Processing system and method

• US 9,275,193 B2
• Filed: 09/05/2008
• Issued: 03/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Deka Products Limited Partnership
• Original Assignee: Deka Products Limited Partnership
• Inventors: Dattolo, James, Ballantyne, Todd A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shechtman, Sean
• Assistant Examiner(s): GARLAND, STEVEN R
• Application Number:
  US12/205,679
• Publication Number:
  US 20090069922A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,734 Days
• Field of Search: 700/97, 700/95, 700/239, 700/285, 705/15, 222/243
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0428 Safety, monitoring G05B19/0423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/406 characterised by monitoring or safety G05B19/19 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31455 Monitor process status
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/10 relating to drugs or medications, e.g. for ensuring correct administration to patients
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/60 relating to nutrition control, e.g. diets

Abstract

A method and computer program product for monitoring one or more processes occurring during a first portion of a multi-portion recipe being executed on a processing device to obtain data concerning at least of portion of the one or more processes. At least a portion of the data is stored. The availability of the at least a portion of the data is enabled to one or more processes occurring during a second portion of the multi-portion recipe.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving instructions to generate a multi-component product on a processing device;

processing the instructions;

identifying a first recipe to produce a first component of the multi-component product;

identifying at least a second recipe to produce at least a second component of the multi-component product, wherein the first and second recipes are chosen from a plurality of available recipes;

altering the first recipe based on the second recipe; and

executing the first and second recipes,

wherein the first recipe is executed within a first manifold of the processing device, wherein the first manifold is chosen from the group consisting of;

a mixing manifold, a blending manifold, a grinding manifold, a heating manifold, a cooling manifold, a freezing manifold, a steeping manifold, a nozzle, a pressure manifold, a vacuum manifold, and an agitation manifold, and

wherein the second recipe is executed within a second manifold of the processing device, wherein the second manifold is different from the first manifold, and wherein the second manifold is chosen from the group consisting of;

a mixing manifold, a blending manifold, a grinding manifold, a heating manifold, a cooling manifold, a freezing manifold, a steeping manifold, a nozzle, a pressure manifold, a vacuum manifold, and an agitation manifold.

2. A computer program product residing on a non-transitory computer readable medium having a plurality of instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving instructions to generate a multi-component product on a processing device;

processing the instructions;

identifying a first recipe to produce a first component of the multi-component product;

identifying at least a second recipe to produce at least a second component of the multi-component product, wherein the first and second recipes are chosen from a plurality of available recipes;

altering the first recipe based on the second recipe; and

executing the first and second recipes,

wherein the first recipe is executed within a first manifold of the processing device, wherein the first manifold is chosen from the group consisting of;

a mixing manifold, a blending manifold, a grinding manifold, a heating manifold, a cooling manifold, a freezing manifold, a steeping manifold, a nozzle, a pressure manifold, a vacuum manifold, and an agitation manifold, and

wherein the second recipe is executed within a second manifold of the processing device, wherein the second manifold is different from the first manifold, and wherein the second manifold is chosen from the group consisting of;

a mixing manifold, a blending manifold, a grinding manifold, a heating manifold, a cooling manifold, a freezing manifold, a steeping manifold, a nozzle, a pressure manifold, a vacuum manifold, and an agitation manifold.

3. A process controller configured to:

receive instructions to generate a multi-component product on a processing device;

process the instructions;

identify a first recipe to produce a first component of the multi-component product;

identify at least a second recipe to produce at least a second component of the multi-component product, wherein the first and second recipes are chosen from a plurality of available recipes;

altering the first recipe based on the second recipe; and

execute the first and second recipes,

wherein the first recipe is executed within a first manifold of the processing device, wherein the first manifold is chosen from the group consisting of;

a mixing manifold, a blending manifold, a grinding manifold, a heating manifold, a cooling manifold, a freezing manifold, a steeping manifold, a nozzle, a pressure manifold, a vacuum manifold, and an agitation manifold, and

wherein the second recipe is executed within a second manifold of the processing device, wherein the second manifold is different from the first manifold, and wherein the second manifold is chosen from the group consisting of;

a mixing manifold, a blending manifold, a grinding manifold, a heating manifold, a cooling manifold, a freezing manifold, a steeping manifold, a nozzle, a pressure manifold, a vacuum manifold, and an agitation manifold.