Claims:
1. A smart food storage system, the system comprising:
a container to store one or more food items;
a plurality of sensors configured with the container to detect or scan the one or more stored food items to extract one or more attributes data associated with food information of the one or more food items;
one or more processors coupled with a memory, the memory comprising a set of instructions embodied in the memory that is executable by the one or more processors to compare the extracted one or more attributes data with a predefined stored data in a database to determine sates comprising any or a combination of fresh, semi-spoiled, spoiled, and expired status of the one or more food items; and
a display unit operatively coupled with the one or more processors to display the determined states of the one or more food items.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of sensors are selected form a group consisting of a bar code scanner, a Quick Response (QR) code scanner, a radio-frequency identification (RFID) scanner, a gases sensor, and alcohol sensor.

3. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the one or more attributes data of the one or more food items comprise any or a combination a manufacturing date, expiry date, alcohol content, methane content, nutritional information, ingredients of the food items, storage instructions, and recipes.

4. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of one or more food items having a scanable code or detectable code associated with one or more attributes data of the corresponding one or more food items, and wherein at least one of the plurality of sensors are configured to detect or scan the scanable or detectable code of the one or more food items to extract one or more attributes data.
5. The system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the scanable code or detectable code is associated with any or a combination of a manufacturing date, expiry date, nutritional information, ingredients the food items, storage instructions, and recipes of the corresponding food items.

6. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the system comprises an alarm unit operatively coupled the one or more processors to generate an alert signal to alert a user when any of the stored one or more food items gets expired or spoiled.

7. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the display unit comprises a plurality of light emitting diode (LED) of different colors to indicate the states of the one or more food items, wherein a specific colored LED of the plurality of LED indicates a particular state of the food items.

8. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the display unit is a digital-display for displaying the states of the one or more food items.

9. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the system comprises any or a combination of a Bluetooth module, and WI-FI module to communicate with a computing device of a user.

10. A method for tracking of one or more food items, the method comprising states of:
storing the one or more food items into a container;
scanning or detecting, using a plurality of sensors, the one or more stored food items to extract one or more attributes data associated with food information of the one or more food items;
comparing, using one or more processors, the extracted one or more attributes data with a predefined stored data in a database to determine sates comprising any or a combination of fresh, semi-spoiled, spoiled, and expired status of the one or more food items;
displaying, using a display unit, the determined states of the one or more food items; and
generating an alert signal, using an alarm unit, to alerting a user when any of the stored one or more food items gets expired or spoiled.
, Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of food storage apparatus for household use. In particular, the present disclosure pertains to a smart food storage system for tracking states such as fresh, spoiled or expired states of stored food items to enhance safety of a person who eats that stored food items.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
[0002] Background description includes information that may be useful in understanding the present invention. It is not an admission that any of the information provided herein is prior art or relevant to the presently claimed invention, or that any publication specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art.
[0003] Many types of food products have a limited freshness period or “shelf life” before they spoil or loose their nutritional value. For example, refrigerated dairy products such as milk, eggs, and cheese, have a fairly short “freshness” period before they spoil. Food products such as fresh vegetables and fruits should be consumed within a short time period. Baked goods are only “fresh” for a limited time. Other food products, such as many types of frozen foods, have a much longer shelf life, but it is still recommended that they be consumed prior to a particular date.
[0004] The food industry provides consumers with “freshness” or “expiration” dates for products, but such information is generally conveyed only through labels or indicia printed on the product packing. Although this method may be sufficient for informing the consumer if the product they are about to purchase is still “fresh,” it offers little benefit once the products are placed in the consumer's refrigerator, pantry, or other food storage location. The printed freshness or expiration date indicia is notorious for “disappearing” from many types of products, particularly refrigerated or frozen products, or the dates/labels are inconspicuously located on the products and require a concerted effort to locate. This is inconvenient, and in certain cases, impossible for many individuals with impaired sight or who cannot otherwise read or comprehend the printed information (illiteracy, different native tongue, etc). In many instances, the original product packaging containing the information is discarded.
[0005] Currently, every person these days is facing a tough problem of dumping all the rotten, spoiled fruits and vegetables, bread or other eatables including home cooked food kept in the refrigerator. In this busy life, it has become very difficult for people to maintain or remember the day when they have cooked or put food items in their refrigerator and some time they use the food item even after the food item has reached its maximum decomposition state which leads to ill health, sickness and diseases.
