Apparatus and method of temperature-precise culinary processes including food safety verification

An apparatus and method for control of temperature-precise culinary processes with real-time verification of food safety and pathogen destruction. The apparatus and method utilizes software process control for monitoring and recording input temperature sensors, controlling active relays for adjusting temperature according to set programmable recipes. A connector kit (local or in the cloud) or gateway module receives real time data from the sensors and relays, and enables communication of real time data with client applications. An automatic process interface (“API”) and a communication channel (“websocket”) enable the connector kit (local or in the cloud), mobile applications, a website and cloud to share data and instructions. The API also stores data for authentication of client applications communicating that information via the connector kit (local or in the cloud) or gateway module enabling execution of client applications; the viewing of live and historical data from sensors; thereby generating live and historically validated food safety data with means to verify pathogen destruction and safety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

Applicant's invention relates generally to precision temperature culinary processes and more specifically to programmable control and automated food safety validation for verification of precision temperature processes, including but not limited to sous-vide control, safety monitoring, and safety validation.

The invention has particular application for commercial precision temperature processes with pre-set recipe programs to control temperature, monitor food safety in terms of pathogen destruction, holding temperature with validation and verification of said processes.

REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is an original first filing; no provisional, continuation or other document has been filed with the United States Patent & Trademark Office by applicant pertaining to this subject matter.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF GOVERNMENT SUPPORT

This invention was not developed with any type of government support. The government has no rights in applicant's invention.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Precision temperature processes involve specific temperatures that must be reached and held during cooking and chilling process. It is most frequently understood as cooking at temperatures that require an extended hold time of 1 minute or more to reach a full kill of potentially hazardous pathogens. As higher cooking temperatures are reached pathogens are reduced at a faster rate until an “instant kill” temperature is reached. When cooking at lower temperatures, in order to ensure pathogens are reduced to appropriate levels, minimum hold times must be maintained. The lower the cooking temperature, the longer the minimum hold time. This time and temperature varies with the type of product cooked. This same principle applies to chilling processes, wherein there is a time and distinct temperature relationship that must be adhered to for safe food chilling.

Furthermore, industry often implements exceedingly long cook times, often in excess of 48 hours, in order to change the texture of food. Precision temperature cooking is increasingly popular, both commercially and domestically, and is often implemented via sous vide cooking, or sometimes via low temperature poaching with flavoured fat or broth. Used commercially, this culinary process currently involves manual control of cooking and chilling programs, manual food temperature monitoring with temperature loggers and probes tracking product and cooking/chilling medium temperatures and undertaking manual food safety validation. Operators must manually download and review data against time/temperature regulations set out by the local health authorities. This is time consuming and it requires expertise. Furthermore, as previously mentioned, and unrelated to safety, for culinary reasons low temperature cooking often requires different cooking temperatures in stages over an extended period of time, as well as it often involves different stages of allowable chilling temperatures over specific time periods. The temperature changes correlate to the internal temperature on the product being cooked and the desired final temperature. There is a wide range of set points and recipes used to achieve different results. The manual implementation of such processes requires great culinary and food safety expertise.

Because of the complexity of the safety validation and the difficulty of monitoring extended cook and chill times, it is advantageous to have a device that monitors internal product temperature, and validates automatically the safety of the food once the minimum hold time at a specific temperature is met. Due to the evolving understanding of the relationships between time and temperature for pathogen destruction it is advantageous to have the validation system controlled by a program that can receive instant updates. Because of the need for stage cooking and chilling based on temperature changes of the internal product temperature over an extended period of time, it is advantageous for a program to control the cooking and/or chilling device, rather than the user via manual methods.

Any discussion of the prior art throughout the specification should in no way be considered as an admission that such prior art is widely known or forms part of the common general knowledge in the field.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to an aspect of the invention there is provided a method for time/temperature monitoring, data storage, safety validation, and a programmable control process for precision temperature cooking using a multitude of existing cooking devices. This method includes an Automatic Process Interface or “API” which authenticates client applications using a combination of user and password, RSA public key and/or a token obtained in a previous authentication. Using the same means, various connector kits (local or in the cloud) are also authenticated using the same means.

