Cooking system power management

• US 9,820,603 B2
• Filed: 11/19/2014
• Issued: 11/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Starbucks Corporation
• Original Assignee: Starbucks Corporation
• Inventors: Singer, Marc, Doughty, Chris, Hulett, Randy, Doucette, David, Apone, Dan, Roth, Frank
• Primary Examiner(s): Ali, Mohammad
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kabir, Saad M
• Application Number:
  US14/548,226
• Publication Number:
  US 20150148980A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,098 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A23F 5/26 Extraction of water-soluble constituents A23F5/246 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/3671 Loose coffee being employed
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/404 Powder dosing devices
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/42 Beverage-making apparatus with incorporated grinding or roasting means for coffee coffee mills A47J42/00; coffee roasters in general A23N12/08
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/5253 of temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/60 Cleaning devices
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 42/50 Supplying devices, e.g. funnels; Supply containers
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1306 for liquids G05D23/1393 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1951 with control of the working time of a temperature controlling device
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/66 Regulating electric power
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/30 Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for improving the carbon footprint of the management of residential or tertiary loads, i.e. smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the buildings sector, including also the last stages of power distribution and the control, monitoring or operating management systems at local level
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/3225 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/222 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/244 the home appliances being or involving heating ventilating and air conditioning [HVAC] units

Abstract

A cooking environment is described for allocating power between multiple cooking systems and providing a calculated amount of energy to a cooking system. The cooking systems can each include a receptacle and a heating/cooling element to heat a product within the receptacle. A controller can receive requests for power from the cooking systems. Based on the requests for power, the controller allocates an amount of time within a time period in which the heating/cooling elements of each cooking system receive electrical energy. The controller can also allocate specific intervals within the time period in which the heating/cooling elements receive electrical energy.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a plurality of cooking systems, comprising a first cooking system and a second cooking system, communicatively and electrically coupled with each other; and

a controller configured to;

receive an indication that the first cooking system is active;

receive an indication that the second cooking system is active;

receive indications of a first water temperature corresponding to a temperature of water in the first cooking system and a second water temperature corresponding to a temperature of water in the second cooking system;

determine a first time allotment within a predetermined time period for a first heating element of the first cooking system to receive all available electrical energy from an AC power source and a second time allotment within the predetermined time period for a second heating element of the second cooking system to receive all available electrical energy from the AC power source based at least in part on the indications of the first water temperature and the second water temperature, wherein the first time allotment is larger than the second time allotment to heat the water in the first cooking system at a greater rate than the water in the second cooking system until a threshold water temperature is satisfied; and

allocate the first time allotment to the first cooking system and the second time allotment to the second cooking system, wherein the first cooking system activates the first heating element during the first time allotment and deactivates the first heating element during the second time allotment and the second cooking system deactivates the second heating element during the first time allotment and activates the second heating element during the second time allotment, wherein transitions between the first time allotment and the second time allotment are based on a detection of the AC power source crossing a zero or common mode voltage.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the indications of the first water temperature and the second water temperature comprise measured water temperatures.

3. A system, comprising:

a plurality of cooking systems, comprising a first cooking system and a second cooking system communicatively and electrically coupled with each other, wherein each cooking system of the plurality of cooking systems comprises a receptacle, a heating element, and a temperature sensor to determine a temperature of liquid within the receptacle; and

a controller configured to;

receive requests for power from the first cooking system and the second cooking system;

determine a first time allotment within a time period for the heating element of the first cooking system and a second time allotment within the time period for the heating element of the second cooking system to receive electrical energy based at least on the requests for power and the temperature of the liquid in respective receptacles of the first cooking system and the second cooking system; and

allocate the first time allotment to the first cooking system and the second time allotment to the second cooking system wherein the first time allotment is larger than the second time allotment to heat the liquid in the receptacle of the first cooking system at a greater rate than the liquid in the receptacle of the second cooking system until a cooking temperature threshold is satisfied, wherein transitions between the first time allotment and the second time allotment are based on a detection of the AC power source crossing a zero or common mode voltage.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the controller is further configured to:

receive an indication that the first cooking system is active; and

receive an indication that the second cooking system is active.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the first time allotment comprises a first continuous block of time, and the second time allotment comprises a second continuous block of time.

6. The system of claim 3, wherein the first time allotment is interleaved with the second time allotment.

7. The system of claim 3, wherein the first cooking system comprises at least one of a coffee maker, a skillet, a microwave oven, a toaster oven, and a hot plate and the second cooking system comprises a different one of at least one the coffee maker, the skillet, the microwave oven, the toaster oven, and the hot plate.

8. The system of claim 3, wherein the receptacle comprises a tank.

9. The system of claim 3, wherein the controller is further configured to determine the first time allotment and the second time allotment based at least on a location of the first cooking system and the second cooking system.

10. The system of claim 3, wherein the controller is further configured to determine the first time allotment and the second time allotment based at least on a frequency of use of the first cooking system and the second cooking system.

11. The system of claim 3, wherein the controller is further configured to determine the first time allotment and the second time allotment based at least on a priority level of the first cooking system and the second cooking system.

12. The system of claim 3, wherein the controller is further configured to determine the first time allotment and the second time allotment based at least on a time of day.

13. The system of claim 3, wherein the controller is further configured to determine the first time allotment and the second time allotment based at least on a workload of the first cooking system and the second cooking system.

14. A method of allocating power between a plurality of cooking systems, the method comprising:

receiving requests for power from a first cooking system and a second cooking system;

determining a first time allotment for each of a plurality of contiguous time periods for a heating element of the first cooking system and a second time allotment for each of the plurality of contiguous time periods for a heating element of the second cooking system to receive electrical energy based at least on the requests for power and a temperature of liquid in respective receptacles of the first cooking system and the second cooking system, wherein the first time allotment is larger than the second time allotment in each of the plurality of contiguous time periods to heat the liquid in the receptacle of the first cooking system at a greater rate than the liquid in the receptacle of the second cooking system until a cooking temperature threshold is satisfied; and

allocating the first time allotment to the first cooking system and the second time allotment to the second cooking system, wherein transitions between the first time allotment and the second time allotment are based on a detection of the AC power source crossing a zero or common mode voltage.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the first time allotment comprises a first continuous block of time, and the second time allotment comprises a second continuous block of time.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the first time allotment is interleaved with the second time allotment.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein requests for power are based at least on a difference between a cooking temperature threshold and each of a temperature of water in the first cooking system and a temperature of water in the second cooking system.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising determining the first time allotment and the second time allotment based at least on a time of day.

19. A cooking system communicatively coupled with another cooking system, the cooking system comprising:

a receptacle configured to hold a liquid;

a heating element thermally coupled to the liquid;

a temperature sensor thermally coupled to the liquid and configured to measure the temperature of the liquid in the receptacle; and

a first controller configured to;

request power from a second controller based at least on the measured temperature,

receive power allocation instructions that identify a first time allotment within a time period in which the heating element receives electrical energy from an AC power source, wherein the first time allotment is larger than a second time allotment for another cooking system to heat the liquid in the receptacle of the cooking system at a greater rate until a cooking temperature threshold is satisfied, and

alternately allocate and de-allocate power to the heating element during the time period based at least on the power allocation instructions, wherein transitions between allocation and de-allocation of power are based on a detection of the AC power source crossing a zero or common mode voltage.