Method and apparatus for conserving power consumed by a refrigerated appliance utilizing dispensing event data signals

• US 6,898,942 B2
• Filed: 01/24/2003
• Issued: 05/31/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cantaloupe, Inc.
• Original Assignee: USA Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Schanin, David J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tanner, Harry B.
• Application Number:
  US10/350,567
• Publication Number:
  US 20040112070A1
• Time in Patent Office: 858 Days
• Field of Search: 621/57, 621/58, 622/31, 621/31, 221/4, 221/7, 221/9, 221/150.R, 221/150.HC, 222/146.1, 222/146.6, 236/47
• US Class Current: 62/158
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2600/23 Time delays
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 17/062 in household refrigerators
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2700/02 Sensors detecting door opening
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2700/04 Sensors detecting the presence of a person
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2700/123 more than one sensor measuring the inside temperature in a compartment
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 29/00 Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1902 characterised by the use of a variable reference value
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/02 Devices for alarm or indication, e.g. when empty; Advertising arrangements in coin-freed apparatus alarms or warning devices indicating the interruption of flow to be metered G07F15/10
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/105 Heating or cooling means, for temperature and humidity control, for the conditioning of articles and their storage dispensers for food articles requiring a processing by temperature treatment or conditioning before they are ready for dispensing G07F17/0064
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/156 with automatic control of output voltage or current, e.g. switching regulators

Abstract

A refrigerated appliance that dispenses items includes a power source and a cooling system. Power control circuitry is electrically coupled between a power source (e.g., power cord coupled to a wall outlet) and components (for example, a compressor and one or more circulating fans of the cooling system) of the appliance. A controller, which is operably coupled to the power control circuitry, is adapted to manage the supply of electrical power to such components by intelligently transitioning between a normal-operation mode and at least one power-conserving mode. To achieve efficient power conservation, the controller automatically transitions between the at least one power-conserving mode and the normal-operation mode based upon at least one temperature signal, at least one dispensing event signal, and possibly other data signals supplied to the controller.

Claims

1. A refrigerated appliance for use with a power source to dispense items, said system comprising:

a cooling system;

power control circuitry that selectively provides electrically coupling of at least one component of said cooling system to said power source;

a controller, operably coupled to said power control circuitry, that is adapted to control said power control circuitry in at least one power-conserving mode of operation and in a normal-operation mode, said controller automatically transitioning between said at least one power-conserving mode and said normal-operation mode based upon at least one dispensing event signal supplied to said controller by one of (i) a dispensing port sensor that senses items passing through a dispensing port of said refrigerated appliance, (ii) an occupancy sensor that senses occupancy of a user that opens a door to said refrigerated appliance, and (iii) an open door sensor that senses opening of a door to said refrigerated appliance.

2. A refrigerated appliance according to claim 1, wherein:

said controller is adapted to automatically transition from said at least one power-conserving mode to said normal-operation mode in response to detection of a predetermined dispensing event that is identified by said at least one dispensing event signal.

3. A refrigerated appliance according to claim 2, wherein:

said controller is adapted to automatically transition from said at least one power-conserving mode to said normal-operation mode after expiration of a predetermined delay period subsequent to detection of said predetermined dispensing event.

4. A refrigerated appliance according to claim 1, wherein:

said controller is adapted to automatically transition from said at least one power-conserving mode to said normal-operation based upon at least one parameter value.

5. A refrigerated appliance according to claim 4, wherein:

said at least one parameter value is selected from the group consisting of an ambient temperature value, internal temperature level, and a shutdown timer value.

6. A refrigerated appliance according to claim 1, wherein:

said at least one money handling module communicates to said dispensing controller over a communication bus therebetween; and

wherein said dispensing event signal is supplied to said controller over said communication bus.

7. A refrigerated appliance according to claim 1, wherein:

said appliance comprises a refrigerated vending machine.

8. A refrigerated appliance according to claim 1, wherein:

said appliance comprises a reach-in type cooler.

9. A refrigerated appliance according to claim 1, wherein:

average internal temperature of said appliance in said normal-operation mode is less than that in said at least one power-saving mode.

10. The power-management control system of claim 1, wherein said controller automatically transitions between said at least one power-conserving mode and said normal-operation mode based upon at least one other dispensing event signal supplied to said controller by a dispensing controller that interfaces to at least one money handling module and at least one item dispensing mechanism.

11. A refrigerated appliance for use with a power source to dispense items, said system comprising:

a cooling system;

power control circuitry that selectively provides electrically coupling of at least one component of said cooling system to said power source;

a controller, operably coupled to said power control circuitry, that is adapted to control said power control circuitry in at least one power-conserving mode of operation and in a normal-operation mode, said controller automatically transitioning between said at least one power-conserving mode and said normal-operation mode based uoon at least one dispensing event signal supplied to said controller by one of (i) a dispensing controller that interfaces to at least one money handling module and at least one item dispensing mechanism, (ii) a dispensing port sensor that senses items passing through a dispensing port of said refrigerated appliance, (iii) an occupancy sensor that senses occupancy of a user that opens a door to said refrigerated appliance, and (iv) an open door sensor that senses opening of a door to said refrigerated appliance;

wherein said controller is operably coupled to a timer that is adapted to track elapsed time from the last dIspensing event as indicated by said dispensing event signal, and wherein said controller is adapted to automatically transition from said normal-operation mode to said at least one power-conserving mode based upon detection that said elapsed time exceeds a predetermined threshold time.

