Food storage apparatus and methods and systems for monitoring a food item

• US 5,969,606 A
• Filed: 06/18/1998
• Issued: 10/19/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Zebra Technologies Corporation
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Reber, William L, Perttunen, Cary D.
• Primary Examiner(s): SWANN III, GLEN R
• Application Number:
  US09/099,596
• Time in Patent Office: 488 Days
• Field of Search: 340/540, 340/693.5, 340/572.1, 340/602, 340/585, 340/825.06, 340/825.08, 340/825.15, 340/825.17, 340/825.36, 374/102, 374/141, 374/151, 374/210
• US Class Current: 340/540
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 3/00 Preservation of foods or foodstuffs, in general, e.g. pasteurising, sterilising, specially adapted for foods or foodstuffs preserving foods or foodstuffs in association with packaging B65B55/00
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 3/363 the materials not being transported through or in the apparatus with or without shaping, e.g. in form of powder, granules, or flakes
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 77/24 Inserts or accessories added or incorporated during filling of containers opening devices B65D77/30
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 25/005 using containers
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2600/02 Timing
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2700/08 Sensors using Radio Frequency Identification [RFID]
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2700/16 Sensors measuring the temperature of products
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 29/00 Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0717 the sensor being capable of sensing environmental conditions such as temperature history or pressure
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0008 General problems related to the reading of electronic memory record carriers, independent of its reading method, e.g. power transfer

Abstract

A food storage apparatus (22) comprises a container (26) to contain a food item (20), a humidity sensor (34) to sense a humidity within the container (26), and a transmitter (66) responsive to the humidity sensor (34) to transmit a signal based upon the humidity. A system for monitoring at least one food item within a storage place (24) comprises a receiver (88) to receive the signal, and an indicator (40) responsive to the receiver (88). Methods for monitoring at least one food item are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A food storage apparatus comprising:

a container to contain a food item;

a humidity sensor to sense a humidity within the container; and

a transmitter responsive to the humidity sensor to transmit a signal based upon the humidity.

2. The food storage apparatus of claim 1 wherein the container comprises a resealable bag.

3. The food storage apparatus of claim 1 wherein the container is sized for carrying by an individual.

4. The food storage apparatus of claim 1 wherein the container has a capacity less than or equal to 10 liters.

5. The food storage apparatus of claim 1 wherein the container has an opening through which the food item is placed into the container, the food storage apparatus further comprising a cover to cover the opening.

6. The food storage apparatus of claim 5 wherein the humidity sensor and the transmitter are attached to the cover.

7. The food storage apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a processor responsive to the humidity sensor to determine if the humidity is beyond a threshold.

8. The food storage apparatus of claim 1 further comprising an indicator responsive to the humidity sensor to generate an indication based upon the humidity.

9. A system for monitoring at least one food item within a storage place, the system comprising:

a receiver to receive at least one received signal, the at least one received signal based upon the humidity in at least one container stored in the storage place, the at least one container containing the at least one food item; and

an indicator responsive to the receiver.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the indicator generates an indication when the humidity in the at least one container is beyond a respective threshold.

11. The system of claim 9 further comprising a processor responsive to the receiver to determine if the humidity in the at least one container is beyond a respective threshold, wherein the indicator is responsive to the receiver via the processor.

12. The system of claim 9 wherein the receiver is to receive a second signal, the signal based upon the second humidity in a second container stored in the storage place.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the indicator generates an indication that the humidity in the second container is beyond a second respective threshold.

14. The system of claim 9 further comprising a processor responsive to the receiver to determine if the humidity in the at least one container is beyond a respective threshold and to determine if the humidity in another container is beyond a respective threshold, wherein the indicator is responsive to the receiver via the processor.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the respective threshold in the at least one container differs from the respective threshold in another container.

16. The system of claim 9 wherein the storage place refrigerates the at least one food item.

17. The system of claim 9 wherein the at least one container comprises a resealable bag.

18. The system of claim 9 wherein the at least one container has a capacity less than or equal to 10 liters.

19. A system for monitoring a plurality of food items within a storage place, the storage place to refrigerate the plurality of food items, the system comprising:

a first container to contain a first food item;

a first humidity sensor to sense a first humidity within the first container;

a first transmitter responsive to the first humidity sensor to transmit a first signal based upon the first humidity;

a second container to contain a second food item;

a second humidity sensor to sense a second humidity within the second container;

a second transmitter responsive to the second humidity sensor to transmit a second signal based upon the second humidity;

a receiver to receive the first signal and the second signal; and

an indicator responsive to the receiver to generate at least one indication based upon at least one of the first signal and the second signal.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the indicator is to generate a first indication if the first humidity is beyond a first threshold and a second indication if the second humidity is beyond a second threshold.

21. A method of monitoring at least one food item within a storage place, the method comprising the steps of:

providing at least one container to contain the at least one food item;

receiving at least one signal based upon the humidity within the at least one container; and

generating an indication based upon the at least one signal.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the indication indicates that the humidity in the at least one of the container is beyond a respective threshold.

23. The method of claim 21 further comprising a step of determining that the humidity in the at least one container is beyond a respective threshold based upon the at least one signal.

24. The method of claim 21 further comprising the steps of:

providing a second container to contain a second food item; and

receiving a signal based upon the humidity in the second container.

25. The method of claim 24 further comprising the step of generating a second indication based upon the the humidity in the second container.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein the second indication indicates that the humidity in the second container is beyond a respective threshold.

27. The method of claim 24 further comprising the step of determining if the humidity of the second container is beyond a respective threshold.

28. A method of monitoring a food item, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a container to contain a food item;

sensing a humidity within the container; and

transmitting a signal based upon the humidity.