Sunday, September 30, 2018

International Translation Day 2018

Copyright © Françoise Herrmann




In 1953, the International Federation of Translators selected September 30th for International Translation Day. The date corresponds to the celebration of the Feast of Saint Jeromea day in the Catholic liturgical calendar of SaintsSaint Jerome, was a multilingual scholar in the year 340 AD, who was canonized for having first translated the Bible from the original Hebrew and the Greek (Septuagint) versions, into a unified Latin version. Saint Jerome's more widely accessible Latin version of the Bible is called the Vulgate. During the 16th century, the Council of Trent subsequently proclaimed Saint Jerome's Vulgate the official version of the Bible for the Catholic Church. Saint Jerome's Vulgate thus replaced the various and incomplete former Vetus Latina (Old Italic) versions of the Bible, which had used only the Greek Septuagint translations as their source.

International Translation Day is now also officially part of the UN calendar of celebrations. On May 24, 2017, during the 71st Session of the UN General Assembly, September 30th was voted as International Translation Day. This unanimous decision is set forth in UN Resolution A/RES/71/288, recognizing:
 "The role of translation in  connecting nations, and fostering peace, understanding and development."  [UN A/RES/71/288]

This year, International Translation Day celebrates the “promotion of cultural heritage in changing times.” In particular, International Translation Day is celebrating the role of translation in promoting, supporting and safeguarding intangible cultural heritage. The selection of this theme arises in anticipation of the year 2019, during which the UN will be celebrating the International Year of Indigenous Languages of the World.

Happy International Translation Day! 

References
FIT - International Translation Day 2018
http://www.fit-ift.org/international-translation-day/
Saint Jerome
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerome
UN resolution A/RES/71/288 
http://www.un.org/en/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=A/RES/71/288
UN 2019 International year of Indigenous Languages of the world
https://www.un.org/development/desa/indigenouspeoples/news/2018/04/establishment-of-the-steering-committee-for-the-organization-of-the-2019-international-year-of-indigenous-languages/

Friday, September 28, 2018

Oh, patents! Zume Pizza box

Copyright © Françoise Herrmann


The Zume Pizza Inc., pizza box was awarded the US design patent USD806575S1, titled  Food container.  Recently, the US utility patent application US20180215523A1,  titled Container for transport and storage of food products, was also filed for the Zume Pizza Inc., pizza box.

 As a reminder the difference between a utility patent and a design patent is the following:
utility patent” protects the way an article is used and works (35 U.S.C. 101), while a “design patent” protects the way an article looks (35 U.S.C. 171) [MPEP Chapt. 1502.01; [R-07.2015]].

The US utility patent discloses a 100% compostable, stackable and sturdy container that is used to insulate the pie, and alternatively to cook it. The container comprises a base plate and a cooperating cover. Measured against square traditional cardboard pizza boxes, the Zume Pizza Inc., pizza box addresses at least two pervasive problems of the prior art. First, the difficulty of stacking cardboard boxes in a way that prevents the cover from contacting the top of the pizza, without inserting some sort of pedestal at the center of the pie. Second, the sogginess of the pizza crust in flush contact with the base of the cardboard box, which traps all the moisture and creates condensation. 

In response to this problematic situation of the prior art, the Zume Pizza Inc.; pizza box invention comprises a domed cover, sturdy enough to stack boxes, and a rimmed base plate with a plurality of radial channels or grooves, delineating a plurality of portions (i.e. slices), each containing a sector well. Such a configuration of the base plate serves a variety of purposes. For example, the base plate configuration prevents full contact of the pizza crust with the plate, allows air to circulate beneath the crust thus providing additional insulation, alternatively allows for liquids and juices to collect and to travel away from the crust, serves as a guide for cutting or slicing the pizza into equal portions (8 in particular), adds rigidity to the base plate, and enables the base plate to be easily folded (along the channels), when it is time to compost it. 

