KR20200107236A - Apparatus and system for sensing of food condition, and method for sensing thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a food condition sensing device that can quickly and accurately deliver the condition of food stored in a low-temperature preservation device to a user, a system thereof, and a food condition sensing method thereof. The food condition sensing device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a communication unit for receiving the original food information of food being or to be stored; a sensor unit that senses the condition of the food and generates at least one condition information corresponding to the condition of the food; a memory for storing the sensed food condition information and the received original food information; a processor for calculating a food spoilage index based on the sensed food condition information and the received original food information; and a battery that supplies power to the sensor unit, the communication unit, the memory, and the processor under control of the processor, wherein the sensor unit includes a gas sensor that detects whether gas is generated or measures a concentration of the generated gas.

Description

Food condition monitoring device and its system and food condition monitoring method {APPARATUS AND SYSTEM FOR SENSING OF FOOD CONDITION, AND METHOD FOR SENSING THEREOF}

An embodiment of the present invention relates to a food condition monitoring device and a system thereof, in particular, a food condition monitoring device and system that can quickly and accurately transmit the condition of food stored in a low-temperature storage device such as a refrigerator to a user, and a food condition. It is about the monitoring method.

Food gradually deforms over time, and after a certain amount of time, spoilage begins. In order to slow down such deformation and spoilage, a low-temperature preservation device typically stores food in a refrigerator, but food stored in a refrigerator may also be deformed and spoiled, just like food at room temperature, as time delays slightly.

A refrigerator is a device for freezing or refrigerating items inside, and for food stored in the refrigerator or freezer of the refrigerator, the proper storage period (e.g., shelf life, etc.) varies depending on the type of food and the start of storage. There is a disadvantage in that it is not possible to check the appropriate storage period for each food stored in the refrigerator or to deliver it to the user. In particular, due to the spread of large-sized refrigerators, various foods are stored in refrigerators, but it is difficult for refrigerator users to remember the purchase date of the food stored in the refrigerator and the manufacturing date of the food. There may be cases in which you misjudge it as a normal food and eat it. In this case, there is a risk such as food poisoning due to incorrect intake of food, and therefore, a measure to prevent this risk is required.

An embodiment of the present invention senses the state information of food stored in a low-temperature storage device such as a refrigerator, calculates and outputs the spoilage index of the food through the sensed state information of the food, Its purpose is to provide a food condition monitoring device and its system and a food condition monitoring method that can quickly and accurately deliver the condition to users.

In order to achieve the above object, an apparatus for detecting food status according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a communication unit for receiving original food information of food during storage or scheduled storage; A sensor unit that senses the state of the food and generates at least one state information corresponding to the state of the food; A memory for storing the sensed state information of the food and original food information of the received food; A processor for calculating a spoilage index of the food based on the sensed state information of the food and the received original food information of the food; And a battery for supplying power to the sensor unit, a short-range communication module, a memory, and the processor according to the control of the processor, wherein the sensor unit includes a gas sensor configured to detect whether gas is generated or measure the concentration of the generated gas. Include.

The sensor unit includes a temperature sensor that measures an internal temperature in which the food is stored and generates first state information corresponding thereto, and a humidity sensor that measures an internal humidity in which the food is stored and generates second state information corresponding thereto. Further comprising, the gas sensor may generate third state information corresponding to the measured gas concentration.

The raw food information may include expiration date information set when the food is first distributed.

The processor includes: a food information receiving unit for receiving raw food information including expiration date information of the food; A sensing information receiver for receiving the first to third status information; A food spoilage index calculation unit that calculates a spoilage index of the stored food based on the expiration date information and the first to third status information of the food; And a food condition result providing unit outputting a food condition result value including the calculated food spoilage index and the first to third condition information.

The food spoilage index calculation unit may calculate a default spoilage index based on the expiration date information of the food, which is the original food information of the food, and interpolate the calculated spoilage index default value by using the at least one state information.

The interpolation of the corruption index may utilize "corruption index interpolation data" stored in the memory and updated periodically.

The use of the "corruption index interpolation data" may interpolate a default value of the corruption index with reference to "corruption index interpolation data" corresponding to the at least one state information.

