# US 2016/0253084 A1 · Food management system

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- Number: US 2016/0253084 A1
- Document ID: US20160253084A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 15/055,346
- Filed: 2016-02-26
- Published: 2016-09-01
- Earliest claimed: 2013-08-27
- Assignees: Duke Manufacturing Co.
- Applicants: Duke Manufacturing Co.
- Inventors: Canyon DeVille; Joshua Lee Loy; Ord Lief Delaney; Norman J. Bernard; Anthony Horton
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20160253084A1

## CPC

- G06F 3/04847: Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
- G05B 15/02: electric
- G06F 3/0481: based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
- G06F 3/04886: by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
- G06Q 10/087: Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
- G06Q 10/08776: {by management of storage life of perishable or hazardous products}
- G06Q 30/06: Buying, selling or leasing transactions
- G06Q 50/12: Hotels or restaurants
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- 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)
- 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

## Abstract

Systems and methods for managing food processing and inventory. Food inventory held at food holding locations can be monitored. Food can be transferred among holding locations and served from holding locations. A prioritized food type list indicates food types to be processed and lists food types in order of determined priority. Food may be transferred to default destination holding locations. Food may be moved to and served from primary holding locations. Buttons associated with holding location displays can be actuated by different types of user engagement for executing various food management operations.

## Claims

### Claim at position 1

1-24. (canceled)

### Claim 25

A food management system for managing food in a food holding apparatus having a plurality of holding locations, the food management system including
a food management controller configured for monitoring a status of the plurality of holding locations,
a user interface including a plurality of holding location displays associated with respective holding locations for displaying information associated with the holding locations, the holding location displays being arranged in an array corresponding to an arrangement of the respective holding locations, the holding location displays being positioned in the array corresponding to positions of the respective holding locations in the arrangement, each holding location display including a touch sensitive area defining a button that can be actuated by at least a first type of user engagement with the button,
a tangible storage medium having food management controller executable instructions stored therein, said instructions, when executed by the food management controller, displaying on each holding location display information associated with the status of the respective holding location, the tangible storage medium storing food management controller executable instructions for executing a first operation in response to the first type of user engagement with the button when a first holding location status is displayed on the holding location display and for executing a second operation different than the first operation in response to the first type of user engagement with the button when a second holding location status is displayed on the holding location display.

### Claim 26 (depends on 25)

A food management control system as set forth in claim 25 wherein the first displayed holding location status represents no food is held at the holding location.

### Claim 27 (depends on 26)

A food management control system as set forth in claim 26 wherein the first operation executed by the first engagement is the food management processor recording in the tangible storage medium an amount of food as being held at the respective holding location.

### Claim 28 (depends on 25)

A food management control system as set forth in claim 25 wherein the second displayed holding location status represents food is held at the holding location.

### Claim 29 (depends on 28)

A food management control system as set forth in claim 28 wherein the second operation executed by the first engagement is the food management processor transferring association of an amount of food held at the holding location to a different holding location.

### Claim 30 (depends on 25)

A food management control system as set forth in claim 25 wherein the second displayed holding location status represents an expired hold time associated with the respective holding location.

### Claim 31 (depends on 30)

A food management control system as set forth in claim 30 wherein the second operation executed by the first engagement is the food management processor changing the holding location status to represent no food is held at the holding location.

### Claim 32 (depends on 30)

A food management control system as set forth in claim 30 wherein the operation executed by the first engagement is the food management processor recording as waste in the tangible storage medium an amount of food last held at the holding location.

### Claim 33 (depends on 25)

A food management control system as set forth in claim 25 wherein the tangible storage medium includes food management controller executable instructions for executing a third operation in response to the first type of user engagement with the button when a third holding location status is displayed on the holding location display.

### Claim 34 (depends on 33)

A food management control system as set forth in claim 33 wherein the third displayed holding location status represents an expired hold time associated with the respective holding location.

### Claim 35 (depends on 25)

A food management control system as set forth in claim 25 wherein the button includes a boundary substantially coextensive with the holding location display.

### Claim 36 (depends on 25)

A food management control system as set forth in claim 25 wherein the button includes a boundary indicated on the holding location display by a border.

### Claim 37 (depends on 25)

A food management control system as set forth in claim 25 wherein the holding location display displays information representative of the status of the holding location in the touch sensitive area of the holding location display defining the button.

### Claim 38 (depends on 37)

A food management control system as set forth in claim 37 wherein an appearance of the button when the first holding location status is displayed on the holding location display is substantially the same as an appearance of the button when the second holding location status is displayed on the holding location display except for updating of displayed information representative of the status of the holding location in the touch sensitive area of the holding location display defining the button.

### Claim 39 (depends on 37)

A food management control system as set forth in claim 37 wherein the holding location display displays at least one indicator representative of status of the respective holding location in the touch sensitive area of the holding location display defining the button, the at least one indicator including at least one of a food amount indicator representing an amount of food held at the respective holding location, a food hold time indicator representing a time food has been held at the respective holding location, and a food type indicator indicating a type of food held at the respective holding location.

### Claim 40 (depends on 37)

A food management control system as set forth in claim 37 wherein the holding location display displays at least two indicators representative of a status of the respective holding location in the touch sensitive area of the holding location display defining the button, the at least two indicators including at least two of a food amount indicator representing an amount of food held at the respective holding location, a food hold time indicator representing a time food has been held at the respective holding location, and a food type indicator indicating a type of food held at the respective holding location.

### Claim 41 (depends on 37)

A food management control system as set forth in claim 37 wherein the holding location display displays at least three indicators representative of status of the respective holding location in the touch sensitive area of the holding location display defining the button, the at least three indicators including a food amount indicator representing an amount of food held at the respective holding location, a food hold time indicator representing a time food has been held at the respective holding location, and a food type indicator indicating a type of food held at the respective holding location.

### Claim 42 (depends on 25)

A food management control system as set forth in claim 25 wherein the holding location display displays only information representative of the status of the holding location in the touch sensitive area of the holding location display defining the button.

### Claim 43 (depends on 25)

A food management control system as set forth in claim 25 wherein the touch sensitive area of the holding location display defining the button is free of any indicator indicating an operation executed in response to the first type of user engagement with the button.

### Claim 44

A computer executable method for use with food holding apparatus having a plurality of holding locations, the method including
providing a user interface including a plurality of holding location displays associated with respective holding locations for displaying information associated with the holding locations, the holding location displays being arranged in an array corresponding to an arrangement of the respective holding locations, the holding location displays being positioned in the array corresponding to positions of the respective holding locations in the arrangement, each holding location display including a touch sensitive area defining a button that can be actuated by at least a first type of user engagement with the button,
displaying on each holding location display information associated with the status of the respective holding location,
executing, with a food management controller, a first operation in response to the first type of user engagement with the button when a first holding location status is displayed on the holding location display, and
executing, with the food management controller, a second operation different than the first operation in response to the first type of user engagement with the button when a second holding location status is displayed on the holding location display.