阅读说明：本技术 智能准备台与食品可追溯方法 (Intelligent preparation table and food traceability method ) 是由 J·达克特 L·波特 于 2019-12-20 设计创作，主要内容包括：本发明公开了一种智能准备台及相关食品可追溯方法,包括结合机器视觉或智能成像系统使用的RFID系统,以便在准备台上或其附近无干扰地获取、维护并更新关于食材和/或配料当前库存水平的信息。本发明的设备及相关方法还可用于收集关于食材和/或配料以及由此产生的食品产品的可追溯性数据。反过来,可追溯性数据可提供给消费者或其他用户,并且还可用于生成各种不同的消费者或用户提醒。(An intelligent preparation station and related food traceability method includes an RFID system used in conjunction with a machine vision or intelligent imaging system to obtain, maintain and update information about the current inventory level of food materials and/or ingredients on or near the preparation station without interference. The apparatus and associated methods of the present invention may also be used to collect traceability data about food materials and/or ingredients and the food products produced therefrom. The traceability data, in turn, can be provided to the consumer or other user, and can also be used to generate a variety of different consumer or user reminders.)

1. An intelligent prep station apparatus for food traceability, comprising:

at least one food material;

an RFID reader; and

an intelligent imaging system.

2. An intelligent prep station apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said RFID reader and intelligent imaging system collect a set of traceability information from at least one food material.

3. An intelligent prep station apparatus as recited in claim 1, further comprising an RFID antenna, wherein said at least one food material comprises an RFID-enabled smart tag.

4. An intelligent prep station apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein said RFID-enabled smart tag comprises a set of traceability information about said at least one food material.

5. An intelligent prep station apparatus as recited in claim 4, wherein said RFID reader reads said set of traceability information from an RFID-enabled smart tag.

6. An intelligent prep station apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said intelligent imaging system captures at least one image of said at least one food material.

7. An intelligent prep station apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said RFID reader and intelligent imaging system collect a set of traceability information from said at least one food material and use said set of traceability information to maintain an inventory of said at least one food material.

8. An intelligent prep station apparatus as recited in claim 7, wherein said intelligent prep station apparatus uses said set of traceability information to generate a user alert.

9. An intelligent prep station apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein said set of traceability information comprises one or more of the following information relating to said at least one food material: (a) a name; (b) a name of the supplier; (c) GTIN codes; (d) a serial number; (e) weight; (f) the number of the particles; (g) the production date; and (h) shelf life.

10. An intelligent prep station apparatus for food traceability, comprising:

at least one food material comprising an RFID-enabled smart tag;

an RFID reader capable of reading a set of traceability information from an RFID-enabled smart tag; and

an intelligent imaging system capable of capturing an image of the at least one food material.

11. An intelligent prep station apparatus as recited in claim 10, wherein said RFID reader is in communication with an intelligent imaging system.

12. An intelligent prep station apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein said set of traceability information comprises one or more of the following information relating to said at least one food material: (a) a name; (b) a name of the supplier; (c) GTIN codes; (d) a serial number; (e) weight; (f) the number of the particles; (g) the production date; (h) the shelf life; and (i) a readable code.

13. The intelligent prep station apparatus of claim 10, wherein said intelligent prep station apparatus maintains an inventory of said at least one food material using said set of traceability information.

14. An intelligent prep station apparatus as defined in claim 10, wherein said set of traceability information is encoded into a QR code.

15. An intelligent prep station apparatus as recited in claim 10, wherein said intelligent prep station apparatus generates a user alert using said set of traceability information.

16. A food traceability method using an intelligent preparation station, comprising the steps of:

placing the food material marked with the intelligent label on an intelligent preparation table;

reading the smart tag with an RFID reader to obtain a first set of information about the food material; and

and capturing and analyzing the images of the food materials by using the intelligent imaging system to generate a second group of information.

17. A method according to claim 16, further comprising the step of using at least one of the first and second sets of information to maintain an inventory of food material.

18. A method according to claim 16, further comprising the step of using at least one of the first and second sets of information to generate a user alert.

19. A method according to claim 16, further comprising the step of providing at least one of the first and second sets of information to a user.

20. A method according to claim 19, wherein at least one of the first and second sets of information is provided to the user in a QR code.