The output food status result value may be transmitted to a user terminal and/or a cryopreservation device connected through a network.

In addition, a method for detecting food status according to an embodiment of the present invention includes the steps of: receiving original food information of food during storage or scheduled storage; Sensing a state of the food and generating at least one state information corresponding to the state of the food: storing the sensed state information of the food and original food information of the received food; Calculating a spoilage index of the food based on the sensed state information of the food and the original food information of the received food; And outputting a food condition result value including the calculated food spoilage index and the at least one condition information.

The at least one state information includes first state information generated by measuring an internal temperature in which the food is stored, second state information generated by measuring an internal humidity in which the food is stored, and an internal gas in which the food is stored. It may include third state information generated by measuring the concentration.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, by sensing the state information of food stored in a low-temperature storage device such as a refrigerator, and calculating and outputting the spoilage index of the food through the sensed state information of the food, The condition of stored food can be quickly and accurately delivered to the user.

1 is a schematic block diagram of a system including a food condition monitoring device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the low temperature storage device shown in FIG.
3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the mobile terminal shown in FIG. 1;
Figure 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of shown in Figure 1;
5 is a block diagram illustrating an embodiment of an internal configuration of the processor shown in FIG. 4.
6 is a flow chart illustrating the operation of the system including the food condition monitoring device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The content described in the technology column that serves as the background of the present invention is only intended to help understanding the background art of the technical idea of the present invention, and therefore it can be understood as the content corresponding to the prior art known to those skilled in the art. none.

In the description below, for purposes of explanation, many specific details are presented to aid in understanding the various embodiments. However, it is obvious that various embodiments may be practiced without these specific details or in one or more equivalent manners. In other instances, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagrams in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the various embodiments of the device.

Each block in the attached block diagram may be executed by computer program instructions (execution engine), and these computer program instructions may be mounted on a processor of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing equipment. The instructions, executed by the processor of other programmable data processing equipment, generate means for performing the functions described in each block of the block diagram.

These computer program instructions can also be stored in computer-usable or computer-readable memory that can be directed to a computer or other programmable data processing equipment to implement a function in a particular way, so that the computer-usable or computer-readable memory It is also possible to produce an article of manufacture in which the instructions stored in the block diagram contain instruction means that perform the functions described in each block of the block diagram.

In addition, since the computer program instructions may be mounted on a computer or other programmable data processing equipment, a series of operation steps are performed on a computer or other programmable data processing equipment to create a process that is executed by a computer, It is also possible for the instructions to perform the possible data processing equipment to provide a function to perform the functions described in each block of the block diagram.

In addition, each block may represent a module, segment, or part of code including one or more executable instructions for executing specified logical functions, and in some alternative embodiments, the functions mentioned in the blocks or steps are ordered. It is also possible to occur outside of.

That is, the two illustrated blocks may actually be executed at the same time, and the blocks may be executed in the reverse order of corresponding functions as needed.

The terms used herein are for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and not for the purpose of limiting. Throughout the specification, when a certain part "includes" a certain component, it means that other components may be further included rather than excluding other components unless specifically stated to the contrary. Unless otherwise defined, terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by those of ordinary skill in the field to which the present invention belongs.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a schematic block diagram of a system including a food condition monitoring apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, a system according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a food condition monitoring device 100, a low temperature preservation device 300, and a mobile terminal 400.

The food condition monitoring device 100 is a device that performs an operation of monitoring the condition of food, which is installed in a food storage container that is stored separately in the low temperature preservation device 300, or is provided in the low temperature preservation device 300. It can be implemented in a form installed in a storage box or storage room. As an embodiment, the food condition monitoring device 100 may be installed in each of a plurality of storage rooms (eg, vegetable storage room, meat storage room, etc.) of the low temperature storage device 300, and in this case, corresponding to the purpose of each storage room. You can independently monitor the condition of the food that is being eaten. The food condition monitoring device 100 detects the condition of the food stored in the storage container, the storage box, or the storage room to generate status information, and transmits the generated status information to the cold storage device 300 and/or the mobile terminal 400. ). The status information may include information on temperature, humidity, and the presence or absence of various gases (or concentration of generated gases) in the storage container, and the food condition monitoring apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes the By using the status information, the decay index of the stored food can be calculated and transmitted to the cryopreservation device 300 and/or the mobile terminal 400, through which the user can quickly and accurately check the status of the food. The configuration of the food condition monitoring device 100 will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. 4 afterwards.

