Interfaces for setup of a transport refrigeration system and providing transport refrigeration system diagnostic information to a user

• US 9,144,026 B2
• Filed: 03/21/2013
• Issued: 09/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thermo King Corporation (Trane Technologies plc)
• Original Assignee: Invensys Systems Incorporated (Invensys PLC), Thermo King Corporation (Trane Technologies plc)
• Inventors: Sanders, Russell Lee, Leasure, Mark Daniel, Vitkus, Kim, Johnson, Mark, Pasek, Steve
• Primary Examiner(s): Bugg, George
• Assistant Examiner(s): AKKI, MUNEAR T
• Application Number:
  US13/848,401
• Publication Number:
  US 20130285831A1
• Time in Patent Office: 915 Days
• Field of Search: 340/870.1, 340/585, 340/539.22, 340/540, 340/513, 340/520, 340/5.32, 220/1.5, 624/571
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00 Heating, cooling or ventilating [HVAC] devices heating, cooling or ventilating devices providing other air treatment, the other treatment being relevant, B60H3/00; ventilating solely by opening windows, doors, roof parts, or the like B60J; heating or ventilating devices for vehicle seats B60N2/56; vehicle window or windscreen cleaners using air, e.g. defrosters, B60S1/54
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00014 for load cargos on load transporting vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/03 for supply of electrical power to vehicle subsystems or for circuit arrangements for charging batteries H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2600/07 Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 49/00 Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 29/003 for movable devices
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 4/00 Circuit arrangements for mains or distribution networks not specified as ac or dc
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/02 Power saving arrangements in wired systems H04L12/12; signaling of mobile application services, e.g. low battery notifications H04W4/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0261 managing power supply demand, e.g. depending on battery level
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

The embodiments described herein are directed to setup of a transport refrigeration system and providing transport refrigeration system diagnostic information to a user. In particular, interfaces on a wireless end node and a network coordinator of a wireless communication system are configured to provide setup and diagnostic functionality of the wireless communication system to a user with limited expertise in wireless communication systems.

Claims

1. A wireless communication system for a transport refrigeration system of a refrigerated transport unit comprising:

one or more wireless end nodes, each of the one or more wireless end nodes configured to monitor a property of the transport refrigeration system, each of the one or more wireless end nodes including a wireless end node multicolored light emitting diode;

a network coordinator installed in a control box of the refrigerated transport unit and configured to manage, command, direct and regulate behavior of the one or more wireless end nodes, the network coordinator including a display and a pushbutton;

wherein each of the one or more wireless end nodes are configured to send sensor data to the network coordinator, and

wherein each of the wireless end nodes is configured to indicate diagnostic information of the wireless end node to a user via the multicolored light emitting diode,

wherein the display of the network coordinator includes a plurality of network coordinator multicolored light emitting diodes that are configured to indicate diagnostic information of the transport refrigeration system,

wherein the plurality of network coordinator multicolored light emitting diodes includes;

a power/status light emitting diode;

a proximity pairing light emitting diode;

one or more zone status light emitting diodes;

a door light emitting diode;

a fuel light emitting diode;

a temperature light emitting diode;

a graphical user interface light emitting diode;

an unpair light emitting diode; and

one or more modifiable light emitting diodes,

wherein the plurality of network coordinator multicolored light emitting diodes are configured to use a combination of different blinking patterns and colors to indicate diagnostic information of the wireless communication system to a user,

wherein the wireless end node multicolored light emitting diode is configured to use a combination of different blinking patterns and colors to indicate different diagnostic information of the wireless end node to a user including;

a commissioning event;

a decommissioning event;

a firmware update event; and

a wireless end node error event,

wherein the network coordinator is configured to;

commission the one or more wireless end nodes to the wireless communication system;

indicate, via the display, a number of wireless end nodes commissioned to a zone of the transport refrigeration system;

indicate, via the display, a number of communicating wireless end nodes commissioned to the zone of the transport refrigeration system;

indicate, via the display lowest link quality of the wireless end nodes commissioned to the zone of the transport refrigeration system;

decommission one or more of the one or more wireless end nodes from the wireless communication system;

indicate, via the display, status information for each of the one or more wireless end nodes;

indicate, via the display, power information for each of the one or more wireless end nodes;

select, via the pushbutton, a configuration for each of the one or more wireless end nodes; and

reset, via the pushbutton, the wireless communication system back to a factory default configuration.

2. The wireless communication system of claim 1, wherein the pushbutton of the network coordinator is configured to allow a user to interface with the network coordinator for commissioning the one or more wireless end nodes, obtaining transport refrigeration system diagnostic information.

3. The wireless communication system of claim 1, wherein the network coordinator and the one or more wireless end nodes are configured to communicate via a Zigbee communication protocol.

4. The wireless communication system of claim 1, wherein each of the one or more wireless end nodes is one of a door sensor, an air space temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, a cargo temperature sensor and a fuel tank level sensor.

5. The wireless communication system of claim 1, wherein each of the wireless end nodes is configured to be activated and commissioned based on a plurality of magnetic swipes next to the wireless end node within a set time period.