# US 2016/0249656 A1 · Popcorn popper > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2016/0249656 A1 - Document ID: US20160249656A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/807,001 - Filed: 2015-07-23 - Published: 2016-09-01 - Earliest claimed: 2015-02-26 - Assignees: Valley Popcorn Company, Inc. - Applicants: Valley Popcorn Company - Inventors: Dale M. Cherney; Richard D. Sorenson - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20160249656A1 ## CPC - A23L 7/187: Discontinuously-working apparatus - G05B 15/02: electric - A23L: FOODS, FOODSTUFFS OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; PREPARATION OR TREATMENT THEREOF (preservation thereof A23B) - 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) ## Abstract A popcorn popping machine which pops popcorn in batches/cycles. A sensor on a popcorn popping machine senses pops of popcorn in the kettle. A system computer controller monitors the rate of popping sensed by the sensor and uses the beginning of the decline in the rate of popping as a basis for controlling heat to the kettle during a given cycle/batch. Activation of the dump mechanism, which terminates the popping cycle/batch, is initiated when the computer controller detects a predetermined programmed minimum pop count rate after the heat has been turned OFF. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A popping system for popping popcorn, comprising: (a) a kettle adapted and configured to receive popcorn; (b) a heater adapted to heat said kettle; (c) an audio sensor positioned in sufficient proximity to said kettle to sense popping sounds of popcorn popping inside said kettle, said audio sensor generating a series of pop signals, where each pop signal represents a time when the sound of at least one kernel of popcorn popping is detected; and (d) a controller adapted and configured to receive information representative of respective such pop signals, to identify a sequence of popping rates over corresponding periods of time based on the pop signals so received, and to issue a heat control command to said heater based on changes in the popping rates. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A popping system as in claim 1 wherein said controller determines changes in the popping rates based on the pop signals, and issues the heat control command based on the determined popping rate changes. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) A popping system as in claim 1, further comprising a signal counter adapted to receive the pop signals sensed by said audio sensor and to count the number of pop signals, greater than 1, so received over a given sampling period of time, thus to generate sample counts, each sample count representing a number of pops counted over a respective such sampling period of time. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) A popping system as in claim 3 wherein a second such sampling period of time overlaps the first such sampling period of time. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) A popping system as in claim 3, further comprising count accumulation capability which stores the sample counts in electronic memory. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) A popping system as in claim 1 wherein said controller turns off heat to the kettle no later than when the popping rate reflects a persistent reduction in the number of pops occurring in the kettle. ### Claim 7 (depends on 3) A popping system as in claim 3 wherein said controller delays issuing the heat control command to the kettle until the number of counts in at least second and third sample counts are less than the number of counts in a first sample count, where all sample counts are taken in periods of time which are substantially equal in length. ### Claim 8 (depends on 3) A popping system as in claim 3 wherein said controller delays issuing the heat control command to the kettle until the number of counts, collectively, in second and third sample counts is less than the number of counts, collectively in a first sample count and the second sample count, and wherein all such counts are taken over periods of time which are substantially equal in length. ### Claim 9 (depends on 3) A popping system as in claim 3 wherein said controller ignores transient reductions in sample count. ### Claim 10 (depends on 3) A popping system as in claim 3 wherein said controller discriminates between temporary reductions in sample count, and persistent reduction in sample count to cessation of counting associated with dumping popped popcorn from the kettle. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) A popping system as in claim 1 wherein said heater is an induction heater which is a separate and distinct element, not part of the kettle. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) A popping system as in claim 1 wherein said kettle is free from power cabling to the extent that said kettle can be moved and dumped without moving any power cabling. ### Claim 13 (depends on 3) A popping system as in claim 3, using multiple sampling periods of time, wherein the sampling periods overlap each other. ### Claim 14 A control system adapted and configured to control operation of a popcorn popper, said popcorn popper including a heated kettle, said control system comprising: (a) an audio sensor positioned in sufficient proximity to the kettle to sense popping sounds of popcorn popping inside the kettle, said audio sensor generating a series of pop signals, where each pop signal represents a time when the sound of at least one kernel of popcorn popping is detected; (b) a signal counter adapted to receive the pop signals sensed by said audio sensor and to count the number of pop signals so received over a given sampling period of time, thus to generate sample counts, each sample count representing a number of pops counted over a respective such sampling period of time, said sample counts being stored in an electronic memory; and (c) a programmable computer controller, having a processor and a memory, said programmable computer controller being programmed, and thus being specifically adapted and configured, to compare the sample count in a first such sample taken over a first such sampling period of time with the sample count in a second subsequent such sample taken over a second such sampling period of time. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) A control system as in claim 14 wherein the second such sampling period of time overlaps the first such sampling period of time. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) A control system as in claim 14, further comprising a count accumulator which stores the sample counts in the electronic memory. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) A control system as in claim 14 wherein said programmable computer controller issues a heat control command, turning off heat to the kettle, no later than when the sample counts reflect a persistent reduction in the number of pops occurring in the kettle. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) A control system as in claim 17 wherein said programmable computer controller delays issuing the heat control command, turning off heat to the kettle, until the number of counts in at least second and third sample counts are less than the number of counts in a first sample count, where all such sample counts are taken over periods of time which are substantially equal in length. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) A control system as in claim 17 wherein said programmable computer controller delays turning off the heat to the kettle until the number of counts, collectively, in second and third sample counts is less than the number of counts, collectively, in a first sample count and the second sample count, where all such sample counts are taken over periods of time which are substantially equal in length. ### Claim 20 (depends on 14) A control system as in claim 14 wherein said programmable computer controller ignores transient reductions in sample count. ### Claim 21 (depends on 14) A control system as in claim 14 wherein said programmable computer controller discriminates between temporary reductions in sample count, and persistent and substantial reduction in sample count to a cessation of counting associated with dumping popped popcorn from the kettle. ### Claim 22 (depends on 14) A control system as in claim 14, using multiple sampling periods of time, wherein the sampling periods overlap each other. ### Claim 23 A control system adapted and configured to control operation of a popcorn popper, said popcorn popper including a heated kettle, said control system comprising: (a) an audio sensor positioned in sufficient proximity to the kettle to sense popping sounds of popcorn popping inside the kettle, said audio sensor generating a series of pop signals where each pop signal represents a time when the sound of at least one kernel of popcorn popping is detected; (b) a signal timer adapted to receive the pop signals from said audio sensor, where each pop signal represents a time when the sound of one kernel of popcorn popping is detected, said signal timer determining at least one of (i) time periods between such pop signals, and (ii) time periods over which sets of such pop signals are received, the time periods for at least one of (i) receiving respective ones of the pop signals, or (ii) receiving sets of sequential pop signals being stored in an electronic memory; and (c) a programmable computer controller having a processor and a memory, said programmable computer controller being programmed, and thus being specifically adapted and configured (iii) to compare the time periods between at least one of A. respective sequential ones of the pop signals, or B. respective sets of sequential ones of the pop signals, thereby to identify a sequence of popping rates over corresponding sampling periods of time, and (iv) to issue a heat control command to said heater based on changes in the popping rates so identified. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) A control system as in claim 23 wherein the popping rates are collected over periods of time which overlap each other. ### Claim 25 (depends on 23) A control system as in claim 23 wherein the popping rates are stored in electronic memory. ### Claim 26 (depends on 23) A control system as in claim 23 wherein said programmable computer controller issues the heat control command turning off heat to the kettle based on such changes in the popping rates so identified. ### Claim 27 (depends on 23) A control system as in claim 23 wherein said programmable computer controller issues the heat control command, turning off heat to the kettle, no later than when the popping rate reflects a persistent increase in the timing between pops in the kettle. ### Claim 28 (depends on 23) A control system as in claim 23 wherein said programmable computer controller delays issuing the heat control command, turning off the heat to the kettle, until the popping rate in at least second and third sets, collectively, of pop signals is less than the popping rate in a first set of pop signals. ### Claim 29 (depends on 23) A control system as in claim 23 wherein said programmable computer controller delays issuing the heat control command, turning off the heat to the kettle, until the popping rates in second and third sets, collectively, of pop signals is less than the popping rates in a first set and the second set, collectively, of pop signals. ### Claim 30 (depends on 23) A control system as in claim 23 wherein said programmable computer controller ignores transient reductions in the popping rate. ### Claim 31 (depends on 23) A control system as in claim 23 wherein said programmable computer discriminates between temporary reductions in popping rate, and persistent and substantial reduction in popping rate to a cessation of popping associated with dumping popped popcorn from the kettle.