Environmental monitoring system

• US 6,725,180 B2
• Filed: 01/12/2001
• Issued: 04/20/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hussmann Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Ingersoll-Rand Company (Trane Technologies plc)
• Inventors: Mayer, John, Vanʼt Slot, James E., Rawlings, Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoff, Marc S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): West, Jeffrey R.
• Application Number:
  US09/759,890
• Publication Number:
  US 20020116155A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,194 Days
• Field of Search: 702/99, 702/132, 702/182, 702/188, 702/58, 702/57, 702/183, 702/189, 702/130, 340/286.09, 340/585, 340/588, 621/26, 621/27, 621/28, 621/29, 621/30, 621/31
• US Class Current: 702/188
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/30 Controlling by gas-analysis apparatus regulating non electrical variables in general G05D
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 1/026 arrangements for monitoring a plurality of temperatures, e.g. by multiplexing
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/0063 using a threshold to release an alarm or displaying means alarm arrangements G08B, e.g. fire alarm actuated by the presence of smoke or gases G08B17/10, for other abnormal conditions G08B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/02 Food

Abstract

A system for monitoring conditions relating to the status of items such as perishable food products stored in enclosed spaces has a number of sensors mounted in the spaces. Tables maintained by the system hold a description of the spaces to be monitored and the location and identity of the sensors within each space. The values detected by each sensor are periodically recorded and tested against benchmark values established for the stored items adjacent to the sensor. Values outside of the benchmark values create an alarm condition, and a set of alarm messages are displayed on a display unit. The alarm messages include suggested corrective actions. The user has the opportunity to signal to the system the corrective actions taken, and the system stores a record of these corrective actions in association with the corrective actions and the alarm condition.

Claims

1. A system for monitoring in a plurality of controlled environment spaces, a varying and measurable parameter level indicating the condition of a plurality of products stored in the spaces, comprising:

a plurality of product condition sensors each having an associated identifier code, each sensor to be placed in physical proximity to at least one product and measuring a product condition parameter level, and providing a sensor signal encoding the measured parameter level;

a memory for recording

     1) at least one predetermined parameter value in association with each sensor identifier code, and

     2) a set of message code stings for a plurality of messages in association with each predetermined parameter value;

a display unit for providing a visual display of messages responsive to a display signal encoding the set of message code strings;

a data analyzer receiving the sensor signal from a sensor and a predetermined parameter value recorded in the memory in association with that sensor'"'"'s identifier code, comparing the measured parameter value encoded in the sensor signal with a parameter value associated with the sensor'"'"'s identifier code, and responsive to a predetermined relationship between the measured and recorded parameter levels, retrieving from the memory the set of message code strings associated with the recorded parameter value, and encoding the retrieved set of message code strings in a display signal provided to the display unit; and

wherein the memory includes a space recording a control points table (CPT), a sensor table (ST), a controlled environment table (CET), and a control points linkage table (CPLT), each of said tables having a plurality of entries, wherein said

CPT entries have fields recording a unique control point ID, a sensor ID, and a parameter value,

ST entries have fields recording a unique sensor ID associated with a preselected sensor, and a controlled environment ID,

CET entries have fields recording a unique controlled environment ID and a description message code string, and

CPLT entries have fields recording a sensor ID and a control point ID, and wherein the data analyzer further includes

a selector for retrieving the contents of a selected CPT entry,

a sensor interface for receiving the sensor signal from the sensor whose sensor II) is in the CPLT entry,

a comparator for comparing the value encoded in the sensor signal with the parameter value recorded in the CPT entry having the control point ID recorded in the selected CPLT entry, and

a display generator for providing a display signal to the display unit encoding the message code string encoded in the GET entry whose unique controlled environment ID is recorded in the ST entry whose unique sensor ID is recorded in the selected CPLT entry.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the CPT entries further include a product category ID field and wherein the memory further includes a space recording a corrective action type table (CATT) and a space recording a corrective action linkage table (CALT), each of said tables having a plurality of entries, wherein said

CPT entries have a field recording a product category ID,

CATT entries include a unique corrective action type ID and a corrective action message code sting, and

CALT entries include a product category ID and a corrective action type ID, and wherein the display generator provides a display signal further encoding the corrective action message code string in the CATT entry whose corrective action type ID is recorded in a CALT entry having the product category ID in the selected CPT entry.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the memory further includes a space recording a product categories table (PCT) having a plurality of entries each POT entry having a fields recording a unique product category ID and a product description message code string, and wherein the display generator further provides in a display signal the product message code string recorded in the POT entry in which is also recorded the product category ID recorded in the selected CPT entry.