Timer Transfer System and Method for a Food Preservation Device

Abstract

A system for storing food at a predetermined temperature, the system comprising: a food receiving and storing cabinet; a first storage box in the storage cabinet for receiving a tray; a temperature control device in thermal communication with the tray; and a controller that transfers a selected timer by touching a user interface of the storage cabinet and thereby designating the selected timer to be transferred as associated with the first storage box.

Description

[0001] Background of the Disclosure Technical Field

[0002] The present disclosure relates to an apparatus for preserving food at a desired temperature while the food awaits being served to a customer. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to an apparatus and related method for allowing an operator to transfer a working preservation timer in a networked system of a hot food preservation cabinet. Background Art

[0003] One of the primary challenges in the commercial food service industry is to provide high-quality food at an expected service speed. One way to provide high-quality food at the speed expected by customers is to cook the food before it is ordered and then preserve the food in a hot holding cabinet. A variety of techniques can be utilized to preserve such food, ranging from basic hot shelves to infrared lamps and convective airflows. The hot holding cabinet maintains the quality of the food, thus allowing high-quality food to be served at the pace expected by customers.

[0004] These hot holding cabinets typically have a timer that indicates to the user when the food has been stored too long and fails to meet quality standards and should be discarded. Plates of food are typically moved from cabinet to cabinet or from one slot to another within the same holding cabinet. There are expensive methods of automatically sensing where these plates are and automatically moving the timer. There are also inexpensive methods, but they require many button presses, press-and-hold mechanisms, and other complex and time-consuming methods to transfer the plate timer between plate slots.

[0005] Accordingly, there is a need to address these drawbacks of currently available systems. Summary of the Invention

[0006] A system for storing food at a predetermined temperature is provided, the system comprising: a food receiving holding cabinet; a first storage bin in the holding cabinet for receiving a tray; a temperature control device in thermal communication with the tray; and a controller that transfers a selected timer by touching a user interface of the holding cabinet and thereby designating the selected timer to be transferred as associated with the first storage bin.

[0007] A method for a system for storing food at a predetermined temperature is also provided, the method comprising: providing a food receiving holding cabinet, a storage bin in the food receiving holding cabinet for receiving a tray, and a temperature control device in thermal communication with the tray; and transferring a selected timer by touching the receiving holding cabinet and thereby designating the selected timer to be transferred as associated with the storage bin. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0008] Figure 1A is a top front perspective view of a cabinet having the system and method for timer transfer of the present disclosure.

[0009] Figure 1B is a top front perspective view of an alternative cabinet having the system and method for timer transfer of the present disclosure.

[0010] Figure 2 is a side perspective view of the cabinet of FIG. 1, with a portion removed and a bracket positioned within the cabinet.

[0011] Figure 3A and Figure 3B is at Figure 1A , Figure 1B and Figure 2 is a side view of a bracket used in the cabinet of

[0012] Figure 4A is a top front perspective view of a first storage cabinet and a second storage cabinet having the system and method for timer transfer of the present disclosure, wherein the first storage cabinet holds two brackets.

[0013] Figure 4B is a schematic diagram of the first storage cabinet and the second storage cabinet communicating with each other.

[0014] Figure 5 is a screenshot of the interface of the first storage cabinet, which illustrates the system and method for timer transfer.

[0015] Figure 6 is a screenshot of the interface of the second storage cabinet, which illustrates the system and method for timer transfer.

[0016] Figure 7A is Figure 4A top front perspective view of the first storage cabinet and the second storage cabinet of , wherein the first storage cabinet holds two brackets and the second storage cabinet holds one bracket.

[0017] Figure 7B is a screenshot of the interface of the first storage cabinet, which illustrates the system and method for timer transfer.

[0018] Figure 8 is a screenshot of the interface of the second storage cabinet, which illustrates the system and method for timer transfer.

[0019] Figure 9A is Figure 4A top front perspective view of the first storage cabinet and the second storage cabinet of , wherein the first storage cabinet holds one bracket and the second storage cabinet holds two brackets.

[0020] Figure 9B is a screenshot of the interface of the first storage cabinet, which illustrates the system and method for timer transfer.

[0021] Figure 10A screenshot of the interface of the second storage cabinet, which illustrates a system and method for timer transfer.

[0022] Figure 11 A screenshot of the interface of the first storage cabinet, which illustrates a system and method for timer transfer.

[0023] Figure 12 A screenshot of the interface of the second storage cabinet, which illustrates a system and method for timer transfer.

[0024] Figure 13 A screenshot of the interface of the first storage cabinet, which illustrates a system and method for timer transfer.

[0025] Figure 14 A screenshot of the interface of the second storage cabinet, which illustrates a system and method for timer transfer.

[0026] Figure 15 A flowchart showing the processing steps of a controller of a system and method for timer transfer of a product.

[0027] Figure 16 A block diagram of a computer system according to the present disclosure. Detailed Description

[0028] Referring to Figure 1A , a cabinet 10 of the present disclosure is shown. The cabinet 10 is a hot food storage cabinet in a network-connected system of hot food storage cabinets. The network-connected system of hot food storage cabinets includes the cabinet 10 and one or more other hot food storage cabinets that are the same as or similar to the cabinet 10. A user can transfer a working storage timer from a sending hot food storage cabinet to a receiving hot food storage cabinet in the network-connected system of hot food storage cabinets. The receiving hot food storage cabinet can be the cabinet 10. The user transfers the timer from the sending hot food storage cabinet to the cabinet 10 when a tray 14 ( Figure 2 ) associated with the timer is transferred from the sending hot food storage cabinet to the cabinet 10. To transfer the timer, the user only needs to interact with the receiving hot food storage cabinet, i.e., the cabinet 10. Existing hot food storage cabinets always require the user to interact with the sending hot food storage cabinet and the receiving hot food storage cabinet by the user performing the following operations: touching a button on the sending hot food storage cabinet, then touching a button on the sending hot food storage cabinet to select the food to be sent, then touching a button on the receiving hot food storage cabinet, and then touching a button on the receiving hot food storage cabinet to confirm where the tray will be received, for a total of 4 touches.

