U.S. patent application number 16/463111 was filed with the patent office on 2019-09-19 for portable container with temperature regulator.
The applicant listed for this patent is Sandeep Kumar Chintala. Invention is credited to Sandeep Kumar Chintala.
Application Number | 20190285338 16/463111 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 60812091 |
Filed Date | 2019-09-19 |
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United States Patent
Application |
20190285338 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Chintala; Sandeep Kumar |
September 19, 2019 |
PORTABLE CONTAINER WITH TEMPERATURE REGULATOR
Abstract
A portable container (100, 200) includes an insulative body
(102) to hold a food item. The insulative body (102) may include an
inner wall and an outer wall. Further, the portable container (100,
200) includes a temperature regulator (110) disposed between the
inner wall and the outer wall of the insulative body (102). The
portable container (100, 200) also includes a plurality of
temperature sensors (202) disposed within the inner wall of the
insulative body (102). The plurality of temperature sensors (202)
being operably coupled to the temperature regulator (110). Further,
the portable container (100, 200) includes a controller (210)
communicatively coupled to the temperature regulator (110) to
regulate the temperature of the food item based on a user
input.
Inventors: |
Chintala; Sandeep Kumar;
(London, GB) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Chintala; Sandeep Kumar |
London |
|
GB |
|
|
Family ID: |
60812091 |
Appl. No.: |
16/463111 |
Filed: |
November 22, 2017 |
PCT Filed: |
November 22, 2017 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/GB2017/053507 |
371 Date: |
May 22, 2019 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F25D 2400/12 20130101;
B65D 81/18 20130101; B65D 81/027 20130101; F25D 2331/804 20130101;
F25D 2331/801 20130101; F25D 31/005 20130101; F25D 2700/12
20130101 |
International
Class: |
F25D 31/00 20060101
F25D031/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Nov 22, 2016 |
IN |
201611039878 |
Claims
1. A portable container (100, 200) comprising: an insulative body
(102) to hold a food item, wherein the insulative body (102)
comprises an inner wall and an outer wall; a temperature regulator
(110) disposed between the inner wall and the outer wall of the
insulative body (102); a plurality of temperature sensors (202)
disposed within the inner wall of the insulative body (102), the
plurality of temperature sensors (202) being operably coupled to
the temperature regulator (110); and a controller (210)
communicatively coupled to the temperature regulator (110) to
regulate the temperature of the food item based on a user
input.
2. The portable container (100, 200) as claimed in claim 1,
comprising a spill-proof lid (104) removably coupled to a top
portion (106) of the insulative body (102).
3. The portable container (100, 200) as claimed in claim 1, wherein
the controller (210) comprises an authentication engine (214) to
allow an authenticated user to operate the portable container
(100).
4. The portable container (100, 200) as claimed in claim 3, wherein
the authentication engine (214) comprises a biometric
authentication mechanism.
5. The portable container (100, 200) as claimed in claim 1,
comprising a charging unit (112) to charge the portable container
(100, 200).
6. The portable container (100, 200) as claimed in claim 5, wherein
the charging unit (112) comprises a wireless coil.
7. The portable container (100, 200) as claimed in claim 5,
comprising a power storage element (116) coupled to the charging
unit (112).
8. The portable container as (100, 200) as claimed in claim 7,
wherein the controller (210) comprises a monitoring engine (216) to
monitor a temperature of the power storage element (116) and turn
OFF power supply to the portable container (100, 200) when a
temperature of the power storage element (116) rises above a
pre-defined threshold range.
9. The portable container (100, 200) as claimed in claim 8, wherein
the monitoring engine (216) is to, ascertain that the portable
container (100, 200) is being powered through the power storage
element (116); upon ascertaining, determine a power level of the
power storage element (116); and based on the determining that the
power level of the power storage element (116) is above a
pre-defined threshold, switch ON the portable container (100).
10. The portable container (100, 200) as claimed in claim 1,
comprising a temperature regulation engine (218) to: identify a
type of food item within the portable container (100, 200); based
on the identification, determine a quantity of the food item within
the portable container (100, 200); and based on the determining,
automatically set the desired temperature of the food item.
