Patent Publication Number: US-2021181037-A1

Title: Non-invasive temperature measurement of packaged food products

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/587,567 filed Nov. 17, 2017, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     Packaged food products are typically maintained at a desired temperature at a point-of-sale. For example, packaged food products, such as beverages, may be maintained at a desired temperature inside a cooler at a convenience store or other outlet. Similarly, packaged food products, such as beverages, may be maintained at a desired temperature in a vending machine. However, such equipment maintains large numbers of products at the desired temperature relative to the number of products sold. Also, a single temperature set point is maintained for all of the products within a given compartment of the equipment. While equipment that cools a packaged food product may have a particular temperature set point, due to variations in product usage (e.g., dispensing a product from a vending machine or removing a product from a cooler), restocking ambient temperature products, air flow patterns within a storage volume, and other such variables, it is difficult to assure that the temperature of a given packaged food product is at a desired serving temperature at a given time. Furthermore, quickly and accurately determining the temperature of the packaged food product in a simple, non-invasive way is also difficult. 
     SUMMARY 
     Aspects of the disclosure provide a non-invasive temperature measurement system. The non-invasive temperature measurement system comprises an ultrasound transducer configured to produce an ultrasound stimulus pulse directed toward a product packaging. The non-invasive temperature measurement system also comprises an ultrasound receiver configured to generate a reflected ultrasound waveform from electrical signals that represent physical characteristics of a plurality of reflected ultrasound pulses from a plurality of surfaces of the product packaging. The non-invasive temperature measurement system also comprises a signal processor configured to receive and process the reflected ultrasound waveform and determine a time lag between two of the plurality of reflected ultrasound pulses. The non-invasive temperature measurement system also comprises a database comprising a plurality of tables, wherein one of the tables correlates the time lag to a temperature of a product in the product packaging. 
     In some aspects of the disclosure, the plurality of reflected ultrasound pulses comprise a first reflected ultrasound pulse from a first side of the product packaging and a second reflected ultrasound pulse from a second side of the product packaging, wherein the time lag is between the first reflected ultrasound pulse and the second reflected ultrasound pulse. 
     In some aspects of the disclosure, the plurality of reflected ultrasound pulses comprise a third reflected ultrasound pulse between the first and second reflected ultrasound pulses. 
     In some aspects of the disclosure, the signal processor is further configured to detect ice in the product based on receiving the third reflected ultrasound pulse. 
     In any of the aspects of the disclosure described above, the ultrasound stimulus pulse has an operating frequency from 0.1 to 10 MHz, an operating amplitude of 100 to 100,000 Pa, and a pulse duration of 0.5 to 20 acoustic cycles. 
     In any of the aspects of the disclosure described above, the ultrasound stimulus pulse has an operating frequency between 0.4 to 225 MHz, an operating amplitude between 500 to 2000 Pa, and a pulse duration of 1 to 5 acoustic cycles. 
     In any of the aspects of the disclosure described above, the ultrasound stimulus pulse produces a mechanical index of less than 1.4 
     In any of the aspects of the disclosure described above, the non-invasive temperature measurement system further comprises a controller configured to communicate with the signal processor to receive the time lag, wherein the controller accesses the one of the tables to correlate the received time lag with the temperature of the product. 
     In any of the aspects of the disclosure described above, each of the tables correlates time lags to temperatures for a different product. 
     In any of the aspects of the disclosure described above, the one of the tables comprises a plurality of rows, where each row identifies a time lag value and a corresponding temperature value, and where each successive row is offset in the time lag value by greater than or equal to 0.01 μs. 
     A second aspect of the disclosure provides a rapid chilling system. The rapid chilling system comprises a cooling reservoir comprising a top with an aperture therein, a bottom, and a sidewall extending between the top and the bottom, wherein the cooling reservoir is adapted to cool a product package therein. The rapid chilling system also comprises an ultrasound transducer in the cooling reservoir and configured to emit an ultrasound stimulus pulse. The rapid chilling system also comprises a package handling system comprising a gripper mechanism adapted to grip the product package, the package handling system is configured to insert the product package into the cooling reservoir and manipulate the product package therein. The rapid chilling system also comprises an ultrasound receiver configured to generate a reflected ultrasound waveform from electrical signals that represent physical characteristics of a plurality of reflected ultrasound pulses from a plurality of surfaces of the product package. The rapid chilling system also comprises a processor configured to process the reflected ultrasound waveform and determine a time lag between two of the plurality of reflected ultrasound pulses and correlate the time lag to a temperature of a product in the product package. 
     In some of the second aspects of the disclosure, the cooling reservoir is configured to maintain a cooling fluid therein at a cooling temperature. 
     In any of the second aspects of the disclosure described above, the rapid chilling system further comprises a product identification system configured to identify the product package, wherein the processor is configured to correlate the time lag to a temperature of the product in the product package based on the identification of the product package. 
     In any of the second aspects of the disclosure described above, the rapid chilling system further comprises a database comprising a plurality of tables, wherein one of the tables correlates the time lag to the temperature of the product in the product package. 
     In any of the second aspects of the disclosure described above, the plurality of reflected ultrasound pulses comprise a first reflected ultrasound pulse from a first side of the product package and a second reflected ultrasound pulse from a second side of the product package, wherein the time lag is between the first reflected ultrasound pulse and the second reflected ultrasound pulse. 
     In some of the second aspects of the disclosure, the plurality of reflected ultrasound pulses comprise a third reflected ultrasound pulse between the first and second reflected ultrasound pulses. 
     In some of the second aspects of the disclosure, the processor is further configured to detect ice in the product based on the third reflected ultrasound pulse. 
     In any of the second aspects of the disclosure described above, the ultrasound stimulus pulse has an operating frequency from 0.1 to 10 MHz, an operating amplitude of 100 to 100,000 Pa, and a pulse duration of 0.5 to 20 acoustic cycles. 
     In any of the second aspects of the disclosure described above, the ultrasound stimulus pulse has an operating frequency between 0.4 to 2.25 MHz, an operating amplitude between 500 to 2000 Pa, and a pulse duration of 1 to 5 acoustic cycles. 
     In any of the second aspects of the disclosure described above, the ultrasound stimulus praise produces a mechanical index of less than 1.4 
