Food supply chain automation grocery information system and method

• US 10,395,207 B2
• Filed: 10/11/2016
• Issued: 08/27/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Jung, Edward K. Y., Levien, Royce A., Malamud, Mark A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Danneman, Paul
• Application Number:
  US15/290,942
• Publication Number:
  US 20170098187A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,050 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 25/72 Investigating presence of flaws
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/02 Food
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10009 sensing by radiation using wavelengths larger than 0.1 mm, e.g. radio-waves or microwaves
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0637 Strategic management or analysis, e.g. setting a goal or target of an organisation; Planning actions based on goals; Analysis or evaluation of effectiveness of goals
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0832 Special goods or special handling procedures, e.g. handling of hazardous or fragile goods
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data

Abstract

A computationally implemented system and method that is designed to, but is not limited to: electronically storing grocery operations information regarding at least in part one or more grocery implementation aspects pertaining to grocery related merchandizing of one or more commercial grocery products; and electronically associating at least a portion of grocery operations information concerning at least in part one or more grocery implementation aspects pertaining to grocery related merchandizing of one or more commercial grocery products with identification information obtainable through one or more tags said one or more tags logged as being at least temporarily within at least a vicinity of one or more food based substances. In addition to the foregoing, other method aspects are described in the claims, drawings, and text forming a part of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A system for prevention of unsafe foods from advancing through a supply chain, comprising:

circuitry configured for receiving one or more indications of one or more remote sensor measurements corresponding to one or more shipments of one or more foods to one or more destinations;

circuitry configured for maintaining a food safety database including at least (a) one or more food safety criteria relating to one or more foods, (b) one or more tracers corresponding to the one or more shipments of one or more foods to one or more destinations, and (c) at least one received indication of the one or more remote sensor measurements in association with at least one of the one or more shipments of one or more foods to one or more destinations;

circuitry configured for comparing at least one food safety criteria associated with at least one food and at least one remote sensor measurement corresponding to at least one shipment including the at least one food;

circuitry configured for generating at least one alert responsive to at least one indication of at least one unsafe food shipment at least partially based on comparing the at least one food safety criteria associated with the at least one food and the at least one remote sensor measurement corresponding to the at least one shipment including the at least one food, the at least one alert including at least one tracer of the one or more tracers that corresponds to the at least one unsafe food shipment; and

circuitry configured for controlling at least one remote emitter to mark at least one container of the at least one food with at least one indication that the at least one container of the at least one food is not in compliance with the at least one food safety criteria associated with the at least one food.

2. The system for prevention of unsafe foods from advancing through a supply chain of claim 1, wherein circuitry configured for receiving one or more indications of one or more remote sensor measurements corresponding to one or more shipments of one or more foods to one or more destinations comprises:

circuitry configured for receiving at least one indication of at least one temperature sensor associated with at least one trucking container containing at least one food associated with at least one food safety criteria.

3. The system for prevention of unsafe foods from advancing through a supply chain of claim 2, wherein circuitry configured for receiving at least one indication of at least one temperature sensor associated with at least one trucking container containing at least one food associated with at least one food safety criteria comprises:

circuitry configured for receiving at least one indication of at least one amount of time that the at least one food associated with the at least one food safety criteria was exposed to at least one temperature sensed by the at least one temperature sensor.

4. The system for prevention of unsafe foods from advancing through a supply chain of claim 1, wherein circuitry configured for receiving one or more indications of one or more remote sensor measurements corresponding to one or more shipments of one or more foods to one or more destinations comprises:

circuitry configured for receiving at least one indication of at least one time at which at least one RFID reader associated with at least one receiving dock detected at least one container passing through the at least one receiving dock.

5. The system for prevention of unsafe foods from advancing through a supply chain of claim 1, wherein circuitry configured for receiving one or more indications of one or more remote sensor measurements corresponding to one or more shipments of one or more foods to one or more destinations comprises:

circuitry configured for receiving at least one indication of one or more of the at least one remote emitter or at least one other remote emitter having marked at least one container of at least one food with at least one other tracer while passing through at least one receiving dock.

6. The system for prevention of unsafe foods from advancing through a supply chain of claim 1, wherein circuitry configured for maintaining a food safety database including at least (a) one or more food safety criteria relating to one or more foods, (b) one or more tracers corresponding to the one or more shipments of one or more foods to one or more destinations, and (c) at least one received indication of the one or more remote sensor measurements in association with at least one of the one or more shipments of one or more foods to one or more destinations comprises:

circuitry configured for maintaining a food safety database including at least one or more food safety criteria including at least one or more maximum temperature values associated with the one or more foods.

