Wireless method and apparatus for monitoring and controlling food temperature

• Main Authors: RIPPE, HERB, GATLING, WILLIAM, CHABUCOS, JIM, SINGH, ABTAR
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French; German
• Published: 23.02.2011
• Subjects: BLASTING; COLD ROOMS; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; CONTROLLING; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT COVERED BY ANY OTHERSUBCLASS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; HEATING; ICE-BOXES; LIGHTING; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; MEASURING; MEASURING QUANTITY OF HEAT; MEASURING TEMPERATURE; MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; PHYSICS; REFRIGERATION MACHINES, PLANTS OR SYSTEMS; REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; REFRIGERATORS; REGULATING; SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES; TESTING; THERMALLY-SENSITIVE ELEMENTS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; WEAPONS

A system and method for controlling refrigeration including a temperature sensor (50) operable to measure a temperature from a refrigeration case (22) and a transceiver (82) in communication with the temperature sensor and operable to wirelessly transmit data. A repeater receives the wirelessly transmitted data and further wirelessly transmits the data to a receiver (94). A controller (30) in communication with the receiver controls the refrigeration system based upon the wirelessly transmitted data from the refrigeration case. The refrigeration case also includes a mode switch for suspending temperature reading and control for a period of time. For example, the mode switch can be used by an operator during cleaning or maintenance of the refrigerator case.; Temperature control algorithms are used by the controller, and include: dead-band range (DB), proportional/integral (PI), proportional/integral/differentiation (PID) and fuzzy-logic (FL).