FOOD THERMOMETER AND METHOD OF USING THEREOF

• US 20160377490A1
• Filed: 06/24/2016
• Published: 12/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apption Labs Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Apption Labs Ltd.
• Inventors: Cruz, Joseph, Nivala, Teemu
• Granted Patent: US 10,024,736 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 1/024 for remote indication
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 2207/06 for preparation purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 7/42 Circuits effecting compensation of thermal inertia; Circuits for predicting the stationary value of a temperature

Abstract

A food thermometer includes a first portion for insertion into food. The first portion includes electronics sensitive to heat, and a third portion of the thermometer includes an antenna for transmitting data. According to one aspect, a completion time is estimated based on an ambient temperature and a rate at which the food temperature changes. According to another aspect, the thermometer includes an outer shell with a metallic portion and a non-metallic portion. An inner shell inside the outer shell extends from the metallic portion into the non-metallic portion such that the inner shell in the non-metallic portion serves as at least part of the antenna. The inner shell with the metallic portion of the outer shell serves as a coaxial transmission waveguide for an antenna signal.

Claims

1. A food thermometer for measuring a temperature of a food exposed to heat, the food thermometer comprising:

a first portion including electronic components that are sensitive to heat, the first portion configured to be positioned in the food;

a second portion connected to the first portion, wherein at least the first portion or the second portion includes a thermal sensor for detecting the temperature of the food; and

a third portion connected to the second portion, the third portion including an antenna for wirelessly transmitting data based on the detected temperature of the food.

2. The food thermometer of claim 1, further comprising an ambient thermal sensor located in the third portion and configured to detect an ambient temperature near an exterior of the food.

3. The food thermometer of claim 2, further comprising thermal sensor wiring extending through the second portion and electrically connecting electronics in the first portion or the second portion to the ambient sensor in the third portion, wherein the thermal sensor wiring and the ambient thermal sensor are configured to serve as at least part of the antenna in the third portion.

4. The food thermometer of claim 1, further comprising an ambient thermal sensor positioned inside the second portion and in thermal contact with the antenna, wherein the ambient thermal sensor is configured to indirectly detect an ambient temperature near the exterior of the food through thermal conduction via the antenna.

5. The food thermometer of claim 1, further comprising:

an outer shell extending from the second portion to the third portion; and

an inner shell inside the outer shell and extending from the second portion into the third portion, wherein the inner shell with the outer shell in the second portion serve as a coaxial transmission waveguide for an antenna signal, and wherein the inner shell in the third portion serves as at least part of the antenna.

6. The food thermometer of claim 5, further comprising:

an ambient thermal sensor located in the third portion; and

sensor wiring inside the inner shell connecting the ambient thermal sensor to electronics in the first portion or the second portion.

7. The food thermometer of claim 5, further comprising a charging contact for charging the food thermometer, wherein the charging contact is in electrical communication with the inner shell, and wherein the inner shell is configured to carry a charging signal from the charging contact to electronics in the first portion or in the second portion.

8. The food thermometer of claim 1, further comprising:

a charging contact located in the third portion for charging the food thermometer, wherein the charging contact is in electrical communication with the antenna so that the antenna is configured to carry a charging signal from the charging contact; and

filter components configured to separate the charging signal from a Radio Frequency (RF) signal for the antenna.

9. The food thermometer of claim 1, further comprising:

a charging contact located in the third portion for charging the food thermometer, wherein the charging contact is in electrical communication with the antenna so that the antenna is configured to carry a message signal received at the charging contact through contact with an external device; and

filter components configured to separate the message signal from a Radio Frequency (RF) signal for the antenna.

10. The food thermometer of claim 1, further comprising an ambient thermal sensor located in at least the third portion or the second portion and configured to detect an ambient temperature near an exterior of the food, wherein the ambient temperature detected by the ambient thermal sensor is used to determine a stage of cooking during a cooking process of the food.

11. The food thermometer of claim 1, wherein the food thermometer is wirelessly connected to a remotely located computer-based portable electronic device, and

wherein the electronic components include a processor configured to:

receive a temperature threshold from the remotely located computer-based portable electronic device;

determine that the detected temperature of the food has reached or exceeds the temperature threshold; and

transmit, using the antenna, a signal to the remotely located computer-based portable electronic device for indicating that the food has reached or exceeds the temperature threshold.

12. The food thermometer of claim 11, wherein at least one of the food thermometer or the remotely located computer-based portable electronic device is configured to estimate at least one of a completion time for cooking the food and a resting temperature rise that will follow the removal of the food from heat.

13. A food thermometer for measuring a temperature of a food exposed to heat, the food thermometer comprising:

an outer shell including a metallic portion and a non-metallic portion;

a thermal sensor in the metallic portion of the outer shell for detecting a temperature of the food when the food thermometer is inserted into the food; and

an inner shell inside the outer shell and extending from the metallic portion of the outer shell into the non-metallic portion of the outer shell, wherein the inner shell in the non-metallic portion of the outer shell serves as at least part of an antenna, and wherein the inner shell with the metallic portion of the outer shell serve as a coaxial transmission waveguide for an antenna signal for transmission by the antenna.

14. The food thermometer of claim 13, further comprising:

an ambient thermal sensor located inside the inner shell; and

sensor wiring inside the inner shell connecting the ambient thermal sensor to electronics in the food thermometer.

15. A method for estimating a completion time for cooking food using a food thermometer, the method comprising:

receiving an indication of an ambient temperature near the food;

receiving an indication of a food temperature at an interior portion of the food;

determining a rate at which the indication of the food temperature changes; and

estimating the completion time based on at least the indication of the ambient temperature near the food and the rate at which the indication of the food temperature changes.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein determining a rate at which the indication of the food temperature changes includes:

determining a temperature rise value based on the indication of the ambient temperature; and

measuring an amount of time for the indication of the food temperature to increase by the temperature rise value.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising determining the temperature rise value by selecting a food type for the food from a plurality of food types, with different food types being associated with a different temperature rise value for the same indication of the ambient temperature.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising estimating a resting temperature rise for an amount of temperature rise in the food after the food will be removed from heat based on the rate at which the indication of the food temperature changes and at least one of a food type of the food and an initial amount of time for the indication of the food temperature to increase by a temperature rise value during an initial period of cooking.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising calculating an adjusted resting temperature rise based on one or more indications of the ambient temperature within a predetermined time period.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein estimating the completion time includes determining a remaining cooking time by:

determining a remaining temperature increase based on at least the resting temperature rise, wherein the remaining temperature increase indicates an amount of temperature increase needed to reach a target temperature of the food; and

determining the remaining cooking time based on at least the remaining temperature increase.