[0029] The cabinet 10 of the present disclosure does not require any transfer buttons from a hot food holding cabinet. Due to the touch screen technology of the user interface 102 of the cabinet 10 and the ability to sense multiple points, the process of the present disclosure eliminates the concept of transfer buttons and instead utilizes a more convenient "two - finger touch" to touch only one button with two fingers rather than touching two buttons in series. The process of the cabinet 10 of the present disclosure is fast, easy, and intuitive. All that is required is to grab a carrier, transport the carrier to another cabinet (or another bin 12 in the same cabinet 10), place the carrier in position, touch the user interface 102 with two fingers, and select the desired timer. Thus, the process of the cabinet 10 of the present disclosure is to touch the touch screen of the user interface 102 twice, which is much faster and more intuitive than the previously described method that requires the following four buttons: (1) a button for the transfer button, (2) a button to indicate what is to be transferred, (3) a button for the receiving transfer button, and (4) a button to indicate where the transferred product is to be placed.

[0030] Referring Figure 1A 、 Figure 2 、 Figure 3A and Figure 3B and particularly referring Figure 2 , the cabinet 10 has a plurality of carrier storage bins 12. Each of the carrier bins 12 can receive one or more carriers 14, where the carrier 14 holds one or more food items (not shown). As Figure 3A and Figure 3B shown, the carrier 14 can be of a shallow profile with relatively long sides ( Figure 3A ) or can be of a deep profile with shorter sides ( Figure 3B ). The suitable type of carrier 14 will depend on the food items to be stored in the carrier 14.

[0031] In the illustrated embodiment, the cabinet 10 is a cabinet with ten bins 12, arranged in a two - wide, five - row configuration, where two - wide refers to a specific industrial standard tray. Each bin 12 can have space for one or two carriers 14. For example, in the embodiment shown in Figure 1A , the top bins 12 each receive larger carriers 14, but the bins further down store narrower carriers 14. The present disclosure contemplates cabinets with any number of bins from one bin 12 to one or more bins. In one embodiment, there are up to and equal to twenty bins 12. In any of these embodiments, the bin 12 can accommodate multiple carriers 14. The cabinet can be sized to fit different needs in different areas of a restaurant. For example, in a service area near the front of the facility, a smaller cabinet with, for example, four bins 12 may be appropriate. At the back of the facility, a larger cabinet with up to 20 bins may be appropriate. Figure 1BAn alternative cabinet 10a is shown, which is identical to cabinet 10 except that it is smaller in size than cabinet 10, and thus, the same reference numerals are used for the same features.

[0032] Returning to Figure 2 , each bin 12 has associated temperature control means such as a heater 20a. The heater 20 can be any of a number of suitable devices for providing heat to the bin 12 and the tray 14. The heater 20 can be inductive, conductive (e.g., a heating plate), convective (e.g., a hot air stream), radiative (e.g., a heating lamp, a calorimeter rod), or any combination thereof. The heater 20 is regulated by a temperature sensor or a software algorithm, both of which are linked to a processor 108a ( Figure 4B ) to achieve the desired temperature, as described above. Although the present disclosure is primarily directed to maintaining the tray 14 at an elevated temperature within the bin 12, the devices and methods of the present disclosure can be used to maintain the tray 14 at ambient temperature or can also be used to cool the tray 14. Additionally, for simplicity, the term "bin" is used to describe a fully enclosed or semi-enclosed location or area capable of storing and preserving one or more trays.

[0033] Cabinet 10 has a user interface 102. The user interface 102 is a touch screen known in the art. An example of a touch screen for the user interface 102 is, for example, a glass front projection capacitive touch screen display manufactured by Three Five Corp, but the user interface 102 can be manufactured by many other companies. Cabinet 10 has two user interfaces 102, and cabinet 10a has one user interface 102; however, more than two user interfaces 102 can be used. Cabinet 10 can be modified to have one user interface 102 on the front 30 and one user interface 102 on the rear 32 such that the touch screen of the user interface 102 can be used as a mirror from front to back and the user can obtain food from both sides to make a sandwich. Cabinet 10 can be modified to be a very large cabinet: the cabinet has two user interfaces 102 on its front, the cabinet has 20 trays and 20 timers for each tray, and these 20 timers would be extremely difficult to read on a small screen. The transfer of one of the trays 14 can be carried out within a single cabinet - if it is desired to move something from the bottom bin 12 to the top bin 12, but more commonly, the transfer of one of the trays 14 can be carried out between individual cabinets such as a stock cabinet and a sandwich-making cabinet.

[0034] Referring to Figure 4A, showing a first storage cabinet 400 and a second storage cabinet 402. The first storage cabinet 400 and the second storage cabinet 402 are identical to the storage cabinet 10 except that the first storage cabinet 400 and the second storage cabinet 402 have seven compartments instead of ten compartments, and thus, the same reference numerals are used for the same features.

[0035] Referring to Figure 4B , schematically showing a first storage cabinet 400 and a second storage cabinet 402 that communicate with each other. Each user interface 102 communicates with an interface controller 105, and the interface controller 105 has one or more user interface control boards 106. The user interface control board 106 has a processor 106a and a memory 106b. The x-y coordinates of a touch, such as a touch by a user's finger, are sensed on an interface surface 103 of a touch screen of the user interface 102, such as a glass surface, using projected capacitance technology. If the touch is released, the touch is sensed by the touch screen of the user interface 102 as a tap, or in other words, just a press. The detection of the x-y coordinates of the touch sensed by the touch screen of the user interface 102 is sent to the interface processor 106a in real time. The touch screen of the user interface 102 can sense multiple touches, such as more than one touch that simultaneously touches the touch screen of the user interface 102. The detection of the x-y coordinates of each touch sensed by the touch screen of the user interface 102 is sent to the interface processor 106a in real time.

