Intelligent monitoring and control system for dispensed chilled food product devices

Abstract

A dispenser system chills viscous edible compositions. The dispensing system may have: a storage system for viscous edible compositions; a composition moving system; a composition chilling system; a cooling system; an electromechanical system control component; an electrical system providing power to the dispensing system components; an electrical communication among the electrical system and dispensing system components; a sensor for detecting at least one performance attribute on the moving system, the chilling system, the cooling system and the control system; the sensor providing signals to electronic hardware; the electronic hardware registering sensor signals with a time stamp; and the electronic hardware configured to perform data analysis on the time-stamped signals to direct and record specified undesirable performance in the dispensing system.

1 . A dispensing system for a chilled viscous edible composition, the dispensing system comprising:
 a storage container for the viscous edible composition;   a composition moving system;   a composition chilling system;   a cooling system;   an electromechanical system control component for assisting in composition moving;   an electrical input system for providing power to the composition moving system(s), chilling system(s), cooling system and system control component;   an electrical communication network among the electrical input system and the composition moving system(s) chilling system, cooling system and system control component;   at least one sensor selected from the group consisting of
 a) a sensor for detecting at least one performance attribute that occurs during movement of the composition by the composition moving system; 
 b) a sensor for detecting at least one performance attribute that occurs during chilling of the composition by the chilling system; 
 c) a sensor for detecting at least one performance attribute that occurs during cooling of the system by the cooling system; and 
 d) a sensor for detecting at least one performance attribute that occurs during control of the system by the control system; 
   the at least one sensor providing signals to electronic hardware;   
       wherein the electronic hardware is configured to perform data analysis on the time-stamped signals derive to detecting and recording specified undesirable performance of the dispensing system; and a controller in operational control communication with at least the electromechanical system control component for assisting in composition moving and the electrical input system for providing power to the composition moving system(s), chilling system(s), cooling system and system control component, and wherein
 the controller is configured to automatically receive the at least one performance attributes and send command signals to at least the electromechanical system control component for assisting in composition moving or the electrical input system for providing power to the composition moving system(s), chilling system(s), cooling system and system control component to alter performance of the electromechanical system control component for assisting in composition moving or the electrical input system for providing power to the composition moving system(s), chilling system(s), cooling system. 
 
     
     
         2 . The dispensing system of  claim 1  wherein the electronic hardware configured to perform data analysis on a time-stamped signals derive to detecting and recording specified undesirable performance of a chilling system. 
     
     
         3 . The dispensing system of  claim 1  wherein the electronic hardware configured to perform data analysis on time-stamped signals derive to detecting and recording specified undesirable performance of a cooling system. 
     
     
         4 . The dispensing system of  claim 1  wherein the sensor provides a signal with respect to energy usage rate of the composition moving system and the energy usage rate is derived from the signal for evaluation of performance of that energy usage rate. 
     
     
         5 . The dispensing system of  claim 1  wherein the sensor detects vibrations in the composition moving system. 
     
     
         6 . The dispensing system of  claim 1  wherein voltage sensors and/or current sensors, or derived evaluations of signals communicate through wireless transmission to a logic system and/or memory storage have been retrofit into the dispensing system previously lacking voltage sensors and/or current sensors communicating through wireless transmission to a logic system and/or memory storage. 
     
     
         7 . A method of identifying levels of performance in the edible chilled food dispensing system of  claim 1  comprising:
 a) chilling and cooling edible dispensable compositions. 
 b) moving the dispensable compositions within the system; 
 c) sensing at least one performance attribute of the dispensing system; 
 d) sending a signal of the at least one performance attribute to a logic analyzer; 
 e) the logic analyzer determining a quality indication from the signal of the at least one performance attribute; 
 f) providing an indication to a user of the edible food dispensing system of a predetermined level of insufficient performance in the at least one performance attribute and 
 
       wherein the controller enables a touchscreen input of commands to the dispensing system to alter performance levels, and upon receipt of commands at the touchscreen, performance levels of the dispensing system are altered consistent with the commands. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7  wherein the electronic hardware performs data analysis on a time-stamped signal to detect and record specified undesirable performance of a chilling system. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7  wherein the electronic hardware performs data analysis on a time-stamped signal to detect and record specified undesirable performance of a cooling system. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 7  wherein at least one sensor detects energy usage rate of the composition moving system. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 7  wherein the sensor detects vibrations in the composition moving system. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 7  wherein in a dispensing system previously lacking voltage sensors and/or current sensors or derived evaluations of sensed signals are communicate through wireless transmission to a logic system and/or memory storage, voltage sensors and/or current sensors communicating through wireless transmission to a logic system and/or memory storage are retrofit into the dispensing system so as to transmit electric hardware performance data to a logic system. 
     
     
         13 . A process of chilling, thickening and dispensing chilled edible materials comprising:
 chilling, stifling and temporarily storing edible materials within a [closed] system;   dispensing chilled edible materials;   a sensor sensing power usage within the system at at least one power usage component within the system;   sending signals from the sensor to a logic device;   identifying a status or change in at least one parameter selected from the group consisting of power usage, parts speed, resistance, flow rate, binary switching state by the at least one power usage component;   correlating identified status or change in the at least one parameter to operational or performance of the system; and   identifying a deficiency in the operation and/or performance of the system by outputting a signal identifying the deficiency;   
       wherein a controller automatically sends commands to components within the system to alter operation and/or performance of components to improve identified deficiencies. 
     
     
         14 . The process of  claim 13  wherein a sensor directly reads and time stamps binary state data on at least one components selected from the group consisting of switches, contactors and solenoids 
     
     
         15 . The dispensing system of  claim 1  wherein the sensor identifies a state of binary switching in at least one component of the system. 
     