The API allows a connector kit (local or in the cloud) to send data regarding available sensors, available relays, historical temperature data, validation or verification signatures or sign-off data, generated by the RSA key. The API further allows the client applications to view available connectors and sensors, view real-time information such as sensor temperatures, view historical temperature data, permit or enable “sign-offs” for specific batches, view previous signatures, and fetch public keys of the available connectors.

A “websocket” is used for real-time communication between connectors and client applications but also communicates with the API as well for various functions such as authentication of the connector or the client application, online notification and commands or verifications. The websocket mainly acts as a proxy between the connector and the client app but is not solely limited to that function.

Client Applications may provide input from a web based platform or website, a mobile desktop application to which a user logs into an established account for communication with the API. A websocket server may also be employed to perform the aforementioned actions and in addition is capable of communicating directly with the connectors if the network is setup to allow tcp/ip connections in absence of an internet connection and may therefore perform actions like viewing available historical data, viewing available sensors and relays, permitting the verification or signing-off of specific batches, starting and/or stopping a batch in accordance with a specific recipe.

“Connector kits” (local or in the cloud) authenticate against the cloud API and connect to the websocket in order to advertise its presence online and send live information if requested. They further send information to the cloud API in order to save and store said information in a database. The information includes but is not limited to historical data, signatures, but may include verification/sign-off data performed on the client application while in communication with the connector kit (local or in the cloud).

Connector kits (local or in the cloud) further authenticate client applications connecting directly thereto by using the RSA keys that the client application previously gathered from the cloud API and allowing client applications to read historical data, control available sensors and relays, sign-off batched processes and view live and real-time information.

Integral to the control, monitoring and reporting of temperature by the connector kit (local or in the cloud) are sensors for monitoring and reporting the temperature to the connector kit (local or in the cloud) and relays which have the capability to control temperature in accordance with set or prescribed programs.

In summary the primary components can be described as comprising at least the following:

cloud subcomponents comprising the API for data storage, authentication, etc.;

client applications for viewing data, controlling and sign-off or validation;

a connector kit (local or in the cloud) for collecting sensor data, operating controlling relays and synchronizing data with the cloud;

sensors for monitoring and reporting temperatures to the connector kit (local or in the cloud); and

relays for controlling temperature in accordance with set programs.

It is an object of the invention to overcome at least one of the disadvantages of the process and to facilitate sound food safety and sound culinary processes.

It is a further object of the invention in its preferred form to provide time and temperature monitoring and automatic food safety validation for existing cooking and/or chilling devices.

It is yet another object of the invention in its preferred form to automatically maintain food safety records for public health verification and local health authority review.

It is yet another object of the invention in its preferred form to provide an external control and user interface for existing cooking and/or chilling devices.

It is too an object of the invention to provide a process that can be applied to existing cooking/chilling devices and linked with the apparatus to become a complete precision temperature process control, monitoring and food safety validation system.

In the preferred embodiment of applicant's invention, external control, monitoring and food safety validation for precision temperature cooking and/or precision chilling employs relays to bypass and control electrical current to a cooking or chilling element.

Preferably, the method is used with existing sous vide cooking devices, existing precision cooking devices, existing immersion circulators, or existing hot water bath devices. In the preferred embodiment the method is useable with existing food warmer or food chiller devices.

In the preferred embodiment, the user signs on to an account using a client application, and selects a programmed recipe from the options “My Recipes”, “Find Recipes” or “Create Recipes”.

Once the user has created a new recipe, has found a recipe from the cloud database or alternatively downloads such a recipe from the web, proceeding through the steps to add the recipe to the existing cloud database, the user selects that recipe and runs the program whereby data transfers (communicates) via the websocket and gateway to the apparatus to begin control, monitoring and validation activities.