The low temperature preservation device 300 may receive status information of food stored in a storage container, etc. from the food condition monitoring device 100, and for this purpose, it receives status information and food spoilage index information from the food condition monitoring device 100. To this end, the low temperature preservation device 300 may include a short-range wireless communication module supporting a short-range wireless communication method. The configuration of an embodiment of such a low-temperature preservation device 300 will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. 2 below.

The mobile terminal 400 may include an application for receiving and displaying status information and food spoilage index information from the food condition monitoring apparatus 100 and/or the cryopreservation apparatus 300. Through the application, the mobile terminal 400 may provide the user with information on the corruption index for food stored in a storage container or the like. The mobile terminal 400 may include a smartphone, a tablet PC, a notebook PC, a wearable device, and the like, and the configuration of an embodiment of the mobile terminal 400 will be described in more detail later with reference to FIG. 3. .

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the low temperature storage device shown in FIG. 1.

The low temperature preservation device 300 is generally a device including a refrigerator, a kimchi refrigerator, and the like. In FIG. 2, the configuration of the refrigerator 300 will be described as an example.

Referring to FIG. 2, the refrigerator 300 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a cooling cycle unit 310, a communication unit 320, a sensing unit 330, a fan 340, an input unit 350, and a memory. A unit 360, an output unit 370, a refrigerator control unit 380, and a power supply unit 390 may be included.

The cooling cycle unit 310 may include a compressor, a condenser, an evaporator, a dryer, a capillary tube, and a hot line, and may circulate the refrigerant within the cooling cycle unit 310 by driving the compressor.

The communication unit 320 may include one or more components for performing wired/wireless communication between the refrigerator 300 and a wired/wireless communication system or wired/wireless communication between the refrigerator 300 and a network in which the refrigerator 300 is located. For example, the communication unit 320 may include a broadcast receiving module, a wireless Internet module, a short-range communication module, and a location information module. The communication unit 320 may receive data from a user, and transmit information processed by the refrigerator control unit 380 of the refrigerator 300 and information sensed by the sensing unit 330 to an external mobile terminal 400. It can also be transferred to.

The sensing unit 330 may detect a temperature inside or outside the storage compartment of the refrigerator, the opening of a refrigerator door or a home bar, and the like, and information monitored by the sensing unit 330 may be transmitted to the controller 180.

The fan 340 may include a cooling fan for supplying cool air into the refrigerator, a heat dissipation fan disposed in the machine room to dissipate the refrigerant passing through the condenser of the cooling cycle unit 310.

The input unit 350 is for outputting a signal corresponding to the user's input by receiving a user's input for controlling the operation of the refrigerator 300 or checking the state of the refrigerator 300, in the form of a button or a touch pad Can be implemented as In addition, the input unit 350 may further include a camera module for capturing images such as barcodes or QR codes attached to food to be stored in the refrigerator.

The memory unit 360 includes information related to the refrigerator 300, for example, a program for driving the refrigerator 300, information set for driving the refrigerator, a refrigerator application, refrigerator status information, recipe information, and food ingredient information stored in the refrigerator. , User information, multimedia content, and the like may be stored, and may include icons or graphic data for visually expressing such information. In addition, the memory unit 360 may store state information and food spoilage index information transmitted from the food condition monitoring device 100.

The output unit 370 is for visually and aurally expressing information related to a refrigerator, and may include a flat panel display and a speaker. Specifically, the display may be formed of a touch panel to which a user's touch input is applied.

The power supply unit 390 may receive external power and internal power under the control of the refrigerator control unit 380 to supply power required for operation of each component.

3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the mobile terminal shown in FIG. 1.

3, a mobile terminal 400 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a communication module 410, a memory 420, a display module 430, an audio output module 440, a camera module 450, and a control unit. It may include 460.

The communication module 410 may communicate and connect with any internal component or at least one external device through a network. At this time, any external device may include, for example, the food condition monitoring device 100 and/or the low temperature preservation device 300 shown in FIG. 1.

