WO2004107258A1

WO2004107258A1 - Method for monitoring the temperature of a supply unit containing a fresh or deep-frozen product or set of products

Info

Publication number: WO2004107258A1
Application number: PCT/FR2004/001152
Authority: WO
Inventors: Séverine LEPIC; Daniel Fath
Original assignee: L'air Liquide, Societe Anonyme A Directoire Et Conseil De Surveillance Pour L'etude Et L'exploitation Des Procedes Georges Claude
Priority date: 2003-05-22
Filing date: 2004-05-12
Publication date: 2004-12-09
Also published as: FR2855264B1; EP1629417A1; FR2855264A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for monitoring and controlling the temperature of a supply unit UL during the transport thereof between a shipping area E and a reception area R, said unit UL containing a product or a set of identical or different products. The inventive method is characterised in that it is based on at least one temperature sensor Ct which is fixed to the logistics unit UL and comprises: a means for directly communicating the measured temperature, an energy source, and a means for storing detected information. Said method is also based on a central base Bc which is used to control the sensors Ct and process the data, and comprises a computer O which communicates with a central unit housing the necessary software for creating and updating a database, for reading and treating the data emitted by the sensors Ct, for initialising and parameterising said sensors Ct, and for providing said data; a reading means which is connected to the computer and can collect information stored in the sensors Ct; a distribution means; a printing means connected to the computer; and a messaging means that can send the sensors Ct from the area R to the base Bc, and then from the base Bc to the area E or E'. The invention also relates to the use of said method for transporting hot, fresh or deep-frozen food products.

Description

Method for monitoring the temperature of a logistics unit containing a product or a set of fresh or frozen products

The invention relates to the control of information flows from temperature sensors making it possible to permanently ensure temperature traceability throughout the logistics chain of transporting products, from their place of dispatch to their place of distribution, even to the end consumer.

The traceability of food products, is a very strong concern especially for the respect of the cold chain, during expeditions of fresh or frozen products. Communication on the means implemented for this respect is often a necessity to reassure consumers as to the quality of the product offered for sale, while sometimes being a regulatory requirement. In this area there is therefore an imperative need to develop solutions for traceability of products during their transport which guarantee their quality by preventing and identifying breaks in the cold chain while making the various actors involved in the logistics chain responsible.

However today, the existing solutions are not satisfactory. Indeed, they are essentially based on the technology of temperature sensors without however taking into account the constraints of the logistics circuits. The temperature sensors developed to monitor the temperature of products throughout their supply chain, are autonomous by being packages with both their own energy source and a memory capacity and they restore the temperatures recorded at the end of the journey. using a specific reader, such as, for example, the thermo-buttons ™ marketed in France by the company Progrès Plus ™, which are small temperature sensors with a limited lifespan, the information of which is read by contact on a shoe or with a pencil, the Minibox ™ marketed in France by the company Jules Richard or the Spyco ™ marketed in France by the company Spyco ™ SA, which are more robust sensors comprising display diodes making it possible to highlight temperature exceedances and which are read by contact on a shoe, electronic labels (called tags in English) Passive RFID marketed in France by the company KSW TempSense a few millimeters from an instantaneous temperature and active electronic tags marketed in France by the companies Technigreg or Identec allowing remote reading of temperature records and bio-sensors sold in France by Bioett ™ company which are labels having a reagent which reacts to temperatures by color change and which are read by visualization of this color change.

The major drawback of these sensors and their use lies in the fact that each type of sensor requires a specific reading means. Thus, either the buyer receives from his suppliers, various sensors containing information that he will not be able to read, unless he has all the reading means required for each type of sensor, or he must impose on all his suppliers use the same sensor, but in this case the problem is not solved but only transfer to suppliers, who according to their customers will have to be equipped with several types of sensors and their respective means of reading. In addition, once the products have been received, the sensors must be returned to the various suppliers before they can be used again. However, such return circuits are today poorly organized and there is a high rate of loss of these sensors.

Finally, these sensors are industrialized to be robust and fulfill their function as a recorder. However, nothing is really planned to fix and mark them on the logistics units. This increases their risk of loss, also limits their use but also and above all limits the reliability of the results, compared to the logistics unit and the logistics circuit. In addition, these sensors must, in most cases, be read by contact, which complicates the exploitation of the results in the field.

The foregoing considerations have led the applicant to seek to develop a method for operating and managing temperature sensors on the whole of a logistics chain solving all of the above-mentioned problems.