Background

The present invention relates generally to an intelligent preparation or "prep" station for a food service location, and an associated traceable method of food materials, ingredients, and food products prepared therefrom. More specifically, the intelligent prep station utilizes a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) system in conjunction with a machine vision or intelligent imaging system to obtain, maintain, and update accurate information on the intelligent prep station without interference while collecting background food product traceability data for food products prepared on or near the prep station.

Generally, radio frequency identification refers to the use of electromagnetic energy stimulus responders (known as RFID "tags" or transponders) to self-identify and, in some cases, provide additional information and/or data stored in the tag. RFID tags typically include a semiconductor device, commonly referred to as a "chip", on which a memory and operating circuit is formed that is connected to an antenna. RFID tags are commonly used as transponders to provide information stored in a chip memory in response to a radio frequency interrogation signal received from a reader (also referred to as an interrogator). For passive RFID devices, the energy of the interrogation signal also provides the necessary energy for the RFID tag device to operate.

The RFID tag may be incorporated into or affixed to an item to be tracked, such as a food, packaging or ingredient container. In some cases, the label may be affixed to the exterior of the article with adhesive, tape, or other means, and in other cases, the label may be inserted into the article, such as into a package, placed within a container of the article, or affixed to the actual article or its packaging. RFID tags are produced with a unique identification number, usually a simple serial number consisting of a few bytes, with a check digit attached. The identification number is typically incorporated into the RFID tag at the time of manufacture. The user cannot change the serial/identification number and the manufacturer guarantees that each serial number is used only once. Such read-only RFID tags are typically permanently affixed to the item to be tracked and once affixed, the serial number of the tag will be associated with the host item in a computer database.

The intelligent prep station and associated methods of the present invention utilize a combination of RFID technology and machine vision or intelligent imaging systems, particularly for food products prepared in fast food restaurants. Accordingly, the present specification expressly refers to intelligent prep stations and related methods. However, one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that aspects of the present invention are equally applicable to other similar applications and devices. For example, it is also contemplated that the intelligent prep station and method of the present invention may be deployed in other food service locations, such as bar counters, mobile kitchens, hotels, eating places, fast food carts, and the like. Furthermore, the traceability system of the present invention allows for traceability of the food material from its production to the ultimate delivery to the consumer, donation center or processing site, providing greater transparency for the user and consumer, making them aware of the social and environmental impact of the food product they consume and their production.

From the background regarding traceability of food products, foodstuffs and ingredients, the need for traceability of food products from the kitchen to the consumer becomes more evident. It appears that there are new food recalls daily. Environmental, socioeconomic and ethical issues are increasing and people are also more concerned about the amount of food waste that occurs each day. For example, it has been reported that only americans waste as much as 15 ten thousand tons of food per day, with a growing area of food waste equivalent to 3000 more than ten thousand acres of farmland per year, or approximately 7.5% of all harvested farmlands in the whole united states.

Furthermore, consumers today are increasingly concerned about the transparency of food products, as well as the social and environmental impact of the food material and its production. Although the literature has documented the need for traceability in the food service industry, food traceability throughout the process from production or preparation to consumer or final disposal of the food product has not been practically realized. There are several reasons why there is a lack of a viable solution.

Firstly, the skill level and the available time of ordinary catering service practitioners are relatively limited, so that the possibility of using complex food traceability systems is reduced, the systems have many required links, and the training range is wide. Secondly, the food traceability technology that can be used in kitchens and other food preparation places has certain limitations, and the technology generally consists of a manual process, requires careful manual recording of information, use of color points, and finally transcribes the information into a digital record, which is time-consuming, costly and prone to human errors.

Furthermore, in fast food restaurants, there is a particular need for a method of automatically associating food materials and ingredients on a preparation table, ultimately for creating traceability information for finished food products, so as to provide traceability information to consumers, for managing the inventory of food materials and/or ingredients, for alerting the user or consumer to the shelf life of the food product, among other benefits. For example, the traceable method preferably includes capturing unique food material information, lot/serial number, associated "last meal" date or shelf life information, product weight, etc., associated with the food material or ingredients used to produce the food product. Such information, in turn, can be used for downstream traceability of the final food product, to manage inventory of food products and ingredients, to calculate shelf life or other relevant dates of the final food product, to issue alerts to consumers, to provide product and product procurement information to consumers, and the like.

