Centralized monitoring apparatus

• US 8,768,531 B2
• Filed: 02/19/2010
• Issued: 07/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PHC Holdings Corporation
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Healthcare Company Limited (PHC Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Nakamura, Shigeyuki, Sonoda, Yasuaki, Tanaka, Masanaga, Nono, Ikue
• Primary Examiner(s): Ali, Mohammad
• Assistant Examiner(s): Norton, Jennifer L
• Application Number:
  US12/709,068
• Publication Number:
  US 20100206540A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,593 Days
• Field of Search: 700/9, 700/14, 700/15, 700/17, 700/33, 700/45, 700/300, 700/28, 700/83, 165/200, 165/201, 165/238, 165/244, 165/253, 165/260, 165/267, 165/268, 236/46.R, 702/130
• US Class Current: 700/300
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 27/00 Machines, plants or systems, using particular sources of energy F25B30/06 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2700/21175 of the refrigerant at the outlet of the evaporator
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2400/361 Interactive visual displays
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2600/02 Timing
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2700/12 Sensors measuring the inside temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2700/14 Sensors measuring the temperature outside the refrigerator or freezer
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 29/00 Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 2207/04 for conservation purposes

Abstract

A centralized-monitoring apparatus, which centralized monitors a device including a storage, a temperature sensor to detect a temperature therein, and a temperature-variable device to cool or heat inside the storage such that the temperature reaches a set object-preservation temperature, comprises: an input device to be input with first information indicative of a time zone in which the temperature-variable device performing power-saving operation and second information indicative of a set temperature of the time zone; a storage device to store the first-and-second information from the input device; a timing device to measure a current time; and a control device to control the temperature-variable device, based on the first-and-second information and current time, so as to start operation of turning the temperature to the set temperature when the current time reaches a starting time of the time zone, and terminate the operation when the current time reaches an ending time thereof.

Claims

1. A centralized monitoring system comprising:

a monitoring apparatus including;

a centralized control device;

a storage device; and

an input device;

a first preservation storage including;

a first temperature variable device adjusting a temperature inside the first preservation storage; and

a first control device controlling the first temperature variable device to reach a first set temperature of a first normal-mode, said first control device connected to the centralized control device by a communication line; and

a second preservation storage including;

a second temperature variable device adjusting a temperature inside the second preservation storage; and

a second control device controlling the second temperature variable device to reach a second set temperature of a second normal-mode, said second control device connected to the centralized control device by a communication line,

wherein the storage device stores a first starting time information, a first ending time information and a first temperature information inputted through the input device, said first starting time information indicating a starting time of a first eco-mode, said first ending time information indicating a first ending time of the first eco-mode, said first temperature information indicating a first inputted temperature of the first eco-mode,

wherein the storage device further stores a second starting time information, a second ending time information and a second temperature information inputted through the input device, said second starting time information indicating a starting time of a second eco-mode, said second ending time information indicating a second ending time of the second eco-mode, said second temperature information indicating a second inputted temperature of the second eco-mode,

wherein the centralized control device transmits a first starting signal based on the first starting time information and the first inputted temperature to the first control device through the communication line when the first starting time is met, and transmits a first ending signal based on the first ending time information to the first control device through the communication line when the first ending time is met,

wherein the centralized control device further transmits a second starting signal based on the second starting time information and the second inputted temperature to the second control device through the communication line when the second starting time is met, and transmits a second ending signal based on the second ending time information to the second control device through the communication line when the second ending time is met,

wherein the first control device controls the first temperature variable device to adjust the temperature inside the first preservation storage to reach the first inputted temperature of the eco-mode on the basis of the first starting signal and to reach the first set temperature of the normal-mode on the basis of the first ending signal, and

wherein the second control device controls the second temperature variable device to adjust the temperature inside the second preservation storage to reach the second inputted temperature of the eco-mode on the basis of the second starting signal and to reach the second set temperature of the normal-mode on the basis of the second ending signal,

wherein the monitoring apparatus further comprises a display configured to display the first starting time information, the first ending time information, the first temperature information, the second starting time information, the second ending time information, and the second temperature information,

wherein the storage device stores a first image information representative of a plan view of a facility with the first and second preservation storage to be monitored disposed,

wherein the display is configured to display the first image information read from the storage device,

wherein the centralized control device is configured to overlap and display a first icon representative of the first preservation storage and a second icon representative of the second preservation storage to be monitored on the first image information, and

wherein the centralized control device further receives and stores a first detected temperature information indicating a temperatures detected by a first detector from the first preservation storage and second detected temperature information indicating a temperatures detected by a second detector from the second preservation storage into the storage device,

reads the first detected temperature information related to the first preservation storage from the storage device and displays the first detected temperature information on the display when the first icon is selected on the display, and

reads the second detected temperature information related to the second preservation storage from the storage device and displays the second detected temperature information on the display when the second icon is selected on the display.

2. The centralized monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the first inputted temperature of the first eco-mode is higher than the first set temperature of the first normal-mode, and the second inputted temperature of the second eco-mode is higher than the second set temperature of the second normal-mode.