CN115766694A

CN115766694A - System for providing in-transit power for active storage containers

Info

Publication number: CN115766694A
Application number: CN202211586557.9A
Authority: CN
Inventors: J·P·尼尔德
Original assignee: Shuangtian Acquisition Co ltd
Current assignee: Shuangtian Acquisition Co ltd
Priority date: 2017-08-02
Filing date: 2018-08-01
Publication date: 2023-03-07
Also published as: EP3662216A1; JP2020529577A; CA3070460C; JP2022068185A; CA3070460A1; CN111194393B; CN111194393A; JP2020530095A; CA3070463C; JP2022088458A; CA3070463A1; EP3662215A1; CN111094881A; WO2019028142A1; WO2019028112A1; JP7124056B2

Abstract

A container having a battery and one or more active systems for maintaining the temperature or other characteristics of cargo stored within the container relies on the battery to maintain those active systems during transport. The battery size required for such applications can be reduced by providing access to an external power source during the shipping cycle. For example, racks in a transit vehicle or warehouse may provide power to an active system via a wireless or wired connection, or they may recharge the batteries of the containers, or both. The container may also have data bridging capabilities that use short range wireless technology to communicate with nearby devices that have access to other data streams, such as GPS data and internet connections. When bridging with the provider, the container may access new data streams, or may disable internet devices that provide those same data streams to save power.

Description

System for providing in-transit power for active storage containers

The application is a divisional application of an invention patent application with the application number of '201880056947.0', the application date of 2018, 08 and 01, and the invention name of 'a system for providing in-transit power for an active storage container'.

Priority

The present application claims priority from U.S. provisional patent application No. 62/540,096 entitled "system for providing in-transit power to active storage containers" filed on 8/2 2017, and U.S. provisional patent application No. 62/540,099 entitled "active containers with data bridging" filed on 8/2 2017, the disclosures of each of which are incorporated herein by reference.

Technical Field

The present technology relates to a system that provides in-transit power and data bridging for active storage containers.

Background

The cargo being shipped in the container may have thresholds for factors such as temperature, motion, humidity, and other characteristics of its storage environment. Fragile objects may need to be protected from contact with rigid objects, or may need to minimize sudden, forceful accelerations; drugs and foods such as vaccines may require storage temperatures within a certain range; and electronic and paper products may require a range of storage humidity. Deviations of these characteristics outside of acceptable ranges may affect the quality or efficacy of the shipped goods or, in some cases, may even destroy the goods completely or render them harmful for their intended purpose. In some cases, the goods may be suitably shipped in a passive container, which may be, for example, an insulated and sealed container with an ice bag, vacuum, or cooling air stored therein. In other cases, passive features such as insulators and ice bags may be inadequate, such as during lengthy shipping periods when ice is always melting, or when used with cargo that may have storage temperatures above freezing.

In these cases, active containers including active heating and/or cooling systems may be used to meet temperature requirements. This presents several problems beyond cost and complexity, one of which is the need to ensure power delivery to the active system of the active container during transportation, which may last over 100 hours. Due to differences in storage conditions and transport lengths, it may be difficult or impossible to determine the precise power requirements during transport. Thus, the active container is equipped with a large battery that can carry sufficient power to regulate the temperature of the stored goods during transport. While providing larger and more efficient batteries provides some flexibility during transport, increased battery weight increases fuel usage and shipping costs, and increased battery size reduces the volume of cargo that can be shipped in a single active storage container. Increasing the size and weight of the battery in this manner is undesirable because the battery is not well suited for transportation applications.

Each feature of the active container represents an additional battery charging requirement. Active containers capable of controlling cargo temperature, tracking location, and other similar characteristics may therefore require large, heavy batteries, which may increase shipping costs and reduce the available space for cargo within the container. Conversely, reducing the number of active features or reducing reliance on existing active features may reduce battery requirements and allow additional cargo to be shipped at a lower cost.

Another limitation of many conventional active containers is that the information collected from sensors such as temperature sensors and GPS systems can only be used to trace back identification problems, and not to actively identify and address potential problems. While it is useful to know that a drug is damaged by being stored outside of an acceptable temperature range when it reaches its destination, it is preferable to alert the risk of being stored outside of an acceptable range as early as possible so that the responsible party can intervene and prevent or resolve unacceptable storage conditions.

The above limitations are not easily addressed because devices such as GPS systems or communication systems may not always be available during transport. For example, if an active container is placed in an aircraft cargo bay for extended flight periods, government or flight regulations may require that long-range wireless communication features, such as GPS, be disabled to prevent interference with critical flight systems. As another example, some warehouse or courier carts may be blind to wireless communication due to their location or materials of construction, such that active containers stored therein cannot send and receive long-range wireless communications, which may prevent GPS data from being available when a container is present in such an area.

Therefore, what is needed is an improved system for providing in-transit power and data bridging for active containers.

Drawings

The drawings and detailed description that follow are merely examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.

FIG. 1 is a flow chart illustrating conventional active container transport;

FIG. 2 is a flow diagram illustrating exemplary improved active container transport using a system for providing an in-transit power source;

FIG. 3 is a side view of an exemplary set of vehicle racks that may be used to store active containers;

FIG. 4 is a front perspective view of an exemplary set of warehouse racks that may be used to store active containers;

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary active shelf for storing active containers;

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary active container;

FIG. 7 is a flow chart of a set of steps that the system may perform to provide power and other functions to the active container;

FIG. 8 is a flow diagram of an exemplary shipping cycle for an active container;

FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary system for active container data bridging;

FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary active container;

FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing an exemplary set of steps that an active container may perform to bridge available data connections;

FIG. 12 is a front view of an exemplary keyboard of an active container; and

fig. 13 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary set of steps that an active container may perform to provide information about the active container via an exemplary keyboard.

Detailed Description

For illustrative purposes, the novel techniques disclosed herein are described in the context of the shipping and storage of active containers. While the disclosed application of the present technology satisfies a long felt but never-satisfied need in the art of shipping and storage of active containers, it is to be understood that the present technology is not limited to practice in the precise manner set forth herein, but that other implementations may be accomplished by one of ordinary skill in the art without undue experimentation in light of the present disclosure. Accordingly, the examples set forth herein are to be construed as merely illustrative, and not a limitation.

The disclosed system for providing in-transit power to an active container may be implemented by creating or modifying a storage point for the active container, such as a shelf, rack, or locker in a vehicle or warehouse, such that the storage point includes an external power source configured to provide power to the active container when placed at the storage point. An active container configured for use with a system will have an internal battery for providing power to one or more active systems, such as a temperature control system, humidity control system, or location tracking system, and which is capable of receiving power from an external power source when the active container is placed at a storage site. Some embodiments of the disclosed system may require a mechanical connection, such as a cable connection or a docking connection, between the external power source and the active container, while other embodiments will rely on wireless power transfer so that the active container can be automatically connected to the external power source as the active container is placed in the storage site.

It should be understood that the teachings disclosed herein may be applied to containers used in a variety of contexts. For example, this may include reusable containers owned by the party sending or receiving them, containers with limited reusability purchased and used for one or more shipments, and containers that may be rented or leased from a provider and used by the party sending or receiving them. Further, the teachings disclosed herein may be applied to containers having various features. For example, this may include containers with active temperature control systems (e.g., integrated compressors or thermoelectric devices capable of generating heat or cold and maintaining or changing the current temperature), containers with semi-active temperature control systems (e.g., containers that do not generate heat or cold during transport, but have materials and devices that help them retain and maintain the starting temperature, such as eutectic plates and circulation fans), and passive temperature control containers (e.g., containers that rely solely on materials or passive mechanical features to maintain the starting temperature).

