U.S. patent application number 13/781864 was filed with the patent office on 2013-09-05 for wireless food safety monitor system.
The applicant listed for this patent is Dominick Tamborra. Invention is credited to Dominick Tamborra.
Application Number | 20130227971 13/781864 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 49042045 |
Filed Date | 2013-09-05 |
United States Patent
Application |
20130227971 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Tamborra; Dominick |
September 5, 2013 |
WIRELESS FOOD SAFETY MONITOR SYSTEM
Abstract
A wireless system for monitoring food safety having a monitor
adapted to be disposed within a refrigerator. The monitor has a
thermometer for measuring the temperature of the food within a
refrigerator and a clock operatively communicating with the
thermometer. The clock counts a time interval during which the
thermometer detects at least a predetermined temperature
communicating with the monitor. A communication signal, broadcasts
an occurrence of the elapsed time exceeding a predetermined value.
A receiving station within the broadcast area of the monitor,
receives the broadcast elapsed time data and causes the occurrence
of the elapsed time data to be transmitted across a cellular
network to a remote device.
Inventors: |
Tamborra; Dominick;
(Deltona, FL) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Tamborra; Dominick |
Deltona |
FL |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
49042045 |
Appl. No.: |
13/781864 |
Filed: |
March 1, 2013 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
61606184 |
Mar 2, 2012 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
62/62 ;
62/129 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F25D 2700/12 20130101;
F25D 29/008 20130101; F25D 29/006 20130101; G01K 2207/04 20130101;
G01K 3/005 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
62/62 ;
62/129 |
International
Class: |
F25D 29/00 20060101
F25D029/00 |
Claims
1. A wireless system for monitoring food safety comprising: a
monitor for monitoring a temperature within a refrigerator, the
monitor having a thermometer for measuring a temperature within the
refrigerator and a clock operatively communicating with the
thermometer, the clock counting an elapsed time interval, during
which the thermometer detects at least a predetermined temperature;
and a transmitter communicating with the clock for broadcasting an
occurrence of the elapsed time exceeding a predetermined value; and
a receiving station not disposed within the refrigerator, and
disposed within a broadcast area of the monitor for receiving a
broadcast occurrence of the elapsed time and transmitting the
occurrence of the elapsed time to a remote portable device.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein the receiving station includes a
real time clock, the real time clock date and time stamping each
broadcast received from the monitor.
3. The system of claim 1, wherein the occurrence of the elapsed
time is transmitting across a communication network.
4. The system of claim 1, wherein the transmitter communicates with
the thermometer and the receiving station polls the monitor at
predetermined time intervals, the monitor transmitting temperature
data to the receiving station in response to each poll.
5. The system of claim 4, wherein said receiving station determines
whether the temperature data corresponds to a temperature above a
predetermined temperature, and determines a time interval for an
amount of time between a first poll and a successive poll for each
poll resulting in a temperature above the predetermined
temperature.
6. The system of claim 3, wherein the receiving station date stamps
each temperature data received at the receiving station and stores
the temperature data and date and stamp; and transmits the
temperature data and date and time stamp stored at the receiving
station as a report to the remote portable device.
7. The wireless system of claim 1, wherein the monitor determines
at least one predetermined time interval and transmits the
temperature of the food within a refrigerator to the receiving
station at the end of each of the at least one predetermined time
intervals.
8. A system for monitoring food safety comprising: a monitor for
monitoring a temperature within a refrigerator, the monitor having
a thermometer for measuring a temperature within the refrigerator
and a clock operatively communicating with the thermometer, the
clock counting art elapsed time interval during which the
thermometer detects at least a predetermined temperature; a
transmitter communicating with the clock and the thermometer for
broadcasting at least one of the temperature and the elapsed time;
and a receiving station not disposed within the refrigerator,
wirelessly communicating with the monitor and disposed within a
broadcast area of the monitor for sending a poll to the monitor,
the monitor transmitting at least one of the temperature and
elapsed time in response to the poll.
9. The system of claim 8, wherein the receiving station determines
whether the temperature data corresponds to a temperature above a
predetermined temperature, and determines a time interval for an
amount of time between a first poll and a successive poll for each
poll resulting in a temperature above the predetermined
temperature.
10. The system of claim 8, wherein the receiving station date
stamps each temperature received at the receiving station and
stores the temperature and date and time stamp, and transmits the
temperature and date and time stamp stored at the receiving station
as a report to a remote portable device.