This is why, according to a first aspect, the subject of the invention is a process for monitoring and controlling the temperature of at least one logistics unit U _L during its transport by batch, by a logistics chain CL, over a distance. not zero for a time t not zero, between a place of dispatch E and a place of reception R, said logistics unit UL containing a product or a set of identical or different products, characterized in that it implements:

at least one temperature sensor C _t made integral with at least one logistics unit UL per batch transported, said sensor comprising at least one means of direct communication of the measured temperature, at least one energy source and a means of memorizing the information detected,

at least one central base B _c for managing the sensors C _t and for processing the data comprising: (i) - at least one computer O communicating with a central unit hosting the software necessary for creating and updating a database, for reading and processing the data from said sensors C _t , at l initialization and configuration of said sensors C _t as well as the provision of said data, (ii) - at least one reading means connected to the computer, capable of collecting the information held by said sensors C _t within their means of memorization,

(iii) - at least one distribution means capable of allowing automatic reading of said sensors C _t by said reading means,

(iv) - at least one printing means connected to the computer, capable of preparing the means of visual identification of said logistic units U _L and the shipping envelopes of said sensors C _t ,

(v) - at least one messaging means capable of returning the sensors from said place of reception R to the central base Bc, then from the central base to the place of dispatch E or to a new place of dispatch E ', and characterized in that it comprises the following successive stages:

(a) - the configuration and preparation of the sensors C _t at the central base B _c ,

(b) - sending the sensors configured in step (a), to the place of shipment (E),

(c) - positioning at said location (E) of at least one sensor C _t on at least one logistic unit U _L per batch transported, (d) - activation of the sensors at the end of step ( vs),

(e) - if necessary or if desired, reading the information communicated directly by the sensors Q to one or more intermediate links in the supply chain C _L ,

(f) - the release of the sensors of the UL logistics units at their place of reception R, and

(g) - the shipment of the sensors thus released from said location R to the central base Bc. According to a first particular mode of the method as defined above, it further comprises at the end of step (g), a step (h) of unloading the information held in the storage means of said sensors C _t at less of said reading means connected to computer O, as well as their processing by said computer O.

According to a second particular mode of the process as defined above, it further comprises at the end of step (h), a step (i) of making available to the receiving client of the logistic units U _L , said information processed. The method according to the invention is based more particularly on a principle of the provision and management of temperature sensors, on different levels of data exploitation and service to manufacturers and on means specific to this activity, namely : temperature sensors and readers adapted to U logistics units. at least one central base Bc for processing the sensors and their data with a "Internet" secure access site and a messaging system for the shipment and return of the equipment.

By at least one central base, it means that the method can be implemented with several central bases capable of receiving data from the sensors at different locations, while supplying a single database.

When there is only one central database, it hosts the central unit, containing the whole of the aforementioned database.

In the process as defined above, the temperature sensors are managed according to the following circuit:

Their order

The sensor supply circuit begins at the end customer level, who must receive UL logistics units. This client is the principal. It orders a certain quantity of sensors at the level of a central unit to be delivered, on a specific date, to these suppliers, with certain parameters. This order can be placed by a computer network (at site level) to directly start the preparation of the sensors.

Making them available

At the central unit level, the sensors are then parameterized and prepared. They are associated with means allowing thereafter, on the one hand to locate the logistic unit U _L on which they will have to be positioned, on the other hand to fix them. Then the sensors are made available to suppliers in suitable quantities, on the day and at the time scheduled.

Their positioning

The supplier places these sensors on the logistics units U _L to be shipped. The sensor is only triggered when it is positioned on the logistics unit. The sensor then transits with the logistics unit throughout the logistics chain, which generally includes a shipping dock, a transporter, a receiving dock, possibly one or more intermediate warehouses, then a new shipping dock, a new transporter to the receiving quay of the ordering customer. Intermediate data reading

At each key stage, such as the reception platforms, the temperature can be checked either by visual means (indicator light for exceeding thresholds) or by reading using a portable reader or a reading portal. Their arrival at the customer and their redirection

When the customer arrives at the ordering customer, the sensor is removed from the logistics unit and placed in a dedicated means of redirection (envelope for example). At regular and short frequency these means are collected to return to the central base. For example, a collection of envelopes every day for a return of the sensor within 48 hours. Return of sensors and processing of their data

Once the sensors are returned to the central base, they are unloaded and their data is processed on the computer then immediately made available to the ordering customer, for example a website with secure access.