[0006] There is, therefore, a need in the art, for a simple, cost-effective and efficient smart food storage system for tracking freshness or expiration dates of stored food products to enhance safety of a person who eats that stored foods.
[0007] Further limitations and disadvantages of conventional and traditional approaches will become apparent to one of skill in the art through comparison of described systems with some aspects of the present disclosure, as set forth in the remainder of the present application and with reference to the drawings.
[0008] In some embodiments, the numbers expressing quantities or dimensions of items, and so forth, used to describe and claim certain embodiments of the invention are to be understood as being modified in some instances by the term “about.” Accordingly, in some embodiments, the numerical parameters set forth in the written description and attached claims are approximations that can vary depending upon the desired properties sought to be obtained by a particular embodiment. In some embodiments, the numerical parameters should be construed in light of the number of reported significant digits and by applying ordinary rounding techniques. Notwithstanding that the numerical ranges and parameters setting forth the broad scope of some embodiments of the invention are approximations, the numerical values set forth in the specific examples are reported as precisely as practicable. The numerical values presented in some embodiments of the invention may contain certain errors necessarily resulting from the standard deviation found in their respective testing measurements.
[0009] As used in the description herein and throughout the claims that follow, the meaning of “a,” “an,” and “the” includes plural reference unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Also, as used in the description herein, the meaning of “in” includes “in” and “on” unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.
[0010] The recitation of ranges of values herein is merely intended to serve as a shorthand method of referring individually to each separate value falling within the range. Unless otherwise indicated herein, each individual value is incorporated into the specification as if it were individually recited herein. All methods described herein can be performed in any suitable order unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context. The use of any and all examples, or exemplary language (e.g. “such as”) provided with respect to certain embodiments herein is intended merely to better illuminate the invention and does not pose a limitation on the scope of the invention otherwise claimed. No language in the specification should be construed as indicating any non-claimed element essential to the practice of the invention.
[0011] Groupings of alternative elements or embodiments of the invention disclosed herein are not to be construed as limitations. Each group member can be referred to and claimed individually or in any or a combination with other members of the group or other elements found herein. One or more members of a group can be included in, or deleted from, a group for reasons of convenience and/or patentability. When any such inclusion or deletion occurs, the specification is herein deemed to contain the group as modified thus fulfilling the written description of all groups used in the appended claims.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
[0012] A general object of the present disclosure is to provide a smart food storage container/apparatus.
[0013] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a smart food storage system for tracking freshness or expiration dates of stored food products to enhance safety of a person who eats that stored foods.
[0014] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a simple and cost effective smart food storage system for tracking states such as fresh, spoiled and expired states of the stored food items.
[0015] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a method for tracking freshness or expiration dates of stored food products to enhance safety of a person who eats that stored foods.
[0016] An object of the present disclosure is to provide an efficient method that can be easily implemented for tracking states such as fresh, spoiled and expired states of stored food products to enhance safety of a person who eats that stored foods.

SUMMARY
[0017] The present invention relates to the technical field of food storage containers for household use. In particular, the present disclosure pertains to a smart food storage system and method for tracking states such as fresh, spoiled or expired states of stored food items to enhance safety of a person who eats that stored food items.
[0018] In an aspect, the present disclosure provides a smart food storage system comprising: a container to store one or more food items; a plurality of sensors configured with the container to detect or scan the one or more stored food items to extract one or more attributes data associated with food information of the one or more food items; one or more processors coupled with a memory, the memory comprising a set of instructions embodied in the memory that is executable by the one or more processors to compare the extracted one or more attributes data with a predefined stored data in a database to determine sates comprising any or a combination of fresh, semi-spoiled, spoiled, and expired status of the one or more food items; and a display unit operatively coupled with the one or more processors to display the determined states of the one or more food items.
[0019] In an embodiment, the one or more food items can be selected from the group consisting of purchased packed food items, raw vegetables, meat, fish, poultry, dairy products, home prepared food product and the like.
[0020] In an embodiment, the plurality of sensors can be selected selected form a group consisting of a bar code scanner, a Quick Response (QR) code scanner, a radio-frequency identification (RFID) scanner, a gases sensor, alcohol sensor and the like.
[0021] In an embodiment, the one or more attributes data of the one or more food items comprise any or a combination a manufacturing date, expiry date, alcohol content, methane content, nutritional information, ingredients of the food items, storage instructions, and recipes.
[0022] In an embodiment, at least one of one or more food items having a scanable code or detectable code associated with one or more attributes data of the corresponding one or more food items.