The memory 420 stores various user interfaces (UI), graphic user interfaces (GUI), and the like. In addition, the memory 420 stores data and programs necessary for the mobile terminal 400 to operate. That is, the memory 420 may store a plurality of application programs (hereinafter referred to as “applications”) driven by the mobile terminal 400, data for operation of the mobile terminal 400, and commands. At least some of these applications may be downloaded from an external server through wireless communication. The applications include automatic speech recognition (ASR) applications, conversation applications, map applications, media applications (e.g. QuickTime, MobileMusic.app, or MobileVideo.app), social networking applications (e.g., Face Book, Twitter, etc.), Internet browsing application, and the like. In addition, it may include one or several applications that perform an operation to perform a communication operation. For example, it may be understood as a message application, a mail program, a voicemail program, an instant messaging application (eg, chat), a video conferencing application, a fax application, or a combination of one or more applications.

Meanwhile, the application may be stored in the memory 420, installed in the mobile terminal 400, and driven by the controller 460 to perform an operation (or function) of the mobile terminal 400. The mobile terminal 400 according to an embodiment of the present invention is an application for receiving and displaying status information and food spoilage index information from the food condition monitoring device 100 and/or the cryopreservation device 300 (hereinafter, food condition Monitoring application), and through the food condition monitoring application, a user of the mobile terminal 400 can easily and accurately check the corruption index information for food stored in a storage container.

In addition, the memory 420 is a flash memory type, a hard disk type, a multimedia card micro type, a card type memory (eg, SD or XD memory, etc.). ), magnetic memory, magnetic disk, optical disk, RAM (Random Access Memory: RAM), SRAM (Static Random Access Memory), ROM (Read-Only Memory: ROM), EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory), PROM ( It may include at least one storage medium among (Programmable Read-Only Memory). In addition, the mobile terminal 400 may operate a web storage that performs a storage function of the memory 420 over the Internet or may operate in connection with the web storage.

In addition, the communication module 410, under the control of the control unit 460, transmits information related to the operation of the food condition monitoring application from the food condition monitoring device 100 and/or the low temperature preservation device 300 through the network. Can receive.

The display module 430 displays various contents such as various menu screens using a user interface and/or a graphic user interface stored in the memory 420 under the control of the controller 460, and is controlled by the controller 460. An application execution result screen executed by this can be displayed. Here, the content displayed on the display module 430 includes various text or image data (including various information data) and a menu screen including data such as icons, list menus, and combo boxes.

The audio output module 440 may output voice information included in a signal processed by a predetermined signal under the control of the controller 460. Here, the audio output module 440 may include a receiver, a speaker, a buzzer, and the like. In addition, the audio output module 440 may output guide information corresponding to an application execution result screen executed under the control of the controller 460.

The camera module 450 is a component for capturing a still image or a moving image according to the user's control, and may be implemented in plural, such as a front camera and a rear camera.

4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the food condition monitoring device shown in FIG.

4, the food condition monitoring apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a communication module 105, a short-range communication module 110, a sensor unit 120, an output unit 130, and a memory 140. , A processor 150, and a battery 160.

The communication module 105 and/or the short-distance communication module 110 may constitute a communication unit for receiving raw food information of the food being stored or scheduled to be stored in the food condition monitoring device 100.

The communication module 105 can be connected to communication with at least one external device through a network, and the external device may be, for example, the cryopreservation device 300 and/or the mobile terminal 400 shown in FIG. 1. ) Can be included. In addition, the communication module 105 is connected in communication with a distribution system (not shown) that distributes the food being stored or the food to be stored in the food condition monitoring device 100 to receive the original food information of the food. I can. In another embodiment, the communication module 105 is the original (original) of the food through a communication connection with a food manufacturing system (not shown) that manufactures food being stored in the food condition monitoring device 100 or a food to be stored. ) Food information can be received.

The short-range communication module 110 may include at least one module supporting various short-range wireless communication methods (eg, Bluetooth, Zigbee, etc.). As an example, the short-range communication module 110 may communicate with the low temperature preservation device 300 illustrated in FIG. 1. As illustrated in FIG. 2, when the low temperature preservation device 300 is implemented as a refrigerator, original food information of food stored in the refrigerator may be received through the communication unit 320 of the refrigerator.