When the active container is connected to an external power source, the external power source may directly power the active system of the active container, may charge the battery of the active container, or both. By connecting to an external power source at one or more storage points during a shipping cycle, the size and weight of the batteries needed to power the active container throughout the shipping cycle may be reduced, thereby reducing the overall weight of the active container and increasing the available space to store goods.

Also disclosed are active containers with data bridging that use one or more short range data transfer capabilities, such as wireless networks, bluetooth, or physical data connections, to connect to another system or device located near the active container and that provides one or more data streams that can be used by the active container to generate an analysis of its location, the status of various systems, the status of stored goods, and other information. This may include connecting to a local wireless network while stored in a warehouse to receive location data and exchange data with the system over the internet, connecting to express car GPS navigation and cellular data services via bluetooth, connecting to an aircraft's local wireless network to exchange data with the system over the internet, and other similar bridging technologies and environments.

By using the data streams available by these bridging techniques, the active container can disable the standalone GPS or cellular data system to save power, or can continue to receive and exchange data with the data streams when the standalone connection is unavailable or disabled for any reason (e.g., the useful container does not have a device that allows the standalone connection or the active container is stored in an area where connection cannot be made). Operating in this manner, the active container may reduce or eliminate the number and duration of blind spots it experiences during a shipping cycle (i.e., points during transport where the active container is unable to receive information or exchange information with a data stream).

The descriptions of the disclosed in-transit power and data bridging may be implemented in active containers alone, or in combination, as may be desired for a particular implementation.

I. Exemplary in-transit charging System and method

Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional shipping cycle (100) for active containers. In such a cycle, an active container may charge its battery to full capacity or near full capacity at its starting point (102), which may be a warehouse or packaging center that produces goods being shipped, or a warehouse or packaging center that specializes in active containers prepared for shipment. When the active container is packaged and shipped, it will use the battery (103) as a power source to maintain any active systems it owns, which may include a temperature management system, a humidity management system, or an active vibration management system. The container may be moved from its storage point in the warehouse (102) to an airport warehouse (106), which may be a rack or a packing area, for example, and placed in a ground vehicle (104) for transport, relying on the battery (103) to provide power for the entire period of time. After a period of time at the airport warehouse (106), the container may be placed on the aircraft (108) and air-transported to another location where it may be removed from the aircraft (108) and placed in another airport warehouse (110) for a period of time. The ground vehicle (104) may then arrive at an airport depot (110) to retrieve and transport one or more containers to a distribution center (112), where it is placed on another ground vehicle (104) for shipment to a final destination, such as a home or business (114). As shown in fig. 1, at each point of the transport, the active container relies on the battery (103) to provide power for any necessary active features.

From the various steps in an exemplary shipping cycle, it can be seen that there are many opportunities for delays if a package is misplaced in a storage area (106, 110, 112), or if there is a mechanical failure of a ground vehicle (104) or aircraft (108), or a delay due to weather, clearance, or other uncontrollable or unexpected events. Thus, some goods may have little room for error, and external forces such as mechanical failure, extreme temperatures, or other delays may cause the battery to fully discharge, thereby causing the goods to be damaged or unusable. While larger batteries may provide a greater initial charge to prevent some degree of unexpected delay or power demand, as previously described, batteries are not well suited for transportation applications and there is a problem that a battery of sufficient size will not leave sufficient space for goods in an active container.

Fig. 2 is a flow diagram illustrating an exemplary active container shipping cycle (101) using a system for providing an in-transit power source for the active container (500) shown in fig. 6. As shown in fig. 2, while the various steps of the shipping cycle are similar, including initial charging of the battery at the beginning of, for example, a warehouse (102), transport by several ground vehicles (104) and one aircraft (108), and storage in different locations (106, 110, 112), the process differs in that the active container (500) may use an in-transit power source, which may also be referred to as an external power source or "EPS" (105), rather than relying on the battery, which may be referred to as an internal power source or "IPS" (103) at all stages of the shipping cycle. When an EPS (105) is present during transport, the active container (500) may provide power from the EPS (105) to its active systems, may charge from the EPS (105) to its IPS (103), or both. As shown in the exemplary shipping cycle of fig. 2, the active container (500) will have EPS available at one or more of the following exemplary locations: at the origin warehouse (105), during transportation of one or more ground vehicles (104), at the airport warehouse (106), or at the distribution center (112).

This ability to reduce reliance on the IPS (103) at several stages of the cycle or recharge the IPS (103) in the middle of the cycle means that a smaller IPS (103) can be used in the active container (500) while maintaining the same functionality as a larger IPS (103), thereby reducing the overall weight of the container and increasing the available space for cargo within the container while not compromising the safety of the cargo during transport. For example, assuming that the transport shown in FIG. 1 is predicted to be 100 hours from start to end, the IPS (103) of FIG. 1 should allow the temperature management system to operate for at least 100 hours to maintain the temperature of the cargo within an acceptable range based on the predicted ambient temperature during the transport. Consider now fig. 2, and assume that the duration of the transport is 100 hours, but only 10 hours of this are spent on an aircraft (108) where the EPS (105) may not be available. In this case, the battery should allow the temperature management system to operate for at least 10 hours to maintain the temperature of the cargo within an acceptable range based on the predicted temperature of the cargo area of the aircraft (108). While the minimum amounts of power described above may not be ideal, they may serve as a useful comparison between fig. 1 and 2, and show that in some cases, the maximum amount of power that an IPS (103) needs to maintain may be reduced by 90% using the system described herein. It should be noted that the implementation of such a system as shown in fig. 2 may require that there be certain variations or features in the two active containers used with such a system and the storage area of such a system, as will be described in further detail below.

Fig. 3 shows a side view of an exemplary set of vehicle racks (200), while fig. 4 shows a front perspective view of an exemplary set of warehouse racks (300), each warehouse rack (300) may be equipped with an active rack system (400), such as shown in fig. 5, to provide EPS (105) to active containers (500) stored thereon. Referring to fig. 3, a set of vehicle shelves (200) that may be configured to provide an EPS (105) may include one or more shelves (202) of length and width to hold one or more active containers (500), each shelf (202) of the set of shelves (200) having a bottom surface (204), a surface (206) on which an active container (500) may be placed, a back wall (208) against which an active container (500) may abut, and a flange (210) at a front edge of the shelf that may prevent the active container (500) from moving or falling off the shelf. A set of warehouse shelves (300) configurable to provide EPS (105) may include one or more shelves (302) of length and width to hold one or more active containers (500), each shelf (302) of the set of shelves (300) having a surface (304) for holding an active container (500), the surface (304) having a bottom surface (not shown), and a frame (306) to hold the shelf (302) and the active container (500) in place.

Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary active shelf (400) for storing active containers (500), which can be implemented with the shelf (202, 302) of one of the shelf systems (200, 300) shown in fig. 3 and 4. The shelf frame (402) extends horizontally and may hold one or more active containers (500). The shelf frame (402) provides a location such as a mounting point or housing to which additional components of the active shelf (400) may be attached or mounted. Additional components may include an EPS (404), a container identifier (408), an inventory management system (410), a network device (412), and a power source (414). Each EPS (404) is capable of providing external power to one or more active containers (500), the power for each individual EPS being from a power source (414). The EPS (404) may transfer power to the active container (500) via a direct connection, such as a cable or docking connection, or via a wireless power transfer method, such as inductive coupling, capacitive coupling, magnetomotive coupling, laser, or other similar near-field and far-field technologies for wireless power transfer. As shown in fig. 6, each active container (500) will have an EPS receiver (504) configured to receive power from the EPS (404), the specific form of these components being based on the specific form of power transfer.

For example, where the EPS (404) transfers power via a cable or other mechanical connection, the EPS receiver (504) may be a corresponding cable connection or mechanical connection such that the cable may be manually connected as a separate action when placing the active container (500) on a shelf with the EPS, or as part of the action of placing the active container (500) (e.g., the action of placing the container causes the EPS receiver (504) to enter or plug into the EPS (404) due to the placement of the EPS (404) on the shelf and container, respectively). In the case where the EPS (404) wirelessly transfers power, for example where it is an inductive transmitter, a capacitive transmitter, a magnetic transmitter, or a light transmitter, the EPS receiver (504) may be an inductive receiver, a capacitive receiver, a magnetic receiver, or a light receiver. The wireless EPS (404) may automatically begin providing power to the active container (500) due to the act of placing the active container (500) on a shelf having the wireless EPS. For example, in an embodiment using inductive technology, the active container will include an EPS receiver (504), such as an inductive strip or plate, on the bottom or side of the container (500), and the EPS enabled shelf (202, 302) will have an inductively transmitting strip or plate mounted as EPS (404) on the wall (208), underside (204) surface (206), or frame (306) of the shelf (202, 302) such that when the active container (500) is placed on the shelf (202, 302), it stops within the distance of the EPS (404) within which inductive transmission of power can automatically begin. The physical shape and characteristics of the container, the shelf, or both, may be selected to ensure the location and distance of the container and shelf relative to each other to allow inductive transfer, and may include the use of rails, notches, tabs, or other physical features that may guide or interlock when the active container (500) is placed on the shelf (202, 302) to ensure proper placement.

Other features of the active shelf may include inventory management features, including a container identifier (408) and an inventory management system (410). The container identifier (408) may be, for example, a physical data connection, such as a cable or other mechanical connection, which may be part of a cable or connection that also allows connection of the EPS (404), or may be a device for wirelessly capturing data, such as an optical scanner, or a wireless transceiver, such as Wi-Fi, bluetooth, RFID, or NFC. The container identifier (408) may be placed within or near the active shelf (400), such as on the wall (208) or frame (306), and will be configured to identify the active container (500) when the active container (500) is placed on the active shelf (400) or connected to the EPS (404). This may include, for example, using a radio transceiver to read a unique RFID number from a chip placed on the active container.

This identification may then be communicated to the inventory management system (410) and stored so that various details of the active container (500) shipment may be determined. This may include, for example, the length of time the container is in a particular location, the temperature during that time period, an estimated or actual container battery level (actual battery level is available in the system, where identification is via dynamic data streams such as NFC or bluetooth), the time taken to power up by the EPS (105), the time taken to power up by the IPS (103), and other information. This information may be stored locally on an inventory management system (410), which may be a processor and memory, a single board computer, or other computing device that may be installed within or near the active shelf (404). Such information may also be transmitted to remote locations and servers via network devices (412) installed within or near the active shelf (404), which may include, for example, wireless network devices, bluetooth devices, cellular data devices, or other wireless data transmission devices. For example, the cellular data network device (412) may periodically send data from the inventory management system (410) to a cloud-based system or remote server so that data from multiple active shelf systems (400) associated with a single active container (500) may be aggregated and used to determine details of the container's shipment. In another example, the network device (412) may be a bluetooth or other short-range wireless connection that may use a long-range wireless data connection available to the ground vehicle (104) via the driver's mobile phone or built-in data connection to accomplish such communication.

The power source (414) providing power to each individual EPS (404) may be, for example, a high capacity battery used in an electric land vehicle (104), current provided from a generator or alternator of the land vehicle (104), current provided from a solar panel mounted on the outside of the land vehicle (104) or warehouse (106), or standard current provided by an outlet or power service in the warehouse (106).

Depending on the characteristics and features of the particular active container (500), the power supplied to the active container may be extracted and used by the active container (500) as needed, or may be used to recharge the IPS (103), or both. Fig. 6 shows a schematic diagram of an exemplary active container (500) having a number of exemplary features. The active container (500) has a housing (502) that includes a storage compartment (512), an EPS receiver (504), a battery (506), a temperature management system or 'TMS' (508), a transport tracking system (510), and a network device (514). The housing (502) may be durable and insulating, and may have a physical connection for connecting to the EPS (404) via the EPS receiver (504), or in the case of wirelessly transmitting power, may have an externally mounted EPS receiver (504) or a portion of the housing (502) constructed of a material that allows wireless transmission of power, data, or both through the portion of the housing (502). A storage compartment (512) within the housing (502) is accessible through, for example, a door or lid, and is used to store cargo being shipped within the active container (500). The battery (506) serves as an IPS (103) for the active system of the active container (500), and the size and capacity of the battery (506) may be reduced relative to conventional systems due to the availability of EPS (105) during one or more portions of the shipping cycle (200).

The active systems of the active container (500) may include a temperature management system (508), a transport tracking system (510), climate control, active vibration control, or other features. In the container of fig. 6, the TMS (508) may actively cool and heat air or material circulating through the storage compartment (512) or in contact with the storage compartment (512) in response to temperature sensor data generated by sensors of the TMS (508) in order to regulate the temperature of cargo in the storage compartment (512). The TMS (508) may use various conventional heating and cooling devices including compressor cooling, energy stored in heating and cooling plates, resistive heating elements, solid state heating and cooling such as thermoelectric cooling, phase change heating and cooling, and other similar technologies. The TMS (508) typically operates without interruption to maintain a desired temperature range, although it may be configured to be disabled under certain conditions, such as when the active containers (500) are stored in aircraft (108) cargo compartments or other areas where there may be a limit to the use of electrical heating, cooling or circulating air volume systems.

The transport tracking system (510) may be used to track and store, via GPS, the location of the active container (500), the temperature and humidity of the storage compartment (512) during transport, the movement and acceleration of the container (500) during transport, the use of the battery (506) during transport, the charge and status, the use and availability of the EPS (404) during transport, and other information generated during transport that may be used to determine the transport outcome or current status. This information may be stored on the transportation tracking system (510) and accessed manually, or may be sent to one or more remote systems or devices via a network device (514) such as a cellular data, wi-Fi, bluetooth, or NFC transceiver, or another communication transceiver. For example, such information may be used to determine whether the cargo has been stored within an acceptable temperature range during transport, whether any abnormal impact or movement of the container has damaged the cargo therein, or other similar determinations. When such information is available in real time, it can be used to intervene in transport and reduce or prevent the risk of damage to the goods within the active container (500). For example, where the TMS (508) generates data indicating that the battery (506) has only enough power for five multi-hour temperature management, the transportation tracking device (510) may report such information to a remote server via the network device (514). At the remote server, a decision may be made by a person or software application to expedite the transfer of the container so that it arrives before the battery (506) is depleted, or to delay its transport at the warehouse (106) where the EPS (105) is available, and to be available for recharging the battery (506) before the transport continues. Other examples of actions to be taken in response to real-time data from the active container (500) will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art in view of the disclosure herein.

