SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR NON-DESTRUCTIVELY MEASURING CALORIE CONTENTS OF FOOD ITEMS

• US 20130027060A1
• Filed: 07/29/2011
• Published: 01/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc. DBA GE Appliances (Haier Group Company)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Tralshawala, Nilesh, Graf, John Frederick, Webster, Jack Mathew, Neculaes, Vasile Bogdan, Katz, Sarah Lillian
• Granted Patent: US 9,297,770 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 324/643
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 22/04 Investigating moisture content
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/02 Food

Abstract

A calorie estimating device for measuring a calorie content of a food item is provided. The device comprises a holder substrate, a transmitter antenna configured to transmit ultra-wide band (UWB) signals to at least a portion of the food item disposed on a side of the holder substrate, wherein the transmitter antenna comprises a planar antenna, a first receiver antenna configured to receive at least a portion of UWB signals reflected by the food item, wherein the first receiver antenna comprises a planar antenna, and a second receiver antenna configured to receive at least a portion of UWB signals propagated through the food item, wherein the second receiver antenna comprises a planar antenna.

Claims

1. A calorie estimating device for measuring a calorie content of a food item, comprising:

a holder substrate;

a transmitter antenna configured to transmit ultra-wide band (UWB) signals to at least a portion of the food item disposed on a side of the holder substrate, wherein the transmitter antenna comprises a planar antenna;

a first receiver antenna configured to receive at least a portion of UWB signals reflected by the food item, wherein the first receiver antenna comprises a planar antenna; and

a second receiver antenna configured to receive at least a portion of UWB signals propagated through the food item, wherein the second receiver antenna comprises a planar antenna.

2. The calorie estimating device of claim 1, wherein the transmitter antenna, holder substrate, or both are configured to move along or about an x-axis, y-axis, z-axis, or combinations thereof.

3. The calorie estimating device of claim 1, wherein the device comprises an open cavity arrangement.

4. The calorie estimating device of claim 1, wherein one or more of the transmitter antenna, first receiver antenna, and second receiver antenna comprise a two-dimensional antenna.

5. The calorie estimating device of claim 4, wherein the two-dimensional antenna comprises a spiral antenna.

6. The calorie estimating device of claim 1, wherein the planar antenna comprises a circular shape, an elliptical shape, a rectangular shape, a square shape, or combinations thereof.

7. The calorie estimating device of claim 1, wherein one or more of the transmitter antenna, first receiver antenna, and second receiver antenna are configured to move along or about an x-axis, y-axis, z-axis, or combinations thereof.

8. The calorie estimating device of claim 1, wherein the transmitter antenna and the first receiver antenna are disposed facing same side of the holder substrate.

9. The calorie estimating device of claim 8, wherein the second receiver antenna is disposed facing another side of the holder substrate.

10. The calorie estimating device of claim 1, comprising a plurality of transmitter antennae.

11. The calorie estimating device of claim 1, comprising a plurality of first receiver antennae, a plurality of second receiver antennae, or both.

12. The calorie estimating device of claim 1, wherein the transmitter antenna and the first receiver antenna comprise a planar transceiver antenna that is configured to transmit the UWB signals to the portion of the food item and receive at least a portion of the UWB signals reflected by the food item.

13. The calorie estimating device of claim 1, wherein the transmitter antenna, the first receiver antenna and the second receiver antenna comprise a linear polarization, an elliptical polarization or a circular polarization.

14. An open cavity system for non-destructively measuring a calorie content of a food item, the system comprising:

a calorie estimating device, comprising;

a holder substrate having at least two sides;

a transmitter antenna configured to transmit ultra-wide band (UWB) signals to at least a portion of a food item disposed on a side of the holder substrate, wherein the transmitter antenna comprises a planar antenna;

a first receiver antenna configured to receive at least a portion of UWB signals reflected by the food item, wherein the first receiver antenna comprises a planar antenna;

a second receiver antenna configured to receive at least a portion of UWB signals propagated through the food item, wherein the second receiver antenna comprises a planar antenna; and

a processing unit operatively coupled to the calorie estimating device and configured to determine a calorie content of the food items based on the signals received by the first and the second receiver antennae.

15. The system of claim 14, further comprising an electromagnetic source operatively coupled to the transmitter antenna and configured to generate UWB signals, wherein at least a portion of the generated UWB signals is directed to the transmitter antenna.

16. The system of claim 14, further comprising a temperature measuring device operatively coupled to the holder substrate.

17. The system of claim 14, further comprising a weighing device operatively coupled to the holder substrate.

18. A method for non-destructively measuring individual calorie contents of one or more food items, the method comprising:

irradiating the food items with UWB signals such that at least a portion of the UWB signals interact with the food items;

acquiring at least a portion of signals reflected by the food item;

acquiring at least a portion of signals propagated through the food item;

estimating fat contents and water contents of individual food items based on the acquired reflected and transmitted signals; and

determining individual calorie contents of the food items based on the estimated fat and water contents.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising scanning the food items with the UWB signals.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising measuring a weight, or temperature, or both of the food item.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising estimating the fat content and the water content of the food item based on the weight, temperature, or both of the food item.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein the UWB signals comprise a plurality of pulses.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the plurality of pulses are successive pulses that are spaced in time

24. The method of claim 18, wherein the UWB signals comprise a sweep frequency.

25. The method of claim 18, wherein a frequency of the UWB signals is in a range from about 100 MHz to about 20 GHz.

26. The method of claim 18, further comprising determining inverse Fourier transform of frequency domain data representing the food and water contents.

27. A kit for measuring a calorie content of a food item, comprising:

a holder substrate having at least two sides;

a transmitter antenna configured to transmit UWB signals to at least a portion of THE food item disposed on a side of the holder substrate, wherein the transmitter antenna comprises a planar antenna;

a first receiver antenna configured to receive at least a portion of UWB signals reflected by the food item, wherein the first receiver antenna comprises a planar antenna; and

a second receiver antenna configured to receive at least a portion of UWB signals propagated through the food item, wherein the second receiver antenna comprises a planar antenna.