U.S. patent application number 15/617317 was filed with the patent office on 2018-05-10 for inference electronic shelf life dating system for perishables.
The applicant listed for this patent is INFRATAB, INC.. Invention is credited to Stanton Kaye.
Application Number | 20180129948 15/617317 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 50477864 |
Filed Date | 2018-05-10 |
United States Patent
Application |
20180129948 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Kaye; Stanton |
May 10, 2018 |
INFERENCE ELECTRONIC SHELF LIFE DATING SYSTEM FOR PERISHABLES
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.
Inventors: |
Kaye; Stanton; (Oxnard,
CA) |
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Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
INFRATAB, INC. |
Oxnard |
CA |
US |
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|
Family ID: |
50477864 |
Appl. No.: |
15/617317 |
Filed: |
June 8, 2017 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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14681860 |
Apr 8, 2015 |
9710754 |
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15617317 |
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PCT/US2013/064177 |
Oct 9, 2013 |
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14681860 |
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61711340 |
Oct 9, 2012 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06Q 10/0833 20130101;
G06Q 10/08 20130101; G06N 20/00 20190101; G06N 5/04 20130101 |
International
Class: |
G06N 5/04 20060101
G06N005/04; G06N 99/00 20060101 G06N099/00; G06Q 10/08 20060101
G06Q010/08 |
Claims
1. A system for tracking the freshness state of each of a plurality
of perishables associated with a container, comprising an ID label
attached to each of said perishables, a tracking device, being
responsive to the movement of an ID label exiting or entering a
container for updating the shelf life data for the Perishable
corresponding to said ID label, said tracking device comprising
software operative to calculate the time away from and shelf life
used for a perishable while away said container.
2. A system as in claim 1, wherein said container has an access
door.
3. A system as in claim 1, wherein said container is a liner.
4. A system as in claim 1, wherein said container is a shelf, case,
pallet, vat, reefer, refrigerator, display case or room
5. A system as in claim 1, wherein shelf life monitoring of
perishables inside of the container is by zone location.
6. A system as in claim 1, wherein said plurality of perishables
associated with the container have varying shelf lives.
7. A system as in claim 1, wherein shelf life calculation for the
plurality of perishables is represented as a percentage of life
"-left" and "-used" and is based upon the life of the perishable as
starting at 100 and ending at 0, the use-by end of life of the
perishable.
8. A system as in claim 7 wherein the end of life is the
perishable's "after when opened" date.
9. A system for monitoring the shelf life of a plurality of
perishables as described in claim 1 wherein the calculation of
shelf life is based upon freshness determining tables and wherein
the data in the tables are determined using either Arrhenius
kinetics or shelf life calculations that are linear, exponential or
experiential.
10. A system as in claim 1, wherein the ID label attached to each
perishable is a barcode, QRcode, NFC label, RFID label, price
lookup label (PLU) or picture used in the perishable's marketing
label.
11. A system as in claim 1, wherein said tracking device is
attached to said container.
12. A system as in claim 1, wherein said tracking device is remote
from said container.
13. A system as in claim 1, wherein said tracking device is an
RFID, NFC, low power Bluetooth or wireless sensor label which
monitors temperature.
14. A system as in claim 13, wherein said tracking device monitors
temperature and calculates shelf life used and shelf life left.
15. A system as in claim 13, wherein said tracking device monitors
humidity, vibration, shock and other environmental conditions.
16. A system as in claim 1, wherein tracking device comprises a
cell phone and tracking device being operative to store shelf life
for each of said items and/or updating sid data responsive to the
exit from or the return to said container.
17. A system as in claim 1, wherein said tracking device comprises
an RFID UHF, RFID HF, NFC, low power Bluetooth, wireless or
infrared reader.
18. A system as in claim 1 wherein the ID, temperature, shelf life
and exit time of the perishable exiting said container is sent by
the tracking device to a cloud database.
19. A system as in claim 1 wherein the ID, temperature, entry time
and the inferred shelf life used while the perishable was away from
the container is sent by the tracking device to a cloud
database.
20. A system as in claim 1 wherein a confidence factor is
calculated by the tracking device reflecting the confidence in the
accuracy of the temperature used to calculate the inferred shelf
life used.
21. A system as in claim 1 wherein the inferred shelf life used
during the perishable's time away from the container can be
calculated by a remote tracking device.
