IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,351,400
Granted Patent B2
US 12,351,400 · App. 18/357,703 · Granted Jul 8, 2025

Transport system monitoring device

Inventor: Manfred Foxx-Gruensteidl (Amissville, VA)
Assignee: UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE
B65G43/02B65G45/10B65G2203/0266B65G2203/041B65G2203/042
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,351,400
App. No.
18/357,703
Granted
Jul 8, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A control system, a method, and a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium are provided for a control system of a transport system. A processor is configured to receive sensor data from a monitoring device attached to, or configured to simulate, a container that is typically moved, routed, or handled by the transport system. The processor receives a maintenance indicator identifying a malfunctioning component of the transport system. The processor obtains a predetermined normal range of the sensor data corresponding to expected operating conditions for each of one or more sensors of the monitoring device. The predetermined normal range corresponding to the expected operating conditions is modified based on the maintenance indicator and subsequent malfunctioning components are detected based on the modified normal range of the sensor data.

Claims (48)

1. A control system of a transport system comprising:

a processor configured to perform operations comprising:

receiving sensor data from a monitoring device attached to, or configured to simulate, a container of a type that is typically moved, routed, or handled by the transport system;

receiving a maintenance indicator from the monitoring device, wherein the maintenance indicator identifies a malfunctioning component of the transport system and includes a time range at which to repair or replace the malfunctioning component;

obtaining a predetermined normal range of the sensor data corresponding to expected operating conditions for each of one or more sensors of the monitoring device;

modifying the predetermined normal range of the sensor data corresponding to the expected operating conditions based on the maintenance indicator; and

receiving, from the monitoring device, subsequent maintenance indicators responsive to detecting subsequent malfunctioning components based on the modified predetermined normal range of the sensor data, wherein

the subsequent maintenance indicators indicate a priority of repairs to the subsequent malfunctioning components based on a degree of malfunction relative to the modified predetermined normal range of the sensor data.

2. The control system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to perform operations comprising:

obtaining a plurality of maintenance indicators from two or more transport systems; and

aggregating the plurality of maintenance indicators from the two or more transport systems.

3. The control system of claim 2 , wherein the aggregating of the plurality of maintenance indicators comprises aggregating the plurality of maintenance indicators based on a shared type of the one or more sensors corresponding to the maintenance indicators.

4. The control system of claim 2 , wherein the two or more transport systems are in different facilities.

5. The control system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to perform operations comprising: storing of the sensor data in at least one database.

6. The control system of claim 1 , wherein the container is a tote box.

7. The control system of claim 1 , wherein

the receiving of the sensor data from the monitoring device comprises: receiving a subset of the sensor data identified by the monitoring device to minimize bandwidth usage between the monitoring device and the control system.

8. A computer-implemented method for a control system of a transport system, the computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving, by the control system, sensor data from a monitoring device attached to, or configured to simulate, a container of a type that is typically moved, routed, or handled by the transport system;

receiving, by the control system, a maintenance indicator from the monitoring device, wherein the maintenance indicator identifies a malfunctioning component of the transport system and includes a time range at which to repair or replace the malfunctioning component;

obtaining, by the control system, a predetermined normal range of the sensor data corresponding to expected operating conditions for each of one or more sensors of the monitoring device;

modifying, by the control system, the predetermined normal range of sensor data corresponding to the expected operating conditions based on the maintenance indicator; and

receiving, by the control system, subsequent maintenance indicators responsive to detecting subsequent malfunctioning components based on the modified predetermined normal range of the sensor data, wherein

the subsequent maintenance indicators indicate a priority of repairs to the subsequent malfunctioning components based on a degree of malfunction relative to the modified predetermined normal range of the sensor data.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , further comprising:

obtaining a plurality of maintenance indicators from two or more transport systems; and

aggregating the plurality of maintenance indicators from the two or more transport systems.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9 , wherein the aggregating of the plurality of maintenance indicators comprises aggregating the plurality of maintenance indicators based on a shared type of the one or more sensors corresponding to the maintenance indicators.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 9 , wherein the two or more transport systems are in different facilities.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , the method further comprising: storing the sensor data in at least one database.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , wherein the container is a tote box.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , wherein

the receiving of the sensor data from the monitoring device comprises: receiving a subset of the sensor data identified by the monitoring device to minimize bandwidth usage between the monitoring device and the control system.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having instructions recorded thereon for a processor of a computing device, the instructions configuring the computing device to perform operations comprising:

receiving sensor data from a monitoring device attached to, or configured to simulate, a container of a type that is typically moved, routed, or handled by a transport system;

receiving a maintenance indicator from the monitoring device, wherein the maintenance indicator identifies a malfunctioning component of the transport system and includes a time range at which to repair or replace the malfunctioning component;

obtaining a predetermined normal range of the sensor data corresponding to expected operating conditions for each of one or more sensors of the monitoring device;

modifying the predetermined normal range of the sensor data corresponding to the expected operating conditions based on the maintenance indicator; and

receiving, from a monitoring device, subsequent maintenance indicators responsive to detecting subsequent malfunctioning components based on the modified predetermined normal range of the sensor data, wherein

the subsequent maintenance indicators indicate a priority of repairs to the subsequent malfunctioning components based on a degree of malfunction relative to the modified predetermined normal range of the sensor data.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the instructions further configure the computing device to perform operations comprising:

obtaining a plurality of maintenance indicators from two or more transport systems; and

aggregating the plurality of maintenance indicators from the two or more transport systems.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16 , wherein the aggregating of the plurality of maintenance indicators comprises aggregating the plurality of maintenance indicators based on a shared type of the one or more sensors corresponding to the maintenance indicators.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16 , wherein the two or more transport systems are in different facilities.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the container is a tote box.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein

the receiving of the sensor data from the monitoring device comprises receiving a subset of the sensor data identified by the monitoring device to minimize bandwidth usage between the monitoring device and the control system.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 24, 2023
From: FOXX-GRUENSTEIDL, MANFRED
To: UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE
Reel/Frame 064361/0228 →
Continuity (3)
Continuation 17082188 · Oct 28, 2020
Provisional Application 62928759 · Oct 31, 2019
Related Publication 20230365342A1 · Nov 16, 2023
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