Prior art

The USPTO database entry for US patent 11037093 lists several patent citations that were considered as prior art during its examination. The primary priority date for US11037093 is March 30, 2015. Documents with an effective filing date (including priority claims) before this date are relevant for anticipation under 35 U.S.C. § 102.

Below is an analysis of the most relevant prior art citations for US11037093, extracted from the "Patent Citations" section of its Google Patents page:

Prior Art Citations for US11037093

1. US20130238166A1

• Full Citation: US20130238166A1, "Real-time product management systems and methods," Mehring; Peter A. et al.
• Publication/Filing Date: Publication Date: September 12, 2013; Filing Date: March 12, 2013.
• Brief Description: This patent application describes a system and method for real-time product management using sensors to collect condition data (e.g., temperature, humidity, shock) for products in containers. It involves associating a product with a profile of ideal operating parameters, comparing real-time data to these parameters, and sending commands or alerts if conditions deviate. This document shares common inventorship with US11037093.
• Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This reference potentially anticipates several elements of Independent Claim 1, including "receiving... food product history" (through real-time condition data collection), "storage condition information, and temperature history," the concept of "ideal handling and/or process conditions based on a type of the food product," and sending commands in response to deviations from preferred conditions. The general concept of real-time management of product conditions during transport is well-established here.

2. US20140222238A1

• Full Citation: US20140222238A1, "Methods and systems for improving inventory tracking and management," Mehring; Peter A. et al.
• Publication/Filing Date: Publication Date: August 7, 2014; Filing Date: August 29, 2013.
• Brief Description: This patent application, also with common inventorship, focuses on improving inventory tracking and management, particularly for perishable products. It involves using collected product data to optimize logistics.
• Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This document potentially anticipates aspects related to using collected data for managing products, which could encompass "food product history" and implicitly contribute to elements that might lead to a "prioritized delivery scheme."

3. US20150046039A1

• Full Citation: US20150046039A1, "Real-time product management systems and methods," Mehring; Peter A. et al.
• Publication/Filing Date: Publication Date: February 12, 2015; Filing Date: August 29, 2014.
• Brief Description: This application, again with common inventorship, details real-time product management systems, similar to US20130238166A1 but potentially with further refinements. It emphasizes monitoring product conditions and making real-time adjustments or recommendations.
• Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This reference is highly relevant to the core elements of Claim 1, particularly "receiving... food product history," the details of that history (storage time/condition, temperature), and associating products with profiles for "ideal handling and/or process conditions." It also covers the general idea of actively managing conditions during delivery.

4. US20150254641A1

• Full Citation: US20150254641A1, "System and method for identifying and tracking individual items of produce through the supply chain," Saper; Jeffrey L. et al.
• Publication/Filing Date: Publication Date: September 10, 2015; Filing Date: March 7, 2014.
• Brief Description: This patent application describes a system and method for tracking and monitoring individual items of produce throughout the supply chain, including collecting sensor data related to conditions.
• Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This document anticipates "receiving, by a computer, a food product history" and details within that history such as "storage time information, storage condition information, and temperature history." The concept of tracking conditions through the supply chain for perishable goods is clearly present.

5. US20150247738A1

• Full Citation: US20150247738A1, "Data driven intelligent sensor systems," Mehary; Kenneth J.
• Publication/Filing Date: Publication Date: September 3, 2015; Filing Date: March 3, 2014.
• Brief Description: This application focuses on intelligent sensor systems that use collected data to make decisions or provide insights, particularly in various logistical contexts.
• Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This could potentially anticipate the "receiving... food product history" and the broader "evaluating... a freshness metric... based on the food product history" aspects, as it discusses data-driven intelligence from sensors.

6. US20150262143A1

• Full Citation: US20150262143A1, "Tracking and monitoring system," White; Timothy W. et al.
• Publication/Filing Date: Publication Date: September 17, 2015; Filing Date: March 12, 2014.
• Brief Description: This patent application describes a tracking and monitoring system for various assets, potentially including perishable goods, to ensure proper handling and conditions.
• Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This reference potentially anticipates the "receiving... food product history" and the monitoring of "storage condition information, and temperature history" elements of Claim 1.

7. US9152912B2

• Full Citation: US9152912B2, "System and method for predicting ripeness," Goldin; Daniel S. et al.
• Publication/Filing Date: Publication Date: October 6, 2015; Filing Date: March 24, 2014.
• Brief Description: This patent describes a system and method for predicting the ripeness of produce, which involves collecting data about the product and its environment.
• Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This document is highly relevant to "evaluating, by the computer, a freshness metric for each of the food products" and the use of "food product history" (including implied expiration/quality aspects) to make determinations about the product's state.