22. A system as in claim 1 wherein a confidence factor is
calculated each time a perishables' shelf life used is inferred by
a tracking device.
23. A system as in claim 1 wherein a visual or audible display can
signal and alert when a perishable departs or enters a
container.
24. A method for monitoring the shelf life of a plurality of
perishables associated with a container, each with an ID label,
wherein during one segment of the perishables' life, the plurality
of perishables are temperature and shelf life monitored, during
another segment of their life they are removed from the temperature
and shelf life monitored container and during another segment of
their life they are returned to a temperature and shelf life
monitored container, comprising attaching an ID label to each of
said items, placing the plurality of items in a temperature and
shelf life monitored container, coupling to the container a
tracking device responsive to monitoring temperature and shelf life
while in the container, recording the temperature, time of exit and
shelf life left upon exiting the container, responsive to
monitoring the temperature of the perishables upon return to a
monitored container, calculating time away from a monitored
container and calculating an inferred shelf life used while away
from a monitored container.
25. A method for monitoring the shelf life of a plurality of
perishables as described in claim 24 wherein the shelf life
calculation is represented as a percentage of life left and used
based upon the life of the perishable as starting at 100 and ending
at 0, the use-by end of life of the perishable.
26. A method for monitoring shelf life as described in claim 25
whereby the end of life is the perishable's "after when opened"
date.
27. A method for monitoring the shelf life of a plurality of
perishables as described in claim 24 wherein the calculation of
shelf life is based upon freshness determining tables and wherein
the data in the tables are determined using either Arrhenius
kinetics or shelf life calculations that are linear, exponential or
experiential.
28. A method for monitoring the shelf life of a plurality of
perishables as described in claim 24 wherein a confidence factor is
applied to the inferred shelf life used calculation for the time
the perishable is away from the monitored container.
29. A method for monitoring the shelf life of a plurality of
perishable as described in claim 24 wherein said shelf life left
calculation is used to discount products whose shelf life left is
below a specified amount.
30. A method for monitoring the shelf life of a plurality of
perishables as described in claim 24 wherein the user can track
inventory of perishables and their shelf lives in their cupboards
or refrigerators.
Description
PRIORITY
[0001] This application is a continuation application of U.S.
patent application Ser. No. 14/681,860, filed Apr. 8, 2015, which
is a continuation application of PCT Patent Application Serial No.
PCT/US13/64177, filed Oct. 9, 2013, which claims the benefit of
U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/711,340, filed Oct. 9,
2012, all of which are incorporated herein by reference herein in
their entireties.
BACKGROUND
Field of the Invention
[0002] The invention relates to systems and methods for inferring
the shelf life or the freshness of one or more perishables when the
perishables are monitored intermittently throughout their lives or
when a perishable is monitored as part of a group of perishables
having varying shelf lives. The invention relates to shelf life
monitoring sensors and tags, the absence of shelf life monitoring
sensors and tags during time periods in a perishable's life, and
the perishable packaging, software, systems and processes for
monitoring, inferring, estimating and analyzing the shelf life of a
perishable product during the time the perishable is away from a
monitoring device.
Description of the Related Art
[0003] Perishable products, whether produce, meats, fish,
pharmaceuticals, blood, chemicals, flowers and other products, each
have a unique shelf life. This shelf life is affected by the
physical, chemical or biological characteristics of the perishable
as well as the packaging of the perishable. Temperature is usually
the predominant factor in determining shelf life--with humidity,
vibration shock and other factors playing a lesser but important
role.
[0004] For the last forty years the Use-by or Expiration date
printed on a label in words and often supplemented by a barcode has
been the predominant label for indicating the end time of a
perishable. This date represents the perishable manufacturer's
assessment of the temperature and other environmental conditions to
be experienced by the perishable from the time it is manufactured
until it is used. Because temperature is often different from what
was predicted, the date alone is not always an accurate
representation of shelf life. If a product is properly transported
and stored, it can last much longer than the date. Conversely, if
the temperature is higher than predicted, the product deteriorates
more quickly in relation to temperature.