11. A method for determining whether food in a refrigerator has
experienced unwanted temperatures comprising the steps of: placing
a thermometer within a refrigerator; providing an elapsed time
clock in communication with the thermometer, the elapsed time clock
counting an elapsed time during a time interval in which the
thermometer measures a temperature above a predetermined
temperature; accumulating the elapsed time intervals, and
outputting an alarm signal to a receiving station when the
accumulated elapsed time exceeds a predetermined value; and the
receiving station being disposed within a broadcast area of the
thermometer and clock, and transmitting the occurrence of the
accumulated elapsed time to a remote portable device.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein the receiving station date and
time stamps each broadcast received from the clock.
13. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of
transmitting the occurrence of the elapsed time to the remote
portable device across a communications network.
14. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of the
receiving station polls the thermometer at predetermined time
intervals, the temperature being transmitted to the receiving
station in response to each poll.
15. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of the
receiving station polls the clock at predetermined intervals, the
elapsed time being transmitted to the receiving station in response
to each poll.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims priority to Provisional Patent
Application No. 61/606,184 filed Mar. 1, 2012, and is incorporated
herein as set forth in its entirety.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] This invention is directed to a device for monitoring
temperature within a refrigerator, indicating to a user that the
food has entered the danger zone for refrigerated foods, and more
particularly, for continuously monitoring the conditions within the
refrigerator and notifying a remote user of the status of the
conditions within the refrigerator.
[0003] In this day and age, refrigerators are found in restaurants,
places of work, produce stores and the like. Almost all foods are
now stored in a refrigerator at one time or another.
[0004] However, refrigerators are subject to breakage, brown-outs,
black-outs, and even improper closing providing unexpected rises in
temperature over different periods of time. Even temporary loss of
power in a refrigerator may lead to damage of foods contained
therein.
[0005] As a result, the Food and Drug Administration ("FDA") has
determined a "temperature danger zone" of time temperature exposure
for foods. The FDA has determined that whenever the temperature of
a food subject to spoilage falls between 41.degree. F. and
135.degree. F. (5.degree. C. and 57.degree. C.) the food is within
the "temperature danger zone". The FDA has also set forth
guidelines that foods cannot remain for more than four hours in the
danger zone before they are no longer safe for consumption. A
refrigerator must be continuously working properly for the
temperature of its contents to be maintained outside the
temperature danger zone.
[0006] In situations where the owner/operator or staff is away from
the refrigerator, such as during a busy work day, when the
restaurant is closed, or during brown-outs or black-outs, the
operator of the refrigerator can only guess, if they are aware at
all, as to whether or not danger zone conditions have been
experienced by the food within the refrigerator.
[0007] One instrument for solving this issue is the inventor's
refrigerated food safety monitor, as known from U.S. Pat. No.
7,360,369 which describes a food refrigeration monitor, including a
thermometer and a clock for determining when the thermometer
measures a temperature above a predetermined temperature
corresponding to food spoilage. If the measured time is greater
than a predetermined time value, an alarm is sounded. This device
has been satisfactory, however it suffers from the disadvantage,
that one must open the refrigerator in order to determine the
current status of the time temperature clock, thus increasing the
exposure of the refrigerator's contents to danger zone inducing
conditions, and if one is away from the refrigerator, the alarm
cannot be monitored.
[0008] Accordingly, a device which overcomes the shortcomings of
the prior art is desired.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] A wireless system includes food refrigeration monitor having
a thermometer for measuring the temperature within a refrigerator
and a clock for measuring the time during which the thermometer
measures a temperature of the ambient environment. The monitor also
determines a time during which the temperature is above a
predetermined value. The monitor provides an output to a
transceiver and sends one of a temperature signal at predetermined
time intervals, and an alarm signal when an accumulated time value
exceeds a predetermined value. A remote monitor includes a
transceiver for receiving signals from the time temperature monitor
and storing temperature data as a time stamped entry, the remote
monitor providing an output to a cellular phone transceiver for
transmitting the data received from the monitoring unit to a remote
device.
