System and Method for Preventing Damage to Products

• US 20160106231A1
• Filed: 10/13/2015
• Published: 04/21/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Manufacturing Resources International, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Manufacturing Resources International, Inc.
• Inventors: Dunn, William, De Laet, Rick
• Granted Patent: US 10,182,665 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 11/10 Arrangements of light sources
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 3/001 Devices for lighting, humidifying, heating, ventilation
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 3/0404 Cases or cabinets of the closed type A47F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 3/043 Doors, covers A47F3/0434 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 3/0434 Glass or transparent panels
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1423 controlling a plurality of local displays, e.g. CRT and flat panel display
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/06 Adjustment of display parameters
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/08 Arrangements within a display terminal for setting, manually or automatically, display parameters of the display terminal
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2330/021 Power management, e.g. power saving
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/02 Networking aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/16 Use of wireless transmission of display information
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2380/04 Electronic labels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3406 Control of illumination source illumination devices structurally associated with liquid crystal cells G02F1/1336
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/36 using liquid crystals

Abstract

A device and method for preventing damage to products in a display case is disclosed. The display case includes a normally black transparent liquid crystal display (LCD) which is positioned between a front and rear glass of the door. A controller is electrically connected to the LCD which drives the LCD according to transparency data. The transparency data comprises various transparency levels for the LCD depending on the time of day.

Claims

1. An apparatus for preventing damage to products in a display case having a door comprising:

a normally black transparent liquid crystal display positioned between a front and rear glass of the door; and

a controller electrically connected to the liquid crystal display which drives the liquid crystal display according to transparency data which comprises various transparency levels for the liquid crystal display depending on the time of day.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a modem electrically connected with said controller and configured to receive said transparency data for the liquid crystal display and transmit said transparency data to the controller.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein:

the transparency data includes data that instructs the liquid crystal display to drive each pixel at substantially the same transparency level.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein:

the controller operates the liquid crystal display at a desired transparency level depending on the current time and according to the transparency data.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein:

the controller operates the liquid crystal display at a transparency level depending on the current date.

6. The apparatus of claim 3 further comprising:

a door sensor positioned to determine whether the door is open or closed, and transmit data indicating the status of the door to the controller.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein:

the door status data is used to control the transparency of the liquid crystal display.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein:

the controller operates the liquid crystal display at normal transparency levels unless and until the time elapsed between door openings and closings, as detected by the door sensor, reaches a predetermined threshold, then the controller operates the liquid crystal at a reduced transparency level according to the transparency data.

9. A method for preventing damage to products in a display case having a door housing a transparent liquid crystal display (LCD) where the LCD is electrically connected to a controller which is programmed with transparency data comprising the steps of:

determining the current time;

determining if the current time is during a time period specified in the transparency data; and

operating the LCD at a predetermined uniform transparency level by way of the controller and according to the transparency data.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising the steps of:

determining the current date;

operating the LCD at a predetermined transparency level according to current date based the transparency data.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein:

the transparency data comprises desired LCD transparency levels for retail hours and after hours.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein:

the LCD is a normally black LCD.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein:

a voltage is applied to the LCD during time periods specified in the retail hours transparency data such that the LCD is rendered at least semi-transparent.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein:

no voltage is applied to the LCD during time periods specified in the after hours transparency data such that the LCD is rendered substantially opaque.

15. A method for preventing damage to products in a display case having a door which includes a transparent liquid crystal display (LCD) where the LCD is electrically connected to a controller comprising the steps of:

determining if the door is closed;

calculating the elapsed time since the door was closed; and

operating each pixel of the LCD at a predetermined transparency level according to the calculated elapsed time.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein:

each pixel is driven to substantially the same transparency level.

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

accepting transparency data at the controller by way of a modem for operation of the LCD.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein:

the transparency data comprises a first predetermined transparency setting, a second predetermined transparency setting, a first period of elapsed time, a second period of elapsed time, and a third period of elapsed time.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein:

the pixels of the LCD are driven at different transparency levels when the door is opened.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein:

the LCD is operated at the first predetermined transparency setting if the first period of elapsed time is reached;

the LCD is operated at the second predetermined transparency setting if the second period of elapsed time is reached; and

the LCD receives no power if the third period of elapsed time is reached.