     These and other features will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       For a more complete understanding of the present disclosure, reference is now made to the following brief description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and detailed description, wherein like reference numerals represent like parts. 
         FIG. 1  illustrates a rapid chilling system suitable for implementing the several embodiments of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 2  illustrates sub-systems of the rapid chilling system suitable for implementing the several embodiments of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 3  illustrates a non-invasive temperature measurement sub-system of the rapid chilling system suitable for implementing the several embodiments of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 4  illustrates a processing sequence for correlating received ultrasound waveforms to a temperature of the product suitable for implementing the several embodiments of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 5  illustrates placer of an ultrasound transceiver relative to a bottle suitable for implementing the several embodiments of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 6  illustrates placement of an ultrasound transceiver relative to a can suitable for implementing the several embodiments of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 7  illustrates a non-invasive ice detection sub-system of the rapid chilling system suitable for implementing the several embodiments of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 8  illustrates a received ultrasound waveform showing the detection of a simulated ice crystal suitable for implementing the several embodiments of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 9  illustrates an exemplary computer system suitable for implementing several embodiments of the disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     It should be understood at the outset that although illustrative implementations of one or more embodiments are illustrated below, the disclosed systems and methods may be implemented using any number of techniques, whether currently known or in existence. The disclosure should in no way be limited to the illustrative implementations, drawings, and techniques illustrated below, but may be modified within the scope of the appended claims along with their full scope of equivalents. Use of the phrase “and/or” indicates that any one or any combination of a list of options can be used. For example, “A, B, and/or C” means “A”, or “B”, or “C”, or “A and B”, or “A and C”, or “A and B and C”. 
     In the interest of clarity, throughout the specification the term “ultrasound pulse” refers to physical pressure pulsations in a medium (e.g., a product in a product packaging, the product packaging, and/or a cooling fluid surrounding the product packaging) of an emitted ultrasound wave. Likewise, throughout the specification, the term “waveform” refers to a graph or data representative of a graph that plots electrical signals that correspond in timing and amplitude to the pressure pulsations of ultrasound pulses. 
     The temperature of a packaged food product varies based on the operating conditions of equipment that is configured to cool the packaged food product. However, it is difficult to determine the temperature of a given packaged food product at a given time. A direct measurement of the temperature of the package food product may be accomplished through a thermocouple probe, but such measurement would pierce the product packaging. Non-invasive temperature measurements of the packaged food product may be accomplished with an infrared temperature sensor. However, this only measures a surface temperature of the packaged food product. For many food products that are contained in plastic packaging, which acts as an insulator, such surface temperatures do not accurately reflect the temperature of the packaged food product. Even with thermally conductive packaging, such as an aluminum can, the surface temperature may not account for any temperature gradients within the packaged food product. Note also that surfaces that are highly reflective will not accurately indicate the temperature of the contents. 
     Accordingly, n ultrasonic temperature measurement system is disclosed herein that facilitates a non-invasive accurate temperature measurement of an internal product temperature of a packaged food product. In some implementations, the ultrasonic temperature measurement system is used in a rapid chilling system as the packaged food product is manipulated in a cooling fluid bath to rapidly cool the packaged food product to a desired temperature. The ultrasonic temperature measurement system may also facilitate detecting the formation of ice within the packaged food product. 
     In some implementations, an ultrasonic transducer may be located within a cooling reservoir with a cooling fluid therein. A package handling system is configured to immerse a packaged food product within the cooling fluid of the cooling reservoir. As the packaged food product is cooled, the ultrasonic transducer may periodically emit an ultrasonic temperature sensing pulse. The ultrasonic temperature sensing pulse will reflect off of a near side of the packaging closest to the ultrasonic transducer to produce a first reflected pulse. The ultrasonic temperature sensing pulse will also pass through the packaging, travel through the food product contained therein, and reflect off of a far side of the packaging farthest from the ultrasonic transducer to produce a second reflected pulse. Both reflected pulses are detected by an ultrasonic transducer producing an electrical signal representative of the amplitude and timing of the reflected pulses. An ultrasound receiver may process the electrical signal produced by the ultrasound transducer to produce a reflected ultrasound waveform. The reflected ultrasound waveform is processed to determine a time lag between the two reflected pulses. The time lag will correlate to the temperature of the food product contained within the packaging. In the various embodiments of the disclosure, the packaged food product is a packaged beverage product. 
     The rapid chilling system may be part of a system for on-demand processing of chilled packaged food products. More specifically, a chilled packaged food product delivery platform is taught that promotes a consumer selecting or defining an individualized chilled food preference (e.g., hard frozen, lightly frozen, smooth textured, coarse textured, soft center with firm outside, firm center with soft outside, supercooled but not frozen, about the freezing point of the food product, a selected temperature of the food product, and the like) and then performs on-demand processing of the subject food product, in response to the consumer selection, to deliver the chilled packaged food product having the individualized food preference selected. 
     The phrase “on-demand processing of chilled packaged food products” means that the processing is performed and completed shortly before (e.g., about 10 seconds before, about 30 seconds before, about 2 minutes before, or less than about 5 minutes before) the packaged food product is delivered to a consumer, for example delivered to a human being for consumption. Such on-demand processing is distinct from processing of food products at a central food processing plant or factory where processed food products are then removed from the plant or factory for transportation to distribution points such as stores and restaurants. In the latter case, processing occurs hours if not days before the packaged food product is delivered to the consumer. 
