Node-enabled packaging materials used to ship an item

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10977607-B2
Application number	US-201414488704-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 17, 2014
Priority date	Nov 29, 2013
Publication date	Apr 13, 2021
Grant date	Apr 13, 2021

Abstract

Methods and node-enabled apparatus are described that involve use of node-enabled packaging material as part of a container for an item to be shipped. The method begins by forming at least a part of the container with the packaging material. Next, the method activates a node integrated as part of the packaging material. The node is operative to communicate with one or more network devices (such as an ID node, master node and/or server) in a wireless node network. The method then registers shipping information with a server in the wireless node network via a user access device operated by a shipping customer. The shipping information is related to the container and the node integrated as part of the packaging material of the container. The item to be shipped may be sealed within the container.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A method for using node-enabled packaging material as part of a container for a plurality of items to be shipped, comprising:
forming at least a part of the container with the packaging material, wherein the part of the container formed with the packaging material comprises an internal packaging separator material that provides a protective segmentation of an interior of the container so that the plurality of items may be shipped in different parts of the interior of the container defined by the internal packaging separator material;
manually manipulating an ID node integrated as part of the internal packaging separator material to activate the ID node by manipulating a switch on the ID node to cause a power source within the ID node to energize the ID and to turn on a status light of the ID node, wherein the ID node is operative to communicate directly with a master node in a wireless node network that has received an authorization from a server in the wireless node network to connect and associate with the ID node but is unable to directly communicate with the server in the wireless node network;
registering shipping information with the server via a user access device operated by a shipping customer, the shipping information comprising a tracking number related to the container and a node identification related to the ID node integrated as part of the internal packaging separator material of the container;
generating an advertising signal comprising association data, by the ID node integrated as part of the internal packaging separator material, to establish an associated and connected relationship between the ID node and the user access device, where the user access device operates as the master node and wherein the association data comprises a unique electronic identifier of the ID node and a status flag indicating that the ID node desires to connect with another node in the wireless node network;
broadcasting, by the ID node integrated as part of the internal packaging separator material, the advertising signal comprising the association data; and
associating, by the ID node integrated as part of the internal packaging separator material, with the user access device based on a response to the advertising signal received from the master node.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of sealing the plurality of items within the container having the ID node integrated as part of the internal packaging separator material of the container.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of placing the container at a first hand-off point for shipping the container.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the step of placing the container further comprises providing the container to a courier associated with the master node at the first hand-off point.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein providing the container to the courier associated with the master node at the first hand-off point further comprises generating association data, by the ID node integrated as part of the internal packaging separator material of the container, within memory of the ID node to identify an associated and connected relationship between the ID node and the master node at the first hand-off point.

6. The method of claim 3 , wherein the step of placing the container further comprises depositing the container in a node-enabled logistics receptacle serviced by a courier, the node-enabled logistics receptacle being at the first hand-off point.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ID node integrated as part of the internal packaging separator material of the container maintains container content information describing the plurality of items to be shipped.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the container content information further comprises customs information for a customs declaration on the plurality of items in the container.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of manually manipulating the ID node to activate the ID node further comprises manipulating the ID node to cause the ID node to change from a standby mode to a fully functioning mode.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of registering the shipping information further comprises:
entering a destination address for the container into the user access device as a first part of the shipping information;
entering the tracking number into the user access device as a second part of the shipping information;
entering the node identification into the user access device as a third part of the shipping information; and
causing the user access device to transmit the shipping information to the server.

11. A node-enabled apparatus for packaging a plurality of items to be shipped, comprising:
an internal packaging separator material used as part of a container that packages the item to be shipped, wherein the internal packaging separator material provides protective segmentation of an interior of the container so that the items may be shipped in different parts of the interior of the container defined by the internal packaging separator material;
an ID node integrated as part of the packaging material, wherein the ID node is operative to communicate directly with a master node in a wireless node network that has received an authorization from a server in the wireless node network to connect and associate with the ID node but is unable to directly communicate with the server in the wireless node network, the ID node further comprising
a processing unit,
a transceiver communication interface coupled to the processing unit, the communication interface providing a communication path to the master node, the transceiver communication interface being operative to send and receive a message broadcast from the master node and provide the message to the processing unit,
a volatile memory coupled to the processing unit,
a memory storage coupled to the processing unit, the memory storage maintaining code for execution by the processing unit and shipping information comprising a tracking number related to the container and a node identification related to the ID node integrated as part of the internal packaging separator material,
a power source for selectively energizing the ID node in response to manually manipulating the ID node; and
a switch coupled to the power source for allowing the power source to selectively energize the ID node in response to a manual manipulation of the switch;
wherein the processing unit, when executing the code, is operative to
receive the shipping information from a first node in the wireless node network,
share at least a part of the shipping information with the master node;
generate an advertising signal comprising association data to establish an associated and connected relationship between the ID node and the master node, the association data comprising a unique electronic identifier of the ID node and a status flag indicating that the ID node desires to connect with another node in the wireless node network;
cause the advertising signal comprising the association data to be broadcast over the transceiver communication interface to the master node; and
associate with the master node based on a response to the advertising signal received from the master node.

12. The node-enabled apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the ID node integrated as part of the internal packaging separator material further comprises a status light indicative of an activated state of the ID node.

13. The node-enabled apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the processing unit is further operative to cause the status light to blink in a designated pattern upon receiving the shipping info

Assignees

• Fedex Corp Services Inc

Inventors

• Skaaksrud Ole-Petter

Classifications

• G01S2205/01

  specially adapted for specific applications · CPC title

• H04L67/01

  Protocols · CPC title

• H04L45/22

  Alternate routing · CPC title

• G05D1/43

  Control of position or course in two dimensions [2D] · CPC title

• G05D1/226

  Communication links with the remote-control arrangements · CPC title