Perishable Product Monitoring via Environmental Control Coordination

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Solution Overview

Problem

Traditional cargo transport systems lack effective monitoring and optimization of perishable product conditions during transportation, leading to sub-optimal environmental parameters and limited data archiving, which results in speculative product condition inference and missed opportunities for process improvement.

Innovation Solution

A computer-implemented information coordination system that monitors perishable products using environmental control assemblies, sends condition updates, evaluates delivery tasks, controls environmental parameters, and archives data, incorporating customer feedback to predict product condition and optimize transport processes.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If traditional monitoring methods are used to collect environmental parameter data, then data collection is simple, but product condition inference is speculative and unreliable

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveproduct condition inference accuracyVSAvoidmonitoring system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements continuous feedback loops where sensor data from environmental parameters (temperature, humidity, ethylene) is constantly monitored, analyzed, and used to adjust environmental control settings. This closed-loop feedback mechanism transforms speculative inference into data-driven decision-making, improving measurement precision through iterative optimization based on actual product condition responses.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The monitoring system integrates multiple functions into a single platform: environmental sensing, product condition analysis, predictive modeling, and control optimization. This multi-functional approach enables comprehensive product condition inference without proportionally increasing device complexity, as one system performs what would otherwise require multiple separate tools.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Reliability

If comprehensive product condition monitoring is implemented, then product quality control improves, but data management and archiving complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveproduct quality controlVSAvoiddata management complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system merges data collection, storage, analysis, and archiving functions into an integrated data management platform. Environmental sensor data, product condition metrics, and transport parameters are combined into a unified database structure, reducing the complexity that would arise from managing separate systems for each function while enhancing product quality control through comprehensive data correlation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The system creates digital replicas and models of product condition states through predictive algorithms. Instead of managing only raw sensor data, the system generates virtual product condition copies that can be analyzed and archived separately, reducing the burden of managing comprehensive monitoring data while maintaining reliable quality control through multiple data representations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

3Measurement precision

If real-time condition monitoring and analysis are performed, then product condition prediction accuracy improves, but processing time and computational resources increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveproduct condition prediction accuracyVSAvoiddata processing time
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary data processing and filtering at the sensor level and edge computing points before data reaches central analysis systems. Environmental parameters are pre-processed, anomalies are pre-identified, and initial trend analysis is completed in advance, reducing the computational burden and processing time required for final prediction accuracy while maintaining high measurement precision.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP3482361A1Perishable product information coordination system for a cargo transport system
Publication Date: 2019.05.15 CARRIER CORP

AI summary

A computer implemented method of operating an information coordination system of a cargo transport system includes entering a proposed delivery task into a remote user interface device. An environmental control assembly of a cargo transport system may be utilized to monitor a product for a specified condition. Condition updates associated with the monitoring may be sent to the remote user interface.