     The packaged food product delivery platform may be considered to process food contained within a package in the context of a control system. In an embodiment, the platform comprises a package identification sub-system, a package handling and/or manipulation sub-system, a package chilling sub-system, a package delivery sub-system, a consumer interface sub-system, and a process control sub-system. It is understood, however, that the platform may be abstracted, sub-divided, or componentized differently. Additionally, the platform may comprise additional or fewer sub-systems and/or components than those identified above. 
     The platform controls physical parameters of the packaged food product over time to transform the food product from an initial state to a consumer selected end state. The platform may manipulate and/or control a temperature of the packaged food product, over time, by immersing the package in a chilled fluid bath, by controlling the temperature of the chilled fluid bath, and by moving and/or agitating the package within the chilled fluid bath. The rate or acceleration, maximum rotations per minute (RPM), time maintained at the maximum RPM, rate of deceleration, and time between spins of moving and/or agitating the package may be controlled and/or modulated by the platform. The platform may perform this manipulation in an open-loop framework that manipulates the packaged food product in a predetermined spin scheme and a predetermined spin profile for a predetermined amount of time based on the identified product. Product identification includes the type of food product (e.g., sugar sweetened carbonated beverage, diet carbonated beverage, juice beverage, smoothie, dairy beverage, yogurt product, etc.), type of packaging (e.g., PET carbonated beverage bottle, aluminum can, aluminum bottle, hot-fill PET beverage bottle, aseptic PET beverage bottle, etc.), and size of packaging (e.g., 20 fl. oz. package, 12 fl. oz. package, 8 fl. oz. package, etc.). 
     In some implementations, the platform may perform this manipulation in a closed-loop control framework that measures one or more of a temperature of the food product within the package, a torque applied to the package, a linear force applied to the package, an angular velocity of the package, a linear velocity of the package, and possibly other parameters of the package and/or of the platform sub-systems and/or components. The non-invasive temperature measurement provided by the pending disclosure allows for accurate control of the platform. 
     The quality or end state of a delivered chilled food product is the result of the initial state of the chilled food product and the time-integrated processing performed on the package containing the chilled food product. The processing of the food product using the packaged food product delivery platform taught herein facilitates the time-phased manipulations of independent physical packaged food process variables (packaged food product internal temperature, heat transfer coefficient, temperature gradients in the packaged food product, inlet chilled fluid temperature, outlet chilled fluid temperature, chilled fluid flow rate, torque applied to the package, linear force applied to the package, angular velocity of the package, linear velocity of the package, etc.). In the packaged food product delivery platform taught herein, a controller monitors the process variables and adapts the time-phased manipulations of the package containing the chilled food product. The quality and/or end state of the delivered chilled food product depends on the time-phased physical manipulations of the package containing the food product. Said in another way, the end state of the chilled food product is the effect not merely of its final temperature and temperature gradient but also of the pathway by which it reached its final temperature and temperature gradient from the initial state of the food product. 
     The chilled packaged food product delivery platform is provided with a plurality of chilled food processing recipes that the process control sub-system uses to process the chilled food products from initial state to delivered end state. The control sub-system, for example, may receive a consumer food preference selection and index or map from this preference selection to one of the chilled food processing recipes. The consumer food preference selection may be considered to further identify a particular chilled food product, for example a cola slushie, a smoothie slushie, a raspberry slushie, a strawberry slushie, a dairy freeze, or other product. Thus, the indexing to a chilled food processing recipe may be based both on the desired end state as well as on the selected or identified chilled food product, type of packaging, and size of packaging. Having found the appropriate processing recipe, the control sub-system executes the described food processing based on its monitoring of process variables. It is understood that the chilled food processing recipes may be increased or added to over time as new chilled food products are brought to market and/or as new food preferences are identified and defined. 
     It is contemplated that at least some processing of the chilled food product may be accomplished late in the process, for example at about the time the consumer is reaching for the package containing the chilled food product, or even after the package is in the hand of the consumer. This may increase the satisfaction of the consumer and/or the drama of presentation of the chilled food product. For example, the chilled food product delivery platform may be able to orchestrate nucleation of metastable (e.g., supercooled) food materials that enables transformation from a liquid or partially liquid state to a frozen or partially frozen state right before the consumer&#39;s eyes. The chilled food product delivery platform may chill the chilled food product to a metastable state and then apply a nucleation stimulus to the package, for example a mechanical shock or sharp brief linear acceleration or a sonic or ultra-sonic mechanical stimulus. Nucleation is the initial step that enables a phase change or state change of a material, for example from a fluid state to a solid state (e.g., from a liquid state to a frozen state). Nucleation may be considered to be a triggering event that allows the substance to overcome energy barriers that prevent it from achieving thermodynamic equilibrium. 
     Producing a range of different end states of a food product from the same initial state of the food product poses various technical challenges. For example, to provide different granularity or texture of the food product it may be desirable to chill the food product to a metastable state that is below the freezing point of the food product. Further, providing different degrees of metastability (e.g., how many degrees below the freezing point the food product is chilled) in a controlled manner may entail providing a chilled fluid that is significantly below the freezing point of the food product. Especially in such metastable states, it is important to detect the temperature of the food product within +/1−1° C. or even within less than +/1−1° C. in a non-invasive manner so as to prevent premature freezing of the food product or for freezing to be initiated at the wrong temperature. 
     Providing the desired granularity or texture of the product may depend upon controlled nucleation of metastable food product. Such controlled nucleation, in the machine and/or platform taught herein, may be provided by the delivery sub-system that may provide a range of nucleation stimuli such as one or more of a sharp physical blow, a sonic signal, a laser stimulation, or other. Moreover, the frequency and/or power of the nucleation stimuli may vary over time or with different food products as defined in the food processing recipes. Nucleation may occur while the chilled food product is in the chilled fluid and/or after the chilled food product is removed from the chilled fluid. 
