Patent Application
20200173719
The present disclosure relates monitoring cold storage units such as freezer and refrigerators through gas-, temperature, humidity- and air-pressure-sensors, RFID-tags, accelerometer, microphones and (super-)capacitors by drawing the power and offering functionalities such as emitting light and audio user-interface.
The following is tabulation of some prior art that presently appears relevant:
The background description provided herein is for the purpose of presenting the context of the disclosure. Unless otherwise indicated herein, the materials described in this section are not prior art to the claims in this application and are not admitted to be prior art by inclusion in this section.
People disposed 37.6 million tons of food waste in United States in 2015. Good amount of the waste is due to improper storage conditions, running out of the natural expiration dates, and an equipment malfunctions. Food poisoning is also a major issue as 48 million people get sick, 128,000 are hospitalized, and 3,000 die from foodborne disease in USA each year.
Refrigerators, refrigerator rooms, freezers hereon referred as cold storage units intent to lengthen the applicable usage time for the stored goods. This is achieved by lowering temperature to reduce the rate of the metabolic and other changes in the cells or chemicals as well as slowing the growth of bacteria and fungus in organic materials. However, equipment failures, incorrect storing configuration and storing practices all lead to accelerated decomposition and expiration of the goods. This process can be relatively quick as Foodsafety.gov recommends to discard any perishable food (such as meat, poultry, fish, eggs, and leftovers) that have been above 4° C. (40° F.) for over 2 hours making early detection vital to manage potential damages.
It is not just the owners and users of the cold storage units who are interested learning possible equipment failures as soon as possible but there is also an insurance industry that is offering content coverage for the cold storage units like freezers. Any innovations that can prevent and reduce the amount of damage has great value for such operators.
Most cold storage units currently include internal thermometer exposed to the user but they are often placed inside the cold storage unit providing no visibility without opening the unit door. There are also products like SensorPush Wireless enabling cold storage unit temperature and humidity monitoring outside the device but these types of solutions operate in close proximity to the display unit or require dedicated infrastructure. Also having internal battery reduces the long-term active users as people tend to forget to charge and consider such activity as a nuisance.
Commercial deployments sometimes have remote monitoring systems with plurality of sensors and they are fixed installations with either wired or wireless Internet support. These solutions are typically focused on monitoring coarse equipment and climate parameters requiring dedicated installation. Some commercial solutions focus on removing ethylene that is ripening gas generated by the plants. These solutions slow the process of ripening down but cannot reverse the process. Eventually spoiled food will cause bad smell turning some foods into liquid mass of bacteria and biomass.
Another types of embodiments of cold storage unit content monitoring system are the ones built directly into the unit. There are newer generation cold storage units with Internet connectivity and advanced airflow systems often including filtering and shelf specific temperature control that helps to slow some of the metabolic decomposition process, but those features are limited to the higher-end models and do not solve aftermarket uses. The typical lifetime of a cold storage unit is between 14 and 17 years, according to “The Expected Life of a Refrigerator” web-page, implying that massive existing installment base will not get these features anytime soon.
The disclosure is cold storage unit health and content monitoring device and method with Internet connectivity having different embodiments optimized for various existing cold storage power infrastructures while using plurality of different types of sensors and performing fusion with them to construct a complete view of the cold storage unit status, its content, possible risks facing the unit and notifying the subscribing party on predetermined conditions. The device stores energy for its operations in a capacitor. The capacitor is advantageously connected to a power supply present in the cold storage unit, such as the light bulb base.
The cold storage can take a form of a refrigerator, a freezer, a walk-in cooler, a walk-in freezer, a refrigerated container, a refrigerated trailer, and any storage meant for controlling its climate.
Accordingly several advantages of one or more aspects are as follows: providing maintenance free aftermarket health and content monitoring solution enabling the users to maximize the value of their existing cold storage unit that provides remote interactions and alarms, that provides novel means to detect any abnormalities in compressor operations to provide the owner a longer time window to prevent complete shutdown, that enables timely voice interactions with natural language, that can detect and warn about abnormal environmental conditions such as spoiled food and other decomposition related hazards, that detects door sealing issue, that helps with the cooling unit inventory management, that works as the last line of defense as burglar alarm. Other advantages of one or more aspects will be apparent from a consideration of the drawings and ensuing description.