In addition, although not shown, the communication unit of the food condition monitoring device 100 may further include a barcode recognition unit (not shown), and the barcode or QR code attached to the food through the barcode recognition unit (original) food information can be received.

The sensor unit 120 performs an operation of sensing the state of the food being stored in a storage container, etc., and may generate state information of the food being stored through this. In the embodiment of the present invention, it is described as an example that the sensor unit 120 includes a temperature sensor 121, a humidity sensor 122, and a gas sensor 123, but the embodiment of the present invention is limited thereto. no. That is, the sensor unit 120 may include more various sensors.

The temperature sensor 121 may perform an operation of measuring the temperature inside the storage container, and the humidity sensor 122 may perform an operation of measuring the humidity inside the storage container. In addition, the gas sensor 123 may detect whether gas is generated in the storage container or may perform an operation of measuring the concentration of the generated gas. In this case, the gas sensor 123 may detect gas generated when food decays, such as ammonia, methane, hydrogen sulfide, or carbon dioxide. Food spoilage refers to a phenomenon in which organic matter is decomposed by the action of microorganisms, and mainly refers to the decomposition of proteins. When organic matter is decomposed by microorganisms, gases such as ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, and methane are generated, and odors may be generated by these gases, and spoilage of food may proceed at a faster rate in a high temperature and high humidity environment. Therefore, the sensor unit 120 according to the embodiment of the present invention senses the state of the food stored in the storage container including the temperature sensor 121, the humidity sensor 122, and the gas sensor 123 and responds to this. By generating the state information, it is possible to calculate the spoilage information of the stored food, that is, the food spoilage index.

The output unit 130 may include a sound output unit such as a speaker or a buzzer, and/or a light output unit that outputs light having at least one color. The output unit 130 may be used to inform a user of various types of information. For example, when the remaining amount of the battery 160 of the food condition monitoring apparatus 100 is insufficient or other various events occur, the processor 150 may control the output unit 130 to output sound and/or light.

The memory 140 may store various types of information and data necessary for the operation of the food condition monitoring apparatus 100. For example, the memory 140 may store various types of information and data such as identification information of the food condition monitoring apparatus 100 and information necessary for the operation of each component. More specifically, the memory 140 includes the raw food information of the food received through the communication module 105 and/or the short-range communication module 110 and the state information of the food sensed through the sensor unit 120. Can be saved. The memory 140 is a computer-readable recording medium and may include a non-destructive large-capacity recording device such as a RAM, a ROM, and a disk drive. In addition, the memory 140 may store an operating system and at least one program code. These software components may be loaded from a computer-readable recording medium separate from the memory 140 using a drive mechanism.

The processor 150 may be configured to process instructions of a computer program by performing basic arithmetic, logic, and input/output operations. Instructions may be provided to the processor 150 by the memory 140 or the communication module 105. For example, the processor 150 may be configured to execute a command received according to a program code stored in a recording device such as the memory 140. That is, the processor 150 may include a program module that is implemented in software by C, C++, Java, Visual Basic, Visual C, or the like to perform various functions. The processor 150 may control the overall operation of the food condition monitoring device 100. The processor 150 may process signals, data, information, etc. that are input or output through the components included in the food condition monitoring device 100. In the embodiment of the present invention, the processor 150 may sense food status information stored in a storage container or the like, and calculate and provide a spoilage index of food through the sensed food status information. Specific functions implemented through the processor 150 of the food condition monitoring apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. 5 below.

The food status information and food spoilage index information generated through the processor 150 may be transmitted to the cryopreservation device 300 and/or the mobile terminal 400 by the communication module 105, This allows the user to quickly and accurately check the condition of the food.

The battery 160 may supply power to each component included in the food condition monitoring apparatus 100 under the control of the processor 150. The battery 160 may be charged through a charging device (not shown). That is, the food condition monitoring device 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention is stored therein because the low temperature preservation device 300 does not operate normally when an external standard power source (eg, 220V) is shut down and a power failure occurs. Since the battery 160 operates normally even when the food is damaged, the spoilage index of the food according to the temperature can be continuously calculated regardless of whether or not there is a power outage.

