En route food product preparation
AssigneeCongruens Group, LLC
InventorsJoshua Gouled Goldberg, Alexander John Garden, Vaibhav Goel, Tookie Graham
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Technologies are generally described for en route food product preparation. Food product preparation process steps and timing may be determined based on travel information (e.g., starting point, intermediate waypoints, delivery destination, routes, etc.), as well as, food item and food product information. Instructions for robotic devices arranged modularly in a container or truck to execute steps of the food product preparation process and their timing may be transmitted to a controller managing the operations of the robotic devices. Instructions may be updated en route based on changing travel or other conditions.
Claims22
A method for en route food product preparation, the method comprising:
- providing a vehicle comprising:
- a cargo area defined by a first side wall and a second side wall;
- a plurality of modules disposed within the cargo area and configured to provide an environment for preparation of food items, the plurality of modules comprising a first module disposed against the first side wall and a second module disposed against the second side wall, each module from the plurality of modules having at least one unit of autonomous food preparation equipment;
- a rail extending along a length of the cargo area between the first module and the second module;
- and
- a transfer robot selectively movable along the rail and configured to transfer food items between the first module and the second module;
- receiving travel information for the vehicle via an on-board control system;
- receiving, via the on-board control system, food items information and food product information associated with a food product to be prepared in the cargo area using the plurality of modules and the transfer robot selectively movable along the rail;
- determining, via the on-board control system, one or more steps and a timing for a process to prepare the food product based on the travel information, the food items information, and the food product information;
- performing, using the on-board control system, the determined one or more steps according to the timing using the units of autonomous food preparation equipment, the transfer robot, and the plurality of modules, such that the food product is prepared when the vehicle reaches a delivery destination;
- moving the transfer robot along the rail to transfer food between modules in the plurality of modules,
- wherein the transfer robot is controlled by the on-board control system using at least one optical sensor and a machine-vision algorithm;
- receiving updated travel information for the vehicle while the vehicle is en route to the delivery destination at the on-board control system;
- and
- controlling, via the on-board control system and without a human operator, at least one of the units of autonomous food preparation equipment and the transfer robot selectively movable along the rail in response to the updated travel information and an estimated time for the vehicle to reach the delivery destination.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.