Method of managing a refrigeration system

• US 20030005710A1
• Filed: 04/25/2002
• Published: 01/09/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Emerson Digital Cold Chain Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Emerson Retail Services, Inc. (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Singh, Abtar, Mathews, Thomas J., Wickberg, Paul, Starling, Neal
• Granted Patent: US 6,675,591 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 62/129
• CPC Class Codes: A23G 9/00 Frozen sweets, e.g. ice confectionery, ice-cream; Mixtures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 3/00 Preservation of foods or foodstuffs, in general, e.g. pasteurising, sterilising, specially adapted for foods or foodstuffs preserving foods or foodstuffs in association with packaging B65B55/00
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 3/36 Freezing; Subsequent thawing; Cooling
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2400/075 with parallel compressors
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2400/22 Refrigeration systems for supermarkets
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2600/07 Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2700/195 of the condenser
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 49/005 of safety devices F25B49/02 and F25B49/04 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 5/00 Compression machines, plants or systems, with several evaporator circuits, e.g. for varying refrigerating capacity with cascade operation F25B7/00
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2400/36 Visual displays
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2500/06 Stock management
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2700/12 Sensors measuring the inside temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2700/14 Sensors measuring the temperature outside the refrigerator or freezer
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2700/16 Sensors measuring the temperature of products
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 29/00 Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2223/06 Remote monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0286 Modifications to the monitored process, e.g. stopping operation or adapting control
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

A method for monitoring the food product and refrigeration system performance of a remote location includes a management center in communication with a remote location through a communication network. The management center receives performance information of the refrigeration system at the remote location and employs software modules to analyze the performance information, diagnose system conditions, and provide alarms for food safety issues, refrigeration system component failure, and indicate maintenance conditions.

Claims

1. A method of managing a refrigeration system at a remote location, comprising the steps of:

transmitting refrigeration system performance information from the refrigeration system at a remote location to a management center;

analyzing said performance information at said management center; and

altering refrigeration system configuration in response to said step of analyzing said performance information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of analyzing said performance information includes diagnosing performance of the refrigeration system at said management center.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of storing said performance information at said management center.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of analyzing said performance information includes calculating a food quality index using said performance information.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said step of analyzing said performance information includes alarming as a function of a food safety index.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of analyzing said performance information includes evaluating energy performance of the refrigeration system as a function of said performance information.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of analyzing said performance information includes determining maintenance measures of the refrigeration system based on said performance information.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of providing a communication gateway to enable said step of transmitting refrigeration system performance information from the refrigeration system at a remote location to said management center.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said communication gateway includes a post-processing system at the remote location.

10. A method of managing a refrigeration system of a retail location, comprising the steps of:

configuring a processing center in communication with the refrigeration system and a management center;

communicating refrigeration performance information from the refrigeration system to said processing center and said management center;

analyzing said performance information by at least one of said processing center and said management center; and

altering refrigeration system configuration in response to said step of analyzing said performance information.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of gathering said performance information from multiple components of the refrigeration system.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein said step of communicating refrigeration performance information includes transmitting said performance information from said processing center to said management center.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein said step of analyzing said performance information includes diagnosing performance of the refrigeration system at said management center.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of storing said performance information at said management center.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein said step of analyzing said performance information includes calculating a food quality index using said performance information.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein said step of analyzing said performance information includes calculating a food safety index using said performance information.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of alarming as a function of said food safety index.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein said step of analyzing said performance information includes evaluating energy performance of the refrigeration system as a function of said performance information.

19. The method of claim 10, wherein said step of analyzing said performance information includes determining maintenance measures for the refrigeration system based on said performance information.

20. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of providing a communication gateway to enable said step of communicating refrigeration performance information from the refrigeration system to at least one of said processing center and said management center.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein said processing center includes said communication gateway.

22. A method of managing a refrigeration system at a retail location comprising the steps of:

providing at least one server computer in communication with the refrigeration system at a retail location through a communication network;

communicating refrigeration system performance information from the refrigeration system at a retail location to said at least one server computer via said communication network;

analyzing said performance information at said at least one server computer; and

advising manipulation of operation of the refrigeration system based on said analysis of said performance information.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising the step of altering operation of the refrigeration system in response to said step of analyzing said performance information.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein said step of analyzing said performance information includes diagnosing performance of the refrigeration system at said management center.

25. The method of claim 22, further comprising the step of storing said performance information at said management center.

26. The method of claim 22, wherein said step of analyzing said performance information includes calculating a food quality index using said performance information.

27. The method of claim 22, wherein said step of analyzing said performance information includes calculating a food safety index using said performance information.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising the step of alarming as a function of said food safety index.

29. The method of claim 22, wherein said step of analyzing said performance information includes evaluating energy performance of the refrigeration system as a function of said performance information.

30. The method of claim 22, wherein said step of analyzing said performance information includes determining maintenance measures of the refrigeration system based on said performance information.

31. The method of claim 22, wherein said step of communicating refrigeration system performance from the refrigeration system includes communicating said performance information to a post-processing server at the retail location.

32. The method of claim 22, wherein said step of advising manipulation of operation of the refrigeration system includes communicating proposed changes to refrigeration system configuration.

33. A method of managing a refrigeration system at a retail location comprising the steps of:

providing at least one server computer in communication with a refrigeration system at a remote location through a communication network;

communicating refrigeration system performance information from said refrigeration system to said at least one server computer via said communication network;

analyzing said performance information at said at least one server computer; and

evaluating energy performance of the refrigeration system as a function of said performance information.

34. The method of claim 33, further comprising the step of altering operation of the refrigeration system in response to said step of analyzing said performance information.

35. The method of claim 33, wherein said step of analyzing said performance information includes diagnosing performance of the refrigeration system at said management center.

36. The method of claim 33, further comprising the step of storing said performance information at said management center.

37. The method of claim 33, wherein said step of analyzing said performance information includes calculating a food quality index using said performance information.

38. The method of claim 33, wherein said step of analyzing said performance information includes calculating a food safety index using said performance information.

39. The method of claim 38, further comprising the step of alarming as a function of said food safety index.

40. The method of claim 33, further comprising the step of determining maintenance measures of the refrigeration system based on said performance information.

41. The method of claim 33, wherein said step of communicating refrigeration system performance from said refrigeration system includes communicating said performance information to a post-processing server at the retail location.