Method and apparatus for controlling coffee bean roasting
원문보기
IPC분류정보
국가/구분
United States(US) Patent
등록
국제특허분류(IPC7판)
A23N-012/08
A23F-005/04
A23N-012/12
출원번호
US-0932325
(2015-11-04)
등록번호
US-10039307
(2018-08-07)
발명자
/ 주소
Wilson, Preston S.
Wochner, Mark S.
출원인 / 주소
Board of Regents, The University of Texas System
대리인 / 주소
Intrinsic Law Corp.
인용정보
피인용 횟수 :
0인용 특허 :
6
초록▼
A system and method for roasting coffee beans, or similar products, is disclosed. In an aspect the invention includes an acoustic sensor, such as a microphone, which senses the acoustic emissions or “cracks” made by the coffee beans during the roasting process. The acoustic emissions are translated
A system and method for roasting coffee beans, or similar products, is disclosed. In an aspect the invention includes an acoustic sensor, such as a microphone, which senses the acoustic emissions or “cracks” made by the coffee beans during the roasting process. The acoustic emissions are translated in the system and method to signals that are processed, including in some aspects using frequency domain processing, so as to control the roasting process and achieve a desired final product. The acoustic emissions can also be used to determine if the coffee beans are caffeinated or decaffeinated.
대표청구항▼
1. A method for controlling coffee roasting, the method comprising: heating coffee beans in a coffee roasting chamber of a coffee roaster;using a microphone, detecting a measured acoustic energy based on acoustic pressure emissions emitted from the coffee roasting chamber;using a thermal sensor, det
1. A method for controlling coffee roasting, the method comprising: heating coffee beans in a coffee roasting chamber of a coffee roaster;using a microphone, detecting a measured acoustic energy based on acoustic pressure emissions emitted from the coffee roasting chamber;using a thermal sensor, detecting a measured temperature of the coffee roasting chamber;in a real-time microprocessor-based controller, receiving as an input a first signal representing the measured acoustic energy;in the controller, receiving as an input a second signal representing the measured temperature;in the controller, at intervals during a period in which the coffee beans are in the coffee roasting chamber, determining if the measured acoustic energy is within a tolerance of a reference acoustical profile, the reference acoustical profile including reference acoustical characteristics of a reference coffee roasting process, the reference acoustical pressure profile comprising upper limits and lower limits;in the controller, at such intervals, generating a control signal when the measured acoustic energy is outside the tolerance of the reference acoustical pressure profile;at such intervals, transmitting the control signal from the controller to the coffee roaster, the control signal to increase a temperature of the coffee roasting chamber when the measured acoustic energy corresponds to the lower limit of the reference acoustical pressure profile, the control signal to decrease a temperature of the coffee roasting chamber when the measured acoustic energy corresponds to the upper limit of the reference acoustical pressure profile; anddetermining if the measured acoustic energy is generated from a first crack chorus of the coffee beans by comparing a measured acoustical pressure with a reference acoustical pressure profile from the reference acoustical profile. 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising adjusting an input to a heater using the control signal, the heater to provide thermal energy to the coffee roasting chamber. 3. The method of claim 1, further comprising adjusting an input to an air circulator using the control signal, the air circulator to circulate air in the coffee roasting chamber. 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the control signal is generated if a measured crack rate is outside a tolerance of a reference crack rate. 5. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining if the measured acoustic energy is generated from a first crack chorus of the coffee beans by comparing a measured crack rate with a reference crack rate profile from the reference acoustical profile. 6. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining if the measured acoustic energy is generated from a second crack chorus of the coffee beans by comparing a measured crack rate with a reference crack rate profile from the reference acoustical profile. 7. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining if the measured acoustic energy is generated from a second crack chorus of the coffee beans by comparing a measured acoustical pressure with a reference acoustical pressure profile from the reference acoustical profile. 8. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying a first visual indication that the measured acoustic energy is within a first tolerance of the reference acoustical profile. 9. The method of claim 8, further comprising displaying a second visual indication that the measured acoustic energy is between the first tolerance and a second tolerance of the reference acoustical profile. 10. The method of claim 9, further comprising displaying a third visual indication that the measured acoustic energy is outside the second tolerance of the reference acoustical profile. 