Cloud-based refrigeration system

• US 9,451,031 B2
• Filed: 11/18/2013
• Issued: 09/20/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Visible Energy, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Visible Energy, Inc.
• Inventors: Graziano, Marco Emilio, Gjerdrum, David Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Bahta, Kidest
• Application Number:
  US14/082,571
• Publication Number:
  US 20140148969A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,037 Days
• Field of Search: 700/276
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1905 associated with tele control
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1931 to control the temperature of one space
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network

Abstract

A cloud-based system that includes a plurality of remote refrigerated appliances equipped with a communication and temperature control board with sensors interface, a computing cloud, and a distributed software environment for refrigerators operational data acquisition and storage and for developing testing and executing temperature control methods and with energy optimization techniques is provided. The communication and temperature control board activates the elements of a refrigerated appliance based on direct control of the remote distributed environment executing the temperature control method in software. The distributed software environment executing the temperature control method acquires operational data and energy consumption from the sensors connected to the remote communication and temperature control board and employs energy optimization techniques.

Claims

1. A cloud-based control system for controlling at least one refrigerated temperature regulation appliance comprising:

a. a refrigerated appliance;

b. firmware;

c. an access network comprising one or more gateways and one or more access points;

d. memory, wherein the memory stores the firmware;

e.

f. a plurality of sensors configured to acquire sensor data, the plurality of sensors selected from a group consisting of;

energy consumption measurement sensor, external ambient temperature sensor, external ambient humidity sensor, internal temperature sensor, internal ambient humidity sensor, door opening sensor, food temperature sensor, wherein each of the plurality of sensors is electrically connected to said refrigerated appliance, and wherein at least one of the plurality of sensors measures one or more environmental parameters;

g.

h. a plurality of actuators selected from a group consisting of;

a compressor actuator, an evaporator fan actuator, a defrost actuator, a fourth generic actuator, wherein each of the plurality of actuators are electrically connected to said refrigerated appliance, wherein each of the plurality of actuators set states of said refrigerated appliance; and

i. at least one temperature control circuit respectively installed in the refrigerated appliance, and the temperature control circuit comprising;

i. an interface circuit configured electrically connected to the plurality of sensors and the plurality of actuators,

ii. at least one communication circuit configured to communicate with a network,

iii. a microprocessor electrically connected to the interface circuit and the communication circuit for controlling the interface circuit to receive the sensor data, and executing a control command received from the communication circuit to operate the plurality of actuators,

iv. a computing cloud connected to each of the at least one communication circuit via said network, the computing cloud receiving and storing the sensor data, performing a compare and compute function according to the sensor data for determining the control command, and sending the control command to the at least one communication circuit for controlling the refrigerated appliance, wherein the computing cloud estimates efficiency of the refrigerated appliance,

wherein the firmware connects the at least one communication circuit to the one or more gateways and the one or more access points.

2. The cloud-based control system according to claim 1, wherein the computing cloud communicates with a temperature control board using socket-based communication protocol and Transport Layer Security (TLS).

3. The cloud-based control system according to claim 2, wherein the computing cloud further comprises a cloud platform, wherein the cloud platform transfers said sensor data and control commands between the computing cloud and the temperature control board.

4. The cloud-based control system according to claim 3, wherein the computing cloud further comprises a data storage server , wherein the data storage server stores the sensor data from the cloud platform.

5. The cloud-based control system according to claim 4, wherein the computing cloud further comprises an execution server , wherein the execution server receives the sensor data from the data storage server, executes the compare and compute function to determine the control command and sends the control command to the cloud platform.

6. The cloud-based control system according to claim 5, wherein the computing cloud further comprises a web application server configured to enable editing or uploading of the compare and compute function by a user, wherein the web application server stores user information and device information associated with the temperature regulation appliance.

7. The cloud-based control system according to claim 6, wherein the application server provides a development interface configured to edit or upload the compare and compute function and a management interface configured to manage the user information and the device information.

8. A cloud-based control method for controlling at least one refrigerated appliance comprising:

a. acquiring sensor data of a refrigerated appliance from at least one sensor at a temperature control board, wherein the at least one sensor is selected from a group consisting of an internal temperature sensor, an internal humidity sensor, an ambient air temperature sensor, an ambient air humidity sensor, door opening sensor, a food temperature sensor, an energy consumption sensor or a combination thereof;

b. sending the sensor data via a network from the temperature control board to a computing cloud;

c. a cloud platform storing the sensor data in the computing cloud, wherein the sensor data is stored in a data storage server of the computing cloud;

d. performing a compare and compute function according to the sensor data for determining a control command at the computing cloud;

e. the computing cloud estimating the efficiency of the refrigerated appliance;

f. sending the control command via the network from the computing cloud to the temperature control board; and

g. executing the control command by a microprocessor of the temperature control board to control at least one actuator selected from a group consisting of a compressor actuator, an evaporator fan actuator, a defrost actuator, a fourth generic actuator, or a combination thereof for setting a state of the refrigerated appliance.

9. The cloud-based control method according to claim 8, further comprising the step of the computing cloud communicating with the temperature control board using a socket-based communication protocol and Transport Layer Security (TLS).

10. The cloud-based control method according to claim 9, wherein the compare and compute function is a transfer function of a closed-loop feedback control.

11. The cloud-based control method according to claim 10, wherein the step of performing the compare and compute function is implemented by an execution server according to the sensor data from the data storage server, wherein the control command is sent to the cloud platform.

12. The cloud-based control method according to claim 11, wherein the step of sending the control command is implemented by the cloud platform.

13. The cloud-based control method according to claim 8 further comprising the steps of:

a user editing the compare and compute function; and

the user uploading the edited compare and compute function to the computing cloud.

14. The cloud-based control method according to claim 8 further comprising the step of a user managing user information and device information associated with the temperature regulation appliance via a web application server of the computing cloud.

15. The cloud-based control method according to claims 8, further comprising the step of minimizing overall energy use, wherein the at least one sensor includes at least one temperature sensor, wherein the at least one actuator includes a compressor actuator and an evaporator fan actuator, whereby the actuation of compressor and evaporator fan are scheduled independently in accord with temperature.

16. The cloud based control method of claim 8 further comprising the steps of:

a. Locating the refrigerated appliance; and

b. Accessing a weather forecast, wherein the weather forecast is based on the location of the refrigerated appliance.

17. The cloud based control method of claim 15 further comprising the steps of:

a. Selecting one or more control methods; and

b. Accounting for environmental and operational conditions, wherein the one or more control methods are selected to obtain higher energy efficiency based on the environmental and operational conditions.