TW201803508A - Smart food container - Google Patents

Abstract

Disclosed are a smart food container and a smart food preservation system to monitor the expiration date of the food. The smart food container comprises a container body, a monitor module, a display module, a power supply module and an alarm module. The monitor module, the display module, the power supply module and the alarm module are configured on the container body. The power supply module provides the power needed by the monitor module, the display module and the alarm module. The monitor module calculates a first time interval between the data when the food was put into the container body and the current date, and the display module displays the first time interval. In addition, the monitor module calculates a second time interval between the current data and the expiration date of the food, and transmits the second time interval to the alarm module.

Description

Smart Storage Box

The invention relates to a fresh-keeping box, in particular to a smart fresh-keeping box and a smart fresh-keeping system capable of monitoring the shelf life of stored food.

In daily life, the storage of food or ingredients often depends on home appliances and fresh-keeping containers that can provide a storage environment. These household electrical appliances and fresh-keeping containers can provide an environment where food or ingredients are less likely to deteriorate or slow down the rate of deterioration, such as a low-temperature environment or a space filled with nitrogen.

Generally speaking, fresh pork, chicken, etc. should be consumed within three days after being stored in the refrigerator. At the same time, pork and chicken should be washed before storage, such as ground meat or small pieces of meat. Due to the large contact area with air, it is more susceptible to deterioration or spoilage. It is better to store it in the refrigerator compartment of the refrigerator within two days. Furthermore, although frozen foods such as seafood, etc., can be stored in the refrigerator freezer for a longer period of time, they should be consumed within one month, so that the nutrients rich in food can be effectively ingested.

However, a common problem is that when the amount of stored food or ingredients is increasing, people often forget part of the stored food or ingredients, causing the food or ingredients to fail to be eaten within the shelf life and deteriorate. In addition, people often discard foods or foods because they do n’t know whether they are overdue, which causes food waste; or people often eat them because they do n’t know if the foods or foods are overdue. Use spoiled food or ingredients to make the body uncomfortable.

An embodiment of the present invention provides a smart fresh-keeping box for monitoring the shelf life of food stored therein. The intelligent fresh-keeping box includes a box body for containing food, a monitoring module, a display module and a power supply module. The monitoring module, the display module and the power supply module are all set on the box body. The display module is connected to the monitoring module, and the power supply module is connected to the monitoring module and the display module. The monitoring module is used to calculate the first day between the date when the food is stored in the box and the current date. The display module is used to display the first day calculated by the monitoring module. The power supply module is used to provide power required by the monitoring module and the display module.

Embodiments of the present invention also provide a smart freshness system for monitoring the shelf life of food stored in a box. The intelligent fresh-keeping system includes a bar code label arranged on the box body, and a monitoring module built in a mobile device. The barcode label pre-writes the date when the food is stored in the box and the shelf life of the food. The monitoring module is used to calculate the number of days between the date when the food is stored in the box and the current date. After the barcode reader of the mobile device reads the barcode label, the display module of the mobile device will display the first day calculated by the monitoring module.

In summary, by using the smart fresh-keeping box and the smart fresh-keeping system provided by the present invention, the user can simply read the barcode label on the box through the display module on the box or use a mobile device Whether the food has been overdue. In addition, when the food stored in the box is about to expire, the user can also receive the warning signal through the electronic device in order to dispose of the stored food as soon as possible.

In order to further understand the features and technical content of the present invention, please refer to the following detailed description and drawings of the present invention, but these descriptions and the drawings are only used to illustrate the present invention, not the rights of the present invention Any restrictions on the scope.

1‧‧‧ Smart Storage Box

2‧‧‧smart preservation system

20‧‧‧ Barcode label

12, 22‧‧‧Monitoring module

14.24‧‧‧Display module

16‧‧‧Power supply module

18.26‧‧‧Alarm module

10‧‧‧Box

D‧‧‧Mobile device

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a smart fresh-keeping box according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a smart preservation system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

3A is a schematic diagram showing the information of the first warning signal displayed on the display module shown in FIG. 2.

3B is a schematic diagram showing the information of the second warning signal displayed on the display module shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 3C is a schematic diagram of information displayed on the display module when the warning module shown in FIG. 2 is inactive.