12. A refrigerated appliance for use with a power source to dispense items, said system comprising:

a cooling system;

power control circuitry that selectively provides electrically coupling of at least one component of said cooling system to said power source; and

a controller, operably coupled to said power control circuitry, that is adapted to control said power control circuitry in at least one power-conserving mode of operation and in a normal-operation mode, said controller automatically transitioning between said at least one power-conserving mode and said normal-operation mode based upon at least one dispensing event signal supplied to said controller by one of (i) a dispensing controller that interfaces to at least one money handling module and at least one item dispensing mechanism, (ii) a dispensing port sensor that senses items passing through a dispensing port of said refrigerated appliance, (iii) an occupancy sensor that senses occupancy of a user that opens a door to said refrigerated appliance, and (iv) an open door sensor that senses opening of a door to said refrigerated appliance;

wherein said cooling system includes a compressor, and said power control circuitry is adapted to selectively couple said compressor to said power source in both said at least one power-saving mode and said normal-operation mode.

13. A refrigerated appliance for use with a power source to dispense items, said system comprising:

a cooling system;

power control circuitry that selectively provides electrically coupling of at least one component of said cooling system to said power source; and

a controller, operably coupled to said power control circuitry, that is adapted to control said power control circuitry in at least one power-conserving mode of operation and in a normal-operation mode, said controller automatically transitioning between said at least one power-conserving mode and said normal-operation mode based upon at least one dispensing event signal supplied to said controller by one of (i) a dispensing controller that interfaces to at least one money handling module and at least one item dispensing mechanism, (ii) a dispensing port sensor that senses items passing through a dispensing port of said refrigerated appliance, (iii) an occupancy sensor that senses occupancy of a user that opens a door to said refrigerated appliance, and (iv) an open door sensor that senses opening of a door to said refrigerated appliance;

wherein said cooling system includes a circulating fan, and said power control circuitry is adapted to couple said circulating fan to said power source in said normal-operation mode and decouple said circulating fan from said power source in said at least one power-savings mode.

14. A power-management control system for managing supply of power supplied by a power source to the cooling system of a refrigerated appliance, the power-management control system comprising:

power control circuitry that selectively provides electrically coupling of at least one component of the cooling system to said power source; and

a controller, operably coupled to said power control circuitry, that is adapted to selectively operate in at least one power-conserving mode of operation and in a normal-operation mode, said controller automatically transitioning between said at least one power-conserving mode and said normal-operation mode based upon at least one dispensing event signal supplied to said controller by one of (i) a dispensing port sensor that senses items passing through a dispensing port of said refrigerated appliance, (ii) an occupancy sensor that senses occupancy of a user that opens a door to said refrigerated appliance, and (iii) an open door sensor that senses opening of a door to said refrigerated appliance.

15. A power-management control system according to claim 14, wherein:

said controller is adapted to automatically transition from said at least one power-conserving mode to said normal-operation mode in response to detection of a predetermined dispensing event that is identified by said at least one dispensing event signal.

16. A power-management control system according to claim 15, wherein:

said controller is adapted to automatically transition from said at least one power-conserving mode to said normal-operation mode after expiration of a predetermined delay period subsequent to detection of said predetermined dispensing event.

17. A power-management control system according to claim 14, wherein:

said controller is adapted to automatically transition from said at least one power-conserving mode to said normal-operation mode based upon at least one parameter value.

18. A power-management control system according to claim 17, wherein:

said at least one parameter value is selected from the group consisting of an ambient temperature value, internal temperature level, and a shutdown timer value.

19. A power-management control system according to claim 18, further comprising:

at least one of a temperature sensor that senses ambient temperature, an internal temperature sensor, and timer circuitry that tracks elapsed time from shutdown.

20. A power-management control system according to claim 14, wherein:

said controller is external to said refrigerated appliance.

21. A power-management control system according to claim 14, wherein:

said controller is internal to said refrigerated appliance.

22. A power-management control system according to claim 14, wherein:

said refrigerated appliance comprises a vending machine.

23. A power-management control system according to claim 14, wherein:

said refrigerated appliance comprises a reach-in type cooler.

24. The power-management control system of claim 14, wherein said controller automatically transitions between said at least one power-conserving mode and said normal-operation mode based upon at least one other dispensing event signal supplied to said controller by a dispensing controller that interfaces to at least one money handling module and at least one item dispensing mechanism.

25. A power-management control system for managing supply of power supplied by a power source to the cooling system of a refrigerated appliance, the power-management control system comprising:

power control circuitry that selectively provides electrically coupling of at least one component of the cooling system to said power source;

a controller, coperably coupled to said power control circuitry, that is adapted to selectively operate in at least one power-conserving mode of operation and in a normal-operation mode, said controller automatically transitioning between said at least one power-conserving mode and said normal-operation mode based uoon at least one dispensing event signal supplied to said controller by one of (i) a dispensing controller that interfaces to at least one money handling module and at least one item dispensing mechanism, (ii) a dispensing port sensor that senses items passing through a dispensing port of said refrigerated appliance, (iii) an occupancy sensor that senses occupancy of a user that opens a door to said refrigerated appliance, and (iv) an open door sensor that senses opening of a door to said refrigerated appliance; and

a timer, operably coupled to said controller, that is adapted to track elapsed time from the last dispensing event as indicated by said dispensing event signal, and wherein said controller is adapted to automatically transition from said normal-operation mode to said at least one power-conserving mode upon detection that said elapsed time exceeds a predetermined threshold time.