11. The portable container (100, 200) as claimed in claim 10,
wherein to determine the quantity of the food item, the temperature
regulation engine (218) is to, detect an initial weight of the food
item within the portable container (100, 200); store the initial
weight in a journal maintained by the portable container (100, 200)
for a specific user; identify, at pre-defined intervals, a current
weight of the food item within the portable container (100, 200);
and compare the initial weight and the current weight of the food
item to determine a quantity of the food item within the portable
container (100, 200).
12. The portable container (100, 200) as claimed in claim 10,
wherein the temperature regulation engine (218) is to determine a
plurality of constituents of the food item within the portable
container (100, 200) to determine a quality of the food item.
13. The portable container (100, 200) as claimed in claim 1,
comprising a wireless transceiver (230) to communicate with an
electronic device.
14. The portable container (100, 200) as claimed in claim 1,
comprising a plurality of sensors (232) to monitor physiological
parameters of a user while the user is holding the portable
container (100, 200).
Description
FIELD OF INVENTION
[0001] The present subject matter relates, in general, to portable
containers, and, particularly but not exclusively, to a portable
container with a temperature regulator.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Portable containers are usually used to carry food items,
such as solid as well as liquid items, during journeys. Examples of
the food items may include, but is not limited to, water,
beverages, and snacks. Such portable containers come handy when a
person has to carry any food item during a journey. Many portable
containers employ insulating members to maintain the temperature of
the food item. The insulating members keeps the food item isolated
from ambient conditions.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0003] The following detailed description references the drawings,
wherein:
[0004] FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic diagram of a portable
container, according to an example implementation of the present
subject matter; and
[0005] FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram of a portable container,
according to an example implementation of the present subject
matter.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0006] Generally, people carry food items while travelling either
for recreational purposes or when their jobs demands travelling.
The food items may include any solid food item, such as snacks,
baby food as well as liquid items, such as soups, beverages, and
water. For example, people carry food items for being consumed
either while travelling or at a later point in time. While portable
containers enable people to carry food items, such containers do
not facilitate in maintaining a temperature of the food item being
carried. For example, if a person is carrying a hot beverage while
travelling, the hot beverage may cool after certain time.
[0007] In order to maintain the temperature of the food items for a
longer period of time, portable containers are provided with
insulating members. For example, a vacuum flask includes an
insulating member that lengthens the time over which the food item
in the container remains hotter or cooler. Such insulating members
keep the food item isolated from the outside temperature and
maintain the temperature of the food item in the container.
However, the insulating member is unable to maintain the
temperature of the food item for a long time, especially in extreme
weather conditions. In situations, where the users are carrying the
food items in long journeys, the thermal insulating flasks may not
serve the intended purpose.
[0008] Moreover, conventional portable containers with insulating
members may not enable a user to set a temperature of the food item
being carried in the portable container. This may be inconvenient
to the users as the insulating members prevent a user from getting
to know a current temperature of the food item. As a result, the
user may burn their tongue due to hot food item or may experience
bad taste due to extreme cold food item.
[0009] Various implementations of the present subject matter
describe a portable container for a food item. The food item may
include solid items as well as liquid items, including beverages.
The portable container of the present subject matter includes a
temperature regulator as well as a plurality of temperature
sensors. The plurality of temperature sensors may detect the
temperature of the food item within the portable container. The
portable container may further include a charging unit that may be
capable of being charged wirelessly.
[0010] In an implementation, the temperature regulator is embedded
within the portable container to regulate a temperature of the food
item inside the portable container to a desired temperature. A user
may select a desired temperature for being maintained within the
portable container. Once selected, the temperature sensors may
continuously sense the temperature of the food item to determine
whether the desired temperature is maintained or not. If the
temperature of the food item varies from the desired temperature,
the charging unit may turn ON the temperature regulator till the
desired temperature is achieved.
