Dynamic packing system
A dynamic packing system places one or more perishable items into a shipping container and dispenses thermal control components therein. There is a data processor and a database including one or more order data set each defined at least by an itemized list of purchased perishable items and an order shipment destination address. A network interface is connected to the data processor, and weather data is retrieved over the network interface from a remote source. A dispenser controlled by the data processor positions a specific amount of a thermal control component in the shipping container. The specific amount is based upon an evaluation of one or more temperature values corresponding to the weather data along a transport route of the shipping container.
1. A dynamic packing system for placing one or more perishable items into a shipping container and dispensing thermal control components therein, the system comprising:
a data processor;
a database including one or more order data sets each being defined at least by an itemized list of purchased perishable items and an order shipment destination address;
a network interface connected to the data processor, weather data being retrieved over the network interface from a remote source; and
a dispenser controlled by the data processor, a specific amount of thermal control components being positioned in the shipping container by the dispenser in response to an evaluation by the data processor of one or more temperature values corresponding to the weather data along a transport route of the shipping container from a shipment origin to the order shipment destination address.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the order shipment destination address, the shipment origin, and the transport route are defined by one or more zip code values, the weather data of the order shipment destination address, the shipment origin, and the transport route being retrieved from the remote source based upon the respective zip code values thereof.
3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the one or more temperature values is an average of temperatures from the weather data for each of the respective zip code values of the shipment origin, the transport route, and the order shipment destination address.
4. The system of claim 2 , wherein the one or more temperature values is an average of temperatures from the weather data for each of the respective zip code values of the shipment origin, the transport route, the order shipment destination address, and related time factors corresponding to an anticipated duration in each zip code during transport.
5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the remote source is a historical weather archive, and the weather data is historical weather data for a past date related to a current date.
6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the remote source is a streaming weather service, the weather data from the streaming weather service being a future forecast having a predefined forecast duration.
7. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
an item picker/placer controlled by the data processor, the item/picker placer positioning the perishable items into the shipping container based upon the one or more order data sets.
8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the item picker/placer, in response to control commands from the processor, places a specific one or more of the perishable items apart from the thermal control component based upon an evaluation of the specific one or more of the perishable items being identified as being temperature-sensitive.
9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the identification of the specific one of the one or more perishable items is stored in a food sensitivity table on the database.
10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the thermal control component is ice.
11. A method dispensing thermal control components in a shipment container including one or more perishable items, the method comprising:
receiving an order data set defined at least by an itemized list of purchased perishable items and an order shipment destination address;
generating a set of geographic identifiers for a transport route between a shipment origin to the order shipment destination address;
retrieving weather data from a remote source for each of the geographic identifiers; and
actuating a dispenser to position a predetermined amount of thermal control components in the shipment container for the order data set based upon a correlation of one or more temperature values corresponding to the weather data for each of the geographic identifiers to a requirements matrix defining associations between specific temperature values and thermal control component amounts.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the geographic identifiers are zip code values.
13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the one or more temperature values is an average of temperatures from the weather data for each of the respective zip code values of the shipment origin, the transport route, and the order shipment destination address.
14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the one or more temperature values is an average of temperatures from the weather data for each of the respective zip code values of the shipment origin, the transport route, the order shipment destination address, and related time factors corresponding to an anticipated duration in each zip code during transport.
15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the weather data is historical value for a past date related to a current date, the weather data being retrieved from a historical weather archive.
16. The method of claim 11 , wherein the weather data is a future forecast with a predefined forecast duration.
17. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
retrieving, with an item picker/placer, at least one of the perishable items specified in the itemized list of the order data set from a storage container; and
positioning the perishable item into the shipment container.
18. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
applying a shipping label to the shipment container with the order shipment destination address.
19. The method of claim 11 , wherein the thermal control component is ice.
20. An article of manufacture comprising a non-transitory program storage medium readable by a computer, the medium tangibly embodying one or more programs of instructions executable by the computer to perform a method for dispensing thermal control components in a shipment container including one or more perishable items, the method comprising:
receiving an order data set defined at least by an itemized list of purchased perishable items and an order shipment destination address;
generating a set of geographic identifiers for a transport route between a shipment origin to the order shipment destination address;
retrieving weather data from a remote source for each of the geographic identifiers; and
actuating a dispenser to position a predetermined amount of thermal control components in the shipment container for the order data set based upon a correlation of one or more temperature values corresponding to the weather data for each of the geographic identifiers to a requirements matrix defining associations between specific temperature values and thermal control component amounts.