Device and system for monitoring food

• US 7,201,099 B2
• Filed: 03/26/2004
• Issued: 04/10/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Brookstone Purchasing Incorporated (Bebe Stores, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Brookstone Purchasing Incorporated (Bebe Stores, Inc.)
• Inventors: Woodard, M. Rufus, Burout, Charles J. III, Harris, Kenneth David Jr., Schwartz, Steven
• Primary Examiner(s): Edwards, Jr.; Timothy
• Application Number:
  US10/811,109
• Publication Number:
  US 20050211104A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,110 Days
• Field of Search: 374/155, 374/141, 340/870.16, 993/42, 993/43, 993/44
• US Class Current: 99/342
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 1/02 Means for indicating or recording specially adapted for thermometers
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 2207/06 for preparation purposes

Abstract

A device and system for monitoring food is described. The food monitoring device has a temperature sensor and a temperature sensor base. The temperature sensor base has a transmitter and a microphone. The temperature sensor base is electrically coupled to the temperature sensor. A monitor having a speaker and a receiver communicates with the transmitter of the temperature sensor base. The transmitter of the temperature sensor base transmits a temperature sensed by the temperature sensor and an audio signal produced by the microphone.

Claims

1. An apparatus for monitoring food, the apparatus comprising:

a piercing element with a temperature sensor;

a temperature sensor base having a transmitter and a microphone wherein the temperature sensor base is electrically coupled to the temperature sensor; and

a monitor having a speaker and a receiver for communicating with the transmitter of the temperature sensor base,

wherein the transmitter of the temperature sensor base transmits a temperature sensed by the temperature sensor and an audio signal produced by the microphone.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising the monitor having a display, whereby the temperature sensed by the temperature sensor and a target temperature are shown on the display.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising the monitor having control circuitry operatively associated with the monitor wherein the control circuitry is responsive to the temperature sensed by the temperature sensor and an audio signal produced by the microphone.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the transmitter of the temperature sensor base transmits a temperature sensed by the temperature sensor at a first frequency range and transmits an audio signal produced by the microphone at a second frequency range.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the speaker of the monitor broadcasts the temperature sensed by the temperature sensor.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the speaker of the monitor broadcasts a doneness scale containing multiple stages of doneness.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising the temperature sensor base having a receiver and a speaker;

and the monitor having a transmitter and a microphone wherein the transmitter of the monitor transmits an audio signal produced by the microphone of the monitor.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising the temperature sensor base having control circuitry operatively associated with the temperature sensor base wherein the control circuitry is responsive to the temperature sensed by the temperature sensor and an audio signal produced by the microphone of the temperature sensor base.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising the monitor having a display, whereby the temperature sensed by the temperature sensor is displayed by the display.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the display includes a doneness scale containing multiple stages of doneness.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising the monitor having one or more buttons used to scroll through a set of options on the display.

12. A method for monitoring food by a temperature sensor base, comprising the steps of:

inserting a temperature sensor into the food;

sensing a temperature with the temperature sensor electrically coupled to the temperature sensor base;

transmitting the temperature to a monitor with a transmitter on the temperature sensor base; and

transmitting a first audio signal to the monitor with the transmitter of the temperature sensor base.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising the steps of:

broadcasting over a speaker of the monitor the first audio signal received by the monitor; and

displaying the temperature received by the monitor.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising the steps of:

transmitting a second audio signal to the temperature sensor base using a transmitter of the monitor and

broadcasting over a speaker of the temperature base the second audio signal received by the temperature sensor base.

15. A system for monitoring food by a temperature sensor base, comprising:

means for sensing a temperature with a temperature sensor electrically coupled to the temperature sensor base;

means for inserting the means for sensing into the food; and

means for transmitting the temperature and a first audio signal to a monitor.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

means for broadcasting the first audio signal by the monitor, and

means for displaying the temperature by the monitor.

17. The system of claim 16, further comprising:

means for transmitting a second audio signal to the temperature sensor base by the monitor; and

means for broadcasting the second audio signal by the temperature sensor base.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the means for displaying includes a doneness scale containing multiple stages of doneness.

19. The system of claim 16, further comprising the monitor having a means for scrolling through a set of options on the means for displaying.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the means for transmitting the temperature and a first audio signal transmits the temperature at a first frequency range and transmits the second audio signal at a second frequency range.

21. The system of claim 16, wherein the means for broadcasting broadcasts the temperature sensed.

22. An apparatus for monitoring food, the apparatus comprising:

a piercing element with temperature sensor;

a speaker;

a receiver for communicating with a transmitter of a temperature sensor base, wherein the receiver of the apparatus receives a temperature sensed by the temperature sensor base from the temperature sensor and an audio signal produced by a microphone on the temperature sensor base;

a transmitter; and

a microphone wherein the transmitter of the apparatus transmits an audio signal produced by the microphone of the apparatus.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the temperature sensor base comprises:

a speaker;

a receiver for communicating with the transmitter of the apparatus, wherein the receiver of the temperature sensor base receives the audio signal produced by the microphone on the apparatus;

a transmitter; and

a microphone wherein the transmitter of the temperature sensor base transmits an audio signal produced by the microphone of the temperature sensor base.