[0036] The heater 20 is in electrical communication with the temperature control controller 107. The temperature control controller 107 has a temperature control board 108. The temperature control board 108 has a temperature control processor 108a and a temperature control memory 108b. The temperature control controller 107 controls the state (on / off) as needed and optionally controls the amount of power supplied to the heater 20 to keep any food in the cradle 14 warm. The temperature control processor 108a monitors and controls the temperature of each compartment 12 using the heater 20. A temperature set point can be sent from the interface processor 106a, and additional heater on-times or reduced power or reduced heater on-times can be supplied to the heater 20 as needed. Optionally, the temperature value of the heated surface 20 can be reported back from the temperature control processor 108a to the interface processor 106a. The temperature can also be managed by a simple algorithm that adjusts the percentage of time the heater is on and off relative to what temperature set point is set in the control. Thus, in this embodiment, the interface processor 106a in the first storage cabinet 400 can be an aggregator of data collected by other processors including the temperature control processor 108a in the first storage cabinet 400. The interface processor 106a in the second storage cabinet 402 can be an aggregator of data collected by other processors including the temperature control processor 108a in the second storage cabinet 402. The interface controller 105, the temperature control controller 107, and the heater 20 in the first storage cabinet 400 are all in electrical communication with each other. The interface controller 105, the temperature control controller 107, and the heater 20 in the second storage cabinet 402 are all in electrical communication with each other.

[0037] When multiple cabinets 10 are in the same location, the cabinets 10 can be connected to each other to allow information communication between individual cabinets 10 in the network and the cabinets 10 can be connected to the Internet, the cabinets 10 being, for example, the first storage cabinet 400 and the second storage cabinet 402. Refer to Figure 4B, the first storage cabinet 400 and the second storage cabinet 402 need to be connected in an electronic communication manner respectively. This can be carried out through a wired connection, such as Ethernet or I²C (I-squared-C) communication, or can be carried out on any form of wireless connection, such as 802.11n Wi-Fi or TCP-IP. The first storage cabinet 400 and the second storage cabinet 402 use this communication to share information about what is stored, in which device, in which location, and what timing information is available. The first storage cabinet 400 transfers data to the second storage cabinet 402 as shown by arrow 404, and the second storage cabinet 402 transfers data to the first storage cabinet 400 as shown by arrow 406 through wireless communication (i.e., Wi-Fi on 802.11a / b / g / n) or through wired communication. The first storage cabinet 400 and the second storage cabinet 402 communicate through wireless communication, for example, using a USB Wi-Fi dongle or Wi-Fi embedded in the control board. In particular, each cabinet 10 can have one or more user interfaces 102. The user interface 102 has a touch screen, and then the touch screen communicates with the user interface control board 106, which holds the on-board processor 106a and the memory 106b. Each user interface 102 has a touch screen and a user interface control board 106. The user interface control boards 106 can communicate with each other through wired communication or wireless communication. The user interface control boards 106 can also communicate with other devices in the system respectively - including the temperature control board 108, the speaker, and in this case, also including the USB Wi-Fi dongle for wireless communication. Alternatively, the user interface 102 can have on-board Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or other communication, but in Figure 4B the system shown, the user interfaces 102 communicate with each other. In addition, when the user interfaces 102 are the main UI units, they can communicate with the temperature control board 108 and the USB Wi-Fi communication devices (not shown) respectively. Each USB Wi-Fi communication device then communicates with other cabinets 10 within the network, thus allowing the cabinets 10 to communicate with each other.

[0038] Referring to Figure 5 , the user interface 102 of the first storage cabinet 400 displays on the touch screen a screen that is divided into discrete parts 502, 504, 506, 508, 510, 512, 514. The touch screen of the first storage cabinet 400 has seven parts, such that each of these parts 502, 504, 506, 508, 510, 512, 514 displays information related to one of the seven carriage boxes 12. Returning to the reference Figure 4A, the bin 408, which is one of the bins in bin 12, is associated with part 502. The bin 410, which is one of the bins in bin 12, is associated with part 504. The bin 412, which is one of the bins in bin 12, is associated with part 506. The bin 414, which is one of the bins in bin 12, is associated with part 508. The bin 416, which is one of the bins in bin 12, is associated with part 510. The bin 418, which is one of the bins in bin 12, is associated with part 512. The bin 420, which is one of the bins in bin 12, is associated with part 514. Parts 502, 504, 508, 510, 512, 514 are shown as having seven parts for seven corresponding bins 12; however, the first storage cabinet 400 may have more or fewer parts and bins for cabinets of different sizes. The tiled screen of the touch screen of the user interface 102 may be a screen option, such as the home screen.

[0039] Parts 502, 504, 506, 508, and 514 respectively show the displayed food timer buttons 522. Each displayed food timer button 522 includes a product identifier 524 and a status identifier 526. The product identifier 524 is, for example, a product name, abbreviation, other identification symbol, or a combination thereof. The status identifier 526 is, for example, "Ready" to indicate that the corresponding displayed food timer button 522 can be pressed to enable the timer. Each of parts 502, 504, 506, 508, and 514 has an indicator, such as light gray, to indicate the ready state or idle state in which the timer has not been enabled. The parts 502, 504, 506, 508, and 514 in the ready state can be selected by tapping, for example, by touching the surface 103 within one of the parts 502, 504, 506, 508, and 514 of the first storage cabinet 400 with the user's finger. The detection of the x-y coordinates of the touch sensed by the touch screen of the user interface 102 is sent to the interface processor 106a of the first storage cabinet 400 by tapping, and the interface processor 106a determines, for example, the position of the tap within one of the parts 502, 504, 506, 508, and 514. When parts 502, 504, 506, 508, and 514 are tapped, the timer will start similar to parts 510 and 512 described herein.

[0040] Portion 510 displays product identifier 524 and first timer 528, and portion 512 displays product identifier 524 and second timer 530. After the user's finger taps on surface 103 within portion 510, user interface 102 displays first indicator 532 on the touch screen, such as a change in the color of portion 510, such as green, which indicates that portion 510 has been selected by the finger tap, and user interface 102 of first storage cabinet 400 displays the digits of first timer 528 on the touch screen within portion 510. The finger is one finger that produces the tap such that the x-y coordinates of the tap are sensed on interface surface 103 of the touch screen of user interface 102 of first storage cabinet 400. Detection of the x-y coordinates of the tap sensed by the touch screen of user interface 102 is sent to interface processor 106a of first storage cabinet 400. First indicator 532 indicates the time of first timer 528, for example, by the color of first indicator 532 changing from right to left to color 534 as the time of first timer 528 elapses. For example, the color of first indicator 532 covers all of portion 510 at the start of the timer and its size decreases until first timer 528 expires and first indicator 532 is no longer displayed within portion 510.