[0011] In addition, the portable container may include a wireless
transceiver to communicate with an electronic device, such as a
mobile phone. The wireless transceiver may be configured to share
information pertaining to the food item, with the electronic
device. The information so shared may be accessed through an
application on the electronic device. The application enables the
user to change settings of the portable container, such as a
temperature to which the food item is to be heated or cooled.
[0012] Accordingly, the present subject matter provides a compact
and portable container for carrying a food item. In addition, the
temperature regulator of the container facilitates in regulating a
temperature of the food item on-the-go. The present subject matter
further enables a user to communicate with the portable container
through an application loaded on an electronic device.
[0013] The present subject matter is further described with
reference to the accompanying figures. Wherever possible, the same
reference numerals are used in the figures and the following
description to refer to the same or similar parts. It should be
noted that the description and figures merely illustrate principles
of the present subject matter. It is thus understood that various
arrangements may be devised that, although not explicitly described
or shown herein, encompass the principles of the present subject
matter. Moreover, all statements herein reciting principles,
aspects, and examples of the present subject matter, as well as
specific examples thereof, are intended to encompass equivalents
thereof.
[0014] FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic diagram of a portable
container 100, according to an example implementation of the
present subject matter. The portable container 100 may be employed
for maintaining a desired temperature of the food item. In an
example, the food item may be a liquid item, such as a beverage or
water. Examples of the beverage may include, but are not limited
to, coffee, tea, milk, lemonade, and hot chocolate. In another
example, the food item may be a solid item, such as baby food and
rice.
[0015] In an implementation, the portable container 100 includes an
insulative body 102 to hold a food item, such as beverages or
snacks or baby food. In an implementation, the insulative body 102
may be double walled, i.e., made of two walls (not shown). For
example, the insulative body 102 may include an inner wall and an
outer wall. The inner wall may be made of a stainless steel
material. In an example, the outer wall may be made of thermal
insulation materials such as a plastic material. The outer wall
thereby protects a user from any accidental burns. It may be noted
that the inner wall and the outer wall may be made of any other
suitable material.
[0016] Further, the portable container 100 includes a lid 104. The
lid 104 covers the insulative body 102 of the portable container
100 to prevent the food item, such as a liquid item, from spilling.
In an implementation, the lid 104 may be removably coupled to a top
portion 106 of the insulative body 102. In an example, the lid 104
may be screwed at a neck portion (not shown) of the insulative body
102. In an example, the portable container 100 may include a handle
108 that may facilitate in easy handling of the portable container
100.
[0017] In an implementation, the portable container 100 may include
a temperature regulator 110, such as a thermostat, disposed between
the inner wall and the outer wall of the insulative body 102. For
instance, the temperature regulator 110 may be placed along a
length of the portable container 100, as shown in FIG. 1. Though
the temperature regulator 110 is depicted to be placed along the
length of the portable container 100, it may be understood that the
temperature regulator 110 may be disposed on any suitable portion
of the portable container 100. The temperature regulator 110 may
facilitate in maintaining a desired temperature of the food item
within the portable container 100. Example of the temperature
regulator 110, may include, but is not limited to Nichrome.
[0018] Further, the portable container 100 may include a plurality
of temperature sensors (hereinafter referred to as temperature
sensors) disposed within the inner wall of the insulative body 102.
In an example, the temperature sensors may be operably coupled to
the temperature regulator 110. The temperature sensors may sense
the temperature of the food item within the insulative body 102
based on which the temperature of the food item may be regulated.
In an example, the portable container 100 may include additional
sensors for detecting different aspects related to the food item
within the portable container 200. For example, the sensors may
detect a weight of a food item within the portable container
200.
[0019] The portable container 100 may further include a charging
unit 112 to charge the portable container 100. In an
implementation, the charging unit 112 may be charged wirelessly,
such as through induction, magnetic resonance, ultrasound, or radio
waves. For instance, the charging unit 112 may be a wireless coil.
In an example, the charging unit 112 may be positioned at a bottom
portion 114 of the portable container 100. The portable container
100 may also include one or more power storage elements 116 coupled
to the charging unit 112. In an example, the power storage element
116 may be a battery, such as a Lithium Ion battery.