The abstract of the US utility patent is included below, together with patent Figure 1B, showing the separated domed top cover and divided bottom plate with wells.  
Systems and methods for providing compostable food containers which preserve the quality of a food product for an extended duration of time, and which optionally allow for cooking of the food product therein. In some implementations, the food containers are sturdy, stackable, insulating, and require minimal or no manual labor to assemble. In some implementations, the food container includes a base and a cover which cooperate to form a closed chamber for supporting, protecting, insulating and optionally cooking a food product, such as a pizza. The base and cover may each be formed of a single layer of material including, but not limited to, molded sugarcane fiber (“bagasse”), molded wood fiber, molded bamboo fiber, molded paper or plastic. [Abstract US20180215523A1]

References
MPEP Chapt. 1502.01 – Definition of a Design [R-07.2015]
Zume Pizza Inc.

Wednesday, September 26, 2018

Oh, patents! Zume Pizza Inc.

Copyright © Françoise Herrmann


Zume Pizza Inc., has pioneered the cobotic production line where humans and robots work together, to prepare and deliver, piping hot, just-out-of-the-oven pizza pies, in Zume-patented, 100% compostable containers. The robots at the Zume Pizza Inc., hub all have names. Pepe is the tomato sauce dispensing robot. Marta is the tomato sauce spreading robot, while humans are still adding toppings and adjusting the robotic imperfections, in 22 seconds flat. A third 6-axis robotic arm called Bruno, then transfers the uncooked pizzas, from the conveyor belt to the ovens. Finally, Leonardo the cutter bot, slices the pizza pies into 8 even slices. 

Beyond Pepe, Marta, Bruno and Leonardo, collaborating with humans on the Zume pizza cobotic assembly line, Zume Pizza Inc., has also pioneered, bake-on-the-way pizza delivery trucks, equipped with patented payload ovens. Zume Pizza Inc., pizza pies are thus optionally fired en route, according to distance and optimized delivery routes, using a dynamic fulfillment queue, and a proprietary mobile delivery network. Thus, when Zume Pizza Inc., pies are delivered, using the bake-on-the-way Zume UPS-size delivery trucks, the pies are indeed delivered straight from the oven to the customer. Just-out-of-the-oven delivery resolves by the same token all prior art issues of food alteration due to delays in delivery (i.e.; soggy pizza crusts) 

The Zume Pizza Inc., cobotic production assembly line invention is recited in the following patent application family: 
  • TW201740340 (A) - On-demand robotic food assembly and related systems, devices and methods
  • US2017290345 (A1) - On-demand robotic food assembly and related systems, devices and methods
  • WO2017177041 (A2) - On-demand robotic food assembly and related systems, devices and methods
In particular, the US patent application discloses a cobotic food assembly line with one or more robots, cooperating with humans to fulfill orders for the preparation and packaging of food items. The food can be optionally loaded into ovens mounted on racks. In turn, the oven payload can be transferred to delivery vehicles where the food is cooked on the way. 

In particular, the US patent application discloses sensors operating to detect the movement and position of the food, on the one or more conveyor belts; motors controlling the conveyor belts, and controllers driving the robotic arm tools. For example, the patent application specifically describes the controllers driving Marta’s spiral movements invoked in spreading sauce on the pizza pies, or the controllers driving Pepe’s sauce dispensing, on the flattened pizza dough. 

The US patent application discloses additional robots. In particular, the US patent application discloses one or more cheese-dispensing robots. The one or more cheese-dispensing robots may each dispense different sorts of cheeses (e.g.; one robot for mozzarella, one for goat cheese), or one robot can selectively retrieve different sorts of cheeses. The cheese dispensing robots can measure the quantities of cheese dispensed, and be equipped with various end-of-arm tools, such as spoons or rakes, to spread or deposit the cheese on the flattened pizza dough. 

Likewise, the US patent application also discloses one or more toppings robots, which can each dispense one topping. Alternatively, one robot can retrieve different sorts of the toppings, divided into meat toppings (e.g.; Canadian bacon, pepperoni or ham), and non-meat toppings (e.g.; mushrooms, peppers or olives). Likewise, the toppings robot may also have various end-of-arm tools, such as facing digits, a scoop, a rake or suction, designed to dispense a topping on the flattened pizza dough. 

