Local storage and conditioning systems for nutritional substances

• US 9,171,061 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2013
• Issued: 10/27/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Iceberg International SARL
• Original Assignee: Iceberg International SARL
• Inventors: Minvielle, Eugenio
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, THIEN MINH
• Application Number:
  US13/931,733
• Publication Number:
  US 20130297642A1
• Time in Patent Office: 851 Days
• Field of Search: 235/375, 235/383, 235/492, 235/382.5
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 5/30 Physical treatment, e.g. electrical or magnetic means, wave energy or irradiation cooking A23L5/10
• CPC Class Codes: A23P 10/00 Shaping or working of foodstuffs characterised by the products
• CPC Class Codes: A23V 2002/00 Food compositions, function of food ingredients or processes for food or foodstuffs
• CPC Class Codes: A23V 2300/24 Heat, thermal treatment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/30 of unstructured textual data document management systems G06F16/93
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/0092 Nutrition
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/06 Foreign languages with audible presentation of material to be studied G09B5/04
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/02 with visual presentation of the material to be studied, e.g. using film strip
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/60 relating to nutrition control, e.g. diets

Abstract

Nutritional substance systems and methods are disclosed enabling the tracking and communication of changes in nutritional, organoleptic, and aesthetic values of nutritional substances, and further enabling the adaptive storage and adaptive conditioning of nutritional substances.

Claims

1. A dynamic nutritional substance identification system comprising:

sensors for sensing physical attributes of a nutritional substance; and

a library comprising datasets of the physical attributes referenced to known nutritional substances at known nutritional, organoleptic, and aesthetic states, wherein

sensed physical attributes are compared with the datasets to determine a matching dataset; and

a consumer interface for communicating a dynamic nutritional value table responsive to the matching dataset.

2. A dynamic nutritional substance identification system according to claim 1 wherein the sensors are part of, integrated into, added to, or compatible with a nutritional substance conditioning system.

3. A dynamic nutritional substance identification system according to claim 1 wherein the sensors are part of, integrated into, added to, or compatible with a nutritional substance local storage environment, container, or coupon.

4. A dynamic nutritional substance identification system according to claim 1 wherein the sensors are part of, integrated into, added to, or compatible with a smartphone.

5. A dynamic appliance for tracking changes in nutritional, organoleptic, or aesthetic values of nutritional substances, comprising:

a local storage system or conditioner for a nutritional substance; and

an appliance controller for tracking a change in nutritional, organoleptic, or aesthetic value of the nutritional substance, and

an appliance sensor for detecting a dynamic information identifier provided with the nutritional substance, wherein

the dynamic information identifier is referenced to information regarding the change in nutritional, organoleptic, or aesthetic value and information regarding origin and creation of the nutritional substance.

6. A dynamic appliance for tracking changes in nutritional, organoleptic, or aesthetic values of nutritional substances according to claim 5, wherein

said tracking enables an improvement, maintenance, or minimization of degradation of the nutritional, organoleptic, or aesthetic value.

7. A dynamic appliance for tracking changes in nutritional, organoleptic, or aesthetic values of nutritional substances according to claim 5, wherein

said tracking enables determination of compliance, or non-compliance, with general consumer requirements, or with a specific consumer'"'"'s requirements.

8. A dynamic appliance for tracking changes in nutritional, organoleptic, or aesthetic values of nutritional substances according to claim 5, wherein

said tracking enables the nutritional substance to be adaptively stored responsive to the change in nutritional, organoleptic, or aesthetic value.

9. A dynamic appliance for tracking changes in nutritional, organoleptic, or aesthetic values of nutritional substances according to claim 5, wherein

said tracking enables the nutritional substance to be adaptively conditioned responsive to the change in nutritional, organoleptic, or aesthetic value.

10. A conditioning system for nutritional substances comprising:

a controller for detecting values of physical attributes of a nutritional substance and a consumer'"'"'s input regarding the nutritional substance; and

sensors for sensing the values of physical attributes of the nutritional substance; and

a library comprising datasets of the physical attributes referenced to known nutritional substances at known nutritional, organoleptic, and aesthetic states, wherein

sensed physical attributes are compared with the datasets to determine a matching dataset; and

an input panel for acquiring the consumer'"'"'s input;

wherein

the controller provides an adaptive conditioning sequence responsive to the matching dataset and the consumer'"'"'s input.

11. A conditioning system for nutritional substances according to claim 10 wherein:

the adaptive conditioning sequence is communicated to the consumer.

12. A conditioning system for nutritional substances according to claim 10 wherein:

the adaptive conditioning sequence is implemented by the controller.

13. An appliance system for tracking changes in nutritional, organoleptic, or aesthetic values of nutritional substances, comprising:

a local storage or conditioning appliance for a nutritional substance, wherein the local storage or conditioning appliance is compatible with a dynamic appliance controller; and

a dynamic appliance controller for tracking a change in nutritional, organoleptic, or aesthetic value of the nutritional substance and detecting a dynamic information identifier provided with the nutritional substance, wherein

the dynamic information identifier is referenced to information regarding the change in nutritional, organoleptic, or aesthetic value and information regarding origin and creation of the nutritional substance.

14. A method for adaptively conditioning nutritional substances comprising the steps of:

sensing values corresponding to physical attributes of a nutritional substance; and

detecting a consumer'"'"'s input regarding the nutritional substance; and

comparing the values to a library comprising datasets of sensed physical attribute values referenced to known nutritional substances at known nutritional, organoleptic, or aesthetic states; and

determining a matching dataset and corresponding nutritional, organoleptic, or aesthetic state; and

providing an adaptive conditioning sequence responsive to the corresponding nutritional, organoleptic, or aesthetic state and the consumer'"'"'s input.