7. The system for prevention of unsafe foods from advancing through a supply chain of claim 6, wherein circuitry configured for maintaining a food safety database including at least one or more food safety criteria including at least one or more maximum temperature values associated with the one or more foods comprises:

circuitry configured for maintaining at least one cold storage food safety criteria including at least one food safety protocol associated with at least one food, the at least one food safety protocol including at least a first maximum temperature value and a first duration of storage associated with the at least one food and a second maximum temperature value and a second duration of storage associated with the at least one food, the at least one food safety protocol associated with the at least one food including at least an inversely proportional relation between maximum temperature and duration of storage of the at least one food.

8. The system for prevention of unsafe foods from advancing through a supply chain of claim 1, wherein circuitry configured for maintaining a food safety database including at least (a) one or more food safety criteria relating to one or more foods, (b) one or more tracers corresponding to the one or more shipments of one or more foods to one or more destinations, and (c) at least one received indication of the one or more remote sensor measurements in association with at least one of the one or more shipments of one or more foods to one or more destinations comprises:

circuitry configured for maintaining a food safety database including at least one or more identifiers associated with one or more RFID tags adhered to one or more containers associated with at least one shipment of the one or more foods to the one or more destinations as the one or more tracers corresponding to the at least one shipment and at least one shipment time associated with the at least one shipment of the one or more foods to the one or more destinations.

9. The system for prevention of unsafe foods from advancing through a supply chain of claim 1, wherein circuitry configured for comparing at least one food safety criteria associated with at least one food and at least one remote sensor measurement corresponding to at least one shipment including the at least one food comprises:

circuitry configured for comparing at least one maximum temperature value for storage of the at least one food with at least one temperature received from at least one remote temperature sensor attached to at least one container of the at least one food to determine whether the at least one maximum temperature was exceeded during the at least one shipment including the at least one food.

10. The system for prevention of unsafe foods from advancing through a supply chain of claim 1, wherein circuitry configured for comparing at least one food safety criteria associated with at least one food and at least one remote sensor measurement corresponding to at least one shipment including the at least one food comprises:

circuitry configured for determining, at least partially based on at least one detection of at least one nitrogen sensor, at least one loss of packed gas within at least one container of the at least one food indicative of the at least one container being opened during the at least one shipment.

11. The system for prevention of unsafe foods from advancing through a supply chain of claim 1, wherein circuitry configured for comparing at least one food safety criteria associated with at least one food and at least one remote sensor measurement corresponding to at least one shipment including the at least one food comprises:

circuitry configured for determining, at least partially based on image recognition of at least one image captured by at least one image sensor attached to at least one container of the at least one food during the at least one shipment, at least one spoliation condition of the at least one food at least partially based on at least one light condition detected via the image recognition, the at least one food associated with at least one food safety criteria including storage of the at least one food in dark conditions.

12. The system for prevention of unsafe foods from advancing through a supply chain of claim 1, wherein circuitry configured for comparing at least one food safety criteria associated with at least one food and at least one remote sensor measurement corresponding to at least one shipment including the at least one food comprises:

circuitry configured for determining, at least partially based on image recognition of at least one image captured by at least one image sensor attached to at least one container of the at least one food during the at least one shipment, at least one condition related to handling of the at least one container of the at least one food, including at least determining whether at least one worker handling the at least one food has taken adequate food safety measures in accordance with the at least one food safety criteria.

13. The system for prevention of unsafe foods from advancing through a supply chain of claim 1, wherein circuitry configured for comparing at least one food safety criteria associated with at least one food and at least one remote sensor measurement corresponding to at least one shipment including the at least one food comprises:

circuitry configured for comparing at least one maximum pesticide level associated with the at least one food with at least one value received from at least one remote oxygen sensor located within at least one receiving dock through which at least one container of the at least one food is passing to determine whether the at least one pesticide level was exceeded during production of the at least one food.

14. The system for prevention of unsafe foods from advancing through a supply chain of claim 1, wherein circuitry configured for generating at least one alert responsive to at least one indication of at least one unsafe food shipment at least partially based on comparing the at least one food safety criteria associated with the at least one food and the at least one remote sensor measurement corresponding to the at least one shipment including the at least one food, the at least one alert including at least one tracer of the one or more tracers that corresponds to the at least one unsafe food shipment comprises:

circuitry configured for transmitting at least one request for at least one change in temperature of at least one conveyance transporting the at least one shipment including the at least one food at least partially based on the comparing the at least one food safety criteria associated with the at least one food and the at least one remote sensor measurement indicating that a maximum temperature value associated with storage of the at least one food is about to be exceeded during the at least one shipment.

15. The system for prevention of unsafe foods from advancing through a supply chain of claim 1, wherein circuitry configured for generating at least one alert responsive to at least one indication of at least one unsafe food shipment at least partially based on comparing the at least one food safety criteria associated with the at least one food and the at least one remote sensor measurement corresponding to the at least one shipment including the at least one food, the at least one alert including at least one tracer of the one or more tracers that corresponds to the at least one unsafe food shipment comprises:

circuitry configured for transmitting at least one alert to initiate at least one test event of the at least one food at the at least one destination subsequent to the at least one shipment arriving at the at least one destination at least partially based on the comparing the at least one food safety criteria associated with the at least one food and the at least one remote sensor measurement indicating that a maximum temperature value associated with storage of the at least one food was exceeded during the at least one shipment.