Various additional sorts of dispensing end-tools are also described, such as nozzles (for viscous items like cream cheese), slicers (for meats like salami or ham), graters (for cheese), rotating blades for cutting slices of tomato, onion or carrots. A rotating carousel is also described, equipped with several containers which might be used to dispense various sorts of toppings onto the flattened pizza dough, traveling on the conveyor belt.

The additional robots disclosed also comprise one or more packaging robots, and one or more cutter robots. One packaging robot is designed to retrieve packaging (i.e. a tray or a bottom plate with a domed cover) from a stack, and move it onto a conveyor where a transfer conveyor will place the cooked or partially cooked pizza pie with toppings. The cutter robot, aka Leonardo, is designed with blades to cut the pies, in cooperation with the packaging tray or bottom plate with cutting grooves and a rim, preventing the pie from slipping or sliding, when the pizza is being cut. The cutter robot is housed inside a cover with side walls and a front window, enabling the operator to adjust the position of the incoming, partially packaged, pizzas under the robot's blades.  Finally, after Leonardo the cutter bot has cut the pizza, another packaging bot is described. The second packaging bot is designed to close the packaging, bringing down the domed upper part so that it latches with the packaging bottom plate or tray. 

The US patent application also discloses scrapers or wipers, made of metal or silicone rubber, designed to remove debris from the conveyor belt, towards the end of the conveyor. 

The US patent application further describes the front-end computer server, processing customer orders, which include topping specifications, delivery address and ID. In turn, the front end computer communicates with the assembly line controllers, and other components of the workflow, such as screens used by humans, the robots and the ovens, in view of coordinating, ordering, and sequencing the assembly of food items. 

The US patent application describes the ovens and the racks or grills which can withstand the heat of the ovens, on a cooking conveyor belt, designed to convey the “cheesed”, “sauced” and “topped” pizza doughs through and out of the ovens. The description of the ovens includes specification of the temperature of the ovens, and speed of the conveyors, according to the specifics of the pizza (crust type, toppings, desirable or requested amount of charring), and the means of controlling temperature and speed, using a processor, or an operator, depending on the implementation.  

Thus, each component and aspect of the cobotic food assembly line, and its various possible implementations are recited, notably in the US patent application. 

The abstract of the US patent application is included below, together with the patent Figure 2A of the cobotic pizza assembly line, showing the layout of the assembly hub. Images of the marketed robots Pepe, Marta and Bruno, already operating at the Zume Pizza Inc., cobotic assembly line, are included above. 

An on-demand robotic food assembly line can include one or more conveyors and one or more robots, operable to assemble food items in response to received orders for food items, and one or more ovens operable to, for example, partially cook assembled food items. The on-demand robotic food assembly line can optionally package the assembled and partially cooked food items in packaging, and optionally load the packaged partially cooked food items into portable cooking units (e.g., ovens) that are optionally loaded into racks that are, in turn, optionally loaded into delivery vehicles, where the food items are individually cooked under controlled conditions while en route to consumer destinations, such the cooking of each food item is completed just prior to arrival at the consumer destination location. A dynamic fulfillment queue for control of assembly is maintained based at least in part on estimated transit time for orders. [Abstract US2017290345 (A1)]
Reference
Zume Pizza Inc. 
https://zumepizza.com/ 

Thursday, September 20, 2018

Oh, patents! 3D Systems ChefJet Pro

Copyright © Françoise Herrmann

Back to the future of food robotics!

The ChefJet Pro is manufactured by 3D Systems, the company founded by Chuck Hull, the inventor of stereolithography and rapid prototyping manufacturing, aka 3D printing. In contrast to 3D food printers that extrude viscous pastes, one layer at a time, which are then sometimes cooked, or alternatively scaffolded in place, the 3D Systems Chefjet Pro printer uses a fused deposition process of 3D printing, previously used only for 3D printing inedible and/or toxic materials, at very high furnace temperatures. 