[0041] After the user's finger taps on surface 103 within portion 512, user interface 102 displays second indicator 536 on the touch screen, such as a change in the color of portion 512, such as green, which indicates that portion 512 has been selected by the finger tap, and user interface 102 displays the digits of second timer 530 on the touch screen within portion 512. The finger is one finger that produces the tap such that the x-y coordinates of the tap are sensed on interface surface 103 of the touch screen of user interface 102 of first storage cabinet 400. Detection of the x-y coordinates of the tap sensed by the touch screen of user interface 102 is sent to interface processor 106a of first storage cabinet 400. Second indicator 536 indicates the time of second timer 530, for example, by the color of second indicator 536 changing from right to left to color 538 as the time of second timer 530 elapses. For example, the color of second indicator 536 covers all of portion 512 at the start of the timer and its size decreases until second timer 530 expires and second indicator 536 is no longer displayed within portion 512.

[0042] The first indicator 532 can be different from the second indicator 536 to indicate which timer is the earliest for the same product identifier 524. For example, the first indicator 532 can be yellow, while the second indicator 536 can be white, to indicate to the user that the food in the tray 14 corresponding to the portion 510 should be used before the food in the tray 14 corresponding to the second portion 512. The user taps on the surface 103 within the portion 510 when the first timer 528 is displayed in the timer button, causing the user interface 102 to display a timer reset option. The timer reset option includes a first option to confirm the reset to deactivate the first timer 528, and after the first timer 528 is deactivated, the user interface 102 of the first storage cabinet 400 displays the displayed food timer button 522 in the portion 510. The timer reset option includes a second option to cancel and keep the first timer 528 running. The user taps on the surface 103 within the portion 512 when the second timer 530 is displayed in the timer button, causing the user interface 102 to display a timer reset option. The timer reset option includes a first option to confirm the reset to deactivate the second timer 530, and after the second timer 530 is deactivated, the user interface 102 of the second storage cabinet 402 displays the displayed food timer button 522 in the portion 512. The timer reset option includes a second option to cancel and keep the second timer 530 running. Thus, the first cabinet has two working storage timers, namely, the first timer 528 and the second timer 530.

[0043] As Figure 4A shown, the tray 436 is located in the box 416. The tray 438 is located in the box 418. The trays 436 and 438 are respectively one of the trays 14 containing food, such as biscuits. The user's finger should tap on the surface 103 within the portion 510 when the tray 436 is initially placed in the box 416. The first timer 528 indicates the time before the food in the tray 436 becomes too old to meet the quality standard and should be discarded. The user's finger should tap on the surface 103 within the portion 512 when the tray 438 is initially placed in the box 418. The second timer 530 indicates the time before the food in the tray 438 becomes too old to meet the quality standard and should be discarded.

[0044] Referring Figure 6, the user interface 102 of the second storage cabinet 402 displays a screen divided into discrete portions 602, 604, 606, 608, 610, 612, 614 on a touch screen. The touch screen of the second storage cabinet 402 has seven portions such that each of these portions 602, 604, 606, 608, 610, 612, 614 displays information related to one of the seven carriage boxes 12. The box 422, which is one of the boxes 12, is associated with the portion 602. The box 424, which is one of the boxes 12, is associated with the portion 604. The box 426, which is one of the boxes 12, is associated with the portion 606. The box 428, which is one of the boxes 12, is associated with the portion 608. The box 430, which is one of the boxes 12, is associated with the portion 610. The box 432, which is one of the boxes 12, is associated with the portion 612. The box 434, which is one of the boxes 12, is associated with the portion 614. The portions 602, 604, 606, 608, 610, 612, 614 are shown as having seven portions for the seven corresponding boxes 12; however, the second storage cabinet 400 may have more or fewer portions and boxes for cabinets of different sizes. Thus, Figure 5 the first storage cabinet 400 shown in Figure 6 and the second storage cabinet 402 shown in

[0045] Sections 602, 604, 606, 608, 610, 612, 614 respectively display the displayed food timer buttons 622. Each displayed food timer button 622 includes a product identifier 624 and a status identifier 626. The product identifier 624 is, for example, a product name, abbreviation, other identification symbol, or a combination thereof. The status identifier 626 is, for example, "Ready" to indicate that the corresponding displayed food timer button 622 can be pressed to enable the timer. Each of the sections 602, 604, 606, 608, 610, 612, 614 has an indicator, such as light gray, to indicate the ready state or idle state in which the timer has not been enabled. The sections 602, 604, 606, 608, 610, 612, 614 in the ready state can be selected by tapping, for example, by a user's finger touching the surface 103 within one of the sections 602, 604, 606, 608, 610, 612, 614. The detection of the x-y coordinates of the touch sensed by the touch screen of the user interface 102 of the second storage cabinet 402 is sent to the interface processor 106a of the second storage cabinet 402 by tapping, and the interface processor 106a determines, for example, the position of the tap within one of the sections 602, 604, 606, 608, 610, 612, 614. When one of the sections 602, 604, 606, 608, 610, 612, 614 is tapped, the timer will be started similar to sections 510 and 512 described herein.

[0046] Referring to Figure 7A , the user can place the carriage 440 in the box 430. The carriage 440 is one of the carriages 14. Referring to Figure 8, when the tray 440 is placed in the box 430, the user should then tap the surface 103 within the portion 610 of the second storage cabinet 402 using a single finger 800. When the single finger 800 taps the surface 103 within the portion 610 of the second storage cabinet 402, the user interface 102 displays a third indicator 632 on the touch screen, such as a change in the color of the portion 610, such as green, which indicates that the portion 610 has been selected by the tap of the single finger 800, and the user interface 102 of the second storage cabinet 402 displays the digits of a third timer 628 on the touch screen within the portion 610 instead of the status identifier 626. The single finger 800 is the one finger that produces the tap such that the x-y coordinates of the tap are sensed on the interface surface 103 of the touch screen of the second user interface 102. The detection of the x-y coordinates of the tap sensed by the touch screen of the user interface 102 is sent to the interface processor 106a of the second storage cabinet 402. The third indicator 632 indicates the time of the third timer 628, for example, by the color of the third indicator 632 changing from right to left over time with the third timer 628 to the color 634. For example, the color of the third indicator 632 covers the entire portion 610 at the start of the timer and the size decreases until the third timer 628 expires and the third indicator 632 is no longer displayed within the portion 610. The third timer 628 indicates the time before the food in the tray 440 becomes too old to meet the quality standard and should be discarded. Thus, Figure 7B the first storage cabinet 400 shown in Figure 8 and the second storage cabinet 402 shown in

