System and Method For Monitoring Manufactured Pre-Prepared Meals

• US 20090029014A1
• Filed: 08/25/2008
• Published: 01/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MGS Modular Galley Systems AG
• Original Assignee: MGS Modular Galley Systems AG
• Inventors: Haas, Karl-Heinz, Walter, Hubert Eric, Jans, Roland
• Granted Patent: US 10,133,992 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 426/112
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling

Abstract

Described are a system and method for monitoring pre-prepared meals which can be assembled as a plurality of portions. Assembled pre-prepared meals can be monitored starting from their assembly up to the ultimate consumption. Pre-prepared meals are arranged on tray-like containers and a data carrier is fastened which contains meal-specific data. These meal-specific data can be read out at at least two reading stations to be able to keep a record of the conditions of manufacture, storage and/or cooling.

Claims

1. A system for monitoring at least one of pre-prepared meals and beverages arranged on a tray-like container, comprising:

a data carrier fastened to the container, the data carrier storing meal-specific data, the data related to the at least one of the meals and the beverages;

at least one reading station at least one of reading and transmitting the data to the data carrier; and

a reading unit reading the data from the data carrier, the reading unit being disposed on a heating unit that heats the at least one of the meals and the beverages based on the data.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the data includes at least one of manufacture, storage, cooling, and transportation parameters.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one reading station one of reads and transmits the data and the reading unit reads the data from the data carrier in a contactless manner using electromagnetic waves.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one reading station one of reads and transmits the data and the reading unit reads the data from the data carrier using an RFID technology.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the data carrier is fastened directly to the tray-like container.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the data carrier is fastened directly to at least one of a meals container and a beverages container, the meals container and the beverages container being received by the tray-like container.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a temperature sensor transmitting measured temperature signals to the data carrier.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

an element storing an electrical energy.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the element is charged in a wireless and contactless manner.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the at least one reading station and the reading unit are attached in a region of a door of a meal trolley.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

elements storing electrical energy which are at least one of inductively and capacitively charged, the elements being attached to the meal trolley.

12. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

antennas installed at least one of in a housing and on the housing of the meal trolley.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the antennas are disposed in joints of the housing.

14. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

an intermediate storage unit reading the data, the intermediate storage unit being disposed on the meal trolley.

15. The system of claim 14, further comprising:

electronic display elements visually displaying the data of at least one of the data carrier and the intermediate storage.

16. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of antennas transmitting the data, the antennas being coupled to the at least one reading station and the reading unit.

17. A method for monitoring at least one of pre-prepared meals and beverages arranged on a tray-like container, comprising:

storing meal-specific data on a data carrier, the data carrier receiving the data in a contactless manner, the data relating to the pre-prepared meals;

reading the data with at least one reading unit, the at least one reading unit being situated on a heating unit that heats the at least one of meals and beverages; and

controlling the heating unit based on the data.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the data includes at least one of manufacture, storage, cooling, and transportation parameters.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the data is stored during a transportation and a storage.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the contactless manner is wireless.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein the storing further includes storing temperature signals in the data, the temperature signals including temperate data measured during a transportation and a storage.

22. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

generating a warning signal when a maximum shelf life of one of the meals and the beverages expires.

23. The method of claim 17, wherein the heating is only carried out in a controlled manner with respect of locally specifically locations at which at least one of the meals and the beverages to be heated are positioned.

24. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

wirelessly transmitting the data to a central data processing unit.

25. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

transmitting the data at least one of to the data carrier and from the data carrier in one of an inductive manner and a capacitive manner.

26. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

displaying the data on electronic display elements of a meal trolley that holds the tray-like containers.

27. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

before the displaying step, selecting display data to be displayed from the data.

29. The method of claim 17, wherein the data is at least one of received and read using a plurality of antennas.

28. The method of claim 54, further comprising:

deactivating the heating unit; and

displaying the data.