EP2616821A1

EP2616821A1 - Smart package

Info

Publication number: EP2616821A1
Application number: EP11824640.4A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Juha Maijala; Martti Jouppi; Niilo PÖYHÖNEN
Original assignee: Stora Enso Oyj
Current assignee: Stora Enso Oyj
Priority date: 2010-09-17
Filing date: 2011-09-16
Publication date: 2013-07-24
Also published as: FI20105963L; WO2012035210A1; FI20105963A0; FI124073B; FI20105963A7; EP2616821A4

Abstract

A smart package (200), wherein the smart package comprises a module (100) for measuring acceleration applied to the smart package. The module (100) comprises preferably an acceleration sensor and a memory carrier, as well as a microcontroller for controlling operation of the acceleration sensor and for storing information produced thereby in said memory carrier. According to one embodiment, said acceleration sensor, memory carrier, and microcontroller are integrated into structures (201, 202) of said smart package (200).

Description

SMART PACKAGE

The invention relates to smart packages and particularly to fiber- or plastic-based smart packages capable of recording acceleration related thereto. PRIOR ART

At present, various fragile or, for example, vibration-sensitive devices and articles are frequently transported over long distances by using several different logistics service providers. Devices to be transported are typically packaged carefully for minimizing possible damage caused by transport, for example by collisions or falls. After a possible accident, it is often important to find out how the incident possibly happened and who bears responsibility for the loss.

A few solutions are known from the prior art, wherein, for example, a shipping box is fitted with an accelerometer, providing a capability of subsequently reading from the accelerometer a maximum acceleration (G-value) that the accelerometer as- sociated with the shipping box has been subjected to.

Such solutions nevertheless involve problems, such as, for example, to remember a separate task of attaching the accelerometer to a shipping box, often even to a specific spot on the shipping box, which in itself is a time consuming operation. In addition, upon completing a transport, the meter must be read manually, which is also not only time consuming but prone to false readings. It is also necessary to remove the meter from the shipping box, which takes more time and is frustrating. It has also been noted that the accelerometer may come off or may be removed from the shipping box during the course of a transport, whereby the acceleration data is naturally unavailable. Furthermore, in the process of installing it, the accel- erometer may jolt and record an undesired acceleration. Still further, G-meters are often expensive and power consuming, as well as bulky. Besides, in the prior art solutions, the acceleration measuring component is often a separate component, the acceleration measured thereby not necessarily being related to the package, but to the sensor instead. SUMMARY

It is one objective of the invention to eliminate or at least to alleviate drawbacks associated with the prior art. According to one embodiment, the invention seeks to provide such a smart package, wherein acceleration data regarding the smart package can be examined subsequently whenever necessary without requiring any time consuming operations as the smart package is starting or has completed its service. A further objective is also to provide such a construction, in which the presence of an acceleration sensor would be as inconspicuous as possible, and the information gathered by the acceleration sensor would represent as reliably as possible the accelerations that the package has been subjected to.

Certain objectives of the invention are achieved with a smart package as set forth in claim 1. The smart package of the invention is characterized by what is presented in claim 1 directed to a smart package.

According to a first embodiment of the invention, the smart package is particularly a fiber- or plastic-based smart package, which most preferably comprises at least an acceleration sensor, a power supply, and a memory carrier (for example a flash memory), as well as a microcontroller for controlling operation of the acceleration sensor and storing information produced thereby in the memory carrier. The acceleration sensor's range of measurement may extend for example from a free fall (0 g) of the object up to impact-generated accelerations, for example ± 20-50 g, yet without limiting the invention to said values. According to one embodiment, the acceleration sensor can be for example a single- or multi-axis electronic acceleration sensor, such as for example a silicon-based acceleration sensor.

According to one preferred embodiment of the invention, the acceleration sensor, the memory carrier, and the microcontroller are integrated into structures of said smart package, especially inside its structures, so as not to get caught on anything or become loose during transport, nor to attract interest and to make it less easy for anyone to remove or tamper with. According to one embodiment, the smart package consists of several interconnected structural sheets, whereby said instruments can be integrated between two structural sheets most preferably as early as during the course of a package fabrication process. The elements can be for example laminated within the smart package structure.

The arrangement can be adapted not to gather and store information produced by the acceleration sensor, especially acceleration data from the transport time frame, in memory carriers until the acceleration exceeds or falls short of some predetermined threshold value of acceleration, thus enabling savings of memory capacity and minimization of power consumption. According to one embodiment, the collection of acceleration data measured by the acceleration sensor is adapted to become activated while said package, and hence also the acceleration sensor, is essentially in free fall, thus enabling especially the storage of impact-generated accelerations in the memory.

