Wireless food safety monitor system

Abstract

A wireless system for monitoring food safety having a monitor adapted to be disposed within a refrigerator. The monitor has a thermometer for measuring the temperature of the food within a refrigerator and a clock operatively communicating with the thermometer. The clock counts a time interval during which the thermometer detects at least a predetermined temperature communicating with the monitor. A communication signal, broadcasts an occurrence of the elapsed time exceeding a predetermined value. A receiving station within the broadcast area of the monitor, receives the broadcast elapsed time data and causes the occurrence of the elapsed time data to be transmitted across a cellular network to a remote device.

What is claimed as new and is desired to be protected by Letters Patent of the United States is: 
     
         1 . A wireless system for monitoring food safety comprising:
 a monitor for monitoring a temperature within a refrigerator, the monitor having a thermometer for measuring a temperature within the refrigerator and a clock operatively communicating with the thermometer, the clock counting an elapsed time interval, during which the thermometer detects at least a predetermined temperature; and a transmitter communicating with the clock for broadcasting an occurrence of the elapsed time exceeding a predetermined value; and   a receiving station not disposed within the refrigerator, and disposed within a broadcast area of the monitor for receiving a broadcast occurrence of the elapsed time and transmitting the occurrence of the elapsed time to a remote portable device.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the receiving station includes a real time clock, the real time clock date and time stamping each broadcast received from the monitor. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the occurrence of the elapsed time is transmitting across a communication network. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the transmitter communicates with the thermometer and the receiving station polls the monitor at predetermined time intervals, the monitor transmitting temperature data to the receiving station in response to each poll. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein said receiving station determines whether the temperature data corresponds to a temperature above a predetermined temperature, and determines a time interval for an amount of time between a first poll and a successive poll for each poll resulting in a temperature above the predetermined temperature. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the receiving station date stamps each temperature data received at the receiving station and stores the temperature data and date and stamp; and transmits the temperature data and date and time stamp stored at the receiving station as a report to the remote portable device. 
     
     
         7 . The wireless system of  claim 1 , wherein the monitor determines at least one predetermined time interval and transmits the temperature of the food within a refrigerator to the receiving station at the end of each of the at least one predetermined time intervals. 
     
     
         8 . A system for monitoring food safety comprising:
 a monitor for monitoring a temperature within a refrigerator, the monitor having a thermometer for measuring a temperature within the refrigerator and a clock operatively communicating with the thermometer, the clock counting art elapsed time interval during which the thermometer detects at least a predetermined temperature;   a transmitter communicating with the clock and the thermometer for broadcasting at least one of the temperature and the elapsed time; and   a receiving station not disposed within the refrigerator, wirelessly communicating with the monitor and disposed within a broadcast area of the monitor for sending a poll to the monitor, the monitor transmitting at least one of the temperature and elapsed time in response to the poll.   
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the receiving station determines whether the temperature data corresponds to a temperature above a predetermined temperature, and determines a time interval for an amount of time between a first poll and a successive poll for each poll resulting in a temperature above the predetermined temperature. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the receiving station date stamps each temperature received at the receiving station and stores the temperature and date and time stamp, and transmits the temperature and date and time stamp stored at the receiving station as a report to a remote portable device. 
     
     
         11 . A method for determining whether food in a refrigerator has experienced unwanted temperatures comprising the steps of:
 placing a thermometer within a refrigerator;   providing an elapsed time clock in communication with the thermometer, the elapsed time clock counting an elapsed time during a time interval in which the thermometer measures a temperature above a predetermined temperature;   accumulating the elapsed time intervals, and outputting an alarm signal to a receiving station when the accumulated elapsed time exceeds a predetermined value; and   the receiving station being disposed within a broadcast area of the thermometer and clock, and transmitting the occurrence of the accumulated elapsed time to a remote portable device.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the receiving station date and time stamps each broadcast received from the clock. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising the step of transmitting the occurrence of the elapsed time to the remote portable device across a communications network. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising the step of the receiving station polls the thermometer at predetermined time intervals, the temperature being transmitted to the receiving station in response to each poll. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising the step of the receiving station polls the clock at predetermined intervals, the elapsed time being transmitted to the receiving station in response to each poll.