Systems and apparatus for enhanced detection of an environmental anomaly related to a shipping container using a node-enhanced detection blanket

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11025720-B2
Application number	US-201916566999-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 11, 2019
Priority date	Sep 22, 2018
Publication date	Jun 1, 2021
Grant date	Jun 1, 2021

Abstract

A blanket apparatus is described for enhanced detecting of an environmental anomaly relative to a shipping container temporarily maintaining packages. Generally, the apparatus includes a detection blanket disposed proximate the packages and multiple sensor-based ID nodes integrated as part of the detection blanket in a geographically disperse configuration relative to the detection blanket. Each of the sensor-based ID nodes has a processor, memory (with ID node monitoring program code), an environmental sensor, and a wireless radio transceiver. The sensor generates sensor data related to an environmental condition adjacent the sensor and indicative of the environmental anomaly when the sensor data generated is above a threshold condition for that sensor. The transceiver is configured to access and broadcast the sensor data generated in response to a report command from the ID node's processor when the ID node processor executes the ID node monitoring program code.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A blanket apparatus for enhanced detecting of an environmental anomaly relative to a shipping container temporarily maintaining a plurality of packages, the apparatus comprising:
a detection blanket disposed proximate the plurality of packages; and
a plurality of sensor-based ID nodes integrated as part of the detection blanket in a geographically disperse configuration relative to the detection blanket, wherein each of the sensor-based ID nodes comprising
an ID node processor,
an ID node memory coupled to the ID node processor, the memory maintaining at least an ID node monitoring program code,
at least one environmental sensor configured to generate sensor data related to an environmental condition adjacent the environmental sensor, wherein the sensor data related to the environmental condition is indicative of the environmental anomaly when the sensor data generated is above a threshold condition for the at least one environmental sensor, and
a wireless radio transceiver operatively coupled to the ID node processor, the wireless radio transceiver being configured to access the sensor data generated by the at least one environmental sensor and broadcast the sensor data in response to a report command from the ID node processor when the ID node processor executes the ID node monitoring program code.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the detection blanket is selectively connected to a plurality of attachment points within the shipping container to physically restrain movement of the packages within the shipping container.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the detection blanket is selectively connected to one or more attachment points within the shipping container to at least partially restrain movement of the detection blanket as disposed within the shipping container.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the detection blanket comprises a plurality of regions; and
wherein the geographically disperse configuration of the sensor-based ID nodes relative to the detection blanket further comprises a regionally dispersed configuration of the sensor-based ID nodes having different ones of the sensor-based ID nodes disposed and integrated into different ones of the respective regions of the detection blanket.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the detection blanket comprises at least a first rigid sheet within which the sensor-based ID nodes are integrated in the geographically disperse configuration.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the detection blanket comprises at least a second cushioning sheet attached to a first surface of the first rigid sheet.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the detection blanket comprises at least a third cushioning sheet attached to a second surface of the first rigid sheet.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the detection blanket comprises a webbing, wherein each of the sensor-based ID nodes being integrated into a different part of the webbing as part of the geographically disperse configuration.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the webbing comprises a cargo net having each of the sensor-based ID nodes embedded into a different part of the cargo net.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the environmental sensor on at least one of the sensor-based ID nodes comprises a continuity sensor configured to generate sensor data indicative of a damaged status of the part of the webbing associated with the at least one of the sensor-based ID nodes, the sensor data generated by the continuity sensor exceeding the threshold condition when the sensor data changes from a predetermined first state indicative of no damage to the part of the webbing associated with the at least one of the sensor-based ID nodes to a second state indicating the part of the webbing associated with the at least one of the sensor-based ID nodes has broken.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the continuity sensor comprises a fuse-based sensor reactive to heat, wherein the second state indicating that the part of the webbing association with the at least one of the sensor-based ID nodes has been exposed to a predetermined temperature as the threshold condition that changes the fused-based sensor from the first state to the second state.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the detection blanket further comprises a plurality of flexibly connected panels, wherein one or more of the sensor-based ID nodes being integrated into a different one of the flexibly connected panels as part of the geographically disperse configuration.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein one or more of the flexibly connected panels not having one of the sensor-based ID nodes further comprises a fire suppression panel having integrated fire suppression material that is passively releasable from the fire suppression panel when the fire suppression panel is exposed to a threshold temperature.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the environmental sensor for a first of the sensor-based ID nodes comprises a temperature sensor and the environmental sensor for a second of the sensor-based ID nodes comprises a barometric pressure sensor.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the environmental sensor for a first of the sensor-based ID nodes comprises a plurality of sensor elements, the sensor elements comprising at least a temperature sensor element and a barometric pressure sensor element.

16. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the environmental sensor for a first of the sensor-based ID nodes comprises a temperature sensor and the environmental sensor for a second of the sensor-based ID nodes comprises one from a group consisting of a radiation sensor and a chemical sensor.

17. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a first group of the sensor-based ID nodes cease to broadcast the sensor data generated by each of the first group of the sensor-based ID nodes when the environmental sensor in each of the first group of the sensor-based ID nodes indicates a first temperature value exceeding a first temperature threshold while a second group of the sensor-based ID nodes continue to broadcast the sensor data generated by each of the second group of the sensor-based ID nodes.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the second group of the sensor-based ID nodes cease to broadcast the sensor data generated by each of the second group of the sensor-based ID nodes when the environmental sensor in each of the second group of the sensor-based ID nodes indicates a second temperature value exceeding a second temperature threshold while a third group of the sensor-based ID nodes continue to broadcast the sensor data generated by each of the third group of the sensor-based ID nodes, wherein the first temperature threshold is lower than the second temperature threshold.

19. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each of the sensor-based ID nodes further comprising an ID node enclosure for housing at least the ID node processor, the ID node memory, and the wireless radio transceiver, wherein the ID node enclosure comprises a temperature sensitive material that breaks down at a predetermined threshold temperature corresponding to the threshold condition for the environmental sensor.

20. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each of the sensor-based ID nodes further comprising an ID node enclosure for housing at least the ID node processor, the ID node memory, and the wireless radio transceiver, wherein the ID node enclosure comprises a temperature sensitive material that no longer encloses and exposes at least one of the ID node processor, the

Assignees

• Fedex Corp Services Inc

Inventors

• Skaaksrud Ole-Petter

Classifications

• H02J7/80

  including monitoring or indicating arrangements · CPC title

• H02J7/44

  between battery management systems and power sources · CPC title

• H04L41/04

  Network management architectures or arrangements · CPC title

• H04Q2209/823

  where the data is sent when the measured values exceed a threshold, e.g. sending an alarm · CPC title

• H04Q2209/40

  using a wireless architecture · CPC title