prior to transport <NUM>, transport to distribution center <NUM>, distribution center <NUM>, transport to display <NUM>, storage prior to display <NUM>, display <NUM> and consumer <NUM>. These stages are provided for illustrative purposes and a distribution chain may include fewer stages or additional stages, such as, for example a cleaning stage, a processing stage, and additional transportation stages. In the illustrated embodiment, the cargo in the transport container <NUM> is perishable goods <NUM>, however it is understood that embodiments described herein may be applied to other types of cargo that are not perishable or environmentally sensitive.

In the illustrated embodiment, a transport refrigeration system <NUM> includes a refrigerated transport container <NUM>, a transport refrigeration unit <NUM>, a door <NUM> and perishable goods <NUM> with associated tags <NUM>. The transport container <NUM> may be pulled by a tractor <NUM>. It is understood that embodiments described herein may be applied to shipping containers that are shipped by rail, sea, or any other suitable container, without use of a tractor <NUM>. The transport container <NUM> may define an interior compartment <NUM>.

In the illustrated embodiment, the transport refrigeration unit <NUM> is associated with the transport container <NUM> to provide desired environmental parameters, such as, for example temperature, pressure, humidity, carbon dioxide, ethylene, ozone, light exposure, vibration exposure, and other conditions to the interior compartment <NUM>. In further embodiments, the transport refrigeration unit <NUM> is a refrigeration system capable of providing a desired temperature and humidity range. The perishable goods <NUM> may include but are not limited to fruits, vegetables, grains, beans, nuts, eggs, dairy, seed, flowers, meat, poultry, fish, ice, blood, pharmaceuticals, or any other suitable cargo requiring cold chain transport. In the illustrated embodiment the perishable goods <NUM> have a tag <NUM> located on the perishable goods. The tag <NUM> is a source of identification for the perishable goods <NUM>, such as, for example a bar code or radio frequency identification (RFID). The tag may contain identification data such as, for example the type of perishable goods <NUM>, the origin, the date of harvest <NUM>, the original shipping date, the original delivery date, the expiration date and the type of container.

In the illustrated embodiment, the system <NUM> further includes a tag scanner device <NUM>. The tag scanner device <NUM> may be a hand held scanner as seen in <FIG>. In alternate embodiments, the tag scanner device <NUM> may be an automatic scanning device to scan perishable goods <NUM> within the transport container <NUM> or as they move through the container door <NUM>. For instance, the tag scanning device may be an RFID reader embedded into the transport container <NUM> at the door <NUM> that scans the RFID tag <NUM> as they move through the door <NUM>. As shown in the illustrated embodiment, the tag scanner <NUM> may include tag scanner database software <NUM>, a tag scanner reader <NUM>, a tag scanner database <NUM>, a communication device <NUM>, a tag scanner notification software <NUM>, a display <NUM>, and a speaker <NUM>. The tag scanner database software <NUM> may be responsible for running the operations of the tag scanner device <NUM> and is described in further detail below. The tag scanner reader <NUM> reads the identification data on the tag <NUM>. The tag scanner database <NUM> is a memory storage device that stores the data read from the tag <NUM>. The tag scanner database <NUM> may be a memory storage device such as, for example, a random access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM), or other electronic, optical, magnetic or any other computer readable medium.

The communication device <NUM> may transmit data via a wireless transmission method from the tag scanner database <NUM> to the network <NUM>. The wireless transmission method may be, but is not limited to, radio, microwave, cellular, satellite, or another wireless communication method. The network <NUM> may be but is not limited to satellite networks, cellular networks, cloud computing network, wide area network, or another type of wireless network. The communication device <NUM> may also include a short range interface, wherein the short range interface includes at least one of: a wired interface, an optical interface, and a short range wireless interface. The communication device <NUM> may also receive data and/or notifications <NUM>, including but not limited to alert <NUM> notifications and accept <NUM> notifications from the network <NUM>. The tag scanner nonfiction software <NUM> may be responsible for managing the notifications <NUM> received from the network <NUM>. The tag scanner notification software <NUM> may convey the notification <NUM> to an operator using the tag scanner device <NUM> via a visual notification <NUM> on the display <NUM> and/or an audible notification <NUM> via the speaker <NUM>. The notification <NUM> may include data associated with and explaining the notification <NUM>. The tag scanner device <NUM> may also include a processor (not shown) such as, for example a single-processor or multi-processor system of any of a wide array of possible architectures, including field programmable gate array (FPGA), central processing unit (CPU), application specific integrated circuits (ASIC), digital signal processor (DSP) or graphics processing unit (GPU) hardware arranged homogenously or heterogeneously.

As shown in the illustrated embodiment, a verification management system <NUM> is also connected to the network <NUM>. The connection may be via a wireless method include but not limited to, radio, microwave, cellular, satellite, or another wireless communication method. The verification management system <NUM> may include verification base software <NUM>, a verification compatibility module <NUM>, a verification invoice module <NUM>, a memory storage device <NUM> and an end user application programming interface (API) <NUM>. The verification base software <NUM> may be responsible for analyzing perishable good <NUM> data sent from the tag scanner database <NUM> via the network <NUM> to the determine compatibility. The verification base software <NUM> may compare the data from the tag scanner database <NUM> to information stored within the verification compatibility module <NUM>, the verification invoice module <NUM>, and/or the end user API <NUM>. The verification base software <NUM> is described in further detail below. The verification compatibility module <NUM> determines perishable good <NUM> compatibility information. In other words, the verification compatibility module <NUM> determines which perishable goods <NUM> should and/or should not be stored within the same transport container <NUM>. For example, tomatoes release ethylene, and subsequently cannot be transported within the same transport container <NUM> as bananas because doing so may cause the bananas to over ripen. Storing bananas with tomatoes would be considered contamination in this scenario because the two are incompatible.