11. The method of claim 1, further comprising automatically terminating the coffee roasting based on the measured acoustic energy. 12. The method of claim 11, wherein the automatic termination occurs when the measured acoustic energy reaches an end of the reference acoustic profile. 13. The method of claim 1, wherein the reference coffee roasting process is for roasting decaffeinated coffee beans. 14. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining if the measured acoustic energy is generated from a first crack chorus of the coffee beans by comparing a measured mean spectral content with a reference mean spectral content profile from the reference acoustical profile. 15. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining if the measured acoustic energy is generated from a second crack chorus of the coffee beans by comparing a measured mean spectral content with a reference mean spectral content profile from the reference acoustical profile. 16. A system for controlling a roasting process for roasting coffee beans in a coffee roaster, comprising: a chamber for holding coffee beans to be roasted;a heat source in thermal communication with said chamber for heating said coffee beans to be roasted;an acoustic sensor in acoustic communication with said coffee beans so that said acoustic sensor can sense acoustic pressure emissions from said coffee beans during their roasting;a programmable processor receiving an output of said acoustic sensor;said processor programmed and configured to determine at least amplitude information and frequency information from the output of said acoustic sensor;said processor further programmed and configured to compare, at intervals during a period in which the roasting process takes place, said amplitude and said frequency information with pre-stored data, and further configured to compare a measured acoustic pressure profile to a reference acoustic pressure profile, so as to determine a bean roasting condition;said processor further programmed and adapted to control said roasting process, including by adjusting upward and downward a temperature in said chamber, based at least on said bean roasting condition; anda user interface coupled to a roasting controller providing an output of said user interface indicative of said bean roasting condition. 17. The system of claim 16, said programmable processor comprising a frequency domain processing circuit and programming instructions to determine frequency domain (spectral) content from the output of said acoustic sensor. 18. The system of claim 16, said acoustic sensor comprising at least one high-temperature microphone capable of withstanding environmental temperatures in excess of 200 degrees Fahrenheit and being responsive to acoustic input frequencies spanning at least a range of 100 Hz to 10 kHz. 19. The system of claim 16, wherein said bean roasting condition includes a first crack rate or a second crack rate. 20. A method for determining a physical property of coffee beans, the method comprising: heating said coffee beans in a coffee roasting chamber of a coffee roaster;using a microphone, detecting a measured acoustic energy emitted from the coffee roasting chamber;in a real-time microprocessor-based controller, receiving as an input a first signal representing the measured acoustic energy;in the controller, determining if the measured acoustic energy is within a first tolerance of a reference decaffeinated coffee bean roasting acoustical profile, the reference decaffeinated coffee bean roasting acoustical profile including reference decaffeinated acoustical characteristics of reference decaffeinated coffee beans in a first reference roasting process;in the controller, determining if the measured acoustic energy is within a second tolerance of a reference caffeinated coffee bean roasting acoustical profile, the reference caffeinated coffee bean roasting acoustical profile including reference caffeinated acoustical characteristics of reference caffeinated coffee beans in a second reference roasting process;in the controller, generating a first output signal that indicates that the coffee beans are decaffeinated if the measured acoustic energy is within the first tolerance of the reference decaffeinated coffee bean roasting acoustical profile;in the controller, generating a second output signal that indicates that the coffee beans are caffeinated if the measured acoustic energy is within the second tolerance of the reference caffeinated coffee bean roasting acoustical profile; andpresenting a graphical image on a display corresponding to the first output signal or the second output signal, the graphical image indicating the coffee beans are decaffeinated or caffeinated, respectively. 21. The method of claim 20, further comprising: in the controller, determining at least one of a relative water content or average bean size based on the measured acoustic energy; andpresenting a second graphical image on the display that indicates the relative water content or the average bean size.
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이 특허에 인용된 특허 (6)
Gell ; Jr. Harold A. (13720 Lockdale Rd. Silver Spring MD 20906), Coffee roaster.
Gell ; Jr. Harold A. (13720 Lockdale Rd. Silver Spring MD 20906-2117) Porto Brian (3225 Grace St. ; Apt. #206 Washington DC 20009), Removable coffee roaster oven chamber.
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