Throughout the program sequence, the system displays real time charts of time and temperature, providing automatic validation messages to the client application to indicate validation that food is safe. Further, the client application prompts the user to verify the food safety validation.

Additionally, the system sends user verified time and temperature data automatically to storage for food safety record keeping purposes once process is complete or whenever the user attempts to end a program.

When a user signs on to an account using a client application, and selects from “My Recipes” “Find Recipes” or “Create Recipes”, programs/recipes are queried according to different search criteria based on popularity ratings, protein type, taste profile, specific user recipes, source and quality rating.

Running the program causes data to be sent through the apparatus to begin control, monitoring and validation activities. More preferably the user creates recipe by manually entering settings and saving data to create a new recipe. It is anticipated that any such recipe can be made available to an online community of device users. In such cases, the user can make recipes private or send invitations to specific users only.

In the preferred embodiment, the method is used as an external control, monitoring and food safety validation tool for precision temperature cooking and/or precision chilling. More preferably, the method is used as an external control, monitoring and food safety validation tool for existing precision temperature devices using the relay to bypass and control electrical current to cooking element.

More preferably the method is used with existing sous vide cooking devices, existing precision cooking devices, existing immersion circulators, or existing hot water bath devices. In the preferred embodiment the method is further useable with existing food warmers or food chiller devices.

Preferably, the system sends user verified time and temperature data automatically to storage for food safety record keeping purposes once process is complete and the system is capable of sending time and temperature recorded data to online storage whenever the user attempts to end a program.

In the preferred embodiment, in addition to the basic process control features described above, the user may add cooking stages to any recipe or in the process of defining or building a new recipe. The client application is furthermore capable in the case of new or existing recipes of adding or deleting ingredients, raising or lowering operational or recipe stage temperatures and hold times as well as notifications of product safety and compliance with recipe cooking stages.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIGS. 1A and 1Bdepict the client application main or home page100including a non-operational name or logo and three culinary related operating options: monitoring option102; batches option103; and recipes option104. Further provided on main page100are two application functions: edit profile105, which allows access to an edit page (not shown) for adding profile information of various characteristics; and log out106which operates to exit the client application.

Selecting recipes option104results in the display of recipes submenu110. Recipes submenu110provides two primary options, protein option111which displays a recipe list112, or recipe add option113, which displays features and options depicted inFIG. 1B.

If a recipe from recipe list112is selected, recipes submenu120is displayed. Recipes submenu120displays recipe name121, protein selection122, recipe detail summary123containing ingredient list124, manual preparation function125, where immersion liquid temperature selection126and protein temperature selection127may be set for manual operation. Alternatively, slow cooking function128may be selected displaying preset immersion liquid temperature129, preset protein temperature130and preset run time131. Other information displayed on submenu120are textual notes132with useful information about recipe121and play video function133which allows the user to access additional relevant information from a cloud-based database (not shown). Absent choosing to manually set the process using manual preparation function125, the preset slow cooking function130will run by the user selecting application function run program132. This function is further described inFIG. 2. Also provided in submenu120is a common go back function150also provided in recipes submenu110.

As stated above, by selecting add recipe function118in submenu110ofFIG. 1A, create recipe submenu160is displayed. Create recipe submenu160contains several selection options including protein selection161prompting a drop down text entry field (not shown), preparation of ingredients option162, a slow cooking option163and an add stage function164. Slow cooking function163allows the selection of immersion liquid temperature, protein temperature and run time for the recipe being created as described inFIG. 1A. By selecting preparation of ingredients option162, add ingredient submenu170is displayed. Ingredient1is displayed with capacity to add at least one ingredient. An ingredient171may be entered using a keyboard (not shown) and dropdown menu units of measurement172are selected appropriate to ingredient171. Furthermore, the amount or quantity of ingredient171may be selected via entry173. Once the entry of units of measurement172and amount173are selected, the add function174may be selected adding said ingredient to ingredient list175, said list populated by the addition of other ingredients in addition to ingredient171. Such information pertaining to ingredients, units of measurement including volume, units, weight, etc. common to the culinary art are contained in a cloud based data storage (not shown).