Fig. 7 is a flow chart of a set of steps that an in-transit power system may perform to provide power and other functions to an active container. When the active container (500) is placed on the shelf (202, 302), whether in the vehicle (104) or in the warehouse (106), if the EPS (602) is not present, the active container will continue to provide power (602) to any active systems via the IPS (103), e.g., battery (506). If so, any shipping information generated by the shipping tracking system (510) will continue to be stored locally (604). When the EPS is available (600), the EPS may provide direct power (606) to operate one or more active systems (605) of the active container (500). This may include, for example, directly powering the TMS (508) and other systems of the active container (500) to reduce or eliminate their drawing of energy from the battery (506). However, in some cases, the EPS, the active container (500), or both, may not be configured to provide direct power to the active system (606), or it may be otherwise undesirable to provide power directly to the active system. In the event that the system is not configured to provide direct power (606), the EPS may be configured to provide power to a battery (608), which will receive power from the EPS (610) while continuing to provide power to the active system. In this manner, the EPS may indirectly provide power to the active system, which may reduce the complexity or necessity of additional equipment that may be needed to allow the EPS to directly provide power to the active system.

It should also be understood that in some configurations, both the EPS and the active container (500) may be configured to direct power (606) to operate the active system from the EPS (605), while also providing (608) power to charge the battery (506) from the EPS. While the power output of the EPS may be higher in such a configuration, this may be desirable where the goal is to maximize the amount of power received by the battery (506) when connected to the EPS. When connected to the EPS as described above, when a network-enabled active shelf system (400) is available, implementations with the ability to send data to a remote server may record (612) the shipping details remotely.

Exemplary active Container with data bridging and method

Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 8 illustrates a flow chart of an exemplary shipping cycle (700) through which an active container (900) such as that shown in FIG. 10 may be passed. Active containers (900) may be used in a variety of environments, and may include, for example, reusable containers owned by the party sending or receiving them, containers with limited reusability purchased and used for one or more shipments, and containers that may be rented or leased from a provider and used by the party sending or receiving them. During a shipping cycle, active containers (900) may be stored in various locations, including storage and distribution warehouses (702), courier trucks (704), airport warehouses (706), airplanes (708), all before reaching the destination (770). Each of these locations may have different characteristics and storage conditions that may affect the ability of the active container (900) to track its location, report its location, or perform other tasks related to inbound and outbound communications.

For example, some warehouses (702) may be constructed of concrete, metal, or other materials that, alone or in combination with one another, may prevent or reduce the quality of wireless data transmission into or out of the interior of the structure. The courier cart (704) may also be constructed of metal or other materials that may passively block wireless transmissions into and out of the storage area, and in some cases may even purposely shield such transmissions by using other passive or active wireless transmission blocking techniques. As with the previous example, airport warehouses (706) and aircraft (708) may be resistant to wireless transmissions due to materials or active shielding, and furthermore, may be subject to regulations or protocols that prohibit even unsuccessful attempts to wirelessly transmit data, or even require that any device capable of wireless transmission be completely powered down.

The active container (900) may include a device to send or receive data. This may include a location tracking system (908) that receives GPS data from satellites and provides the location data to remote servers and devices in the form of tracking information; a keypad (914) and security feature that can remotely lock or unlock the active container (900) in response to a communication from a remote server; a battery (904) management system that reports battery status and charge to a remote server; and other similar features.

For example, a tracking system (908) may receive GPS or other location data to determine a current location, which may then be stored locally on memory throughout the trip. Such information may be used to later recreate the path taken during shipment, or may be used to enable or disable various features of the active container (900) based on the geographic location of the container. This may include enabling or disabling certain types of wireless transmissions when the active container (900) is within or near an airport, automatically locking the active container (900) when the active container (900) is within a certain storage area or outside a certain predicted route, or other similar actions. Such functionality may not be available when the tracking system (908) is unable to independently resolve the location of the active container (900) because the reception of GPS data is prevented, disabled, or disabled to conserve power.

As another example, some active containers (900) may periodically exchange data with a remote system. This may include reporting the current location to allow real-time tracking of shipments, reporting the temperature or humidity of cargo stored within the storage compartment (912), reporting the charge level of the battery (904), reporting attempts to access the container via the keyboard (914), reporting the status of one or more active systems (906), which may include temperature and humidity control systems, and other information that may desirably be transmitted to a remote server and aggregated or otherwise used. Containers that exchange data with a remote system may include, for example, containers with active temperature control systems (e.g., integrated compressors or thermoelectric devices capable of generating heat or cold and maintaining or changing the current temperature), containers with semi-active temperature control systems (e.g., containers that do not generate heat or cold during transport, but have materials and devices that help them retain and maintain the starting temperature, such as eutectic plates and circulation fans), and containers with passive temperature control (e.g., containers that rely solely on materials or passive mechanical features to maintain the starting temperature).

Although the specifics of the data generated and exchanged with the container having active, semi-active and passive temperature control systems may differ, the teachings herein are applicable to each. Additionally, it should be understood that the active container (900) may have a controller, such as a processor (918), that the processor (918) is configured to control one or more of the active system (906), the tracking system (908), the communication device (910), or other devices or components of the active container (900). The processor (918) may be a single processor that is operative to control or be used by one or more components of the active container (900), or may be multiple processors, each processor being accessible by or dedicated to one or more components. For example, in some embodiments, the processor (918) may include a main processor that is operative to control and exchange information with the tracking system (908) and the communication device (910), and may also include a processor dedicated to or contained within the tracking system that is configured to receive and interpret location signals, trigger events related to location signals, and other similar tasks. Other similar variations and embodiments will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art in view of this disclosure.

Information exchange may be via one or more communication or network devices (910) of the active container (900), which may include devices capable of communicating independently of a remote server, such as a cellular data modem, but may also include devices capable of bridging to other locally available data connections, such as bluetooth, wi-Fi, or other similar short range wireless technologies, which may be mounted within the housing (902) of the active container (900) or mounted external to the housing (902), or wired communication options, such as USB, ethernet, or power broadband. These features may not be available when the network device (910) is unable to communicate with the remote system because communication is blocked, prohibited, or disabled to conserve power.

Failure to receive or transmit a particular type of data, whether due to complete or partial blocking of transmission or due to shutdown or disabling of the device, may affect one or more of the above-described features of the active container (900). Even where a full and independent connection is possible, it may be desirable to limit the use of such a connection to devices that consume little power (e.g., low-energy bluetooth rather than remote cellular data) where possible, in order to conserve the power of the limited battery (904) of the active container (900).

Although independent communication with a remote server or device may sometimes be prevented or prohibited via a GPS receiver or cellular data modem, short range wireless communication via bluetooth, wi-Fi, or other technology may avoid such prohibition or may function properly within a warehouse (702), courier cart (704), or aircraft (708) rather than being impeded by a metal or concrete exterior surface. Establishing a local connection to a device capable of connecting to a remote server effectively allows the active container (900) to bridge and use the data stream to maintain any features that rely on connection with the remote device when a stand-alone connection is not available or needed.