[0010] In one embodiment of the invention, the remote monitor polls
the food refrigeration monitor to determine current conditions
within the refrigerator. The food refrigeration monitor undergoes
the same conditions as the food, so the user may check the food
temperature within the refrigerator at any time.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] For a fuller understanding of the invention, reference is
had to the following description taken in connection with the
accompanying drawing in which:
[0012] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a system for monitoring
food temperature in accordance with the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0013] Reference is made to FIG. 1 which shows a wireless food
safety monitor system, generally indicated as 100, constructed in
accordance with the invention. Wireless food safety monitor system
100 includes a sensing unit, generally indicated as 10, which is
disposed within the refrigerator to be monitored. Wireless food
safety monitor system 100 also includes a receiving station 200
disposed locally to the refrigerator (within the same facility or
at least within wireless communication range of sensing unit 10),
but outside of the refrigerator and is in communication with
sensing unit 10 as well as a portable communication device.
[0014] Sensing unit 10 includes a time temperature sensor 12. Time
temperature sensor 12 such as that disclosed in Applicant's U.S.
Pat. No. 7,360,369, which is incorporated herein in its entirety,
includes a thermometer 13 encased in a housing for mimicking a
temperature experienced by the food in the same environment as
sensing unit 10 to measure the temperature of the food within the
refrigerator, to provide a temperature output. In a preferred, but
non-limiting example, sensor 12 may include a clock 15 for
measuring time as known in the art.
[0015] Thermometer 12 continuously samples temperature within a
refrigerator and outputs the measured temperature value. The clock
15 is a time interval clock which receives the temperature value
from thermometer 13 and counts a time interval in response to the
temperature sensed by the thermometer 13 of sensor 12 being above a
predetermined temperature, such as 41.degree. corresponding to the
"temperature danger zone". In this way a total time of temperature
exceeding the predetermined temperature as sensed by sensor 12 is
counted. Sensor 12 provides a temperature and/or a time temperature
output to a microcontroller 14.
[0016] Microcontroller 14 may also have a clock thereon as known in
the art and may poll sensor 12 for its temperature data, or time
temperature data at predetermined intervals, such as every ten
minutes, every half hour or some appropriate interval for
monitoring changes in temperature within the refrigerator
environment. Microcontroller 14 also determines whether the time
temperature value monitored by sensor 12 has exceeded a
predetermined value indicating that the temperature has been in the
"temperature danger zone" for a sufficient time to indicate
potential or actual food spoilage; i.e., in time to provide a
preemptive warning, or to indicate a temperature violation. As a
function of such determination, microcontroller 14 outputs a report
signal to a transceiver 16 which is coupled to an antenna 18 to
broadcast an alarm condition indicative either that spoilage may
have occurred, or may occur if preventive action is not taken.
[0017] In other embodiments of the invention, microcontroller 14
may also report the monitored temperature at predetermined time
intervals to transceiver 16 causing the temperature data to be
broadcast by antenna 18 on a periodic basis. In one non-limiting
exemplary embodiment, antenna 18 may be a radio frequency (RF)
module, but may be any antenna capable of communicating directly
with other devices, including receiving station 200 or known
portable devices.
[0018] Sensor 12, microcontroller 14 and transceiver 16 are low
voltage devices which are run by battery from a voltage regulated
power source 20.
[0019] The signal produced by antenna 18 is a low power signal
which is transmitted to receiving station 200, a pager, or other
devices. Accordingly, a receiving station 200 is placed in the
proximity of sensor 10, but outside of the refrigerator environment
(the broadcast area). Receiving station 100 receives the signal
from antenna 18, processes the signal as discussed below, and then
transmits a report or alarm to one or more addressed mobile device,
(not shown) such as a pager, tablet, or cell phone, carried by a
person interested in the condition of the refrigerator.
[0020] More specifically, receiving station 200 includes a
microcontroller and database 202. In a preferred non-limiting
embodiment, the database and microcontroller are formed as a single
unit 202. However, it is well understood in the art that a memory
chip, separate from the microcontroller chip, may be used without
departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
Microcontroller 202 is coupled to an antenna 204 by a receiver 206
for receiving the signals produced by antenna 18. Microcontroller
202 may also communicate with other devices by an Internet
connection at Internet port 209.
[0021] Microcontroller 202 also receives a clock signal from an
oscillator 208 as well as a real time signal from real time clock
210. Microcontroller 202, using these signals, may calculate a
lapsed time as well as actual time in order to determine intervals
and time stamps for monitored events.
[0022] Receiving station 200 also outputs data and messages to
remote communication devices such as telephones, tablet computers,
pagers, smart phones, laptops or the like. These remote devices may
or may not be at the facility or in situ with the refrigerator
being monitored, but utilizing system 100 allows continual
monitoring by staff without the need to be continually at the
facility with the refrigerator. Accordingly, microcontroller 202,
by way of non-limiting example, is operatively coupled to a GSM
module 212 or DCMA or any other type of cellular signal under the
control of a subscriber identity module (SIM) chip or card as known
in the art. A voltage regulator 216 coupled to power supply and
battery charger 222 powers GSM module 212 which outputs an address
signal across antenna 213 for broadcast to the desired remote
device.
