IP Library Granted Patent US 10,480,040
Granted Patent B2
US 10,480,040 · App. 14/724,643 · Granted Nov 19, 2019

Hide customization systems and methods

Inventors: Robert Horst Hein (Kansas City, MO); Kenneth Graham Press (Kansas City, MO)
Assignee: National Beef Packing Company, LLC
C14B17/005B07C5/16B07C5/34B07C5/38B65G57/00B65G57/02C14B1/14C14C1/06C14C3/00C14C3/06C14C15/00G05B19/4189G06Q30/0621G05B2219/39106
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,480,040
App. No.
14/724,643
Granted
Nov 19, 2019
Kind
B2
Abstract

Methods and systems for customizing hides are provided. In particular, one or more embodiments comprise a tanning control system that improves profitability and customer satisfaction by facilitating the customization of hides according to customer orders. Furthermore, one or more embodiments enable the tanning control system to improve efficiency and responsiveness by producing packages of hides that exactly match customer orders. Additionally, one or more embodiments enhance the traceability of hides by capturing data related to the customization of hides.

Claims (63)

1. A method of customizing hides comprising:

accessing, from customer data storage of a tanning control system, electronic customer order information associated with a first customer order;

identifying, using a customer order manager of the tanning control system, one or more hide characteristics within the electronic customer order information;

selecting, using a hide manager of the tanning control system, a group of hides that corresponds to the one or more hide characteristics, the group of hides located at one or more hide inventory sources;

identifying, using the customer order manager of the tanning control system, a specification within the electronic customer order information that indicates one or more customizations to perform with respect to one or more hides of the group of hides; and

performing, based on the identified specification and using a customization manager of the tanning control system, the one or more customizations to transform the one or more hides of the group of hides by providing a specification communication to a customization controller of a customized processing system, wherein the customized processing system further comprises at least one of a wetting drum, a wringing device, a splitting device, a trimming device, or a folding device.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

comparing, using the hide manager of the tanning control system, one or more characteristics associated with the group of hides to the one or more hide characteristics within the electronic customer order information; and

determining, using the hide manager of the tanning control system, that the one or more characteristics associated with the group of hides match the one or more hide characteristics within the electronic customer order information.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

selecting, using the hide manager of the tanning control system, one or more additional groups of hides that correspond to the one or more hide characteristics within the electronic customer order information; and

performing, based on the identified specification and using the customization manager of the tanning control system, the one or more customizations onto transform one or more hides of the one or more additional groups of hides by providing an additional specification communication to the customization controller of the customized processing system.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:

identifying, using the customer order manager of the tanning control system, a hide count indicated by the electronic customer order information; and

selecting, using the hide manager of the tanning control system, the one or more additional groups of hides based on a determination that the hide count indicated by the electronic customer order information exceeds a hide count of the selected group of hides.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

accessing, from customer data storage of the tanning control system, additional electronic customer order information associated with a second customer order;

identifying, using the customer order manager of the tanning control system, an additional specification within the additional electronic customer order information that indicates one or more additional customizations to perform with respect to one or more additional hides of the group of hides; and

performing, based on the identified additional specification and using the customization manager of the tanning control system, the one or more additional customizations to transform the one or more additional hides of the group of hides by providing an additional specification communication to the customization controller of the customized processing system.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:

identifying, using the customer order manager of the tanning control system, a hide count indicated by the electronic customer order information;

determining, using the hide manager of the tanning control system, that the hide count is less than a hide count of the group of hides; and

identifying, using the customer order manager of the tanning control system, the second customer order based on a determination that one or more hide characteristics within the additional electronic customer order information associated with the second customer order match the one or more hide characteristics within the electronic customer order information associated with the first customer order.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising splitting the one or more hides of the group of hides in accordance with a custom grain type indicated by the electronic customer order information.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising folding the one or more hides of the group of hides in accordance with a custom fold type indicated by the electronic customer order information.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

generating, using the tanning control system, a custom pallet identifier;

associating, using the tanning control system, the custom pallet identifier with a custom pallet;

stacking, using the customized processing system, the one or more hides of the group of hides onto the custom pallet; and

marking, using the customized processing system, the custom pallet with the custom pallet identifier.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

identifying, using the tanning control system, a hide identifier of each of one or more hides stacked onto the custom pallet; and

associating, using the tanning control system, the custom pallet identifier with the hide identifier of each of the one or more hides stacked onto the custom pallet.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

identifying, using the tanning control system, a device identifier of each of one or more devices used to perform the one or more customizations on the one or more hides stacked onto the custom pallet; and

associating, using the tanning control system, the custom pallet identifier with the device identifier of each of one or more devices.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising verifying, using the customized processing system, that the one or more hides of the group of hides were customized in accordance with the specification.

