Cloud Monitored Refrigerator Temperature Monitor

This disclosure relates, in general, to household electronic appliances and, not by way of limitation, to temperature monitoring systems and classification of the quality of food, among other things.

Refrigerators and/or freezers are the main appliances in modern households, serving to preserve the freshness and safety of perishable food items. Refrigerators/freezers do so by slowing down or halting the growth of bacteria in different food items. However, maintaining safe temperatures within these appliances is also important, as deviations from recommended ranges can lead to various disadvantages and health risks. One main concern is the proliferation of harmful bacteria in perishable foods stored at unsafe temperatures. Bacteria such as, andthrive in warmer environments, increasing the risk of foodborne illnesses when contaminated items are consumed.

Inadequate temperature control can accelerate food spoilage, causing items to deteriorate at a faster rate than expected. In addition to bacterial growth and food spoilage, fluctuating temperatures within the fridge/freezer can result in a loss of nutritional value in food items. Furthermore, improper temperature management can lead to freezer burn, a condition characterized by the dehydration and discoloration of frozen food items.

Overall, maintaining safe temperatures in refrigerators and freezers is essential for preserving food safety, quality, and nutritional value. Regular monitoring, proper storage practices, and routine maintenance of these appliances help mitigate the disadvantages associated with unsafe temperatures.

In one embodiment, the present disclosure provides a cooling appliance coupled to a cloud network to monitor unsafe temperatures and to notify a user about a quality of food stored in the cooling appliance. The cooling appliance consists of a storage space, a temperature sensor, a timer module, and a communication interface. The storage space is used to contain food. The temperature sensor is used to measure a temperature of the storage space. The timer module updates a timer with a time relative to boot-up of the cooling appliance. The communication interface is used to report the time and the temperature to the cloud network. The cloud network determines interruptions in operation of the cooling appliance as a function of the report. The communication module sends a notification away from the cooling appliance about the quality of food after power interruptions for the cooling appliance.

In an embodiment, a cooling appliance coupled to a cloud network to monitor unsafe temperatures and to notify a user about a quality of food stored in the cooling appliance. The cooling appliance consists of a storage space, a temperature sensor, a timer module, and a communication interface. The storage space is used to contain food. The temperature sensor is used to measure a temperature of the storage space. The timer module updates a timer with a time relative to boot-up of the cooling appliance. The communication interface is used to report the time and the temperature to the cloud network. The cloud network determines interruptions in operation of the cooling appliance as a function of the report. The interruptions in operation of the cooling appliance includes determining when the cooling appliance went offline, an initial temperature of the cooling appliance, and a duration of time the cooling appliance is suspected to have been offline due to a power outage. The communication module further sends a notification away from the cooling appliance about the quality of food after power interruptions for the cooling appliance. The quality of food inside the cooling appliance is based on information collected from determining interruptions in operation of the cooling appliance. The quality of food tells the user about the condition of food, which food has spoiled, and/or is at a risk of getting spoiled.

In another embodiment, a method for monitoring unsafe temperatures and notifying a user about a quality of food stored in a cooling appliance that is coupled to a cloud network. The method for monitoring unsafe temperatures includes storing food in a storage space and measuring a temperature of the storage space of the cooling appliance using a temperature sensor. The method further includes updating a timer module to a time relative to boot-up of the cooling appliance. The method uses a communication interface for reporting the time and the temperature to the cloud network. The cloud network determines interruptions in operation of the cooling appliance as a function of the report. The interruptions in operation of the cooling appliance includes determining when the cooling appliance went offline, an initial temperature of the cooling appliance, and a duration of time the cooling appliance is suspected to have been offline due to a power outage. The method further includes sending a notification away from the cooling appliance about the quality of food after power interruptions for the cooling appliance. The quality of food inside the cooling appliance is based on information collected from determining interruptions in operation of the cooling appliance. The quality of food tells the user about the condition of food, which food has gone spoiled, and/or is at a risk of getting spoiled.