       FIG. 1  illustrates a rapid chilling system  100  suitable for implementing the several embodiments of the disclosure. The rapid chilling system  100  includes a body  102  that encloses a plurality of sub-systems for rapidly chilling a food product to a desired temperature. A user interface of the rapid chilling system  100  includes a selection knob  104  and display screen  105 . The display screen  105  displays a plurality of end-state temperatures for the packaged food product. For example, the display screen  105  may display a plurality of specific temperatures or temperature ranges (e.g., 40-45° F., 35-40° F. 32° F., 25-28° F., etc.). Other individual temperatures or temperature ranges between 10° F. and 50° F. may be used. At least one of the temperature options provided on the display screen is a temperature below the freezing point of the packaged food product. Alternatively or additionally, the display screen may display descriptions of end-state temperatures (e.g., cold, very cold, ice cold, supercooled, slush, frozen, etc.) 
     The control knob  104  is configured to be rotated by a consumer to select one of the displayed end-state temperatures. A selection indication on the display screen  105  highlights a different one of the displayed end-state temperatures for each rotational step that the control knob is rotated. In some implementations, the control knob  104  includes a button in a center thereof to actuate a selection. That is, upon a consumer rotating the control knob  104  to highlight a desired end-state temperature in the display screen  105 , a consumer may actuate the button in the center of the control knob  104  to activate rapid chilling of a packaged food product to the selected end-state temperature. 
     A product door  106  is provided on the rapid chilling system  100  to facilitate the consumer inserting a packaged food product at a starting temperature into the rapid chilling system  100  and removing the packaged food product at the end-state temperature from the rapid chilling system  100 . In some implementations, the starting temperature may be the ambient room temperature outside of the rapid chilling system  100 . In some implementations, the starting temperature may be an intermediate temperature below the ambient room temperature and above the end-state temperature. For example, the packaged food product may be removed from a chilled storage container, such as a cooler or vending machine, which maintains the packaged food product at the intermediate temperature (e.g., 35-50° F.) and inserted into the rapid chilling system  100 . 
     The product door  106  may be manually actuated, such as slid vertically or horizontally to open and close the product door  106 , One or more sensors (not shown) may determine whether or not the product door  106  is open or closed. A workflow on the rapid chilling system  100  may be conditioned based on the product door sensor indicating that the door is open or closed. For example, in response to detecting that the product door  106  is open, the display screen  105  may transition to a screen that shows visual instructions for how to insert a packaged food product into the rapid chilling system  100  and close the product door  106 . Upon detecting that the product door  106  is closed, the display screen  105  may again transition to a screen that facilitates selection of a desired end-state temperature. Other workflows are contemplated. In some implementations, the product door  106  is automatically actuated by a motor (not shown) based on one or more selections made on the user interface. 
     Other configurations of the body  102  of the rapid chilling system  100  are contemplated. For example, the display screen  105  may be a touchscreen display. In such embodiments, one or more of the control knob  104  and/or the button positioned therein may be eliminated. 
     Additionally, a nucleator (not shown) for initiating nucleation of ice in a supercooled fluid may be incorporated into the body  102  of the rapid chilling system  100  or provided alongside or adjacent to the rapid chilling system  100 . In some implementations, the nucleator may include the ultrasonic nucleation device described in U.S. Pat. App. Pub. No. 2015/0264968 to Shuntich, entitled “Supercooled Beverage Crystallization Slush Device with illumination,” hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
       FIG. 2  illustrates sub-systems of the rapid chilling system  100  suitable for implementing the several embodiments of the disclosure. That is,  FIG. 2  illustrates the rapid chilling system  100  with the exterior panels or cladding removed. As shown in  FIG. 2 , the rapid chilling system  100  includes a product identification sub-system  108 , a product handling sub-system  110 , a rapid chilling sub-system  112 , a non-invasive temperature measurement sub-system  300  (not shown in  FIG. 2 ), a washing sub-system  114 , and a cooling sub-system  116 . 
     Based on one or more of selection of a desired end-state temperature via the user interface of the rapid chilling system  100  and identification of the product by the product identification sub-system, a controller sub-system  126  (not shown in  FIG. 2 ) may index, identify, or otherwise look up a chilled food processing recipe for the product. The chilled food processing recipe for the product may control operation of the other sub-systems described herein. For example, the chilled food processing recipe for the product may indicate an amount of time that the product is processed by the package handling sub-system  110  in the rapid chilling sub-system  112 . The chilled food processing recipe for the product may indicate one or more product temperature set points for changing the operation of the package handling sub-system  110  (e.g., removing the product from the rapid chilling sub-system  112 , changing the direction, speed, acceleration of rotation of the product in the rapid chilling sub-system  112 , triggering one or more nucleation systems to initiate nucleation in a supercooled product in the rapid chilling sub-system, etc.). Upon the non-invasive temperature measurement sub-system  300  detecting a product temperature set point, the operation of the package handling sub-system  110  may be changed based on the indexed chilled food processing recipe for the product. Alternatively or additionally, the chilled food processing recipe for the product may indicate one or more product temperature set points for changing the operation of the rapid chilling sub-system  112 . For example, one or more pumps or valves may be turned on or off upon detection of a product temperature set point. 
     The details of each of the sub-systems are not provided herein, but in various embodiments may be implemented as described in commonly owned application Ser. No. 62/586,454, attorney docket number 10851-007PV1, entitled, “System and Method for Rapid Cooling of Packaged Food Products,” hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
       FIG. 3  illustrates a non-invasive temperature measurement sub-system  300  of the rapid chilling system  100  suitable for implementing the several embodiments of the disclosure. The non-invasive temperature measurement system  300  is part of the rapid chilling sub-system  112 . The rapid chilling sub-system  112  includes a reservoir  118  with a chilling fluid  120  contained therein. The reservoir  118  is insulated to maintain the temperature of the chilling fluid  120 . 
     The reservoir  118  has a top with an aperture therein, a bottom, and one or more sidewalk that extend between the top and the bottom. For example, the reservoir  118  may have a cylindrical shape with a single curved sidewall between the top and the bottom, a box shape with four sidewalls between the top and the bottom, or any other enclosed shape with one or more sidewalls between the top and the bottom. The bottom of the reservoir  118  may be in fluid communication with one or more pumps and or valves for circulating the chilling fluid  120  to be in thermal communication with the cooling sub-system  116  for maintaining the temperature of the chilling fluid  120 . In various embodiments of the disclosure, the chilling fluid  120  may be maintained at a temperature below −10° C. 
