IP Library Granted Patent US 9,804,081
Granted Patent B2
US 9,804,081 · App. 14/891,798 · Granted Oct 31, 2017

Device and a method of sensing characteristics of a food material and a machine and a method of brewing coffee having a wave source with wavelength range comprising visible band and near infrared band

Inventors: Xiaoxin Wang (Eindhoven, NL); Bin Yin (Eindhoven, NL); Weizhong Chen (Eindhoven, NL); Declan Patrick Kelly (Eindhoven, NL); Wei Li (Eindhoven, NL)
Assignee: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V.
G01N21/27A23N12/125G01J1/42G01N21/359G01N2201/061G01N2201/068
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,804,081
App. No.
14/891,798
Granted
Oct 31, 2017
Kind
B2
Abstract

A device and a method of sensing characteristics of a food material and a machine and a method of brewing coffee. The device comprises: a wave source ( 20 ) configured for emitting waves to said food material ( 22 ), with the wavelength range of said waves comprising a selected near infrared band neighboring a visible band; a detector ( 26 ), configured for detecting intensities of the waves reflected by said food material; and an analysis module ( 28 ), configured for determining said characteristics according to the detected intensity of the reflected waves. Preferably, the food material comprises coffee powder, and the characteristics comprise at least any one of: color of the coffee powder (corresponding to the roasting degree of coffee powder); and grind fineness of the coffee powder.

Claims (31)

1. A device of sensing at least any one of roasting degree of coffee powder and grind fineness of coffee powder, comprising:

a wave source configured for emitting waves to said coffee powder, the wavelength range of said waves comprising at least part of visible band and a selected near infrared band neighboring the visible band;

a detector, configured for detecting intensities of the waves reflected from said coffee powder; and

an analysis module, configured for determining said roasting degree of coffee powder and/or said grind fineness of coffee powder according to the detected intensities of the reflected waves.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said near infrared band is in a wavelength range of 780 nm to 1000 nm.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein said at least part of the visible band is in a wavelength range of 500 nm to 780 nm.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein said detector comprises a silicon-based sensor.

5. The device of claim 1 , further comprising:

a filter, configured for filtering the waves reflected from said coffee powder and obtaining a subset of waves in predetermined subbands, said predetermined subbands being in said wavelength range;

said detector is configured for detecting an intensity subset comprising intensities of each subband wave in said subset of waves;

and said analysis module is configured for determining said roasting degree of coffee powder and/or said grind fineness of coffee powder according to the detected intensity subset.

6. The device of claim 1 , further comprising:

a memory storing a model for calculating said roasting degree of coffee powder and/or said grind fineness of coffee powder according to intensity subsets;

and said analysis module is further configured for inputting the detected intensity subset into the model and obtaining said roasting degree of coffee powder and/or said grind fineness of coffee powder outputted by the model.

7. The device of claim 5 , wherein said filter comprises any one of:

a filter wheel with a plurality of filtering lenses, said lenses corresponding to each of the subbands, said filter wheel configured for being rotated to obtain subband waves; and

a grating configured for separating each subband wave from the reflected waves.

8. A method of sensing at least any one of roasting degree of coffee powder and grind fineness of coffee powder, comprising steps of:

emitting waves to said coffee powder, the wavelength range of said waves comprising at least part of visible band and a selected near infrared band neighboring the visible band;

detecting intensities of the waves reflected by said coffee powder; and

determining said roasting degree of coffee powder and/or said grind fineness of coffee powder according to the detected intensities of the reflected waves.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein said at least part of the visible band is in a wavelength range of 500 nm to 780 nm.

10. The method of claim 8 , further comprising a step of:

filtering the reflected waves reflected from said coffee powder and obtaining a subset of waves in predetermined subbands, said predetermined subbands being in said wavelength range;

said step of detecting further comprising:

detecting an intensity subset comprising intensities of each subband wave in said subset of waves;

said step of determining further comprising:

determining said roasting degree of coffee powder and/or said grind fineness of coffee powder according to the detected intensity subset.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein said determining step further comprising:

determining said roasting degree of coffee powder and/or said grind fineness of coffee powder by matching said detected intensity subset into a correlation, said correlation being predetermined and reflecting the relationship between said roasting degree of coffee powder and/or said grind fineness of coffee powder and its respective intensity subsets.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein said near infrared band is in a wavelength range of 780 nm to 1000 nm.

Assignments (2)
NUNC PRO TUNC ASSIGNMENT Recorded Aug 17, 2023
From: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V.
To: VERSUNI HOLDING B.V.
Reel/Frame 064618/0115 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 14, 2017
From: WANG, XIAOXIN; YIN, BIN; CHEN, WEIZHONG; KELLY, DECLAN PATRICK; LI, WEI
To: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V.
Reel/Frame 042702/0745 →
Priority Claims (1)
WO PCT/CN2013/076258 · May 27, 2013 · international
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20160097711A1 · Apr 7, 2016