[0020] Further, the portable container 100 may include a display
area 118 for displaying information pertaining to the food item
within the portable container 100. For instance, in various
non-limiting examples, the display area 118 may display a desired
temperature that may be set by a user. The display area 118 may
also display a current temperature of the food item in the portable
container 100. The current temperature may be understood as an
average temperature of two temperatures that may be sensed at a top
portion 106 and a bottom portion 114 respectively, of the portable
container 100. The display area 118 may also display a weight of
the food item within the portable container 100.
[0021] The portable container 100 may further include a plurality
of buttons 120. For example, the portable container 100 may include
a power button 120-1 for turning ON or OFF the temperature
regulator 110. The portable container 100 may also include a mode
button 120-2 for selecting a preset temperature for regulating the
temperature of the food item. The preset temperatures may be
provided for various temperatures of the food item, such as a
normal temperature, warm, hot, and so on. In addition, the portable
container 100 may include control buttons 120-3 for controlling or
adjusting a temperature of the food item within the portable
container 100. In an example, temperature of the food item is
controlled based on a hysteresis temperature. The hysteresis
temperature prevents the temperature regulator 110 from turning ON
and OFF when temperature of the food item inside the portable
container 100 is within a pre-defined range from the desired
temperature.
[0022] In an implementation, the portable container 100 may include
one or more light emitting diodes (LEDs) 122 mounted on a rim of
the insulative body 102. The LEDs 122 change color based on the
temperature of the inner wall of the portable container 100 as well
as the food item within the container 100. The LEDs 122 indicate a
temperature of the food item inside the portable container 100. In
an example, the temperature sensors may be connected to the LEDs
122. The temperature sensors may sense the temperature of the food
item within the insulative body 102 and accordingly, the LEDs 122
may change their color to indicate the temperature of the food
item.
[0023] In an implementation, the portable container 100 may include
a controller (not shown) communicatively coupled to the temperature
regulator 110 to regulate the temperature of the food item based on
a user input. In an example, the user may input a desired
temperature of the food item through the buttons 120. The
controller may obtain a current temperature of the food item from
the temperature sensors. The current temperature of the food item
is an average of the temperatures sensed at the top portion 106 and
the bottom portion 114 of the portable container 100. Based on the
current temperature, the controller may regulate the temperature of
the food item.
[0024] It may be noted that the present subject matter is described
in conjunction with a portable container, however, the present
subject matter may be employed in various other fields. For
example, the methods and systems for regulating temperature may be
implemented in stay hot lunch boxes, stay hot dinner sets, babies
bottle warmers, medical applications, coffee houses, airlines,
beverage suppliers, and the like.
[0025] FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram of the portable container
200, according to an example implementation of the present subject
matter. The portable container 200 is similar to the portable
container 100 of FIG. 1. The portable container 200 may communicate
with an electronic device, such as a mobile phone, a cellular
phone, a tablet, a smartphone, a Personal Digital Assistant, and
the like. In an example, the portable container 200 may communicate
with the electronic device through a communication network (not
shown). The network may be a wireless network, wired network, or a
combination thereof. The network can be implemented as one of the
different types of networks, such as intranet, telecom network,
electrical network, local area network (LAN), wide area network
(WAN), the Internet, and such.
[0026] In an example, the portable container 200 includes an
insulative body, such as the insulative body 102. The insulative
body 102 may hold the food item therewithin. Further, the portable
container 100 may include a plurality of temperature sensors 202
disposed on the insulative body 102. In an example, the portable
container 200 may include two temperature sensors. One disposed
near the top portion and another at the bottom portion of the
insulative body 102. The temperature sensors 202 may facilitate in
determination of a current temperature of the food item within the
portable container 200. The current temperature may be understood
as an average of the temperatures sensed at the top portion and the
bottom portion of the insulative body 102.
[0027] In an implementation, the portable container 200 may include
one or more light emitting diodes (LEDs), such as the LEDs 122
mounted on a rim of the insulative body 102. The LEDs 122 change
color based on the temperature of the inner wall of the portable
container 200 as well as the food item within the container 100.
