Mobile serving cart and system incorporating same

• US 20080120187A1
• Filed: 12/01/2006
• Published: 05/22/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: B/E Aerospace, Inc. (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Original Assignee: B/E Aerospace, Inc. (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Inventors: Wesley, Mark Edward, Birkmann, Timothy Andrew, Stamm, Brian Douglas
• Granted Patent: US 7,661,459 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/15
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 2202/67 Service trolleys, e.g. in aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 3/02 involving parts being adjustable, collapsible, attachable, detachable or convertible
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 5/0096 Identification of the cart or merchandise, e.g. by barcodes or radio frequency identification [RFID]
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 165/919 Wheeled

Abstract

A mobile cart for serving food and/or beverages is described. According to various implementations, the cart is equipped with a removable mission module. The mission module includes equipment that is used by the cart to perform its designated mission, such as an oven (for a hot food service mission module), a cooling unit (for a cold food service mission module), a beverage dispenser (for a beverage service mission module), a point of sale terminal (for duty-free service mission module), appropriate branding (for a franchising mission), or a custom equipment (for a customized mission). The mission module also includes a processor and a memory. The mission module is removable, and may be one of several mission modules available to the cart. Thus, for each type of mission, there may be a different mission module. This enables the cart to be quickly and easily “customized” for each mission by replacing an unneeded module with a required one.

Claims

1. A mobile catering cart comprising:

a docking port;

a removable module communicatively linked to the docking port, the removable module being configured for a particular mission for the cart, the removable module comprising;

a memory having stored therein information comprising the identity of the cart; and

a processor that retrieves the information and transmits the information to a docking station via the docking port.

2. The cart of claim 1, further comprising a compartment for storing items and a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the compartment, wherein the information stored in the memory further comprises the detected temperature.

3. The cart of claim 1, wherein the removable module comprises a cooling unit that cools the compartment, the cart further comprising a compartment for storing items, and a temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the compartment, wherein the information stored in the memory further comprises a record of the temperature detected by the temperature sensor over a period of time.

4. The cart of claim 1, further comprising a transceiver that queries identification tags of items stored on the cart, the transceiver being communicatively linked to the mission module, wherein the information stored in the memory further comprises data identifying the items.

5. The cart of claim 1, wherein the docking port comprises an induction port that receives energy induced by an induction device that is external to the cart and delivers electrical current to the removable module.

6. The cart of claim 1, further comprising:

a temperature sensor that detects the temperature of a compartment of the cart;

a radio frequency identification transceiver that queries radio frequency identification tags of items stored on the cart to obtain their identity;

wherein the information stored in the memory further comprises data regarding the temperature detected by the sensor, data regarding the obtained identity of the items, and data regarding a sanitation procedure performed on the cart.

7. The cart of claim 1, wherein the docking port comprises a connection for water.

8. The cart of claim 1, wherein the docking port comprises a connection for air.

9. A catering system comprising:

a food and beverage cart comprising;

a removable module comprising a processor and a memory communicatively linked to the processor, the memory having stored therein information regarding the cart, and

a docking port communicatively linked to the removable module;

a docking station coupled to the docking port, the docking station receiving the information from the memory via the docking port;

a computer located remotely from the docking station;

a computer network, the docking station and the computer being communicatively linked to the network, the docking station transmitting the information to the computer via the computer network.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the cart further comprises a temperature sensor that detects the temperature of a compartment of the cart in which items are stored, the transmitted information comprising data regarding the detected temperature.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the cart further comprises a radio frequency identification transceiver that queries radio frequency identification tags of items that are stored in the cart, the transmitted information comprising data regarding the responses received by the radio frequency identification transceiver.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein

the docking port comprises an induction interface that is electrically connected to the removable module,

the docking station further comprises a power supply and an induction paddle electrically connected to the power supply, and

the induction paddle induces current to flow from the induction interface when the cart is docked at the docking station.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the information transmitted to the remote computer includes data regarding the operational status of the cart, the maintenance history of the cart, and data regarding which items have been provided to passengers from the cart.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the docking station transmits maintenance data to the memory of the removable module via the docking port, the maintenance data comprising data regarding a sanitation procedure performed on the cart.

