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Methods and systems for monitoring weight loss from casks storing fluid

DT Whisky Solutions, Inc.
2024
Online Patent

Titel:
Methods and systems for monitoring weight loss from casks storing fluid
Autor/in / Beteiligte Person: DT Whisky Solutions, Inc.
Link:
Veröffentlichung: 2024
Medientyp: Patent
Sonstiges:
  • Nachgewiesen in: USPTO Patent Grants
  • Sprachen: English
  • Patent Number: 11954,554
  • Publication Date: April 09, 2024
  • Appl. No: 17/832629
  • Application Filed: June 04, 2022
  • Assignees: DT Whisky Solutions, Inc. (Fort Worth, TX, US)
  • Claim: 1. A Cask Identification and Evaporation Monitoring (CIEM) system comprising: one or more CIEM subsystems, each of the one or more CIEM subsystems comprising: a load cell disposed in a load path between a cask and a support frame; a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) reader disposed in close proximity to the cask; and a local controller communicatively coupled to the load cell and the RFID reader, the local controller configured to: receive a signal from the load cell indicative of a current weight associated with at least a portion of the cask; receive a signal from the RFID reader, the signal indicative of an identification code encoded onto an RFID tag fixed to the cask; and a CIEM tracking server communicatively coupled to the local controller, the CIEM tracking server configured to: receive the signal indicative of the current weight associated with at least a portion of the cask; receive the signal indicative of the identification code; determine a first cumulative amount of weight loss from the cask based on a difference between the current weight and a weight of the cask measured by the load cell at an earlier instance; and determine a location of the cask in a storage facility based on the identification code.
  • Claim: 2. The CIEM system of claim 1 , wherein the each of the one or more CIEM subsystems further comprising: an accelerometer disposed on a structure that moves with the cask while the cask is in contact with the support frame.
  • Claim: 3. The CIEM system of claim 1 , wherein the each of the one or more CIEM subsystems further comprising: an alcohol vapor sensor disposed in a bung that closes a fill hole of the cask.
  • Claim: 4. The CIEM system of claim 1 , wherein the each of the one or more CIEM subsystems further comprising: a battery electrically coupled to the load cell and the RFID reader, wherein the battery provides electrical power to the load cell and RFID reader.
  • Claim: 5. The CIEM system of claim 1 , wherein the CIEM tracking server is further configured to: determine an incremental weight loss from the cask based on a difference between the current weight and a weight of the cask measured by the load cell at the previous sampling instance; and communicate an alert to a user of the CIEM system if the difference exceeds a predetermined threshold value.
  • Claim: 6. The CIEM system of claim 5 , wherein the CIEM tracking server is further configured to: communicate a control command to the local controller if the difference exceeds the predetermined threshold value, wherein the control command causes the local controller to reduce a time interval between measurements of the cask by the load cell.
  • Claim: 7. The CIEM system of claim 1 , wherein the local controller powers down the load cell and the RFID reader between measurements.
  • Claim: 8. A method comprising: measuring an acceleration of a structure in a load path between a cask and a support frame when the cask is in contact with the support frame; communicating an interrupt signal to a controller if the measured acceleration exceeds a predetermined threshold value, wherein the interrupt signal causes the controller to transition from a minimal power operating mode at a transition time; receiving a signal from an RFID reader after the transition from the minimal power operating mode, the signal indicative of an identification code encoded onto an RFID tag fixed to the cask; receiving a first signal from a load cell disposed in a load path between the cask and the support frame after a predetermined settling time has elapsed after the transition time, the first signal indicative of an initial weight associated with at least a portion of the cask; and receiving a second signal from the load cell after the first signal, the second signal indicative of a current weight associated with at least a portion of the cask.
  • Claim: 9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the measuring of the acceleration involves an accelerometer, wherein the accelerometer is a piezoelectric based sensor, and wherein the interrupt signal is generated by the piezoelectric based sensor.
  • Claim: 10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising: determining a first cumulative amount of weight loss from the cask based on a difference between the current weight and the initial weight of the cask.
  • Claim: 11. The method of claim 8 , further comprising: determining a location of the cask in a storage facility based on the identification code.
  • Claim: 12. The method of claim 8 , further comprising: receiving a signal from an alcohol vapor sensor disposed in a bung that closes a fill hole of the cask, the signal indicative of an alcohol content of a liquor stored in the cask.
  • Claim: 13. The method of claim 8 , further comprising: providing an amount of electrical power to the load cell and the RFID reader from a battery.
  • Claim: 14. The method of claim 8 , further comprising: determining an incremental weight loss from the cask based on a difference between the current weight and a weight of the cask measured by the load cell at a previous sampling instance; and communicating an alert message to a user of a Cask Identification and Evaporation Monitoring (CIEM) system if the difference exceeds a predetermined threshold value.
  • Claim: 15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising: reducing a time interval between measurements of the cask by the load cell if the difference exceeds the predetermined threshold value.
  • Claim: 16. The method of claim 8 , further comprising: powering down the load cell and the RFID reader between measurements.
  • Claim: 17. A Cask Identification and Evaporation Monitoring (CIEM) system comprising: one or more CIEM subsystems, each of the one or more CIEM subsystems comprising: a load cell disposed in a load path between a cask and a support frame; a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) reader disposed in close proximity to the cask; and a first non-transitory, computer readable medium comprising instructions that when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to: receive a signal from the load cell indicative of a current weight associated with at least a portion of the cask; receive a signal from the RFID reader, the signal indicative of an identification code encoded onto an RFID tag fixed to the cask; and a second non-transitory, computer readable medium comprising instructions that when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to: receive the signal indicative of the current weight associated with at least a portion of the cask; receive the signal indicative of the identification code; determine a first cumulative amount of weight loss from the cask based on a difference between the current weight and a weight of the cask measured by the load cell at an earlier instance; and determine a location of the cask in a storage facility based on the identification code.
  • Claim: 18. The CIEM system of claim 17 , wherein the each of the one or more CIEM subsystems further comprising: a battery electrically coupled to the load cell and the RFID reader, wherein the battery provides electrical power to the load cell and RFID reader.
  • Claim: 19. The CIEM system of claim 17 , wherein the second non-transitory, computer readable medium comprising instructions that when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to: determine an incremental weight loss from the cask based on a difference between the current weight and a weight of the cask measured by the load cell at the previous sampling instance; and communicate an alert to a user of the CIEM system if the difference exceeds a predetermined threshold value.
  • Claim: 20. The CIEM system of claim 17 , wherein the second non-transitory, computer readable medium comprising instructions that when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to: reduce a time interval between measurements of the cask by the load cell if the difference exceeds the predetermined threshold value.
  • Patent References Cited: 10889787 January 2021 Fearnside ; 20060113369 June 2006 Taylor ; 20150253174 September 2015 Barrett ; 20210253340 August 2021 Nall
  • Primary Examiner: Kim, Ahshik
  • Attorney, Agent or Firm: Spano Law Group ; Spano, Joseph S.

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