Apparatus and method for determining the amount of time until a desired temperature is reached
View Patent ↗A method and an apparatus capable of determining the amount of time remaining before an item such as food reaches a desired temperature such as a cooking temperature or approximately room temperature. In at least one embodiment, determining the amount of time remaining is based at least on the elapsed time and the percentage of temperature range between a first temperature and the desired temperature completed or remaining to be covered.
1. A method for predicting the time for an item to reach a desired temperature, said method comprising:
obtaining a desired temperature;
beginning an elapsed timer;
determining a current temperature of an and item;
calculating the predicted time until the item reaches the desired temperature based on the value of the elapsed timer and the percentage of temperature range between a first determined temperature and the desired temperature remaining to be covered; and
repeating the determining and calculating steps with the desired temperature representing a desired cooling temperature.
2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising displaying the value of the predicted time.
3. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising notifying the user when the current temperature of the item reaches the desired temperature.
4. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising repeating the determining and calculating steps after a predetermined amount of temperature change.
5. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising repeating the determining and calculating steps at predetermined intervals.
6. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising repeating the determining and calculating steps continually until the desired temperature is reached.
7. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising when predicting time remaining during a cooling cycle,
tracking the time spent cooling from an upper threshold, and
notifying the user, when the sum of the time spent cooling added to the time remaining to reach the desired temperature exceeds a predetermined cooling time.
8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the item is food, the method further comprising:
receiving identification of the food, and
receiving a weight of the food,
wherein calculating the time is based on at least the desired temperature, the current temperature, the identification of the food, and the weight of the food.
9. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
notifying the user when the temperature read is within a first range including 32° F.,
receiving a calibration instruction from the user when the temperature is within the first range, and
storing an error value such that the temperature measured is equivalent to 32° F.
10. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising
receiving an instruction to predict the time to cool the item to a desired cooling temperature, and
repeating the beginning, determining, and calculating steps for the desired temperature equal to the received desired cooling temperature.
11. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
monitoring the current temperature until it reaches its high point,
recording the high temperature,
monitoring the temperature change until the temperature change approximates a predetermined amount before restarting the elapsed timer.
12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the predicted time is calculated according to the formula
t
R
=
t
1
-
(
T
D
-
T
2
T
D
-
T
1
)
×
(
T
D
-
T
2
T
D
-
T
1
)
t R equals the cooking time to reach the desired temperature, T D represents the desired temperature, T 1 equals an initial temperature, T 2 equals the current temperature with t representing the value of the elapsed timer.
13. The method according to claim 12 , further comprising when predicting time remaining during cooling,
tracking the time spent cooling, and
notifying the user when the sum of the time spent cooling and the time remaining to reach the desired temperature exceeds a predetermined cooling time.
14. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising starting a countdown timer having a value equal to the predicted time.
15. The method according to claim 14 , further comprising notifying a user when the countdown timer reaches zero or when the current temperature is within a predetermined range of the desired temperature.
16. The method according to claim 14 , further comprising notifying a user when the countdown timer reaches zero.
17. A method comprising:
obtaining a desired temperature;
beginning an elapsed timer;
determining a current temperature of food being cooled including an initially determined temperature reading;
calculating the predicted cooling time for food to reach the desired temperature based at least on the value of the elapsed timer and the current temperature; and
repeating the determining and the calculating steps wherein the predicted cooling time is calculated based on a rate of temperature change determined subsequent to the initially determined temperature reading.
18. The method according to claim 17 , further comprising starting a countdown timer from the predicted cooling time.
19. The method according to claim 17 , further comprising displaying the predicted cooling time on a display.
20. The method according to claim 17 , wherein the predicted cooling time is calculated based on the percentage of temperature range between the first determined temperature and the desired temperature remaining to be covered.
21. The method according to claim 17 , wherein the predicted cooling time is calculated based on the percentage of temperature range between the first determined temperature and the desired temperature remaining completed.
22. The method according to claim 17 , further comprising repeating the determining and calculating steps such that the period of time between repeated steps is a sampling period, and wherein the predicted cooling time is calculated based on a rate of temperature change over the last sampling period.
23. The method according to claim 17 , wherein the predicted cooling time is calculated according to the formula
t
R
=
t
1
-
(
T
D
-
T
2
T
D
-
T
1
)
×
(
T
D
-
T
2
T
D
-
T
1
)
t R equals the cooking time to reach the desired temperature, T D represents the desired temperature, T 1 equals an initial temperature, T 2 equals the current temperature with t representing the value of the elapsed timer.
24. The method according to claim 17 , wherein the predicted cooling time is calculated according to the formula
t
R
=
t
(
T
1
-
T
2
T
1
-
T
D
)
×
(
1
-
(
T
1
-
T
2
T
1
-
T
D
)
)
t R equals the cooking time to reach the desired temperature, T D represents the desired temperature, T 1 equals an initial temperature, T 2 equals the current temperature with t representing the value of the elapsed timer.
25. The method according to claim 17 , wherein the predicted cooling time is calculated according to the formula
t
R
=
(
T
D
-
T
2
T
2
-
T
1
)
×
(
t
2
-
t
1
)
t R equals the cooking time to reach the desired temperature, T D represents the desired temperature, T 1 equals an initial temperature, T 2 equals the current temperature with t representing the value of the elapsed timer.
26. The method according to claim 17 , wherein the elapsed timer is started at a threshold temperature, and the predicted cooling time is calculated based on the threshold temperature.
27. The method according to claim 26 , further comprising notifying the user when the value of the elapsed timer exceeds a predetermined time amount.
28. The method according to claim 26 , further comprising notifying the user when the value of the elapsed timer exceeds two hours.
29. The method according to claim 26 , wherein the threshold temperature is 140° F.
30. The method according to claim 26 , wherein the threshold temperature is 135° F.
31. The method according to claim 26 , wherein the threshold temperature is the highest determined temperature for the food.
32. The method according to claim 26 , wherein the threshold temperature is a previously desired cooking temperature for the food.
33. The method according to claim 26 , further comprising notifying the user when the sum of the value of the elapsed timer and the calculated cooling time exceeds a predetermined time amount.
34. The method according to claim 26 , further comprising notifying the user when the sum of the value of the elapsed timer and the calculated cooling time exceeds two hours.
35. The method according to claim 17 , wherein the elapsed timer is started when the temperature of the food is 140° F., said method further comprising notifying the user when the value of the elapsed timer exceeds two hours and the temperature of the food is greater than or equal to the desired temperature.
36. The method according to claim 35 , wherein the desired temperature equals 70° F.
37. The method according to claim 35 , wherein the desired temperature equals approximately 70° F.
38. The method according to claim 35 , wherein the desired temperature equals room temperature.
39. The method according to claim 35 , wherein the desired temperature equals room temperature plus at least five degrees.
40. The method according to claim 35 , wherein the desired temperature equals the higher value selected from 70° F. and room temperature.
41. The method according to claim 17 , wherein the elapsed timer is started when the temperature of the food is 135° F., said method further comprising notifying the user when the value of the elapsed timer exceeds two hours and the temperature of the food is greater than or equal to the desired temperature.
42. The method according to claim 41 , wherein the desired temperature equals 70° F.
43. The method according to claim 41 , wherein the desired temperature equals approximately 70° F.
44. The method according to claim 41 , wherein the desired temperature equals room temperature.
45. The method according to claim 41 , wherein the desired temperature equals room temperature plus at least five degrees,
46. The method according to claim 41 , wherein the desired temperature equals the higher value selected from of 70° F. and room temperature.