Inference electronic shelf life dating system for perishables

• US 9,710,754 B2
• Filed: 04/08/2015
• Issued: 07/18/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Infratab, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Infratab, Inc.
• Inventors: Kaye, Stanton
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Lut
• Application Number:
  US14/681,860
• Publication Number:
  US 20160012337A1
• Time in Patent Office: 832 Days
• Field of Search: 706 12
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 20/00 Machine learning
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/04 Inference or reasoning models
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0833 Tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/10 relating to drugs or medications, e.g. for ensuring correct administration to patients

Abstract

A shelf life inference system comprising a container for a plurality of items. The container has coupled to it a tracker operative to read the ID label on each item and to track the exit from and the return to the container of each item separately and to calculate the freshness status of each item upon return to the container.

Claims

1. A system for tracking the shelf life status of one or more perishables removed from and/or returned to a container, containing a plurality of perishables, said system comprising:

an ID label associated with each of said plurality of perishables;

one or more sensors in the container operative at periodic sensing periods to sense the temperature of each of said plurality of perishables in a container;

a tracking device, communicatively coupled to said container operative to calculate and/or record at each periodic sensing the shelf life status of said plurality of perishables in the container using the sensed temperature and responsive to the movement of a perishable exiting said container to calculate and/or record the exit shelf life status for the associated perishable based upon the exit temperature of the perishable, the elapsed time since last sensing and spoilage characteristics of said perishable;

said perishable being moved to a position where there is no temperature monitoring;

said tracking device being operative to sense the temperature of said perishable entering a container, calculate the shelf life, using the temperature sensed and the spoilage characteristics of the perishable for the time that the perishable was not temperature monitored, and subtract an away freshness shelf life status, which is defined by the time the perishable was not temperature monitored, from said exiting shelf life status, wherein the difference identifies the amount of remaining shelf life if greater than zero.

2. A system as in claim 1 wherein said tracking device is attached to said container.

3. A system as in claim 1 wherein tracking device is remote from said container.

4. A system as in claim 1 wherein said container comprises one or more sensor liners and comprises a tracking device coupled to each of said liners.

5. A system as in claim 4 comprising wherein the tracking device coupled to each of said liners comprises shelf life trends for each of the items in the associated liner.

6. A system as in claim 1 wherein said tracking device comprises software for determining time out of the container of an item, the temperature at exit and the temperature at entrance of the item.

7. A system as in claim 1 wherein said tracking device comprises a cell phone and a tracker being operative to calculate or record shelf life status for each of said items and/or updating said data responsive to the exit from and/or entrance to said container or ID label.

8. A system as in claim 1, wherein said container has an access door.

9. A system as in claim 1, wherein an ID label is attached to each of said perishables.

10. A method for tracking the shelf life status of one or more perishables removed from and/or returned to a container containing a plurality of perishables comprising:

attaching an ID label to each of said plurality of perishables;

placing the one or more perishables in a container, said container having one or more sensors in the container operative at periodic sensing periods to sense the temperature of each of said plurality of perishables in the container;

communicatively coupling to the container a tracking device operative to calculate and/or record at each periodic sensing the shelf life status of said plurality of perishables in the container using the sensed temperature, the elapsed time since last sensing and spoilage characteristics of each of said perishables and responsive to the exiting of a perishable for calculating and/or recording an exit shelf life status based upon the exit temperature of the perishable, elapsed time since the last temperature sensing and the spoilage characteristics of the perishable item;

moving said perishable to a position where there is no temperature monitoring; and

returning a perishable to a container with a tracking device operative to sense the temperature of said perishable entering the container, calculate the shelf life, using the sensed temperature and the spoilage characteristics for the time the perishable was not temperature monitored and subtract an away shelf life status, which is defined by the time the perishable was not temperature monitored, from said exit shelf life status, wherein the difference identifies the amount of remaining freshness if greater than zero.