In-Transit Perishable Goods Exchange via Quality Assessment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current cold chain distribution systems lack a model for in-transit exchange of perishable goods based on market conditions and environmental factors, leading to quality degradation and unnecessary spoilage due to improper cooling.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising a transport refrigeration unit with sensors monitoring internal and external parameters, a storage device for data, and a management sub-system that performs quality assessments to determine if an in-transit exchange is necessary, allowing for rerouting and grading adjustments to prevent spoilage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the perishable goods are transported to the original destination as planned, then the delivery schedule is maintained, but the goods may spoil due to quality degradation during transit
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary quality assessment during transit to predict potential spoilage before it occurs. By monitoring environmental parameters and calculating remaining shelf life in advance, the system can identify goods at risk and initiate exchange procedures proactively, preventing spoilage while maintaining optimal delivery schedules
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a marketplace platform as an intermediary that facilitates the exchange of perishable goods during transit. This intermediary system connects shippers, carriers, and buyers, enabling quality assessment, pricing, and transaction coordination without disrupting the overall cold chain logistics network
2Loss of substance
If the perishable goods are exchanged during transit, then waste is reduced and market value is maintained, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The marketplace platform is designed as a universal system that handles multiple functions: quality assessment, remaining life calculation, pricing determination, transaction coordination, and logistics rerouting. This multi-functional approach consolidates what could be separate complex systems into a single integrated platform, reducing overall system complexity while enabling comprehensive in-transit exchange capabilities
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs automated algorithms for quality assessment, remaining life prediction, and pricing optimization that operate autonomously based on monitored environmental parameters. This self-service capability reduces the need for manual intervention and complex human coordination, simplifying the exchange process while maintaining high efficiency
3Measurement precision
If the quality assessment is performed continuously during transit, then the spoilage prediction accuracy is improved, but the energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs quality assessment at periodic intervals rather than continuously, balancing measurement precision with energy conservation. Environmental parameters are monitored continuously, but the comprehensive quality assessment and remaining life calculation are performed at optimized intervals based on product type, transit conditions, and risk levels, reducing computational energy consumption while maintaining accurate spoilage prediction
Data Source
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AI summary
A system for facilitating a cold chain in-transit exchange of perishable goods is provided. The system includes a storage device that stores data associated with the perishable goods and a management sub-system that includes a processor and a memory. The management sub-system can be coupled to the storage device. The management sub-system can receive an input comprising the data associated with the perishable goods, perform a quality assessment utilizing the input during a transit period of the perishable goods, and determine whether the cold chain in-transit exchange of the perishable goods should occur based the quality assessment.