Method and apparatus for monitoring the status and transfer of food products

• US 20070214053A1
• Filed: 05/11/2007
• Published: 09/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mark Salerno
• Original Assignee: Mark Salerno
• Inventors: Salerno, Mark
• Granted Patent: US 9,626,644 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/15
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/12 Hotels or restaurants

Abstract

A system and method is provided for monitoring a status of a plurality of products, such as prepared food, located in product locations within stations throughout a restaurant. The status of each product indicates whether that product exists in a particular storage location, and whether that product has exceeded its shelf life or hold time. The storage time which has elapsed for each product is automatically counted and compared to the hold time. A cook time, which is that duration of time required to cook a particular product, is also maintained for each of the products. The status indicates when additional product should be cooked in order to have new product prior to the expiration of existing product by indicating when the hold time less the cook time has elapsed. The status also indicates which product is the oldest to facilitate the transfer and use of the oldest product first. A transfer of one product to another product location automatically transfers the corresponding elapsed storage time with that product.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring the status and storage location of a prepared food product in a restaurant, which comprises the steps of:

a. supplying a prepared food product to a storage location, the storage location having associated therewith a food product status indicator, the food product status indicator having at least a first state which indicates that the prepared food product is stored at the associated storage location, at least a second state which indicates that the prepared food product is not stored at the associated storage location and at least a third state which indicates that a storage time exceeds an acceptable food product hold time;

b. changing the state of the food product status indicator associated with the storage location from the second state to the first state in response to the prepared food product being supplied to the storage location;

c. initiating a storage timer in response to the food product status indicator changing from the second state to the first state, the storage timer counting the storage time representative of the duration of time that the prepared food product has been stored at the storage location;

d. comparing the storage time with the acceptable food product hold time;

e. changing the state of the food product status indicator associated with the storage location to the third state if the storage time exceeds the acceptable food product hold time; and

f. changing the state of the food product status indicator associated with the storage location from the first state to the second state in response to the storage location no longer containing the prepared food product.

2. A method for monitoring the status and storage location of a prepared food product in a restaurant as defined by claim 1, wherein the food product status indicator has at least a fourth state which indicates that the cooking of a replenishment food product should commence, and wherein the method further comprises the steps of:

g. comparing the storage time with a cook start time, the cook start time being equal to the difference between the acceptable food product hold time and the time required to cook the replenishment food product; and

h. changing the state of the food product status indicator associated with the storage location to the fourth state in response to the storage time exceeding the cook start time.

3. A method for monitoring the status and storage location of a prepared food product in a restaurant as defined by claim 1, further comprising the step of displaying the state of the food product status indicator on a display, the display being located remotely from the storage location.

4. A method for monitoring the status and storage location of a prepared food product in a restaurant as defined by claim 1, wherein the storage location has an active switch associated therewith, wherein the food product status indicator has at least a seventh state which indicates that the storage location is not being used, the method further comprising the step of changing the state of the food product status indicator to the seventh state in response to activation of the active switch.

5. A method for monitoring the status and storage location of a prepared food product in a restaurant as defined by claim 1, wherein the food product status indicator has at least a seventh state which indicates that the storage location is not being used, the method further comprising the step of changing the state of the food product status indicator to the seventh state in response to at least one of a time, a day and an event.

6. A method for monitoring the status and storage location of a prepared food product in a restaurant as defined by claim 1, further comprising the step of providing a pan fill level associated with the storage location, the pan fill level indicating a quantity of the prepared food product to cook in response to the state of the food product status indicator changing to the second state.

7. A method for monitoring the status and storage location of a prepared food product in a restaurant as defined by claim 6, further comprising the step of displaying the pan fill level on a display, the display being located remotely from the storage location.

8. A method for monitoring the status and storage location of a prepared food product in a restaurant as defined by claim 6, further comprising the steps of:

i. electronically displaying an activity level associated with the storage location, the activity level indicating a rate of sale of the prepared food product; and

j. changing the pan fill level as a function of the activity level.

9. A method for monitoring the status and storage location of a prepared food product in a restaurant as defined by claim 8, further comprising the step of storing the activity level in a memory.

10. A method for monitoring the status and storage location of a prepared food product in a restaurant as defined by claim 8, wherein the storage location has an activity level switch associated therewith, further comprising the step of changing the activity level in response to activation of the activity level switch.

11. A method for monitoring the status and storage location of a prepared food product in a restaurant as defined by claim 8, further comprising the step of changing the activity level in response to at least one of a time, a day and an event.

12. A method for monitoring the status and storage location of a prepared food product in a restaurant as defined by claim 8, further comprising the step of displaying the activity level on a display, the display being located remotely from the storage location.

13. A method for monitoring the status and storage location of a prepared food product in a restaurant as defined by claim 6, further comprising the steps of:

k. providing a selectable menu associated with the storage location, the selectable menu having associated therewith at least one pan fill level; and

l. electronically displaying the selectable menu on a display, the display being located remotely from the storage location.

14. A method for monitoring the status and storage location of a prepared food product in a restaurant as defined by claim 6, wherein the step of providing a pan fill level further comprises the steps of:

m. calculating a food product per unit sale volume, the food product per unit sale volume being representative of a quantity of food product sold at a unit sale volume, the unit sale volume being representative of a volume of sale in dollars;

n. determining an activity level, the activity level being representative of a quantity of unit sale volume substantially equal to a current volume of sale; and

o. multiplying the food product per unit sale volume by the activity level and dividing the product of the food product per unit sale volume and the activity level by a quantity of open pans to yield the pan fill level.

15. A method for monitoring the status and storage location of a prepared food product in a restaurant as defined by claim 13, wherein the storage location has a selectable menu switch associated therewith, the method further comprising the step of changing the selectable menu in response to activation of the selectable menu switch.

16-99. -99. (canceled)