13. A system comprising:

one or more computing devices; and

a non-transitory storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed by the one or more computing devices, cause the system to:

access, from customer data storage of a tanning control system, electronic customer order information associated with a first customer order;

identify, using a customer order manager of the tanning control system, one or more hide characteristics within the electronic customer order information;

select, using a hide manager of the tanning control system, a group of hides that corresponds to the one or more hide characteristics;

identify, using the customer order manager of the tanning control system, a specification within the electronic customer order information that indicates one or more customizations to perform with respect to one or more hides of the group of hides; and

perform, based on the identified specification and using a customization manager of the tanning control system, the one or more customizations to transform the one or more hides of the group of hides by providing a specification communication to a customization controller of a customized processing system, wherein the customized processing system further comprises at least one of a wetting drum, a wringing device, a splitting device, a trimming device, or a folding device.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more computing devices, further cause the system to:

compare, using the hide manager of the tanning control system, one or more characteristics associated with the group of hides to the one or more hide characteristics within the electronic customer order information; and

determine, using the hide manager of the tanning control system, that the one or more characteristics associated with the group of hides match the one or more hide characteristics within the electronic customer order information.

15. The system of claim 13 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more computing devices, further cause the system to:

select, using the hide manager of the tanning control system, one or more additional groups of hides that correspond to the one or more hide characteristics within the electronic customer order information; and

perform, based on the identified specification and using the customization manager of the tanning control system, the one or more customizations to transform one or more hides of the one or more additional groups of hides by providing an additional specification communication to the customization controller of the customized processing system.

16. The system of claim 13 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more computing devices, further cause the system to:

access, from customer data storage of the tanning control system, additional electronic customer order information associated with a second customer order;

identify, using the customer order manager of the tanning control system, an additional specification within the additional electronic customer order information that indicates one or more additional customizations to perform with respect to one or more additional hides of the group of hides; and

perform, based on the identified additional specification and using the customization manager of the tanning control system, the one or more additional customizations to transform the one or more additional hides of the group of hides by providing an additional specification communication to the customization controller of the customized processing system.

17. The system of claim 13 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more computing devices, further cause the system to split the one or more hides of the group of hides in accordance with a custom grain type indicated by the electronic customer order information.

18. The system of claim 13 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more computing devices, further cause the system to fold the one or more hides of the group of hides in accordance with a custom fold type indicated by the electronic customer order information.

19. The system of claim 13 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more computing devices, further cause the system to:

generate, using the tanning control system, a custom pallet identifier;

associate, using the tanning control system, the custom pallet identifier with a custom pallet;

stack, using the customized processing system, the one or more hides of the group of hides onto the custom pallet; and

mark, using the customized processing system, the custom pallet with the custom pallet identifier.

20. The system of claim 13 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more computing devices, further cause the system to verify, using the customized processing system, that the one or more hides of the group of hides were customized in accordance with the specification.

Assignments (4)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Oct 22, 2025
From: NATIONAL BEEF PACKING COMPANY, LLC
To: COBANK, ACB
Reel/Frame 072645/0740 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Feb 17, 2022
From: NATIONAL BEEF PACKING COMPANY, LLC; NATIONAL CARRIERS, INC.; NATIONAL BEEF LEATHERS, LLC; KANSAS CITY STEAK COMPANY, LLC; NATIONAL ELITE TRANSPORTATION, LLC; NATIONAL BEEF OHIO, LLC; IOWA PREMIUM, LLC
To: COBANK, ACB, AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 059173/0750 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jun 9, 2017
From: NATIONAL BEEF PACKING COMPANY, LLC
To: COBANK, ACB, AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 042661/0717 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 28, 2015
From: HEIN, ROBERT HORST; PRESS, KENNETH GRAHAM
To: NATIONAL BEEF PACKING COMPANY, LLC
Reel/Frame 035737/0594 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 62003998 · May 28, 2014
Related Publication 20150348154A1 · Dec 3, 2015