3D printing using fused deposition invokes a process where powder is sequentially deposited in layers, each layer fused to the next, using a binder solution that is applied with an inkjet process. In contrast to 3D extrusion of pastes that tend to blend together, fused deposition thus enables the printing of delicate and intricate 3D objects, which can have complex geometries and interiors, printed images or text, both within the object and/or on the outside. The Chefjet Pro invention thus comprises both the mechanical and digital means for a 3D food production system that uses a fused deposition process to 3D print edible food objects, including the independent variation of color, flavor, and texture.

In practice, this means designing a 3D food object with invention CAD (Computer-Aided- Design) software. The design is then sent to the invention 3D printer, which converts the software instructions. The software instructions are converted into machine controls and tool commands for printing the fused powdered object, layer by layer. Sequential layering includes the mixing and addition, in real time, of RGB food coloring and/or flavors and scents, for every pixel. Thus,  intricate colored graphic designs can be incorporated into, and onto, the edible 3D printed object – for example, for spectacular wedding cake decorations!

The ChefJet Pro invention is recited in the recently filed patent application US2018160720, titled Apparatus and method for producing a three-dimensional food product. The abstract of this invention is included below, together with a 3D Systems YouTube video, showcasing the 3D printed sweet and savory treats.
A freeform fabrication system for the production of an edible three-dimensional food product from digital input data is disclosed. Food products are produced in a layer-bylayer manner without object-specific tooling or human intervention. Color, flavor, texture and/or other characteristics may be independently modulated throughout the food product.


3D systems runs a Culinary Laboratory in Los Angeles, in collaboration with The Culinary Institute of America, professional chefs, restaurateurs, local bakeries, and famous architects, such as Mei Lin -- each partner willing to experiment with the technology.

Watch out for the most dazzling edible 3D printed sculptures and constructions, if you have not already seen and tasted some!  

References
3D Systems
3D systems Culinary 3D printing
3D systems Culinary Gallery 
3D Systems Collaborations
The Culinary Institute of America

Friday, September 14, 2018

Oh, patents! BlaBlaCar™

Copyright © Françoise Herrmann

Do you blah, blah blah or blah blah blah? In other words, “How talkative are you when you commute with other folks? This intriguing user profile question gave the now famous ridesharing company, formerly called Comuto S.A, its trademarked name.  







BlaBlaCar™ is a long distance ridesharing company, founded in 2004, after one of its founders could not get home for xmas, considering that he could not get train tickets and did not own a car.  BlaBlaCar™ now operates in 22 European countries, connecting 18 million travelers every quarter, who are “going the same way” for an average 150 miles. The long-distance travel network, not only has 60 million subscribers, it has deliberately developed digital trust tools, using ratings, reviews, and verified user-profiles, to bring people together, who otherwise would never have met. 

The BaBlaCar™ mobile platform, supporting long-distance ridesharing, also seeks to offer more cost-efficient and enjoyable road travel, with less traffic and thus a decreased carbon footprint. The included small data chart shows the BlaBlaCar™ carbon footprint and its contribution to decreasing Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions.