     The aperture on the top of the reservoir  118  is sized and shaped to receive a packaged food product such as the product packaging  122  with a food product  124  therein, as shown in  FIG. 3 . Iii the example shown in  FIG. 3 , the packaging  122  is a beverage bottle and the food product  124  is a beverage. Other types of packaging and food products may be used. The package handling sub-system  110  (not shown in  FIG. 3 ) facilitates insertion, removal, and manipulation of the packaging  122  within the chilling fluid  120  in the reservoir  118  so as to rapidly chill the product  124  to the desired end-state temperature. 
     The non-invasive temperature measurement sub-system  300  includes an ultrasound transducer  302 , an ultrasound puller-receiver  304 , and a signal processor  306 . The ultrasound transducer  302  is mounted in a manner that enables it to produce an ultrasound pulse  308  directed at the package  122  through the chilling fluid  120 . In some implementations, the ultrasound transducer  302  is mounted to a sidewall of the reservoir  118 . 
     The ultrasound transducer  302  is configured to produce a stimulus ultrasound pulse  308  when it is excited by the ultrasound pulser-receiver  304 . In other words, the ultrasound pulser-receiver  304  is configured to excite the ultrasound transducer  302  to produce the stimulus ultrasound pulse  308 . The stimulus ultrasound pulse  308  is produced towards a center of the reservoir  118  or otherwise towards the packaging  122  when the packaging  122  is placed within the reservoir  118  by the package handling sub-system  110 . In other words, the ultrasound transducer  302  is configured to produce the stimulus ultrasound pulse  308  towards a packaging insertion location within the reservoir  118  for receiving the packaging  122 . The stimulus ultrasound pulse  308  may have an operating frequency from 0.1 to 10 MHz, an operating amplitude of 100 to 100,000 Pa, and a pulse duration of 0.5 to 20 acoustic cycles. In some implementations, the ultrasound pulse  308  has an operating frequency between 0.4 to 2.25 MHz, an operating amplitude between 500 to 2000 Pa, and a pulse duration of 1 to 5 acoustic cycles. 
     The ultrasound transducer  302  is also configured to transduce reflected ultrasound pulses  310  to a voltage for detection by the ultrasound pulser-receiver  304 . In other words, the ultrasound pulser-receiver  304  is configured to generate a reflected ultrasound waveform  312  from the voltage transduced by the ultrasound transducer  302  from the reflected ultrasound pulses  310 . The ultrasound pulser-receiver  304  generates electrical signals that correspond in timing and amplitude to the pressure oscillations that comprise the received ultrasound pulses  310 . The representation of these electrical signals on a graph of voltage vs. time is the reflected ultrasound waveform  312 . of the detected reflected ultrasound pulses  310 . 
     In some implementations, rather than having a single transducer  302  transmit and receive ultrasound pulses, one or more ultrasound transducers may be configured to only transmit ultrasound pulses (e.g., the stimulus ultrasound pulse  308 ) and one or more ultrasound transducers may be configured to only receive ultrasound pulses (e.g., the reflected ultrasound pulses  310 ). Likewise, while the ultrasound pulser-receiver  304  is described above as a singular unit, a separate ultrasound pulser and ultrasound receiver may be provided. The separate ultrasound pulser may be configured to excite one or more ultrasound transducers. The separate ultrasound receiver may generate the reflected ultrasound waveform  312  from voltages transduced by one or more ultrasound transducers, which may be the same or different as the one or more ultrasound transducers excited by the separate ultrasound pulser. 
     When rapidly chilling a food product, such as a beverage, to supercooled temperatures, it is undesirable to unintentionally initiate a nucleation site for ice to form within the food product based upon the stimulus ultrasound pulse  308 . Based on experimentation with the stimulus ultrasound pulse  308  with the above operating parameters, it was determined that the stimulus ultrasound pulse  308  only produced a mechanical index of less than or equal to 0.002 MPa/√{square root over (MHz)}. Generally, cavitation in water is unlikely below a mechanical index of 1.4 MPa/√{square root over (MHz)}. Therefore, the operating parameters of the stimulus ultrasound pulse  308  described above may be adjusted so long as the mechanical index produced by the ultrasound transducer  302 . is less than 1.4 MPa/√{square root over (MHz)}. 
     The stimulus ultrasound pulse  308  travels through the chilling fluid  120  and impinges upon a near side of the packaging  122 . The terms “near” and “far” as used herein are from the perspective of the ultrasound transducer  302 . For example, the near side of the packaging  122  is the closest side of the packaging  122  to the transducer  302 , Similarly, the far side of the packaging  122  is the farthest side of the packaging  122  from the transducer. Upon impinging upon the near side of the packaging  122 , a portion of the stimulus pulse  308  is reflected back to the transducer  302  to provide a first of the reflected ultrasound pulses  310 . A portion of the stimulus pulse  308  also passes through the packaging  122 , travels through the product  124 , and impinges upon the far side of the packaging  122 . Upon impinging upon the far side of the packaging, a second portion of the stimulus pulse  308  is reflected back to the transducer  302  to provide a second of the reflected ultrasound pulses  310 . The second of the reflected pulses  310  also travels through the near side of the packaging  122  on the way back to the transducer  302 . 
     The ultrasound pulser-receiver  304  receives transduced voltages of the first and second of the reflected ultrasound pulses  310  and passes signals representing the reflected ultrasound waveform  312  of the reflected ultrasound pulses  310  to the signal processor  306 . The signal processor  306  processes the reflected ultrasound waveform  312  to determine a time lag between the first of the reflected pulses  310  from the near side of the packaging  122  and the second of the reflected pulses  310  from the far side of the packaging  122 . Based on the determined time lag, the signal processor  306  correlates the time lag to a temperature of the product  124 , for example using one or more charts or tables. The signal processor  306  reports the temperature of the product  124  to the controller sub-system  126  of the rapid chilling system  100 , which in turn controls operation of the other sub-systems of the rapid chilling system  100  based upon the detected temperature of the product  124 . 
     Surprisingly, it was discovered that this non-invasive method of measuring temperature of the product  124  is insensitive to the motion of fluid in the packaging  122  relative to the packaging  122 . For example, in an experiment, a magnetic stirrer was placed within a beverage bottle with a beverage liquid contained therein. The beverage bottle was placed on top of a magnetic stir plate and a temperature of the beverage liquid was measured with a temperature probe. A time of flight through the beverage liquid of an ultrasound pulse was measured using an ultrasound transducer. As shown in Table 1 below, it was discovered that despite increasing the relative velocity of the beverage liquid in the bottle by stirring the magnetic stirrer up to 1200 rotations per minute. the time of flight of the ultrasound pulse was determined to remain constant within 0.01 μs. 
     
