Dynamic process control
First Claim
1. Apparatus for controlling the processing of a product, said apparatus comprisinga plurality of containers containing various ingredients;
- a tag associated with each container, each tag containing data specifying the ingredient in the associated container and at least one parameter for controlling the processing of that ingredient;
a formulator;
delivery means for selectively delivering the ingredients in the plurality of containers to the formulator;
a selection device for selecting among a plurality of products that can be manufactured from the ingredients in said plurality of containers, said selection device including a plurality of selectors each of which may be actuated to cause the selection device to produce a selection signal corresponding a selected product, and a controller including a memory containing a process control program, said controller, in response to the selection signal, controlling the delivery means to deliver from selected ones of the plurality of containers to the formulator the ingredients necessary to produce the selected product and controlling the formulator in accordance with the process control program and the tag data on at least one of the selected ones of the plurality of containers to cause the formulator to produce the selected product.
9 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus for defining the processing of an ingredient of a manufactured product, particularly one that is manufactured “one-the-spot” to a consumer'"'"'s specification, such as ice cream, among other products. A tag encoded on a container for the product carries indicia that, directly or indirectly, define one or more formulations for the product. Apparatus into which the ingredient is loaded sets the processing of ingredients in accordance with the formulations so specified. By connecting the apparatus which is to process the ingredients to a control station, the formulations may be changed at will.
85 Citations
34 Claims
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1. Apparatus for controlling the processing of a product, said apparatus comprising
a plurality of containers containing various ingredients; -
a tag associated with each container, each tag containing data specifying the ingredient in the associated container and at least one parameter for controlling the processing of that ingredient;
a formulator;
delivery means for selectively delivering the ingredients in the plurality of containers to the formulator;
a selection device for selecting among a plurality of products that can be manufactured from the ingredients in said plurality of containers, said selection device including a plurality of selectors each of which may be actuated to cause the selection device to produce a selection signal corresponding a selected product, and a controller including a memory containing a process control program, said controller, in response to the selection signal, controlling the delivery means to deliver from selected ones of the plurality of containers to the formulator the ingredients necessary to produce the selected product and controlling the formulator in accordance with the process control program and the tag data on at least one of the selected ones of the plurality of containers to cause the formulator to produce the selected product. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 25)
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18. A method for controlling the manufacture of a selected product that is processed on the spot to a desired overall specification, said method comprising the steps of
providing a plurality of containers containing various ingredients; -
encoding each container with information identifying the ingredient in that container and a formulation to be used to make a product from the ingredient in that container;
selecting from among the plurality of containers selected containers containing the ingredients needed to make the selected product, and delivering the ingredients in the selected containers to a formulator and controlling the formulator according to the formulation encoded on at least one of the selected containers to produce the selected product. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. A method for controlling the manufacture of a product that is processed on the snot to a desired overall specification, said method comprising the steps of
encoding a container containing an ingredient for said product with information associated with a formulation to be used in producing said product, and exchanging with a control unit information relating to processing said product, said control unit receiving from a machine in which the product is to be processed information concerning the manufacture of said product including information concerning the amount of an ingredient that has been consumed.
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34. A method for controlling the manufacture of a product that is processed on the spot to a desired overall specification, said method comprising the steps of
encoding a container containing an ingredient for said product with information associated with a formulation to be used in producing said product, and exchanging with a control unit information relating to processing said product, said control unit receiving from a machine in which the product is to be processed information concerning the manufacture of said product including information concerning the amount of an ingredient that remains unconsumed.
Specification