In the following, various exemplary embodiments will be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which some exemplary embodiments are shown. However, the inventive concept may be embodied in many different forms and should not be interpreted as being limited to the exemplary embodiments set forth herein. Rather, the provision of these exemplary embodiments makes the invention detailed and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the inventive concept to those skilled in the art. In the drawings, similar numbers always indicate similar elements.

First, the smart storage box and the smart storage system of the present invention will be described in the following with multiple embodiments. This kind of intelligent fresh-keeping box and intelligent fresh-keeping system are mainly used to monitor the shelf life of the stored food, so as to reduce the probability that the food must be discarded due to overdue storage, and also reduce the risk of the user accidentally eating spoiled food.

[Examples of Smart Storage Box]

Please refer to FIG. 1, which is a schematic diagram of a smart fresh-keeping box according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, the smart freshness box 1 provided in this embodiment includes a box body 10 for containing food, and a monitoring module 12, a display module 14, a power supply module 16 and a Warning module 18. In terms of electrical connection, the display module 14, the power supply module 16 and the warning module 18 are all connected to the monitoring module 12, and the power supply module 16 is further connected to the display module 14 and the warning module 18. In addition, more precisely That is to say, the monitoring module 12, the display module 14, the power supply module 16 and the warning module 18 are all disposed in the interlayer of the bottom plate or the side wall of the box body 10. That is to say, the circuits in the monitoring module 12, the display module 14, the power supply module 16 and the warning module 18 can be protected in the interlayer of the bottom plate or the side wall of the box 10, so the user can keep the wisdom The box 1 is directly cleaned without worrying that the circuits in the monitoring module 12, the display module 14, the power supply module 16 and the warning module 18 are damaged due to moisture.

Next, it will be explained how the smart food container 1 provided in this embodiment monitors the storage period of the food stored in it. First, when the user stores food in the box 10, the user can input the storage period of the food to the monitoring module 12 through a wireless input device (not shown). Then, the monitoring module 12 calculates the number of days between the date when the food is stored in the box 10 and the current date. For convenience of description, the number of days between the date when the food is stored in the box 10 and the current date is defined as the first number of days in the subsequent description.

In this embodiment, the display module 14 will display the first day calculated by the monitoring module 12 so that the user can clearly know how many days have passed since the food was stored in the box 10. For example, the display module 14 may be an LED digital screen, but the invention is not limited thereto.

In addition to the number of days between the date when the calculated object is stored in the box 10 and the current date, the monitoring module 12 also calculates the number of days between the shelf life of the food and the current date. For ease of explanation, the number of days between the shelf life of food and the current date is defined as the number of days in the subsequent description. After the monitoring module 12 calculates the second day, the second day will be sent to the warning module 18, and the warning module 18 determines whether the warning is issued.

In detail, if the warning module 18 determines that the second number of days is less than or equal to a preset first threshold number of days, the warning module 18 will send a first warning signal to an external device (not shown). Furthermore, if the alert module 18 determines that the second day is greater than the preset first threshold day but less than or equal to a preset second threshold day, the alert module 18 will issue a Two warning signals to external devices. In addition, if the warning module 18 determines that the second number of days is greater than the second threshold number of days, the warning module 18 does not operate.

It should be noted that, in this embodiment, the preset second threshold days are greater than the first threshold days. For example, the second threshold days are 5 days, and the first threshold days are 3 days. In this example, if the warning module 18 determines that the second number of days calculated by the monitoring module 12 is less than or equal to 3 days, the warning module 18 will send a first warning signal to an external device (eg, a mobile device held by the user) ) To remind the user that the food stored in the box 10 must be consumed within 3 days. Furthermore, if the warning module 18 determines that the number of second days calculated by the monitoring module 12 is greater than 3 days but less than or equal to 5 days, the warning module 18 will issue a second warning signal to an external device to remind the user to save on The food in the box 10 must be consumed within 5 days. In addition, if the warning module 18 determines that the second day calculated by the monitoring module 12 is greater than 5 days, the warning module 18 does not make any warning action, indicating that the food stored in the box 10 does not need to be processed immediately. In terms of the urgency represented by the warning signal, the urgency of the first warning signal is greater than the urgency of the second warning signal.

It should be noted that when the warning module 18 transmits the first warning signal or the second warning signal to an external device (such as a mobile device held by the user), the signal transmission is based on the Zigbee wireless communication protocol, Bluetooth communication protocol, or Wi -Fi communication protocol and other wireless communication protocols.

