US 10445684

US Patent 10445684, titled "Actively managed food delivery," was issued to Zest Labs Inc. on October 15, 2019. The application for this patent was filed on March 30, 2016. The inventors listed are Peter A. Mehring, Thomas C. Reese, Dean M. Kawaguchi, Sameer Dekate, and Russell Shikami. The patent is currently active and is set to expire on March 30, 2037.

Abstract:
The patent describes a computer-implemented method for managing a product delivery process. This method involves receiving status information, including conditions, from one or more product containers. It then determines preferred ranges for these conditions based on the product stored inside, with these ranges changing over time according to a product-specific profile. If any received condition falls outside its preferred range, a command is sent to an environmental control unit coupled to the container, which then adjusts the condition.

Plain-Language Overview of Independent Claims:

• Claim 1 (Computer-implemented method): This claim describes a method where a computer receives real-time environmental data (status information and conditions) from product containers. The computer then looks up or calculates ideal ranges for these conditions, based on a profile specific to the product inside each container. A key feature is that these ideal ranges are dynamic, changing over time by a predefined amount. If any condition goes outside its ideal range, the computer automatically sends a command to a control unit on the container to adjust that condition (e.g., turn on a heater or cooler).

• Claim 7 (Computer program product): This claim covers a computer program (software) stored on a computer-readable medium. The software performs the same method steps as described in Claim 1: receiving status information, determining preferred (time-changing) ranges based on product profiles, deciding if conditions are within range, and sending commands to an environmental control unit to make adjustments.

• Claim 12 (System): This claim describes a physical system, including a processor and associated logic, that is configured to carry out the operations of the method described in Claim 1. This means the system is designed to receive container status, determine time-varying preferred ranges for food product conditions based on a product profile, check if conditions are within those ranges, and send commands to an environmental control unit to adjust conditions if needed.

• Claim 14 (Computer-implemented method): This claim is a more comprehensive computer-implemented method. It incorporates all the steps of Claim 1, including receiving status information, determining time-changing preferred ranges, and sending commands to an environmental control unit. Additionally, it includes receiving food product history, using this history to create a prioritized delivery schedule (specifically prioritizing food prepared longest ago if it's still fresh to extend overall availability), sending this schedule to a transporter, evaluating the food history and conditions to determine if any food is unsafe or undesirable, and then sending a command to prevent the delivery of unsafe or undesirable products.

Uncertainty Regarding CAFC 2026 Dockets:
A search for CAFC 2026 dockets specifically for US Patent 10445684 did not return any specific cases. The search results provided general information on how to access case information from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, but no direct dockets related to this patent number were found for 2026. Therefore, there is no authoritative information at this time to suggest any ongoing litigation for this patent in the CAFC in 2026.