Shipment Condition Monitoring via Sensor Data
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing transportation systems face challenges in tracking and verifying the condition of goods in transit, leading to difficulties in determining the cause of damage or mishandling, which results in financial losses and increased costs for owners and carriers.
Innovation Solution
A system that utilizes user devices equipped with sensors to generate condition records, including time, location, and physical condition data, which are then stored and managed by a server. This system allows for real-time monitoring and documentation of goods in transit, enabling better accountability and transparency throughout the supply chain.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If conventional transportation systems are used without monitoring devices, then device complexity is reduced, but loss of information about goods condition occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces sensors, GPS trackers, and monitoring devices as intermediary elements that mediate between the goods and the information system. These devices collect and transmit condition data without requiring complex integration into the existing transportation infrastructure, thus reducing information loss while adding minimal complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates digital copies of goods condition information through sensors and tracking devices. Instead of directly monitoring every physical aspect, the system uses sensor data, GPS coordinates, and recorded conditions as informational copies that can be stored and analyzed, reducing the need for complex continuous physical monitoring.
2Reliability
If no condition records are maintained, then ease of operation is improved, but reliability of damage determination deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by automatically recording goods condition at multiple points during transportation before any damage occurs. Condition records are generated at origin, during transit, and upon delivery, establishing a baseline that enables reliable damage determination without requiring complex operational procedures during actual transport.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback mechanisms where condition records are continuously monitored and reported. This feedback loop provides automatic updates on goods status, enabling reliable damage determination through comparative analysis of records while maintaining operational simplicity through automated reporting rather than manual inspection.
3Measurement precision
If comprehensive monitoring is implemented, then measurement precision of goods condition is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The monitoring system is segmented into separate functional components: GPS tracking devices for location, sensors for physical conditions (temperature, humidity, shock), and data collection points at origin, transit, and delivery. This segmentation allows high measurement precision through specialized devices while keeping overall system complexity manageable by dividing functions into independent modules.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs multi-functional monitoring devices that can measure multiple conditions (temperature, humidity, shock, location) simultaneously. These universal devices reduce the need for multiple specialized complex systems while maintaining comprehensive measurement precision through integrated sensing capabilities.
4Loss of time
If condition records are stored and accessed, then loss of time in claims processing is reduced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by pre-storing condition records in a centralized database during transportation. This advance preparation eliminates the need for complex real-time analysis during claims processing, as all necessary data is already collected and organized, reducing claim resolution time without requiring complex data management systems at the time of processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The system maintains digital copies of condition records that can be quickly retrieved and analyzed during claims processing. These stored copies provide immediate access to historical data without requiring complex real-time data collection or analysis systems, thus reducing processing time while keeping data management complexity manageable through straightforward database storage and retrieval.
Data Source
AI summary
A system for monitoring goods during shipment may include one or more user devices having one or more sensors configured to generate a condition record including a time value, a location value, and a physical condition of goods. The time and location values correspond to a predetermined route for transporting the goods between an origination point and a destination point. The system may also include a server device configured to receive a plurality of condition records from a plurality of user devices. Each condition record corresponds to a time value and a location value during transport of the goods along the predetermined route. The server also stores the plurality of condition records in association with the goods and each other. The server device may also provide at least a portion of information from the condition records in response to a request for transit information related to the goods.