As an example, fig. 9 shows a schematic diagram of a system capable of data bridging to maintain transmission and reception of various data when wireless transmission is prevented or disabled. In the example shown, the bridge provider (802) may be, for example, a warehouse (702), a courier truck (704), an aircraft (708), or other place where the active container (900) may be stored during a shipping cycle, and may also have access to one or more data streams required by the active container (900), such as GPS data (804) via a cellular data modem or a wide area network internet connection (806), which may allow communication with a remote device such as a server (808) or mobile device (806). Bridge providers (802) may provide data streams that are bridged in a variety of ways. For example, in the case of a warehouse (702) or an airport warehouse (706), wireless communications within the warehouse directed to destinations outside the warehouse (702) may be used to completely or partially block the cement and metallic materials used to build the warehouse (702).

However, the computer systems within the warehouse (702) may themselves access the wide area network (806) via an externally mounted antenna or cable. Receiving GPS signals within the warehouse may also be unreliable, but a computer system within the warehouse (702) may store information that may be used to determine the warehouse (702) GPS location, or even the GPS location of the active container (900) stored in the warehouse (702). In this example, the active container (900) may connect to a device or local area network available within the warehouse (702) using Wi-Fi, bluetooth, or other network device (910) to send and receive information with the warehouse (702) computer system. Establishing such a connection will allow the active container (900) to receive information indicative of the current location and to exchange information with the server (808) or mobile device (810), such as a record of its location, a record of the temperature and status of the cargo, battery level or other information. This information can be used to ensure that the active container (900) will arrive at the expected time and conditions, or to intervene if the information provided indicates that the active container (900) is misplaced, or that the active system (906) or battery (904) has failed or will fail.

In examples where the bridge provider (802) is a courier cart (704) and independent communication with the GPS data stream (804) or the wide area network (806) is not possible, prohibited, undesirable, or available for at least the foregoing reasons, the courier cart (704) itself may have an integrated device capable of receiving the GPS data stream (804) or communicating with the wide area network (806). This situation often occurs on vehicles used for bulk transportation of packages and goods, both to retail locations and to homes and businesses, and even many individual vehicles are now equipped with GPS navigation and cellular data modems. Even in cases where these devices are not integrated with a courier cart (804), the driver of the vehicle may have a mobile device, such as a mobile phone or mobile hotspot, that possesses such capabilities. Where such capability is available, as in the previous example, the active container (900) may connect to the bridge provider (802) (whether it is an integrated device of the courier cart (704) or a device owned by the driver or passenger) using Wi-Fi, bluetooth, or other network device (910) and access the GPS data stream (804) and the wide area network data stream (806) via the bridge provider (802).

In the example where the bridge provider (802) is an airplane (708), the situation is similar, although the airplane may be more likely to prohibit certain types of wireless transmissions. Thus, for example, bluetooth or other short-range wireless options may be the preferred option for bridging, while Wi-Fi, which typically has a long range, may be disabled or unavailable. Where the aircraft (708) is a bridge provider (802), bridging is only allowed at specific times during flight, which may require the network device (910) to power down when sensors of the active container (900), such as accelerometers or altimeters, indicate that the aircraft (708) is taking off or landing, or when a signal is received from the bridge provider (802) indicating that the network device (910) should power down. For an aircraft (708) or other bridge provider (802), the network device (900) for connecting to the bridge provider (802) may also be a physical cable or other mechanical connection that is formed when the active container (900) is placed at the bridge provider (802). Such physical cables or other mechanical connections may additionally provide power, heating or cooling ventilation, and other resources that may benefit the active container (900) or allow it to reduce reliance on internal active systems (906) or batteries (904).

Referring now to fig. 11, a flowchart of a set of steps that an active container (900) may perform to facilitate data flow from a nearby bridge provider (802) is shown. The steps of fig. 11 assume that the active container (900) does not have independent access to GPS and wide area network data streams, which may include blocking, prohibiting, not expecting such a connection, or that the active container (900) is not equipped with independent GPS and wide area network access. In this case, the active container (900) will locally record (1000) the temperature, humidity, battery status, vibration or motion status, or other characteristic thereof configured to detect and determine a memory (916) to the active container (900), which memory (916) may be, for example, a component of the network device (910), a tracking system (908), an active system (906), or a separate memory (916) in communication with other components of the active container (900). Such information may be recorded locally (1000) at the time of generation, in a compressed or encrypted form as desired, and in any form or data structure that will allow the data to be subsequently aggregated, plotted, or otherwise recreated as desired for a particular application. If a GPS bridge becomes available (1002), such as is the case when the active container (900) is near a bridge provider (802) accessing a GPS data stream (804) or configured to provide location data, the active container (900) may connect to the bridge provider (802) via a network device (910) and begin receiving GPS information or other information that may be available via the bridge provider (802), which may be recorded (1004) locally to the memory (916) of the active container (900).

If a wide area bridge becomes available (1006), which may be the case, for example, when the active container (900) is close to the bridge provider (802) accessing the wide area network data stream (806), the active container (900) may connect to the bridge provider (802) via the network device (910) to access the wide area network data stream (806). The wide area network data stream (806) may be accessed through, for example, a warehouse (702) broadband internet connection, a courier cart (704) or airplane (708) cellular data connection, a mobile phone cellular data connection, or other similar device or connection. When the active container (900) is connected via the wide area network bridge (1006), it may begin exchanging information with the server (808) and the mobile device (810), which may include providing information to those devices indicating the location and status of the active container (900) or other information that it may be desirable to record (1008) to a remote device. Other types of information that may be recorded locally and remotely and used for this information will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art in view of the disclosure herein.

One component of the active container (900) that has been mentioned previously is the keypad (914) shown in fig. 12. The keyboard (914) has several features that can operate with the data bridging capabilities already described above. An operator may use a set of buttons (1102) to interact with the active container (900) and may allow a user to, for example, lock, unlock, or change the configuration of the active container (900). The keypad may also have one or more indicators, including an emergency indicator (1104), a safety indicator (1106), and a warning indicator (1108). The indicators (1104, 1106, 1108) shown may be, for example, light emitting diodes that are activatable to emit different colors. The emergency indicator (1104) may emit a red light to indicate, for example, an emergency failure of some aspect of the active container (900), which may affect the availability of the cargo stored therein. The safety indicator (1106) may be a light emitting diode capable of, for example, emitting a green light to indicate that, for example, the active container (900) is operating as intended and that the cargo stored therein should be in its intended state. The warning indicator (1108) may be a light emitting diode capable of emitting light, e.g., orange or amber, to indicate that, e.g., the active container (900) has a low risk error that is unlikely to affect the availability of goods stored therein, but should be investigated.

In some cases, one or more indicator lights (1104, 1106, 1108) may be illuminated by the active container (900). FIG. 13 shows a flowchart at an exemplary set of steps that may be performed in one set of circumstances to illuminate an indicator light of a keyboard (914). One or more systems or components of the active container may generate diagnostic messages and alarms during use. This may include, for example, a low battery or failure of the battery (904), a failure or unpredictable behavior of the active system (906) such as a temperature management system, a temperature or humidity reading from the storage compartment (912) that is not within safe storage range of the cargo therein, or other similar event may generate a local alarm (1200).