       
         
           
               
               
               
               
               
             
               
                   
                 TABLE 1 
               
               
                   
                   
               
               
                   
                 Stir plate 
                 Speed of bar 
                 Temperature 
                 Time of flight 
               
               
                   
                 setting 
                 (RPM) 
                 (° C.) 
                 (μs) 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
            
               
                   
               
            
           
           
               
               
               
               
               
            
               
                   
                 Off 
                 0 
                 22.2 
                 46.09 
               
               
                   
                 2 
                 60 
                 22.2 
                 46.09 
               
               
                   
                 4 
                 125 
                 22.1 
                 46.09 
               
               
                   
                 6 
                 350 
                 22.2 
                 46.09 
               
               
                   
                 8 
                 700 
                 22.2 
                 46.09 
               
               
                   
                 10 
                 1100 
                 22.2 
                 46.09 
               
               
                   
                 12 
                 1200 
                 22.2 
                 46.08 
               
               
                   
                   
               
            
           
         
       
     
     While the non-invasive temperature measurement sub-system  300  shown in  FIG. 3  and described above as detecting reflected ultrasound pulses from the ultrasound transducer  302  on one side of the reservoir  118 , the non-invasive temperature measurement sub-system  300  may be configured in other ways to determine a time of flight measurement through the product  124 . For example, rather than being mounted on a sidewall of the reservoir  118 , the transducer  302  may be mounted below the packaging  124 , for example as part of the package handling sub-system  110 , to detect one or more reflected pulses to measure the time of flight of the pulses through the product  124 . As a further alternative, the ultrasound pulser-receiver  304  may additionally be coupled to a second ultrasound transducer (not shown) on the opposite sidewall of the reservoir from the transducer  302  so as to measure the time of flight of an ultrasound pulse through the product  124  using a pitch-catch method. Other variations are readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art for measuring an ultrasound pulse time of through the product  124  using one or more ultrasound transducers and/or receivers. 
       FIG. 4  illustrates a processing sequence for the signal processor  306  to correlate received ultrasound waveforms to a temperature of the product  124  suitable for implementing the several embodiments of the disclosure. At  402 , the raw reflected ultrasound waveform  312  is received by the signal processor  306 . The raw reflected ultrasound waveform  312  is shown in the graph in the top left corner of  FIG. 4 . As shown in  FIG. 4 , the reflected ultrasound waveform  312  includes a first reflected waveform  404  that is generated by the first of the reflected ultrasound pulses  310  from the near side of the packaging  122 . The reflected ultrasound waveform  312  also includes a second reflected waveform  406  that is generated by the second of the reflected ultrasound pulses  310  from the far side of the packaging  122 . 
     At  408 , the signal processor  306  performs autocorrelation on the entire raw reflected waveform  312  (comprising reflected waveforms  404  and  406 ). The results of the autocorrelation performed by the signal processor  306  are shown in the graph in the top right corner of  FIG. 4 . 
     At  410 , the signal processor  306  performs an envelope and peak detection operation on the autocorrelation result. The results of the envelope and peak detection operation performed by the signal processor  306  are shown in the graph in the bottom left corner of  FIG. 4 . The first non-zero peak resulting from the envelope and peak detection operation shows the time lag between the envelope peaks (e.g., the separation between a largest peak and a second largest peak). 
     At  412 , the signal processor  306  performs a temperature look-up to a the detected time lag to a temperature of the product  124 . The determined temperature is reported by the signal processor  306  to the controller sub-system  126  for controlling operation of the rapid chilling system  100 . 
     For example, the signal processor may maintain a time-lag-to-temperature table for each product. Each table includes a plurality of rows of data, with each row identifying a time lag value and a temperature value. In some implementations, each successive row may include an offset in the time lag by greater than or equal to 0.01 μs and identify an experimentally determined temperature that corresponds with the time lag. In some implementations, each successive row may include a temperature offset greater than or equal to 0.1° C. and identify an experimentally determined time lag that corresponds with the temperature. In some implementations, the sensitivity provided by the time-lag-to-temperature table is about 0.1 μs/° C. In sonic implementations, the sensitivity provided by the time-lag-to-temperature table is about 0.39 to 0.64 □s/° C. In some implementations, the sensitivity provided is less than 1 μs/° C. 
     Alternatively, at  412 , the signal processor  306  simply reports the determined time lag to the controller sub-system  126 , which performs the temperature look-up. In this implementation, the controller sub-system  126  maintains the time-lag-to-temperature tables. Upon receiving the determined time lag from the signal processor  306 , the controller  126  looks up the corresponding temperature from the time-lag-to-temperature table for the product  124 . 
     In some implementations, the controller sub-system  126  and/or the signal processor  306  (e.g., via the controller sub-system  126 ) receives an identification of the product  124  from the product identification sub-system  108 . Based on the product identification received from the product identification sub-system  108 , the controller sub-system  126  and/or the signal processor  306  determines the appropriate time-lag-to-temperature table for the identified product  124 . 
       FIG. 5  illustrates placement of the ultrasound transducer  302  relative to a bottle suitable for implementing the several embodiments of the disclosure. Placement of the ultrasound transducer  302  relative to different locations on the bottle impacts performance of the time lag measurement. Generally, a bottle has a lid/cap  502 , a neck  504 , a shoulder  506 , a top sidewall area  508 , a label panel area  510 , a waist  512 , a pinch  514 , and a base  516 . As shown in  FIG. 5 , the transducer  302  may be placed at transducer locations  518 - 526  relative to the top sidewall area  510 , label panel area  510 , waist  512 , pinch  514 , and base  526 , respectively. The location of the transducer  302  relative to a location on the bottle is adjusted by the package handling sub-system  110  placing the packaging  122  in the chilling reservoir  118  relative to the stationary placement of the transducer  302 . in the reservoir  118 . Different sizes and types of bottles may have different transducer locations. Based on the identification of the product  124  from the product identification sub-system  108 , the package handling sub-system  110  may place the packaging  122  at an appropriate location in the chilling reservoir  118  to successfully non-invasively read the temperature of the product  124 . 
     Looking again to  FIG. 5 , the transducer location  518  at the top sidewall area  508  has been found to be a reliably accurate location for sensing the lag time between reflected ultrasound pulses  310  in many different types of bottles. The transducer location  518  may also be ideal for detecting ice formation, discussed in more detail below, within the product  124  as the ice floats up within the product  124 . The transducer location  520  about the label panel  510  of the bottle has been determined to not reliably sense the lag time between reflected ultrasound pulses  310  due to the additional interference and reflections caused by the label. The transducer location  522  at the waist  512  of the bottle has also been determined to not reliably sense the lag time between reflected ultrasound pulses  310  due to contouring and other aesthetic surface irregularities typical in many bottles. Similarly, transducer location  524  at the pinch  514  of the bottle has also been determined to not reliably sense the lag time between reflected ultrasound pulses  310  due to contouring and other aesthetic surface irregularities typical in many bottles, Transducer location  526  at the base  516  of the bottle has been found to be a reliably accurate location for sensing the lag time between reflected ultrasound pulses  310  in many different types of bottles. 