The collection of acceleration data can be adapted to become activated for example within 1-500 ms as acceleration exceeds said threshold value, providing enough time to pick up the maximum values of acceleration for example in an impact situation. The sampling rate can be set for example at 50-1000 Hz, preferably 400-00 Hz, and even more preferably at about 500 Hz. It should be appreciated, however, that said values are given by way of example and that other sampling rates can naturally also be used and the invention is by no means limited to these,

According to one embodiment, the microcontroller is adapted to store not only acceleration data but also time data, making it easier to track down the factors be- hind acceleration or to clear the liability issues. In addition, the microcontroller can be adapted to store not only acceleration data (and possible time data) but also position data. The position data can be obtained for example from a GPS sensor or for example with a suitable receiver from information transmitted by base stations of a cellular telephone system. In addition, according to one embodiment, inside the structures of a smart package are also integrated wireless transmitter elements for communicating the stored-in-memory data beyond the smart package, for example to a reader. The wireless transmitter elements can be implemented for example by means of wireless NFC technology, such as for example by means of an HF or UHF connection. According to one embodiment of the invention, the wireless data transfer is conducted by way of an RFID tag, whereby the reader receives preferably identification data that singles out a smart package, thus enabling for example acceleration data to be unambiguously linked with said package at a later stage.

Further, according to one embodiment of the invention, the smart package is also provided with a GSM module, said module being adapted to transmit for example an SMS message over a GSM network in case the acceleration value has been surpassed. In this case, any separate reading is not even necessarily required, and the information about a transgression of the acceleration value reaches the receiver or some other party even before the package arrives at its destination. According to one embodiment of the invention, the smart package is adapted, most preferably by means of wireless data transfer elements, to notify a reader for example whether the acceleration has exceeded/fallen short of said preset threshold value, or whether the storing of acceleration data in the memory has even been activated, or whether the memory contains some acceleration data. The actual measurement data can be read thereafter if deemed necessary, for example if an article in the package is clearly damaged. Thus, data transfer between a smart package and a reader can be minimized as effectively as possible, since there is no need to read the acceleration data contained in smart packages, which have not been subjected to significant accelerations or which do not indicate high acceleration. Moreover, a smart package, which indicates a high acceleration applied thereto, can be separated from other packages and its memory can be read for example by way of a wired communication link capable of high-speed data transfer, such as for example by way of a USB bus. This makes it possible to employ particularly beneficial and low power consuming components in a smart package of the invention.

The invention offers obvious benefits such as, in addition to those mentioned above, the fact that smart packages present in a container can be "scanned" with a reader and, if the module of any smart package has recorded acceleration that has exceeded a threshold value, this is found out without, for example, having to unload the entire shipment and having to read the packages and their acceleration sensors one by one. Moreover, when an acceleration measuring sensor is integrated into a transport package, the acceleration measured by the acceleration sensor is explicitly acceleration applied to the package, enabling to find out what sort of accelerations the products inside the package have experienced. Furthermore, the integration of an acceleration sensor into a package prevents the acceleration sensor or module from being tampered with and generally makes the acceleration monitoring inconspicuous. It should also be noted that the idea according to the invention can be exploited for measuring accelerations applied to small- er individual packages present within a larger package by integrating an acceleration sensor or module into said individual packages.

DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

Preferred embodiments of the invention will be described slightly more accurately in the next section with reference to the accompanying figures, in which fig. 1 shows one exemplary acceleration data recording module attachable, according to one preferred embodiment of the invention, to a smart package, fig. 2 shows one exemplary smart package, comprising, according to one preferred embodiment of the invention, an acceleration data recording module and seen from a first angle of view, fig. 3 shows one exemplary structure for a smart package, comprising, according to one preferred embodiment of the invention, an acceleration data recording module and seen from a second angle of view, and fig. 4 shows one exemplary arrangement for reading, according to one preferred embodiment of the invention, an acceleration data recording module attachable to a smart package.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

Fig. 1 shows one exemplary acceleration data recording module 100 attachable, according to one preferred embodiment of the invention, to a smart package, wherein the module comprises an acceleration sensor 101 , a memory carrier 102, a power supply 103, for example a battery, as well as a microcontroller 104 used for controlling operation of all the above. In addition, according to one embodiment, the module 100 also comprises wireless data transfer elements 05, by way of which the microcontroller is able to transmit measurement data or for example a signal to a reader, indicating that the measured acceleration has exceeded/fallen short of a preset threshold value.

The microcontroller can be adapted, for example to only store in the memory such acceleration data which exceeds a preset threshold value, enabling savings in storage capacity. In the memory can also be stored other information related to the package or product, such as for example ID data singling out a smart package.

In addition, the module may also comprise a timestamp element 106 and/or a position data element 107 for storing a timestamp and/or position data in the memory elements along with acceleration data, enabling to clarify at a later stage for ex- ample when and/or where the threshold-value exceeding acceleration has occurred. Still furthermore, the module may also comprise a communication port, such as for example a USB bus 108, which comprises a data transfer speed which is high in comparison with wireless data transfer elements. Accordingly, for example in a situation that the smart package indicates with a signal to the reader that it compris- es acceleration data exceeding and/or falling short of the threshold value, the acceleration data, as well as possible other information such as the smart package's ID, time and place, can be read by way of the USB bus.