In addition, in this embodiment, the power required by the monitoring module 12, the display module 14, and the warning module 18 during operation is provided by the power supply module 16, for example, the power supply module 16 is A common 2A battery, but the invention is not limited here. The open cover disassembled when replacing the power supply module 16 can be a replaceable open cover or a magnetic open cover. The open cover is installed at the bottom of the box body 10 so that the user can replace the interlayer provided at the bottom of the box body 10的 的 电 supply module 16.

In another embodiment, the box body 10 of the smart fresh-keeping box 1 can create a plurality of compartments by partitions (not shown) to accommodate a plurality of foods, and similarly, the monitoring module 12 will provide Calculate the first and second days. In addition, the display module 14 The first day of each food will be displayed. In this case, the display module 14 can be an LED digital screen with a large display area to display the first day of each food separately, or the display module 14 can be switched The display method takes turns to show the first day of each food.

Therefore, if the user can use the smart crisper 1 provided in this embodiment to store food, he can clearly know how long the food can be stored, and also be reminded when the food is about to expire.

[An embodiment of a smart preservation system]

Please refer to FIG. 2, which is a block diagram of a smart preservation system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

The smart freshness system 2 provided in this embodiment is used to monitor the shelf life of food stored in a box C. As shown in FIG. 2, the smart fresh-keeping system 2 includes a barcode label 20, a monitoring module 22, a display module 24 and a warning module 26. The barcode label 20 is provided on the box C. For example, the barcode label 20 may be a QR code, but the invention is not limited thereto. When the user stores the food in the box C, the barcode label 20 will be written in advance on the date the food is stored in the box C and the shelf life of the food. In this embodiment, the bar code label 20 is removable, that is to say, the bar code label 20 can be attached to any position on the box C, when the bar code label 20 no longer needs to be used Tear off. In addition, the barcode label 20 is made of waterproof and wear-resistant materials, so the user can directly clean the case C while the barcode label 20 is still attached to the case C without worrying about the possibility of the barcode label 20 It will be damaged by water immersion or worn by the cleaning brush.

The monitoring module 22, the display module 24 and the warning module 26 are all built in a mobile device D. In this embodiment, the display module 24 is a display screen of the mobile device D, such as a liquid crystal display screen or a touch display screen. In addition, in this embodiment, the monitoring module 22 and the warning module 26 can be implemented by an application installed on the mobile device D.

To further explain, after the user reads the barcode label 20 attached to the box C with the mobile device D held, the monitoring module 22 built in the mobile device D will start to calculate that the food is stored in the box C The first number of days between the date and the current date, then The first day is sent to the display module 24, which is also built in the mobile device D, for display.

In addition, after the user first reads the barcode label 20 attached to the box C with the mobile device D held by him, the shelf life of the food and the date it is stored in the box C will be monitored by the monitoring module 22 Recorded. In this embodiment, the monitoring module 22 also periodically (for example, at the same time every day) calculates the number of days after the storage period of the food stored in the box C is separated from the current date, and sets the second The number of days is sent to the warning module 26. After receiving the second day, the warning module 26 will determine whether a warning signal needs to be generated.

In this embodiment, if the warning module 26 determines that the second number of days is less than or equal to a preset first threshold number of days, the warning module 26 will generate a first warning signal for the display module built in the mobile device D Group 24 displays the information of the first warning signal. Furthermore, if the alert module 26 determines that the second day is greater than the preset first threshold day but less than or equal to a preset second threshold day, the alert module 26 will generate a second alert signal The display module 24 of the mobile device D displays the information of the second warning signal. In addition, if the warning module 26 determines that the second number of days is greater than the second threshold number of days, the warning module 26 does not operate.

It should be noted that, in this embodiment, the preset second threshold days are greater than the first threshold days. For example, the second threshold days are 5 days, and the first threshold days are 3 days. In this example, if the warning module 26 determines that the second number of days calculated by the monitoring module 22 is less than or equal to 3 days, the warning module 26 will generate a first warning signal to the mobile device D held by the user to remind the use The food stored in box C must be consumed within 3 days. For example, please refer to FIG. 3A, which is a schematic diagram of the mobile device shown in FIG. 2 after reading the barcode label on the box body and displaying the information of the first warning signal on the display module 24. As shown in FIG. 3A, the information of the first warning signal includes what kind of food the food is, the generation time of the first warning signal, the number of the second day, the warning slogan, and a percentage.

