System and Method for Food Service Storage Bin Monitoring

• US 20080144697A1
• Filed: 10/30/2006
• Published: 06/19/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Acumera, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Acumera, Inc.
• Inventors: Stewart, Brett B., Heinen, Dirk D.
• Granted Patent: US 7,724,154 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 374/141
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 1/022 for recording
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 1/024 for remote indication
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 2207/04 for conservation purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 2215/00 Details concerning sensor power supply

Abstract

System and method for monitoring food storage bins. The system may include at least one food storage bin defining a volume usable to store food. Each food storage bin may also include at least one sensor usable to measure temperature within the volume. The system may include a transmitter/receiver operable to wirelessly transmit power to the at least one sensor and wirelessly receiver signals which include information regarding the temperature within the volume and/or the content of the food storage bin. The system may also include a controller coupled to the transmitter/receiver, operable to receive and/or determine information regarding the temperature, location, and/or content of the food storage bins via signals received from the transmitter/receiver. The controller may be operable to store the received information in a memory, e.g., comprised in or coupled to the controller.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

at least one food storage bin, each comprising;

a bottom portion;

one or more side portions;

wherein the bottom portion and the one or more side portions define a volume usable to store food; and

at least one sensor usable to measure temperature within the volume, wherein the at least one sensor is operable to receive power and wirelessly transmit signals comprising information regarding the temperature;

a transmitter/receiver operable to wirelessly transmit power to the at least one sensor and wirelessly receive the signals comprising information regarding the temperature;

a controller coupled to the transmitter/receiver, wherein the controller is operable to;

receive the information regarding the temperature from the at least one sensor via the transmitter/receiver; and

store the received temperature in a memory.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the signals comprise information regarding contents of the at least one food storage bin.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the signals comprise information identifying a type of food stored in the at least one food storage bin.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the signals comprise information regarding weight of contents of the at least one food storage bin.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the signals comprise information regarding presence of chemical compounds or biological entities in the at least one food storage bin.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is operable to determine the location of the at least one food storage bin based on the signals received from the at least one sensor.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor is hermetically sealed in the bottom and/or the one or more side portions of the at least one food storage bin.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor, the transmitter/receiver, and the controller are operable to operate a plurality of times to measure temperature over a plurality of time periods.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the memory is comprised in the controller.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a computer system coupled to the controller, comprising a processor, the memory, and a display;

wherein the computer system is operable to display information related to the received temperature readings and/or the signals transmitted from the at least one sensor on the display.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a network interface coupled to the memory, wherein the network interface is operable to provide access to the information regarding the temperature over a wide area network.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is comprised in a food establishment, and wherein the memory stores information identifying the food establishment.

13. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a web server comprised in or coupled to the controller, which is operable to provide access to the information regarding the temperature over a wide area network.

14. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a coiled wire electrically coupled to the sensor;

wherein the sensor is operable to receive power via the coiled wire.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the transmitter/receiver comprises a coiled wire.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein each food storage bin comprises a member which extends or projects into the volume, wherein the member comprises material operable to thermally conduct the temperature inside the volume.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one bin comprises a plurality of bins, and wherein each bin of the plurality of bins is operable to store a respective type of food.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the at least one bin comprises thermally conductive material.

19. A method for retrofitting a food storage bin to include a sensor, the method comprising:

removing a portion from the food storage bin; and

adding a replacement portion to the food storage bin to form a new food storage bin, wherein the replacement portion comprises at least one integrated sensor operable to wirelessly receive power and wirelessly transmit signals comprising information regarding temperature of the food storage bin;

wherein the new food storage bin is usable in a food monitoring system to maintain a log of temperature information of food stored in the new food storage bin.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the sensor is hermetically sealed within the replacement portion.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the replacement portion comprises thermally conductive material.

