US 11037092B2

US patent 11037092B2, titled "Actively managed food delivery," was issued on June 15, 2021, from an application filed on March 21, 2019. The current assignee is Zest Labs Inc, and the inventors are Peter A. Mehring, Thomas C. Reese, Dean M. Kawaguchi, Sameer Dekate, and Russell Shikami.

Abstract:
The patent describes a computer-implemented method for managing a product delivery process. This method involves receiving status information from a product container holding a food product, where the status includes sensor-derived conditions like temperature. Preferred condition ranges for the container are determined based on a profile associated with the food product, and these ranges can change over time. The system then checks if the received conditions are within these preferred ranges. If a condition is or has been outside the preferred range for a set duration, a command is sent to an environmental control unit to adjust the environmental parameters in the container to match ideal parameters. Additionally, the system modifies a prioritized delivery scheme based on the food product's history, including any adjustments made, to prioritize the affected product container for earlier delivery.

Independent Claims Overview:

• Claim 1 (Method Claim): This claim details a computer-implemented method for managing food product delivery. It involves a computer receiving status information (including sensor-derived conditions like temperature) from a product container that has been loaded with a profile for the food product. An environmental control unit on the container maintains parameters based on this profile, which includes pre-heating or pre-cooling instructions. The environment in the container is autonomously maintained after these initial parameters are applied. The computer determines preferred ranges for the container's conditions based on the product profile, noting that these ranges change over time by a predefined amount per unit time, as specified in the profile. If any received condition falls outside its preferred range for a predetermined time, the computer sends a command to the environmental control unit to adjust the setting and bring the environmental parameter back to an ideal state specified in the profile. Crucially, the computer also modifies a prioritized delivery scheme for the product container, using the food product history (which includes the adjustment of settings) to prioritize its delivery ahead of other containers.

• Claim 10 (Computer Program Product Claim): This claim describes a computer program product that includes executable computer code stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium. This code enables a computer to perform the method outlined in Claim 1. Specifically, it includes computer code for: receiving status information from a product container (with a profile, environmental control unit, pre-heating/cooling, and autonomous maintenance), determining time-varying preferred ranges, determining if conditions are within those ranges, sending a command to the environmental control unit for adjustment if conditions are out of range, and modifying a prioritized delivery scheme based on food product history including the adjustment.

• Claim 19 (System Claim): This claim defines a system comprising a processor and integrated/executable logic. This logic is configured to cause the processor to perform the same set of operations described in Claim 1. These operations include: receiving status information from a profiled product container (with an environmental control unit, pre-heating/cooling, and autonomous maintenance), determining time-varying preferred ranges, determining if conditions are within those ranges, sending a command to the environmental control unit for adjustment if conditions are out of range, and modifying a prioritized delivery scheme based on food product history including the adjustment.

CAFC 2026 Dockets:
As of April 26, 2026, a search of the CAFC 2026 dockets for patent number 11037092B2 did not yield any specific results regarding ongoing litigation or appeals. This does not definitively mean there is no litigation, but rather that no specific dockets were found using the provided search parameters.