# US 10,480,503 B2 · Portable foodstuff container > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,480,503 B2 - Document ID: US10480503B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/721,104 - Filed: 2017-09-29 - Published: 2019-04-04 - Granted: 2019-11-19 - Earliest claimed: 2017-09-29 - Assignees: Midea Group Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Midea Group Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Eric Scalf; Robert M. Digman; Paul Staun - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10480503B2 ## CPC - F04B 49/06: Control using electricity (regulating by means of floats actuating electric switches F04B49/04) - A47J 47/01: with dispensing devices - A47J 47/02: Closed containers for foodstuffs - F04B 13/00: Pumps specially modified to deliver fixed or variable measured quantities - G01C 9/00: Measuring inclination, e.g. by clinometers, by levels - G01C 19/00: Gyroscopes; Turn-sensitive devices using vibrating masses; Turn-sensitive devices without moving masses; Measuring angular rate using gyroscopic effects - G01F 13/00: Apparatus for measuring by volume and delivering fluids or fluent solid materials, not provided for in the preceding groups - G01F 13/006: {measuring volume in function of time} - G01F 23/20: by measurement of weight, e.g. to determine the level of stored liquefied gas - G01F 23/296: Acoustic waves - G01F 23/2962: Measuring transit time of reflected waves - G01N 11/02: by measuring flow of the material - A47J 2203/00: Devices having filling level indicating means - F04B 17/03: driven by electric motors - F04B 23/028: {the pump being mounted on top of the reservoir} - F04B 51/00: Testing machines, pumps, or pumping installations - F04B: POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; PUMPS (machines for liquids, or pumps, of rotary-piston or oscillating-piston type F04C; non-positive-displacement pumps F04D; pumping of fluid by direct contact of another fluid or by using inertia of fluid to be pumped F04F) - A47J: KITCHEN EQUIPMENT; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; APPARATUS FOR MAKING BEVERAGES - G01C: MEASURING DISTANCES, LEVELS OR BEARINGS; SURVEYING; NAVIGATION; GYROSCOPIC INSTRUMENTS; PHOTOGRAMMETRY OR VIDEOGRAMMETRY (measuring liquid level G01F; radio navigation, determining distance or velocity by use of propagation effects, e.g. Doppler effects, propagation time, of radio waves, analogous arrangements using other waves G01S) - G01F: MEASURING VOLUME, VOLUME FLOW, MASS FLOW OR LIQUID LEVEL; METERING BY VOLUME - G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q) ## Abstract A portable foodstuff container and method of dispensing foodstuff from the portable container are disclosed herein. Such a portable foodstuff may include a portable body with a reservoir configured to contain a foodstuff and a dispenser configured to dispense the foodstuff contained in the reservoir, a pump disposed within the body and configured to convey the foodstuff from the reservoir to the dispenser when activated to dispense the foodstuff through the dispenser, and a controller disposed in the body and coupled to the pump. The controller may be configured to activate the pump to dispense a user-selected amount of foodstuff from the dispenser. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A portable foodstuff container, comprising: a portable body including a reservoir configured to contain a foodstuff and a dispenser configured to dispense the foodstuff contained in the reservoir; a gyroscope coupled to body and configured to sense an orientation of the body; a pump disposed within the body and configured to convey the foodstuff from the reservoir to the dispenser when activated to dispense the foodstuff through the dispenser; and a controller disposed in the body and coupled to the gyroscope and the pump, wherein the controller is configured to determine whether the body is in a dispensing orientation using the gyroscope and activate the pump while the body is determined to be in the dispensing orientation to dispense a user-selected amount of foodstuff from the dispenser, and wherein the controller is further configured to deactivate the pump prior to dispensing all of the user-selected amount of foodstuff from the dispenser in response to determining that the body is no longer in the dispensing orientation. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The container of claim 1, wherein the container further comprises a flow meter disposed in the body and configured to measure an amount of foodstuff conveyed by the pump, and wherein the controller is configured to deactivate the pump upon sensing with the flow meter that the user-selected amount has been dispensed. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The container of claim 2, wherein the controller is configured to determine an amount of foodstuff present in the reservoir based on one or more readings from the flow meter. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The container of claim 1, further comprising a user interface disposed on the body and coupled to the controller to receive user input selecting the user-selected amount, and wherein the user interface includes a control that a user selects to dispense the user-selected amount of foodstuff. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The container of claim 1, further comprising a dial disposed on the body and coupled to the controller to receive user input selecting the user-selected amount by rotation. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The container of claim 1, further comprising a control disposed on the body and coupled to the controller to change a unit of measure of the user-selected amount. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The container of claim 1, further comprising a level sensor in the body and coupled to the controller to sense an amount of the foodstuff remaining in the reservoir. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The container of claim 1, further comprising a battery in the body configured to provide power to the pump and the controller. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The container of claim 8, wherein the battery is rechargeable. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The container of claim 1, wherein the pump is disposed in a channel between the reservoir and the dispenser. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The container of claim 1, wherein the dispenser is located proximate a bottom portion of the body. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The container of claim 1, wherein the dispenser is located proximate a top portion of the body. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The container of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to communicate with a mobile computing device to receive the user-selected amount. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The container of claim 13, wherein the mobile computing device further comprises an application configured to accept user input of the user-selected amount and communicate the user-selected amount to the controller. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The container of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to activate the pump to free flow based on user input. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The container of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to activate the pump to automatically start dispensing the user-selected amount in response to tilting of the body from a non-dispensing orientation to the dispensing orientation. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The container of claim 1, wherein the container is configured for storage in a refrigerator and includes a battery charging circuit configured to charge a battery of the container when the container is stored in the refrigerator. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The container of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to activate the pump to dispense the user-selected amount of foodstuff from the dispenser additionally in response to selection of a user control while the body is determined to be in a dispensing orientation. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The container of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to, after deactivating the pump prior to dispensing all of the user-selected amount of foodstuff from the dispenser, reactivate the pump to complete dispensing of the user-selected amount of foodstuff from the dispenser in response to determining that the body is again in the dispensing orientation. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) The container of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to, in response to an absence of user input, disable activation of the pump when the body is in the dispensing orientation. ### Claim 21 (depends on 1) The container of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to, in response to the user-selected amount not being received, disable activation of the pump when the body is in the dispensing orientation. ### Claim 22 (depends on 1) The container of claim 1, further comprising a level sensor coupled to the body, wherein the controller is further configured to: sense tilting of the portable container with the gyroscope; sense a level change of the material in the portable container using the level sensor during tilting of the portable container; determine a value representative of a viscosity of the material based upon the sensed tilting and sensed level change; and control the amount of material dispensed from the portable container using the determined value. ### Claim 23 (depends on 1) The container of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to determine that the body is in a dispensing orientation in response to determining that an orientation of the body surpasses 90 degrees. ### Claim 24 A portable foodstuff container, comprising: a portable body including a reservoir configured to contain a foodstuff and a dispenser configured to selectively dispense the foodstuff contained in the reservoir; a gyroscope coupled to the body and configured to sense an orientation of the body; a flow meter disposed in the body and configured to measure an amount of foodstuff dispensed by the dispenser; and a controller coupled to the gyroscope, the flow meter and the dispenser, wherein the controller is configured to determine whether the body is in a dispensing orientation using the gyroscope and control the dispenser while the body is determined to be in the dispensing orientation to dispense a user-selected amount of foodstuff in response to the amount of foodstuff sensed by the flow meter, and wherein the controller is further configured to control the dispenser to discontinue dispensing prior to dispensing all of the user-selected amount of foodstuff from the dispenser in response to determining that the body is no longer in the dispensing orientation. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The container of claim 24, wherein the controller is further configured to control the dispenser to automatically start dispensing the user-selected amount in response to tilting of the body from a non-dispensing orientation to the dispensing orientation. ### Claim 26 (depends on 24) The container of claim 24, wherein the controller is configured to control the dispenser to dispense the user-selected amount of foodstuff additionally in response to selection of a user control while the body is determined to be in a dispensing orientation. ### Claim 27 (depends on 24) The container of claim 24, wherein the controller is further configured to, after discontinuing dispensing prior to dispensing all of the user-selected amount of foodstuff, control the dispenser to complete dispensing of the user-selected amount of foodstuff in response to determining that the body is again in the dispensing orientation.