[0005] Digital shelf life monitoring labels and devices have been
developed for the purpose of supplementing or replacing the paper
expiration date. In reference to the use of shelf life sensors and
labels to determine shelf life, U.S. Pat. No. 5,442,669 (Medin),
U.S. Pat. No. 7,495,558 B2 (Pope), U.S. Pat. No. 7,764,183 B2
(Burchell), and U.S. Pat. No. 7,982,622 B2 (Burchell) are cited,
assigned to Infratab. These patents describe how electronic
temperature sensors and labels are used to monitor the shelf life
or freshness of a perishable using freshness determining tables in
conjunction with temperature sensors to calculate shelf life used
and shelf life left of a perishable.
[0006] U.S. Pat. No. 5,442,669, Medin, describes a digital shelf
life monitor which integrates time and temperature using a
freshness determining table based upon spoilage characteristics of
a perishable to calculate shelf life used and an LCD gauge for
displaying shelf life left. U.S. Pat. No. 7,495,558 B2, Pope et
al., adds RFID to the freshness determining table and describes a
tag configuration in which sensing is separate from the RFID
transponder so as to enable various shapes and sizes of tag and
flexibility in support of various RF frequencies. It also adds
humidity, vibration and other sensors to both its freshness
monitoring and to its freshness determining tables and includes
methods of inheriting shelf life from a sensor tag to another
sensor tag or an identification tag. U.S. Pat. No. 7,982,622 B2,
Burchell et al., adds the use of light and audio to identify items
based upon shelf life and describes different physical
configurations supported by the two module sensor architecture of
the tag.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0007] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and
constitute part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of
the invention and together with the description, serve to explain
the principles of the invention. The embodiments illustrated herein
are presently preferred, it being understood, however, that the
invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and
instrumentalities shown.
[0008] FIG. 1 is a pictorial illustration of a system and
methodology for monitoring the shelf life of multiple vaccine vials
in a container and for inferring shelf life of the vaccine for the
time period a vaccine vial is away from the container. Inference of
shelf life while the vaccine is away is calculated by software in
an RFID reader.
[0009] FIG. 2 is a pictorial illustration of a cosmetics case
comprising an inner liner designed for cosmetics wherein the
identity of the item is correlated to the size and shape of a
cutout or marker in the inner liner.
[0010] FIG. 3 is a pictorial illustration of a system and
methodology for monitoring the shelf life of fruits and vegetable
packaged for and sold in a farmers market. Shelf life monitoring
for different varieties of vegetables and fruits is done from pack
to sale using shelf life monitoring inner liners or long tags
placed below the produce and a cell phone running shelf life
monitoring and inference software. A software application for a
cell phone supports inference calculation by the consumer at the
time of consumption.
[0011] FIG. 4 is a pictorial illustration of a temperature
controlled mobile transport container for bio-pharmaceuticals and
other temperature sensitive products, wherein shelf life monitoring
of the products inside the container is done by zone locations
within the container and wherein the shelf life monitoring devices
are long tags comprising antenna, power and display modules
attached to the outside of the container and sensor modules for
monitoring zone locations inside the container.
[0012] FIG. 5 is a flow chart illustrating a process for inferring
shelf life when a product moves away from a temperature or shelf
life monitoring device.
[0013] FIG. 6 is another flow chart illustrating a process for
inferring shelf life when a product returns to a temperature or
shelf life monitoring device.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0014] The invention is based on the realization that a plurality
of perishable items could be tracked individually by a single
tracker by placing an ID label on each item and retaining the
perishables in a container that tracks the exit and time away of
item exiting from and returned to the container. The container has
coupled to it a tracking device comprising the Freshness trend line
data of each perishable and includes software to recalculate
freshness of each item responsive to the exit from and return to
the container of the item.
[0015] This invention addresses the systems and methods for
determining the shelf life of a perishable when the cost of a shelf
life label is either too expensive to monitor the perishable
throughout its entire life, when there are times in the life of the
perishable when temperature monitoring is not practical or when the
cost of the label is affordable only when multiple perishables,
each with different shelf lives, can be monitored as a group and
for which the shelf life of the perishable may have to be
inferred.
[0016] The invention comprises systems and methods for consigning
multiple products of a differing nature to a temperature monitored
container or space. A temperature controlled container can be as
large as a cold storage room, a pre-cooler room, a silo, a reefer,
a vat or a refrigerator and as small as a cooler, a vaccine
dispensing container or a cosmetics case.
