# US 12,182,392 B2 · Method for controlling a food handling system

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- Number: US 12,182,392 B2
- Document ID: US12182392B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/004,291
- Filed: 2021-06-30
- Published: 2023-05-11
- Granted: 2024-12-31
- Earliest claimed: 2020-07-06
- Assignees: Tetra Laval Holdings & Finance S.A.
- Applicants: Tetra Laval Holdings & Finance S.A.
- Inventors: Gianni Corazzari; Luisa D'Amato; Fabio Lugli
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12182392B2

## CPC

- G06F 3/04883: for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
- G06Q 50/04: Manufacturing
- G05B 19/4183: {characterised by data acquisition, e.g. workpiece identification}
- G06F 3/04847: Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
- G06Q 10/0637: Strategic management or analysis, e.g. setting a goal or target of an organisation; Planning actions based on goals; Analysis or evaluation of effectiveness of goals
- G06Q 10/06395: {Quality analysis or management}
- G08C 17/00: Arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless electrical link
- H04Q 9/00: Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom
- G05B 2219/36159: Detachable or portable programming unit, display, pc, pda
- Y02P 90/30: Computing systems specially adapted for manufacturing
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- G05B: CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS (systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; systems for regulating electric or magnetic variables G05F; control devices or systems insofar as characterised by mechanical features only G05G)
- G08C: TRANSMISSION SYSTEMS FOR MEASURED VALUES, CONTROL OR SIMILAR SIGNALS (fluid pressure transmitting systems F15B; mechanical means for transferring the output of a sensing member into a different variable G01D5/00; mechanical control systems G05G)
- H04Q: SELECTING (switches, relays, selectors H01H; wireless communication networks H04W)
- Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS

## Abstract

A method for controlling a food handling system comprising a number of food production units by using an operator carried device. The method comprising: receiving process data by a server, wherein the process data is extracted from the food handling system, wherein the process data comprises parameter values captured via sensors provided in the food production units, requesting user input data by transmitting a user input data request to the operator carried device, receiving the user input data via the operator carried device, determining control data based on the process data and the user input data, transmitting the control data to the food production units, and updating settings in the food production units based on the control data.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for controlling a food handling system comprising a number of food production units by using an operator carried device, the method comprising:
receiving process data by a server, wherein the process data is extracted from the food handling system, wherein the process data comprises parameter values captured via sensors provided in the food production units,
requesting user input data by transmitting a user input data request to the operator carried device,
receiving the user input data via the operator carried device, the user input data comprising handwriting text features extracted from handwritten text,
comparing the handwriting text features of the user input data with handwriting text template features extracted from a handwriting text template to determine a match,
at a first time, responsive to the match being determined:
comparing the user input data with reference user input data,
at a second time, responsive to the user input data being within a predetermined input range associated to the reference user input data:
determining control data based on the process data and the user input data,
transmitting the control data to the food production units, and
updating settings in the food production units based on the control data, and
at a third time, responsive to the user input data being different from the predetermined input range associated to the reference user input data,
transmitting an alert to the user operator carried device indicating that the user input data is out of range, and
at a fourth time, responsive to the match not being determined, rejecting the user input data.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein the user input data comprises a package sample identification received via a code provided on a package sample by using a camera of the operator carried device.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, further comprising:
determining the user input data request based on the process data.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, further comprising:
at the first time, in response to the match being determined, receiving an operator identification corresponding to at least one of the handwriting text template features, wherein the operator identification is determined by using the operator carried device.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The method according to claim 4, wherein the operator identification is made by using biometric identification.

### Claim 6 (depends on 4)

The method according to claim 4, further comprising:
determining operator specific characteristics by using the operator identification and a historical user input database, and
adjusting the user input data request based on the operator specific characteristics.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprising:
capturing the handwritten text using the operator carried device; and
transforming the handwritten text to the user input data to extract the handwriting text features.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The method according to claim 7, wherein the method further comprising:
extracting the handwriting text features from the handwritten text of the user input data;
receiving the handwriting text template;
extracting the handwriting text template features from the handwriting text template; and
at the first time, responsive to the match being determined, requesting for operator identification corresponding to the handwriting text template features.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method according to claim 8, further comprising:
performing one or more modifications to the handwritten text;
confirming the modified handwritten text;
converting the modified handwritten text to digital text; and
storing the digital text on an onsite database for determining the control data based on the digital text, the user input data comprising the digital text.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The method according to claim 8, further comprising:
receiving the operator identification associated with a valid user in response to the handwriting text features matching one of the handwriting text template features associated with the valid user, and
in response to not receiving the operator identification, determining that the handwriting text features and the handwriting text template features do not match.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein requesting the user input data further comprises:
providing a user of the food handling system with a user guide; and
guiding the user, based on the user guide, through a process related to the user input data request.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein the operator carried device is a handheld device or a wearable device.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The method according to claim 12, wherein the operator carried device is the wearable device, and the method further comprises:
capturing the handwritten text using the wearable device, wherein the wearable device is configured to convert the handwritten text to digital text; and
storing the digital text to an onsite database for determining the control data based on the digital text, the user input data comprising the digital text.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein requesting the user input data is dynamically requested based on the process data, and
wherein the user input data fills an information gap formed by the process data or complements the process data.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein the number of food production units comprises at least one of packaging machines or processing lines, the number of food production units configured to process at least one of liquid food products and liquid food product packages.

### Claim 16 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein the user input data further comprises speech features extracted from user inputted speech, the reference user input data further comprises speech template features, and the match further comprises the speech features matching at least one of the speech template features.

### Claim 17 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, further comprising:
at the third time, responsive to the user input data being different from the predetermined input range associated to the reference user input data, automatically stopping the food handling system.

### Claim 18

A server configured to control a food handling system comprising a number of food production units, the server comprising:
a transceiver, a control circuit, and a memory,
wherein the transceiver is configured to:
receive process data, wherein the process data is extracted from the food handling system, and wherein the process data comprises parameter values captured via sensors provided in the food production units;
request user input data by transmitting a user input data request to an operator carried device;
receive the user input data from the operator carried device, the user input data comprising handwriting text features extracted from handwritten text;
transmit control data to the food production units;
compare the handwriting text features of the user input data with handwriting text template features extracted from a handwriting text template to determine a match; and
compare the user input data with reference user input data;
wherein the control circuit is configured to execute instructions stored in the memory, the instructions causing the control circuit to:
in response to the match being determined and to the user input data being within a predetermined input range associated to the reference user input data:
determine the control data based on the process data and the user input data; and
update settings in the food production units based on the control data;
in response to the match being determined and to the user input data being different from the predetermined input range associated to the reference input data, transmit an alert to the operator carried device indicating that the user input data is out of range, and
in response to the match not being determined, reject the user input data.