       FIG. 6  illustrates placement of the ultrasound transducer  302  relative to a can suitable for implementing the several embodiments of the disclosure. Placement of the ultrasound transducer  302  relative to different locations on the can impacts performance of the time lag measurement. Generally, a can has a top  602 , a sidewall  604 , and a base  606 . As shown in  FIG. 6 , the transducer  302  may be placed at transducer locations  608 - 612  relative to the top  602 , sidewall  604 , and base  606 , respectively. As above, the location of the transducer  302  relative to a location on the can is adjusted by the package handling sub-system  110  placing the packaging  122  in the chilling reservoir  118  relative to the stationary placement of the transducer  302  in the sidewall of the reservoir  118 , Different sizes and types of cans may have different transducer locations. Based on the identification of the product  124  from the product identification sub-system  108 , the package handling sub-system  110  may place the packaging  122  at an appropriate location in the chilling reservoir  118  to successfully non-invasively read the temperature of the product  124 . 
     Looking again to  FIG. 6 , the transducer locations  608  and  612  have been determined to not reliably sense the lag time between reflected ultrasound pulses  310  due to contouring and other aesthetic surface irregularities typical in many cans at these locations. However, the transducer location  610  along the sidewall  604  of the can has been found to be a reliably accurate location for sensing the lag time between reflected ultrasound pulses  310  in many different types of cans. The transducer location  610  may also be ideal when located towards a top of the sidewall  604  for detecting ice formation, discussed in more detail below, within the product  124  as the ice floats up within the product  124 . 
       FIG. 7  illustrates a non-invasive ice detection sub-system  700  of the rapid chilling system suitable for implementing the several embodiments of the disclosure. The non-invasive ice detection sub-system  700  is substantially identical to the non-invasive temperature measurement system  300  described above, except the signal processor  306  is additionally configured to detect an intermediary reflected ultrasound pulse  702  from a particle of ice  704 . That is, between the first and the second of the reflected ultrasound pulses  310 , the stimulus ultrasound pulse  308  may further impinge upon the particle of ice  704 , causing a third reflected ultrasound pulse  702  of the reflected ultrasound pulses  310 . As described above, the reflected ultrasound pulses  310 , including the third reflected ultrasound pulse  702 , are transduced by the transducer  302  to electrical signals representative of the amplitude and timing of the reflected ultrasound pulses  310 . The ultrasound pulser-receiver  304  receives the transduced electrical signals of the reflected ultrasound pulses  310  and generates a reflected ultrasound waveform  802  of the reflected ultrasound pulses  310 . The ultrasound pulser-receiver  304  passes the reflected ultrasound waveform  802  to the signal processor  306 . 
       FIG. 8  illustrates the raw reflected ultrasound waveform  802  received by the signal processor  306 . The received ultrasound waveform  802  shows the detection of the ice  704  through the intermediary reflected waveform  804  between the first reflected waveform  404  and the second reflected waveform  406 . As shown in  FIG. 8 , the intermediate reflected waveform  804  is produced from the third reflected ultrasound pulse  702  that reflected off of ice less than or equal to 1.9 mm wide. 
     In some implementations, the intermediary reflected waveform  804  has a minimum threshold amplitude so as to differentiate between a piece of ice and bubbles that may be in the product  122 . In other words, the amplitude of the intermediary reflected waveform  804  is at least greater than the minimum threshold amplitude. 
     Upon the signal processor  306  detecting ice, the signal processor  306  sends an alert to the controller sub-system  126 . Operation of the rapid chilling system  100  may be modified based upon the detection of ice in the product  122 . For example, the product handling sub-system  110  may remove the packaging  122  from the rapid chilling reservoir  118  and provide the freezing product to a consumer during the process of freezing. In some implementations, the package handling sub-system  110  may manipulate the package in a different way upon detecting ice formation, for example, speeding up or slowing down or changing the direction of rotation of the packaging  12 . 
     Other ice detection mechanisms may be used herein. For example, the formation of ice in a supercooled fluid is an exothermic process. Therefore, the formation of ice within the product could be detected based on detecting a sudden increase in the temperature of the fluid. For such ice detection mechanisms, the transducer location  526  may be preferred for bottles so as to avoid ice crystals from interfering with or generating spurious reflected ultrasound pulses when detecting the time lag between the reflected ultrasound pulses  310 . Similarly, a bottom location along the sidewall  604  of a can may be a preferred location for the transducer  302  relative to the can. 
     It should be appreciated that the logical operations described herein with respect the various figures may be implemented (1) as a sequence of computer implemented acts or program modules (i.e., software) running on a computing device (e.g., the computing device described in  FIG. 9 ), (2) as interconnected machine logic circuits or circuit modules (i.e., hardware) within the computing device and/or (3) a combination of software and hardware of the computing device. Thus, the logical operations discussed herein are not limited to any specific combination of hardware and software. The implementation is a matter of choice dependent on the performance and other requirements of the computing device. Accordingly, the logical operations described herein are referred to variously as operations, structural devices, acts, or modules. These operations, structural devices, acts and modules may be implemented in software, in firmware, in special purpose digital logic, and any combination thereof. It should also be appreciated that more or fewer operations may be performed than shown in the figures and described herein. These operations may also be performed in a different order than those described herein. 
     Referring to  FIG. 9 , an example computing device  900  upon which embodiments of the invention may be implemented is illustrated. For example, the signal processor  306  and/or the controller sub-system  126  of the rapid chilling system  100  may be implemented as a computing device, such as computing device  900 . It should be understood that the example computing device  900  is only one example of a suitable computing environment upon which embodiments of the invention may be implemented. Optionally, the computing device  900  can be a well-known computing system including, but not limited to, personal computers, servers, handheld or laptop devices, multiprocessor systems, microprocessor-based systems, network personal computers (PCs), minicomputers, mainframe computers, embedded systems, and/or distributed computing environments including a plurality of any of the above systems or devices. Distributed computing environments enable remote computing devices, which are connected to a communication network or other data transmission medium, to perform various tasks. In the distributed computing environment, the program modules, applications, and other data may be stored on local and/or remote computer storage media. 
     In an embodiment, the computing device  900  may comprise two or more computers in communication with each other that collaborate to perform a task. For example, but not by way of limitation, an application may be partitioned in such a way as to permit concurrent and/or parallel processing of the instructions of the application. Alternatively, the data processed by the application may be partitioned in such a way as to permit concurrent and/or parallel processing of different portions of a data set by the two or more computers. In an embodiment, virtualization software may be employed by the computing device  900  to provide the functionality of a number of servers that is not directly bound to the number of computers in the computing device  900 . For example, virtualization software may provide twenty virtual servers on four physical computers. In an embodiment, the functionality disclosed above may be provided by executing the application and/or applications in a cloud computing environment. Cloud computing may comprise providing computing services via a network connection using dynamically scalable computing resources. Cloud computing may be supported, at least in part, by virtualization software. A cloud computing environment may be established by an enterprise and/or may be hired on an as-needed basis from a third party provider. Some cloud computing environments may comprise cloud computing resources owned and operated by the enterprise as well as cloud computing resources hired and/or leased from a third party provider. 
     n its most basic configuration, computing device  900  typically includes at least one processing unit  930  and system memory  920 . Depending on the exact configuration and type of computing device, system memory  920  may be volatile (such as random access memory (RAM)), non-volatile (such as read-only memory (ROM), flash memory, etc.), or some combination of the two. This most basic configuration is illustrated in  FIG. 9  by dashed line  910 . The processing unit  930  may be a standard programmable processor that performs arithmetic and logic operations necessary for operation of the computing device  900 . While only one processing unit  930  is shown, multiple processors may be present. Thus, while instructions may be discussed as executed by a processor, the instructions may be executed simultaneously, serially, or otherwise executed by one or multiple processors. The computing device  900  may also include a bus or other communication mechanism for communicating information among various components of the computing device  900 . 
