Patent Overview
Title
Inventors
- Ryan W. Sinnet 🙋♂️
- Robert Anderson
- Zachary Zweig Vinegar
- William Werst
- David Zito
- Sean Olson
Patent No.
US 11,618,155 B2
Issued
Patent Family
The patent is a continuation patent which extends the following patent(s) (see below for key differences):
Abstract
An automated kitchen assistant system inspects a food preparation area in the kitchen environment using a novel sensor combination. The combination of sensors includes an Infrared (IR) camera that generates IR image data and at least one secondary sensor that generates secondary image data. The IR image data and secondary image data are processed to obtain combined image data. A trained convolutional neural network is employed to automatically compute an output based on the combined image data. The output includes information about the identity and the location of the food item. The output may further be utilized to command a robotic arm, kitchen worker, or otherwise assist in food preparation. Related methods are also described.
The Problem We Solved
Accurately identifying and tracking food items in commercial kitchens remains challenging for automation systems. While our earlier invention (US-10919144-B2: Multi-sensor array including an IR camera as part of an automated kitchen assistant system for recognizing and preparing food and related methods) used infrared imaging to address this, we recognized that multiple standard cameras could also provide effective food recognition if their data is properly combined, offering greater flexibility in system design and potentially lower implementation costs.
The Innovation
We developed a system that uses multiple cameras with different viewpoints of the kitchen work area, rather than requiring specialized infrared sensors. This multi-camera approach:
- Transforms image data from different cameras into a single unified reference frame
- Accurately identifies food items and continuously tracks their position
- Updates location information based on prior knowledge and optional human input
- Integrates with recipe data to generate appropriate food preparation commands
- Communicates instructions to either human workers or robotic systems
The system can effectively “see” the entire kitchen workspace from multiple angles, creating a more complete understanding of the cooking environment than would be possible with a single camera.
Scope of the Patent
This patent expands the coverage established in my earlier landmark patent (US-10919144-B2: Multi-sensor array including an IR camera as part of an automated kitchen assistant system for recognizing and preparing food and related methods). While the original patent required an IR camera combined with visible light cameras, this continuation broadens protection to include systems using multiple standard cameras viewing the workspace from different angles. The patent claims a complete system that transforms data from multiple viewpoints into a unified reference frame, identifies food items, tracks them continuously, and generates appropriate preparation commands.
This strategic continuation ensures comprehensive protection for the most practical and effective approaches to kitchen automation, making it difficult for competitors to design around our intellectual property. The patent covers both purely vision-based systems and hybrid approaches, providing flexibility in implementation while maintaining broad protection.
Why It Matters
This technology offers significant advantages for commercial kitchens:
- More flexible implementation options that don’t require specialized infrared sensors
- Potentially lower hardware costs while maintaining robust food recognition
- Continuous tracking of food items as they move through the preparation process
- Seamless integration with both robotic systems and human kitchen staff
- Improved consistency and accuracy in food preparation
Together with the original IR-based patent, this continuation establishes a strong patent family that protects the fundamental approaches to vision-based kitchen automation, positioning this technology as an essential building block for the future of commercial food preparation.
Key Differences in the Continuation Patent
This present continuation patent broadens the scope of the original invention by replacing the specific requirement for an IR camera with a more general approach using multiple cameras with different viewpoints. The key innovation here is:
- Instead of requiring an IR camera + visible light camera combination, this patent claims a system using two cameras with different views of the working area
- The patent focuses on transforming data from both cameras into a single frame of reference
- It places greater emphasis on continuously updating location information and tracking food items
- It explicitly includes the display interface for human workers as part of the claimed system
Why This Is Strategically Valuable
This continuation patent is extremely valuable because:
- Expanded Protection: It broadens your intellectual property coverage beyond just IR-based systems to include any multi-camera kitchen automation system that transforms different viewpoints into a single frame of reference.
- Alternative Implementation Path: It provides legal protection for implementations that might not use IR cameras but still need to accurately identify and track food items in a kitchen environment.
- Defensive Strategy: By claiming both IR-based and non-IR-based approaches, you’ve effectively blocked competitors from working around your original patent by simply removing the IR camera.
- More Flexible Implementation: This continuation allows for potentially less expensive implementations that use only standard cameras rather than specialized IR sensors.
Combined Patent Family Value
Together, these two patents form a powerful patent family that covers:
- The use of IR + visible cameras for food recognition (original patent)
- The use of multiple cameras with different viewpoints for food recognition (continuation)
- The transformation of data from different sensors into a unified coordinate system
- The continuous tracking of food items during preparation
- The integration with both robotic systems and human workers
This comprehensive coverage makes it difficult for competitors to design around your intellectual property in the kitchen automation space, which significantly increases the value of your patent portfolio.