A beverage apparatus, the beverage apparatus being hand-holdable by a user of the beverage apparatus to be portable, can include a beverage chamber housing that includes a chamber for storing a consumable liquid. The beverage apparatus can include a dispensing assembly that includes a receptacle. The receptacle can retain a vessel. The vessel can include an electronic tag and can contain an additive. The dispensing assembly can be operatively controllable by a controller to output the additive from the vessel into the consumable liquid. The beverage apparatus can include one or more sensors, devices, or assemblies that can be used to detect a volume of liquid in the chamber or a liquid level in the chamber. The beverage apparatus can include an apparatus processing portion (ACP) and an apparatus database portion.

A collectable absorber canister has a predetermined outer configuration selected from the group consisting of an organic shape, an inorganic shape, and a composite shape. A collecting device stores the collectable absorber canister.

A theft-proof packaging system includes a product package having a clear compartment configured to encapsulate a product that is pneumatically vacuumized below a surrounding environment. A pressure sensor assembly is located within the compartment, the pressure sensor assembly including a pressure sensor, a power source electrically connected to the pressure sensor, and a transmitter electrically connected to the power source. The transmitter is configured to send a signal and a receiving unit located outside the compartment of the product package and disposed remote from the product package receives said signal and sounds an alarm. The pressure sensor assembly is configured to detect a change in pressure inside the compartment and then send the signal to the receiving unit activating the alarm. A passive RFID tag is located within the compartment and configured to be detected when it passes through a walk-through scanner activating a second alarm.

An interactive beverage container includes a beverage container that defines an opening which may be sealed by a closure. The closure may further include circuity that is configured to transmit data to a mobile device. When the closure is in a closed configuration with the closure attached to the opening, the circuitry does not transmit data to the mobile device and when the closure is in an open configuration with the closure removed from the opening, the circuitry transmits data to the mobile device. The data may include nutritional information, marketing materials, videos, track loyalty programs, and/or provide games or contests.

A system for managing lifecycles of pallets remotely located from one or more servers has at least a first database defining information for managing the lifecycles of the plurality of pallets. Each of the plurality of pallets has a pallet monitoring device physically coupled thereto. The system includes one or more pallet management components communicatively coupled to, and remotely located from, the one or more servers, and each pallet management component manages, at least in part, a lifecycle of one or more of the plurality of pallets based at least in part on the information defined in the first database. At least one of the one or more pallet management components may be included in a pallet monitoring device physically coupled to the one or more pallets, and the pallet monitoring device may be in direct communication with at least one of the one or more servers.

An enhanced shipping container apparatus generally includes a shipping container housing, sensor-based ID nodes in different locations on the housing, and a command node mounted to the housing. The ID nodes have environmental sensors that generate sensor data on an environmental condition proximate each respective ID node. The command node is programmatically configured to detect sensor data broadcasted from the ID nodes; identify an environmental anomaly for the shipping container when the detected sensor data does not include sensor data from a threshold number of ID nodes and when sensor data detected indicates an environmental condition exceeding an environmental threshold; and initiate a mediation response related to a targeted mediation action (identified by the command node) by transmitting a layered alert notification to an external transceiver.

Systems for layered initiation of a mediation response to a battery-related environmental anomaly may have a node-enabled battery, a secondary sensor-based node disposed next to the node-enabled battery, and a command node. The command node is programmatically configured to be operative to conduct an initial level of anomaly monitoring by monitoring signals from the node-enabled battery over time for unanticipated ceased broadcasting per a profile and monitoring environmental sensor data from the secondary node; identify an initial level of the environmental anomaly when both the unanticipated state of ceased broadcasting is detected and the monitored broadcasted environmental sensor data reflects at least a first threshold difference change in the environmental sensor data; conduct a secondary level of anomaly monitoring of sensor data broadcasts from the secondary node; and broadcasting a layered alert notification to initiate a mediation response to the anomaly based upon the secondary level of anomaly monitoring.

A device for monitoring and managing a pallet includes one or more sensors for determining properties associated with a pallet, which may include a weight of a load of a pallet, and the presence, number and/or location of one or more load items on a pallet. The device may be physically coupled to a pallet, and may include a processing unit coupled to the one or more sensors, the processing unit having one or more interfaces to communicate with the one or more sensors, and one or more interfaces to communicate with one or more networks. The device may include one or more hydraulic mats including one or more pressure sensors, and RFID (UHF) and/or optical code readers for detecting and/or identifying load items. The device may include RFID (NFC) readers for exchange of payment and access information. The device also may include multiple layers, each of which may include one or more cavities for accommodating components of the device.

Systems and methods are described for monitoring, detecting, and initiating a response to an environmental anomaly within a shipping container of packages involves sensor-based ID nodes, a command node and an external transceiver on a transit vehicle. Each ID node generates and broadcasts sensor data on environmental conditions proximate the respective ID node within the shipping container. The command node detects the sensor data from each ID node and compares it with locally maintained context data (an environmental threshold condition) for that ID node to detect the environmental anomaly when sensor data exceeds a respective threshold condition. The command node then generates a layered alert notification related to the environmental anomaly identifying a targeted mediation recipient and targeted mediation action, and establishing a mediation response priority. The command node initiates a mediation response related to the targeted mediation action by transmitting the layered alert notification transmitted to the external transceiver.

A command node designates a group of monitor beacons from wireless ID nodes in different locations in a shipping container where the group further includes a remote monitor beacon located outside a reception range of the command node. The command node programmatically configures another ID node to be a dedicated bridging node providing a dedicated intermediary communication link between the command node and the remote monitor beacon. The command node receives a respective broadcast signal from the monitor beacons (directly or indirectly through the bridging node), monitors those signals for any unanticipated ceased broadcasting, identifies an unresponsive subset of monitor beacons from such monitoring, and detecting an environmental anomaly when the size of the unresponsive subset exceed a threshold setting. The command node then generates an alert notification related to the anomaly and initiates a mediation response for the anomaly by transmitting the alert notification to an external transceiver.