8. US20150338304A1

• Full Citation: US20150338304A1, "Integrated quality tracking systems and methods for perishable food products," Lutes; Donald J. et al.
• Publication/Filing Date: Publication Date: November 26, 2015; Effective Priority Date: May 20, 2014 (from US Provisional Application No. 61/995,953).
• Brief Description: This application explicitly describes integrated systems for tracking and managing the quality of perishable food products throughout their lifecycle, including during transit, using sensor data and quality metrics.
• Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This is a very strong potential anticipatory reference. It directly addresses "food product history," "storage condition information," "temperature history," "evaluating a freshness metric," and maintaining "preferred ranges for the ideal handling and/or process conditions." The overall scope of quality tracking for perishable food products during delivery directly overlaps with the subject matter of Claim 1.

9. US20160086026A1

• Full Citation: US20160086026A1, "System and method for generating a product status," Mehring; Peter A. et al.
• Publication/Filing Date: Publication Date: March 24, 2016; Effective Priority Date: September 30, 2014 (from US Provisional Application No. 62/057,750).
• Brief Description: This patent application, with common inventorship, describes systems and methods for generating a product status based on collected data, which can be used to inform decisions about the product.
• Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): Highly relevant to the "evaluating a freshness metric" and the use of "food product history" to determine the condition and status of food products.

10. US20160098748A1

• Full Citation: US20160098748A1, "Actively managed food delivery," Mehring; Peter A. et al.
• Publication/Filing Date: Publication Date: April 7, 2016; Effective Priority Date: September 30, 2014 (from US Provisional Application No. 62/057,750).
• Brief Description: This patent application shares the exact title "Actively managed food delivery" and common inventorship with US11037093. It details a system for actively managing food delivery, including receiving food product history, determining ideal conditions, and adjusting delivery processes.
• Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): Given the identical title and common inventorship, this document is highly likely to disclose many, if not all, of the features of Independent Claim 1, potentially anticipating it entirely or presenting obviousness grounds in combination with other references. This would cover "receiving food product history," "evaluating a freshness metric," "determining a delivery time window," and the overall "prioritized delivery scheme."

11. US20160086027A1

• Full Citation: US20160086027A1, "Methods and systems for monitoring delivery processes," Mehring; Peter A. et al.
• Publication/Filing Date: Publication Date: March 24, 2016; Effective Priority Date: September 30, 2014 (from US Provisional Application No. 62/057,750).
• Brief Description: This application, with common inventorship, describes monitoring delivery processes to ensure products are handled according to predefined parameters.
• Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): Relevant to the broad concept of managing and monitoring conditions during delivery, including aspects of "food product history" and maintaining "preferred ranges."

12. US20160086036A1

• Full Citation: US20160086036A1, "Methods and systems for improving product quality," Mehring; Peter A. et al.
• Publication/Filing Date: Publication Date: March 24, 2016; Effective Priority Date: September 30, 2014 (from US Provisional Application No. 62/057,750).
• Brief Description: This application, with common inventorship, focuses on methods and systems for improving product quality, often through monitoring and intervention during the supply chain.
• Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): Relevant to "evaluating a freshness metric" and ensuring "ideal handling and/or process conditions."

13. US20150285664A1

• Full Citation: US20150285664A1, "Real-time product management systems and methods," Mehring; Peter A. et al.
• Publication/Filing Date: Publication Date: October 8, 2015; Filing Date: March 30, 2015.
• Brief Description: This application, with common inventorship, has a filing date identical to the priority date of US11037093's underlying provisional application. It discloses a product management system that uses real-time condition information to apply a freshness metric to the product and manage its shelf life. This strongly suggests it is a related application in the same patent family.
• Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): If not excluded by common inventorship/ownership exceptions, this document is highly likely to anticipate the core elements of Independent Claim 1, including "receiving food product history," "evaluating a freshness metric," "determining a delivery time window," and "prioritized delivery scheme," as it describes a system using a freshness metric for product management based on real-time data.

Key Observation regarding common inventorship:
A significant number of the cited prior art documents share Peter A. Mehring as a common inventor with US11037093. While these documents are listed as prior art, their ultimate effect on the patentability of US11037093's claims under 35 U.S.C. § 102 would depend on further analysis of common ownership, joint research agreements, and whether the cited documents disclose the "same invention" or merely similar subject matter. However, for the purpose of identifying "potentially anticipates," their technical disclosures are highly relevant to the elements of Claim 1.