[0023] In an embodiment, at least one of the plurality of sensors are configured to detect or scan the scanable or detectable code of the one or more food items to extract one or more attributes data.
[0024] In an embodiment, the scanable code or detectable code is associated with any or a combination of a manufacturing date, expiry date, nutritional information, ingredients the food items, storage instructions, and recipes of the corresponding food items.
[0025] In an embodiment, the system comprises an alarm unit operatively coupled the one or more processors to generate an alert signal to alert a user when any of the stored one or more food items gets expired or spoiled.
[0026] In an embodiment, the display unit can include a plurality of light emitting diode (LED) of different colours to indicate the states of the one or more food items.
[0027] In an embodiment, a specific coloured LED of the plurality of LED is used to indicate a particular state of the food items.
[0028] In an embodiment, the display unit can be a digital-display for displaying the states of the one or more food items.
[0029] In an embodiment, the system comprises any or a combination of a Bluetooth module, and WI-FI module to enable communication with a user with assistance of a user computing device.
[0030] In another aspect, the present disclosure provides a method for tracking of one or more food items, the method comprising states of: storing the one or more food items into a container; scanning or detecting, using a plurality of sensors, the one or more stored food items to extract one or more attributes data associated with food information of the one or more food items; comparing, using one or more processors, the extracted one or more attributes data with a predefined stored data in a database to determine sates comprising any or a combination of fresh, semi-spoiled, spoiled, and expired status of the one or more food items; displaying, using a display unit, the determined states of the one or more food items; and generating an alert signal, using an alarm unit, to alerting a user when any of the stored one or more food items gets expired or spoiled.
[0031] Various objects, features, aspects and advantages of the present disclosure will become more apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments, along with the accompanying drawing figures in which like numerals represent like features.
[0032] Within the scope of this application it is expressly envisaged that the various aspects, embodiments, examples and alternatives set out in the preceding paragraphs, in the claims and/or in the following description and drawings, and in particular the individual features thereof, may be taken independently or in any or a combination . Features described in connection with one embodiment are applicable to all embodiments, unless such features are incompatible.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0033] The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the present disclosure, and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the present disclosure.
[0034] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary modules diagram representation of the proposed smart food storage system, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0035] FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary schematic diagram representation of the smart food storage system, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0036] FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary representation of a flow diagram of the proposed method for tracking of one or more food items, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0037] FIG. 4 illustrates a computer system in which or with which embodiments of the present invention can be utilized in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0038] The following is a detailed description of embodiments of the disclosure depicted in the accompanying drawings. The embodiments are in such details as to clearly communicate the disclosure. However, the amount of detail offered is not intended to limit the anticipated variations of embodiments; on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims.
[0039] If the specification states a component or feature “may”, “can”, “could”, or “might” be included or have a characteristic, that particular component or feature is not required to be included or have the characteristic.
[0040] Exemplary embodiments will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which exemplary embodiments are shown. This disclosure may however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. These embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete and will fully convey the scope of the disclosure to those of ordinary skill in the art. Moreover, all statements herein reciting embodiments of the disclosure, as well as specific examples thereof, are intended to encompass both structural and functional equivalents thereof. Additionally, it is intended that such equivalents include both currently known equivalents as well as equivalents developed in the future (i.e., any elements developed that perform the same function, regardless of structure).
[0041] Various terms as used herein are shown below. To the extent a term used in a claim is not defined below, it should be given the broadest definition persons in the pertinent art have given that term as reflected in printed publications and issued patents at the time of filing.
[0042] Embodiments explained herein relate to food storage containers for household use. In particular, the present disclosure pertains to a smart food storage system and method for tracking states such as fresh, spoiled or expired states of stored food items to enhance safety of a person who eats that stored food items.
[0043] In an embodiment, the disclosed smart food storage system (also referred to as apparatus hereinafter) can include a container to store one or more food items; a plurality of sensors configured with the container to detect or scan the one or more stored food items to extract one or more attributes data associated with food information of the one or more food items; one or more processors coupled with a memory, the memory comprising a set of instructions embodied in the memory that is executable by the one or more processors to compare the extracted one or more attributes data with a predefined stored data in a database to determine sates comprising any or a combination of fresh, semi-spoiled, spoiled, and expired status of the one or more food items; and a display unit operatively coupled with the one or more processors to display the determined states of the one or more food items.