15. The system of claim 9,

wherein the cart further comprises

a temperature sensor that detects the temperature of a compartment of the cart;

a radio frequency identification transceiver that queries radio frequency identification tags of items stored on the cart to obtain the identity of the items; and

an induction interface that is electrically connected to the cooling unit,

wherein the removable module comprises a cooling unit that cools the compartment,

wherein the docking station further comprises a power supply and an induction paddle electrically connected to the power supply, wherein the induction paddle induces current to flow from the induction interface to the cooling unit,

wherein the information regarding the cart comprises data regarding the detected temperature, data regarding the obtained identity of the items, and data regarding a sanitation procedure performed on the cart.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein the removable module is one of a plurality of removable modules, each removable module being adapted for a different mission for the cart.

17. The system of claim 9, wherein cart further comprises a compartment and the removable module is a first removable module that includes a chilling unit that chills the compartment, the system further comprising:

a second removable module that includes a heating unit that heats the compartment.

18. The system of claim 9, the system further comprising a third removable module that prepares beverages.

19. A method for managing a cart to be used in catering to customers, the method comprising:

transporting the cart to a plurality of locations, including a place at which the customers are located;

storing, in a computer-readable memory of the cart, information regarding tasks performed at one or more of the plurality of locations;

retrieving the information from the memory at a docking station at one or more of the plurality of locations; and

transmitting the information to a remotely-located computer.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

at one of the plurality of locations, performing steps comprising putting the cart through a sanitation;

process and inputting information regarding the sanitation process into the computer-readable memory via the docking station.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

at one of the plurality of locations, removing a module in which the computer-readable memory is located from the cart and replacing it with a module that is more appropriate for a mission being assigned to the cart.

22. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

selecting items that are to be stored on the cart; and

entering information regarding the selected items into the memory.

23. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

detecting the temperature of a portion of the cart; and

storing the temperature information in the memory of the processing unit,

wherein the transmitted information includes the temperature information.

24. The method of claim 19, wherein one of the plurality of locations is an aircraft cabin, the method further comprising:

displaying the information on a user interface of a galley control panel.

25. The method of claim 19, wherein the plurality of locations comprises a catering service center and an aircraft cabin, wherein the docking station is located at the catering service center, wherein the memory is contained in a removable module, the method further comprising:

docking the cart at the docking station of the catering service center;

sanitizing the cart in a sanitation process;

entering information regarding the sanitation process into the memory via the docking station of the catering service center;

assigning a mission to the cart;

removing the removable module;

replacing the removable module with another removable module that is suitable for the assigned mission;

docking the cart at a docking station in the aircraft cabin; and

displaying, on a user interface of the aircraft cabin docking station, information obtained from the memory.

26. A system for serving food comprising:

a mobile cart having a cold service mode and a hot service mode, the cart comprising;

a data port;

a power port;

a compartment that stores food;

a receptacle linked to the data port and the power port;

a first removable module including a cooling unit, a processor and a memory communicatively linked to the processor, wherein when the cart is in the cold service mode, the first removable module is disposed in the receptacle and is communicatively linked to the data port and electrically linked to the power port so that data is sent and received by the processor via the data port and electricity is received by the processor via the power port, and the cooling unit cools the receptacle;

a second removable module including a heating unit, a processor and a memory communicatively linked to the processor, wherein when the cart is in a hot service mode, the second removable-module is disposed in the receptacle, the second removable module is communicatively linked to the data port and electrically linked to the power port so that data is sent and received by the processor via the data port and electricity is received by the processor via the power port, and heating unit heats the receptacle;

a docking station external to the cart, the docking station including a power source and a data connection that link to the power port and data port of the cart when the cart is docked at the docking station;

a computer network, the docking station being communicatively linked to the computer network; and

a remote computer communicatively linked to the computer network, wherein information from the memory of the first or second removable module is transmitted via the docking station and the computer network to the remote computer, the information comprising the identity of the cart.