In the drawings, closely related figures have the same number but different alphabetic suffixes.
The high-level operational environment for the closure is illustrated in
One embodiment of the closure is illustrated in
The overall system architecture of an embodiment of the invention is illustrated in
Computing unit 402 includes System-on-chip (SoC) that provides a processor and logic (in the form of IP-blocks) for controlling peripheral devices as well as memory to store data and execute the program code.
In this embodiment Energy converter 414 takes a form of AC/DC (Alternative Current to Direct Current) converter and it is connected to a DC/DC converter and, depending on the component selection, could also connect directly into the capacitor 204 as illustrated with connection 430.
DC/DC converter 412 is powering computing unit and, depending on the circuit board design, could also directly do so to the other subsystems. When the energy converter 414 is getting outside power, it connects to DC/DC converter that feeds the adjusted voltage to the other systems and charges the capacitor. When the energy converter 414 is off, DC/DC converter is powered by the capacitor. DC/DC converter keeps the operating voltage regulated as when capacitor is discharged its voltage drops in linear fashion, as illustrated in
Connectivity unit 404 enables communication between computing unit 402 and Server computer system 110 illustrated in
Sensor unit 404 may include (without limitation) one or more of following sensors:
These sensors are connected to the computing unit that controls their operation and collects the sensor data at predetermined times. VOC sensor can alternatively be replaced with any combination of individual ammonia, ethylene, methane, hydrogen sulfide sensors.
The closure may also include Audio unit 408 comprising one or more speakers and microphones that are connected to computing unit 402. One microphone is sufficient for most audio capture use cases but adding more microphones enables beamforming helping to isolate audio sources and filter unwelcomed noises.
The closure may also include Lighting unit 406. This enables retaining the cold storage unit functionality the same when the closure is replacing the existing cold storage light bulb. As a typical refrigerator are designed for incandescent lamp using all the drawn power into generating light, the maximum specified light bulb specification implicitly makes that the maximum power budget for the embodiment. Using lower power light sources such as LEDs helps to reserve the saved power budget for charging and running its other subsystems. Typical 40 W incandescent light bulb can be replaced with 9 W worth of LEDs giving sufficient amount of energy for the embodiment. Lighting unit 406 comprises LED current control circuit 422 that's communicably coupled to the computing unit and electrically connected to one or more LEDs, and Energy converter 414 or the computing unit.
Cold storage health and content monitoring operates by having cold storage health and content monitoring device 100, hereon called as the embodiment, to send data over Internet to Server Computer System 110 that performs further processing to the data and delivers notifications through its Services API 114 to Applications 120. There are different types of applications that can subscribe to the Service API to get notifications from the Server Computer System. Recipients can subscribe for notifications such as application or web-page notification, emails, text-messages, audio messages, robocalls, and Internet chat application-message such as Messenger-messages. Audio messages and notifications can also be delivered directly through the embodiment speaker(s). Services Computer System 110 can also initiate the communication towards the embodiment to configure its parameters, upload new computer software and audio messages.
When the cold storage unit door is opened and internal light bulb receptor is powered-up, the embodiment starts charging the capacitor and signals the external power use through DC/DC converter to the computing unit that changes the system state into Fully active 602 as illustrated in
The disclosure uses RFID technology to detect the content of the cold storage unit. RFID technology has been existing in various forms around 20 years but due to its cost, it hasn't spread outside payment and specialized RFID tags. However, the lowered cost of the technology and introduction of cashierless stores will expand its use in the near future. Detecting content changes is ideal when the cold storage unit door is open or when just being closed as after that, the content won't change. Also, continuous RFID scan uses energy in both RFID receiver and computing unit, so it is done when the embodiment is having the external power. Content management can serve many purposes in the cold storage unit such as sending notifications when noticing that some items have gone below predetermined threshold to help the owner ensure sufficient supply of the needed goods. Being aware of the cold storage unit content optimizes the use of the information received from other sensors. For example, knowing the cold storage internal gas composition and the stored items can enable more accurate identification, for example, the decomposing or expired food item. Also, some foods are better preserved in different humidity levels and temperature so making the cold storage unit user aware of the optimal conditions can help to extend their life.