5 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the internal configuration of the processor shown in FIG. 4, and FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of a system including a food condition monitoring device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, each functional block of the processor 150 provided in the food condition monitoring apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention and a food condition monitoring method according to the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 4 to 6.

5, the processor 150 of the food condition monitoring device 100 includes a food information receiving unit 152, a sensing information receiving unit 154, a food spoilage index calculation unit 156, and a food condition result providing unit 158. It may include. In addition, the processor 134 may interwork with the short-range communication module 110, the sensor unit 120, and the memory 140 of the food condition monitoring device 100, and the processor 150 is shown in FIG. The food condition sensing device 100 may be controlled to perform the steps (ST 600 to ST 660) included in the food condition monitoring method.

Here, the processor 150 may be implemented to execute an instruction according to the code of the operating system included in the memory 140 and at least one program code. At this time, the components in the processor 150, that is, the food information receiving unit 152, the sensing information receiving unit 154, the food spoilage index calculation unit 156, and the food condition result providing unit 158 is a food condition detection device ( It may be understood that different functions performed by the processor 150 are classified and expressed by a control command provided by the program code stored in 100).

The food information receiving unit 152 performs an operation of receiving original food information of the food purchased by the user. As described above, the raw food information for the food is raw food information received through the communication module 105 and/or the short-range communication module 110. In addition, the raw information of the food includes information such as the expiration date set when the food is first distributed. For example, when a user purchases a product, a receipt for the product is attached to the relevant business office (e.g., a market, etc.), and through the receipt number, the entire list of purchased products and information on the status of each product (expiration date) can be checked. have. In addition, when a product is purchased, a barcode or a QR code is attached to the product, and information of the product can also be checked through this. For example, in the case of livestock products, expiration date information based on the history system can be checked through barcodes, and expiration date information can be confirmed by searching for other products. Food information monitoring apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention is a storage room of the low-temperature storage device 300 through an additional barcode recognition unit (not shown) in addition to the communication module 105 and/or the short-range communication module 110 Barcode or QR code information attached to the stored food may be obtained, and the obtained information is received through the food information receiving unit 152 of the processor 150 (ST 600).

The sensing information receiving unit 154 performs an operation of receiving an output value of the sensor unit 120 that senses the state of the food being stored as sensing information. As described above, the sensor unit 120 detects whether the temperature sensor 121 measures the temperature inside the storage container, the humidity sensor 122 measures the humidity inside the storage container, and whether gas is generated inside the storage container, or It may include a gas sensor 123 that measures the concentration of the generated gas. The food information monitoring apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention may sense the state of food stored in the storage room of the low temperature storage device 300 through the sensor unit 120 and generate state information corresponding thereto, The generated state information is received through the sensing information receiving unit 154 of the processor 150 (ST 620).

The food corruption index calculation unit 156 is based on the original food information of the stored food received through the food information receiving unit 152 and the state information of the stored food received through the sensing information receiving unit 154. Performs the operation to calculate the spoilage index of the food being stored (ST 640).

As for the expiration date information of the food included in the raw food information of the food, the KFDA data indicating the expiration date of foods may be used. For setting the recommended temperature for distribution items, refer to Article 7 (Storage Conditions for Establishment Experiments, etc.), which is the standard proposed by the KFDA, ‘Article 7 of the shelf life setting criteria for food, food additives, livestock products, and health functional foods.’ Depending on the temperature, it can be classified into "room temperature distribution products, room temperature distribution products, refrigerated distribution products, and frozen distribution products".

In the above room temperature distribution product,'room temperature' means 1~35℃, including 35℃, but it should be selected in consideration of spring, autumn, summer, and winter according to the characteristics of the product, and'room temperature' is 15~ It refers to 25℃, and should be selected including 25℃. In addition, in refrigerated distribution products,'refrigeration' refers to 0-10℃, and a refrigeration temperature including 10℃ must be selected, and in refrigerated distribution products,'freezing' refers to -18℃ or less, so that quality changes can be minimized. The temperature must be selected.

The food spoilage index calculation unit 156 according to an embodiment of the present invention may use the original food information of the food being stored received through the food information receiving unit 152 as a default value. For example, the corruption index may be calculated based on the expiration date information of the food, which is the original food information of the food. In addition, the expiration date may include a consumption period.