[0047] Refer to Figure 9A , the user can remove the tray 436 from the box 416 of the first storage cabinet 400 and place the tray 436 in the box 428 of the second storage cabinet 402. When the tray 436 is placed in the box 428 of the second storage cabinet 402, refer to Figure 10 , the user should simultaneously tap the surface 103 within the portion 608 of the second storage cabinet 402 using multiple fingers 1000, 1002. When the multiple fingers 1000, 1002 simultaneously tap the surface 103 within the portion 608 of the second storage cabinet 402, the user interface 102 displays a list 1004 on the touch screen of the user interface 102. These fingers are more than one finger that produces the tap, as Figure 10As shown, multiple fingers 1000, 1002 are two fingers such that the x-y coordinates of each of two taps are sensed on the interface surface 103 of the touch screen of the user interface 102 of the second storage cabinet 402. The detection of the x-y coordinates of the taps by the multiple fingers 1000, 1002 sensed by the touch screen of the user interface 102 is sent to the interface processor 106a of the second storage cabinet 402. The user interface 102 of the second storage cabinet 402 also displays a fourth indicator 1007 on the touch screen, such as a change in the color of part 608, such as white, which indicates that part 608 has been selected by multiple taps of the multiple fingers 1000, 1002.

[0048] The data required to generate inventory 1004 can be continuously communicated between the first storage cabinet 400 and the second storage cabinet 402 to prevent delays, or when multiple fingers 1000 tap on the surface 103 within part 608 of the second storage cabinet 402, a request for all information related to an allowable timer transfer can be sent to the network of the storage cabinets, in this case to the first storage cabinet 400. The first storage cabinet 400 and the second storage cabinet 402 communicate to share information about: (1) what is being held, e.g., as shown by product identifiers 524, 624, (2) in which device - i.e., the first storage cabinet 400 or the second storage cabinet 402, (3) at which location - i.e., the bins 408, 410, 412, 414, 416, 418, 420, 422, 424, 426, 428, 430, 432, 434 corresponding to the product identifiers 524, 526 in each of the parts 502, 504, 506, 508, 510, 512, 514, 602, 604, 606, 608, 610, 612, 614, and (4) what timing information - e.g., any working timer in each of the parts 502, 504, 506, 508, 510, 512, 514, 602, 604, 606, 608, 610, 612, 614 corresponding to the bins 408, 410, 412, 414, 416, 418, 420, 422, 424, 426, 428, 430, 432, 434 - is available. Alternatively, the data required to generate inventory 1004 can be continuously communicated between the first storage cabinet 400 and the second storage cabinet 402 via a server or cloud storage, or when multiple fingers 1000, 1002 tap on the surface 103 within part 608 of the second storage cabinet 402, a request for all information related to an allowable timer transfer can be sent from the second storage cabinet 402 to the server or cloud storage, where the data required to generate inventory 1004 can be continuously communicated between the first storage cabinet 400 and the server or cloud storage and between the second storage cabinet 402 and the server or cloud storage.

[0049] Listing 1004 shows one or more listing timer buttons 1006. The listing timer buttons 1006 are working timers that can be selected to transfer and display in section 608. The listing timer buttons 1006 respectively correspond to the working timers in the first storage cabinet 400 as shown in Figure 7B and the second storage cabinet 402 as shown in Figure 8 , that is, the first timer 528, the second timer 530, and the third timer 628. Specific settings for determining whether the working timers, that is, the first timer 528, the second timer 530, and the third timer 628, can allow transmission can be set in settings, for example, predetermined settings defined in the controller 105 through user input. Parameters for determining whether a product, such as a product in the carrier 436, is suitable for transfer to one of the bins 408, 410, 412, 414, 416, 418, 420, 422, 424, 426, 428, 430 include, for example, the temperature of the bin, which is called the shelf temperature when covering the carrier 436 with any one of several types of lids, and the physical size of the carrier 436. The bins 408, 410, 412, 414, 416, 418, 420, 422, 424, 426, 428, 430, 432, 434 can each have more than one independently controlled heater. Therefore, the size of the carrier 436 determines how many heaters need to be controlled to heat the carrier 436 to the same temperature. For example, if the carrier 436 is a large plate of cookies, it can cover two or more heaters, and the two heaters will operate at the same temperature. Another example is that if the carrier 436 is a small plate of breakfast sausage, it can only cover one heater that will operate at a predetermined heating temperature, while one or more other heaters will be deactivated or enabled at a predetermined idle temperature.

[0050] The first listing timer button 1008 corresponds to the first timer 528. The first listing timer button 1008 displays the product identifier 524, the first timer 528, the first indicator 532, and the color 534. The second listing timer button 1010 displays the product identifier 524, the second timer 530, the second indicator 536, and the color 538. The third listing timer button 1012 displays the product identifier 624, the third timer 628, the second indicator 632, and the color 634 of the second indicator 632. Listing 1004 also shows the marker 1014. The marker 1014 that reads "Select Timer to Transfer: (Select the timer to transfer:)" includes instructions above the listing timer buttons 1006.

[0051] Although the touch screen of the user interface 102 of the second storage cabinet 402 displays the list 1004, as Figure 10 shown, the touch screen of the user interface 102 of the first storage cabinet 400 continues to display the first timer 528 in section 510 and the second timer 530 in section 512, as shown in FIG. 9. As in Figure 10 shown, although the touch screen of the user interface 102 of the second storage cabinet 402 displays the list 1004, the third timer 628 is simultaneously displayed in section 610.

[0052] Referring to Figure 12 , a single finger 1200 of the user taps the surface 103 within the first list timer button 1008 of the second storage cabinet 402. The single finger 1200 is one finger that generates the tap, such that the x-y coordinate system of the tap is sensed on the touch screen of the user interface 103 of the second storage cabinet 402. The direction of the x-y coordinate system of the tap sensed through the touch screen of the user interface 102 is sent to the interface processor 106a of the second storage cabinet 402. After the single finger 1200 of the user taps the surface 103 within the first list timer button 1008 of the second storage cabinet 402, the user interface 102 of the second storage cabinet 402 communicates with the user interface 102 of the first storage cabinet 400 to transfer the first timer 528 from the first storage cabinet 400 associated with the bin 416 to the first storage cabinet 416 that will be associated with the bin 428. Alternatively, the user interface 102 of the second storage cabinet 402 communicates with the user interface 102 of the first storage cabinet 400 through a server or cloud storage to transfer the first timer 528 from the first storage cabinet 400 associated with the bin 416 to the second storage cabinet 402 that will be associated with the bin 428. When the user first taps the surface 103 within the list timer button 1008 of the second storage cabinet 402, as Figure 11 shown, the touch screen of the user interface 102 of the first storage cabinet 400 continues to display the first timer 528 in the section.

[0053] Referring to Figure 14, after a user's single finger 1200 taps on the surface 103 of the second storage cabinet 402 within the first list timer button 1008, the list 1004 no longer appears on the touchscreen of the user interface 102 of the second storage cabinet 402, and the first timer 528 and the product identifier 524 that were displayed in section 510 on the touchscreen of the user interface 102 of the previous first storage cabinet 400 are transferred and displayed in section 608 on the touchscreen of the user interface 102 of the second storage cabinet 402. Thus, the first timer 528 associated with the bin 416 is transferred such that the first timer 528 is associated with the bin 428. In the case where the shelf temperature setting for the carriage 436 is different, when the first timer 528 is transferred, the temperature in the bin 428 will also change to the new setting. Therefore, the first timer 528 indicating the time before the food in the carriage 436 becomes too old to meet the quality standard and should be discarded can be moved with the carriage 436 to the second storage cabinet 402. When the first timer 528 and the product identifier 524 are transferred and displayed in section 608 on the touchscreen of the user interface 102 of the second storage cabinet 402, as Figure 13 shown, section 510 on the touchscreen of the user interface 102 of the first storage cabinet 400 displays the product identifier 524 and the status identifier 526. For example, "Ready" indicating the corresponding displayed food timer button 622 can be pressed by a single touch to enable a new timer or the timer can be transferred to section 510 by multiple touches.

[0054] When the first timer 528, the second timer 530, and the third timer 628 expire, an alarm indicating that the timer has expired is displayed in section 510, section 512, and section 608 respectively. The alarm can be displayed for a predetermined amount of time before being deactivated, or the user's tap can deactivate the alarm. After the alarm is deactivated, the product identifier 524 and the status identifier 526 indicating the idle state are displayed in the first timer 528 and the second timer 530, and the product identifier 624 and the status identifier 626 indicating the idle state are displayed in the third timer 628.

[0055] Alternatively, the second storage cabinet 402 is not in communication with the first storage cabinet 400 or any other storage cabinet. In this alternative, referring back to Figure 7A, the user can take out the tray 440 from the bin 430, and instead of placing the tray 436 in the bin 428, the user can place the tray 440 in the bin 428. Since in this alternative the second storage cabinet 402 is not in communication with any other storage cabinet, when the user simultaneously taps the inner surface 103 within the section 608 of the second storage cabinet 402 with multiple fingers 1000, 1002, the list 1004 will only display the third list timer button 1012 for the third timer 628. Then, the user can tap the surface 103 within the third list timer button 1012 of the second storage cabinet 402 with a single finger. The single finger 1200 is the finger that produces the tap such that the x-y coordinate system of the tap is sensed on the interface surface 103 of the touch screen of the user interface 102 of the second storage cabinet 402. The x-y coordinate system of the tap sensed by the touch screen of the user interface 102 is sent to the interface processor 106a of the second storage cabinet 402, and then, the list 1004 is no longer displayed on the touch screen of the user interface 102 of the second storage cabinet 402, and the third timer 628 and the product identifier 624 previously displayed in the section 610 are transferred and displayed in the section 608 of the touch screen of the user interface 102 of the second storage cabinet 402, whereby the third timer 628 associated with the bin 430 is transferred such that the third timer 628 is associated with the bin 428. Thus, the third timer 628 indicating the time before the food in the tray 440 becomes too old to meet the quality standards and should be discarded can be moved from the bin 430 to the bin 428 together with the tray 440. When the third timer 628 and the product identifier 624 are transferred and displayed in the section 608 of the touch screen of the user interface 102 of the second storage cabinet 402, the section 610 displays the product identifier 624 and the status identifier 626 indicating that the "Ready" of the corresponding displayed food timer button 622 can be pressed by a single touch to enable a new timer or the timer can be transferred to the section 610 by multiple touches.

[0056] Figure 16 is a block diagram of an embodiment of a user interface 1600 for use with the cabinet 10 of the present disclosure. The cabinet 10 may include at least one user interface 1600. The user interface 1600 includes a UI control board 1605 coupled to a network 1620 such as the Internet and a touch screen 1610.

[0057] The user interface 1600 includes a UI control board 1605 in communication with the touch screen 1610. The UI control board 1605 has a processor 1615 and a memory 1625 on board. The UI control board 1605 may be implemented on a general-purpose microcomputer. The UI control board 1605 may be coupled to other devices via the network 1620.

[0058] The processor 1615 is configured by logic circuitry that responds to and executes instructions.

[0059] The memory 1625 stores data and instructions for controlling the operation of the processor 1615. The memory 1625 can be implemented in a random access memory (RAM), a hard disk drive, a read-only memory (ROM), or a combination thereof. One of the components of the memory 1625 is the program module 1630.

[0060] The program module 1630 contains instructions for controlling the processor 1615 to execute the methods described herein. For example, as a result of the execution of the program module 1630, the processor 1615 executes the methods described herein, such as method 1500. The term "module" is used herein to denote the following functional operations: the functional operations can be embodied as independent components or as an integrated configuration of multiple subordinate components. Thus, the program module 1630 can be implemented as a single module or as multiple modules operating in cooperation with each other. In addition, although the program module 1630 is described herein as being installed in the memory 1625 and thus implemented in software, the program module 1630 can be implemented in any one of hardware (e.g., electronic circuitry), firmware, software, or a combination thereof.

[0061] The user interface 1600 includes input devices that enable a user to communicate information and command selections to the processor 1615, such as a touch screen 1610, a keyboard, or a voice recognition subsystem. The user interface 1600 includes respective output devices, such as a touch screen 1610, a display, or a printer. Cursor control elements such as a mouse, a trackball, or a joystick can also allow the user to manipulate the cursor on the display to communicate additional information and command selections to the processor 1615.

[0062] The processor 1615 outputs the results of the methods described herein to the touchscreen 1610. Alternatively, the processor 1615 may direct the output via the network 1620 to a remote device, such as a server / cloud storage 1640 and / or other cabinets 1636, 1637, and / or 1638. Such output to the touchscreen 1610 in the user interface 1600 or other user interfaces included in the cabinets 1636, 1637, and / or 1638 may be timers 1 through n related to a particular cradle disposed in the respective cabinet, where the respective timers 1 through n may be moved from one interface in the same cabinet or other cabinets to another interface. The user interface 1600 or other user interfaces included in the cabinets 1636, 1637, and / or 1638 may communicate with each other via wired or wireless communication. They may also each communicate with other connected devices connected to the system - including a heater control board, a speaker, and in such cases, also including a USB Wi-Fi dongle for wireless communication. Alternatively, the user interface 1600 may have on-board Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or other communication devices or means, but in the illustrated case, the user interface 1600 or other user interfaces included in the cabinets 1636, 1637, and / or 1638 talk to each other and are each a primary UI capable of talking to at least one heater control board and a USB WiFi communication device. Additionally, the USB WiFi device communicates with other cabinets connected to the network, and this is how the cabinets 10 in the network communicate with each other.

[0063] Although the program module 1630 is indicated as having been loaded into the memory 1625, the program module 1630 may be configured on the storage medium 1635 for subsequent loading into the memory 1625. The storage medium 1635 may be any conventional storage medium on which the program module 1630 is stored in a tangible form. Examples of the storage medium 1635 include a floppy disk, an optical disk, a magnetic tape, a read-only memory, an optical storage medium, a universal serial bus (USB) flash drive, a digital versatile disk, or a zip drive. Alternatively, the storage medium 1635 may be a random access memory or other type of electronic memory located on a remote storage system, such as in a server or cloud storage 1640 and coupled to the UI control board 1605 via the network 1620.

[0064] Refer to Figure 15, shows a method 1500 that can be used with at least one storage cabinet, such as a first storage cabinet 400 and a second storage cabinet 402. Method 1500 starts at step 1502 and proceeds to step 1504. In step 1504, a displayed food timer button, such as a displayed food timer button 622 in section 608, is shown in a first section of a first user interface, such as a user interface 102 of the second storage cabinet 402. The first user interface is located on the first storage cabinet having a first storage bin, such as bin 428, for receiving a tray. Method 1500 proceeds from step 1504 to step 1506. In step 1506, it is determined whether a touch has been detected in the first section, such as section 608. If no touch is detected in the first section, method 1500 repeats step 1504. If a touch is detected in the first section, method 1500 proceeds from step 1506 to step 1508. In step 1508, it is determined whether a single touch has been detected in the first section, such as section 608. If it is determined that a single touch has been detected in the first section, method 1500 proceeds from step 1508 to step 1509. In step 1509, it is determined whether a timer associated with the first section has been running. If the timer has not been running, method 1500 proceeds to step 1510. In step 1510, the first timer is enabled and then the first timer is shown in the first section. Method 1500 proceeds from step 1510 to step 1512. In step 1512, method 1500 ends. If the timer has been running, method 1500 proceeds to step 1511. In step 1511, a timer reset option is shown in the user interface 102. The timer reset option includes options to confirm reset or cancel to keep the timer running. Method 1500 proceeds from step 1511 to step 1512. In step 1512, method 1500 ends.

[0065] If it is determined that no single touch is detected in the first segment, e.g., segment 608, method 1500 proceeds from step 1508 to step 1514. In step 1514, it is determined whether multiple touches have been detected simultaneously in the first segment. If multiple touches are not detected simultaneously in the first segment, method 1500 repeats step 1504. If multiple touches are detected simultaneously in the first segment, method 1500 proceeds from step 1514 to step 1516. In step 1516, it is determined if at least a second timer, e.g., first timer 528, with a predetermined setting has been enabled and is displayed in a second segment of a second user interface, e.g., segment 510, on the first user interface or in a second cabinet or any other cabinet electrically connected to the first cabinet. If at least the second timer with the predetermined setting has not been enabled and is not displayed in the second segment of the second user interface on the first user interface or the second cabinet, method 1500 proceeds to step 1509 as described above. If at least a second timer, e.g., first timer 528, with a predetermined setting has been enabled and is displayed in a second segment, e.g., segment 510, of the second user interface on the first user interface or the second cabinet, then the method 1500 proceeds from step 1516 to step 1518. In step 1518, a list, e.g., list 1004, is displayed with at least a second timer, e.g., first timer 528, that has been enabled, and the second timer is displayed in the list as a second timer button, e.g., first list timer button 1008. The method proceeds from step 1518 to step 1520. In step 1520, it is determined whether a touch has been detected in at least the second timer button, e.g., first list timer button 1008. If no touch is detected in at least the second timer button, method 1500 repeats step 1518. If a touch is detected in at least the second timer button, e.g., first list timer button 1008, method 1500 proceeds from step 1520 to step 1522. In step 1522, the second timer, e.g., first timer 528, is transferred to the first user interface and is displayed in the first segment, e.g., segment 608, of the first user interface, and the second user interface no longer displays the second timer. Method 1500 proceeds from step 1522 to step 1512. In step 1512, method 1500 ends.

[0066] Method 1500 is repeated for each displayed food timer button 522, 622 while operating at least one of two storage cabinets in the storage cabinet, e.g., first storage cabinet 400 and second storage cabinet 402.

[0067] The present disclosure is the simplest known method for completing carriage transfer due to the use of a multi-touch screen. This simple and unique method has a setup including multiple storage cabinets, each of which is electrically connected to a communication network. Each storage cabinet has a working countdown timer associated with a carriage, tray, or container for food. The touch screen forms controls on the storage locker, where the touch screen is divided into a table grid with cells, and the table grid represents the timers for holding trays or containers of food in the cells.