Remote alerts (1202) may also be generated when the active container (900) is in communication with a remote system, such as a server (808). Remote alerts (1202) may occur when a server (808) or mobile device (810) provides information or instructions to the active container (900) to generate an alert. This may include, for example, an indication from the server (808) to ship the active container (900) to the wrong destination containing the wrong goods, the goods in the container being incorrectly packaged or having been recalled by the manufacturer, some information provided by the active container (900) indicating that the goods are not available despite the local alert (1200) not being generated, or other similar situations where a determination is made remotely that the active container (900) should be placed in a particular alert mode.

In the absence of a local or remote alarm, or when the previous alarm has been cleared or addressed, the keypad (914) security indicator may activate (1204) to provide a visual indicator that the active container (900) is working as intended and that the cargo contained therein is properly stored and maintained. After a local or remote alert has been generated, a determination may be made whether it is urgent (1206). The determination may be made by the system or component generating the alert and included in the electronic signal generating the alert, may be determined at a remote server (808) and transmitted as part of the remote alert, or may be determined by the processor (918) and memory (916) of the active container (900). The determination 1206 of whether the alert is urgent may depend on factors such as the cargo stored within the storage compartment 912, the nature and severity of the alert, or other factors. For example, one alarm may indicate that the cargo is stored in the active container (900) at a temperature above the safe range by 5% for a period of 5 minutes. For some goods, this may be an emergency alert (1206), in which case the emergency indicator will activate (1210) to visually alert someone that the goods inside should not be used, and may also cause the active container (900) to lock (1212) and prevent an attempt to access the storage compartment (912) via the keypad (914) without an access code or other remote authorization. For different types of shipments, the same set of conditions may be determined to be non-urgent (1206), in which case the warning indicator will be activated (1208) to indicate that some anomaly has occurred during the shipment and further interrogation may be warranted, but the shipment may be accessed and used if necessary.

There are other examples of possible alarm conditions that may be generated. For example, if the active container (900) is reported stolen, or if locally or remotely available location data indicates that the active container (900) is outside its expected route or is being transported to an incorrect destination, a local or remote alert (1200, 1202) may be generated and considered urgent (1206) in order to provide an urgent warning indication (1210) and lock (1212) so that the contents of the storage compartment (912) are not readily accessible to a person who has mistakenly or maliciously taken possession of the active container. For example, when the active container (900) disconnects from the bridge provider (802) outside of the expected geo-fenced area (e.g., when the active container (900) is more than 100 yards away from the expected delivery destination, the connection to the bridge provider (802) is broken), such an alert may be triggered as this may indicate that the active container (900) was delivered to the wrong area, stolen, or otherwise off its expected route. In this case, the keypad (914) may be configured to automatically lock (1212) based on being outside the geofence transmission area when the bridge is broken, and may be further configured to automatically clear the lock (1212) when the bridge is restored within the geofence transmission area.

As another example, if a local or remote alert (1200, 1202) is generated indicating that the courier car (704) in which the active container (900) is located is involved in a sudden stop or traffic accident, e.g., as indicated by information provided by the bridge provider (802) or an accelerometer within the active container (900), a warning light (1208) may be activated to indicate that cargo may be available, but that physical damage due to jarring motion should be carefully inspected. Further examples will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art in view of this disclosure.

III example

Example 1

An active container comprising: (a) a storage chamber; (b) a set of active features; (c) A battery configured to provide power to the set of active features; (d) A power supply comprising a power receiver and configured to: (i) Receiving power from an external power source when the power receiver is coupled with the external power source; and (ii) recharge the battery when the power receiver is coupled with the external power source, wherein the power receiver is positioned to couple with the external power source when the active container is placed on a surface proximate to the external power source.

Example 2

The active container of example 1, further comprising a set of placement guides positioned around an exterior of the active container and adapted to guide the active container into a coupling position when the active container is placed on a surface, wherein: the external power source includes a wireless power source that is located proximate to the coupling location, (b) the power receiver includes a wireless power receiver, and (c) the wireless power receiver is located in the active container such that the wireless power receiver is automatically wirelessly coupled with the wireless power source when the active container is in the coupling location.

Example 3

One or more active containers of examples 1-2, further comprising a set of placement guides positioned around an exterior of the active container and adapted to guide the active container into the coupling position when the active container is placed on the surface, wherein (a) the external power source comprises a wired power source positioned proximate to the coupling position, (b) the power receiver comprises a wired power receiver, and (c) the wired power receiver is positioned on the active container such that the wired power receiver is automatically mechanically connected and coupled with the wired power source when the active container is in the coupling position.

Example 4

One or more active reservoirs of examples 1-3, wherein: (a) The power source is further configured to provide power to the set of active features when coupled with an external power source, and (b) the battery is further configured to provide power to the set of active features only when the power source is not coupled with the external power source.

Example 5

One or more active containers of examples 1-4, wherein: the maximum charge capacity of the battery is determined based on the following factors: (a) During the intended transport of the active container, and (b) at any part of the intended transport of the active container, whether the active container is to be placed on a surface and coupled with an external power source.

Example 6

One or more active containers of examples 1-5, wherein the surface is a shelf in a vehicle storage area, and wherein the shelf is adapted to hold the active container in place and to maintain the active container coupled to an external power source during transport.

Example 7

One or more active containers of examples 1-6, the set of active features comprising a temperature control system, wherein the storage chamber comprises a sensitive material that must be maintained at a first temperature for a first duration of time, and wherein the battery is adapted to provide power to the temperature control system to maintain the storage chamber at the first temperature for a second duration of time, wherein the second duration of time is less than half of the first duration of time.

Example 8

One or more active containers of examples 1-7, wherein the set of active features comprises: (a) A transport tracking system configured to track and store the location and status of the active container, and (b) a temperature control system operable to maintain the storage chamber at a set temperature, wherein the temperature control system is further configured to: (i) Receive a limited location signal from the transportation tracking system, and (ii) disable operation of the temperature control system in response to the limited location signal.

Example 9

One or more active containers of examples 1-8, further comprising a network device, wherein the set of active features comprises a transport tracking system operable to track and store a location and a status of the active container, wherein the transport tracking system is configured to: (a) Storing a set of transportation data during the transportation, wherein the set of transportation data includes, throughout the transportation, a location of the active container, a temperature of the storage chamber, an acceleration of the active container, and a battery status of the battery, and (b) connecting to the receiver via the network device and transmitting the set of transportation data to the receiver when the active container is coupled with the external power source.

Example 10

The active container of example 9, wherein the network device is a first wireless transceiver, the receiver is a second wireless transceiver, and the receiver is located near the surface.

Example 11

A system for providing power to a plurality of active containers during transport, the system comprising a set of placement locations, wherein each placement location of the set of placement locations comprises: (a) A structure adapted to selectively hold an active container, and (b) an external power source configured to couple with the active container when the active container is placed in a placement position, wherein the set of placement positions includes a vehicle placement position located in a vehicle, and wherein the vehicle contains a plurality of active containers for a portion of the transportation.

Example 12

The system of example 11, wherein: (a) The structure includes a set of placement guides positioned on an exterior of the structure and adapted to guide the active container into the coupling position when the active container is placed on the structure, and (b) the external power source includes a power transmitter positioned proximate the coupling position and configured to automatically couple with the power receiver of the active container when the active container is in the coupling position.

