Monitoring performance of a warewasher

• US 7,437,213 B2
• Filed: 11/04/2002
• Issued: 10/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ecolab USA Incorporated (Ecolab, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Ecolab, Inc.
• Inventors: Batcher, Thomas J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Crawford; Gene O.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BURGESS, RAMYA PRAKASAM
• Application Number:
  US10/288,352
• Publication Number:
  US 20040088075A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,171 Days
• Field of Search: 700/226, 700/213, 700/225, 700/228, 700/229, 700/230, 198/340, 198/349, 198/350, 134/56.D, 134/57.D, 134/58.D
• US Class Current: 700/225
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/0063 using remote monitoring or controlling of the dishwasher operation, e.g. networking systems
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/247 Details specific to conveyor-type machines, e.g. curtains
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/501 Baskets, e.g. for conveyor-type, in-sink type or hood-type machines
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2401/30 Variation of electrical, magnetical or optical quantities
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2401/34 Other automatic detections
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2501/26 Indication or alarm to the controlling device or to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07758 arrangements for adhering the record carrier to further objects or living beings, functioning as an identification tag
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 3/08 Registering or indicating the production of the machine either with or without registering working or idle time

Abstract

A method and system for collecting information associated with warewashing activities is disclosed. Articles to be cleaned by a warewasher are placed in racks designed to fit inside a wash chamber of the warewasher. Each rack is assigned a unique identifier (ID). No two racks are associated with the same unique ID. An Radio Frequency IDentification (RFID) tag is embedded within or placed on the outer shell of each rack. The RFID tag of a rack is programmed with the unique ID assigned to the rack. An RFID reader reads the unique ID of each rack as the racks are placed into the warewasher. The RFID reader transmits the unique ID to a host computer where the unique ID is stamped with a time reference, stored and eventually uploaded to a server computer. The unique ID and associated time reference are analyzed by the server computer, the host computer or a client computer connected to the server computer in order to monitor performance of the warewasher. For example, the analysis may calculate the total number of racks provided to the wash chamber over a given period in time.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring operations of a warewasher over a predetermined period of time, wherein one or more racks are used to carry one or more articles through the warewasher, the method comprising:

associating a unique identifier (ID) to each rack used to carry one or more articles through the warewasher, wherein each rack comprises an identification tag specifying the unique ID assigned to that rack;

reading a unique ID assigned to a first rack as an identification tag of the first rack is detected while the first rack is being provided to the warewasher; and

communicating the unique ID assigned to the first rack to a remote computer for storage in a database in association with a time reference indicative of a time at which the first rack was detected while being provided to the warewasher.

2. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the time reference comprises a calendar date and a clock time that the unique ID assigned to the first rack was detected while being provided to the warewasher.

3. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

repeating the reading and the communicating acts during the predetermined period of time such that the database stores a plurality of time references indicating times that the first rack was detected in the warewasher; and

accessing the database to determine a total number of instances that the first rack has been provided to the warewasher over the predetermined period of time.

4. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

reading a unique ID for each of a plurality of subsequent racks as identification tags of the subsequent racks are detected while the subsequent racks are being provided to the warewasher after the first rack; and

communicating the unique ID'"'"'s assigned to each of the plurality of subsequent racks to the remote computer for storage in the database in association with time references indicative of times during at which each of the plurality of subsequent racks were detected while being provided to the warewasher.

5. A method as defined in claim 4, further comprising:

analyzing the unique ID'"'"'s stored in the database to determine a total number of instances that a particular rack is provided to the warewasher over the predetermined period of time.

6. A method as defined in claim 4, further comprising:

analyzing the unique ID'"'"'s stored in the database to determine a total number of racks provided to the warewasher over the predetermined period of time.

7. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the identification tag is a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag and the reading acts comprises:

reading the unique ID assigned to the first rack using an RFID tag reader.

8. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

analyzing the detected unique ID assigned to the first rack to determine a type of one or more articles placed in the first rack.

9. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the identification tag for the first rack is affixed to an outer surface of the first rack.

10. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the identification tag for the first rack is located within a molding of the first rack.

11. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the time reference comprises a calendar date and a clock time that the unique ID assigned to the first rack was detected while being provided to the warewasher.

12. A computer program storage medium readable by a computing system and encoding a computer program for executing a computer process for monitoring operations of a warewasher over a predetermined period of time, wherein racks used to carry articles through the warewasher comprise an identification tag specifying a unique identifier assigned to each rack, the computer process comprising:

reading a unique ID assigned to a first rack as an identification tag of the first rack is detected while the first rack is being provided to the warewasher; and

communicating the unique ID assigned to the first rack to a remote computer for storage in a database in association with a time reference indicative of a time at which the first rack was detected while being provided to the warewasher.

13. A computer program storage medium as defined in claim 12, wherein the time reference comprises a calendar date and a clock time that the unique ID assigned to the first rack was detected while being provided to the warewasher.

14. A computer program storage medium as defined in claim 12, further comprising:

repeating the reading and the communicating acts during the predetermined period of time such that the database stores a plurality of time references indicating calendar dates and clock times that the first rack was detected in the warewasher; and

accessing the database to determine a total number of instances that the first rack has been provided to the warewasher over the predetermined period of time.

