Method for resource management in a supply chain

Abstract

A method for resource management in a supply chain is provided. The method is used by a pallet device (106) that can be associated with a pallet (104) in the supply chain. The pallet is associated with one or more resources. Further, the supply chain includes a decentralized control system (100) that has at least one system server, a plurality of pallets, a plurality of pallet devices, and a plurality of resources. The method includes detecting (302) an event and acquiring (304) status information of at least one of the plurality of pallets in response to the event. Further, the method includes determining (306) a reporting condition of at least one of the plurality of resources, based on the status information. The method includes reporting (308) the status information to one of at least one system server and at least one of the plurality of pallet devices, based on a positive reporting condition.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Various embodiments will hereinafter be described in conjunction with the appended drawings, provided to illustrate and not to limit the invention, wherein like designations denote like elements, and in which:

FIG. 1 shows a block diagram illustrating a decentralized control system, in accordance with some embodiments;

FIG. 2 shows a block diagram illustrating a pallet device in communication with one or more resources and a sensor, in accordance with some embodiments;

FIG. 3 shows a flow diagram illustrating a method for resource management, in accordance with some embodiments;

FIG. 4 shows a flow diagram illustrating a method for determining a resource-missing status, in accordance with some embodiments;

FIG. 5 shows a flow diagram illustrating a method for determining a utilization status of a pallet, in accordance with some embodiments;

FIG. 6 shows a flow diagram illustrating a method for determining a pallet loading status, in accordance with some embodiments; and

FIG. 7 shows a flow diagram illustrating a method for resetting a pallet device, in accordance with some embodiments.

Claims

1. A method for resource management used by a pallet device that can be associated with a pallet in a supply chain, the pallet being associated with one or more resources, the supply chain having a decentralized control system that has at least one system server, a plurality of pallets, a plurality of pallet devices and a plurality of resources, the method comprising: detecting an event;acquiring a status information of at least one of the plurality of pallets in response to the event;determining reporting condition for at least one of the one or more resources based on the status information; andreporting the status information to one of the at least one system server and the plurality of pallet devices, based on the reporting condition being positive.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the event being one or more from a group consisting of a change of a sensed value, a time-related condition, and a receipt of a wireless message.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the event being a message that conveys a pallet configuration that defines a set of resources with which the pallet is to be loaded, and wherein the acquiring of status information comprises monitoring the one or more resources loaded onto the pallet, and wherein a determination is made that a positive reporting condition exists based upon a determination that a pallet has been unloaded in a shipping domain, and wherein the reporting the status information comprises reporting an unloading status.

4. The method according to claim 3, further comprising acquiring information associated with the set of resources by generating an inquiry to a decentralized control system device and wherein a determination of one of the correctly loaded pallet and an incorrectly loaded pallet is made based upon the pallet configuration, the information associated with the set of resources, and identification information acquired by wireless communication with at least one resource radio frequency identification (RFID) tag loaded on the pallet.

5. The method according to claim 4, further comprising: communicating with at least one other pallet device to determine a location of at least one resource of the set of resources; andreporting the location of the at least one resource of the plurality of resources to one of the decentralized control system device and an operator device.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the acquired status information is relevant to the status of the plurality of resources associated with the plurality of pallets.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein acquiring the status information comprises communicating with at least one of the plurality of pallet devices and the at least one system server.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein acquiring the status information comprises wirelessly communicating with one or more resources, each of the one or more resources having an RFID tag associated with it.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein acquiring the status information comprises communicating with one or more sensors coupled to at least one of the plurality of pallet devices, the one or more sensors sensing one or more physical conditions.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein acquiring the status information comprises at least one of: obtaining a resource identifier by wirelessly communicating with resource identifier devices, the resource identifier devices being associated with one or more of the plurality of resources loaded on the pallet;wirelessly communicating the resource identifiers to the at least one system server to obtain physical attributes associated with the resource identifiers; andwirelessly communicating the resource identifiers to the at least one system server to obtain one or more pallet inventory lists.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein determining a positive reporting condition comprises acquiring a resource-missing status, the resource-missing status being based on a resource missing from the one or more resources.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein acquiring a resource-missing status comprises determining a resource-lost status, the resource-lost status being based on a resource missing from a group of pallets, the group of pallets being associated with at least one of the plurality of pallet devices.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein acquiring the resource-missing status comprises: measuring a weight of the pallet by a sensor;calculating a weight of the pallet by summing specified weights of the one or more resources being associated with the pallet; anddetermining a resource-missing status based on a comparison of the measured weight with the calculated weight.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein calculating the weight of the pallet comprises determining the specified weights of the one or more resources by wirelessly communicating with the at least one system server.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein reporting the status information comprises reporting a missing pallet, the pallet having been determined to be absent from the supply chain by communications involving at least one of the plurality of pallet devices.

16. The method according to claim 1, wherein reporting the status information comprises reporting a utilization status of a pallet, the utilization status being based on volumetric capacity of the pallet.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein acquiring the utilization status comprises: determining a maximum volume of the pallet;calculating a total volume of resources on the pallet; anddetermining a utilizing status based on the maximum volume of the pallet and the total volume of the resources on the pallet.

18. The method according to claim 1, wherein reporting the status information comprises reporting a pallet utilization status of the pallet, the pallet utilization status being determined based on utilization of the pallet for a certain time interval.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein determining the pallet utilization status of the pallet comprises: identifying at least one of the plurality of pallets with no resource for a certain time interval;calculating at least one loading duration of at least one neighboring pallet; anddetermining a loading status of the at least one of the plurality of pallets based on the at least one loading duration.

20. The method according to claim 1, wherein reporting the status information comprises reporting a pallet specification, the pallet specification being determined based on environmental parameters.

21. The method according to claim 1, wherein reporting the status information comprises reporting a reset state of the pallet device when the pallet is not reset in response to a change in a loading state of the pallet, the loading state being one of an unloaded state and a utilized state.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein resetting the pallet device comprises: determining a pallet with no resources for a certain time interval;deleting a resource information in the pallet device corresponding to the pallet; andsetting the pallet device in a ready state to update the resource information corresponding to the pallet.