Accordingly, there has long been a need in the art for an intelligent prep station apparatus and associated food traceability method that can be deployed in fast food restaurants or other suitable catering environments to associate the ingredients and ingredients on the prep station with traceability information for the entire food product for ease of use and covert operations. There has long been a need in the art for an intelligent preparation stand and associated traceable method that alerts the user when food material or ingredients are present or absent from the preparation stand, and helps the user manage the inventory levels of the food material and ingredients, calculate the associated food product date, such as the "best served" date, shelf life, etc.

There further exists a long-felt need in the art for a traceability method that can provide a variety of reminders to a user or consumer, allowing the user or consumer to access traceability, purchasing and other useful information about a food product as desired. In particular, the traceable information may include, but is not limited to, unique food material information, lot/serial numbers, associated date information, food material or ingredient volumes or weights, procurement information (e.g., supplier name or country of origin), or any other information suitable for consumer needs or preferences. The food tracing ability from the food production place to the final destination is provided, so that governments, companies and individuals in the food production chain can improve the overall quality and safety of food materials produced by the governments, companies and individuals, reduce hunger and food waste, and improve the overall efficiency and sustainability of precious resources used in the food production process.

Disclosure of Invention

The following presents a simplified summary in order to provide a basic understanding of the disclosed innovation in some respects. This summary is not an extensive overview and is not intended to identify key/critical elements or to delineate the scope thereof. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later.

The subject matter disclosed and claimed herein, in one aspect, comprises an intelligent preparation table apparatus that combines an RFID system with a machine vision or intelligent imaging system to acquire, maintain and update (if necessary) real-time information on the current inventory level of food materials and other ingredients and food products produced thereby on the preparation table without interference, with minimal effort by the food service practitioner to collect backoffice traceability data. In particular, traceability data may include, but is not limited to, unique food material information, lot/serial numbers, weights, product descriptions, and related date information about food materials and ingredients on the intelligent prep station device and food products produced thereby.

In another embodiment of the present invention, an intelligent prep station apparatus for food traceability comprises at least one food material or ingredient, including an RFID-enabled smart tag comprising a unique identifier of the food material or ingredient, a starting weight and a container size. Generally, smart tags may contain traceable information such as food material or ingredient name, global trade item code (GTIN), serial number, vendor name, country of origin, preparation date, "best-to-eat" date or shelf life, and quick response matrix (QR) code or other bar code, two-dimensional code, etc. that a consumer or other user may use to access traceability information or other useful information. The intelligent prep station device further comprises an RFID reader that reads traceability information from an RFID-enabled smart tag; and an intelligent imaging system that captures and processes images of food materials and/or ingredients for reading by an RFID reader. Thus, the RFID reader works in conjunction with a machine vision or smart imaging system to collect traceability data from RFID-enabled smart tags of food materials and/or ingredients on the smart preparation stand device.

In an alternate embodiment of the present invention, a food traceability method is disclosed. Generally, the method includes placing a food material or ingredient labeled with a smart tag on or near a smart preparation stand and determining whether the food material or ingredient was previously on or near the smart preparation stand. The method can be determined by capturing an image of the food material smart tag, reading the RFID tag on the food material or ingredient, and searching for the inventory of the food material or ingredient. The method of the invention may then also be used to determine whether the food material or ingredient is in stock or out of stock. If the food material storage container is empty, or if the ingredients are out of stock, the device will capture traceability data and return to the flow starting point. It is also contemplated that the intelligent prep station apparatus of the present invention may communicate with a user's inventory management system and generate an order to be sent to a food/ingredient supplier to replenish food or ingredients in stock.

On the other hand, if the food material or ingredient container is not empty, the inventory may be updated in a monitored state. For example, as described above, the apparatus of the present invention may communicate with a user's inventory management system and may automatically update the user's inventory to reflect the amount of food material or ingredients recently used or consumed on the intelligent preparation station in terms of weight, volume, or any other suitable metric (as it is no longer part of the available inventory). In this way, the user is able to maintain a real-time inventory of available food materials and ingredients, avoiding down time (typically associated with running out of food materials and/or ingredients necessary to make a food product and having to replenish food materials and/or ingredients).

