Programmable device and method for storing food
First Claim
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1. A food storage device for holding food items in a controlled environment comprising:
- a plurality of discrete food storage cavities, each storage cavity defining a food storage volume and having a heater element for maintaining food items in the food storage volume at elevated temperature, each storage cavity having a different associated secondary human input interface for programming the device by a hierarchy of programming menus, and a different secondary human-readable display for displaying programming menu options and for displaying a storage cavity status, wherein the hierarchy of programming menus comprises a first-level programming menu and at least one second-level programming menu accessible by selecting a corresponding first-level menu option;
a primary human input interface, including a human-readable primary display, discrete from the secondary input interfaces, the primary input interface allowing entry into a programming mode in which the device is programmable to hold different foods at different elevated temperatures for different holding times by the hierarchy of programming menus by selecting a desired menu option with the secondary input interface that is associated with the secondary display indicative of the desired menu option.
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Abstract
An improved food storage device for holding food items in a controlled environment, typically heated, is disclosed. The device can hold different foods under different conditions for different amounts of time. Among the improvements is an intuitive programming interface. The device may be programmed by selecting different options displayed on different displays associated with different specific food storage positions by pressing a button associated with the display displaying the option. The device may have synchronized displays allowing users to more quickly assimilate displayed information.
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Citations
60 Claims
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1. A food storage device for holding food items in a controlled environment comprising:
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a plurality of discrete food storage cavities, each storage cavity defining a food storage volume and having a heater element for maintaining food items in the food storage volume at elevated temperature, each storage cavity having a different associated secondary human input interface for programming the device by a hierarchy of programming menus, and a different secondary human-readable display for displaying programming menu options and for displaying a storage cavity status, wherein the hierarchy of programming menus comprises a first-level programming menu and at least one second-level programming menu accessible by selecting a corresponding first-level menu option; a primary human input interface, including a human-readable primary display, discrete from the secondary input interfaces, the primary input interface allowing entry into a programming mode in which the device is programmable to hold different foods at different elevated temperatures for different holding times by the hierarchy of programming menus by selecting a desired menu option with the secondary input interface that is associated with the secondary display indicative of the desired menu option. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A food storage device for holding food items in a heated environment comprising:
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a plurality of discrete food storage cavities, each storage cavity defining a food storage volume and having a heating element for maintaining food items in the food storage volume at elevated temperature, each storage cavity having an associated secondary input interface for programming the device, and a secondary human-readable display for displaying a programming menu option and for displaying a status of the storage cavity; and a primary input interface, discrete from the secondary input interfaces, for permitting a user to select a program mode and to program the plurality of cavities in cooperation with the secondary input interfaces, the device being programmable to hold different foods at different elevated temperatures for different holding times by navigation through the secondary input interfaces of a hierarchy of programming menus comprising a plurality of the programming menu options to select an alphanumeric variable for value assignment and by the assignment of a value to the selected alphanumeric variable through the primary input interface, wherein the hierarchy of programming menus comprises a first-level programming menu and at least one second-level programming menu accessible by selecting a corresponding first-level menu option. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A food storage device for holding food items in a controlled environment comprising:
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a plurality of discrete food storage cavities, each storage cavity defining a food storage volume and having a heater element for maintaining food items in the food storage volume at elevated temperature, each storage cavity having an associated secondary interface, each secondary interface comprising a different secondary input interface for programming the device and a secondary human-readable display for displaying categorical variable values and for displaying a status of the storage cavity; a primary interface, discrete from the secondary interfaces, for programming the device, the primary interface comprising a primary input interface; and a programming mode in which an alphanumeric variable is selectable for value assignment from a plurality of different alphanumeric variables simultaneously displayed on different secondary displays through input into the secondary input interfaces and responsive to the selection, the primary input interface permitting assignment of an alphanumeric value to the selected alphanumeric variable through the primary input interface;
wherein the device is programmable in the programming mode to hold different foods at different elevated temperatures for different holding times. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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40. A food storage device for holding food items in a controlled environment comprising:
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a plurality of discrete food storage cavities, each storage cavity defining a food storage volume and having a heater element for maintaining food items in the food storage volume at elevated temperature, a plurality of secondary human input interfaces for programming the device by a hierarchy of programming menus, and a plurality of secondary human-readable displays for displaying programming menu options and for displaying a storage cavity status, each cavity associated with one of the secondary human input interfaces and one of the secondary human-readable displays, wherein the hierarchy of programming menus comprises a first-level programming menu and at least one second-level programming menu accessible by selecting a corresponding first-level menu option; a primary human input interface, including a human-readable primary display, discrete from the secondary input interfaces, the primary input interface allowing entry into a programming mode in which the device is programmable to hold different foods at different elevated temperatures for different holding times by the hierarchy of programming menus by selecting a desired menu option with the secondary input interface that is associated with the secondary display indicative of the desired menu option.
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41. A method for programming a food storage device having a plurality of food storage cavities, each cavity having at least one food storage position and a heater element for maintaining food items in the cavity at elevated temperature, a primary input interface having a first key, each cavity having an associated secondary display and a secondary key associated with the secondary display, the device being programmable by a hierarchy of programming menus to hold different foods at different temperatures for different holding times wherein the hierarchy of programming menus comprises a first-level programming menu and at least one second-level programming menu, the method comprising:
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selecting a programming mode by pressing the first key to cause displaying simultaneously different menu options from the hierarchy of programming menus on different secondary displays, and selecting a menu option from the simultaneously displayed different menu options by pressing the secondary key associated with the secondary display displaying the menu option. - View Dependent Claims (42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47)
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48. A method for programming a food storage device having a plurality of food storage cavities, each cavity having at least one food storage position and a heater element for maintaining food items in the cavity at elevated temperature, a primary input interface having a first key, each storage cavity having a secondary interface, the secondary interface comprising a secondary input interface and a secondary display, the device being programmable in a programming mode to hold different foods at different temperatures for different holding times, the method comprising in the programming mode:
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simultaneously displaying a plurality of alphanumeric variables on different secondary displays; selecting one of the plurality of simultaneously displayed alphanumeric variables for value assignment through the secondary input interfaces; and assigning an alphanumeric value to the selected alphanumeric variable through the primary input interface. - View Dependent Claims (49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59)
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60. A method for programming a food storage device having a plurality of food storage cavities, each cavity having at least one food storage position and a heater element for maintaining food items in the cavity at elevated temperature, comprises a primary human-readable display, a primary input interface having a first key, each storage cavity having a secondary interface, the secondary interface comprising a secondary input interface, a programming mode in which the device is programmable to hold different foods at different temperatures for different holding times, the method comprising:
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selecting an alphanumeric variable for value assignment through the secondary input interfaces; assigning an alphanumeric value to the selected alphanumeric variable through the primary input interface; displaying a programming status while in programming mode on the primary display; and displaying instructions for programming while in programming mode on the primary display.
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Specification