Systems and methods for monitoring vibrations during transportation of goods
View Patent ↗A method for estimating a level of damage to perishable cargo during transportation of the cargo using data collected by a portable monitoring device. The method includes measuring vibrational data associated with the cargo. The vibrational data is monitored by a vibration sensor of the portable monitoring device. The method further includes incrementing a counter in the portable monitoring device in response to an amplitude of the measured vibrational data exceeding a predetermined threshold. The method also includes determining if the counter value exceeds a predetermined value, and generating an alert indicating damage to the cargo in response to determining the counter value has exceeded the predetermined value.
1. A method for estimating a level of damage to perishable cargo during transportation of the cargo using data collected by a portable monitoring device, the method comprising:
receiving an input indicative of a frequency range of interest;
measuring vibrational data occurring within the frequency range of interest, the vibrational data associated with the cargo, the vibrational data monitored by a vibration sensor of the portable monitoring device;
incrementing a counter in the portable monitoring device in response to an amplitude of the measured vibrational data exceeding a predetermined threshold;
determining if value of the counter exceeds a predetermined value; and
generating an alert indicating damage to the cargo in response to determining the value has exceeded the predetermined value.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the vibrational data includes amplitude data across a spectrum of frequencies of vibration.
3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising setting the spectrum of frequencies of vibration to be monitored based on a type of cargo being monitored.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the vibrational data includes vibrational data across three axes of vibration.
5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising generating an interrupt using a processing circuit of the portable monitoring device, in response to determining the amplitude of the measured vibrational data has exceeded the predetermined threshold.
6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising transmitting the value to a remote server using the portable monitoring device.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined value represents an expected level of damage to the cargo.
8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising transmitting the generated alert to a remote server using the portable monitoring device.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the generated alert comprises an estimated percentage of damage to the cargo.
10. A system for determining a level of damage to perishable goods during transport, the system comprising:
an accelerometer configured to receive an input indicative of a frequency range of interest and measure vibrations occurring within the frequency range of interest transmitted to the perishable goods during transport;
a processing circuit comprising a memory and a processor, the processing circuit in communication with the accelerometer and configured to receive vibrational data associated with the measured vibrations from the accelerometer;
the processing circuit configured to generate an interrupt when an amplitude of the received vibrational data exceeds a predetermined threshold, the interrupt incrementing a counter value stored in the memory;
the processing circuit further configured to generate an alert in response to determining the counter value has exceeded a predetermined value; and
a portable monitoring device configured to attach to at least one of the perishable goods, a housing containing the perishable goods, and a pallet on which the perishable goods are placed, the portable monitoring device including the processing circuit.
11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the predetermined value represents an expected level of damage to the perishable goods.
12. The system of claim 10 , wherein the predetermined value is dependent on the type of perishable good.
13. The system of claim 10 , wherein the accelerometer is further configured to monitor one or more frequency ranges across a first axis, a second axis, and a third axis, wherein the frequency ranges dependent on the type of perishable good being monitored; and
wherein the processing circuit is further configured to change an operation related to power consumption by the portable monitoring device in response to a low power situation with the portable monitoring device to ensure enough power remains for a duration of a scheduled trip.
14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the vibrational data includes an amplitude for each of a plurality of frequency ranges.
15. The system of claim 13 , wherein the predetermined threshold is user configurable.
16. The system of claim 10 , wherein the processing circuit further comprises a transmit/receive circuit configured to provide wireless communication to a remote server, wherein the portable monitoring device is configured to transmit the alert to the remote server using the transmit/receive circuit.
17. The system of claim 10 , wherein the accelerometer is integrated into the portable monitoring device.
18. A method of determining a level of damage to perishable cargo due to vibrations occurring during transport, the method comprising:
receiving an input indicative of a frequency range of interest;
measuring vibrational data occurring within the frequency range of interest using a vibration sensor attached to at least one of the perishable cargo, a container containing the perishable cargo, and a pallet on which the perishable cargo is placed, the vibrational data including an amplitude measurement of the vibrations at each of a plurality of predetermined frequency ranges;
transmitting the vibrational data to a processing circuit of a portable monitoring device;
determining if the vibrational data exceeds a threshold value associated with damage occurring to the perishable cargo using the processing circuit of the portable monitoring device;
generating an interrupt signal for every occurrence of the threshold value being exceeded using the portable monitoring device;
incrementing a counter in the portable monitoring device for every interrupt signal generated;
determining if a value of the counter exceeds a first predetermined value within a predetermined time period; and
generating an alert indicating a first level damage to the cargo in response to determining the value has exceeded the first predetermined value.
19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising:
determining if the value exceeds a second predetermined value within the predetermined time period; and
generating a second alert indicating a second level of damage to the cargo in response to determining the value has exceeded the second predetermined value.
20. The method of claim 18 , wherein the vibration sensor is attached to the container at a location experiencing the greatest amount of vibration during transport.