Patent Publication Number: US-2021169250-A1

Title: Smart dishes and smart packages

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S) 
     The present application claims the benefit of pending Provisional patent application, Ser. No. 62/659,512, filed Apr. 18, 2018. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to dishes and packages, more particularly, to smart dishes for food or beverage and smart packages for shipping. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Every ninety-eight seconds, a person is sexually assaulted. Sometimes this assault is the result of their drinks had been tampered with. Typically, the presence of the common “date rape” drugs GHB and Ketamine is in their drink. 
     It is known to provide a cocktail stirrer to detect contaminates in a cocktail drink. At the end of the cocktail stirrer, there are two detectors for GHB and Ketamine. Once the stirrer has been placed in the drink, the detectors will detect the drink. If the detector turns to a different color, then the drink has been tampered with and the necessary precautions can be taken. 
     Currently, these cocktail stirrers are made of glass. This type of construction can result in the stirrer being easily broken. In addition, the stirrer must be cleaned after every use and taken to a place to be used. However, it is desirable to make dishes that are more smart to detect contaminates in food and beverage. It is also desirable to make smart dishes that will alert a person that a contaminate in food or beverage has been detected. It is further desirable to make packages more smart that will detect contaminants contacting the package. Thus, there is a need in the art for new dishes for detecting a predetermined level of contaminate in food or beverage and new packages for detecting a predetermined level of contaminate contacting the package. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, the present invention provides a smart dish for food or beverage. The smart dish includes a dish having at least one sensor for detecting a predetermined level of contaminate in food or beverage contacting the dish. 
     In addition, the present invention is a smart package including a package for shipping an object. The smart package includes at least one sensor for detecting a predetermined level of contaminate contacting the package. 
     One advantage of the present invention is that a new smart dish is provided for food or beverage to detect contaminates in the food or beverage. Another advantage of the present invention is that the smart dish includes a dish having at least one sensor for detecting a predetermined level of contaminate in food or beverage contacting the dish. Yet another advantage of the present invention is that the smart dish can be made of a suitable material such as glass, paper, metal, wood, plastic, or composite material to allow the dish detect a predetermined level of contaminate contacting the dish. Still another advantage of the present invention is that the smart dish can be reused or discarded after use. A further advantage of the present invention is that a new smart package for shipping is provided that includes at least one sensor for detecting a predetermined level of contaminate contacting the package. 
     Other features and advantages of the present invention will be readily appreciated, as the same becomes better understood, after reading the subsequent description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a plan view of one embodiment of a smart dish, according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a sectional view taken along line  2 - 2  of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a plan view of another embodiment of a smart dish, according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of yet another embodiment of a smart dish, according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 5  is a top view of the smart dish of  FIG. 4 . 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of still another embodiment of a smart dish, according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 7  is a top view of the smart dish of  FIG. 6 . 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view of a smart package, according to the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT(S) 
     Referring to the drawings and in particular  FIGS. 1 and 2 , one embodiment of a smart dish, according to the present invention, is generally shown at  10 . In the embodiment illustrated, the smart dish  10  includes a dish  12 . In one embodiment, the dish  12  is in the form of a plate. The dish  12  is generally circular in shape, but may be any suitable shape. The dish  12  may be made of any suitable material such as glass, paper, metal, wood, plastic, or composite material. The dish  12  is used primarily to hold food. The size and shape of the dish  12  is typically that used in the food and/or consumer industries. It should be appreciated that the dishes  12  are used by human subjects. 
     As illustrated in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the smart dish  10  includes at least one sensor  14 . The sensor  14  has a thickness from approximately 2.0 millimeters to approximately 6.0 millimeters, preferably approximately 4.0 millimeters. In one embodiment, the sensor  14  is disposed beneath the surface of the dish  12 . In another embodiment, the sensor  14  is disposed on the surface of the dish  12 . In one embodiment, the sensor  14  is a plurality of separate and discrete sensors  14  spaced from each other about the dish  12  as illustrated in  FIG. 1 . In another embodiment, the sensor  14  is one continuous sensor  14  that is disposed in a predetermined pattern about the dish  12  as illustrated in  FIG. 3 . 
     The sensor  14  is made of a material whose color changes as a contaminant comes in contact or is sensed. The sensor  14  may, for example, be of an initial color such as white and change successfully from white to another color such as, for example, a deep red when a contaminant has come into contact with the sensor  14 . The sensor  14  preferably changes color gradually from white to red passing, for example, through white, red or pink colors before it reaches a deep red color. The extent to which the color red is displayed by the sensor  14  is indicative of the level of contaminants that have cumulatively contacted or sensed by the sensor  14 . In another embodiment, the sensor  14  may signal contamination (and its levels) via wireless or other communication mechanism with a user computing device such as a computer, smart phone, tablet, or the like, having a software application that receives and processes the signal. It should be appreciated that a variety of sensors  14  may be used in accordance with the present invention without limitation including, magnetoelastic, microelectromechanical microphysiometer, nanowire, waveguide, liquid crystal, distributed dust or DNA bridge sensors. 