In addition to the provision and management of sensors and the service includes the training of sensor user personnel, whether at the client's order or with its suppliers and its referenced warehouses, the temporary or permanent provision of reading to industrialists according to needs and different levels of data exploitation service or even taking charge of test campaigns. These data, processed by the central base computer, are generally made available to the customer at the level of an Internet site in various forms, according to their requirements, such as in the form of a temperature curve, d '' a statistical analysis by supplier or product or transporter, performance indices or recommendations.

The sensor and the readers used in the process. The temperature sensor is intended for logistics units such as, for example, pallets or containers. Its function is to carry out autonomous measurements and easy validation of these measurements throughout the supply chain of the product.

The sensor is programmed at a central base Bc from the elements of the logistics chain to be monitored. The temperature measurements start when the sensor is positioned on the product. At key points in the supply chain, these measures can be checked, read or supplemented with other information. Measurements stop when the sensor is removed from the logistics unit. All of the data recorded during the supply chain is retrieved from the central base or possibly from satellite bases. Preferably, the chosen sensors are of the electronic sensor type with internal probe having the following characteristics:

Resolution: 0.1 ° C; Protection: IP65 (standard for water or dust resistance);

Accuracy: +/- 0.5 ° C; Measurement temperature range: between 30 ° C and - 40 ° C; Recording capacity: 1 recording every 10 min for 21 days + some product information and steps.

If necessary, so-called hot sensors can also be used (measurement temperature range: between 80, ° C and 0 ° C) or so-called cold sensors (measurement temperature range: between 10 ° C and -80 ° C) . The sensors used in the process as defined above have their own energy source. This energy source allows them to last at least 5 years for a measurement every 10 minutes. They can possibly be rechargeable either by means identical to those of reading or by changing the battery. A test function is used to validate the battery level for future measurements. Before being put on the product, the sensor is programmed at the central base. A very simple, almost automatic means allows measurements to be started only when the sensor is positioned on the product. Instant and very simple validation means, with a minimum of material, for example by visualization, make it possible to know if the product has exceeded during its logistics more than a certain time a temperature threshold. The reading is done remotely without contact for a sensor remaining fixed on the periphery of the logistics unit or in the heart of the logistics unit. The reading distance is sufficient to allow measurement from a reader positioned on the fork of a forklift.

This reading allows partial or total access to measurements or other information from the sensor memory. A very simple means allows the almost automatic recording of the passage to certain stages or of additional information (Non-compliance ...) in the memory of the sensor. A very simple means allows the measurements to be stopped as soon as the sensor is removed from the product. In any case, if the memory is full, the sensor does not take any further action so as not to overwrite the start of the recording. The sensors are resistant to possible logistical shocks and of minimized dimensions to allow a batch shipment of ten (for example = L: 86 mm x 1: 54 mm xe: 6 mm). They are associated with a means of visualizing the main logistical information (customer, product, etc.) and a means of easy identification of their presence on the logistics unit. They are also associated with a means of attachment to the logistics unit. The sensor can, for example, be fixed on a colored adhesive sheet, printed with the name of the customer and the product. Sticking the plug on the product starts the measurements. Removing the sensor from the plug stops the measurements.

Optionally, the sensor can be associated with a means allowing its direct return by a messaging system.

The central sensor management and data processing base

The role of the central base is to initialize and program the sensor for the supply chain to follow, to retrieve and process the information recorded during the supply chain.

The central base includes computer means to allow the initialization and the reading of the sensors and a hosted database accessible to customers preferably by an Intranet site with secure access.

The central base is sufficiently automated to allow, starting from an order from a principal (order entered by the principal on the site), to start the preparation and the shipment of the sensor, from receiving a sensor to read the information, process it and make it available on the site for the customer.

The means implemented to automatically prepare the sensors are: A computer hosting or connected to the database to have the customer orders entered on the site.

A reader connected to the PC to accept the parameters of the sensor and initialize it. A sensor distributor to automatically power the reader.

A printer linked to the PC to prepare the means of visual identification of the logistics units and the shipping envelopes.

The initialization and programming of the sensor consists of writing customer, product and recipient information into its memory, programming the measurements therein in particular in terms of measurement step, measurement duration, temperature / time thresholds and validating. sensor performance, including battery condition.

Information processing, done with the same means as those used to initialize, consists in taking the information contained in the memory of the sensor and in process before making them available to the customer on the website. It includes the downloading of measurements and other information recorded in the memory of the sensor to the database using the reader connected to the computer, the resetting of the memory, the processing of information at the base level ( statistics, temperature curve ...) and the provision of data and possible alarms to the client (site or other means.