[0017] The method for inferring shelf life used when the perishable
has been removed from the container is based upon shelf life
characteristics of the product as known by the shelf life
monitoring tag or device, the temperature when returned and the
time duration away. Temperature of the perishable upon return can
be measured by the reader or by the tag in the space. The inferred
shelf life used while away can be calculated by either the reader
or the tag. A confidence factor is calculated by either the tag or
the reader, reflecting confidence in the accuracy of the
temperature that was read, the assumption that this temperature was
the highest temperature that was incurred, and the accuracy of the
time duration since the perishable's temperature sensing and shelf
life calculation when last in the container.
[0018] The system and methodology of inferring shelf life can be
used for specific segments of a perishable's life in conjunction
with more precise monitoring of temperature and shelf life in other
segments of the perishable's life. The confidence factor assigned
to an inferred shelf life can increase if during the time out of
the container the perishable's temperature is taken. The more times
the temperature is taken when away, the greater the confidence in
the inferred shelf life.
[0019] The system herein includes a remote reading device in close
proximity when the container is a refrigerator or display case or
at a longer distance when the container is a corn silo, a means of
monitoring the temperature of the container and the perishables in
the container and away from the container and a means of
calculating the shelf life of perishables that are in the container
and a means of inferring the shelf life when the perishables are
away. Perishables leaving or entering the container are tracked by
the reader that is outside of the container. Inferred shelf life
used while a perishable is away from a container can be determined
in a number of ways, including by the shelf life monitoring tag
when the perishable returns or by a reader outside of the
container. If a perishable's shelf life metrics and last
measurements were recorded into the perishable's RFID
identification label when the perishable was removed from the
container or were sent to a remote database, inferred shelf life
during the time away can be calculated by another reader or device.
A reader can be a cell phone or a reader device (RFID, NFC,
infrared, magnetic, optical, wireless, Bluetooth, Zigbee). The
reader can have its own means of monitoring temperature. The
preferred reader for small containers is a cell phone. The
preferred reader for larger containers is an RFID ultra-high
frequency (UHF) or wireless reader.
[0020] The preferred embodiment of the invention consists of a
known number of perishables, all placed into the container at the
same time, monitored by a multi-sensor shelf life monitoring tag
wherein each perishable has its own individual identification
label. This label can be a barcode label, and RFID or NFC label,
the perishable's marketing label or if a fruit or vegetable the
item's price lookup code (PLU). The preferred identification label
is a NFC or RFID label. This embodiment provides a base reference
for the group of items and enables the shelf life monitoring tags
to be set up for the package or container as a unit.
[0021] In accordance with this invention a system and methodology
are disclosed for tracking a product which departs from a package
or base temperature long enough to infer a change in the product's
shelf life or to trigger an inference status of the condition of
the product. Upon use or return to the container, the perishable's
temperature is taken, the time away from the container is verified,
an inferred shelf life is estimated, a confidence factor is
recorded and if tag history is stored in a remote database, the
database is updated.
[0022] The method includes the tracking of a known product which is
removed from a shelf life monitored container and in which the
product's last temperature, its shelf life left and its shelf life
metrics are known or can be accessed. In order to infer how much
life was used during the time, the perishable was not monitored.
The method includes the determination of the time away, the
variation in temperature from departure to return, the inference of
the change in shelf life that occurred while unmonitored. The
inference calculation is further refined by confidence indicator of
the temperature experienced while away and by calculations as to
whether the current temperature was the highest temperature
encountered and by verifications by the perishable handler about
the perishable's temperature exposure. The inference calculation of
the shelf life used while away can be done by the shelf life
monitoring tag in the container or by a reader which can take a
temperature reading of the perishable.
[0023] Intended embodiments of the invention include a doctor's
medicine cabinet or work bag, a home medicine cabinet, a vaccine
vial carrying case for sensitive field uses carrying multiple
disposable syringes, a smart shelf or bin, a display case for foods
at a grocery store, a home refrigerator, a reefer or a silo. When
the sensor or monitoring device includes RFID or optical
recognition, the perishable can be tracked automatically using a
barcode, RFID label or optical recognition of the departing and
returning objects.
[0024] As part of the shelf life monitoring systems, similar to
those described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,495,558 B2, monitored history
can be stored in the monitoring device, the reader or sent to a
remote database.
