Food-quality and shelf-life predicting method and system

• US 20020163436A1
• Filed: 02/01/2002
• Published: 11/07/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Emerson Digital Cold Chain Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Emerson Retail Services, Inc. (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Singh, Abtar, Mathews, Thomas J., Wickberg, Paul, Starling, Neal
• Granted Patent: US 6,549,135 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/584
• CPC Class Codes: A23G 9/00 Frozen sweets, e.g. ice confectionery, ice-cream; Mixtures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 3/00 Preservation of foods or foodstuffs, in general, e.g. pasteurising, sterilising, specially adapted for foods or foodstuffs preserving foods or foodstuffs in association with packaging B65B55/00
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 3/36 Freezing; Subsequent thawing; Cooling
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2400/075 with parallel compressors
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2400/22 Refrigeration systems for supermarkets
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2600/07 Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2700/195 of the condenser
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 49/005 of safety devices F25B49/02 and F25B49/04 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 5/00 Compression machines, plants or systems, with several evaporator circuits, e.g. for varying refrigerating capacity with cascade operation F25B7/00
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2400/36 Visual displays
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2700/12 Sensors measuring the inside temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2700/14 Sensors measuring the temperature outside the refrigerator or freezer
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2700/16 Sensors measuring the temperature of products
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 29/00 Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2223/06 Remote monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0272 Presentation of monitored results, e.g. selection of status reports to be displayed; Filtering information to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

A system is provided for monitoring the food product of a remote food product retailer. The system includes a management center in communication with the remote food product retailer via a communication network. The communication network is accessible via a user interface that may be located at any of the management center, the remote location or some other location. The management center gathers food product temperature information and uses that information to determine whether the shelved food product is within acceptable food safety and quality limits. If the food product exceeds these limits, an alarm is sounded at either the management center and the remote location. The user interface is operable to monitor the status of the food product via a selection of screens and remotely respond to the alarms.

Claims

1. A system for monitoring food product of a remote location, the system comprising:

a communication network; and

a management center in communication with said remote location through said communication network, said management center receiving food product temperature information from the remote location for determining whether a limit has been achieved.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein an alarm is provided at either of the remote location and said management center if said limit is achieved.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said limit is a food safety limit, whereby the food product includes an associated, variable bacteria count that has achieved a potentially harmful level.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said limit is a food quality limit, whereby the food product includes an associated, variable bacteria count that has achieved an undesirable level.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said management center is given a temperature set point and a time set point for determining said limit as a function of said temperature set point and said time set point, whereby said limit is achieved if said food product temperature exceeds said temperature set point for a consecutive time period that is greater than said time set point.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said management center determines a set point as a function of a bacterial growth rate of the food product and integrates said food product temperature with respect to time, wherein said limit is achieved if said integration is greater than said set point.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said management center is given a bacteria count set point as a function of bacteria type and determines a bacteria count as a function of said food product temperature and time, wherein said limit is achieved if said bacteria count achieves said bacteria count set point.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein said management center includes a user interface for displaying a status of the food product with respect to said limit.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the remote location includes a user interface for displaying a status of the food product with respect to said limit.

10. A system for monitoring food product of a remote location, the system comprising:

a communication network;

a management center in communication with said remote location through said communication network and receiving food product temperature information from the remote location for providing a user interface with an alarm when an associated limit has been achieved.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein said user interface includes a display for providing a status of said alarm.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein said user interface is operable for communicating with one of either said management center and the remote location in response to said alarm.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein said user interface displays a status of the food product with respect to said limit.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein said limit is a food safety limit, whereby the food product includes an associated, variable bacteria count that has achieved a potentially harmful level.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein said limit is a food quality limit, whereby the food product includes an associated, variable bacteria count that has achieved an undesirable level.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein said management center is given a temperature set point and a time set point for determining said limit as a function of said temperature set point and said time set point, whereby said limit is achieved if said food product temperature exceeds said temperature set point for a consecutive time period that is greater than said time set point.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein said management center determines a set point as a function of a bacterial growth rate of the food product and integrates said food product temperature with respect to time, wherein said limit is achieved if said integration is greater than said set point.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein said management center is given a bacteria count set point as a function of bacteria type for determining a bacteria count as a function of said food product temperature and time, wherein said limit is achieved if said bacteria count achieves said bacteria count set point.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising the steps of:

setting a second indication limit;

providing an initial count for a second bacteria type;

periodically calculating a bacteria count for said second bacteria type as a function of said initial count for said second bacteria type and said temperature; and

providing an indication when said bacteria count of said second bacteria type achieves said second indication limit.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein said first bacteria type is one of pathogen bacteria and spoiler bacteria and wherein said second bacteria type is the other of said pathogen bacteria and spoiler bacteria.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein periodically calculating a bacteria count of either of said first and second bacteria types is further a function of a food product type.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising the step of monitoring a temperature of said first plurality of the food product type within the refrigeration case over said first period corresponding to said first counter.

25. The method of claim 23, further comprising the step of monitoring a temperature of said second plurality of the food product type within the refrigeration case over said second period corresponding to said second counter.

26. The method of claim 23, further comprising the step of resetting either of said first and second counters upon respective removal of either of said first and second pluralities of the food product type from the refrigeration case.

19. A method for indicating to a food product retailer a characteristic of food product stored within a retailer, comprising the steps of:

setting a first indication limit;

providing an initial count for a first bacteria type;

monitoring a temperature of the food product;

periodically calculating a bacteria count for said first bacteria type as a function of said initial count for said first bacteria type and said temperature; and

providing an indication when said bacteria count of said first bacteria type achieves said first indication limit.

23. A method of predicting a shelf-life of food product type stored within a refrigeration case, comprising the steps of:

determining a bacteria count limit for the food product type;

initiating a first counter corresponding to placement of a first plurality of the food product type within the refrigeration case;

initiating a second counter corresponding to placement of a second plurality of the food product type within the refrigeration case;

determining a bacteria count of said first plurality of the food product type within the refrigeration case over a first period corresponding to said first counter;

determining a bacteria count of said second plurality of the food product type within the refrigeration case over a second period corresponding to said second counter;

removing either of said first and second pluralities of the food product type from the refrigeration case when said bacteria count limit has been achieved for either of said first and second pluralities of the food product type.