Messaging medium

The objective of the messaging system is to organize from the central base the provision and recovery of sensors and small equipment such as readers. The sensor messaging scheme has two parts:

(i) - the shipment from a single point A of batches of sensors to a certain number of manufacturers B and.

(ii) - the return to point A of these sensors, which after having been dispersed and used, arrived at n manufacturers D. The sending and return of the sensors are controlled by point A.

These small pieces of equipment are sent from point A to manufacturers B, C or D. After a specified time, point A organizes the return of these materials which will have remained with the initial shipping manufacturer.

The sensors and the equipment are for example sent daily from the central base. Shipments are directly prepared from orders.

As it is difficult to predict exactly, when and how many sensors will arrive at each manufacturer D, it is not possible that manufacturer D orders a pick-up and that it is also not possible to order the removal of point A since the date and quantity are uncertain, the return of the sensors to the central base is organized in such a way that as soon as the sensors are available, they are quickly returned to point A, i.e. less than 48 hours after the end of their use using means prepared thanks to daily removals from the messaging circuit already in place. The pre-prepared means can be associated with the sensor as soon as it is made available.

The process according to the invention has the following advantages: It responds to strong market demand thanks to the use of sensors adapted to logistics units, whether it is their attachment to said unit or their ability to be read remotely, thanks to the sensor supply and return circuit and thanks to the information that can be easily processed and shared among all links in the supply chain.

This process also allows the creation of a standard for the control of the cold chain and empowers the various actors. The process as defined above is particularly suitable for controlling the temperature of fresh or frozen food products when they are transported from their places of manufacture to their places of distribution, for example collective or of large commercial distribution.

The method can also be implemented to control the temperature of at least one logistics unit U _L of hot cooked meals, during its transport by a logistics chain CL, between their preparation site, such as a central kitchen, and a site catering outside the home.

Claims

claims

1. Method for monitoring and controlling the temperature of at least one logistics unit U _L during its batch transport, by a logistics chain C _L , over a non-zero distance for a time t not zero, between a place d shipment E and a place of reception R, said logistics unit U _L containing a product or a set of identical or different products, characterized in that it implements:

at least one temperature sensor C _t made integral with at least one logistics unit U _L per batch transported, said sensor C _t comprising at least one means of direct communication of the measured temperature, at least one energy source and one means memorizing the detected information,

at least one central base B _c for managing the sensors C _t and for processing the data comprising:

(i) - at least one computer O, communicating with a central unit hosting the software necessary for creating and updating a database, for reading and processing the data from said sensors C _t , to the initialization and configuration of said sensors C _t as well as the provision of said data,

(ii) - at least one reading means connected to the computer, capable of collecting the information held by said sensors Q within their storage means, (iii) - at least one distribution means capable of allowing automatic reading said sensors by said reading means,

(iv) - at least one printing means connected to the computer, capable of preparing the means of visual identification of said UL logistics units and the shipping envelopes of said sensors, (v) - at least one means of messaging capable return the sensors from said receiving location R to the central base Bc, then from the central base to the shipping location E or to a new shipping location E ', and characterized in that it comprises the following successive steps : (a) - the configuration and preparation of the sensors C _t at the central base B _c , (b) - the sending of the sensors configured in step (a), to the place of dispatch (E),

(c) - positioning at said location (E) of at least one sensor C _t on at least one logistics unit U per batch transported,

(d) - the activation of the sensors C _t at the end of step (c), (e) - if necessary or if desired, reading the information communicated directly by the sensors C _t to one or more intermediate links in the supply chain C _L ,

(f) - releasing the sensors Ct from the logistic units U _L at their place of reception R, and

(g) - the shipment of the sensors thus released from said location R to the central base Bc.

2. Method as defined in claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises at the end of step (g), a step (h) of unloading the information held in the storage means of said sensors C _t by means of said reading means connected to computer O, as well as their processing by said computer O.

3. Method as defined in claim 2, characterized in that it further comprises at the end of step (h), a step (i) of making said logistical units U, of said logistics units U, of said information processed.

4. Method as defined in one of claims 1 to 3, for continuously monitoring the temperature of at least one logistics unit U _L of fresh food products during its transport by a logistics chain CL, between the site of manufacture of said products and their distribution site.

5. Method as defined in one of claims 1 to 3, for continuously monitoring the temperature of at least one UL logistics unit of frozen food products during its transport by a logistics chain C _L , between their freezing of said products and their distribution site.

6. Method as defined in one of claims 1 to 3, for continuously monitoring the temperature of at least one UL logistics unit for hot cooked meals, during its transport by a C _L logistics chain, between their site and a site for out-of-home collective catering.