In detail, according to the information of the first warning signal displayed on the display module 24, the user can know that the food item in the box C is a grape, and this first warning signal Is produced at 20: 6 on 2016/06/02, and the current date (ie 2016/06/02) is only 3 days away from the shelf life of this food, so the food must be eaten or processed immediately. In addition, the percentage value is the percentage of the second day divided by the difference between the date the food was stored in the box C and the shelf life of the food, ie, the number of the second day / (the shelf life of the food-the food Date of storage in box C) * 100%.

Furthermore, if the warning module 26 determines that the number of second days calculated by the monitoring module 22 is greater than 3 days but less than or equal to 5 days, the warning module 26 will generate a second warning signal to the mobile device D held by the user. Remind users that the food stored in the box C must be consumed within 5 days. For example, please refer to FIG. 3B, which is a schematic diagram of the mobile device shown in FIG. 2 after reading the barcode label on the box body and displaying the information of the second warning signal on the display module 24. As shown in FIG. 3B, the information of the second warning signal includes what kind of food the food is, the time when the second warning signal is generated, the second day, the warning slogan, and a percentage.

In detail, according to the information of the second warning signal displayed on the display module 24, the user can know that the food item in the box C is grapes, and the generation time of the second warning signal is 2016/05/05 At 20: 6 on 30, the current date (ie 2016/05/30) is only 5 days away from the shelf life of this food, so it means that this food must be eaten or processed in the near future. In addition, the percentage value is the percentage of the second day divided by the difference between the date the food is stored in the box C and the shelf life of the food, ie, the number of the second day / (the shelf life of the food-the food is Date of storage in box C) * 100%.

According to the foregoing description, in terms of the degree of urgency represented by the warning signal, the urgency of the first warning signal is greater than the urgency of the second warning signal. Therefore, for example, in this embodiment, the display module 24 may present the entire screen of the screen in red to display the information of the first warning signal. In contrast, the display module 24 may use the entire screen of the screen in yellow. The information presented to display the second warning signal, but the invention is not limited herein.

In addition, if the warning module 26 determines that the number of second days calculated by the monitoring module 22 is greater than 5 days, the warning module 26 does not generate any warning signal, indicating that it is stored in the box The food in C does not need to be eaten or processed immediately, nor is it in a hurry to be eaten or processed in the near future. In this case, the display module 24 will display the first day of the food. Please refer to FIG. 3C. FIG. 3C is a schematic diagram of the information displayed on the display module when the warning module shown in FIG. 2 is inactive. As shown in FIG. 3C, when the warning module 26 is inactive, the information displayed by the display module 24 includes what item the food is, the current time, the first day, the reminder slogan, and a percentage.

In detail, when the warning module 26 is inactive, according to the information displayed by the aforementioned display module 24, the user can know that the food item in the box C is grapes, and the current time is 2016/05/27 At 20: 6, the current date (ie 2016/05/27) and the shelf life of this food are still 8 days apart, so it means that the food does not need to be eaten or processed immediately, nor is it in a hurry to be eaten or processed in the near future . In addition, the percentage value is the percentage of the second day divided by the difference between the date the food is stored in the box C and the shelf life of the food, ie, the number of the second day / (the shelf life of the food-the food is Date of storage in box C) * 100%. In this case, in this embodiment, the display module 24 can present the entire screen of the screen in green to display the aforementioned information, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

It should be further explained that there are three ways to set the content of this disclosure:

1. QR code smart crisper with changed storage days: At present, there is no concept of linking APP and physical smart crisper on the market. By changing the QR code of the number of days on the smart freshness box, you can quickly grasp the preservation degree of the ingredients.

2. Waterproof adhesive QR code that can be printed by yourself: The QR code can be generated through the APP, and the waterproof strip can be printed through the cloud printer, which can be pasted (or clipped) on any surface as a reminder.

3. Color management system for shelf life: Use the color management QR code on a weekly basis. Users can query the expired color through the mobile phone screen, corresponding to the QR code pasted by the entity, emphasizing the visual management method.