[0023] The components of receiving station 200 may be portable or
fixed and as a result are powered by a power supply and battery
charger 222 which may receive power either from batteries 226 such
as lithium ion cells or an AC wall plug 224. In a preferred,
non-limiting embodiment, power supply 222 operates on a 3 volt to 9
volt input and produces 3 to 4.7 volts which may be converted by a
voltage regulator 228 to a lower voltage for powering either
microcontroller 202 or receiver 206.
[0024] Visual indicators such as light emitting diodes 220 are
connected and powered by microcontroller 202. Light emitting diodes
220 controlled by microcontroller 202, may be of two or more colors
to indicate a status such that one color such as green may indicate
transmission of data from receiving station 200, another color such
as amber may indicate the reception of data, and a third color such
as red for a third light indicating diode 220 may indicate
temperature violation.
[0025] During operation, in one exemplary, but non-limiting
embodiment, microcontroller 202 is passive and receives either an
alert or an alarm signal or the periodic temperature signal from
monitor 10 at antenna 204. Microcontroller 202 then date stamps the
data utilizing an input from real time clock 210, stores the data
or outputs a status signal by triggering an output to GSM module
212 causing a broadcast of a signal across antenna 213 to a remote
device.
[0026] For example, microcontroller 202 may be programmed, in one
non-limiting example to always forward the report of a danger zone
condition, such as temperature above a predetermined value such as
41.degree. F. Microcontroller 202 may also always transmit the
alarm corresponding to a determination of spoilage condition by
monitor 10, and the receipt of a spoilage signal at receiving
station 200.
[0027] On the other hand, microcontroller 202 may make use of time
intervals as determined utilizing oscillator inputs from oscillator
208 to determine predetermined time intervals to trigger the output
of an information data signal to GSM module 212 or any type of
cellular signal or internet communication for transmittal across an
antenna 213 even when there is no alarm condition. The information
data signal may be the current temperature as determined by monitor
10, and a real time stamp. Microcontroller 202 may store a number
of received temperatures, date and time stamp each as received, and
then transmit the stored temperatures, at predetermined intervals,
as a summary report.
[0028] It also should be understood, that microcontroller 202 may
be an active element sending polling signals to monitor 10 causing
microcontroller 14 to request information from sensor 12 to then be
transmitted back to receiving station 200. It should also be
understood that the GSM module 212 or CDMA or cellular signal or
internet under the control SIM 214 or other microprocessor can be
called by a remote device causing microcontroller 202, in response
to a prompt, personal identification number, or other code from the
remote device to dump the data stored in microcontroller 202 as a
report to the remote device or poll monitor 10 to obtain a current
status of the refrigerator.
[0029] It should also be well understood, that the functionality of
system 100 may be split to varying degrees between receiving
station 200 and monitor 10. By way of example, microcontroller 14
may be "dumbed down" or clock 15 of sensor 12 may be removed
because microcontroller 202 may poll monitor 10 at predetermined
intervals to determine the temperature and then utilize oscillator
208 as the clock to determine a total elapsed time at which the
temperature sensed at sensor 12 was in the danger zone. As a
result, almost all of the functionality may be moved to the
receiving station 200.
[0030] By providing an elapsed time triggered monitor, capable of
reporting to a receiving station which is capable of both storing
data, or immediately reporting conditions to a remote device, a
simple mechanism for allowing a user to recognize the proper
operation of a refrigerator without the need to be in the same
physical location as the refrigerator is provided. Most
importantly, the device provides a quick, simple, automated way of
determining in real time whether food contained within the
refrigerator is unsafe, whether being physically monitored by the
operator of the refrigerator or not, thus decreasing the risk of
food poisoning, food spoilage, waste or the like.
[0031] Thus, while there have been shown, described and pointed
out, novel features of the present invention as applied to
preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood that various
omissions and substitutions and changes in the form and details of
the disclosed invention may be made by those skilled in the art
without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is
the intention, therefore, to be limited only as indicated by the
scope of the claims appended hereto.
[0032] It is also to be understood that the following claims are
intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the
invention herein described and all statements of the scope of the
invention, which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall
therebetween.
* * * * *