[0044] In an embodiment, the plurality of sensors can be selected form a group consisting of a bar code scanner, a Quick Response (QR) code scanner, a radio-frequency identification (RFID) scanner, a gases sensor, and alcohol sensor.
[0045] In an embodiment, the one or more attributes data of the one or more food items includes any or a combination a manufacturing date, expiry date, alcohol content, methane content, nutritional information, ingredients of the food items, storage instructions, and recipes.
[0046] In an embodiment, at least one of one or more food items having a scanable code or detectable code associated with one or more attributes data of the corresponding one or more food items.
[0047] In an embodiment, at least one of the plurality of sensors are configured to detect or scan the scanable or detectable code of the one or more food items to extract one or more attributes data.
[0048] In an embodiment, the scanable code or detectable code can be associated with any or a combination of a manufacturing date, expiry date, nutritional information, ingredients the food items, storage instructions, and recipes of the corresponding food items.
[0049] In an embodiment, the system can include an alarm unit operatively coupled the one or more processors to generate an alert signal to alert a user when any of the stored one or more food items gets expired or spoiled.
[0050] In an embodiment, the display unit can include a plurality of light emitting diode (LED) of different colours to indicate the states of the one or more food items.
[0051] In an embodiment, a specific coloured LED of the plurality of LED is used to indicate a particular state of the food items.
[0052] In an embodiment, the display unit can be a digital-display for displaying the states of the one or more food items.
[0053] In an embodiment, the system can include any or a combination of a Bluetooth module, and WI-FI module to enable communication with user with assistance of a user computing device.
[0054] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary modules diagram representation of the proposed smart food storage system, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. The proposed food storage system (also referred to as apparatus hereinafter) 100 can include a container 106 to accommodate one store one or more food items, and a plurality of sensors 108 configured with the container 106. The plurality of sensors 108 can be configured to detect or scan the one or more stored food items to extract one or more attributes data associated with food information of the one or more food items.
[0055] In an embodiment, the plurality of sensors 108 can detect or scan the one or more stored food items continuously to monitor the one or more food in real-time.
[0056] In an embodiment, the plurality of sensors 108 can be selected form a group consisting of a bar code scanner, a Quick Response (QR) code scanner, a radio-frequency identification (RFID) scanner, a gases sensor, and alcohol sensor.
[0057] In an embodiment, the one or more food items can be selected from the group consisting of purchased packed food products, raw vegetables, meat, fish, poultry, dairy products, home prepared food product and the like.
[0058] In an embodiment, the one or more attributes data of the one or more food items comprise any or a combination a manufacturing date, expiry date, alcohol content, methane content, nutritional information, ingredients of the food items, storage instructions, and recipes.
[0059] In an embodiment, at least one of one or more food items such as purchased packed items having a scanable code or detectable code associated with one or more attributes data of the corresponding one or more food items.
[0060] In an embodiment, the scanable code or detectable code can be any of a QR code, bar code, and the like.
[0061] In an embodiment, at least one of the plurality of sensors such as (QR) code scanner, a radio-frequency identification (RFID) scanner are configured to detect or scan the scanable or detectable code of the one or more food items to extract one or more attributes data.
[0062] In an embodiment, the scanable code or detectable code can be associated with any or a combination of a manufacturing date, expiry date, nutritional information, ingredients the food items, storage instructions, and recipes of the corresponding food items.
[0063] In an embodiment, the gases sensor, and alcohol sensor can be configured to detect methane gas, and alcohol content of the food items such as vegetables, meat, fish, poultry, dairy products, home prepared food product and the like.
[0064] In an embodiment, the system 100 can include one or more processors 102 operatively coupled with the coupled with the plurality of sensors 108, and a memory 104 coupled with the processors 102. In an embodiment, the one or more processor(s) 102 may be implemented as one or more microprocessors, microcomputers, microcontrollers, digital signal processors, central processing units, logic circuitries, and/or any devices that manipulate data based on operational instructions. Among other capabilities, the one or more processor(s) 102 are configured to fetch and execute computer-readable instructions stored in a memory 104 of the system 100. The memory 104 may store one or more computer-readable instructions or routines, which may be fetched and executed to create or share the data units over a network service. The memory 104 may comprise any non-transitory storage device including, for example, volatile memory such as RAM, or non-volatile memory such as EPROM, flash memory, and the like.
[0065] In an embodiment, the system 100 can include a database 116 configured for storing predefined data, extracted one or more attributes data from the food items and other required data.
