CLOUD-BASED REFRIGERATION SYSTEM

• US 20140148969A1
• Filed: 11/18/2013
• Published: 05/29/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Visible Energy, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Visible Energy, Inc.
• Inventors: Graziano, Marco Emilio, Gjredrum, David Michael
• Granted Patent: US 9,451,031 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/300
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1905 associated with tele control
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1931 to control the temperature of one space
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network

Abstract

A cloud-based system that include a plurality of remote refrigerated appliances equipped with a communication and temperature control board with sensors interface, a computing cloud, and a distributed software environment for refrigerators operational data acquisition and storage and for developing testing and executing temperature control methods and with energy optimization techniques is provided.

The communication and temperature control board activates the elements of a refrigerated appliance based on direct control of the remote distributed environment executing the temperature control method in software. The distributed software environment executing the temperature control method acquires operational data and energy consumption from the sensors connected to the remote communication and temperature control board and employs energy optimization techniques.

Claims

1. A cloud-based control system for controlling at least one refrigerated temperature regulation appliance comprising:

at least one sensor electrically connected to said refrigerated appliance for acquiring configured to acquire sensor data of said refrigerated appliance;

at least one actuator electrically connected to said refrigerated appliance for setting relay states of said refrigerated appliance;

at least one temperature control circuit respectively installed in said refrigerated appliance, and said temperature control circuit comprising;

an interface circuit configured electrically connected to said sensor and said actuator;

a communication circuit configured to communicate with a network; and

a microprocessor electrically connected to said interface circuit and said communication circuit for controlling said interface circuit to receive said sensor data, controlling said communication circuit to send out said sensor data, and executing a control command received from said communication circuit to operate said actuator; and

a computing cloud connected to each of said communication circuit via said network, said computing cloud receiving and storing said sensor data, performing a compare and compute function according to said, sensor data for determining said control command, and sending said control command to said communication circuit for controlling said refrigerated appliance.

2. The cloud-based control system according to claim 1, wherein said sensor is a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, a door opening sensor, a food temperature sensor. an energy consumption sensor or a combination thereof.

3. The cloud-based control system according to claim 1, wherein said actuator is a compressor actuator, an evaporator fan actuator, a defrost actuator, a fourth generic actuator, or a combination thereof.

5. The cloud-based control system according to claim 1, wherein said compare and compute function is a transfer function of a typical closed-loop feedback control.

6. The cloud-based control system according to claim 1, wherein said computing cloud further comprises a cloud platform configured to securely transfer said sensor data and control commands between said computing cloud and each of said temperature control board over said network;

7. The cloud-based control system according to claim 6, wherein said computing cloud further comprises a data storage server configured for storage of said sensor data from said cloud platform.

8. The cloud based control system according to claim 7, wherein said computing cloud further comprises an execution server configured to receive said sensor data from said data storage server, execute said compare and compute function to determine said control command and configured to send said control command to said cloud platform.

9. The cloud-based control system according to claim 8, wherein said computing cloud further comprises a web application server configured to enable editing or or uploading of said compare and compute function by a user, and configured to store user information and device information associated with said temperature regulation appliance.

10. The cloud-based control system according to claim 9, wherein said web application server provides a development interface configured to edit or upload said compare and compute function and a management interface configured to manage said user information and said device information. cm 11. A cloud-based control method for controlling at least one refrigerated appliance comprising:

acquiring sensor data of a refrigerated appliance from at least one sensor at a temperature control board;

sending said sensor data via a ne work from said temperature control board to a computing cloud;

storing said sensor data in said computing cloud;

performing a compare and compute function according to said sensor data for determining a control command at said computing cloud;

sending said control command via said network from said computing cloud to said temperature control board; and

executing said control command by a microprocessor of said temperature control board to control at least one actuator for setting a relay state of said refrigerated appliance.

4. The cloud-based control system according to claim I, wherein said computing cloud communicates with said temperature control board using socket-based communication protocol and Transport Layer Security (TLS).

12. The cloud-based control method according to claim 11, wherein said sensor is a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, a door opening sensor, a food temperature sensor, an energy consumption sensor or a combination thereof.

21. Any cloud-based control method according to claims 12 and 13, wherein said sensors include at least one temperature sensor and said actuators include a compressor actuator and an evaporator fan actuator, whereby the actuation of compressor and evaporator fan are scheduled independently in accord with temperature data so as to minimize overall energy use.

13. The cloud-based control method according to claim 11, wherein said actuator is a compressor actuator, an evaporator fan actuator, a defrost actuator, a fourth generic actuator, or a combination thereof.

14. The cloud-based control method according to claim 11, wherein said computing cloud communicates with said temperature control board using a socket based communication protocol and Transport Layer Security (TLS).

15. The cloud-based control method according to claim 11, wherein said compare and compute function is a transfer function of a typical closed-loop feedback control.

17. The cloud-based control method according to claim 15, wherein said step of performing said compare and compute function is implemented by an execution server according to said sensor data from said data storage server, and said control command is sent to said cloud platform.

18. The cloud-based control method according to claim 17, wherein said step of sending said control command is implemented by said cloud platform.

16. The cloud-based control method according to claim 11, wherein said sensor data is stored in a data storage server of said computing cloud by a cloud platform of said computing cloud.

19. The cloud-based control method according to claim 11 further comprising a step of editing or uploading said compare and compute function by a user via a web application server of said computing cloud.

20. The cloud-based control method according to claim 11 further comprising a step of managing user information and device information associated with said temperature regulation appliance by a user via a web application server of said computing cloud.