Therefore, if the user can use the smart freshness system 2 provided in this embodiment to monitor the food stored in the home, he can immediately pass the holding when the food is about to expire. The mobile device receives the reminder, and by scanning the QR code attached to the food storage container, the user can also easily learn the aforementioned first day of food, items and other related information.

[Possible effects of the embodiment]

In summary, the smart fresh-keeping box and smart fresh-keeping system provided by the present invention can allow users to conveniently monitor the shelf life of stored food. In addition to being able to know how long the food has been stored, the user can also know how many days the current date is from the shelf life of the food. Furthermore, when the current date gradually approaches the shelf life of the food, the user will also receive an immediate warning. In addition, the barcode labels in the smart fresh-keeping box and the smart fresh-keeping system can be directly cleaned. The user does not need to worry about the damage of the circuit module in the smart fresh-keeping box or the barcode label in the smart fresh-keeping system.

In addition, the smart preservation system that combines "virtual interface" and "physical barcode" allows any packaged food to be managed through "barcode" and "color", reminding the user of the time limit of the ingredients at the appropriate time, and maintaining the minimum cost Health, the economic benefits of reducing food waste, and also provide a more friendly food safety environment.

The above is only an embodiment of the present invention, and it is not intended to limit the patent scope of the present invention.

2‧‧‧smart preservation system

20‧‧‧ Barcode label

22‧‧‧Monitoring module

24‧‧‧Display module

26‧‧‧Alarm module

C‧‧‧Box

D‧‧‧Mobile device

Claims (10)

A smart fresh-keeping box for monitoring the shelf life of a food stored therein. The smart fresh-keeping box includes: a box body for containing the food; and a monitoring module provided on the box body for calculation The date when the food is stored in the box is one day away from the current date; a display module is provided on the box and connected to the monitoring module to display the calculation calculated by the monitoring module The first number of days; and a power supply module, which is arranged on the box and connected to the monitoring module and the display module to provide power required by the monitoring module and the display module. The intelligent fresh-keeping box according to claim 1, further comprising: a warning module, which is arranged on the box body and connected to the monitoring module; wherein, the monitoring module is further used to calculate the shelf life of the food and the current A second number of days apart from the date and send the second number of days to the warning module, if the warning module determines that the second number of days is less than or equal to a first threshold number of days, the warning module sends a first warning signal To an external device. The smart freshness box according to claim 2, wherein if the warning module determines that the second number of days is greater than the first threshold number of days but less than or equal to a second threshold number of days, the warning module sends a second warning signal to the External device; wherein if the warning module determines that the second number of days is greater than the second threshold number of days, the warning module does not operate; wherein the second threshold number of days is greater than the first threshold number of days. The intelligent fresh-keeping box according to claim 1, wherein the box body can be formed with a plurality of compartments by a partition to accommodate a plurality of foods. The smart fresh-keeping box according to claim 3, wherein the warning module and the external device are based on the Zigbee wireless communication protocol, Bluetooth communication protocol or Wi-Fi communication protocol Under the signal transmission. The smart freshness box according to claim 2, wherein the monitoring module, the display module, the power supply module and the warning module are all disposed on the bottom layer or the side wall of the box body. A smart fresh-keeping system for monitoring the shelf life of food stored in a box. The smart fresh-keeping system includes: a barcode label, which is provided on the box, and the date and time when the food is stored in the box is written in advance The shelf life of the food; and a monitoring module built in a mobile device to calculate the number of days between the date when the food is stored in the box and the current date, where the mobile device ’s After the barcode reader reads the barcode label, the display module will display the first number of days calculated by the monitoring module. The smart preservation system as described in claim 7, wherein the barcode label is a QR code. The smart fresh-keeping system according to claim 7, further comprising: a warning module built in a mobile device; wherein, the monitoring module is further used to calculate the first time interval between the preservation period of the food and the current date Two days and send the second day to the warning module, if the warning module determines that the second day is less than or equal to a first threshold number of days, the warning module generates a first warning signal to be displayed by the display module The group displays the information of the first warning signal. The smart freshness system of claim 9, wherein if the warning module determines that the second number of days is greater than the first threshold number of days but less than or equal to a second threshold number of days, the warning module generates a second warning signal to The display module displays the information of the second warning signal; if the warning module determines that the second number of days is greater than the second threshold number of days, the warning module does not operate; wherein the second threshold number of days is greater than the first Threshold days.