In yet another embodiment, a computer-readable media is discussed having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon that when executed by one or more processors, facilitate, a method for monitoring unsafe temperatures and notifying a user about a quality of food stored in a cooling appliance that is coupled to a cloud network. The method for monitoring unsafe temperatures includes storing food in a storage space and measuring a temperature of the storage space of the cooling appliance using a temperature sensor. The method further includes updating a timer module to a time relative to boot-up of the cooling appliance. The method uses a communication interface for reporting the time and the temperature to the cloud network. The cloud network determines interruptions in operation of the cooling appliance as a function of the report. The interruptions in operation of the cooling appliance includes determining when the cooling appliance went offline, an initial temperature of the cooling appliance, and a duration of time the cooling appliance is suspected to have been offline due to a power outage. The method further includes sending a notification away from the cooling appliance about the quality of food after power interruptions for the cooling appliance. The quality of food inside the cooling appliance is based on information collected from determining interruptions in operation of the cooling appliance. The quality of food tells the user about the condition of food, which food has gone spoiled, and/or is at a risk of getting spoiled.

Further areas of applicability of the present disclosure will become apparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating various embodiments, are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to necessarily limit the scope of the disclosure.

In the appended figures, similar components and/or features may have the same reference label. Further, various components of the same type may be distinguished by following the reference label by a dash and a second label that distinguishes among the similar components. If only the first reference label is used in the specification, the description is applicable to any one of the similar components having the same first reference label irrespective of the second reference label.

The ensuing description provides preferred exemplary embodiment(s) only, and is not intended to limit the scope, applicability or configuration of the disclosure. Rather, the ensuing description of the preferred exemplary embodiment(s) will provide those skilled in the art with an enabling description for implementing a preferred exemplary embodiment. It is understood that various changes may be made in the function and arrangement of elements without departing from the spirit and scope as set forth in the appended claims.

Referring to, a front viewof a cooling appliancecoupled to a cloud networkis shown. The cooling applianceis a freezer or a refrigerator/fridge that is a commercial and home appliance consisting of a thermally insulated compartment and a heat pump (mechanical, electronic, or chemical) that transfers heat from its inside to its external environment so that its inside is cooled to a temperature below the room temperature. The cooling appliancehas a status indicatormounted on the door. In this application, the terms “freezer”, “refrigerator”, “fridge”, and the “cooling appliance” are used interchangeably.

Refrigeration is an important food storage technique around the world. The lower temperature lowers the reproduction rate of bacteria, so the refrigerator reduces the rate of spoilage. A refrigerator maintains a temperature a few degrees above the freezing point of water. The ideal temperature range for perishable food storage is 3 to 5° C. (37 to 41° F.). A similar device that maintains a temperature below the freezing point of water is called a freezer. The refrigerator replaced the icebox, which had been a common household appliance for almost a century and a half. The United States Food and Drug Administration recommends that the refrigerator be kept at or below 4° C. (40° F.) and that the freezer be regulated at −18° C. (0° F.).

Modern refrigerators employ variable-speed compressors, allowing them to adjust their speed according to cooling demands. High-end refrigerators feature dual evaporators, separating the cooling systems for the fridge and freezer compartments to maintain freshness and prevent odor transfer. Some modules use refrigerant valves to direct refrigerant to various coils for each zone. Actuating air dampers and deflectors could be used to direct cold airflow to specific zones within the cooling appliance. Additionally, advanced insulation materials, LED lighting, automatic defrost cycles, and smart connectivity features are also introduced in the modern refrigerators/freezers.

To regulate the temperature within the cooling applianceonly enough air is diverted to the refrigerator compartment, the freezer usually re-acquires the set temperature quickly unless the door is opened. When a door is opened, either in the refrigerator or the freezer, the fan in some units stops. The computer manages fan speed for both compartments, although air is still blown from the freezer. Newer refrigerators may include automatic defrosting, chilled water, and ice from a dispenser in the door, cabinet rollers that let the refrigerator roll out for easier cleaning, adjustable shelves and trays, and the status indicatorthat notifies when it is time to change the water filter.

The newer refrigerators may also include: a cooling zone in the refrigerator door shelves, a drop-down door built into the refrigerator main door, giving easy access to frequently used items such as milk, thus saving energy by not having to open the main door, and an in-door ice caddy, which relocates the ice-maker storage to the freezer door and saves approximately 60 liters (2.1 cu ft) of usable freezer space. It is also removable and helps to prevent ice-maker clogging. The newer refrigerators can further have a fast freeze function to rapidly cool foods by running the compressor for a predetermined amount of time and thus temporarily lowering the freezer temperature below normal operating levels. It is recommended to use this feature several hours before adding more than 1 kg of unfrozen food to the freezer. For freezers without this feature, lowering the temperature setting to the coldest will have the same effect.