[0025] The system and method includes smart containers such as
smart refrigerators, used in conjunction with remote temperature
and item tracking devices, such as an RFID reader or cell phone. In
this embodiment, the reading device determines the identity and the
temperature of departing and returning objects, tracks the time
duration that the objects were in and out of the container and
calculates an inferred shelf life used while in the container and
while departed.
[0026] The invention envisions shelf life determining cases for
perishables that include a readable or audible display which can
signal an alert when an item in the container is about to or has
reached a predefined state, such as "no longer good" or which can
be used to check the shelf life when an item departs or returns to
the container.
[0027] In certain countries, both a closed date for storage, i.e.
the manufacturer's Use-by date and an "after when opened" date,
might both be assigned to a perishable. The systems and methods
envisioned by the invention apply to both or either date.
[0028] The invention envisions that within a container there are
different temperature controlled compartments. In the example of a
silo levels of the silo are considered zones. These zones within
the container --either identified to the user in software at the
reader or by identifiers within the shelf life monitoring liner for
the container.
[0029] The invention's primary focus is on highly temperature
sensitive products that are out of a monitored environment for
short amounts of time (enzymes, reagents), where not having an idea
of how much shelf life was used when the object was out of the
monitored environment, today, results in the product being tossed
rather than used. The inference system envisioned would err on the
side of safety, taking into account how long a time the cooled
product would take to rise to various temperatures. Included in the
inference shelf life is a limit on the total time away from the
controlled temperature at the highest temperature
envisioned-ensuring that temperature sensitive objects are not used
improperly.
[0030] The invention further can include additional sensors, for
example, humidity, vibration, and pathogens in the system's
freshness monitoring component. Wherein the freshness monitoring
module receives humidity-dependent, vibration-dependent and
other-sensor dependent measurement data, it determines a current
freshness status based upon this data and accordingly updates the
freshness status.
[0031] Embodiments of the invention provide for shelf life
monitoring of a plurality of items in a container and for inferring
shelf life used when items are removed from the container for a
known period of time.
[0032] In accordance with the embodiments of the invention, shelf
life monitoring tags or devices are either embedded into the
container, are configured as removable inner liners designed for
the container, or are tags placed inside of the container. The
shelf life monitoring tags or devices include a communications
transponder module, a sensor module containing one or more sensors
for monitoring a plurality of items and environmental conditions, a
power module, an optional display module, a software module and a
data storage module for storing business data and tag history. The
software module includes freshness determining tables for a
plurality of items, inference determining modules for pausing
monitored shelf life calculations and for inferring shelf life used
for items which have been away and have returned to the
container.
[0033] In the preferred embodiments of the invention individual
items in the container are identified by a barcode, RFID tag or NFC
identification label. The invention does support items with no
serialized identification that are a part of a known and documented
batchlot, have an attached printed marketing label or are used in
conjunction with a container or inner liner designed for particular
shapes and sizes of items, wherein these shapes can be identified
as representing a specific item or item group.
[0034] In the preferred embodiments readers are configured with (i)
shelf life monitoring software or (ii) shelf life inference
software or both. Shelf life monitoring software is used to set up
the shelf life monitoring tags for the container and group of items
in the container, identify items placed into and removed from the
container and retrieve temperature and shelf life history from the
tag. Shelf life inference software is used to identify an item that
is removed from and returns to the container, estimate the shelf
life used during a known time duration and assign a confidence
factor to the estimate. When the reader has an onboard temperature
sensor, the confidence factor becomes higher the more temperature
sensings that are taken while the item is away.
[0035] Preferred readers are RFID readers used when there are a
large number of containers and NFC-enabled cell phones when a
limited number of containers or items are being monitored. Other
embodiments include wireless LAN, Bluetooth, Zigbee or infrared
devices.
[0036] The preferred embodiments of the invention draw upon the
calculation of shelf life as used in Infratab's shelf life
monitoring tags described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,495,558 B2, assigned
to Infratab. As described therein, the calculation of shelf life is
done based upon freshness determining tables which determine the
shelf life used per sensing period. Wherein the preferred data in
the tables are determined using Arrhenius kinetics, the tables
support shelf life calculations that are linear, exponential or
experiential.
[0037] The system includes in its preferred embodiment the
incorporation of the methodology described in U.S. Pat. No.