For example, if the base date of the expiration date is set to 0 points for the food in storage received through the food information receiving unit 152 and the expiration date is set to 100 points, the spoilage index of the food May be selected to progress from 0 points to 100 points in connection with the progress point of the expiration date. As an example of calculating the corruption index for the food being stored using the received original food information, the original food information received through the food information receiving unit 152 indicates the expiration date of 8 days and the expiration date of 2 days. In this case, the food spoilage index calculation unit 156 may be set to increase the spoilage index by 10 points after 1 day elapses. In other words, if 2 days out of 10 days (the sum of the expiration date and consumption period) has elapsed, the corruption index can be 20 points. Likewise, in the case of foods with a total shelf life of 20 days, the spoilage index after 2 days can be 10 points.

The food spoilage index calculation unit 156 according to an embodiment of the present invention is characterized by interpolating the calculated default value of the spoilage index using the state information of the food received through the sensing information receiving unit 154. The sensor unit 120 controls first state information about the temperature inside the storage container, second state information about the humidity inside the storage container, and whether gas is generated inside the storage container and/or the concentration of the generated gas. 3 The state information may be sensed, and these first to third state information may be received by the sensing information receiving unit 154.

The calculation of the default value of the food spoilage index described above exactly matches the expiration date, which is limited only when the food is stored, that is, the storage temperature and humidity meet the criteria. Therefore, when the temperature and humidity in the container in which the food is stored change, the decay index must be changed accordingly. An embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that these variables, that is, temperature, humidity, and whether or not gas is generated/degree are reflected in the decay index calculation.

As an example, the embodiment of the present invention may use "the information of the sample of the accelerated experiment experimented in (the expiration date setting standard of food, food additives, livestock products, and health functional foods)" for accurate calculation of the spoilage index. That is, as a result of the previously performed experiment, the degree of acceleration is inquired in at least one of a linear (first-order function) graph, a quadratic function graph, and a log graph, and reflects this to interpolate the default value of the calculated corruption index. Through this, a more accurate corruption index can be calculated. An embodiment of the present invention utilizes the experimental data as "corruption index interpolation data" for interpolating the default value of the initially selected corruption index, and the data is stored in the memory 140 and may be periodically updated.

As in the above-described example, the default value of the corruption index for the food being stored is calculated using the original food information, and the original food information received through the food information receiving unit 152 is 8 days and 2 days. In the case of indicating the expiration date of, the default value of the corruption index may be 20 points if 2 days have elapsed out of a total of 10 days (the sum of the expiration date and the consumption period). However, when it is determined that the storage temperature exceeds the recommended storage temperature based on the first state information received through the sensing information receiving unit 154, the initially set corruption index interpolation data stored in the memory 140 is used. The default value of the corruption index can be interpolated. For example, if it is detected that the actual storage temperature exceeds the recommended storage temperature by 10 degrees, and based on the'corruption index interpolation data', when the storage temperature increases by 10 degrees, it is assumed that the shelf life of twice as much is consumed. Can be accelerated to twice the default. Therefore, in this case, two days have elapsed out of a total of 10 days (the sum of the expiration date and consumption period), but the double weight is reflected and the corruption index can be 40 points.

The second state information on the change in humidity may be applied in the same manner as the reflection of the first state information. That is, when it is determined that the storage humidity exceeds the recommended storage humidity by the second state information received through the sensing information receiving unit 154, the initially set corruption index interpolation data stored in the memory 140 is used. The default value of the corruption index can be interpolated.

In addition, the embodiment of the present invention uses the first and second state information on temperature and humidity, as well as whether or not gas is generated inside the storage container and/or the third state information on the concentration of the generated gas, and uses the initially set corruption index. Defaults can be interpolated. For example, when ammonia gas above the reference value is detected through the second state information, the degree of spoilage of the food is additionally checked with reference to the preset'corruption index interpolation data' to determine the degree of spoilage, and the default value of the spoilage index is interpolated accordingly. can do.

If the spoilage index of the food being stored is calculated through the received raw food information and status information, the food status result providing unit 158 generates a food status result value including the calculated food spoilage index and the status information. It can be output through (ST 660).