The cloud networkincludes a network, a server(or a data center), and a user on a user-device. The networkis any Internet network connecting the cooling appliancewith the users at the user-device. The serverhas a repository of previous uptimes and initial temperatures of the cooling appliance. The serveralso has the record of connectivity status of the cooling applianceand a list of optimum temperatures for each food item present in the cooling appliance.

Monitoring safe temperature via the cloud networkeradicates the need for a 3rd party device and does not add cost to the construction of the fridge/freezer. This also means that the user doesn't have to remember to charge the batteries of their separate monitoring system or keep a wire running between the door seal to the exterior of the fridge/freezer. The setup is helpful in monitoring the unsafe temperatures of the cooling applianceand notifying the user about the quality of food to ensure health and safety. This disclosure can also be used in the medical field to monitor vaccine fridge temperature to check that vaccines were not stored above or below an appropriate temperature in regular and mini-fridges.

Referring next to, componentsof the cooling appliancefor monitoring unsafe temperature via the cloud networkare shown. The componentsshows only a few components entailed for this method and does not represent other components of the refrigerator/freezer. The componentsinclude a storage space, a temperature sensor, a power supply, a timer module, and a communication interface. The cooling appliancecan have multiple storage spaces, and multiple temperature sensors can be used, as shown in. The number of storage spaces and temperature sensors in the refrigerator/freezer depends on the preferences of its manufacturing company.

The storage spaceis used to contain food and the temperature of one storage space may vary from the other storage space in the cooling appliance. The temperature sensoris used to measure a temperature inside the storage space. This temperature will then dictate the quality of food inside the storage space. The temperature sensorstypically consist of a small device with a probe that can be placed inside the storage spaceor refrigeration unit, which wirelessly transmits temperature data to a central monitoring device (commonly called a gateway), that is not shown here. An example of a wireless temperature sensor is an SS-Temperature Sensor with Probe. The proper temperatures for commercial refrigeration depend on the type of food being stored and the specific requirements of the health department or regulatory agency. Generally, the following temperature ranges are considered safe for commercial refrigeration:

The power supplyprovides power to the cooling appliance. The power supplyis connected to the timer module. The timer moduleis used to update the timer modulewith a time relative to the boot-up of the cooling appliance. In this application, the time relative to the boot-up of the cooling applianceis called “uptime.” The uptime is the duration of time for which the cooling appliancewas on i.e., there was no power outage. When the power goes out, the timer module resets, and the uptime becomes zero.

The communication interfacereports the up-time and temperature of the storage spaceto the network. The reporting or the declaration process by the communication interfaceis carried out either at regular intervals or when the cooling appliancerecovers from a power outage or connectivity issues. The user can also define the reporting frequency by itself at the communication interface. The cloud networkdetermines interruptions in the operation of the cooling applianceas a function of the report. The cloud networknotifies the user of the cooling applianceabout the quality of food after power interruptions. The quality of food tells the user about the condition of the stored food, which food has gone spoiled, and/or is at risk of getting spoiled.

The method of monitoring unsafe temperature utilizes the built-in temperature alarms and measuring capabilities of the fridge/freezer and provides push notifications through the fridge/freezer. Furthermore, in conduction, monitors the fridge/freezer's connectivity status and database declaration process. The declaration process is frequently triggered when the cooling appliancecomes online from a power outage or when it can establish a connection with the networkor Wi-Fi. The idea is that the cooling appliancecommunicates its internal temperature at a frequent and regular interval if the device experiences a power outage.

Afterwards, the cooling appliancewould declare itself to the serverand report the temperature of the storage space. The cloud networkdetermines if:

By comparing time/up-time, changes in temperature, and differences between temperature and setpoint, the cooling appliancecan inform the user that the food in their cooling appliancecould be spoiled. Despite not having clear signs, this method can alert the user when getting back home such as thawed ice on the floor (i.e., ice tray that melted and drained on the floor), or smells of spoiled food. In one case, only the duration for which fridge/freezer had no power outage or the instance of power outage is communicated via the network. In other cases, both the offline duration and the quality of food are communicated via the cooling applianceaccording to the user preferences.

