Classifying – separating – and assorting solids – Sorting special items – and certain methods and apparatus for... – Signalling – indicating – or display means
Reexamination Certificate
2001-01-18
2004-02-10
Nguyen, Tuan N. (Department: 3653)
Classifying, separating, and assorting solids
Sorting special items, and certain methods and apparatus for...
Signalling, indicating, or display means
C700S115000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06688475
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to systems and arrangements for selecting signage and placards, and more particularly, to a method and apparatus for storing data corresponding to rules and laws, inputting data corresponding to situation or condition, and selecting appropriate signage and/or placards.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is not uncommon for regulations and laws to impose obligations to post signs or placards. Quite often, the laws and regulations are complicated and require the signs or placards that are to be posted to be selected from a plurality of candidates in response to such laws. The trucking and shipping industry is an example of a regulated industry where vehicles, for example, are required to bear signage responsive to the materials being transported. The laws, however, are not limited to placard selection, but also control the condition of the transportation, such as environmental conditions (i.e., ventilation, humidity, heating, and cooling), weight limits, spatial relationships between materials transported within the same vehicle, and even whether certain materials can be transported at all by certain modes of transportation.
A similar situation exists in the warehousing industry. There is often a need in a storage facility to post signage that identifies the materials being stored. In addition, there is a need to identify prohibited conduct in the presence of certain transportable or storable materials, such prohibited conduct including, for example, limitations on smoking, carrying an open flame, failing to wear protective headgear or footwear, using radios or other sources of electromagnetic radiation, failing to wear radiation protection gear or monitors, subjecting material to shaking or impact shock, wetting materials, etc.
It is to be understood that not all limitations on signage or conduct in relation to transportable or storable materials are determined in response to laws and regulations. Signage requirements can additionally be established by policy decisions made by a manager, the transporter or warehouse management, or by agreement with the shipper.
It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a system for selecting placards in response to policy, agreement, regulation, or law.
It is another object of this invention to provide a system and arrangement for selecting one or more safety placards in a transportation or storage environment in response to the material being stored, its characteristics, and requirements derived from policy, agreement, regulation, or law.
It is also an object of this invention to provide a system for determining the transportability of a material, either singularly or in combination with another material.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a system for determining the adequacy of a vehicle to transport a predetermined material in a predetermined quantity. It is additionally an object of this invention to provide.
It is yet a further object of this invention to provide a system and arrangement for marking a container or package of a container with information that identifies its contents.
It is also another object of this invention to provide a system and arrangement for marking a vehicle with information that identifies its cargo.
It is yet an additional object of this invention to provide a system and arrangement for marking a bill of lading or other documents with information that identifies its referenced material(s) in accordance with determined rules.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The foregoing and other objects are achieved by this invention which provides, in accordance with a first system aspect of the invention, a system for determining a relationship between a plurality of transportable materials and a plurality of transportation modes for the transportable materials. The system, which is directed to the selection of appropriate placards for one or more materials that are to be transported, includes the steps of:
placard rules pre-storing in a computer memory placard rules data corresponding to a plurality of predetermined placards, each such placard corresponding to a selectable one of a characteristic of a transportable material and a predetermined relationship between a plurality of the transportable materials, and the plurality of transportation modes for the transportable materials;
first materials data inputting of first materials data corresponding to a first predetermined transportable material;
transportation data inputting of transportation data corresponding to a predetermined transportation mode; and
placard selecting one of the plurality of predetermined placards in response to the first materials data, the transportation data, and the placard rules data.
The rules data correspond, in respective embodiments of this first system aspect of the invention, to a variety of types of rules that are applicable to the first material. These include, by way of example and without limitation:
safety rules that are applicable to the transportable material;
if the transportable material is hazardous, safety rules that are applicable to determine whether the hazardous material is transportable;
handling rules that are applicable to the manner by which the transportable material is to be handled;
perishability rules applicable to a perishability characteristic of the transportable material;
contractually derived rules applicable to the transportable material by agreement; and
rules derived under law applicable to the transportable material by operation of law.
In a highly advantageous embodiment of the invention, there is further provided the step of second materials data inputting of second materials data corresponding to a second predetermined transportable material. Of course, the second material is subject to the variety of types of rules that are applicable to the first material. In this embodiment, however, prior to performing the step of second materials data inputting, there is further provided the step of segregation rules pre-storing in the computer memory segregation rules data corresponding to predetermined minimum spatial relationships between the plurality of materials and the plurality of transportation modes for the transportable materials. Thus, for example, materials that would react with each other during transportation are segregated. In this embodiment, therefore, there is further provided the step of segregation determining of a segregation requirement between the first and second transportable materials, in response to the first materials data, the second materials data, the transportation data, and the segregation rules data. Also, even single materials that require isolation from personnel, such as radioactive materials, are accommodated within the scope of the invention.
The present invention includes within its scope transportable materials that have temperature sensitivity. Thus, there is further provided the step of temperature limitations pre-storing in the computer memory materials temperature limitations data corresponding to temperature limits to which the first predetermined transportable material can safely by subjected and to which the second predetermined transportable material can safely be subjected. There is therefore further provided the step of segregation determining of a temperature limitation segregation requirement between the first and second transportable materials. Thus, by way of example and without limitation, materials that cannot withstand freezing are segregated from materials that must be maintained frozen during transportation. The present invention therefore includes within its scope the further step of temperature limitations pre-storing in the computer memory materials temperature limitations data corresponding to temperature limits to which the first predetermined transportable material can safely be subjected.
In a still further embodiment of the invention, there is provided the step of first materials data inputting comprises the further step of quantity inputt
Con-Way Transportation Services, Inc.
Monsanto Raphael A.
Nguyen Tuan N.
Rohm Benita J.
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