That is, the output food condition result value can be transmitted to the cryopreservation device 300 and/or the mobile terminal 400 shown in FIG. 1 through the network, through which the user can quickly and accurately check the food condition. There will be.

As described above, in the present invention, specific matters such as specific components, etc., and limited embodiments and drawings have been described, but this is provided only to help a more general understanding of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. , If a person of ordinary skill in the field to which the present invention belongs, various modifications and variations are possible from these descriptions.

Therefore, the spirit of the present invention is limited to the described embodiments and should not be defined, and all things that are equivalent or equivalent to the claims as well as the claims to be described later belong to the scope of the spirit of the present invention. .

Claims (15)

A communication unit for receiving raw food information of food during storage or to be stored;
A sensor unit that senses the state of the food and generates at least one state information corresponding to the state of the food;
A memory for storing the sensed state information of the food and original food information of the received food;
A processor for calculating a spoilage index of the food based on the sensed state information of the food and the received original food information of the food; And
It includes a battery for supplying power to the sensor unit, the communication unit, the memory and the processor under the control of the processor,
The sensor unit, a food condition sensing device including a gas sensor for detecting whether gas is generated or measuring the concentration of the generated gas. The method of claim 1,
The sensor unit includes a temperature sensor that measures an internal temperature in which the food is stored and generates first state information corresponding thereto, and a humidity sensor that measures an internal humidity in which the food is stored and generates second state information corresponding thereto. Contains more,
The gas sensor is a food state detection device for generating third state information corresponding to the measured gas concentration. The method of claim 2,
The raw food information is a food condition sensing device including expiration date information set when the food is first distributed. The method of claim 3,
The processor,
A food information receiving unit for receiving raw food information including expiration date information of the food;
A sensing information receiver for receiving the first to third status information;
A food spoilage index calculation unit that calculates a spoilage index of the stored food based on the expiration date information and the first to third status information of the food; And
Food condition monitoring apparatus comprising a food condition result providing unit for outputting a food condition result value including the calculated food spoilage index and the first to third condition information. The method of claim 4,
The food spoilage index calculation unit calculates a default value of the spoilage index based on the expiration date information of the food, which is the original food information of the food, and interpolates the calculated default value of the spoilage index using the at least one state information. Device. The method of claim 5,
The interpolation of the corruption index is a food condition monitoring device that utilizes "corruption index interpolation data" that is stored in the memory and periodically updated. The method of claim 6,
The use of the "corruption index interpolation data" is to interpolate a default value of the corruption index with reference to the "corruption index interpolation data" corresponding to the at least one state information. The method of claim 4,
The food condition monitoring device that the output food condition result value is transmitted to a user terminal and/or a cryopreservation apparatus connected through a network. Receiving raw food information of food during storage or to be stored;
Sensing the state of the food and generating at least one or more state information corresponding to the state of the food:
Storing the sensed state information of the food and original food information of the received food;
Calculating a spoilage index of the food based on the sensed state information of the food and the original food information of the received food; And
And outputting a food condition result value including the calculated food spoilage index and the at least one condition information. The method of claim 9,
The at least one state information includes first state information generated by measuring an internal temperature in which the food is stored, second state information generated by measuring an internal humidity in which the food is stored, and an internal gas in which the food is stored. Food condition monitoring method including third condition information generated by measuring the concentration. The method of claim 9,
The raw food information is a food condition monitoring method including expiration date information set when the food is first distributed. The method of claim 9,
In the step of calculating the spoilage index of the food, the spoilage index default value is calculated based on the expiration date information of the food, which is the original food information of the food, and the calculated spoilage index default value is interpolated using the at least one state information. Food condition monitoring method. The method of claim 12,
The interpolation of the corruption index is a food condition monitoring method using "corruption index interpolation data" stored in the memory and periodically updated. The method of claim 13,
The use of the "corruption index interpolation data" is to interpolate the default value of the corruption index with reference to the "corruption index interpolation data" corresponding to the at least one state information. The method of claim 9,
The food condition monitoring method further comprising the step of transmitting the output food condition result value to a user terminal and/or a cryopreservation device connected through a network.

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