Referring back to created recipe submenu160, the selection of add stage function164results in add stage submenu180which allows the client user to divide the recipe/culinary process into a series of recipe or cooking stages.

By selecting stage name181, the user may enter a name via a pop up keyboard by entering text or stating names verbally via a microphone option on the keyboard (not shown). The user may also select prompt182to select the prompt to begin this stage upon previous stage completion or alternatively, by selecting prompt183when a timer elapses. Prompt182further allows the user to add a time to the stage (time addition function not shown) which dictates the length of time the stage will persist. Temperature option184allows the user to dictate the temperature required for the product or protein and likewise for the cooking or chilling medium; e.g. a water bath or other immersion liquid required for this stage. Temperature option185allows the user to dictate the corresponding temperature, in each of the temperature options, via decrease buttons186and186′ or via increase buttons187and187′.

Add stage submenu180further provides add ingredient option188which allows ingredients to be added to the stage via a submenu similar in function to ingredient submenu170, but which, when complete, reverts to add stage submenu180, populating its own ingredient list189. Selecting notes option190allows the client user to add notes and explanations to the stage, and option191allows the client user to upload a video related to the stage. When the stage is complete, the user selects add function192which returns the client application to the previous create recipe submenu160, wherefrom the selection of the done option193indicates that the new recipe/culinary process is complete, is added to the recipe database and the application returns to the home menu ofFIG. 1Awherein the new recipe can be selected and run. In each case, submenus160,170and180each are provided with operating functions199,199′ and199″ which serve to cancel the submenu operation.

Referring now toFIG. 2A, home page menu200provides the options of selecting monitoring option202and batches option203which enables a report viewing process flow as later described inFIG. 6.

Monitoring of precision temperature related culinary processes can be initiated also by selecting run program132fromFIG. 1A. Each of these selections result in a display of monitoring submenu210. Among the features of this submenu, available sensor display211inFIG. 2Afeatures a plurality of sensors being monitored. The amount of sensors is dependent upon the number of sensors configured in the overall system communicating with the hardware, circuitry and programmable logic in communication with the cloud (all not shown in this particular figure); the hardware for such described inFIG. 3. For example, inFIG. 2A, the available sensors include ready sensor212capable of reading data from a recipe if selected, sensor213reading data from a first specific recipe, sensor214reading data from a second specific recipe and an add sensor function215to allow the user to add a sensor to the available sensor list. Among the available sensors in this figure is which can be selected for monitoring are sensors such as operating sensor216having completed the cooking cycle. Further provided in monitoring submenu210is selection217, allowing the user to edit the names of particular sensors displayed. Once a sensor is chosen for monitoring, said main monitor view screen230is displayed

If monitoring submenu210is opened from home page200by selecting monitor option202and ready sensor212is subsequently selected, monitoring submenu230is displayed. Monitor submenu230displays a recipe list231having among the list select recipe option232. Further displayed is at least one protein selection which may be selected for the culinary/cooking process without a specified recipe in this instance identified as protein option234. Selecting protein option234allows the user to begin monitoring activities based on the regulatory food safety parameters for a specific type of protein, without any recipe/culinary process controls. Choosing select recipe option232allows the user to begin monitoring activities for a specific recipe/culinary process already saved in the recipe database. From the selection of either sensor name213or sensor name214or a recipe from recipe list231, the client application commences temperature sensing and monitoring (described inFIG. 3) and opens monitoring main menu240as seen inFIG. 2b.

In the event operating sensor216is selected from monitor submenu210, process summary submenu250is displayed as illustrated inFIG. 2b.

Referring further toFIG. 2b, monitor main menu240includes cooking chart subdisplay241, recipe stage data subdisplay242, stage monitor243and sensor stop function244.