The verification invoice module <NUM> compares data from the perishable goods <NUM> entering the transport container <NUM> to data regarding future perishable goods that may be picked up and stored within the transport container <NUM> along cold chain distribution system <NUM>, and/or data regarding past perishable goods that are already contained within the transport container <NUM>. The verification invoice module <NUM> is compiled from end user API <NUM> that is connected to the verification management system <NUM>. The end user API <NUM> includes information comprising meat invoices <NUM>, fish invoices <NUM>, and produce invoices <NUM>. Advantageously this may help address compatibility issue of perishable goods <NUM> before they occur and may also help the driver of the tracker <NUM> adjust the travel route accordingly to avoid compatibility issues and possible contamination. The verification management system <NUM> may include at least one memory storage device <NUM> such as, for example, a random access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM), or other electronic, optical, magnetic or any other computer readable medium. The verification compatibility module <NUM> and the verification invoice module <NUM> may include their own memory storage device and/or may utilize the memory storage device <NUM> for the verification management system <NUM>. The verification management system <NUM> may also include a processor (not shown) such as, for example a single-processor or multi-processor system of any of a wide array of possible architectures, including field programmable gate array (FPGA), central processing unit (CPU), application specific integrated circuits (ASIC), digital signal processor (DSP) or graphics processing unit (GPU) hardware arranged homogenously or heterogeneously.

Referring now also to <FIG>, which shows a schematic view of a tag scanner base software <NUM> architecture, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As mentioned above, the tag scanner base software <NUM> may be located within the tag scanner device <NUM>. The tag scanner base software <NUM> begins with initiating communication channels with the network <NUM> at block <NUM> and is continuously polling at block <NUM> until a connection is made with the verification management system <NUM> at block <NUM>. Next, the tag scanner base software <NUM> is polling until a tag <NUM> is read (scanned) by the tag scanner device <NUM>. Once the tag <NUM> of a perishable good <NUM> is read by the tag scanner device <NUM>, the tag scanner base software <NUM> receives the data that was read at block <NUM> and stores the data in the tag scanner database <NUM> at block <NUM>. The data in the tag scanner database <NUM> is then transmitted to the verification base software <NUM> at block <NUM>. Once the data has been transmitted, the tag scanner software <NUM> returns to polling at block <NUM> until the next tag <NUM> is scanned.

Referring now also to <FIG>, which shows a schematic view of a verification base software <NUM> architecture, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. First the verification base software <NUM> connects to the tag scanner device <NUM> at block <NUM> and then receives the tag scanner database <NUM> data at block <NUM>. Next, the data from the tag scanner database <NUM> is compared to the verification compatibility database <NUM> data to check for possible contamination issues at block <NUM>. The verification base software <NUM> then extracts contamination element pairs (e.g. tomatoes and bananas) generated by the verification compatibility module <NUM> to determine if there is a match at block <NUM>. At block <NUM>, if there is a match, then the verification base software <NUM> sends an alert <NUM> notification <NUM>, and optionally the data associated with the alert, to the tag scanner notification software <NUM> at block <NUM>. If there is not a match at block <NUM>, then the verification base software <NUM> compares the tag scanner database <NUM> data to the verification invoice module <NUM> data at block <NUM>. Then at block <NUM>, if there is a match between the tag scanner database <NUM> data and the verification invoice module <NUM> data then the verification base software <NUM> sends an alert <NUM> notification <NUM>, and optionally the contamination data, to the tag scanner notification software <NUM> at block <NUM>. If there is not a match at block <NUM> between the tag scanner database <NUM> data and the verification invoice module <NUM> data then the verification base software <NUM> sends an accept <NUM> notification <NUM> to the tag scanner notification software <NUM> at block <NUM>. Finally, at block <NUM> the verification base software <NUM> stores the tag scanner database <NUM> data in the verification invoice module <NUM>.

Claim 1:
A method of monitoring compatibility to avoid contamination of cargo (<NUM>) within a transport container (<NUM>), the method comprising:
reading, using a scanner device (<NUM>), data tags (<NUM>) associated with cargo entering the transport container; and
storing, using a memory storage device (<NUM>), data from the data tags; and characterised by
analyzing, using a verification management system (<NUM>), the compatibility of the cargo in response to the data, the verification management system coupled to the memory storage device, the verification management system including:
a verification compatibility module (<NUM>) to determine possible contamination element pairs in response to the data, wherein the verification compatibility module determines if cargo entering the transport container is compatible in response to the possible contamination element pairs; and
a verification invoice module (<NUM>) to determine if at least one of past cargo and future cargo is compatible with cargo entering the transport container in response to the possible contamination element pairs, wherein the verification invoice module is compiled from an end user API (<NUM>) including information comprising meat invoices (<NUM>), fish invoices (<NUM>) and produce invoices (<NUM>); and
transmitting an alert (<NUM>) notification to the scanner device, using the verification management system (<NUM>), when it is determined that cargo (<NUM>) entering the transport container (<NUM>) should not be stored within the transport container as it is not compatible with at least one of past cargo and future cargo.