When the energy converter 414 loses its external power, the computing unit transitions into Normal operations 604 state turning lights, RFID sensor and connectivity unit off or into low-power mode.
The embodiment measures air pressure using an air pressure sensor to detect the quality of the seal between the cold storage unit door and its frame. When the cold storage unit door is opened, the unit is filled with surrounding warmer air. Once the door is closed, the air temperature inside the unit starts to drop and the pressure follows Combined gas law or generally known as General Gas Equation.
The formula states that as the volume and the amount of material, air in this case, stays constant while temperature gets lower, the pressure must get lower too. In this case, it creates minor vacuum due to the air pressure difference between outside and inside the cold storage and thus enables detecting if there is a good seal. Notification is sent if poor sealing or door being ajar is detected. Good seal is important to help saving energy, reduce wear and tear, and ensuring the optimal storage conditions.
Humidity is another cold storage climate parameter to monitor and control. Excess humidity has adverse effects and can be a sign of equipment malfunction. Humidity in freezer will cause ice buildup and can be an indication for leaking ice dispenser. In refrigerator, excessive humidity can be a sign of a decomposition but also on its on it will cause foods to rotten faster as well as lead into mold build-ups. Humidity sensor provides the data through Service API 114 to the applications 120 that have subscribed for the notification enabling the interested party to take an action to address the abnormalities. Humidity is typically not having major fluctuation in short-period of times after the door is closed and the same applies to air pressure sensor after the quality of seal has been detected so both sensors will be turned off or placed into lower power mode when the embodiment moves into Essential operation 606 state.
Temperature has significant impact on the speed of chemical and biological processes. For example, food stored in the wrong temperature will be adversely impacted either by damaging taste if being too cold or making the food to spoil faster in case the temperature is too high. All cold storage units have one or more temperature sensors to control the temperature and operations of the compressor, but it is often impossible or inconvenient for the user to see the target temperature and how it is being followed without opening the unit and manually consistently recording the values.
Many current cold storage units will provide warning sound or light based indicator if the temperature becomes too high but this only happens in the cases where there are significant deviations to the target values that make it difficult for the user to identify those cases when the temperature increases are consistently elevated but have not reached the threshold levels while still causing negative impact to the unit content. The alarm indicating the change of the temperature beyond operational limits is typically only useful if somebody is in close proximity to the cooling unit and providing the alarm over Internet solves this issue. Temperature warning over Internet is also useful in the cases where the cooling unit is having major malfunction, for example, in the case of power outage or broken compressor. As the embodiment is also recording the content of the unit, it can match the temperature information against food spoilage recommendations in the case of malfunction to notify on those food items that are recommended to be thrown out in order to avoid, for example, food poisoning and also advice on those items that are still safe to use to help save money and wasting food.
Monitoring compressor operations is performed using a microphone and accelerometer as well as using the change in temperature sensor during the operation. In most cold storage implementations, accelerometer can detect change in acceleration when the compressor is starting and stopping. Accelerator typically reads close to zero value when the compressor is off but when it is turned on and off there is going to be a change in acceleration signaling the start or stop times. Alternatively, the microphone can listen surrounding environment and determine if the sound heard belongs to the compressor and that way determined the starting and stop. As both using a accelerometer and a microphone requires filtering to detect false positives, there is an option to use both methods in combination to get the best possible accuracy. Duration of the compressor operation can be calculated by capturing the start- and stop-time. As the compressor is running at the constant power and duration is known, the unit energy consumption can be calculated using formula: E=Pt if the power-rating has been inserted through an application.
Sound can be used beyond determining start- and stop-time of the compressor. The sound sample of the compressor operation can be processed through frequency domain analysis to detect changes in the operating frequency composition, amplitude and phases where changes over longer period of time can be indicative for underlying issue that warrants sending a warning notification. Also, compressor operation duration per temperature change provides indication of the operational efficiency of the compressor and if the predetermined threshold is reached, a notification is sent, for example, to highlight that it is time to do dusting and clean the compressor coils. Having knowledge of the compressor operations can also be used to provide early notifications of the equipment malfunction. Over time the embodiment learns the trigger temperature for the cold storage unit when the compressor typically is turned on and if this doesn't happen, the operator of the unit can be notified immediately as it is a sign of unexpected behaviour instead of waiting major changes in the temperature. This method has significant advantage over the prior art as temperature-only based warnings cannot ever be made as sensitive as they need to tolerate normal external imposed temperature fluctuations such as people inserting warm food into the cold storage unit. Adding warm food into the unit will increase the inside temperature but as long as the compressor has been started, the condition is temporary, and the unit works as specified.