16. The system for prevention of unsafe foods from advancing through a supply chain of claim 1, wherein circuitry configured for generating at least one alert responsive to at least one indication of at least one unsafe food shipment at least partially based on comparing the at least one food safety criteria associated with the at least one food and the at least one remote sensor measurement corresponding to the at least one shipment including the at least one food, the at least one alert including at least one tracer of the one or more tracers that corresponds to the at least one unsafe food shipment comprises:

circuitry configured for transmitting at least one alert regarding payment for the at least one food at least partially based on the comparing the at least one food safety criteria associated with the at least one food and the at least one remote sensor measurement indicating at least one requirement against sale of fraudulent product was violated at least partially based on obtaining at least one image of at least one fraudulent label affixed to one or more of the at least one container or at least one other container of the at least one food from at least one remote image sensor.

17. The system for prevention of unsafe foods from advancing through a supply chain of claim 1, wherein circuitry configured for controlling at least one remote emitter to mark at least one container of the at least one food with at least one indication that the at least one container of the at least one food is not in compliance with the at least one food safety criteria associated with the at least one food comprises:

circuitry configured for controlling the at least one remote emitter to mark the at least one container of the at least one food with one or more of at least one electronic, at least one magnetic, at least one invisible, at least one chemical, at least one dna, or at least one encrypted indication that the at least one container of the at least one food is not in compliance with the at least one food safety criteria associated with the at least one food.

18. The system for prevention of unsafe foods from advancing through a supply chain of claim 1, further comprising:

circuitry configured for determining at least one payment associated with the at least one shipment including the at least one food according to at least one percentage of the at least one food meeting at least one food safety criteria associated with the at least one food at least partially based on one or more comparisons of the at least one food safety criteria associated with the at least one food and one or more received remote sensor measurements during the at least one shipment.

19. A method for prevention of unsafe foods from advancing through a supply chain, comprising:

receiving one or more indications of one or more remote sensor measurements corresponding to one or more shipments of one or more foods to one or more destinations;

maintaining a food safety database including at least (a) one or more food safety criteria relating to one or more foods, (b) one or more tracers corresponding to the one or more shipments of one or more foods to one or more destinations, and (c) at least one received indication of the one or more remote sensor measurements in association with at least one of the one or more shipments of one or more foods to one or more destinations;

comparing at least one food safety criteria associated with at least one food and at least one remote sensor measurement corresponding to at least one shipment including the at least one food;

generating at least one alert responsive to at least one indication of at least one unsafe food shipment at least partially based on comparing the at least one food safety criteria associated with the at least one food and the at least one remote sensor measurement corresponding to the at least one shipment including the at least one food, the at least one alert including at least one tracer of the one or more tracers that corresponds to the at least one unsafe food shipment; and

controlling at least one remote emitter to mark at least one container of the at least one food with at least one indication that the at least one container of the at least one food is not in compliance with the at least one food safety criteria associated with the at least one food,

wherein at least one of the receiving, maintaining, comparing, generating, or controlling is at least partially implemented using at least one processing device.

20. A system for prevention of unsafe foods from advancing through a supply chain, comprising:

at least one computing device; and

one or more instructions which, when executed by the at least one computing device, cause the at least one computing device to perform one or more operations including at least;

receiving one or more indications of one or more remote temperature sensors attached to one or more containers of one or more foods associated with one or more shipments to one or more destinations;

maintaining a food safety database including at least (a) one or more food safety criteria relating to maximum temperature for storage of one or more foods, (b) one or more tracers corresponding to the one or more shipments of one or more foods to one or more destinations, and (c) at least one received temperature of the one or more remote temperature sensors in association with at least one of the one or more shipments of one or more foods to one or more destinations;

comparing at least one food safety criteria relating to maximum temperature for storage of at least one food and at least one temperature obtained by at least one remote temperature sensor during at least one shipment including the at least one food;

generating at least one alert responsive to at least one determination of the at least one shipment of the at least one food including at least one unsafe portion at least partially based on the comparing the at least one food safety criteria relating to maximum temperature for storage of at least one food indicating that the maximum temperature for storage of the at least one food was exceeded during the at least one shipment;

controlling at least one remote emitter to mark at least one container of the at least one food with at least one indication that the at least one container of the at least one food is not in compliance with the at least one food safety criteria relating to maximum temperature associated with the at least one food; and

transmitting at least one alert to initiate at least one test event of the at least one food contained by the marked at least one container at the at least one destination subsequent to the at least one shipment arriving at the at least one destination at least partially based on the at least one indication that the at least one container of the at least one food is not in compliance with the at least one food safety criteria relating to maximum temperature associated with the at least one food.