Virtual Scale Management for Cargo Weighing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing kiosk systems for cargo weighing lack ease and versatility for upgrades and customization, requiring technical servicing and lacking scalability.
Innovation Solution
A scale management system that includes a processor to generate virtual scales and kiosks, allowing for customizable weighment workflows, data collection, and real-time access through a web interface, enabling users to create, edit, and access scales and kiosks via mobile devices without technical assistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If existing kiosk systems are used for cargo weighing, then weighing functionality is provided, but ease of customization and scalability deteriorates requiring technical servicing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates virtual copies of physical scales and kiosks that can be customized and configured through software without requiring physical hardware changes or technical servicing. Users can create virtual representations that replicate scale functionality while enabling flexible customization of weighing workflows, data collection parameters, and user interfaces through software configuration rather than hardware modification.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables dynamic parameter changes for scale configuration, weighing workflows, and kiosk settings through software-based virtual representations. Users can modify weighing parameters, data collection requirements, and operational settings by changing software parameters rather than requiring hardware reconfiguration or technical assistance, thereby improving ease of customization while maintaining system functionality.
2Ease of operation
If virtual scales and kiosks are generated allowing user customization, then ease of operation improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a virtual scale and virtual kiosk as intermediary software layers between the physical scale hardware and the user. This intermediary layer handles the complexity of hardware communication, data processing, and workflow management, while presenting a simplified, user-friendly interface. Users interact with the virtual representation rather than directly with complex hardware systems, improving accessibility while managing software architecture complexity through abstraction.
Solution Approach 2:
The virtual scale and kiosk system is designed as a universal platform that can serve multiple functions and user needs through software configuration. A single virtual scale implementation can support different weighing workflows, data collection requirements, and user interfaces without requiring separate hardware systems, thereby improving user accessibility while consolidating software architecture rather than fragmenting it across multiple systems.
Data Source
AI summary
A scale management system is disclosed that is configured to initiate a weighment workflow for cargo including one or more units carried by a first vehicle, generate a virtual scale configured to obtain scale data from a physical scale that includes a scale designed to weigh individual cargo units, the virtual scale including a software representation of the physical scale, wherein hardware specifications of the physical scale are defined via the virtual scale, generate a virtual kiosk corresponding to the virtual scale that is configured for use during weighments of the one or more units in the cargo on the physical scale, and generate a master weigh ticket from the virtual kiosk including weighment data for the cargo, the weighment data including first weighment data for the one or more units in the cargo and second weighment data for a total weighment of the cargo by the physical scale.