Example 13

The system of example 12, wherein the power transmitter is configured to wirelessly provide power to the power receiver.

Example 14

One or more systems of examples 11-13, wherein the set of placement locations includes a storage placement location positioned in a structure, and wherein the structure contains a plurality of active containers for a portion of the transport.

Example 15

The system of example 14, wherein the set of placement locations includes a transfer placement location positioned at a destination of the active container, and wherein the destination receives the active container at the end of the transport.

Example 16

The system of one or more of examples 11 to 15, further comprising a container identifier operable to receive information identifying the active container when the active container is positioned on the structure, and an inventory management system configured to store data associated with transportation of the active container, wherein the inventory management system is configured to: receiving (a) an identifier from the container identifier, (b) creating a shipping record that includes a description of the time and location of the active container on the structure, and (c) transmitting the shipping record and the identifier to a remote server and associating the shipping record with a shipping history of the active container.

Example 17

The system of one or more of examples 11 to 16, further comprising a communication device configured to receive a set of transportation data from an active container when the active container is positioned on the structure, and an inventory management system configured to: (a) Creating a shipping record that includes a description of the time and location of the active container on the structure, and the set of shipping data, and (b) providing the shipping record to a remote shipping management server.

Example 18

The system of example 17, wherein the inventory management system is further configured to: (a) Determine that a battery of the active container has insufficient power based on the set of transportation data, and (b) provide a battery insufficiency indication to a remote transportation management server, wherein the battery insufficiency indication is configured to cause the remote transportation management server to change a transportation plan associated with the active container.

Example 19

A system for providing power to an active container during transport, the system comprising: (a) A structure adapted to hold an active container, the structure comprising an external power source; and (b) an active container comprising: (i) a storage chamber; (ii) a temperature management system; (iii) A battery configured to provide power to a temperature management system; and (iv) a power supply comprising a power receiver, the power supply configured to recharge the battery from an external power source when the power receiver is coupled with the external power source; wherein the power receiver is positioned to couple with an external power source when the active container is placed on the structure.

Example 20

The system of example 19, wherein the active container further comprises a set of placement guides located on an exterior of the active container and adapted to guide the active container into the coupling position when the active container is placed on the structure, wherein: the external power source includes (a) a wireless power source positioned proximate to the coupling location, (b) the power receiver includes a wireless power receiver, and (c) the wireless power receiver is positioned in the active container such that the wireless power receiver automatically couples with the wireless power source when the active container is in the coupling location.

While various embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, further adaptations of the methods and systems described herein may be accomplished by appropriate modifications by one of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention. Several such potential modifications have been mentioned, and others will be apparent to those skilled in the art. For example, the examples, embodiments, geometries, materials, dimensions, ratios, steps, etc., discussed above are illustrative and not required. The scope of the invention should, therefore, be considered in terms of the following claims and is understood not to be limited to the details of structure and operation shown and described in the specification and drawings.

Example 21

An active container comprising: (a) A storage chamber adapted to store material during transport; (b) a bridge connection device; (c) A memory operable to store information associated with transport of an active container; and (d) a controller configured to control operation of the bridge connection device, wherein the controller is further configured to: the method includes (i) establishing a connection between the bridge connection device and the bridge provider when the bridge connection device detects that the bridge provider is within a connectable range of the bridge connection device, (ii) receiving a set of transportation data from the bridge provider via the bridge connection device, wherein the set of transportation data originates from a data stream accessible by the bridge provider, and (iii) storing at least a portion of the set of transportation data on a memory.

Example 22

The active container of example 21, further comprising a temperature management system operable to manage the storage compartment temperature and a battery configured to provide power to the temperature management system, wherein the data stream is an internet connection, and wherein the controller is further configured to: (a) Transmitting a set of temperature data from the temperature management system to the remote server via the network bridge connection device, wherein the set of temperature data describes a measured temperature of the storage compartment during transport, and (b) transmitting a set of battery data to the remote server via the network bridge connection device, wherein the set of battery data describes a measured battery level of the battery during transport.

Example 23

Any of examples 21 to 22, wherein the data stream is output from a global positioning device, and wherein the portion of the set of transportation data is global positioning coordinates.

Example 24

The active container of example 23, further comprising a tracking system operable to generate global positioning coordinates independent of the data stream.

Example 25

Any of examples 21 to 24, wherein the network bridge connection device is a bluetooth low energy transceiver, and wherein the network bridge provider is located with a vehicle adapted to transport the active container.

Example 26

The active container of example 25, further comprising a wireless device operable to directly access the data stream, and a battery configured to operate the wireless device and the bluetooth low energy transceiver, wherein: (a) The wireless device consumes more power during operation than the low energy bluetooth transceiver, and (b) the controller is further configured to disable the wireless device when a connection between the low energy bluetooth transceiver and the bridge provider has been established.

Example 27

Any of examples 21 to 26, wherein the controller is further configured to: receive an altitude indicator from a sensor of the active container, (b) determine that the active container is located on the aircraft based on the altitude indicator during a communications-limited portion of the flight, and (c) disable a set of limited devices during the communications-limited portion of the flight, wherein the network bridge connection device is within the set of limited devices.

Example 28

The active container of example 27, further comprising a wired bridge connection device, wherein the controller is further configured to: the method further includes (a) establishing a connection between the wired bridge connection device and the bridge provider while the set of constrained devices is disabled, (b) receiving the set of transportation data from the bridge provider via the wired bridge connection device, wherein the set of transportation data originates, and (c) transmitting the set of local transportation data to a remote server via the bridge provider.

Example 29

Any of examples 21 to 28, further comprising a keyboard located external to the active container, and an automatic lock configured to selectively prevent or allow access to the storage compartment, the keyboard comprising a user input device and an alert indicator, wherein the controller is further configured to: determine whether an alarm condition exists based on the set of transportation data, (b) provide an alarm indication via the alarm indicator when the alarm condition exists, operate the automatic lock to prevent access to the storage compartment when the alarm condition is emergency, (c) receive a set of inputs from the user input device, (d) determine whether the set of inputs is valid based on the portion of the set of transportation data, and (e) operate the automatic lock to allow access to the storage compartment when the set of inputs is valid and the alarm condition is not an emergency alarm condition.

Example 30

The active container of any of examples 21 to 29, further comprising an automatic lock configured to selectively prevent or allow access to the storage compartment, wherein the controller is further configured to: (ii) determine a current location of the active container based on the portion of the set of transportation data, (b) access a set of geofence data on the memory and determine whether the current location is within the set of geofence data when a connection between the bridge connection device and the bridge provider is lost, and (c) operate the automatic lock to prevent access to the storage room when the current location is outside of the set of geofence data.

Example 31

A method for bridging an active container to a bridge provider, the method comprising: placing an active container in a vehicle comprising a bridge provider, (b) connecting a bridge connection device of the active container to the bridge provider, wherein the connecting of the bridge connection device is automated based at least in part on the bridge connection device being within a threshold distance of the bridge provider, (c) receiving, at a controller of the active container, a set of transportation data from the bridge provider via the bridge connection device, wherein the set of transportation data originates from a data stream accessible to the bridge provider, and (d) storing at least a portion of the set of transportation data on a memory of the active container.