     Computing device  900  may have additional features/functionality. For example, computing device  900  may include additional storage such as removable storage  940  and non-removable storage  950  including, but not limited to, magnetic or optical disks or tapes. Computing device  900  may also contain network connection(s)  980  that allow the device to communicate with other devices such as over the communication pathways described herein. The network connections)  980  may take the form of modems, modem banks, Ethernet cards, universal serial bus (USB) interface cards, serial interfaces, token ring cards, fiber distributed data interface (FDDI) cards, wireless local area network (WLAN) cards, radio transceiver cards such as code division multiple access (CDMA), global system for mobile communications (GSM), long-term evolution (LTE), worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX), and/or other air interface protocol radio transceiver cards, and other well-known network devices. Computing device  900  may also have input device(s)  970  such as a keyboards, keypads, switches, dials, mice, track balls, touch screens, voice recognizers, card readers, paper tape readers, or other well-known input devices. Output device(s)  960  such as a printers, video monitors, liquid crystal displays (LCDs), touch screen displays, displays, speakers, etc. may also be included. The additional devices may be connected to the bus in order to facilitate communication of data among the components of the computing device  900 . All these devices are well known in the art and need not be discussed at length here. 
     The processing unit  930  may be configured to execute program code encoded in tangible, computer-readable media. Tangible, computer-readable media refers to any media that is capable of providing data that causes the computing device  900  (i.e., a machine) to operate in a particular fashion. Various computer-readable media may be utilized to provide instructions to the processing unit  930  for execution. Example tangible, computer-readable media may include, but is not limited to, volatile media, non-volatile media, removable media and non-removable media implemented in any method or technology for storage of information such as computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules or other data. System memory  920 , removable storage  940 , and non-removable storage  950  are all examples of tangible, computer storage media. Example tangible, computer-readable recording media include, but are not limited to, an integrated circuit (e.g., field-programmable gate array or application-specific IC), a hard disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, a floppy disk, a magnetic tape, a holographic storage medium, a solid-state device, RAM, ROM, electrically erasable program read-only memory (EEPROM), flash memory or other memory technology, CD-ROM, digital versatile disks (DVD) or other optical storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices. 
     It is fundamental to the electrical engineering and software engineering arts that functionality that can be implemented by loading executable software into a computer can be converted to a hardware implementation by well-known design rules. Decisions between implementing a concept in software versus hardware typically hinge on considerations of stability of the design and numbers of units to be produced rather than any issues involved in translating from the software domain to the hardware domain. Generally, a design that is still subject to frequent change may be preferred to be implemented in software, because re-spinning a hardware implementation is more expensive than re-spinning a software design. Generally, a design that is stable that will be produced in large volume may be preferred to be implemented in hardware, for example in an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), because for large production runs the hardware implementation may be less expensive than the software implementation. Often a design may be developed and tested in a software form and later transformed, by well-known design rules, to an equivalent hardware implementation in an application specific integrated circuit that hardwires the instructions of the software. In the same manner as a machine controlled by a new ASIC is a particular machine or apparatus, likewise a computer that has been programmed and/or loaded with executable instructions may be viewed as a particular machine or apparatus. 
     In an example implementation, the processing unit  930  may execute program code stored in the system memory  920 . For example, the bus may carry data to the system memory  920 , from which the processing unit  930  receives and executes instructions. The data received by the system memory  920  may optionally be stored on the removable storage  940  or the non-removable storage  950  before or after execution by the processing unit  930 . 
     It should be understood that the various techniques described herein may be implemented in connection with hardware or software or, where appropriate, with a combination thereof. Thus, the methods and apparatuses of the presently disclosed subject matter, or certain aspects or portions thereof, may take the form of program code (i.e., instructions) embodied in tangible media, such as floppy diskettes, CD-ROMs, hard drives, or any other machine-readable storage medium wherein, when the program code is loaded into and executed by a machine, such as a computing device, the machine becomes an apparatus for practicing the presently disclosed subject matter. In the case of program code execution on programmable computers, the computing device generally includes a processor, a storage medium readable by the processor (including volatile and non-volatile memory and/or storage elements), at least one input device, and at least one output device. One or more programs may implement or utilize the processes described in correction with the presently disclosed subject matter, e.g., through the use of an application programming interface (API), reusable controls, or the like. Such programs may be implemented in a high level procedural or object-oriented programming language to communicate with a computer system. However, the program(s) can be implemented in assembly or machine language, if desired. In any case, the language may be a compiled or interpreted language and it may be combined with hardware implementations. 
     Embodiments of the methods and systems may be described herein with reference to block diagrams and flowchart illustrations of methods, systems, apparatuses and computer program products. It will be understood that each block of the block diagrams and flowchart illustrations, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and flowchart illustrations, respectively, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions may be loaded onto a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions which execute on the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus create a means for implementing the functions specified in the flowchart block or blocks. 
     These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable memory that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to function in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer-readable memory produce an article of manufacture including computer-readable instructions for implementing the function specified in the flowchart block or blocks. The computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer or other programmable apparatus to produce a computer-implemented process such that the instructions that execute on the computer or other programmable apparatus provide steps for implementing the functions specified in the flowchart block or blocks. 
     Accordingly, blocks of the block diagrams and flowchart illustrations support combinations of means for performing the specified functions, combinations of steps for performing the specified functions and program instruction means for performing the specified functions. It will also be understood that each block of the block diagrams and flowchart illustrations, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and flowchart illustrations, can be implemented by special purpose hardware-based computer systems that perform the specified functions or steps, or combinations of special purpose hardware and computer instructions. 
     While several embodiments have been provided in the present disclosure, it should be understood that the disclosed systems and methods may be embodied in many other specific forms without departing from the spirit or scope of the present disclosure. The present examples are to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive, and the intention is not to be limited to the details given herein. For example, the various elements or components may be combined or integrated in another system or certain features may be omitted or not implemented. 
     Also, techniques, systems, subsystems, and methods described and illustrated in the various embodiments as discrete or separate may be combined or integrated with other systems, modules, techniques, or methods without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Other items shown or discussed as directly coupled or communicating with each other may be indirectly coupled or communicating through sonic interface, device, or intermediate component, whether electrically, mechanically, or otherwise. Other examples of changes, substitutions, and alterations are ascertainable by one skilled in the art and could be made without departing from the spirit and scope disclosed herein.