The intelligent preparation table apparatus and associated methods of the present invention also enable detection of the presence of a necessary food material or ingredient on the preparation table, and/or whether the food material or ingredient has exceeded a shelf life or "best-before" date. For example, if the food material or ingredient exceeds the shelf life, the device may alert the user to ensure that the food product is consistently produced in the same manner over a period of time, and that the food product does not include expired or spoiled food material or ingredient, thereby improving overall safety.

Once the food product is successfully produced, the method of the present invention continues to determine whether the intelligent prep station should be cleaned. If it is not time to clean the intelligent preparation station, for example because there are still food products to be manufactured, the method continues to capture and analyze images generated by the intelligent imaging system and check for empty food material or ingredient containers. On the other hand, if it is time to clean the intelligent preparation station, the method will continue to check the viability of all food materials, ingredients and final food products on the intelligent preparation station, e.g., update the inventory management system. The method then continues to process each food material and ingredient that needs to be stored, donated, or properly disposed of at the intelligent preparation station, for example if the shelf life or "best-to-eat" date is exceeded. Finally, traceability information for each food material, ingredient and final food product at the intelligent preparation station will be captured and retained, and inventory levels may be updated.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, certain illustrative aspects of the disclosed innovation are described herein in connection with the following description and the annexed drawings. These aspects are indicative, however, of but a few of the various ways in which the principles disclosed herein may be employed and is intended to include all such aspects and their equivalents. Other advantages and novel features may become apparent from the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the drawings.

Drawings

FIG. 1 illustrates a front perspective view of a potential embodiment of an intelligent staging station in accordance with the disclosed architecture.

FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective view of one example of an RFID-enabled tag containing a quick response matrix (QR) code thereon in accordance with the disclosed architecture.

Fig. 3 illustrates a flow diagram of one potential embodiment of a method for maintaining a food traceability preparation system in accordance with the disclosed architecture.

FIG. 4 illustrates a perspective view of an inventory in accordance with the disclosed architecture.

Detailed Description

The present invention is now described with reference to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals are used to refer to like elements throughout. In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding thereof. It may be evident, however, that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form in order to facilitate describing the same.

In one embodiment, the present invention discloses an intelligent preparation table apparatus comprising an RFID system in combination with a machine vision or intelligent imaging system for obtaining, maintaining and updating information about food materials and/or ingredients on or near the preparation table apparatus in a low-profile manner, and gathering background traceability data with minimal effort by food service practitioners. Thus, the smart prep station device may capture information about the food materials and ingredients on the smart prep station device, including but not limited to unique food material information, lot/serial numbers, weights, associated date information, and the like.

Referring first to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows a front perspective view of one potential embodiment of an intelligent prep station apparatus 100. In general, smart prep station apparatus 100 includes an RFID reader 102 and a smart imaging system 104. The intelligent prep station apparatus 100 may be any suitable prep station known in the art for storing and/or collecting ingredients and food materials 106 and utilizing them to prepare or manufacture food products in a food service environment (e.g., a fast food restaurant or other type of restaurant). Moreover, intelligent prep station apparatus 100 may have any suitable size, shape, and/or configuration known in the art without affecting the overall concepts of the present invention. Those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the shape, size, and configuration of the intelligent prep station apparatus 100 shown in fig. 1 is for illustration only, and that many other shapes and sizes of the intelligent prep station apparatus 100 are within the scope of the present disclosure. Although the dimensions (i.e., length, width, height) of the smart prep station apparatus 100 are important design parameters for good performance, the smart prep station apparatus 100 may take any shape, size, or configuration that ensures optimal performance during use and/or that suits the needs or preferences of the user.

The smart prep station apparatus 100 is typically made of aluminum or stainless steel or any other suitable material known in the art for use in a food service environment and is easy to clean and/or sterilize. The intelligent prep station apparatus 100 may also generally be divided (segmented) into various compartments or portions 108 for containing or storing various types of ingredients and food materials 106 or food products produced thereby. Any suitable number of compartments or sections 108 may be employed by intelligent prep station apparatus 100, depending on the needs and/or desires of a particular user and the overall nature of the food preparation process. It is also contemplated that the intelligent prep station 100 may also include a heater (not shown) for keeping the prepared food material warm, or an air conditioning unit (also not shown) for refrigerating various food materials and/or ingredients to avoid spoilage.