Referring next to, a graphical user interface (GUI) that alerts the user about temperature warningissued by the cooling applianceis shown. The GUI on the user deviceshows a notification from the cooling applianceabout the unsafe temperature. At section, the current connectivity status of the cooling applianceis shown, that is the cooling applianceis “connected” to the network. At section, the overall quality of food is described as “below average”. Note that this does not mean that every food item is at risk of getting spoiled, but rather indicates the overall quality of all the food items combined. At section, the detailed status of each food item can be seen. At section, the user can see the period for which there was a power outage and the cooling appliancewent offline. For example, the power outage period is shown to be five hours.

At section, the exact timestamp of the power outage (when the cooling appliancewent offline) is shown, i.e., 13.20 pm. At section, the initial temperature of the fridge/freezer is shown. The initial temperature is the temperature reported by the communication interfaceat which the cooling applianceshuts down. At section, the current temperature of the appliance is shown. The current temperature is the temperature of the fridge/freezer after recovering from the power outage or loss of signals. At section, the “reset temperature” option is provided. Using this feature, the user can increase or decrease the temperature of his fridge/freezer to meet his needs. For example, if the user is getting back home in 2 hours, he can lower the temperature of the fridge/freezer to get cooler beverages upon his return.

Referring next to, the GUI that alerts the user about quality of foodin the cooling applianceafter a power outage is shown. At section, the detailed status of food is given. Under the heading “detailed status of food”, the condition of each food item is represented through a pie chart. At section, the user can see that almost 63% of ice in the cooling appliancehas been thawed. At section, food items such as raw beef, yogurt, milk, eggs, and curry sauce are marked as red. At section, food items such as water, cola, frozen meat, ketchup, mayonnaise, and carrots are marked as green. Similarly in section, food items such as bread, oranges, garlic paste, and jam are marked as yellow. At section, there is a note for the user that says that items marked as red are spoiled and thus are harmful to consume. For food items marked yellow, caution must be taken before consuming as they might not be in perfect condition. Whereas food items that are marked green are healthy and perfect for use.

Other than informing the user about the quality of food, the data fromandcan be used to detect different problems of the cooling applianceas an embodiment. The cloud networkcan also provide recommendations to the user at the user devicefor such problems. For example, the temperature of the fridge/freezer can be regulated using the up-time. In other cases, the temperature of the fridge/freezer and time stamps can be evaluated to find a condensation problem in the cooling appliance. The cloud networkcan provide recommendations such as changing the rubber seal at the door of the cooling applianceor increasing/decreasing the temperature of the cooling applianceas the weather changes. If the cooling applianceis consuming large amounts of energy but not producing enough cooling, the cloud networkcan also predict that the coils might have gone dirty, or the fridge/freezer has been overloaded.

Moreover, the user can also get warnings such as the temperature of the cooling appliance, for x hours, can reach up to y maximum value as an embodiment. This can provide the user with a list of food items that can be harmed at that temperature. The user can regulate the temperature to fulfill his requirements without any setbacks.

Referring next to, a method of notifyingusers about the quality of food via the cooling applianceis shown. At block, the temperature sensorsof the cooling appliancetake temperature readings of the storage spacesand the food inside. The temperature sensorscontrol the cooling process by monitoring the temperature and then switching the compressor on and off. When the temperature sensorsenses that it's cold enough inside a refrigerator/freezer, it turns off the compressor. If it senses too much heat, it switches the compressor on and begins the cooling process again.

At block, the timer moduleupdates the timer relative to the boot-up of the cooling appliance. This results in the calculation of the up-time. The uptime is the time for which the cooling appliancehas a power supply available and is running smoothly. The up-time of the cooling appliancediffers from the normal time at the cloud network. The cloud networkcompares the up-time with the real-time and finds out for how long the fridge/freezer faced power outage. For example, say that the cooling appliancewent offline at 14:00 pm and then contacted back to the cloud networkwith an up-time of 2 hours. The cloud networkanalyzes that the real-time at this moment is 18:00 pm. This means 4 hours have passed since the last contact. By, the cooling appliancereports the up-time of 2 hours. This means that the cooling appliancewas out of power for approximately 2 hours.

At block, the cooling appliancecontacts with the cloud networkif it has regained connection or Wi-Fi. Otherwise, if the cooling appliancestill does not have connection or is facing connectivity issues, the cooling appliancekeeps on performing its usual routine.

