Systems, devices, admixtures, and methods including transponders for indication of food attributes

• US 8,746,576 B2
• Filed: 08/25/2011
• Issued: 06/10/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Baym, Michael H., Holman, Paul, Hyde, Roderick A., Jung, Edward K. Y., Kare, Jordin T., Lieberman, Erez, Myhrvold, Nathan P., Wood, Lowell L. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): VO, TUYEN KIM
• Application Number:
  US13/199,360
• Publication Number:
  US 20130048737A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,020 Days
• Field of Search: 235/375, 235/383, 235/385, 235/451, 235/492
• US Class Current: 235/492
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/02 characterised by the selection of materials, e.g. to avoid wear during transport through the machine
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/041 Constructional details G06K19/06 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07749 the record carrier being capable of non-contact communication, e.g. constructional details of the antenna of a non-contact smart card
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07773 Antenna details antennas for wireless devices, e.g. RFID tags, in general H01Q1/22

Abstract

Systems, devices, admixtures, and methods are described including transponder devices (e.g., a palatable transponder, an edible transponder, a palatable radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, an edible RFID tag, etc.) for admixing with a food product.

Claims

1. A palatable transponder device for admixing with a food product, comprising:

a food-attribute-identification circuit including one or more memory circuits having food-attribute data associated with a food product stored thereon;

an interrogation interface operably coupled to the food-attribute-identification circuit, the food-attribute-identification circuit configured to provide food-attribute data in response to interrogation of the interrogation interface; and

an encapsulant having one or more organoleptic attributes that mimic the food product.

2. The palatable transponder device for admixing with the food product of claim 1, wherein the encapsulant includes one or more organoleptic attributes that reduces an ability of a person to discriminate between the palatable transponder and the food product.

3. The palatable transponder device for admixing with the food product of claim 1, wherein the encapsulant includes one or more pigments that mimic a color associated with the food product.

4. The palatable transponder device for admixing with the food product of claim 1, wherein the encapsulant includes one or more binders, fillers, gelling agents, plasticizers, stabilizers, suspending agents, or thickeners that mimic a density associated with the food product.

5. The palatable transponder device for admixing with the food product of claim 1, wherein the encapsulant includes one or more flavorants that mimic a flavor associated with the food product.

6. The palatable transponder device for admixing with the food product of claim 1, wherein the encapsulant includes one or more aromatizers that mimic a scent associated with the food product.

7. The palatable transponder device for admixing with the food product of claim 1, wherein the encapsulant includes one or more texturizers that mimic a texture associated with the food product.

8. The palatable transponder device for admixing with the food product of claim 1, wherein the encapsulant includes one or more surface-finishing agents.

9. The palatable transponder device for admixing with the food product of claim 1, wherein the encapsulant includes an edible material.

10. The palatable transponder device for admixing with the food product of claim 1, wherein the encapsulant includes one or more food particles associated with the food product.

11. The palatable transponder device for admixing with the food product of claim 1, wherein the encapsulant includes at least one of a color, density, flavor, scent, or texture that reduces the ability of a person to discriminate between the palatable transponder device and the food product.

12. The palatable transponder device for admixing with the food product of claim 1, wherein the encapsulant includes an elastomer that reduces human sensory feedback when the palatable transponder device is in a human dental occlusion.

13. The palatable transponder device for admixing with the food product of claim 1, wherein the encapsulant is manufactured to include chamfered or rounded edges having a profile configured to reduce an incidence rate of abrasion, cutting, or lodging in the human digestive tract.

14. The palatable transponder device for admixing with the food product of claim 1, wherein the interrogation interface includes an edible antenna.

15. The palatable transponder device for admixing with the food product of claim 1, wherein the interrogation interface includes an antenna printed with edible conductive ink.

16. The palatable transponder device for admixing with the food product of claim 1, wherein the interrogation interface includes an antenna disposed on a chewable substrate suitable for human consumption.

17. The palatable transponder device for admixing with the food product of claim 1, wherein the interrogation interface includes an antenna having a deformability that is substantially the same as that of the food product.

18. The palatable transponder device for admixing with the food product of claim 1, wherein the palatable transponder device is configured to self-tune to compensate for quality factor (Q-factor) changes of the interrogation interface resulting from admixing the palatable transponder device with the food product.

19. The palatable transponder device for admixing with the food product of claim 1, wherein the palatable transponder device includes one or more tunable transistors to self-correct for dielectric changes in an environment.

20. The palatable transponder device for admixing with the food product of claim 1, further comprising:

a food product status device that monitors at least one status condition associated with the food product, the food product status device operably coupled to at least one of the food-attribute-identification circuit or the interrogation interface.

21. The palatable transponder device for admixing with the food product of claim 20, wherein the food product status device includes a temperature sensor for measuring a temperature associated with the food product and at least one memory circuit to store temperature measurand information.

22. The palatable transponder device for admixing with the food product of claim 20, wherein the food product status device is configured to provide one of a phase-locked response or a time-locked response indicative of a food-attribute in response to interrogation of the interrogation interface.

23. The palatable transponder device for admixing with the food product of claim 20, wherein the food product status device includes a programmable timing circuit that generates food product time event data and at least one memory circuit to store food product time event data.

24. The palatable transponder device for admixing with the food product of claim 23, wherein the programmable timing circuit generates at least one of expiration date data, food product expiration data, freshness date data, remaining shelf life data, suitable for consumption date data, suitable for sale date data, suitable for sale date data, unsuitable for consumption date data, or unsuitable for sale date data.

25. The palatable transponder device of claim 1 comprising:

a substrate having at least one of the food-attribute-identification circuit or the interrogation interface disposed thereon, the substrate having one or more organoleptic attributes that mimic the food product.

26. The palatable transponder device of claim 25, wherein the substrate includes a material having at least one of a color, density, flavor, scent, or texture that reduces the ability of a person to discriminate between the palatable transponder device and the food product.