Method and apparatus for conserving power consumed by a refrigerated appliance utilizing dispensing event data signals
First Claim
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.
12 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
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.
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Citations
25 Claims
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1. A refrigerated appliance for use with a power source to dispense items, said system comprising:
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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. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A refrigerated appliance for use with a power source to dispense items, said system comprising:
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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.
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12. A refrigerated appliance for use with a power source to dispense items, said system comprising:
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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.
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13. A refrigerated appliance for use with a power source to dispense items, said system comprising:
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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.
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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:
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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. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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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:
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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.
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Specification