[0066] In an embodiment, the processors 102 can be configured to compare the extracted one or more attributes data with the predefined stored data in the database 116 to determine sates comprising any or a combination of fresh, semi-spoiled, spoiled, and expired status of the one or more food items based on the comparison.
[0067] In an embodiment, the system 100 can include a display unit 110 configured on outer side of the container 106. The display unit 110 is operatively coupled with the one or more processors 102 to display the determined states of the one or more food items.
[0068] In an embodiment, the display unit 110 can be provided with a plurality of light emitting diode (LED) of different colours to indicate the states of the one or more food items.
[0069] In an embodiment, a specific coloured LED of the plurality of LED is used to indicate a particular state of the food items.
[0070] In an embodiment, the display unit 110 can be a digital-display for displaying the states of the one or more food items.
[0071] In an embodiment, the system 100 can include an alarm unit 112 operatively coupled the one or more processors 102 to generate an alert signal to alert a user when any of the stored one or more food items gets expired or spoiled. In an embodiment, the alarm unit 112 can generate any or a combination of visual and audible alarm signal if any of the food items in the container 106 has expired or is no longer fresh.
[0072] In an embodiment, the system 100 can include a communication module 114 including any or a combination of a Bluetooth module, and WI-FI module, GSM module and the like to enable communication of a user with assistance of a user computing device. In an embodiment, the user computing device can be any of a computer system, laptop, smart mobile phone, tablet and the like.
[0073] In an embodiment, the user can communicate with the system with assistance of the user computing device through a network.
[0074] In an embodiment, the disclosed system 100 can implement with a refrigerator, freezer, storage room, and the like.
[0075] FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary schematic diagram representation of the smart food storage system, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown, the disclosed system 100 can include a container 106 having one or more compartments 202 to one store one or more food items, a door 204 having a handle 206 to move the door 204 between an opened and a closed position for opening and closing of the container 106.
[0076] In an embodiment, sensors 108 are configured on inner side of side walls of the compartment to detect or scan the one or more stored food items to extract one or more attributes data associated with food information of the one or more food items. In an embodiment, one or more processors 102 (not shown here) are operatively coupled with the coupled with the sensors 108 to compare the extracted one or more attributes data with the predefined stored data in a database (not shown here) to determine sates comprising any or a combination of fresh, semi-spoiled, spoiled, and expired status of the one or more food items based on the comparison.
[0077] In an embodiment, a display unit 110 configured on outer side of the container 106. The display unit 110 is operatively coupled with the one or more processors to display the determined states of the one or more food items.
[0078] In an embodiment, an alarm unit 112 operatively coupled the one or more processors. The alarm unit 112 is provided to generate an alert signal to alert a user when any of the stored one or more food items gets expired or spoiled.
[0079] In an embodiment, the system 100 can include including any or a combination of a Bluetooth module, and WI-FI module, GSM module and the like to enable communication of a user with assistance of a user computing device.
[0080] FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary representation of the proposed method flow diagram for tracking of one or more food items, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. In an embodiment, the disclosed method 300 can include at step 302, storing the one or more food items into a container, and at step 304, scanning or detecting, using a plurality of sensors, the one or more stored food items to extract one or more attributes data associated with food information of the one or more food items. The plurality of sensors can be selected form a group consisting of a bar code scanner, a Quick Response (QR) code scanner, a radio-frequency identification (RFID) scanner, a gases sensor, and alcohol sensor.
[0081] In an embodiment, the disclosed method 300 can include at step 306, comparing, using one or more processors, the extracted one or more attributes data with a predefined stored data in a database to determine sates comprising any or a combination of fresh, semi-spoiled, spoiled, and expired status of the one or more food items, at step 308, displaying, using a display unit, the determined states of the one or more food items, and at step 310, generating an alert signal, using an alarm unit, to alerting a user when any of the stored one or more food items gets expired or spoiled.
[0082] FIG. 4 illustrates a computer system in which or with which embodiments of the present invention can be utilized in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0083] As shown in FIG. 4, computer system includes an external storage device 410, a bus 420, a main memory 430, a read only memory 440, a mass storage device 450, communication port 460, and a processor 470. A person skilled in the art will appreciate that computer system may include more than one processor and communication ports. Examples of processor 470 include, but are not limited to, an Intel® Itanium® or Itanium 2 processor(s), or AMD® Opteron® or Athlon MP® processor(s), Motorola® lines of processors, FortiSOC™ system on a chip processors or other future processors. Processor 470 may include various modules associated with embodiments of the present invention. Communication port 460 can be any of an RS-232 port for use with a modem-based dialup connection, a 10/100 Ethernet port, a Gigabit or 10 Gigabit port using copper or fibre, a serial port, a parallel port, or other existing or future ports. Communication port 460 may be chosen depending on a network, such a Local Area Network (LAN), Wide Area Network (WAN), or any network to which computer system connects.