At block, the cooling appliancecontacts with the cloud networkif it has recovered from a power outage. Otherwise, the cooling appliancesits idle and waits for a working power supply. Both the processes of blocksandare a part of the declaration process. The declaration process is either frequently triggered when the device comes online from a power outage or when it can establish a connection with the Wi-Fi.

At block, the cooling appliancesends data to the cloud networkat regular intervals as part of declaration process. The data is sent to the cloud networkby the communication interface. The communication interfacesends the temperature of the storage space, the up-time, and the connectivity status of the cooling appliance.

At block, the cloud networkprocesses the incoming data for determining the interruptions in the operation of the cooling appliance. The interruptions in operation of the cooling applianceinclude determining the time when the cooling appliancewent offline and the initial temperature of the fridge/freezer at that time. It further includes determining the duration of time for which the cooling applianceis suspected to have been offline due to power outage and, based on that information, determining the quality of the food.

At block, if the quality of food is not affected by the power outage, then the cooling appliancegoes back to its normal functioning. Otherwise, if the quality of food is affected by the power outage, then the cooling appliancenotifies its user.

At block, the user gets a notification consisting of a warning at its user device. The warning includes the temperature information and tells the overall quality of food stored in cooling appliance. Moreover, the detailed status of each food item is also provided to the user at the user device.

Referring next to, a flowchart of blockfor processing the data received at the cloud networkfrom the cooling applianceis shown. At block, the cloud networkreceives temperature readings from the temperature sensorsof the cooling appliance. These temperature readings include the internal temperature of each food storage space of the cooling appliance.

At block, the cloud networkreceives the up-time from the timer moduleof the cooling appliance. The up-time of the cooling applianceindicates the duration of time for which the fridge/freezer was running. At block, the cloud network retrieves the previous data of the cooling appliancefrom the server. The server contains databases of previous uptimes, and temperature readings of the cooling appliance.

At block, the cloud networkdetermines the cause of losing connection. Whenever the cloud networkreceives data from the cooling appliance, it knows that the cooling appliancehas either faced connectivity issues or a power outage. The cloud networkcompares the up-time of cooling appliancewith the real-time on the cloud. If both the times are matched, then this means that the cooling appliancehas been running smoothly and could not report back to the cloud networkjust because it has lost Wi-Fi.

At block, if the cloud networkdetermines that the cooling appliancefaced connectivity issues/lost Wi-Fi for some time, it reports to the serverat block. Otherwise, if the uptime of the cooling appliancedoes not match the real-time of the cloud that means there must be another issue.

At block, the cloud networkdetermines if the cooling appliancefaced power outage, and for how much time it has been offline. The cloud network compares the up-time of the cooling appliancewith the real-time of the cloud to find the duration of power outage. If there is no power outage detected, then the cloud networkrepeats the whole process.

At block, if the cooling appliancefaced a power outage, then the cloud network evaluates the quality of the food stored. The quality of food is evaluated by considering the duration for which the cooling appliancestayed offline. The serverhas a list of optimum temperatures entailed for each food item to be in healthy condition. This also considers the thermal mass, outside temperature, and other factors while making the decision.

Finally at block, the user is notified about the quality of food, the duration for which their fridge/freezer was offline, and the temperature readings at the user device. The user can regulate the temperature of the cooling appliancefrom the GUI at the user device.

Referring next to, a method of monitoringunsafe temperature of the cooling applianceas an embodiment is shown. This provides another way to implement the method of the present disclosure. At block, the timer moduleupdates the timer with time relative to the boot-up of the cooling appliance. At block, the cooling appliancewrites its up-time in a flash memory. The flash memory is also a part of the architecture of the cooling appliance.

At block, if there is no power outage, the cooling appliancekeeps on performing its normal routine. If not the process loops back to the block. At block, if there is a power outage for a long time, an alarm is set off at the cooling appliance. The alarm keeps on buzzing until it is reset again.

At block, the internal temperature and the up-time of the cooling applianceis reported to the cloud network. At the cloud network, the data is evaluated to find the cause of interruption in the operations of the cooling appliance. The relevant data of the cooling appliance is also stored at the serverof the cloud network.

At block, the cloud networkevaluates the quality of food. The quality of food represents the condition of food. Even if a food item has not yet spoiled, it can warn the user that at this temperature, their food can go stale.

Finally at block, the cooling appliancenotifies the user about the quality of food by sending an alert message/notification on the user device. The cloud network can also provide recommendations and detect problems with the cooling applianceusing this information.