The BlaBlaCar™ mobile ride-sharing platform and system are recited in two recent US patent applications:
  • US2018023967 (A1) - 2018-01-25 - Method and system for identifying meeting points
  • US2018172459 (A1) - 2018-06-21 - Method and system for determining detoured trips. 
The first patent application, US2018023967, recites the system and method for generating acceptable pick-up points on a given route. For example, a pick-up point at the local train station, or at a particular neighborhood school, computed to minimize the detours on any given route with several stops, that are acceptable to the driver and workable for potential passengers. The abstract is included below: 
A method of and a system for processing a ridesharing request. The method comprising receiving instructions to create a trip in the ridesharing platform; generating an original route by causing to compute an original polyline defining the original route; accessing a set of meeting points; determining from the set of meeting points, candidate meeting points which are within a distance from the original polyline; generating for each one of the candidate meeting points, a detour route by causing to compute a detour polyline defining the detour route; identifying selected candidate meeting points from the candidate meeting points; and storing the selected candidate meeting points, the selected can didate meeting points being associated with the trip.
[Abstract US2018023967] 
The second patent application, US2018172459, recites the system and method for increasing matches between the trips that drivers publish and offer, and the trips that passengers are seeking. The invention consists in the method and system of computing detours that are acceptable to the drivers, in some instances based on the rideshare requests. The abstract of the patent is included below.
A system for and a method of determining that a detoured trip is to be presented to a potential passenger. The method comprises receiving a rideshare request; generating a rideshare request parameter; and accessing, from a database, trip filtering parameters associated with trips. The method further comprises determining that at least one of the trips is a candidate for which a detour route is to be computed based on an analysis of the rideshare request parameter and a corresponding trip filtering parameter associated with the at least one of the trips; causing to compute, for the at least one of the trips determined as being the candidate for which the detour route is to be computed, a detoured trip; and determining that the detoured trip is to be presented to the potential passenger by analyzing the deviation value of the detoured trip and the deviation threshold. [Abstract US2018172459]

References
Blablacar
Shaheen, S. (March 23, 2017) BlaBlaCar and the rise of carpooling in France. Move Forward. Moovel Group.
Shaheen, S., Stocker A and M. Mundler  (July 2016) Online and app-based carpooling in France: Analyzing users and practices – A study of BlaBlaCar.  BlaBlaCar White paper
http://innovativemobility.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/BlaBlaCar_Whitepaper_FINAL.pdf

Thursday, September 13, 2018

In print! Patents on the Soles of Your Shoes (Volume 1, 2013)

Copyright © Françoise Herrmann

Available at Amazon.com

List price : $28.00
6" x 9" (15.24 x 22.86 cm)
136 pages, Full color
ISBN-13: 978-1542406741
ISBN-10: 1542406749 
BISAC: Reference / General

The first volume of Patents on the Soles of Your Shoes is a book intended for readers who are seriously interested in inventions and the documents that drive them. From Nike Inc., sole systems with on-board biometric sensors and peek-a-boo windows, to Sanuk® “hoodies” for your feet, via Geox Amphibiox "holey" shoes and Asics® gel soles, this reference book is all about patents on the soles of your shoes -- and elsewhere. Patents elsewhere, driving the science of your mascara and the electronic engineering of your razors. Patents opening up unimaginable possibilities, such as spray-on fabric, bioprinted tissues and organs, or 3D printed dwellings, using a robotic arm to pour cement from a gantry. Patents also steeped in controversies, such as man-made animal models and transgenic technology.   
Approximately 75 patents are cited in this volume, together with abstracts, and  square QR Codes connecting print to the source texts. These links provide readers with an AR (Augmented Reality) experience, offering access to the book’s source of connected information, such as complete patent versions and the various members of patent families, videos and articles.   
In 2018, the blog that informed this book, is still humming, capturing inventions this year, and each year since 2013, as well as some of the long history that has preceded, or the current events that surround them.

Friday, September 7, 2018

Oh, patents! Oh, Foodini!

Copyright © Françoise Herrmann

Ready to tap into a databank of food prints? Ready to print your own chocolate letters, and dinosaur spinach quiche? If you are, then you are ready for Foodini, the 3D food printer, manufactured by Natural Machines

For savory or sweet prints, Foodini offers a way of 3D printing freshly prepared ingredients, into mouth-watering, artistic, and impressive-looking designer food prints. The video included below shows designer Foodini printed dinosaur spinach quiche. 


