Hybrid industrial networked computer system

• US 7,747,787 B2
• Filed: 02/15/2008
• Issued: 06/29/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Logic Controls Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Logic Controls Incorporated
• Inventors: Lum, Jackson
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel; Haresh N
• Application Number:
  US12/032,268
• Publication Number:
  US 20080177899A1
• Time in Patent Office: 865 Days
• Field of Search: 709200-203, 709/217, 709/224, 709/252, 705/26, 705/4, 707/10
• US Class Current: 709/252
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/20 Cooling means
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/14 Systems including one or more distant stations co-operating with a central processing unit data transmission in general H04L; telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station H04Q9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20409 Outer radiating structures on heat dissipating housings, e.g. fins integrated with the housing

Abstract

A Kitchen Display System (KDS) includes a workstation including a first Personal Computer (PC)-based controller, a fanless workstation including a second PC-based or a non-PC-based controller having lower cost than the first PC-based controller, an Ethernet network operatively coupling the controllers, and a bump bar, keyboard, touchscreen, or keypad operatively coupled to at least one of the controllers. The first PC-based controller stores and displays video, multimedia, or a build card. At least one of the controllers includes a rugged computing module, which includes a circuit board including an outer perimeter and traces associated therewith, an integrated circuit mounted on the circuit board, at least one interface connector, a housing, and a thermal transfer device.

Claims

1. A Kitchen Display System (KDS), which comprises:

a workstation comprising a first Personal Computer (PC)-based controller running an operating system, the first PC-based controller storing and displaying at least one of video, multimedia, and a firmware build card;

a fan-less workstation comprising at least one of a second PC-based controller running an operating system and a non-PC-based controller having lower cost than the first PC-based controller;

a hybrid Ethernet network coupling each of the controllers and a Point-of-Sale (POS) networked computing system through an Ethernet Hub;

the hybrid Ethernet network communicating multimedia and video data for display;

one of the PC-based controllers performing as a server; and

at least one of a bump bar, keyboard, touchscreen, and keypad coupled to at least one of the controllers, at least one of the controllers comprising a rugged computing module comprising;

a circuit board comprising an outer perimeter and traces associated therewith;

an integrated circuit mounted on the circuit board;

at least one interface connector, each of the at least one interface connector being mounted at an edge of the circuit board, the at least one interface connector being electrically coupled to the integrated circuit exclusively through the traces, thereby eliminating cable connections between points within the outer perimeter of the circuit board and points external to the circuit board;

a housing enclosing the computing module such that there is no air flow to the inside of the computing module and convection is not relied on to cool the rugged computing module, the housing not comprising a display disposed thereon, thereby making the housing rugged; and

a thermal transfer device thermally coupled to the integrated circuit, the thermal transfer device transfer heat from the integrated circuit to the housing, the thermal transfer device comprising a heat pipe.

2. The Kitchen Display System (KDS) defined by claim 1, wherein the lower cost controller has lower performance.

3. The Kitchen Display System (KDS) defined by claim 1, wherein at least one of the PC-based controllers is adapted to perform a server function.

4. The Kitchen Display System (KDS) defined by claim 1, wherein the KDS is adapted to be networked with a Point-of-Sale (POS) networked computing system.

5. The Kitchen Display System (KDS) defined by claim 1, further comprising a plurality of thermally conductive paths between the integrated circuit and the housing, at least one of the plurality of thermally conductive paths comprising a heat pipe, at least one of the plurality of thermally conductive paths not comprising a heat pipe, the housing comprising ridges on an external surface thereof.

6. The Kitchen Display System (KDS) defined by claim 4-5, wherein the plurality of thermally conductive paths comprise a thermally conductive material that at least partially fills a void between the housing and the integrated circuit.