The monitor main menu240will remain displayed, unless sensor stop function244is selected, until the monitoring of the culinary and/or food safety process is complete and validation can be achieved, wherein process summary submenu250will pop up having both a with a validation field entry251and a culinary process chart252, which must be signed by the user to indicate that validation is complete, following which the validated, signed record is communicated to the cloud database for storage. Alternatively, from monitor main menu240, the user may select stop function244which terminates temperature sensing/monitoring and opens safety alert submenu260, alerting the user before validation that the product being monitored may not be safe due to premature interruption of the cooking process. The user may choose monitor cancel option261from monitoring submenu260to cancel the stop function244or the user may choose stop confirmation option262from submenu260confirming the stop function244command, thereby agreeing to discard the unsafe product unless other data or circumstances indicate that the product is not compromised. If stop confirmation option262is selected, the monitoring program communicates a record of the action to the cloud database (not shown), identifying the product as potentially unsafe.

FIG. 3illustrates temperature sensing and monitoring process300, consistent with the process flow described inFIGS. 1A, 1B, 2A & 2B. In the preferred embodiment of applicant's invention, when the user commands the commencement of monitoring as shown inFIG. 2Aand described above, the commensurate sensor is prompted to measure temperature via temperature measure control310at intervals of one temperature measurement per second. Connectivity sensing device320then determines if Wi-Fi or Bluetooth connectivity is available. If connectivity availability is confirmed, real time data from temperature sensing device310is communicated directly to the cloud for validation via communication device330. If Bluetooth is available, but Wi-Fi is not, the temperature-sensing device sends time and temperature information real time as it is received to the local connector kit (not shown) for validation via communication device330. If connectivity sensing device320determines that neither Wi-Fi or Bluetooth connectivity is available, the temperature data is stored in temperature-sensing device340and time and temperature information data continues to be monitored and stored in the temperature-sensing device340until Wi-Fi or Bluetooth connectivity becomes available. If an optional feature of temperature control has been introduced to the system, offset analyzer350and temperature relay/control360are operational. As temperature is measured at specific time intervals via temperature measure control310, offset analyzer350compares the temperature against the required set-point specified in the selected recipe. Based on the differential between the actual temperature and the required set-point at the specific time interval, temperature relay control360engages the relay or temperature control detailed inFIG. 4.

FIG. 4illustrates optional temperature control mechanism400. If a temperature control mechanism is integrated into the system, a temperature relay,410readies the system when a user selects to monitor and control temperature as illustrated and described inFIGS. 1 and 2dictating required set-points to offset analyzer350and temperature relay/control temperature360ofFIG. 3, or when temperature monitoring device420simply receives time and temperature information from the temperature sensing and monitoring process300described inFIG. 3. “System ready” for each immersion type culinary device being operated by temperature control indicates that said device in on, said temperature control in on, said temperature control device in on, said temperature control mechanism is on and temperature monitoring devices are generating temperature data from the product to be monitored. Temperature monitor device420compares the potential set-point/real time temperature with the prescribed set point. If there is a differential, temperature gate430allows temperature relay410to trigger power level control440to adjust temperature of the immersion liquid (not shown) thus increasing or decreasing the product temperature based on the differential. If no differential is determined by temperature monitoring device420, a signal is communicated to temperature control system monitor450, which communicates to temperature relay410to maintain system readiness, continuing to receive temperature information and analyzing it against the required set-point. thus increasing or decreasing the product temperature based on the differential. This command from temperature monitoring device420is reinforced by temperature command control comparator460and the system continues to trigger the power level until the product temperature matches the desired set-point. When command control comparator460determines that the set-point temperature differential no longer exists, command temperature feedback device470feeds that information back to temperature relay410which returns to system ready state.

