System and method for decreasing energy usage of a transparent display case
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An apparatus for controlling the illumination of a display case comprising:
- a housing defining a compartment configured to hold a plurality of products;
an access panel mounted to the housing, said access panel comprising a transparent display for displaying images, wherein the access panel is configured for movement between an opened position, whereby at least one of the plurality of products may be accessed, and a closed position;
an illumination device for illuminating the transparent display;
a sensor configured to determine if the access panel is in the opened position; and
a processor electrically connected to the illumination device and the sensor, wherein said processor is configured to measure the time elapsed since the access panel was last moved out of the opened position and drive the illumination device at a reduced power level based upon the amount of time that has elapsed since the access panel was last moved out of the opened position.
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Abstract
An apparatus for controlling the illumination of a display case containing a plurality of products includes a housing and an access panel. A transparent display is located in the access panel and is illuminated by an illumination device. A sensor is positioned to determine whether access panel is in an opened or a closed position. A processor measures the amount of time that has passed since the access panel was last closed or opened and drives the illumination device at a reduced power level accordingly.
131 Citations
20 Claims
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1. An apparatus for controlling the illumination of a display case comprising:
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a housing defining a compartment configured to hold a plurality of products; an access panel mounted to the housing, said access panel comprising a transparent display for displaying images, wherein the access panel is configured for movement between an opened position, whereby at least one of the plurality of products may be accessed, and a closed position; an illumination device for illuminating the transparent display; a sensor configured to determine if the access panel is in the opened position; and a processor electrically connected to the illumination device and the sensor, wherein said processor is configured to measure the time elapsed since the access panel was last moved out of the opened position and drive the illumination device at a reduced power level based upon the amount of time that has elapsed since the access panel was last moved out of the opened position. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. An apparatus for controlling the illumination of a display case comprising:
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a housing defining a compartment configured to hold a plurality of products; an access panel mounted to the housing; a transparent display associated with said access panel and configured for display images, wherein the access panel is configured for movement between an opened position, whereby at least one of the plurality of products may be accessed, and a closed position whereby the access panel is located adjacent to the housing; an illumination device for illuminating the transparent display; a sensor configured to determine if the access panel is in the closed position; and a processor electrically connected to the illumination device and the sensor, wherein said processor is configured to measure the time elapsed since the access panel was last placed in the closed position and drive the illumination device at a reduced power level based upon the amount of time that has elapsed since the access panel was last placed in the closed position. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method for controlling the illumination of a display case containing a plurality of products comprising the steps of:
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displaying images on a transparent electronic display illuminated by way of one or more illumination devices and associated with an access panel such that the images and at least some of the plurality of products may be viewed at the same time, wherein the access panel is moveably mounted to a housing; determining that the access panel has been moved from an opened position; determining the time elapsed since the access panel was moved from the opened position; and operating the one or more illumination devices at a reduced power level based upon the time elapsed since the access panel was last moved from the opened position. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification