Image-Based Food Disposal Time Management for Multiple Display Items

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Managing the disposal time of multiple fried foods displayed in a hot showcase is cumbersome for store employees, as they need to manually record the time of deep-frying and position changes, making it difficult to accurately determine when to stop selling the foods based on elapsed time.

Innovation Solution

A food disposal time management system that includes image acquisition, individual surface image management, time measurement, and notification units to track and notify when each food item's disposal time is reached, using cameras to capture images and analyze color components for determining the optimal disposal time.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If manual recording of deep-frying time and position for each fried food is implemented, then disposal time can be accurately determined, but employee burden increases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedisposal time determination accuracyVSAvoidemployee operation burden

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The fried food itself serves the identification function through its image characteristics. The image acquisition unit automatically captures images of fried foods in the display cabinet, and the individual surface image management unit generates identification information from these images without requiring employee intervention. The system performs self-identification and self-tracking of each fried food item.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The manual mechanical recording system is replaced with an automated image-based system. Instead of employees manually recording time and position information, the system uses image acquisition units to capture photos of fried foods, generates identification information from these images, and automatically tracks elapsed time and position changes.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Measurement precision

If detailed manual recording of position changes for each fried food is performed, then disposal time accuracy is maintained, but time consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveelapsed time measurement accuracyVSAvoidtime spent on manual recording

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The image acquisition unit continuously or periodically captures images of fried foods in the display cabinet. This continuous imaging allows the system to automatically detect position changes and calculate elapsed time without interruption, eliminating the need for employees to repeatedly record position information at specific intervals.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #20Continuity of useful action

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses feedback from image comparison to automatically detect when fried foods have moved. By comparing images taken at different times, the individual surface image management unit identifies position changes and updates the tracking information automatically, providing real-time feedback without employee intervention.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Quantity of substance

If multiple fried foods are displayed in the display cabinet, then product variety increases, but tracking complexity increases exponentially

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenumber of fried food itemsVSAvoidtracking system complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The tracking system divides the display cabinet into discrete tracking units, with each fried food item being individually identified and tracked through its unique image characteristics. The individual surface image management unit maintains separate identification information for each fried food, allowing independent tracking of multiple items without cross-contamination of data.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of physically tagging or marking each fried food item, the system creates digital copies (images) of each item and uses these image copies for identification and tracking. The image acquisition unit captures photos of fried foods, and these image copies serve as unique identifiers that can be stored and compared without adding physical complexity to the actual fried food items.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

Data Source

PatentUS20230334640A1Food disposal timing management device, food disposal timing management system, and food disposal timing management method

Publication Date: 2023.10.19 J OIL MILLS INC

AI summary

Provided is a food disposal time management device capable of managing a disposal time of a plurality of cooked foods being displayed in a display cabinet individually and easily. A fried food disposal time management device 4 for managing a disposal time of fried food X displayed in a hot showcase 1, comprising: an image acquisition unit 41 that acquires an image including images of a plurality of pieces of fried food X being displayed; an individual surface image management unit 42 that manages a surface image included in the image in association with identification information; a time measurement unit 43 that measures a time during which the surface image associated with the identification information is being included in the image; and a determination unit 45 that determines, for each of the plurality of pieces of fried food X, whether the measured time thereof has reached a reference time.