Food information monitoring system

• US 6,817,757 B1
• Filed: 04/25/2003
• Issued: 11/16/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Unified Brands, Inc. (Electrolux Professional AB)
• Original Assignee: A La Cart, Inc.
• Inventors: Wallace, Thomas E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Fulton, Christopher W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Guadalupe, Yaritza
• Application Number:
  US10/423,373
• Time in Patent Office: 571 Days
• Field of Search: 374/120-121, 340/870.11, 340/870.16, 340/870.17, 340/870.27
• US Class Current: 374/120
• CPC Class Codes: F24C 7/08 Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 1/024 for remote indication
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 1/026 arrangements for monitoring a plurality of temperatures, e.g. by multiplexing
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 2207/02 for measuring food temperature

Abstract

A system and method of monitoring food information in a food service facility. Each of a plurality of remote sensor units may be installed at a food receptacle. Each remote sensor unit gathers temperature or other food data from at least two sources, which may be built-in or auxiliary temperature sensors, intelligent food receptacles, or other external food data sources. The collected data may be transmitted, witlessly or not, to a central computer.

Claims

1. A method of monitoring food information in a food service facility, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a plurality of remote sensor units, each remote sensor unit including at least first and second separate temperature sensor circuits;

installing each remote sensor unit at a food receptacle;

at each remote sensor unit;

periodically detecting, via the first temperature sensor circuit of the remote sensor unit, first temperature data representative of a first temperature characteristic, and

periodically detecting, via the second temperature sensor circuit of the remote sensor unit, second temperature data representative of a second temperature characteristic; and

communicating the periodically-detected first and second temperature data from each respective remote sensor unit to a central computer.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first temperature characteristic is a different temperature characteristic than the second temperature characteristic.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first temperature characteristic is the ambient temperature of a food.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the first temperature characteristic is the core temperature of a food.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of monitoring the relationship of the first and second temperature data to a predetermined temperature limit.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the monitoring step includes monitoring the relationship of the first temperature data to a first predetermined temperature limit and monitoring the relationship of the second temperature data to a second predetermined temperature limit.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of displaying, to a user at a central location, the first and second temperature data in real time.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the displaying step includes displaying the first and second temperature data simultaneously with information identifying the remote sensor unit that detected the data.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of attaching a probe to at least one of the temperature sensor circuits before beginning the detecting steps.

10. A system for remotely monitoring food temperature information, the system comprising:

a central collection apparatus; and

a plurality of portable remote sensor units, each unit including;

a first temperature sensor circuit that detects first temperature data representative of a first temperature characteristic,

a second temperature sensor circuit that detects second temperature data representative of a second temperature characteristic, and

a wireless transmitter, having an input coupled to the first and second temperature sensor circuits, that wirelessly transmits the first and second temperature data to the central collection apparatus.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the first temperature sensor of each remote sensor unit is adapted to detect an ambient temperature associated with a food receptacle, and wherein the second temperature sensor of each sensor unit is adapted to detect the core temperature of a food item disposed in the food receptacle.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein at least one of the wireless transmitters is communicatively connected to both the first temperature sensor circuit and the second temperature sensor circuit.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein each remote sensor unit comprises at least two wireless transmitters, wherein a first wireless transmitter is communicatively connected to the first temperature sensor circuit, and wherein a second wireless transmitter is communicatively connected to the second temperature sensor circuit.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the central collection apparatus includes:

a central computer system that accumulates first and second temperature data transmitted from the respective remote sensor units; and

a plurality of translator units, each translator unit having a receiver that receives the first and second temperature data from at least one of the plurality of remote sensor units and a transmitter that transmits the first and second temperature data to the central computer system.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the central computer system is connected to the translator units by a local area network.

16. A method of monitoring food information, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a plurality of portable remote sensor units, each remote sensor unit including a food temperature sensor and an input port;

detecting, via the food temperature sensor of a selected remote sensor unit, first data representative of a food temperature characteristic;

communicating the first data from the selected remote sensor unit to a central computer;

connecting an external source of temperature data to the input port of the selected remote sensor unit;

detecting, at the external data source, second data representative of a second temperature characteristic;

storing the second data in the external data source; and

relaying the second data from the external data source to the central computer via the selected remote sensor unit.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of providing a plurality of portable remote sensor units includes providing a plurality of remote sensor units having at least one standard interface for use with the respective input port, and wherein the step of relaying includes communicating the second data from the external data source to the selected remote sensor unit using the standard interface.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the at least one standard interface includes an RS-232 compliant interface.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the at least one standard interface includes an RS-485 compliant interface.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the at least one standard interface includes a plurality of standard interfaces, and wherein the providing step includes providing a plurality of portable remote sensor units having at least one switch for controlling which of the at least one standard interface are active.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein the external data source is an external temperature sensing device.

22. The method of claim 17, wherein the external data source is an intelligent food receptacle.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the intelligent food receptacle is a microprocessor-equipped refrigerator.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the intelligent food receptacle is a microprocessor-equipped freezer.