The Natural Machines Inc., 3D food printer invention is recited in the following 13-member patent family:
  • WO2014190168A1 - Manufacturing food using 3D printing technology
  • AU2014268446 (A1) - Manufacturing food using 3D printing technology
  • BR112015028981 (A2) - Manufacturing food using 3D printing technology 
  • CA2913013 (A1) - Apparatus, method and system for manufacturing food using additive manufacturing 3D printing technology 
  • CN105407746 (A) - Manufacturing food using 3D printing technology
  • EP3074206 (A1) - Manufacturing food using 3D printing technology
  • HK1221876 (A1) - Manufacturing food using 3D printing technology 3D
  • JP2016525885 (A) - Manufacturing food using 3D printing technology
  • KR20160009067 (A) - Manufacturing food using 3D printing technology
  • MX2015015889 (A) - Manufacturing food using 3D printing technology 
  • RU2015151458 (A) - Manufacturing food using 3D printing technology
  • SG11201509519X (A) - Manufacturing food using 3D printing technology
  • US2016135493 (A1) - Apparatus, method and system for manufacturing food using additive manufacturing 3D printing technology

Since the prior art of melting modules for plastic, in 3D printed manufacturing, is ill-suited for the extensive palette of edible ingredients, the Natural Machines Inc., invention comprises automated means of heating food capsules according to an inventive algorithm that takes into account various parameters such as the specific contents of the capsule, the temperature of the ingredients and the speed of heating required. The invention also comprises automated means of selecting several food capsules from their stations, and changing the capsules, using an inventive fetch (and return) tool that is connected to a telescopic extrusion arm. Finally, the invention also includes processing, information storage, and controlling means, so that the machines might be used without human intervention.

The US patent abstract for this invention is included below, together with the patent  Figure 7A. Figure 7A shows a blueprint drawing of the fetch tool, returning a food capsule to an empty food capsule station, after extrusion in the additive manufacturing (AM) process. The tool will then be ready to fetch another capsule, that will, in turn, be used for extruding another additive layer of ingredients in the 3D food printing process.
A 3D printer system that uses the AM method to print a product using a plurality of materials, each of which is contained in a respective capsule. The capsules are removably inserted into respective capsule holders, each of which includes a heating device for adjusting the temperature of the material, and is releasably held in one of a plurality of stations. A tool fetches individual capsules from and deposits them to their stations, and holds individual capsules for printing the product using a telescopic extrusion apparatus. A memory stores capsule-identifying data, a processor provides position coordinates for positioning of the tool, and a controller moves the tool to the position coordinates. The capsule holders include heating systems for controlling the rheological behavior of the materials based on algoritlmls executed by the processor.  [Abstract US2016135493] 
References
Natural Machines
https://www.naturalmachines.com/

Sunday, September 2, 2018

Food Ink™ - World's first 3D printing restaurant

Copyright © Françoise Herrmann

The restaurant Food Ink, in London (UK,) lies at the intersection of 3D printing, art, and haute cuisine.  You will never recognize your guacamole, once Food Ink has printed it!  Take a peek at the stunning, mouth-watering design, and imagine what your breakfast waffles might look like!

Food Ink in London (UK) 3D prints everything -- the restaurant’s furniture, utensils, and the food.  Whether Food Ink is operating at home in London (UK), or popping up for a print-out at an international venue outside of the UK, Food Ink offers a futuristic, exploratory and multisensory 3D experience. Specifically, a Food Ink experience includes 3D printed food, right before your eyes; 3D Virtual Reality (VR) headsets for use in a projected VR environment; guests seated on 3D printed furniture, consuming their 3D printed meal with 3D printed utensils. The whole experience is brought to you by an international team of collaborating entrepreneurs, chefs, architects, and designers.

Aligned with SciFi author and engineer Sir Arthur C. Clarke, Food Ink believes that: "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."

The following YouTube video showcases magic at the Food Ink opening night, in London (UK).


Food Ink prints food at the table with Focus AM (Additive Manufacturing) 3D food printers, designed by the Dutch company byFlow. Additive manufacturing refers to the layering process used in 3D printing, vs. subtractive manufacturing where products are cut out of a larger block of material. Thus, one of the side benefits of 3D printed food, beyond the beautifully designed recipes, is that it also prevents waste, especially when top quality and otherwise visually unappealing food can be extruded.

References
Food Ink Restaurant
Food Ink London
byFlow
Arthur C. Clarke