The RFID reader 102 may be any suitable RFID reader known in the art. As mentioned above, rfid refers to self-identification using an electromagnetic energy stimulus responder. An RFID reader generally functions as an interrogator that transmits a radio frequency interrogation signal to an RFID tag, which functions as a transponder that provides information stored in a memory of the chip in response to the radio frequency interrogation signal received from the reader. For passive RFID devices, the energy of the interrogation signal also provides the necessary energy for the RFID device to operate.

The RFID tag may be incorporated into or affixed to an item to be tracked, such as a food, packaging or ingredient container. In some cases, the label may be affixed to the exterior of the article with adhesive, tape, or other means, and in other cases, the label may be inserted into the article, such as into a package, placed within a container of the article, or affixed to the article. RFID tags are produced with a unique identification number, usually a simple serial number consisting of a few bytes, with a check digit attached. During production, the identification number is incorporated into the RFID tag. The user cannot change the serial/identification number and the manufacturer guarantees that each serial number is used only once. Such read-only RFID tags are typically permanently affixed to the item to be tracked and once affixed, the serial number of the tag will be associated with the host item in a computer database.

Preferably, RFID reader 102 further includes a plurality of patch antennas 110. Patch antennas are relatively low profile radio antennas that can be mounted on a flat surface, typically consisting of a rectangular flat plate or "patch". However, as is known in the art, the type of antenna 110 is very diverse, and any suitable number or type of RFID antennas or RFID patch antennas may be used based on the needs and/or desires of a particular user. In general, RFID reader 102 reads or interrogates RFID-enabled smart tags (see, e.g., smart tag 200 in FIG. 2) and transmits information from tag 200 to a user. In connection with the intelligent prep station apparatus 100, the RFID reader 102 preferably obtains information from smart tags 200 affixed to various food materials and/or ingredients 106. For example, without limitation, RFID reader 102 may obtain information about food materials and/or ingredients, such as purchase and traceability information, individual lot numbers, weight, product description, relevant date information, such as preparation date, "best-to-eat" date and expiration date, supplier or vendor identification information, order frequency, remaining inventory levels, and any other information already encoded in the smart tag to meet user needs and/or preferences.

The RFID reader 102 of the present invention may also be used in conjunction with a machine vision or smart imaging system 104. The intelligent imaging system 104 may be any suitable imaging system known in the art, and is typically comprised of a combination of software and hardware products such as a camera. Generally, a machine vision or intelligent imaging system is used to capture an image or a series of images of an object by one or more cameras, analyze the image or series of images using a software program, extract desired information from the images, and perform a correlation analysis.

More specifically, the intelligent imaging system 104 of the present invention captures images of the prep station device 100 and food materials and ingredients 106 (or lack thereof) stored thereon, and processes and stores the images to be read via the RFID reader 102. Thus, by way of example and not limitation, without (or with minimal) user input, the imaging system 104 captures traceability information for transporting food material 106 from its source to the intelligent prep station device 100, and the imaging system will then monitor events for inventory conditions and transport unwanted food material back to the warehouse, donate the same food material, or send food material or ingredients for proper disposal (if, for example, the relevant shelf life has been exceeded). Thus, the smart prep station device 100 integrates the imaging system 104 with the RFID reader 102, associating unique identifiers, lot/serial numbers, related dates, and other useful information to individual food materials and ingredients 106 prepared for the consumer. Traceability information association enables a user to obtain, maintain, and update accurate information about current inventory levels on the intelligent prep station 100 without interference, as necessary, while collecting traceability data in the background. Further, by way of example and not limitation, the user may also receive an automatic reminder that food material or ingredient 106 is expired, out of stock or that the inventory level of food material or ingredient 106 is depleted, that a key food material or ingredient 106 is present (or absent) at or near the intelligent preparation station, or any other suitable reminder known or needed in the art, depending on the needs and/or desires of the user.

