Product Life Cycle Tracking via Dual Expiration Calculation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current systems fail to accurately track the expiration date of products based on both shelf life and the time since opening, leading to inefficiencies in inventory management and consumer safety.
Innovation Solution
A computer-implemented method and system that monitors a product's life cycle by receiving manufacturing and scanning notifications to calculate shelf-life and usage expiration dates, sending notifications, and prompting users for resupply or replacement, while tracking location and usage data.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If only shelf-life expiration date is tracked based on manufacturing time, then the tracking system is simple, but the accuracy of product usability determination deteriorates because it does not account for time since opening
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the product lifecycle into two distinct tracking periods: shelf-life (from manufacturing to opening) and usage-life (from opening to consumption). This is achieved by creating separate expiration date calculations - shelf-life expiration date based on manufacturing time and estimated shelf-life, and usage expiration date based on modification time and estimated usage life. The system maintains separate data fields and notification mechanisms for each period, allowing precise tracking without conflating the two distinct phases.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements preliminary action by capturing the modification time (when product is opened) as a discrete event that triggers recalculation of the usage expiration date. The system proactively calculates both expiration dates in advance and sends notifications before the product actually expires, allowing users to take action before the product becomes unusable. This preliminary tracking and notification approach prevents loss of information about product usability.
2Reliability
If tracking system monitors both shelf-life and usage expiration dates with multiple notifications, then consumer safety improves, but the number of notifications and system operations increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by sending targeted notifications based on specific conditions rather than uniform notifications for all products. The system sends shelf-life expiration notifications when the shelf-life expiration date is approaching, and separately sends usage expiration notifications when the usage expiration date is approaching. Each notification type has its own trigger condition and messaging, providing locally optimized information delivery that improves consumer safety without unnecessary system operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms where the system continuously monitors product status and sends notifications based on calculated expiration dates. The notification system provides feedback to users about product usability status, and the system adjusts its monitoring based on whether the product has been opened (modification event). This feedback loop ensures consumer safety through timely warnings while maintaining efficient system operations by only activating full monitoring after the modification event occurs.
3Measurement precision
If the system calculates usage expiration date based on modification time, then the tracking accuracy for opened products improves, but the requirement for capturing modification events increases system complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service by requiring the user to manually input the modification time when they open the product. Rather than using complex automated sensors or detectors to capture the opening event, the system provides a simple user interface where the user enters the date they opened the product. This self-service approach achieves accurate tracking of the modification event while minimizing system complexity by relying on user participation rather than sophisticated detection mechanisms.
Data Source
AI summary
A computer-implemented method and system for monitoring a life-cycle of a product, the method including executing on a processing unit, instructions to perform: receiving an electronic manufacture notification from a manufacturer, via a network, including a manufacturing time, the manufacturing time indicating a time of manufacturing of the product; calculating a shelf-life expiration date based on an estimated shelf-life and the manufacturing time of the product; receiving an electronic scanning notification from a scanning device, via a network, including a modification time indicating a time of modification of the product from a preserved state to a non-preserved state; calculating a usage expiration date based on an estimated length of time the product is usable in the non-preserving state and the modification time; sending notification of the shelf-life expiration date to the scanning device; sending notification of the usage expiration date to the scanning device.