Method and apparatus for non-contact temperature measurement of a food item

A method for thermal processing of a food item comprising:

• storing in a historical reference database a plurality of sample heat maps for one or more different
• sample food items each having an associated sample outer geometry correlated to a sample physically measured core temperature in a core area for each of the one or more different sample food items, where each of the heat maps and correlated measured core temperatures are associated with a time/temperature profile for the one or more different food items;
• analyzing with a controller computing system the historical reference database by processing a learning algorithm to thereby adjust the time/temperature profiles and a position of the core area and provide a predictive multifactor, multinomial relational model utilizing a regression algorithm to thereby predict an actual core temperature based on an actual heat map;
• communicably linking a conveyor to a controller computing system to control and convey one or more actual food items through a temperature processing chamber and controlling the temperature processing chamber to perform a time/temperature profile as the one or more actual food items are conveyed through the temperature processing chamber;
• communicably linking an IR scanner and a 3D camera disposed at an exit end of the temperature processing chamber, to and thereby controlling with the controller computing system to control the IR Scanner to capture an IR image and translate to the actual heat map for each of the one or more actual food items and to control the 3D camera to capture a 3D image and translate to an actual surface geometry for each of the one or more actual food items;
• and
• processing the predictive multifactor, multinomial relational model on said controller computing system to thereby analyze the actual heat map for each of the one or more actual food items thereby predicting the actual core temperature for the one or more food items based on the actual heat map of the one or more food items.

An apparatus for thermal processing of a food item comprising:

• a historical reference database including a plurality of sample heat maps for one or more different
• sample food items each having an associated sample outer geometry correlated to a sample physically measured core temperature in a core area for each of the one or more different sample food items, where each of the heat maps and correlated measured core temperatures are associated with a time/temperature profile for the one or more different food items, where the sample physically measured core temperature is measured using a temperature probe inserted by a robotic arm;
• a controller computing system analyzing the historical reference database by processing a learning algorithm to thereby adjust the time/temperature profiles and a position of the core area and provide a predictive multifactor, multinomial relational model utilizing a regression algorithm to thereby predict an actual core temperature based on an actual heat map;
• a conveyor communicably linked to controlled by a controller computing system to convey one or more actual food items through a temperature processing chamber and controlling the temperature processing chamber to perform a time/temperature profile as the one or more actual food items are conveyed through the temperature processing chamber;
• an IR scanner and a 3D camera disposed at an exit end of the temperature processing chamber, where said IR scanner and 3D camera a communicably linked to and thereby controlled by the controller computing system to control the IR Scanner to capture an IR image and translate to the actual heat map for each of the one or more actual food items and to control the 3D camera to capture a 3D image and translate to an actual surface geometry for each of the one or more actual food items;
• and
• said controller computing system having the predictive multifactor, multinomial relational model processing to thereby analyze the actual heat map for each of the one or more actual food items thereby predicting the actual core temperature for the one or more food items based on the actual heat map of the one or more food items.