The LEDs 122 indicate a temperature of the food item inside the
portable container 200. In an example, the temperature sensors 202
may be connected to the LEDs 122. The temperature sensors 202 may
sense the temperature of the food item within the insulative body
102 and accordingly, the LEDs 122 may change their color to
indicate the temperature of the food item.
[0028] For example, the LEDs 122 at a rim of the insulative body
102 may transform from being colorless to orange or red depending
on the temperature of the inner wall 104-1 and the food item. For
instance, when the portable container 200 is powered OFF, the LEDs
122 will be colorless. In another example, the LEDs 122 will have
blue color when the food item is cold, and so on. In an example,
when the temperature is 21 degrees Celsius, the LEDs 122 at the rim
may be colorless, at 40 degrees Celsius, the LEDs 122 may be dark
orange, and so on.
[0029] Further, the portable container 200 may include the
temperature regulator 110 disposed between the inner wall and the
outer wall of the insulative body. The temperature regulator 110
may facilitate in regulating the temperature of the food item based
on the user input. In an example, the temperature regulator 110 may
include heating elements as well as cooling elements. In an
example, four heating elements were used in parallel to accommodate
lower 3.7V nominal voltage of the portable container 200. The
resistance of each heating element came around 3.20 which yielded a
total parallel resistance of about 800 m.OMEGA. when all four
heating elements were conducting. The heating elements employed in
the present subject matter are created by center-taping a
10.times.5 cm strip of a heating pad to yield 2 elements in
parallel per strip. In addition, each of the heating elements is
provided with a separate driver so the instantaneous power for
heating can be set in about 4 W increments.
[0030] In an example, the heating elements may include thermistors.
Each thermistor may connect to a 2-pin female header. In an
example, the thermistor is a US Sensor PT103J2. Further, a heating
coil of the heating element may be a modified Abracon
AWCCA53N53H50C01 B. In an example, the cooling elements of the
temperature regulator 110 may provide thermoelectric cooling to the
food item thereby facilitating in maintaining the desired
temperature. Examples of the cooling elements may include, but are
not limited to, Peltier tiles or sheets. The Peltier tiles operate
according to the Peltier effect.
[0031] Further, the portable container 200 includes a charging
unit, such as the charging unit 112, for powering the portable
container 200. The charging unit 112 may be capable of being
charged wirelessly. In an example, the charging unit 112 may
include a wireless coil and a wireless power receiver. In an
implementation, the portable container 200 of the present subject
matter is also provided with a capability to adjust the current
drawn from the charging unit 112 to accommodate power available
from an induction charger or a Qi charger. In an example, the
charging unit 112 is capable of receiving upto 15 W of power from
the Qi charger.
[0032] The portable container 200 may also include a power storage
element 116 coupled to the charging unit 112. In an example, the
power storage element 116 may be a battery, such as a Lithium Ion
battery. The portable container 200 of the present subject matter
utilizes a 1S2P configuration for a two cell Li-Ion battery.
[0033] In one implementation, the portable container 200 includes a
processor(s) 204, memory 206 coupled to the processor(s) 204, and
interface(s) 208. The processor(s) 204 may be implemented as one or
more microprocessors, microcomputers, microcontrollers, digital
signal processors, central processing units, state machines, logic
circuitries, and/or any systems that manipulate signals based on
operational instructions. Among other capabilities, the
processor(s) 204 may be configured to fetch and execute
computer-readable instructions stored in the memory 206. Further,
the processor 204 may be configured to manage different processes
or activities of the portable container 200. For example, the
processor 204 may receive a desired temperature of the food item as
provided by the user. In an example, the user may use the mode
buttons to provide the desired temperature. In another example, the
processor 204 may obtain the desired temperature from the memory
206.