     
         16 . The dispensing system of  claim 1  wherein the dispensing system has at least one component selected from the group consisting of:
 a) a processor or other hardware that directly reads information provided from at least one sensor; 
 b) an electronic element that provides information derived from information read from at least one sensor to a second processor, the provided information selected from the group consisting of
 1. a total amount of time the system or individual components of the system have been in use; 
 2. an amount of total time the system has been actually dispensing material; 
 3. a total and/or individual volume of chilled edible material dispensed; 
 4. mean time between failures on individual components or routine maintenance procedures; 
 5. a user interface enabling user input to a monitoring system or control system for the dispensing system, the user interface allowing modification of operation parameters in response to information provided as information of b)1), b)2), b)3) and/or b)4); 
 
 c) a thin client interface enabling distal user interaction to a monitoring system or control system for the dispensing system via at least one communication network comprising Ethernet, Wi-Fi, USB, or hardwire connection; 
 d) the processor in communication with a user interface to present image data to present 
 
       derived information enabling visual display of real time operational parameters of the machine or historical data of operational parameters of the dispensing system and/or components thereof.
 e) the processor configured to generate a user interface; 
 f) the processor configured to generate real-time and/or historic data in a document format; 
 g) an operation monitoring and operation control system configured to control peripherals directly attached to the dispensing system; 
 h) an operation monitoring and operation control system retrofitted on a dispensing system having an overridable second control system original to the retrofitted dispensing system; 
 i) an operation monitoring and operation control system configured to communicate with a remote server via an external communication channel; 
 j) the monitoring and control system of i) configured to accept download of software from the remote server; 
 k) a user interface associated at a site with the dispensing system configured to communicate with a remote server to request current and/or historic data, direct or derived about a specific machine and/or site; 
 l) a remote server in information communication with a processor for a dispensing system at a site where the dispensing system is present, the remote server configured to generate CGI web pages that show real-time and/or historic direct and derived data to a user; 
 
     
     
         17 . A dispensing system for a chilled viscous edible composition, the dispensing system comprising:
 a storage container for the viscous edible composition;   a composition moving system;   a composition chilling system;   a cooling system;   an electromechanical system control component for assisting in composition moving;   an electrical input system for providing power to the composition moving system(s), chilling system(s), cooling system and system control component;   an electrical communication network among the electrical input system and the composition moving system(s) chilling system, cooling system and system control component;   a sensor for detecting at least one performance attribute that occurs during movement of the composition by the composition moving system;   a sensor for detecting at least one performance attribute that occurs during chilling of the composition by the chilling system;   a sensor for detecting at least one performance attribute that occurs during cooling of the system by the cooling system;   a sensor for detecting at least one performance attribute that occurs during control of the system by the control system;   the sensors providing signals to electronic hardware;   the electronic hardware configured to perform data analysis on the time-stamped signals derive to detecting and recording specified undesirable performance of the dispensing system; and a controller in operational control communication with at least the electromechanical system control component for assisting in composition moving and the electrical input system for providing power to the composition moving system(s), chilling system(s), cooling system and system control component, wherein   the controller is configured to automatically receive the at least one performance attributes and send command signals to at least the electromechanical system control component for assisting in composition moving or the electrical input system for providing power to the composition moving system(s), chilling system(s), cooling system and system control component to alter performance of the electromechanical system control component for assisting in composition moving or the electrical input system for providing power to the composition moving system(s), chilling system(s), cooling system.   
     
     
         18 . A method of retrofitting a first dispensing system for a chilled viscous edible composition, the first dispensing system comprising:
 a storage container for the viscous edible composition;   a composition moving system;   a composition chilling system;   a cooling system;   an electromechanical system control component for assisting in composition moving;   an electrical input system for providing power to the composition moving system(s), chilling system(s), cooling system and system control component;   an electrical communication network among the electrical input system and the composition moving system(s) chilling system, cooling system and a first system control board;   the method comprising:
 d) removing the first system control board; 
 e) adding at least one sensor to the first dispensing system, the at least one sensor selected from the group consisting of
 i) a sensor for detecting at least one performance attribute that occurs during movement of the composition by the composition moving system; 
 ii) a sensor for detecting at least one performance attribute that occurs during chilling of the composition by the chilling system; 
 iii) a sensor for detecting at least one performance attribute that occurs during cooling of the system by the cooling system; and 
 iv) a sensor for detecting at least one performance attribute that occurs during control of the system by the control system; 
 
   the at least one sensor providing signals to electronic hardware;
 f) installing a second system control board comprising electronic hardware to replace the first system control board, 
   
       wherein the electronic hardware is configured to perform data analysis on the time-stamped signals derive to detecting and recording specified undesirable performance of the dispensing system; and a controller in operational control communication with at least the electromechanical system control component for assisting in composition moving and the electrical input system for providing power to the composition moving system(s), chilling system(s), cooling system and system control component, and wherein
 the controller is configured to automatically receive the at least one performance attributes and send command signals to at least the electromechanical system control component for assisting in composition moving or the electrical input system for providing power to the composition moving system(s), chilling system(s), cooling system and system control component to alter performance of the electromechanical system control component for assisting in composition moving or the electrical input system for providing power to the composition moving system(s), chilling system(s), cooling system. 
 
     
     
         19 . The process of  claim 18  wherein further additional components are installed in the first dispensing system, the additional components selected from the group consisting of a display module with circuit board, barrel monitor circuit board, at least one temperature probe, a current transformer and a pressure transducer.