7,495,558 B2 for representing shelf life as a percentage of life
left and used calculation which defines the life of the perishable
as starting at 100 and ending at 0, the use-by end of life of the
perishable. The methodology for inferring shelf life used while the
perishable is away from the sensor is based upon time duration the
perishable has been away from the container, the temperature of the
perishable at the time it leaves the container, the temperature at
the time it returns to the container and a confidence factor for
the inferred shelf life used calculation. The confidence factor
takes into consideration time duration since the last sensing,
highest temperature perishable was exposed to while away, time and
temperature exposure that would cause the perishable to rise to the
measured temperature and other factors.
[0038] Depending upon the environment of the container and how
temperature is measured inside the container, the inferred shelf
life used while away can be calculated by the sensing device or by
reader or remote software. In accordance with U.S. Pat. No.
7,495,558 B2, shelf life, temperature and time alerts can be set to
notify users that the perishable is in trouble. In accordance with
U.S. Pat. No. 7,495,558 B2, shelf life status of the perishable can
be transferred to daughter sensor, ID tags, barcodes or paper
labels if appropriate.
Container--Sensor Configurations
[0039] FIG. 1 is a pictorial illustration of a system and method
for monitoring the shelf life of multiple vaccine vials 3 stored in
a temperature monitored container 1, said container having an inner
liner 2 comprising a shelf life monitoring device 9 configured with
sensors at specified grid locations within the container. Said
purpose of the shelf life monitoring device 9 is to monitor the
temperature and determine shelf life used per sensing period for
each of the plurality of vaccine vials, for registering vials
exiting and entering the container and for inferring shelf life for
vaccine vials that have left the container and returned.
[0040] In this embodiment each vial has an identity label 4. This
identity label can be a barcode, an RFID label or a NFC identity
label. In preparation for storing vaccines in the container, a
control station, comprising a computer 5, reader 6 and shelf life
monitoring software 7, adds the shelf life freshness determining
tables of the vaccine into the shelf life monitoring device 9. When
vials are placed into container 1, shelf life monitoring software 7
registers the vaccine vials 3 that are placed into the container 1.
Data associated with setting up the shelf life monitoring device s
and identifying the vials in the container 1 is sent to a remote
database 8. When container 1 is received at a location for
dispensing vaccines, vaccine vial 13 is removed from container 1.
At the receiving location, a control station, comprising a computer
11, reader 10 and shelf life receiving software 12 registers
vaccine vial 13 as having left the container 1 and informs the
shelf life monitoring device 14. The monitoring device pauses its
shelf life calculations for the vial. Shelf life receiving software
12 updates database 8 about the event. When vaccine vial 13 is
returned to container 1, shelf life inference software 15 estimates
how much shelf life was used when the vial was away, informs the
shelf life monitoring device 14 that the vial has returned and
sends data about the event to the remote database 8. The shelf life
monitoring device updates its history with inferred shelf life
calculation and resumes shelf life monitoring for vial 13.
[0041] FIG. 2 is a pictorial illustration of a case 21 for
monitoring the shelf life of a set of cosmetics bottles or boxes
25, said case 21 comprising a product liner 24 with a cutout or
marked grid for various shapes and sizes corresponding to cosmetics
bottles and boxes stored in the container and a shelf life
monitoring liner 23 comprising a sensor grid corresponding to
product liner 24, wherein said purpose of the shelf life monitoring
liner 23 is to monitor the temperature and determine shelf life
used per sensing period for each of the cosmetics in the container,
for registering cosmetics exiting and entering the container and
for inferring shelf life for cosmetics 25 that have left the
container and returned and wherein the identity of the items are
recognized by the size, shape and position of the cutouts or
markers of the product inner liner 24.
[0042] FIG. 3 is a pictorial illustration of a process for
monitoring a container 31 used to store, transport and sell
multiple varieties of fruits or vegetables 32 comprising an NFC
shelf life monitoring multi-sensor inner liner 33. The use case for
this embodiment is a farmer who sells his products at farmers
markets. Other use cases include pharmacies, fisheries, hospitals
and service providers. Products are tracked by batchlot 37, product
variety and location of the farmers market. Shelf life monitoring
begins when the items are packed in preparation of the farmers
market and ends when all products are sold.
