Vision-based measurement of bulk and discrete food products

• US 20060218057A1
• Filed: 04/12/2006
• Published: 09/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HyperActive Technologies, Inc. (Glory Limited)
• Original Assignee: HyperActive Technologies, Inc. (Glory Limited)
• Inventors: Fitzpatrick, Kerien W., Coulter, R. Craig, Gross, Ralph
• Granted Patent: US 8,209,219 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/28
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/04 Forecasting or optimisation specially adapted for administrative or management purposes, e.g. linear programming or "cutting stock problem" market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities G06Q30/0202
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/203 Inventory monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/12 Hotels or restaurants

Abstract

In a real time food production management system and method, real time data about consumers inside or in the vicinity of a food outlet and an amount of prepared food available to serve and/or an amount of food being prepared is electronically generated. Based on the real time data, a demand for an amount of food to be ordered by the consumers in a specified interval immediately succeeding the generation of the real time data is electronically predicted. In addition, at least one of the following is electronically determined based on the real time data: a predicted amount of additional food requiring preparation; the time at least one prepared food product has been available; a length of time that a cooked food component has been cooked; and an amount of a food component, a condiment and/or a topping resides in a food product assembly buffer.

Claims

1. A method of real time food production management comprising:

(a) electronically predicting, based on first real time data, demand for an amount of food to be ordered at a food outlet in a specified interval immediately succeeding the generation of said real time data;

(b) electronically determining, based on second real time data, at least one of the following;

an amount of completed food product in inventory; and

an amount of food product that is being assembled into completed food product;

(c) serving completed food product from said inventory to patrons of said food outlet; and

(d) electronically performing at least one of the following in real time;

determining an amount of additional food product requiring preparation beyond the amount of completed food product in inventory and/or the amount of food product being assembled into completed food product in order to satisfy said predicted demand for an amount of food to be ordered;

determining an interval of time at least one completed food product has been in inventory;

determining an interval of time that a cooked food product component has resided in a cooked food product buffer;

determining an interval of time to assemble at least one completed food product; and

determining an amount at least one of the following;

(i) a food product component;

(ii) a condiment; and

(iii) a topping

residing in a food product assembly buffer based on an initial amount in said buffer and at least one of the following;

the predicted amount of food to be ordered, the amount of completed food product in inventory, and the amount of food product being assembled into completed food product.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the amount of completed food product in inventory and the amount of food product being assembled into completed food product is electronically determined via one or more electronic sensors.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein at least one of said electronic sensors is either a color camera or an infrared camera.

4. A real time food production management system comprising:

means for electronically generating first real time data about food consumers inside or in the vicinity of a food outlet and at least one of the following (i) an amount of prepared food available to serve and (ii) an amount of food being prepared;

means for electronically predicting, based on second real time data, a demand for an amount of food to be ordered by said food consumers in a specified interval immediately succeeding the generation of said real time data; and

means for electronically determining, based on said real time data, at least one of the following;

a predicted amount of additional food requiring preparation in excess of the amount of prepared food and/or the amount of food being prepared in order to satisfy said predicted demand for the amount of food to be ordered;

an interval of time at least one prepared food product has been available to serve;

an interval of time that a cooked food component that can be incorporated into food being prepared has been cooked; and

an amount of at least one of the following;

(i) a food component;

(ii) a condiment used in the food being prepared; and

(iii) a topping

used in the food being prepared residing in a food product assembly buffer based on an initial amount in said buffer and at least one of the following;

the predicted amount of food to be ordered, the amount of prepared food product available to serve, and the amount of food product being prepared.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the means for electronically generating real time data includes at least one electronic sensor and a computer operative for processing the real time data electronically generated by said sensor.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the electronic sensor is a color camera.

7. A real time food production management system comprising:

a plurality of sensors situated inside and in the vicinity of a food outlet for electronically tracking objects inside and in the vicinity of a food outlet to generate electrical signals containing information about;

the presence of food consumers inside and in the vicinity of said food outlet; and

at least one of the following (i) an amount of prepared food in inventory and (ii) an amount of food product being prepared; and

a computer containing a program code, which, upon execution by a processor in said computer, causes said processor to perform the following in real time;

analyze said electrical signals to generate digital data about said food consumers and the at least one of said amount of prepared food product in inventory and said amount of food product being prepared;

predict, based on said digital data, demand for an amount of food product to be ordered by said food consumers a time following generation of said digital data; and

determine, based on said digital data, at least one of the following;

an amount of food product requiring preparation in excess of the at least one of the amount of prepared food product in inventory and the amount of food product being prepared in order to satisfy said predicted demand;

an interval of time at least one prepared food product has been in inventory;

an interval of time that a cooked food product component that can be incorporated into a food product begin prepared has been cooked;

an interval of time to prepare at least one prepared food product; and

a buffer level of at least one of the following;

(i) a food product component;

(ii) a condiment used in the preparation of food product; and

(iii) a topping

used in the preparation of food product, based on an initial level in said buffer and at least one of;

the predicted amount of food to be ordered, the amount of prepared food product in inventory, and the amount of food product being prepared.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the food product is discrete food product, bulk food product or some combination of discrete and bulk food product.