     A description of each is provided in this paragraph; however, more detailed information of each is readily available in the open literature. A magnetoelastic sensor monitors a change in resonance of a tuned magnetoelastic strip which has been coated with an antibody of the analyte to be detected. The antibodies on the surface of the magnetoelastic strip bond with the analyte when present, changing the mass, and consequently, the resonant frequency of the element which change in mass can be detected to issue a signal. To detect multiple toxins, multiple individual strips may be coated with respective antibodies, ganged together and monitored by a common computer chip for issuing signals. A microelectromechanical sensor monitors changes in the resonance of a spring-mass with a small cantilever beam coated with an antibody of the analyte to be detected to capture a small mass of analyte to effect a change in mass, and, consequently, the resonant frequency of the cantilever beam. A microphysiometer sensor employs live human cells that have been adapted to react quickly to biological agents in the environment. These cells are disposed atop sensors that detect abnormalities in cell structure. Nanowire or DNA bridge sensors employ strings of DNA disposed in or completing an electrical circuit which changes conductivity or resistance as receptors in the DNA molecule accept or combine with other DNA molecules. These DNA strings can be adapted to receive or combine with analyte DNA to detect and issue an alert signal. Waveguide sensors employ a coating of antibodies which are disposed on a sensor surface and selected to target specific analytes such as bacteria cells. When the antibodies come into contact with these bacteria, the antibodies attack and destroy the bacteria and a light source is used to illuminate the changes. As the antibodies destroy the bacteria, the sensor surface detects the changes allowing the bacteria to be identified. Liquid crystal sensors employ cell membranes disposed atop rod-shaped liquid crystals to detect analytes. For example, lipids are attached to the liquid crystals, which lay perpendicular to the surface and appear dark. When the sensor is exposed to a protein that binds to the lipids, the liquid crystal molecules rapidly respond by switching to a planar orientation. As a result, the crystals transmit polarized light and appear bright. The change in illumination can be detected to issue an alert signal. Distributed dust sensors employ micrometer size particles which change color in the presence of contaminate. For example each particle can exhibit different colors depending upon its orientation such that when attaching to a particular contaminate, the particles collectively yield a characteristic optical signature. The change in optical signature can be detected to issue a signal. Immunoassay sensors employ reactive materials which change color or contrast in the presence of an analyte. It should be appreciated that the sensor  14  can includes a white absorptive stick coated with the reactive material which, upon contaminant exposure, effects a color change. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 4-5 , another embodiment, according to the present invention, of the smart dish  10  is shown. In this embodiment, the smart dish  10  includes the dish  12  formed as a glass or vessel for holding a liquid beverage. In one embodiment, the sensor  14  is disposed beneath the surface of the dish  12 . In another embodiment, the sensor  14  is disposed on the surface of the dish  12 . In the embodiment illustrated, the sensor  14  is disposed along the bottom and wall of the dish  12 . In one embodiment, the sensor  14  is a plurality of separate and discrete sensors  14  spaced from each other about the dish  12  as illustrated in  FIGS. 4 and 5 . In another embodiment, the sensor  14  is one continuous sensor  14  that is disposed in a predetermined pattern about the dish  12  as illustrated in  FIGS. 6 and 7 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 8 , one embodiment of a smart package  10 , according to the present invention is shown. The smart package  10  includes a package  12  and at least one sensor  14  for detecting a predetermined level of contaminate put on the package  12 . In one embodiment, the package  12  may be a box made of any suitable shape, size, and material. In another embodiment, the package  12  may be an envelope made of any suitable shape, size, and material. The sensor  14  has a thickness from approximately 2.0 millimeters to approximately 6.0 millimeters, preferably approximately 4.0 millimeters. In one embodiment, the sensor  14  is disposed beneath the surface of the package  12 . In another embodiment, the sensor  14  is disposed on the surface of the package  12 . In one embodiment, the sensor  14  is a plurality of separate and discrete sensors  14  spaced from each other about the package  12 . In another embodiment, the sensor  14  is one continuous sensor  14  that is disposed in a predetermined pattern about the package  12 . The smart package  10  may include a wrap (not shown) made of plastic or foil with one or more sensors  14  adhered to the inside by a suitable mechanism such as an adhesive so that the sensors  14  cannot be removed without damaging the package  12  itself. The smart package  10  may also include a power source (not shown) such as a small flat battery to supply power for a longer period of time to a light emitter (not shown) and to the sensor  14 . In one embodiment, the sensor  14  may signal contamination (and its levels) via wireless or other communication mechanism with a user computing device (not shown) such as computer, smart phone, tablet, or the like, having a software application that receives and processes the signal. It should be appreciated that the smart package  10  allows for Bluetooth or Near Field Communication to allow the user computing device to pick up data from the sensor  14 . 
     Accordingly, a method of making the smart dish  10  and the smart package  10  of the present invention includes making the smart dish  10  or the smart package  10  according to the construction of either  FIGS. 1-3  or  FIGS. 5-7 . 
     The present invention has been described in an illustrative manner. It is to be understood that the terminology, which has been used, is intended to be in the nature of words of description rather than of limitation. 
     Many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. Therefore, the present invention may be practiced other than as specifically described.