The module 100 can be implemented by organizing at least some of the components it comprises on a rigid FR4 circuit board. Alternatively, the circuit board can be flexible. It should also be noted that intercomponent conductors can be established by means of printing technology directly in the structure of said smart package upon which, according to one embodiment, said components 101-108 can also be laid.

Fig. 2 shows one exemplary smart package 200 comprising, according to one pre- ferred embodiment of the invention, an acceleration data recording module 100 and seen from a first angle of view, wherein the acceleration data recording module 100, along with its components, has been integrated into the smart package's material, for example between at least two sheets 201 and 202 making up the smart package, in which location the module 100 is protected from direct blows and, on the other hand, also from vandalism. Most preferably, the module lies between the sheets in such a way that it cannot be seen from outside the package 200.

Fig. 3 shows one exemplary structure for a smart package 200, comprising, according to one preferred embodiment of the invention, an acceleration data record- ing module 100 and seen from a second angle of view, wherein the smart package, for example a fiber- or plastic based smart package, may consist of at least two similar type sheets 201 , for example cardboard sheets, which can be laminated, and for example of an impact damping intermediate sheet 202, such as a sheet of corrugated board, set between the first two. According to one embodi- ment, the module 100 can be integrated between said sheets. The module can also be laminated on any of said sheets 201 , 202.

Fig. 4 shows one exemplary arrangement 400 for reading, according to one preferred embodiment of the invention, by means of a reader 403, an acceleration data recording module 100 attachable to a smart package 200. One exemplary read- ing operation can be for example such that the reader 403 transmits an excitation pulse 401 to the module 100, as a response to which a certain signal can be transmitted by the module 100 at a stage 402 in the event that the module has measured and recorded an acceleration in excess of a threshold value. The module may also transmit an acknowledgement signal, indicating that no threshold ex- ceeding acceleration has been recorded thereby. If the module nevertheless has some acceleration data in storage therein, such data, and also other information present in a memory 102, can be read with the reader 403 either by means of a radio link established between the reader and the module or, alternatively, the data can be read by way of some other communication link, such as for example by way of a USB bus.

It should also be noted that, according to one embodiment, the module may actively send, for example at set time points, a signal (and possibly also data identifying a smart package) of having recorded some acceleration data that has exceeded the threshold value. Described above are but a few embodiments for a solution of the invention. The principle according to the invention can naturally be modified within the scope of protection defined in the claims, regarding for example implementation details as well as application fields. For example, the components of a module used in the smart package can be distributed all over the smart package.

Claims

1. A smart package (200), especially a fiber- or plastic-based smart package, characterized in that the package comprises an acceleration sensor (101) and a memory carrier (102), as well as a microcontroller (104) for controlling operation of the acceleration sensor and for storing the information produced thereby in said memory carrier, further characterized in that said acceleration sensor, memory carrier, and microcontroller are integrated into the structures of said smart package.

2. A smart package as set forth in claim 1 , wherein into the smart package's structures are further integrated also wireless transmitter elements (105) for communicating the stored-in-memory data beyond the smart package.

3. A smart package as set forth in claim 2, wherein the wireless transmitter elements (105) are implemented by wireless NFC technology, such as for example an HF or UHF connection and/or a GSM module.

4. A smart package as set forth in claim 2 or 3, wherein the wireless communication is implemented by way of an RFID tag (105) and/or by way of a GSM module (105).

5. A smart package as set forth in any of the preceding claims, wherein the acceleration sensor is adapted not to gather and store in the memory carriers es- pecially acceleration data from the transport time frame until the acceleration exceeds or falls short of some predetermined threshold value of acceleration.

6. A smart package as set forth in any of the preceding claims, wherein the collection of acceleration data measured by the acceleration sensor is adapted to become activated when said acceleration sensor is essentially in free fall.

7. A smart package as set forth in claim 5 and/or 6, wherein the collection of acceleration data is adapted to become activated within 1-500 ms when the acceleration exceeds or falls short of a preset threshold value, and wherein the sampling rate is 200-500 Hz, preferably 400-500 Hz, and even more preferably about 500 Hz.

8. A smart package as set forth in any of the preceding claims, wherein the microcontroller is adapted to store not only acceleration data but also time data.

9. A smart package as set forth in any of the preceding claims, wherein the smart package further comprises elements for producing a position coordinate (107), and wherein the microcontroller is adapted to store not only acceleration data but also time data.

10. A smart package as set forth in any of the preceding claims, wherein the smart package is adapted to notify (402) whether acceleration has exceeded or fallen short of said preset threshold value.

11. A smart package as set forth in any of the preceding claims, wherein the smart package consists of several interconnected structural sheets (201 , 202), and wherein said elements (101-108) are integrated between at least two of said structural sheets.

12. A smart package as set forth in any of the preceding claims, wherein said elements (101-108) are laminated in the smart package's structure.