Patents by Inventor Neal Starling

Neal Starling has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20030208333
    Abstract: The present invention provides a food quality and safety monitoring system and method for evaluating food characteristic management for improving the safety of perishable food products for human consumption and the shelf life of perishable food product. A sensor within a refrigeration case may be continuously monitored by a controller to calculate a food characteristic index. The food characteristic index can be monitored over time to evaluate the food characteristic management of a particular store or group of stores.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 27, 2003
    Publication date: November 6, 2003
    Inventors: Neal Starling, Paul Wickberg, Abtar Singh, Thomas J. Mathews
  • Patent number: 6609078
    Abstract: The present invention provides a food quality and safety monitoring system and method for evaluating food characteristic management for improving the safety of perishable food products for human consumption and the shelf life of perishable food product. In a first embodiment, a temperature sample is taken for each product group within a refrigeration case that is used to calculate either a food safety index or a food quality index. Alternatively, the food product temperature for each food product group within a refrigeration case may be continuously monitored to calculate a food characteristic index. The food characteristic index can be monitored over time to evaluate the food characteristic management of a particular store or group of stores.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2003
    Assignee: Emerson Retail Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Neal Starling, Paul Wickberg, Abtar Singh, Thomas J. Mathews
  • Patent number: 6549135
    Abstract: A system is provided for monitoring the food product of a remote food product retailer. The system includes a management center in communication with the remote food product retailer via a communication network. The communication network is accessible via a user interface that may be located at any of the management center, the remote location or some other location. The management center gathers food product temperature information and uses that information to determine whether the shelved food product is within acceptable food safety and quality limits. If the food product exceeds these limits, an alarm is sounded at either the management center and the remote location. The user interface is operable to monitor the status of the food product via a selection of screens and remotely respond to the alarms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2003
    Assignee: Emerson Retail Services Inc.
    Inventors: Abtar Singh, Thomas J. Mathews, Neal Starling, Paul Wickberg
  • Publication number: 20030005710
    Abstract: A method for monitoring the food product and refrigeration system performance of a remote location includes a management center in communication with a remote location through a communication network. The management center receives performance information of the refrigeration system at the remote location and employs software modules to analyze the performance information, diagnose system conditions, and provide alarms for food safety issues, refrigeration system component failure, and indicate maintenance conditions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 25, 2002
    Publication date: January 9, 2003
    Inventors: Abtar Singh, Paul Wickberg, Neal Starling, Thomas J. Mathews
  • Publication number: 20020193970
    Abstract: A system is provided for monitoring the food product and refrigeration system performance of a remote location. The system includes a management center in communication with a remote location through a communications network. The management center receives performance information of the remote location with respect to operational parameters of components of a refrigeration system of the remote location, and temperature data, at which food product has been stored. The management center utilizes software modules to analyze the performance information and provide alarms for scenarios such as food safety and quality issues, failure of a component of the refrigeration system or preventative maintenance for components of the refrigeration system. A third party computer may also communicate with the management center and the remote location for reviewing performance information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2002
    Publication date: December 19, 2002
    Inventors: Abtar Singh, Thomas J. Mathews, Neal Starling, Paul Wickberg
  • Publication number: 20020189267
    Abstract: A system and method for monitoring the food product and refrigeration system performance of a remote location includes a management center in communication with a remote location through a communication network. The management center receives performance information of the refrigeration system at a remote location. The management center employs software modules to analyze the performance information, diagnose system conditions, and provide alarms for food safety and quality issues, refrigeration system component failure, and indicate maintenance conditions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2002
    Publication date: December 19, 2002
    Inventors: Abtar Singh, Paul Wickberg, Thomas J. Mathews, Neal Starling
  • Publication number: 20020163436
    Abstract: A system is provided for monitoring the food product of a remote food product retailer. The system includes a management center in communication with the remote food product retailer via a communication network. The communication network is accessible via a user interface that may be located at any of the management center, the remote location or some other location. The management center gathers food product temperature information and uses that information to determine whether the shelved food product is within acceptable food safety and quality limits. If the food product exceeds these limits, an alarm is sounded at either the management center and the remote location. The user interface is operable to monitor the status of the food product via a selection of screens and remotely respond to the alarms.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2002
    Publication date: November 7, 2002
    Inventors: Abtar Singh, Thomas J. Mathews, Neal Starling, Paul Wickberg
  • Publication number: 20020161545
    Abstract: The present invention provides a food quality and safety monitoring system and method for evaluating food characteristic management for improving the safety of perishable food products for human consumption and the shelf life of perishable food product. In a first embodiment, a temperature sample is taken for each product group within a refrigeration case that is used to calculate either a food safety index or a food quality index. Alternatively, the food product temperature for each food product group within a refrigeration case may be continuously monitored to calculate a food characteristic index. The food characteristic index can be monitored over time to evaluate the food characteristic management of a particular store or group of stores.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 21, 2001
    Publication date: October 31, 2002
    Inventors: Neal Starling, Paul Wickberg, Abtar Singh, Thomas J. Mathews