Inference electronic shelf life dating system for perishables

Abstract

A shelf life inference system comprising a container for a plurality of items. The container has coupled to it a tracker operative to read the ID label on each item and to track the exit from and the return to the container of each item separately and to calculate the freshness status of each item upon return to the container.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for tracking the freshness state of each of a plurality of perishables associated with a container, comprising an ID label attached to each of said perishables, a tracking device, being responsive to the movement of an ID label exiting or entering a container for updating the shelf life data for the Perishable corresponding to said ID label, said tracking device comprising software operative to calculate the time away from and shelf life used for a perishable while away said container. 
     
     
         2 . A system as in  claim 1 , wherein said container has an access door. 
     
     
         3 . A system as in  claim 1 , wherein said container is a liner. 
     
     
         4 . A system as in  claim 1 , wherein said container is a shelf, case, pallet, vat, reefer, refrigerator, display case or room 
     
     
         5 . A system as in  claim 1 , wherein shelf life monitoring of perishables inside of the container is by zone location. 
     
     
         6 . A system as in  claim 1 , wherein said plurality of perishables associated with the container have varying shelf lives. 
     
     
         7 . A system as in  claim 1 , wherein shelf life calculation for the plurality of perishables is represented as a percentage of life “-left” and “-used” and is based upon the life of the perishable as starting at 100 and ending at 0, the use-by end of life of the perishable. 
     
     
         8 . A system as in  claim 7  wherein the end of life is the perishable's “after when opened” date. 
     
     
         9 . A system for monitoring the shelf life of a plurality of perishables as described in  claim 1  wherein the calculation of shelf life is based upon freshness determining tables and wherein the data in the tables are determined using either Arrhenius kinetics or shelf life calculations that are linear, exponential or experiential. 
     
     
         10 . A system as in  claim 1 , wherein the ID label attached to each perishable is a barcode, QRcode, NFC label, RFID label, price lookup label (PLU) or picture used in the perishable's marketing label. 
     
     
         11 . A system as in  claim 1 , wherein said tracking device is attached to said container. 
     
     
         12 . A system as in  claim 1 , wherein said tracking device is remote from said container. 
     
     
         13 . A system as in  claim 1 , wherein said tracking device is an RFID, NFC, low power Bluetooth or wireless sensor label which monitors temperature. 
     
     
         14 . A system as in  claim 13 , wherein said tracking device monitors temperature and calculates shelf life used and shelf life left. 
     
     
         15 . A system as in  claim 13 , wherein said tracking device monitors humidity, vibration, shock and other environmental conditions. 
     
     
         16 . A system as in  claim 1 , wherein tracking device comprises a cell phone and tracking device being operative to store shelf life for each of said items and/or updating sid data responsive to the exit from or the return to said container. 
     
     
         17 . A system as in  claim 1 , wherein said tracking device comprises an RFID UHF, RFID HF, NFC, low power Bluetooth, wireless or infrared reader. 
     
     
         18 . A system as in  claim 1  wherein the ID, temperature, shelf life and exit time of the perishable exiting said container is sent by the tracking device to a cloud database. 
     
     
         19 . A system as in  claim 1  wherein the ID, temperature, entry time and the inferred shelf life used while the perishable was away from the container is sent by the tracking device to a cloud database. 
     
     
         20 . A system as in  claim 1  wherein a confidence factor is calculated by the tracking device reflecting the confidence in the accuracy of the temperature used to calculate the inferred shelf life used. 
     
     
         21 . A system as in  claim 1  wherein the inferred shelf life used during the perishable's time away from the container can be calculated by a remote tracking device. 
     
     
         22 . A system as in  claim 1  wherein a confidence factor is calculated each time a perishables' shelf life used is inferred by a tracking device. 
     
     
         23 . A system as in  claim 1  wherein a visual or audible display can signal and alert when a perishable departs or enters a container. 
     
     
         24 . A method for monitoring the shelf life of a plurality of perishables associated with a container, each with an ID label, wherein during one segment of the perishables' life, the plurality of perishables are temperature and shelf life monitored, during another segment of their life they are removed from the temperature and shelf life monitored container and during another segment of their life they are returned to a temperature and shelf life monitored container, comprising attaching an ID label to each of said items, placing the plurality of items in a temperature and shelf life monitored container, coupling to the container a tracking device responsive to monitoring temperature and shelf life while in the container, recording the temperature, time of exit and shelf life left upon exiting the container, responsive to monitoring the temperature of the perishables upon return to a monitored container, calculating time away from a monitored container and calculating an inferred shelf life used while away from a monitored container. 
     
     
         25 . A method for monitoring the shelf life of a plurality of perishables as described in  claim 24  wherein the shelf life calculation is represented as a percentage of life left and used based upon the life of the perishable as starting at 100 and ending at 0, the use-by end of life of the perishable. 
     
     
         26 . A method for monitoring shelf life as described in  claim 25  whereby the end of life is the perishable's “after when opened” date. 
     
     
         27 . A method for monitoring the shelf life of a plurality of perishables as described in  claim 24  wherein the calculation of shelf life is based upon freshness determining tables and wherein the data in the tables are determined using either Arrhenius kinetics or shelf life calculations that are linear, exponential or experiential. 
     
     
         28 . A method for monitoring the shelf life of a plurality of perishables as described in  claim 24  wherein a confidence factor is applied to the inferred shelf life used calculation for the time the perishable is away from the monitored container. 
     
     
         29 . A method for monitoring the shelf life of a plurality of perishable as described in  claim 24  wherein said shelf life left calculation is used to discount products whose shelf life left is below a specified amount. 
     
     
         30 . A method for monitoring the shelf life of a plurality of perishables as described in  claim 24  wherein the user can track inventory of perishables and their shelf lives in their cupboards or refrigerators.