[0034] The memory 206 may include any computer-readable medium
known in the art including, for example, volatile memory, such as
static random access memory (SRAM), and dynamic random access
memory (DRAM), and/or non-volatile memory, such as read only memory
(ROM), erasable programmable ROM, flash memories, hard disks,
optical disks, and magnetic tapes. The memory 206 may be configured
to store information, such as the temperature settings done by the
user. In an example, the user may store the temperature settings or
any other preferred setting on the cloud. In an implementation, the
portable container 200 may facilitate the user to access the
preferred settings or to store additional settings or to modify
existing settings on the cloud through the communication
network.
[0035] Further, the interface(s) 208 may include a variety of
software and hardware interfaces, for example, interfaces for
peripheral system(s), such as a product board, a mouse, an external
memory, and a printer. Additionally, the interface(s) 208 may
enable the portable container 200 to communicate with other
devices. In an example, a display, such as the display area 118 may
be a part of the interface(s) 208.
[0036] The portable container 200 also includes a controller 210
and data 212. In an example, the controller 210 may be implemented
as a proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller for
accurately regulating the temperature of the food item. The
controller 210 includes, for example, an authentication engine 214,
a monitoring engine 216, a temperature regulation engine 218, and
other engine(s) 220. The other engine(s) 220 may include programs
or coded instructions that supplement applications or functions
performed by the portable container 200. The data 212 may include
temperature data 222, user data 224, and other data 226. Further,
the other data 226, amongst other things, may serve as a repository
for storing data, which is processed, received, or generated as a
result of the execution of one or more modules in the controller
210.
[0037] Although the data 212 is shown internal to the portable
container 200, the data 212 can also be implemented external to the
portable container 200, where the data 212 may be stored within a
database communicatively coupled to the portable container 200.
[0038] In an implementation, the authentication engine 214 may be
configured to authenticate a user before providing access to the
portable container 200. In an example, to authenticate a user, the
authentication engine 214 may employ a biometric based
authentication technique. In another example, the authentication
engine 214 may employ any other authentication mechanism to
authenticate a user. Accordingly, the authentication engine 214 may
authenticate the user based on the biometrics, such as voice,
fingerprints, etc. received from the user. In the present
implementation, the portable container 200 may include a biometric
scanner (not shown). The biometric scanner may receive credentials
from the user, such as a fingerprint, a voice sample, etc. Upon
receiving the credentials from the user, the authentication engine
214 may compare the credentials of the user with the credentials
stored in a profile of the user. The profile may be retrieved from
the memory 206 of the portable container 200 or from a cloud based
storage.
[0039] The profile may include information pertaining to
preferences of the user with respect to the food items. The profile
of the user may be accessed every time the user is authenticated by
the controller 210. Further, the profile of the user may include a
journal or record of events pertaining to the desired temperature
set for different food items by the user. In an example, the
authentication engine 214 may retrieve the user preferences based
on the type of food item held by the portable container 200.
[0040] Once the user is authenticated, the monitoring engine 216
may perform a check on initial parameters associated with the
portable container 200. In an implementation, the initial
parameters may include a charging status and a power level of the
charging unit 112. In an example, monitoring engine 216 may
ascertain whether the portable container 200 is being powered
through the charging unit 112 or not. If the portable container 200
is being charged via the charging unit 112, the monitoring engine
216 may enable switching ON the portable container 200. If the
portable container 200 is not being charged through the charging
unit 112, it indicates that the power storage element 116 is
powering the portable container 200.
[0041] At this stage, the monitoring engine 216 may determine a
power level of the power storage element 116. Specifically, the
monitoring engine 216 may check whether the power level of the
power storage element 116 is above a pre-defined threshold value or
not. In an example, the pre-defined threshold level of the power
storage element 116 is 6.3 Volts. If the power level of the power
storage element 116 is above the pre-defined threshold value, the
monitoring engine 216 may switch ON the portable container 200. If
the power level of the power storage element 116 is below the
pre-defined threshold value, the monitoring engine 216 may not
switch ON the portable container 200. Further, the monitoring
engine 216 may display a notification on the display area 118
indicating that the food item cannot be heated.