9. A method of real time food production management comprising:

electronically generating real time data about at least one of (i) an amount of prepared food product in inventory and (ii) an amount of food product being prepared; and

electronically determining, based on said real time data, at least one of;

when to dispose of at least one prepared food product that has been in inventory exceeding a first interval of time;

when to dispose of at least one cooked food component that that has been available for incorporation into food product being prepared for an interval exceeding a second interval of time;

a time to commence preparation of at least one prepared food product for inventory; and

a level of a buffer of at least one of the following that can be incorporated into food product being prepared;

(i) a food product component, (ii) a condiment, and (iii) a topping.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein electronically generating real time data includes electronically tracking and counting at least one of the following:

one or more food product components that can be incorporated into food product being prepared, one or more food products being prepared and one or more prepared food products in inventory.

11. The method of claim 9, further including:

electronically estimating, in real time, a remaining time before at least one buffer is empty;

electronically comparing said remaining time to a predetermined interval of time for restocking said one buffer; and

electronically generating, as a function of said comparison, a signal to restock said one buffer.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the remaining time before said one buffer is empty is electronically determined based on at least two of the following:

an initial level in said buffer, the amount of prepared food product in inventory, a time derivative of the amount of prepared food product in inventory, the amount of food product being prepared, a time derivative of the amount of food product being prepared, a predicted amount of prepared food product to be ordered and a time derivative of the predicted amount of prepared food product to be ordered.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the predicted amount of prepared food product to be ordered is determined electronically by performing the following in real time:

electronically generating real time data about food consumers in a predetermined location;

selecting one or more queuing models from a plurality of queuing models;

inputting relevant portions of the electronically generated real time data about said food consumers into the respective one or more queuing models selected; and

simulating each of said one or more queuing models after inputting said relevant portions of said real time data thereinto.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the predicted amount of prepared food product to be ordered is predicted empirically.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein said electronically generated real time data is generated by a computer configured to acquire and process image data from each of one or more sensors positioned to view the at least one of prepared food product in inventory and food product being prepared.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein at least one sensor is either a color camera or an infrared camera.

17. A real time food production management system comprising:

means for electronically generating real time data about at least one of (i) an amount of prepared food product in inventory and (ii) an amount of food product being prepared; and

means for electronically determining, based-on said real time data, at least one of;

when to dispose of at least one prepared food product that has been in inventory exceeding a first period of time;

when to dispose of at least one cooked food component that that has been available for incorporation into food product being prepared for more that a second period of time;

when to commence preparation of at least one prepared food product for inventory; and

a level of a buffer of at least one of the following that can be incorporated into food product being prepared;

(i) a food product component, (ii) a condiment, and (iii) a topping.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the means for electronically generating real time data includes means for electronically tracking and counting at least one of:

one or more food product components that can be incorporated into food product being prepared, one or more food products being prepared and one or more prepared food products in inventory.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the means for generating real time data includes a computer configured to acquire and process image data from each of one or more sensors positioned to view the at least one of prepared food product in inventory and food product being prepared.

20. The system of claim 17, further including:

means for estimating a remaining time before at least one buffer is empty;

means for comparing said remaining time to a predetermined interval of time for restocking said one buffer; and

means for generating, as a function of said comparison, a signal to restock said one buffer.

21. A food production management system comprising:

a plurality of buffer manager systems, each configured to electronically generate operational data comprising real time data and data generated from said real time data, said real time data including at least one of (i) an amount of prepared food product in inventory and (ii) an amount of food product being prepared, said generated data including at least one of the following;

when to dispose of at least one prepared food product that has been in inventory exceeding a first period of time;

when to dispose of at least one cooked food component that that has been available for incorporation into food product being prepared for more that a second period of time;

when to commence preparation of at least one food product for inventory; and

a level of a buffer of at least one of the following that can be incorporated into food product being prepared;

(i) a food product component, (ii) a condiment, and (iii) a topping; and

a central computer communicatively coupled to each buffer manager system via a communication medium, said central computer operative to receive and aggregate operational data from each buffer manager system and to analyze said operational data for trends across said buffer manager systems related to at least one of the following;

food quality, time of service and/or revenue generating capacity.