15. A computer program storage medium as defined in claim 12, further comprising:

reading a unique ID for each of a plurality of subsequent racks as identification tags of the subsequent racks are detected while the subsequent racks are being provided to the warewasher after the first rack; and

communicating the unique ID'"'"'s assigned to each of the plurality of subsequent racks to the remote computer for storage in the database in association with time references indicative of times at which each of the plurality of subsequent racks were detected while being provided to the warewasher.

16. A computer program storage medium as defined in claim 15, further comprising:

analyzing the unique ID'"'"'s stored in the database to determine a total number of instances that a particular rack is provided to the warewasher over the predetermined period of time.

17. A computer program storage medium as defined in claim 15, further comprising:

analyzing the unique ID'"'"'s stored in the database to determine a total number of racks provided to the warewasher over the predetermined period of time.

18. A computer program storage medium as defined in claim 12, wherein the identification tag is a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag and the reading act comprises:

reading the unique ID assigned to the first rack using an RFID tag reader.

19. A computer program storage medium as defined in claim 12, further comprising:

analyzing the detected unique ID assigned to the first rack to determine a type of one or more articles placed in the first rack.

20. A computer program storage medium as defined in claim 12, wherein the identification tag for the first rack is affixed to an outer surface of the first rack.

21. A computer program storage medium as defined in claim 12, wherein the identification tag for the first rack is located within a molding of the first rack.

22. A method for monitoring operations of a warewasher over a predetermined period of time, wherein one or more racks are used to carry one or more articles through the warewasher, the method comprising:

associating a unique identifier (ID) to each rack used to carry one or more articles through the warewasher, wherein each rack comprises an identification tag specifying the unique ID assigned to that rack;

receiving at a host computer a unique ID assigned to a first rack, the host computer operably coupled to a tag reader reading the identification tag to determine the unique ID assigned to the first rack while the first rack is being provided to the warewasher; and

storing the unique ID assigned to the first rack in a database in association with a time reference indicative of a time that the first rack was detected while being provided to the warewasher.

23. A method as defined in claim 22, wherein the time reference comprises a calendar date and a clock time that the unique ID assigned to the first rack was detected while being provided to the warewasher.

24. A method as defined in claim 22, further comprising:

receiving at the host computer a unique ID assigned to each of a plurality of subsequent racks, wherein the tag reader reads identification tags included on each of the plurality of subsequent racks to determine the unique ID'"'"'s assigned to the subsequent racks while the subsequent racks are being provided to the warewasher after the first rack; and

storing the unique ID'"'"'s assigned to each of the plurality of subsequent racks in the database in association with time references indicative of times that each of the plurality of subsequent racks were detected while being provided to the warewasher.

25. A method as defined in claim 24, further comprising:

analyzing the unique ID'"'"'s stored in the database to determine a total number of instances that a particular rack is provided to the warewasher over the predetermined period of time.

26. A method as defined in claim 24, further comprising:

analyzing the unique ID'"'"'s stored in the database to determine a total number of racks provided to the warewasher over the predetermined period of time.

27. A method as defined in claim 22, wherein the identification tag is a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag and the tag reader is an RFID tag reader.

28. A method as defined in claim 22, further comprising:

analyzing the detected unique ID assigned to the first rack to determine a type of one or more articles placed in the first rack.

29. A method as defined in claim 22, wherein the identification tag for the first rack is affixed to an outer surface of the first rack.

30. A method as defined in claim 22, wherein the identification tag for the first rack is located within a molding of the first rack.

31. A computer program storage medium readable by a computing system and encoding a computer program for executing a computer process for monitoring operations of a warewasher over a predetermined period of time, wherein racks used to carry articles through the warewasher comprise an identification tag specifying a unique identifier assigned to each rack, the computer process comprising:

receiving at a host computer a unique ID assigned to a first rack, the host computer operably coupled to a tag reader reading the identification tag to determine the unique ID assigned to the first rack while the first rack is being provided to the warewasher; and

storing the unique ID assigned to the first rack in a database in association with a time reference indicative of a time that the first rack was detected while being provided to the warewasher.

32. A computer program storage medium as defined in claim 31, wherein the time reference comprises a calendar date and a clock time that the unique ID assigned to the first rack was detected while being provided to the warewasher.

33. A computer program storage medium as defined in claim 31, further comprising:

receiving at the host computer a unique ID assigned to each of a plurality of subsequent racks, wherein the tag reader reads identification tags included on each of the plurality of subsequent racks to determine the unique ID'"'"'s assigned to the subsequent racks while the subsequent racks are being provided to the warewasher after the first rack; and

storing the unique ID'"'"'s assigned to each of the plurality of subsequent racks in the database in association with time references indicative of times that each of the plurality of subsequent racks were detected while being provided to the warewasher.

34. A computer program storage medium as defined in claim 33, further comprising:

analyzing the unique ID'"'"'s stored in the database to determine a total number of instances that a particular rack is provided to the warewasher over the predetermined period of time.

35. A computer program storage medium as defined in claim 33, further comprising:

analyzing the unique ID'"'"'s stored in the database to determine a total number of racks provided to the warewasher over the predetermined period of time.

36. A computer program storage medium as defined in claim 31, wherein the identification tag is a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag and the tag reader is an RFID tag reader.

37. A computer program storage medium as defined in claim 31, further comprising:

analyzing the detected unique ID assigned to the first rack to determine a type of one or more articles placed in the first rack.