[0084] Memory 430 can be Random Access Memory (RAM), or any other dynamic storage device commonly known in the art. Read only memory 440 can be any static storage device(s) e.g., but not limited to, a Programmable Read Only Memory (PROM) chips for storing static information e.g., start-up or BIOS instructions for processor 670. Mass storage 450 may be any current or future mass storage solution, which can be used to store information and/or instructions. Exemplary mass storage solutions include, but are not limited to, Parallel Advanced Technology Attachment (PATA) or Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA) hard disk drives or solid-state drives (internal or external, e.g., having Universal Serial Bus (USB) and/or Firewire interfaces), e.g. those available from Seagate (e.g., the Seagate Barracuda 7200 family) or Hitachi (e.g., the Hitachi Deskstar 7K1000), one or more optical discs, Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID) storage, e.g. an array of disks (e.g., SATA arrays), available from various vendors including Dot Hill Systems Corp., LaCie, Nexsan Technologies, Inc. and Enhance Technology, Inc.
[0085] Bus 420 communicatively couples processor(s) 470 with the other memory, storage and communication blocks. Bus 420 can be, e.g. a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) / PCI Extended (PCI-X) bus, Small Computer System Interface (SCSI), USB or the like, for connecting expansion cards, drives and other subsystems as well as other buses, such a front side bus (FSB), which connects processor 470 to software system.
[0086] Optionally, operator and administrative interfaces, e.g. a display, keyboard, and a cursor control device, may also be coupled to bus 420 to support direct operator interaction with computer system. Other operator and administrative interfaces can be provided through network connections connected through communication port 460. External storage device 410 can be any kind of external hard-drives, floppy drives, IOMEGA® Zip Drives, Compact Disc - Read Only Memory (CD-ROM), Compact Disc - Re-Writable (CD-RW), Digital Video Disk - Read Only Memory (DVD-ROM). Components described above are meant only to exemplify various possibilities. In no way should the aforementioned exemplary computer system limit the scope of the present disclosure.
[0087] It should be apparent to those skilled in the art that many more modifications besides those already described are possible without departing from the inventive concepts herein. The inventive patient matter, therefore, is not to be restricted except in the spirit of the appended claims. Moreover, in interpreting both the specification and the claims, all terms should be interpreted in the broadest possible manner consistent with the context. In particular, the terms “includes” and “including” should be interpreted as referring to elements, components, or steps in a non-exclusive manner, indicating that the referenced elements, components, or steps may be present, or utilized, or combined with other elements, components, or steps that are not expressly referenced. Where the specification claims refer to at least one of something selected from the group consisting of A, B, C ….and N, the text should be interpreted as requiring only one element from the group, not A plus N, or B plus N, etc. The foregoing description of the specific embodiments will so fully reveal the general nature of the embodiments herein that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily modify and/or adapt for various applications such specific embodiments without departing from the generic concept, and, therefore, such adaptations and modifications should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalents of the disclosed embodiments. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation. Therefore, while the embodiments herein have been described in terms of preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the embodiments herein can be practised with modification within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.
[0088] While the foregoing describes various embodiments of the invention, other and further embodiments of the invention may be devised without departing from the basic scope thereof. The scope of the invention is determined by the claims that follow. The invention is not limited to the described embodiments, versions or examples, which are included to enable a person having ordinary skill in the art to make and use the invention when combined with information and knowledge available to the person having ordinary skill in the art.

ADVANTAGES
[0089] The present disclosure provides a smart food storage container/apparatus.
[0090] The present disclosure provides a smart food storage system for tracking freshness or expiration dates of stored food products to enhance safety of a person who eats that stored foods.
[0091] The present disclosure provides a simple and cost effective smart food storage system for tracking states such as fresh, spoiled and expired states of the stored food items.
[0092] The present disclosure provides a method for tracking freshness or expiration dates of stored food products in a container.
[0093] The present disclosure provides an efficient method that can be easily implemented for tracking states such as fresh, spoiled and expired states of stored food products to enhance safety of a person who eats that stored foods.