[0068] It is generally desired to move a carriage of food from one location to another. This can be within the same storage cabinet or from one storage cabinet to another. Since the control device is very basic, all other transfer methods require pressing on both the sending storage cabinet and the receiving storage cabinet. Usually, this may also require scrolling or selecting a product. An example of this novel and unique transfer concept is to take a tray of food that has been stored in one cabinet and move the tray of food to another cabinet as described herein. The user can touch the timer position on the receiving holding touch screen where the user wants to place this tray with multiple fingers, such as two fingers or three fingers, and then a list of timers allowing the transfer will be displayed. The user selects the timer they want to move from the displayed list, and then the timer will be moved to the new position. The operator never needs to touch the sending storage cabinet. Compared with other transfer methods, this is a major advancement in terms of simplification. The transfer can occur by simply touching the touch screen and selecting the desired timer.

[0069] For this method to work, the storage cabinets need to be connected in an electronic communication manner. This can be done through a wired connection, such as Ethernet or i-squared-c communication, or it can also be done through any form of wireless connection, such as 802.11n wifi or tcp-ip. These units use this communication to share information about what is stored, information about the devices, information about the location, and information about the available timing information.

[0070] Using a touch screen with multi-touch point sensing can allow a basic simple touch with one finger to represent one type of action, while using multi-touch means other types of actions. A common example is touching a payphone screen to press a button or select an item, but using two fingers to touch and pinch to zoom in or out on a picture. However, in the present disclosure, generally a simple single finger press is used to start or stop the timer at a given position. When the unit software senses two fingers touching the same area, it will know that this represents an incoming timer transfer. Note that for this method, the sending cabinet does not require manual intervention. When touches from multiple fingers are sensed, a list of allowable timers will be displayed.

[0071] Permissible timers can be defined by the operator in a variety of ways. These permissible timers can be accomplished in the settings. For example, the operator can limit the available transfers to only transfers of exactly the same food type identified, for example, by product identifiers 524, 624. For example, the touch of two fingers in the area where chicken feet are stored will only show the working chicken foot timer. However, it can also be set to allow any food with the same shelf temperature or other criteria. Finally, there will be no filtering, which will allow all timers to be transferred to that location. In the case where the shelf temperature is different on the received food container, when transferring the timer, the shelf temperature will also change to the new setting. The touch of two fingers on a timer that does not have any permissible working timers will not simply show the list. When generating a list of permissible timers, the timer list comes from shared information across the communication network between the cabinets. This information can be shared continuously to prevent delays, or when multi-touch is enabled, requests can be sent over the network for all information on permissible transfers.

[0072] Accordingly, the invention has been described with particular reference to preferred forms of the disclosure, it will be apparent that various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A system for storing food at a predetermined temperature, the system comprising: A first food receiving and storage cabinet, the first food receiving and storage cabinet having a user interface; A first storage bin in the first food receiving and storage cabinet for receiving a tray, the user interface displaying a first displayed food timer button in a first portion associated with the first storage bin; A temperature control device in thermal communication with the tray; And A controller, when the first displayed food timer button is touched, at least a list of enabled timers is displayed, wherein the enabled timer displayed by the user interface is associated with a second storage bin in the first food receiving and storage cabinet or a second food receiving and storage cabinet, the enabled timer can be selected by touching the user interface such that the enabled timer is a selected timer, when the user interface of the first food receiving and storage cabinet is touched to select the selected timer, the controller transfers the selected timer, thereby designating the selected timer to be transferred as associated with the first storage bin, so that the user only needs to interact with the first food receiving and storage cabinet.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein, When the first displayed food timer button is touched by a single touch, a first timer is enabled and then the first timer is displayed in the first portion.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein, When the first displayed food timer button is touched by multiple simultaneous touches, then at least a list of the second timer that has been enabled as the enabled timer is displayed.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein, The second timer is displayed as a second timer button in the list, and wherein the user interface is touched at the second timer button to transfer the second timer as the selected timer to be displayed in the first portion.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein, The second timer is displayed by the user interface in a portion different from the first portion before transfer.

6. The system according to claim 4, wherein, The second timer is displayed by another user interface of a second food receiving and storage cabinet before transfer.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein, The user interface is a touch screen forming a plurality of portions including the first portion, and each of the plurality of portions displays a displayed food timer button, and wherein the first portion displays the first displayed food timer button.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein, The controller communicates with another controller associated with a second food receiving and storage cabinet.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein, The controller receives data from the second food receiving and storage cabinet, wherein the data is selected from the group consisting of: the identification of the stored item, the location of the stored item, the timing information associated with the stored item, and any combination thereof.

10. The system according to claim 3, wherein, The second timer is displayed as a second timer button in the list, and the second timer further includes another timer button, wherein the second timer is displayed by the user interface in a portion different from the first portion, and wherein the another timer button is associated with another timer displayed by another food receiving and storage cabinet.

11. A method for a system for storing food at a predetermined temperature, the method comprising: Provided is a food receiving and storage cabinet, a storage bin in the food receiving and storage cabinet for receiving a tray, and a temperature control device in thermal communication with the tray; Display a displayed food timer button on a first portion of a user interface on the food receiving and storage cabinet, which can be touched by a single touch or multiple simultaneous touches; Touch the displayed food timer button by a single touch to enable a first timer, and then the first timer is displayed in the first portion, or Touch the displayed food timer button by multiple simultaneous touches to display a list of at least a second timer that has been enabled, and touch the second timer on the user interface to select the second timer, Thereby designating the selected second timer to be transferred as associated with the storage bin, such that the user only needs to interact with the food receiving and storage cabinet.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein, Before transfer, the second timer is displayed by the user interface in a portion different from the first portion.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein, Before transfer, the second timer is displayed by another user interface of another food receiving and storage cabinet.

14. The method according to claim 11, wherein, The user interface is a touch screen forming a plurality of portions including the first portion, and each of the plurality of portions displays a displayed food timer button, and wherein the first portion displays a first displayed food timer button.

15. The method according to claim 11, the method further comprising communicating with another food receiving and storing cabinet and receiving data from the another food receiving and storing cabinet, wherein, The data is selected from the group consisting of: the identification of the stored item, the location of the stored item, the timing information associated with the stored item, and any combination thereof.

16. The method according to claim 11, wherein, The method further includes displaying the second timer as a second timer button in the list, and the method further includes displaying another timer button in the list, wherein the second timer is displayed by the user interface in a portion different from the first portion, and wherein the another timer button is associated with another timer displayed by another food receiving and storage cabinet.

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