[0042] In an example, the monitoring engine 216 may also monitor a
temperature of the power storage element 116 and turn OFF power
supply to the portable container 200 when a temperature of the
power storage element 116 rises above a pre-defined threshold
range. For example, while charging the power storage element 116,
if the temperature of the power storage element 116 goes above a
safe threshold range, the monitoring engine 216 may cut off supply
to the power storage element 116. In an example, the monitoring
engine 216 may be implemented as a Negative Temperature Coefficient
(NTC) thermistor. The NTC thermistor suspends charging of the power
storage element 116 when it detects that the temperature of the
power storage element 116 has risen above about 45 degrees Celsius.
In case the temperature of the power storage element 116 goes
beyond 60 degrees Celsius, the NTC thermistor may disable the
portable container 200.
[0043] In an implementation, once the portable container 200 is
switched ON and the user has been authenticated, the temperature
regulation engine 218 receives an input from the user. In an
example, the input may be indicative of a desired temperature of
the food item that the user may wish to set. In an example, the
user may provide the input to the portable container 200 through
the buttons, such as the buttons 120 or through a voice command.
The controller 210 may, based on the inputs provided by the user
and through machine learning, build a profile for the user. In an
example, the profile as created may be accessed during the
authentication process.
[0044] The temperature regulation engine 218 may then obtain a
current temperature of the food item within the portable container
200. In an example, the current temperature may be obtained from
the temperature sensors 202. As mentioned above, the current
temperature of the food item is an average of the temperatures
sensed at the top portion and the bottom portion of the portable
container 200. The temperature regulation engine 218 may compare
the desired temperature with the current temperature of the food
item. Based on the comparison, the temperature regulation engine
218 may regulate power supply to the portable container 200.
[0045] In an example, if the current temperature is more than the
desired temperature, the temperature regulation engine 218 may turn
OFF the power supply to the temperature regulator 110. Turning OFF
of the power supply may also be indicated by blinking of a blue LED
for every second. In another example, if the current temperature is
less than the desired temperature, the temperature regulation
engine 218 may turn ON the power supply to the temperature
regulator 110. Turning ON the power supply is indicated by a
continuously ON blue LED.
[0046] In an implementation, the controller 210 may take into
account a hysteresis temperature to avoid rapid turning ON and OFF
of the temperature regulator 110 when the food item inside the
portable container 200 is within a predefined range from the
desired temperature. Upon turning ON, the power button 120-1
becomes green in color and the temperature regulator 110 is turned
ON. For example, the temperature regulator 110 may heat the inner
wall of the portable container 200 which may cause the food item to
heat. Further, the temperature regulation engine 218 may
continuously monitor the current temperature of the food item
within the portable container 100. Accordingly, the portable
container 200 of the present subject matter facilitates in
maintaining a temperature of the food item within the container 200
as desired by the user.
[0047] In another implementation, the temperature regulation engine
218 may employ machine learning techniques to identify a type of
food item within the portable container 200. For example, the
temperature regulation engine 218 may determine the type of the
food item based on a density or other properties associated with
the food item. In an example, the portable container 200 may
include sensing devices to measure intensity of light passing
through the food item as well as the intensity of the light being
reflected from the food item. When light from one or more light
sources is received by the food item, the sensing devices may
measure the intensity of the light and share the same with the
temperature regulation engine 218. The sensing devices may also
detect a wavelength at which the light is being emitted.
[0048] Based on the information, such as density received from the
sensing devices, the temperature regulation engine 218 may employ
artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques to
determine the type of food item within the portable container 200.
In an example, the temperature regulation engine 218 may compare
the intensity measurements with stored values in a database for a
variety of known substances. Although the identification of the
type of the food item is performed based on measurement of
intensity of light, other techniques may also be employed for
determining the type of the food item. Further, the portable
container 200 may store the properties of the food item in the
memory 206 or in the cloud storage. These properties may later be
referred for analysis, such as to compute the calories consumed by
the user.