FIG. 5Aillustrates the full process from initiating a culinary process, to monitoring times and temperatures, to controlling times and temperatures, to validating the times and temperatures against food safety requirements as well as storing process reports as searchable records. As described inFIGS. 1A, 1B, 2AandFIG. 2B, a recipe or culinary process may be chosen and/or monitoring may be engaged for a specific protein, represented in this figure by cooking process500. Upon the user selecting process500monitoring/temperature-sensing process300begins to monitor temperature and in concert with temperature control mechanism400begins to adjust temperature in keeping with the temperature dictates of the various recipe stages of cooking process500interacting by one of three communications connections: Wi-Fi communications path502, Bluetooth communications path502or direct wire communications path503. When temperature-sensing system300can access Wi-Fi or is wired directly, monitoring data is sent to a router504, which sends it to cloud505via connector kit506in USB or ethernet communication with router504, where it undergoes the validation and record storage process520as more fully depicted inFIG. 5B. When temperature-sensing system300can access only Bluetooth, monitoring data is sent to connector kit506via communications path502, where it undergoes an offline validation process and records are saved, which records are sent to the cloud for database storage when the connector kit gains access to Wi-Fi communications path501or via direct wiring communications path503. A combination websocket and automatic process interface “API”507provides the interface with router504to access and process information in cloud505. Cloud505is capable of storing ingredient lists and databases, photos, videos, recipes, monitoring data, validation data, cook times and temperature tables for different proteins, databases of protein types and user databases.

Monitoring/temperature-sensing process300described inFIG. 3, provides real-time time and temperature data to validation system520via router504, websocket and API interface507using either Wi-Fi501or direct wire503. Validation processing is performed in cloud505via the online connector kit506or websocket and API507when Wi-Fi is available. The validation process occurs in the local connector kit506when Wi-Fi is not available, but Bluetooth is available. Other than the method of receiving data, the validation process is the same whether it occurs in the cloud or the connector kit.

To begin the validation process, the system receives and reads the real-time monitoring in process step521, more fully depicted inFIG. 5B. It compares this monitoring data against time-temperature tables established by the governing food safety authority in process step522. Based on monitoring data received, if the product has not yet met the required temperature to begin a timer then the system continues to read and compare monitoring data in process step523until such a time that the required temperature is met to begin timing in process step524. Once the system confirms that the product has met the required temperature to commence timing, the validation system turns on specific timers for each fraction of a degree as the product changes temperature in step525. Once a timer has elapsed, the system compares the monitoring data for the duration of the timer against the legislative requirements for time-temperature in process step526. If the monitoring data through the duration of a timer falls short of the recipe or stage requirements the timer is re-implemented in process step527for that specific temperature providing assurance that the product meets said requirements. As soon as any one of the timers elapses with product having maintained the required temperature for that time interval in process step528, a validation message is sent to the client and validation screen251ofFIG. 2is displayed in process step529, whereby the client user verifies and digitally signs the validation message as process step530.

Following verification and digital signing, this recorded validation is stored in the record database in cloud505in process step531. If verification occurs in connector kit506, the record is stored there until Wi-Fi or LAN are available, at which point the record is sent to cloud505. Any records stored in the database can be accessed as reports via the client app when requested and when Wi-Fi is available, as final validation process step532.

FIG. 6details the process of searching and viewing monitoring and validation messages from the database via the client app. From home menu600, when batches function603is selected, batch submenu605is displayed. Iconic function610allows the user the option to filter records according to date or recipe. If the fields user chooses to filter by date, batch submenu606is displayed and the user must indicate the date parameters for the search entering information in from date field611and to date field611′. Once entered, the user presses apply function button612. The client user can then choose from recipe records that are listed within that date span displayed in date search list613. If the user, instead of opting to search by date, instead chooses to filter by recipe name, the user must enter that information in recipe name field614. The client user can then choose from the recipes shown in recipe search list615associated with that search. Once a record is selected by selecting either date search list613or recipe search list615, the associated validation record616is displayed evidencing the validation sign off617if validation was indeed executed.