System and method for determining content utilizing externally mounted container monitoring system
A system for measuring changes in a fluid stored within a container is disclosed. The system may include a radio-frequency sensing element disposed externally on the container and configured to generate a signal indicative of at least one dielectric property of the fluid, wherein the fluid undergoes composition-based or environment-driven changes due to interactions with the container. In some aspects, a processing component generates an output representative of at least one time-varying fluid characteristic. In some aspects, the container is a wooden barrel with an interior surface adapted to impart flavor or chemical changes to the fluid. In some aspects, the fluid is a beverage including at least one of wine, beer, and distilled spirits, with the time-varying characteristic including a fermentation parameter that changes over time. In some aspects, the at least one time-varying fluid characteristic of the fluid includes at least one of fluid level or fluid volume.
1 . A system comprising:
a radio-frequency sensor disposed on an external surface of a wooden barrel having an interior surface configured to impart at least one of a flavor change or a chemical change to a fluid stored within the wooden barrel, the sensor being configured to generate a plurality of response signals corresponding to multiple frequencies within a frequency range, the plurality of response signals being indicative of at least one dielectric characteristic of the fluid; and
at least one processor to:
at multiple measurement intervals during storage of the fluid within the wooden barrel, analyze the plurality of response signals to generate an output representative of at least one time-varying fluid characteristic of the fluid, wherein the at least one time-varying fluid characteristic includes at least one aging parameter that changes during storage;
store outputs from the multiple measurement intervals in a memory device;
evaluate the stored outputs to determine when the at least one aging parameter satisfies a threshold; and
trigger a notification when the threshold is satisfied.
2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the fluid comprises at least one of a wine, beer, or spirit.
3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the radio-frequency sensor comprises an antenna array having multiple antenna elements positioned at different locations on the external surface of the wooden barrel.
4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the radio-frequency sensor is configured to receive radio-frequency interrogation signals and generate the plurality of response signals in response to the radio-frequency interrogation signals.
5 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising an environmental sensor configured to measure at least one of temperature or humidity proximate to the wooden barrel, wherein the at least one processor is to adjust the at least one aging parameter based on data from the environmental sensor.
6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein to analyze the plurality of response signals and generate the output comprises to:
input the plurality of response signals into a machine-learning model; and
output, by the machine-learning model, data representative of the at least one aging parameter.
7 . The system of claim 6 , wherein the machine-learning model is trained on training data comprising response signals from fluids at known stages of aging within wooden barrels.
8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one aging parameter comprises at least one of:
an alcohol by volume percentage;
a concentration of wood extractive compounds;
a color intensity value;
an evaporation rate; or
an angel's share loss rate.
9 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is to predict, based on the stored outputs, a future time when the at least one aging parameter will satisfy the threshold.
10 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the radio-frequency sensor comprises a passive RFID tag that modulates backscattered signals based on the at least one dielectric characteristic of the fluid.
11 . A system comprising:
a radio-frequency sensor disposed on an external surface of a wooden barrel having an interior surface configured to impart at least one of a flavor change or a chemical change to a fluid stored within the wooden barrel, the radio-frequency sensor being configured to generate a plurality of response signals corresponding to multiple frequencies within a frequency range, the plurality of response signals being indicative of at least one electromagnetic characteristic of the fluid, wherein the fluid comprises at least one of a wine, beer, or spirit; and
at least one processor to:
at multiple measurement intervals during storage of the fluid within the wooden barrel, analyze the plurality of response signals to generate an output representative of at least one time-varying fluid characteristic of the fluid, wherein the at least one time-varying fluid characteristic includes at least one aging parameter that changes during storage;
store outputs from the multiple measurement intervals in a memory device;
evaluate the stored outputs to determine when the at least one aging parameter satisfies a threshold; and
trigger a notification when the threshold is satisfied.
12 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the radio-frequency sensor comprises an antenna array having multiple antenna elements positioned at different locations on the external surface of the wooden barrel.
13 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the radio-frequency sensor is configured to receive radio-frequency interrogation signals and generate the plurality of response signals in response to the radio-frequency interrogation signals.
14 . The system of claim 11 , further comprising an environmental sensor configured to measure at least one of temperature or humidity proximate to the wooden barrel, wherein the at least one processor is to adjust the at least one aging parameter based on data from the environmental sensor.
15 . The system of claim 11 , wherein to analyze the plurality of response signals and generate the output comprises to:
input the plurality of response signals into a machine-learning model; and
output, by the machine-learning model, data representative of the at least one aging parameter.
16 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the at least one aging parameter comprises at least one of:
an alcohol by volume percentage;
a concentration of wood extractive compounds;
a color intensity value;
an evaporation rate; or
an angel's share loss rate.
17 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the at least one processor is to predict, based on the stored outputs, a future time when the at least one aging parameter will satisfy the threshold.
18 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the radio-frequency sensor comprises a passive RFID tag that modulates backscattered signals based on the at least one electromagnetic characteristic of the fluid.
19 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the at least one electromagnetic characteristic comprises at least one of a dielectric property, a conductive property, or a magnetic property of the fluid.
20 . A system for measuring changes of a fluid stored within a container, comprising:
a radio-frequency sensor including an antenna array adhered to an external surface of a container, the radio-frequency sensor being configured to generate response signals indicative of at least one dielectric characteristic of the fluid, the fluid being subject to at least one of a composition-based or an environment-driven change resulting from interactions with the container; and
at least one processor to:
receive at least two response signals per measurement interval from the radio-frequency sensor, each response signal corresponding to a different sub-band within a frequency range; and
generate an output representative of at least one time-varying fluid characteristic of the fluid based on a combination of the at least two response signals.
21 . The system of claim 20 , wherein the fluid comprises at least one of a wine, beer, or spirit.
22 . The system of claim 20 , wherein the radio-frequency sensor comprises an antenna array having multiple antenna elements positioned at different locations on the external surface of the container.
23 . The system of claim 20 , wherein the radio-frequency sensor is configured to receive radio-frequency interrogation signals and generate the response signals in response to the radio-frequency interrogation signals.
24 . The system of claim 20 , wherein the at least one time-varying fluid characteristic includes at least one aging parameter that changes during storage, wherein the at least one processor is further to:
determine when the at least one aging parameter satisfies a threshold; and
trigger a notification when the threshold is satisfied.
25 . The system of claim 24 , wherein the at least one aging parameter comprises at least one of:
an alcohol by volume percentage;
a concentration of wood extractive compounds;
a color intensity value;
an evaporation rate; or
an angel's share loss rate.
26 . The system of claim 24 , further comprising an environmental sensor configured to measure at least one of temperature or humidity proximate to the container, wherein the at least one processor is to adjust the at least one aging parameter based on data from the environmental sensor.
27 . The system of claim 20 , wherein to generate an output comprises to:
input the at least two response signals into a machine-learning model; and
output, by the machine-learning model, data representative of the at least one time-varying fluid characteristic of the fluid.
28 . The system of claim 27 , wherein the machine-learning model is trained on training data comprising response signals from fluids at known stages of aging within containers.
29 . The system of claim 20 , wherein the radio-frequency sensor comprises a passive RFID tag that modulates backscattered signals based on the at least one dielectric characteristic of the fluid.