[0049] Based on the identification of the type of the food item, a
quantity of the food item within the portable container 200 may be
determined by the temperature regulation engine 218. Once the
quantity of the food item is determined, the temperature regulation
engine 218 may automatically set the desired temperature of the
food item. In an example, the temperature regulation engine 218 may
set the desired temperature of the food item based on an historical
behavior of the user. As mentioned earlier, the historical
behavior, i.e., desired temperatures and corresponding food items
may be stored within the profile of the user.
[0050] In an example, to determine the quantity of the food item,
the temperature regulation engine 218 detects an initial weight of
the food item within the portable container 200. The initial weight
may be stored in a journal maintained by the portable container 200
for a specific user. Thereafter, the temperature regulation engine
218 may identify, at pre-defined intervals, a current weight of the
food item within the portable container 200. A comparison of the
initial weight and the current weight of the food item provides a
quantity of the food item within the portable container 200.
[0051] Further, the temperature regulation engine 218 may determine
a plurality of constituents of the food item within the portable
container 200 to determine a quality of the food item. In an
example, the temperature regulation engine 218 may employ an
Independent Component Analysis (ICA) technique to determine the
constituents of the food item.
[0052] In an implementation, the portable container 200 may include
a wireless transceiver 230. For example, the wireless transceiver
230 may be a Wi-Fi unit, a Bluetooth.RTM., or a Near Field
Communication (NFC) unit. The wireless transceiver 230 may enable
the portable container 200 to communicate with an electronic
device, such as a mobile phone. In an example, the electronic
devices communicate with the portable container 200 through an
application. The application may be accessible by different
operating systems, such as Android, iOS.
[0053] Once a user has downloaded the application onto the
electronic device, the user may set up a connection with the
portable container 200. To set up the connection, the electronic
device and the portable container 100 may share Short Term Keys
(STKs), to encrypt a link between the two devices. Once the user
has paired with the portable container 200, the portable container
200 only receives instructions from the paired user device.
[0054] In an example, instructions received from the paired user
device may include receiving status of the food items, such as
temperature of the food item and charging status of the charging
unit 112, from the portable container 200. In an example, the
application may also enable the user to check or define the desired
temperature, the hysteresis temperature, heating status, battery
voltage, and the like. In an example, the application may allow the
user to check the temperature of each temperature sensor 202
separately. For instance, Temperature 1 indicates the temperature
of 1.sup.st temperature sensor and Temperature 2 indicates the
temperature of 2.sup.nd temperature sensor. Further, the
application may allow the user to check the heating or cooling
status of the portable container 200. For example, 0 indicates that
the food item is not heating, 1 indicates that the food item is
heating, and 2 indicates that the charging unit 112 is
charging.
[0055] Based on the settings made by the user, the application may
communicate with the portable container 200 via the wireless
transceiver 230. The user settings may be stored in the portable
container 200 as the user data 224. In an example, when the user
communicates the temperature settings with the portable container
200, the controller 210 of the portable container 200 may
communicate with the electronic device to indicate whether or not
such settings may be implemented or not. For instance, if the
portable container 200 is on charging mode or the power level of
the charging unit 112 is below the pre-defined threshold value, the
controller 210 may send a notification to the electronic device
indicating the food item cannot be heated to the set
temperature.
[0056] In an example, the application may also store information
pertaining to the calories contained in the food item that is being
put in the portable container 200. For example, the application may
retrieve information from a database that may include information
pertaining to nutritional value of different food items. Based on
the type, the quantity, and the constituents of the food item, the
application may communicate with the database to retrieve
information pertaining to the nutritional value of the food item
within the portable container 200.
[0057] In an implementation, the portable container 200 may include
sensors 232 for monitoring physiological parameters of a user while
the user is holding the portable container 200. For example, the
sensors 232 may monitor a heartbeat, a pulse rate, a blood
pressure, and so on of the user who is holding the portable
container 200.
[0058] Although implementations for methods and systems for
regulating temperature of a food item in a portable container have
been described in a language specific to structural features and/or
methods, it is to be understood that the invention is not
necessarily limited to the specific features or methods described.
Rather, the specific features and methods are disclosed as
exemplary implementation for regulating temperature of a food item
in a portable container.
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