Example 32

The method of example 31, further comprising: (a) Identify an alert associated with the active container based on the portion of the set of transportation data, wherein the alert indicates to a recipient a risk associated with safe transportation of the material stored in the active container, and (b) provide an indication of the alert to a user via an alert indicator located on an exterior of the active container.

Example 33

The method of example 32, further comprising disconnecting the bridge connection device from the bridge provider, wherein the step of identifying the alert associated with the active container occurs after the step of disconnecting the bridge connection device from the bridge provider.

Example 34

The method of any of examples 32 to 33, further comprising: (a) Determining that the alert is a non-emergency alert, and (b) providing the non-emergency alert to a user via an alert indicator.

Example 35

The method of any of examples 32 to 34, further comprising: the method includes (a) determining that the alert is an emergency alert, (b) providing the emergency alert to a user via an alert indicator, and (c) operating an automatic lock of the active storage container to prevent access to a storage compartment of the active container.

Example 36

The method of example 35, wherein determining that the alert is an emergency alert further comprises: determining (a) a current location of the active container based on the portion of the set of transportation data, (b) when a connection between the bridge connection device and the bridge provider is lost, accessing a set of geo-fence data on the memory and determining whether the current location is within the set of geo-fence data, and (c) when the current location is not within the set of geo-fence data, determining that the alert is an emergency alert.

Example 37

A set of data bridging systems, comprising: (a) An active container comprising a storage compartment adapted to store material during transport, a bridge connection device, a controller configured to control operation of the bridge connection device, and a memory configured to store a set of local data associated with the active container, wherein the set of local data comprises a container identifier; (b) the bridge provider is configured to: (ii) providing data to the active container via the bridge connection device, and (iii) transmitting the data received from the active container via the internet data stream; and (c) a user device comprising a display, the user device configured to: (i) Receive data from an internet data stream, and (ii) store a container identifier; wherein the controller is configured to: the method comprises (i) establishing a connection between the bridge connection device and the bridge provider when the bridge connection device detects that the bridge provider is within a connectable range of the bridge connection device, (ii) receiving a set of location data from the global positioning data stream and storing the set of location data on the memory, (iii) creating a container status based on the set of location data and the set of local data, and (iv) transmitting the container status to the user device based on the container identifier, wherein the container status is configured to cause the user device to display the location of the active container via the display.

Example 38

The system of example 37, wherein: the active container also includes (a) a temperature management system operable to track and maintain the temperature of the storage chamber, (b) the set of local data includes a set of temperature data generated by the temperature management system, and (c) the container status is configured to cause the user device to display, via the display, the location of the active container and the temperature of the storage chamber.

Example 39

The system of any of examples 37 to 38, wherein the bridge provider is further configured to: receiving, via an internet data stream, (a) a set of geofence data associated with the active container, (b) in response to disconnecting the bridge connection device from the bridge provider, determining a current location of the active container, (c) determining whether the current location is within the set of geofence data, and (i) providing, to the user device, an indication that the active container has reached its destination when the current location is within the set of geofence data, and (ii) providing, to the user device, an indication that there is a problem with the transmission of the active container when the current location is not within the set of geofence data.

Example 40

The system of any of examples 37 to 39, wherein the active container further comprises an automatic lock configured to selectively prevent or allow access to the storage compartment, wherein the controller is further configured to: determining a current location of the active container based on the set of location data, (b) accessing a set of geo-fence data on the memory and determining whether the current location is within the set of geo-fence data when a connection between the bridge connection device and the bridge provider is lost, (c) operating an automatic lock to prevent access to the repository when the current location is outside the set of geo-fence data, and (d) operating the automatic lock to allow access to the repository when the current location is within the set of geo-fence data.

It should be appreciated that any one or more of the teachings, expressions, embodiments, examples, etc. described herein may be combined with any one or more of the other teachings, expressions, embodiments, examples, etc. described herein. For example, any of examples 1-20 may be adapted and combined with any one or more of examples 21-40, and vice versa, in addition to other example combinations as described above. The teachings, expressions, embodiments, examples, etc. described below should therefore not be viewed in isolation with respect to each other. The teachings herein can be combined in various suitable ways, as will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art, in view of the teachings herein. Such modifications and variations are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. An active container comprising:

(a) A storage chamber;

(b) A set of active features;

(c) A battery configured to provide power to the set of active features;

(d) A power supply comprising a power receiver and configured to:

(i) When the power receiver is coupled with an external power source, receives power from the external power source, and

(ii) Recharging the battery when the power receiver is coupled with the external power source,

wherein the power receiver is positioned to couple with the external power source when the active container is placed on a surface proximate to the external power source.

2. The active container of claim 1, further comprising a set of placement guides positioned around an exterior of the active container and adapted to guide the active container into a coupling position when the active container is placed on the surface, wherein:

(a) The external power source comprises a wireless power source, the wireless power source located proximate to the coupling location,

(b) The power receiver comprises a wireless power receiver, and

(c) The wireless power receiver is positioned in the active container such that the wireless power receiver is automatically wirelessly coupled with the wireless power source when the active container is in the coupling position.

3. The active container of claim 1, further comprising a set of placement guides positioned around an exterior of the active container and adapted to guide the active container into a coupling position when the active container is placed on the surface, wherein:

(a) The external power source comprises a wired power source located proximate to the coupling location,

(b) The power receiver comprises a wired power receiver, an

(c) The wired power receiver is positioned on the active container such that the wired power receiver is automatically mechanically connected and coupled with the wired power source when the active container is in the coupled position.

4. The active container of claim 1, wherein:

(a) The power supply is further configured to provide power to the set of active features when coupled with the external power supply, and

(b) The battery is further configured to provide power to the set of active features only when the power source is not coupled with the external power source.

5. The active container of claim 1, wherein the maximum charge capacity of the battery is determined based on:

(a) Intended transport of the active container, and

(b) Whether the active container is to be placed on the surface and coupled with the external power source during any portion of the intended transport of the active container.

6. The active container of claim 1 wherein the surface is a shelf in a vehicle storage area, and wherein the shelf is adapted to hold the active container in place and to maintain the active container coupled to the external power source during transport.

7. The active container of claim 1, the set of active features comprising a temperature control system, wherein the storage chamber comprises a sensitive material that must be maintained at a first temperature for a first duration of time, and wherein the battery is adapted to provide power to the temperature control system to maintain the storage chamber at the first temperature for a second duration of time, wherein the second duration of time is less than half of the first duration of time.

8. The active container of claim 1, wherein the set of active features comprises:

(a) A transport tracking system configured to track and store the location and status of the active container, an

(b) A temperature control system operable to maintain the storage chamber at a set temperature, wherein the temperature control system is further configured to:

(i) Receiving a restricted location signal from the transportation tracking system, and

(ii) Disabling operation of the temperature control system in response to the limited position signal.

9. The active container of claim 1, further comprising a network device, wherein the set of active features comprises a transport tracking system operable to track and store a location and a status of the active container, wherein the transport tracking system is configured to:

(a) Storing a set of transportation data during transportation, wherein the set of transportation data includes, throughout the transportation, a position of the active container, a temperature of the storage chamber, an acceleration of the active container, and a battery state of the battery, and

(b) When the active container is coupled with the external power source, connect to a receiver via the network device and transmit the set of transport data to the receiver.

10. The active container of claim 9 wherein the network device is a first wireless transceiver, the receiver is a second wireless transceiver, and the receiver is located near the surface.