Further, it is also contemplated that the intelligent prep station apparatus 100 of the present invention may communicate with a user's inventory management system, such as (and not by way of limitation), generate orders and send to suppliers to replenish out-of-stock food material or ingredients, or update inventory to reflect food material or ingredients 106 consumed in the manufacturing of food products performed on or near the intelligent prep station apparatus 100. In this manner, a user can automatically maintain a real-time inventory of available food materials and ingredients 106, reducing downtime (typically associated with running out of food materials and/or ingredients necessary to make a food product and having to replenish food materials and/or ingredients). The apparatus and associated methods of the present invention are also capable of detecting the presence of a required food material or ingredient 106 on the preparation table, and/or whether the food material or ingredient 106 has exceeded a shelf life or "best-to-eat" date, and alerting the user to ensure that the food product is consistently produced in the same manner over a period of time, and that the food product does not include an expired food material or ingredient 106. It should also be noted that, for example, the imaging system for the starting weight and container size of a given food material or ingredient 106 can further analyze and determine the weight change of that food material or ingredient 106. It is further noted that the intelligent prep station system may be preconfigured with the food material and/or ingredients 106 on the prep station and their unique identifier, starting weight, and/or container size.

Fig. 2 discloses an example of an RFID enabled tag 200 (or smart tag) for accessing food stock inventory. Preferably, the smart tag 200 includes a food material name 202, a GTIN (global trade item code) code 204, a serial number 206, a preparation date 208, a shelf life 210, and a QR code 212. However, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the smart tag 200 depicted in FIG. 2 is merely one potential embodiment of the tag 200, and that any other useful information may be loaded into the tag 200 to meet the needs and/or preferences of the user without affecting the overall concept of the invention.

A food traceability method associated with the intelligent prep station apparatus 100 is also provided and disclosed herein. For example, fig. 3 illustrates a flow diagram of one potential embodiment of a food traceability preparation system maintenance method, wherein an intelligent preparation station flow is entered at 300. At 302, food material or ingredients 106 labeled with a smart tag (e.g., smart tag 200 in fig. 2) are placed on or near a preparation table. At 304, it is determined that the food material/ingredient was not previously on the preparation table and the food material/ingredient is intended to be placed on the preparation table. Typically, this is determined by capturing an image of the food/ingredient tag, reading the RFID tag on the food/ingredient, and looking up the inventory of the food/ingredient. If not, a user alert is displayed.

At 310, the captured image is analyzed, and if the food material/ingredient or container containing the image is empty, appropriate traceability data is captured at 306, and the flow returns to 302. On the other hand, if the food/ingredient container is not empty, flow proceeds to 308 and inventory is then updated in a monitored state (see, for example, inventory list 400 disclosed in fig. 4 and described more fully below). Next, at 314, the flow will determine if it is time to clean the smart prep station. If it is not time to clear the intelligent preparation station, the flow captures an image at 312 and then moves to 310 for image analysis to check if there is an empty food/ingredient container. If it is time to clean up all the ingredients/ingredients on the preparation table, the process continues at 316 to check the viability of all the ingredients/ingredients on the preparation table. Generally, a food material and/or ingredient is considered viable if its inventory level exceeds a minimum level that is retained, and does not exceed its time limit or shelf life on the preparation table.

For example, if the relevant shelf life has been exceeded, the food material/ingredients are contaminated, spoiled, etc., then at 318, each food material on the preparation table is processed, stored, donated, or properly disposed of as waste. For each food material/ingredient on the preparation table, traceability information is captured and retained, and then the process exits at 320. Importantly, a similar procedure can be employed for traceability of the food product produced from the food material and ingredients 106.

Fig. 4 discloses an inventory list 400 in which the current weight of food material/ingredients 106 is displayed. One of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that FIG. 4 depicts only one potential example of an inventory 400, and that any suitable inventory may be employed, as is known in the art, according to the needs and/or desires of the user. For example, the inventory list 400 includes an event 402, a date 404, a global location code (GLN)406, a GLN extension 408, a GTIN 410, a product lot number 412, a product serial number 414, a product quantity 416, a product weight 418, and an operator 420. The product output may be displayed and disclosed on the inventor list 400 at 422 and on the date of production 424, the recyclable asset number 426, and the recyclable asset number extension 428.

The foregoing includes examples of the claimed subject matter. It is, of course, not possible to describe every conceivable combination of components or methodologies for purposes of describing the claimed subject matter, but one of ordinary skill in the art may recognize that many further combinations and permutations of the claimed subject matter are possible. Accordingly, the claimed subject matter is intended to embrace all such alterations, modifications and variations that fall within the spirit and scope of the claimed invention. Furthermore, to the extent that the term "includes" is used in either the detailed description or the claims, such term is intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term "comprising" as "comprising" is interpreted when employed as a transitional word in a claim.