Advanced gas sensors, as found in the embodiment, can help to protect the cold storage unit content through early detection of excessive decomposition and ripening in the unit. It is not uncommon to find something buried at the bottom of the storage containers that is in advanced phases of decomposing and partly turned into a liquid called leachate. Situations like this are not just unpleasant to clean but also accelerate the ripening and rotting the rest of the exposed foods in the unit leading significantly shorter shelf-life and thus causing vicious cycle where rotting leads into more rotting. Decomposition also releases energy forcing the cold storage unit compressor to do extra work retain the specified temperature that is then visible in the energy consumption.
There are two kind of decomposition reactions; aerobic and anaerobic. Aerobic decomposition uses oxygen as part of the breaking down with the organic material producing water, carbon dioxide and energy while anaerobic process uses water with the organic matter producing methane, hydrogen sulfide (rotten egg smell), and energy. Another relevant gas is ethylene that serves as a hormone in plants regulating the ripening of the fruit. Plants produce the gas naturally during certain stages of growth or if the plant have been damaged. Ethylene gas doesn't just act as an indicator about the ripening and/or rotting of an individual fruit, but higher ethylene gas levels make the other plans to ripen faster creating chain-reaction. This is the reason why one rotten fruit can easily lead faster rotting of all other fruits and vegetables in the cold storage unit. Ancient Egyptians used this technique to accelerate enhance ripening by damaging plants. Ethylene generators are used in commercial environments for similar purposes to shorten ripening process today. In use cases where the aim is to extend shelf life, the amount of ethylene needs be controlled inside the storage unit. Ammonia is another gas to monitor as its presence is an indication of meat decay. By monitoring the individual and total concentrations of methane, carbon dioxide, humidity ethylene, ammonia and hydrogen sulfide, it is possible to conclude the overall condition of the cold storage unit stored goods and send notification when predetermined threshold levels have been reached. Humidity and the mentioned gases can be measured using combination gas sensors such as Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) sensor or dedicated sensors for subset or the individual gasses.
Once the embodiment reaches emergency power level, it shutdowns or moves into low-power mode, for example, all but temperature sensor and moves into Emergency operation 608 state that still enables it to notify the temperature based issues. When the embodiment determines that shutdown is inevitable, it sends the latest data to Computer Server System 110, stores its working memory (RAM), performs other clean-up operations to ensure as fast reboot as possible once AC power is active again, and powers the system completely off.
Even though the system follows
The operations of the system can be optimized by providing additional information through Applications 120. Information about the size, type, make and model of the cold storage unit can be provided through the applications to calibrate the system parameters. For example, the growth in ethylene gas concentration due to rotting broccoli in walk-in cold storage is much slower due to higher volume of air than in small refrigerator. Having this information helps settings the cold unit storage optimized notification thresholds.
The application may also configure the system into “holiday-mode” where system aggressively moves through the states in
Two alternative embodiments are shows in
The embodiment illustrated in
The embodiment in
Both alternative embodiments can also include capacitor 204 as in the embodiment in
Accordingly, the reader will see that cold storage unit health and content system with its disclosed embodiments offer carefully optimized novel maintenance free low-cost solutions for cold storage units without requiring any new infrastructure or removing existing functions.
In addition, having fusion over plurality of the sensor enables creating more complete picture of the status of cold storage unit, provide timely, and actionable information to the user.
Furthermore, the disclosure has the additional advantages in that:
Although the description above contains many specificities, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the embodiments but as merely providing illustrations of some of several embodiments. For example, one could create an embodiment for natural wine cellar without microphone, RFID, accelerometer and air pressure sensors as there is no compressor to monitor, open space where no pressure difference is being expected and voice functionality is seen as irrelevant function while any of the disclosed external power options might work. Alternatively, another embodiment without RFID and lighting unit would work as low cost remote sensor system for homemade greenhouses.
Thus, the scope of the embodiments should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents, rather than by the examples given.