[0043] The farmer uses an NFC smartphone 35 with shelf life
monitoring software application 34, said application used to
communicate to the shelf life monitoring inner liner 33 to set up
the device with freshness determining tables for the perishables,
to check status, to check out product that is sold and to save tag
events in a remote database.
[0044] At the market the farmer uses the NFC smartphone 35 with a
software application 34 register product sold, get alert conditions
43 of perishables, discount products with life left below a set
amount and provide customers with data for use at home with shelf
life inference software for consumers. A buyer having a NFC
smartphone and consumer inference shelf life software 39 can
connect to the remote database 26 and query data about the product
purchased 38, for the further use in a home inventory system such
as a cupboard or refrigerator. At any time the consumer can measure
the temperature of the known item and its packages and update its
shelf life for further use by using the software application of the
cell phone.
[0045] FIG. 4 is a pictorial illustration of a temperature
controlled mobile transport container 41, wherein shelf life
monitoring of the products inside the container is done by zone
locations within the container 45, 46, 47 and wherein the shelf
life monitoring devices are long tags 42 comprising antenna, power
and display modules 43 attached to the outside of the container and
sensor modules 44 for monitoring zone locations inside the
container. Container zone temperatures are monitored, wherein the
shelf life determinations for the products in the zone include a
confidence factor related to product's location in the zone. In
this use case the shelf life and temperature monitoring tags are
designed to monitor zones that have previously been determined to
have a consistency in the condition being monitored.
[0046] This embodiment of the invention is also applicable to
non-movable large containers such as silos and vats, where
monitoring of certain locations within the container is needed to
determine the temperature and shelf life loss rate at various
levels of the container.
[0047] FIG. 5 is a flow chart illustrating a process 500 for
inferring shelf life when a product moves away from a temperature
or shelf life monitoring device. When product 55 with corresponding
tag 56 leaves the container (action block 560), shelf life
monitoring is stopped in the shelf life monitoring tag 57 until the
item returns. The tag 57 is notified by the control station 51
(action block 570), comprised of reader 53 and shelf life
monitoring software 52 the item 55 is leaving the container. The
tag 57 pauses shelf life monitoring (action block 575) and sends
freshness data about the item, comprised of shelf life left,
current temperature of the item, last sample time and summary of
shelf life spoilage characteristics of the item (action block 580).
If the item has an RFID or NFC ID label 56 attached to the item
(decision block 590), the shelf life monitoring software 52 will
write the shelf life summary data supplied by the tag 57 to the ID
label 56. The shelf life monitoring software 52 will also store the
data (action block 595) and will send the information that the item
is leaving and the shelf life summary data for the item to a remote
database 54.
[0048] Turning to FIG. 6, a flow chart illustrating a process 600
for inferring shelf life when the product is away from monitoring
tag 57. When the tagged item 55 is away, a perishable handler of
the item can infer how much shelf life has been used and how much
shelf life is left for the tagged item 55. To do this the
perishable handler has to have a device 58 that can read the ID
label 56 of the item 55 (action block 610). The preferred reader is
an NFC smart phone capable of running a shelf life inference
software application 65. The perishable handler has to also have a
means of taking the temperature of the perishable item 55. The
preferred system for taking the temperature is an add-on module to
a cellphone which senses temperature of items in the proximity of
the cellphone 66. The shelf life inference software 65 takes the
current temperature and time (action blocks 620 and 630). Using the
cell phone's NFC communications 66, the shelf life inference
software accesses the data in the ID tag 56, calculates how much
freshness has been used since the last temperature sensing, and
asks the user about highest temperature the item has encountered in
the time away (action block 640). The more frequently that
temperature of the perishable item is taken, the higher the
confidence factor (action block 650).
[0049] A process 660 executed when the perishable item 55 is
returned to its container is shown. When the perishable item 55 is
returned to its container (action block 665), the shelf life
inference software 52 running in control station 51 will notify the
shelf life monitoring tag 57 via the reader 53 that the perishable
item has returned (action block 670). The tag 57 will resume its
shelf life monitoring of the item (action block 695). The inference
software 52 will also determine if it or tag 57 will make the
calculation as to shelf life used while the item 55 was away
(decision block 700). Either the tag 57 or the inference software
52 can do this. When shelf life used and shelf life left for the
perishable item is calculated (action block 680), both the tag 57
and the inference software will update their history (action block
690). The inference software running in the control station will
also send data about the event to the remote database.
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