Geo-fence enabled system, apparatus, and method for outdoor cooking and smoking

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018125296-A1
Application number	US-201715719089-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 28, 2017
Priority date	Nov 9, 2016
Publication date	May 10, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

An outdoor system for cooking and/or smoking food in which a smart phone, remote or other hand-held wireless device can be used to start the cooking and/or smoking unit. To allow the unit to he started remotely, or to permit one or more other operations to he remotely activated, the system first determines whether the hand-held device is within a predetermined geo-fence boundary distance of the cooking an or smoking unit and/or determines whether one or more other status criteria are met.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An outdoor system for cooking food, smoking food, or a combination thereof comprising:
an outdoor cooking and/or smoking unit having all interior; one or more heating elements in the interior of the outdoor cooking an smoking unit; a control unit located within or on the outdoor cooking and/or smoking unit which includes or is electronically coupled with a GPS receiver or other GPS locating element and is enabled to activate and/or control at least one operation of the outdoor cooking and/or smoking unit; and a hand-held wireless device which includes or is electronically coupled with a GPS receiver or other GPS locating element and wirelessly communicates with the control unit, either directly or through a server or other cloud system, to remotely instruct the control unit to activate and/or control the least one operation of the outdoor cooking and/or smoking unit; wherein the control unit, hand-held wireless device, the server or other cloud system, or a combination thereof automatically determines whether the hand-held device is within a predetermined GPS distance of the outdoor cooking and/or smoking unit so that the control unit is prevented from activating and/or controlling the at least one operation of the outdoor cooking and/or smoking unit if the hand-held wireless device is located beyond the predetermined distance from the outdoor cooking and/or smoking unit.

2 . The outdoor system of claim 1 wherein the hand-held wireless device is a smart phone, a tablet, or a remote control, operating with Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy, WiFi, or other radio frequency communications, or with modulated infrared signals.

3 . The outdoor system claim 1 wherein:
the one or more heating elements comprise at least one gas fuel burner or burner element having a gas fuel inlet;
the outdoor system further comprises an igniter for igniting the gas fuel burner or burner element;
the outdoor system further comprises a gas fuel supply conduit which supplies a gas fuel to the gas fuel inlet of the gas fuel burner or burner element; and
the outdoor system further includes a fuel valve which is installed in either the gas fuel supply conduit or the gas fuel inlet of the gas fuel burner or burner element,
wherein the at least one operation of the outdoor cooking and/or smoking unit which the control unit is enabled to activate and/or control when remotely instructed by the hand-held wireless device, provided that the hand-held wireless device is within the predetermined GPS distance from the outdoor cooking and/or smoking unit, comprises opening the fuel valve and activating the igniter to ignite the gas fuel burner or burner element.

4 . The outdoor system of claim 3 wherein the fuel valve is an electric solenoid valve.

5 . The outdoor system of claim 1 wherein:
the one or more heating elements comprise a plurality of gas fuel burners or burner elements, each of the gas fuel burners or burner elements having a gas fuel inlet;
the outdoor system further comprises at least one igniter for igniting the gas fuel burners or burner elements;
the outdoor system further comprises a main fuel supply conduit which supplies a gas fuel to the gas fuel inlets of the gas fuel burners or burner elements; and
the outdoor system further includes a fuel valve installed in the main fuel supply conduit,
wherein the at least one operation of the outdoor cooking and/or smoking unit which the control unit is enabled to activate and/or control when remotely instructed by the hand-held wireless device, provided that the hand-held wireless device is within the predetermined GPS distance from the outdoor cooking and/or smoking unit, comprises opening the fuel valve and activating the at least one igniter to ignite the gas fuel burners or burner elements.

6 . The outdoor system of claim 1 wherein:
the one or more heating elements comprise a plurality of gas fuel burners or burner elements, each of the gas filet burners or burner elements having a gas fuel inlet;
the outdoor system further comprises at least one igniter for igniting the gas fuel burners or burner elements; and
the outdoor system further comprises filet valves installed in the gas fuel inlets of the gas fuel burners or burner elements,
wherein the at least one operation of the outdoor cooking and/or smoking unit which the control unit is enabled to activate and/or control when remotely instructed by the hand-held wireless device, provided that the hand-held wireless device is within the predetermined GPS distance from the outdoor cooking and/or smoking unit, comprises opening the fuel valves in the gas fuel inlets of the gas fuel burners or burner elements and activating the at least one igniter to ignite the gas fuel burners or burner elements.

7 . The outdoor system of claim 1 further comprising a condition sensor located on or in the outdoor cooking and/or smoking unit which sends a signal to the control unit indicating a sensed condition of, or in relation to, the outdoor cooking and/or smoking unit wherein if the sensed condition does not satisfy a predetermined criterion of acceptability, the control unit is prevented from activating and/or controlling the at least one operation of the outdoor cooking and/or smoking unit regardless of whether the hand-held wireless device is located within the predetermined GPS distance from the outdoor cooking and/or smoking unit.

8 . The outdoor system of claim 7 wherein:
the outdoor cooking and/or smoking unit further comprises a lid, door, or other cover for opening and closing the interior of the outdoor cooking and/or smoking unit;
the condition sensor senses, as said predetermined criterion of acceptability, whether the lid, door, or other cover is closed; and
if the lid, door, or other cover is closed, the control unit is prevented from activating and/or controlling the at least one operation of the outdoor cooking and/or smoking unit regardless of whether the hand-held wireless device is located within the predetermined GPS distance from the outdoor cooking and/or smoking unit.

9 . The outdoor system of claim 8 wherein the condition sensor is a mechanical plunger, a magnetic proximity switch, or an optical encoder.

10 . The outdoor system of claim 7 wherein:
the outdoor cooking and/or smoking unit further comprises a fuel supply container;
the condition sensor senses, as said predetermined criterion of acceptability, whether the fuel supply contain contains at least a predetermined minimum amount of fuel; and
if the fuel supply container does not contain at least the predetermined minimum amount of fuel, the control unit is prevented from activating and/or controlling the at least one operation of the outdoor cooking and/or smoking unit regardless of whether the hand-held wireless device is located within the predetermined GPS distance from the, outdoor cooking and/or smoking unit.

11 . The outdoor system of claim 10 wherein the condition sensor is a weight sensor positioned beneath the fuel supply container.

12 . The outdoor system of claim 7 wherein:
the condition sensor is horizontal proximity sensor;
the condition sensor senses, as said predetermined criterion of acceptability, whether any other structure is within a predetermined horizontal distance of the outdoor cooking and/or smoking unit; and
if any other structure is located within the predetermined horizontal distance from the outdoor cooking and/or smoking unit, the control unit is prevented from activating and/or controlling the at least one operation of the outdoor cooking and/or smoking unit regardless of whether the hand-held wireless device is located wi

Assignees

• Bradley W C Co

Inventors

• Gafford Alex

Classifications

• A23B4/052

  Smoke generators {; Smoking apparatus} · CPC title

• A23V2002/00

  Food compositions, function of food ingredients or processes for food or foodstuffs · CPC title

• H04W4/021

  Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences · CPC title

• G01S19/42

  Determining position · CPC title

• G01S19/14

  specially adapted for specific applications · CPC title