System And Methods For Environmental Monitoring Of Supply Chains

Abstract

An environment monitoring method including measuring data from a plurality of sensors, wherein each of the plurality of sensors includes a unique identifier (UID). The method further includes instructing each of the plurality of sensors to measure data. The method also includes receiving the measured data from each of the plurality of sensors. The method then calculates a product degradation value of a product based on the measured data and compares the product degradation value with a threshold product degradation value. In response to the product degradation value of the product exceeding the threshold produce degradation value, the method generates and sends an alert to a device.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An environment monitoring method comprising:
 obtaining, with a camera of a reader device, an image of a label associated with a product, the label having a unique identifier (UID) associated with the product and a temperature sensitive element on a surface of the label;   processing, with the reader device, the image of the label to determine a temperature of the product based on at least one of a color density, a refraction, and a reflection of the temperature sensitive element on the surface of the label;   determining, with the reader device, the UID of the product; and   communicating, with the reader device, the UID and the temperature of the product to a cloud data system;   wherein the cloud data system is configured to receive the UID and the temperature of the product, calculate a product degradation value of the product based on the temperature of the product, compare the product degradation value with a threshold product degradation value, generate an alert in response to the product degradation value of the product exceeding the threshold product degradation value, and sending the alert to a device.   
     
     
         2 . The environment monitoring method of  claim 1 , wherein the UID is represented on the label with a QR code and the determining, with the reader device, the UID of the product includes:
 obtaining, with the camera of the reader device, an image of the QR code; and   processing, with the reader device, the image of the QR code to determine the UID of the product.   
     
     
         3 . The environment monitoring method of  claim 1 , wherein the UID is represented on the label with a bar code and the determining, with the reader device, the UID of the product includes:
 obtaining, with the camera of the reader device, an image of the bar code; and   processing, with the reader device, the image of the bar code to determine the UID of the product.   
     
     
         4 . The environment monitoring method of  claim 1 , wherein UID is included on the label using a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag and the determining, with the reader device, the UID of the product includes communicating with the RFID tag, using the reader device, to obtain the UID of the product from the RFID tag. 
     
     
         5 . The environment monitoring method of  claim 4 , wherein the RFID tag is a passive RFID tag and the reader device supplies power to the RFID tag for the RFID tag to transmit the UID of the product to reader device. 
     
     
         6 . The environment monitoring method of  claim 1 , wherein the reader device processes the image of the label to determine the temperature of the product based on the color density of the temperature sensitive element on the surface of the label. 
     
     
         7 . The environment monitoring method of  claim 1 , wherein the reader device processes the image of the label to determine the temperature of the product based on the refraction of the temperature sensitive element on the surface of the label. 
     
     
         8 . The environment monitoring method of  claim 1 , wherein the reader device processes the image of the label to determine the temperature of the product based on the reflection of the temperature sensitive element on the surface of the label. 
     
     
         9 . An environment monitoring system, comprising:
 a reader device having a camera, the reader device being configured to:
 obtain an image of a label associated with a product, the label having a unique identifier (UID) associated with the product and a temperature sensitive element on a surface of the label; 
 process the image of the label to determine a temperature of the product based on at least one of a color density, a refraction, and a reflection of the temperature sensitive element on the surface of the label; 
 determine the UID of the product; and 
 communicate the UID and the temperature of the product to a cloud data system; 
   wherein the cloud data system is configured to receive the UID and the temperature of the product, calculate a product degradation value of the product based on the temperature of the product, compare the product degradation value with a threshold product degradation value, generate an alert in response to the product degradation value of the product exceeding the threshold product degradation value, and sending the alert to a device.   
     
     
         10 . The environment monitoring system of  claim 9 , wherein the UID is represented on the label with a QR code and the reader device is further configured to determine the UID of the product by:
 obtaining, with the camera of the reader device, an image of the QR code; and   processing, with the reader device, the image of the QR code to determine the UID of the product.   
     
     
         11 . The environment monitoring system of  claim 9 , wherein the UID is represented on the label with a bar code and the reader device is further configured to determine the UID of the product by:
 obtaining, with the camera of the reader device, an image of the bar code; and   processing, with the reader device, the image of the bar code to determine the UID of the product.   
     
     
         12 . The environment monitoring system of  claim 9 , wherein UID is included on the label using a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag and the reader device is further configured to determine the UID of the product by communicating with the RFID tag to obtain the UID of the product from the RFID tag. 
     
     
         13 . The environment monitoring system of  claim 12 , wherein the RFID tag is a passive RFID tag and the reader device is configured to supply power to the RFID tag for the RFID tag to transmit the UID of the product to reader device. 
     
     
         14 . The environment monitoring system of  claim 9 , wherein the reader device is further configured to process the image of the label to determine the temperature of the product based on the color density of the temperature sensitive element on the surface of the label. 
     
     
         15 . The environment monitoring system of  claim 9 , wherein the reader device is further configured to process the image of the label to determine the temperature of the product based on the refraction of the temperature sensitive element on the surface of the label. 
     
     
         16 . The environment monitoring system of  claim 9 , wherein the reader device is further configured to process the image of the label to determine the temperature of the product based on the reflection of the temperature sensitive element on the surface of the label. 
     
     
         17 . An environment monitoring method comprising:
 obtaining, with a camera of a reader device, an image of a label associated with a product, the label having a unique identifier (UID) associated with the product and a temperature sensitive element on a surface of the label;   communicating, with the reader device, the image of the label to a cloud data system;   processing, with the cloud data system, the image of the label to determine a temperature of the product based on at least one of a color density, a refraction, and a reflection of the temperature sensitive element on the surface of the label;   receiving, with the cloud data system, the temperature of the product;   calculating, with the cloud data system, a product degradation value of the product based on the temperature of the product;   comparing, with the cloud data system, the product degradation value with a threshold product degradation value;   generating, with the cloud data system, an alert in response to the product degradation value of the product exceeding the threshold product degradation value; and   sending, with the cloud data system, the alert to a device.   
     
     
         18 . The environment monitoring method of  claim 17 , wherein the UID is represented on the label with a QR code, the method further comprising determining the UID of the product by:
 obtaining, with the camera of the reader device, an image of the QR code; and   processing, with at least one of the reader device and the cloud data system, the image of the QR code to determine the UID of the product.   
     
     
         19 . The environment monitoring method of  claim 17 , wherein the UID is represented on the label with a bar code, the method further comprising determining the UID of the product by:
 obtaining, with the camera of the reader device, an image of the bar code; and   processing, with at least one of the reader device and the cloud data system, the image of the bar code to determine the UID of the product.   
     
     
         20 . The environment monitoring method of  claim 17 , wherein UID is included on the label using a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, the method further comprising determining the UID of the product by communicating with the RFID tag, using the reader device, to obtain the UID of the product from the RFID tag. 
     
     
         21 . The environment monitoring method of  claim 20 , wherein the RFID tag is a passive RFID tag and the reader device supplies power to the RFID tag for the RFID tag to transmit the UID of the product to reader device. 
     
     
         22 . The environment monitoring method of  claim 17 , wherein the cloud data system processes the image of the label to determine the temperature of the product based on the color density of the temperature sensitive element on the surface of the label. 
     
     
         23 . The environment monitoring method of  claim 17 , wherein the cloud data system processes the image of the label to determine the temperature of the product based on the refraction of the temperature sensitive element on the surface of the label. 
     
     
         24 . The environment monitoring method of  claim 17 , wherein the cloud data system processes the image of the label to determine the temperature of the product based on the reflection of the temperature sensitive element on the surface of the label.