Networked food preparation apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12418435-B2
Application number	US-202117906096-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 18, 2021
Priority date	Mar 18, 2020
Publication date	Sep 16, 2025
Grant date	Sep 16, 2025

Abstract

A kitchen network system comprising a plurality of food preparation apparatuses. Each of the food preparation apparatuses has a physical data bus, a single board computer, and an input/output (I/O) circuit communicatively coupled to the processor via the physical data bus. The single board computer comprises a processor that generates a control signal for controlling an operation of the food preparation apparatus and communicates the control signal on the physical data bus according to a publish/subscribe message-based protocol. In addition, the processor transmits and receives data for provisioning the single board computer to a wireless mesh network and connects the provisioned single board computer as a node on the wireless mesh network. The I/O circuit is responsive to the control signal for driving one or more components of the food preparation apparatus to perform the operation.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a plurality of food preparation apparatuses, each of the food preparation apparatuses comprising:
a physical data bus;
a single board computer communicatively coupled to the physical data bus, comprising:
a processor,
a built-in antenna configured to enable the processor to communicate on a wireless mesh network, wherein the mesh network comprises a plurality of nodes and the single board computer is one of the nodes of the mesh network, and
a memory communicatively coupled to the processor, the memory storing processor-executable instructions that, when executed, configure the processor to:
generate a control signal for controlling an operation of the food preparation apparatus,
communicate the control signal on the physical data bus according to a publish/subscribe message-based protocol;
transmit and receive data, via the antenna, for provisioning the single board computer to the wireless mesh network, wherein the single board computer validates the provisioning by authenticating a network key stored in the memory to secure access for generating the control signal, and
connect the provisioned single board computer to the wireless mesh network as one of the nodes of the mesh network; and

an input/output (I/O) circuit communicatively coupled to the processor via the physical data bus and configured to receive the control signal therefrom, the I/O circuit responsive to the control signal for driving one or more components of the food preparation apparatus to perform the operation.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the message-based protocol by which the single board computer and the I/O circuit communicate on the physical data bus is a Controller Area Network (CAN) protocol.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the single board computer comprises a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) device and the mesh network comprises a Bluetooth mesh network.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the single board computer is coupled to a cloud service via a virtual data bus.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the memory further stores processor-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, transmit and receive data, via the antenna, for communicatively coupling the single board computer to the virtual data bus.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more components of the food preparation apparatus comprises at least one of: a convection fan motor, a vent fan, and a water valve.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the food preparation apparatus comprises a relay circuit coupled to the I/O circuit, the relay circuit associated with the one or more components of the food preparation apparatus and configured to switch on and off the one or more components responsive to the control signal from the processor.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the food preparation apparatus comprises a touchscreen coupled to the single board computer and configured for interaction with a user thereof.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the single board computer is responsive to user input received via the touchscreen to generate the control signal.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the I/O circuit outputs data representative of a state of the food preparation apparatus and the single board computer is responsive thereto to generate the control signal.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the food preparation apparatus comprises one or more sensors coupled to the I/O circuit, the one or more sensors detecting information regarding the state of the one or more components of the food preparation apparatus.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the one or more sensors comprises at least one of: a cavity temperature sensor, an ambient temperature sensor, an air inlet temperature sensor, a voltage detection sensor, and a current sensor.

13. A commercial kitchen system comprising:
a plurality of food preparation apparatuses, each of the food preparation apparatuses comprising:
a physical data bus;
a single board computer communicatively coupled to the physical data bus comprising:
a processor,
a built-in antenna configured to enable the processor to communicate on a Bluetooth mesh network, wherein the mesh network comprises a plurality of nodes and the single board computer is one of the nodes of the mesh network, and
a memory communicatively coupled to the processor, the memory storing processor-executable instructions that, when executed, configure the processor to:
generate a control signal for controlling an operation of the food preparation apparatus,
transmit and receive data, via the antenna, for provisioning the single board computer to Bluetooth mesh network, wherein the single board computer validates the provisioning by authenticating a network key stored in the memory to secure access for generating the control signal, and
connect the provisioned single board computer to the mesh network as one of the nodes of the mesh network; and

a portable computing device coupled to a cloud service and to the mesh network, wherein the portable computing device is another one of the nodes of the mesh network, and wherein the cloud service includes a database storing information associated with the food preparation apparatuses on the mesh network.

14. The commercial kitchen system of claim 13 , wherein the cloud service comprises a cloud-based kitchen management system.

15. The commercial kitchen system of claim 13 , wherein the information stored in the database comprises identifier data relating to at least one of: a site, a controller, and an input/output (I/O) board.

16. The commercial kitchen system of claim 15 , wherein the identifier data stored in the database is cross-referenced with at least one of: a product warranty, service part availability, and service history.

Assignees

• Duke Mfg Co

Inventors

• Wann Benjamin Kingbay
• Deville Canyon

Classifications

• H04W84/18

  Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks · CPC title

• H04L2012/4026

  Bus for use in automation systems · CPC title

• H04L2012/40215

  Controller Area Network CAN · CPC title

• H04L2012/2841

  Wireless · CPC title

• H04L12/40

  Bus networks · CPC title