22. A method for monitoring states of a food storage bin, comprising:

wirelessly providing power to a sensor comprised in a food storage bin;

receiving and storing a temperature of the food storage bin in a memory from the sensor, wherein the temperature is wirelessly received from the sensor;

wherein said wirelessly providing power and said receiving and storing a temperature are performed a plurality of times to receive and store a plurality of temperatures of the food storage bin;

examining at least a subset of the plurality of temperatures stored in the memory;

determining if handling of the food storage bin meets first criteria based on said examining;

providing an indication to a user if the handling of the food storage bin does not meet the first criteria.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the first criteria comprises at least one of:

criteria regarding temperature of food stored in the food storage bin;

criteria regarding washing temperature of the food storage bin;

or

criteria regarding storage temperature of the food storage bin.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the criteria regarding the temperature of the food stored in the food storage bin is specific to a type of the food stored in the food storage bin.

25. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

receiving a request for information regarding the plurality of temperatures over a wide area network;

retrieving current information from the memory; and

providing the current information over the wide area network for analysis.

26. The method of claim 25,

wherein said providing comprises a web server coupled to the memory providing the current information over the wide area network.

27. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

accessing the memory over a wide area network;

retrieving current information from the memory; and

displaying the current information on a display, wherein said displaying the current information comprises said providing.

28. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

receiving and storing, in a memory from the sensor, one or more of;

weight of contents of the food storage bin;

location of the food storage bin;

type of food in the food storage bin;

presence of one or more specific chemical compounds;

or

presence of one or more specific biological organisms;

wherein the temperature is wirelessly received from the sensor;

wherein said wirelessly providing power and said receiving and storing a temperature and said receiving and storing, in a memory from the sensor, are performed a plurality of times to receive and store information regarding the food storage bin; and

wherein said examining at least a subset of the plurality of temperatures stored in the memory comprises examining the information.

29. A method for configuring a food storage area to perform food monitoring, comprising:

installing a plurality of food storage bins into a food storage bin receptacle, each food storage bin comprising a sensor operable to wirelessly receive power and wirelessly transmit signals comprising information regarding temperature of the food storage bin;

configuring the food storage bin receptacle to include a transmitter/receiver, operable to transmit power to each of the plurality of food storage bins and receive signals from each of the plurality of food storage bins;

configuring a controller to control the transmitter/receiver and record the information regarding the temperature of each of the plurality of food storage bins;

wherein the food storage area is operable to monitor food stored in the plurality of bins in order to ensure that the food safe for consumption.

30. A method for retrofitting a food storage bin receptacle to include a transmitter/receiver, the method comprising:

adding a transmitter/receiver to the food storage bin receptacle, wherein the transmitter/receiver is operable to wirelessly transmit power to and wirelessly receive signals from each of a plurality of food storage bins, wherein the signals comprise information regarding temperature of the plurality of food storage bins, and wherein the plurality of food storage bins are insertable into the food storage bin receptacle; and

coupling the transmitter/receiver to a controller, wherein the controller is operable to control the transmitter/receiver and record the information regarding the temperature of the plurality of food storage bins in a memory;

wherein the food storage bin receptacle is usable in a food monitoring system to maintain a log of temperature information of food stored in the new food storage bin.

31. A system, comprising:

at least one food storage bin, each comprising;

a bottom portion; and

one or more side portions;

wherein the bottom portion and the one or more side portions define a volume usable to store food;

at least one sensor, each usable to measure temperature within the volume of a respective food storage bin of the at least one food storage bin, wherein each sensor is operable to receive power and wirelessly transmit signals comprising information regarding the temperature, and wherein each sensor is placed in the respective food storage bin;

a transmitter/receiver operable to wirelessly transmit power to each of the at least one sensor and wirelessly receive the signals comprising information regarding the respective temperature; and

a controller coupled to the transmitter/receiver, wherein the controller is operable to;

receive respective information regarding the respective temperature from the at least one sensor via the transmitter/receiver; and

store the respective received temperature in a memory.