US20250305735A1

US20250305735A1 - Cloud monitored refrigerator temperature monitor

Info

Publication number: US20250305735A1
Application number: US18/623,913
Authority: US
Inventors: Michael Grant; Robert M. Bultman
Original assignee: Midea Group Co Ltd
Current assignee: Midea Group Co Ltd
Filing date: 2024-04-01
Publication date: 2025-10-02

Abstract

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 further sends a notification away from the cooling appliance about the quality of food after power interruptions for the cooling appliance.

Description

BACKGROUND

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 Salmonella, E. coli, and Listeria thrive 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.

SUMMARY

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.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present disclosure is described in conjunction with the appended figures:

FIG. 1 illustrates a front view of a cooling appliance coupled to a cloud network;

FIG. 2 illustrates components of the cooling appliance for monitoring unsafe temperatures via the cloud network;

FIG. 3 illustrates a graphical user interface (GUI) that alerts a user about temperature warning issued by the cooling appliance;

FIG. 4 illustrates the GUI that alerts the user about the quality of food in the cooling appliance after a power outage;

FIG. 5 illustrates a method of notifying the user about the quality of food via the cooling appliance;

FIG. 6 illustrates a flowchart of processing data received at the cloud network from the cooling appliance; and

FIG. 7 illustrates a method of monitoring the temperature of the cooling appliance as an embodiment.

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.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

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 FIG. 1 , a front view 100 of a cooling appliance 102 coupled to a cloud network 106 is shown. The cooling appliance 102 is 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 appliance 102 has a status indicator 104 mounted on the door. In this application, the terms “freezer”, “refrigerator”, “fridge”, and the “cooling appliance 102” 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 102. 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 appliance 102 only 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 indicator 104 that 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 network 106 includes a network 108, a server 110 (or a data center), and a user on a user-device 112. The network 108 is any Internet network connecting the cooling appliance 102 with the users at the user-device 112. The server 110 has a repository of previous uptimes and initial temperatures of the cooling appliance 102. The server 110 also has the record of connectivity status of the cooling appliance 102 and a list of optimum temperatures for each food item present in the cooling appliance 102.
Monitoring safe temperature via the cloud network 106 eradicates 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 appliance 102 and 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 FIG. 2 , components 200 of the cooling appliance 102 for monitoring unsafe temperature via the cloud network 106 are shown. The components 200 shows only a few components entailed for this method and does not represent other components of the refrigerator/freezer. The components 200 include a storage space 202, a temperature sensor 204, a power supply, a timer module 208, and a communication interface 210. The cooling appliance 102 can have multiple storage spaces, and multiple temperature sensors can be used, as shown in FIG. 2 . The number of storage spaces and temperature sensors in the refrigerator/freezer depends on the preferences of its manufacturing company.
The storage space 202 is used to contain food and the temperature of one storage space may vary from the other storage space in the cooling appliance 102. The temperature sensor 204 is used to measure a temperature inside the storage space 202. This temperature will then dictate the quality of food inside the storage space 202. The temperature sensors 204 typically consist of a small device with a probe that can be placed inside the storage space 202 or 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 SS3-105 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:

- Refrigerated storage (for perishable foods such as meats, dairy, and produce): 33° F. to 40° F. (0.5° C. to 4.4° C.)
- Freezer storage (for frozen foods): 0° F. (−18° C.)
- Walk-in refrigerators and freezers: 33° F. to 40° F. (0.5° C. to 4.4° C.) and 0° F. (−18° C.) respectively.
  It is noted that these are general guidelines and specific temperature ranges may vary depending on local regulations or the type of food being stored.

The power supply 206 provides power to the cooling appliance 102. The power supply 206 is connected to the timer module 208. The timer module 208 is used to update the timer module 208 with a time relative to the boot-up of the cooling appliance 102. In this application, the time relative to the boot-up of the cooling appliance 102 is called “uptime.” The uptime is the duration of time for which the cooling appliance 102 was on i.e., there was no power outage. When the power goes out, the timer module resets, and the uptime becomes zero.
The communication interface 210 reports the up-time and temperature of the storage space 202 to the network 108. The reporting or the declaration process by the communication interface 210 is carried out either at regular intervals or when the cooling appliance 102 recovers from a power outage or connectivity issues. The user can also define the reporting frequency by itself at the communication interface 210. The cloud network 106 determines interruptions in the operation of the cooling appliance 102 as a function of the report. The cloud network 106 notifies the user of the cooling appliance 102 about 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 appliance 102 comes online from a power outage or when it can establish a connection with the network 108 or Wi-Fi. The idea is that the cooling appliance 102 communicates its internal temperature at a frequent and regular interval if the device experiences a power outage.
Afterwards, the cooling appliance 102 would declare itself to the server 110 and report the temperature of the storage space 202. The cloud network 106 determines if:

- the fridge/freezer went offline,
- the duration of time the device is suspected to have been offline (due to suspected power outage), and
- the initial internal temperature of the fridge/freezer.
  All these data points, along with the thermal mass of the stored food, are then used to determine the quality of food.

By comparing time/up-time, changes in temperature, and differences between temperature and setpoint, the cooling appliance 102 can inform the user that the food in their cooling appliance 102 could 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 108. In other cases, both the offline duration and the quality of food are communicated via the cooling appliance 102 according to the user preferences.
Referring next to FIG. 3 , a graphical user interface (GUI) that alerts the user about temperature warning 300 issued by the cooling appliance 102 is shown. The GUI on the user device 112 shows a notification from the cooling appliance 102 about the unsafe temperature. At section 302, the current connectivity status of the cooling appliance 102 is shown, that is the cooling appliance 102 is “connected” to the network 108. At section 304, 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 306, the detailed status of each food item can be seen. At section 308, the user can see the period for which there was a power outage and the cooling appliance 102 went offline. For example, the power outage period is shown to be five hours.
At section 310, the exact timestamp of the power outage (when the cooling appliance 102 went offline) is shown, i.e., 13.20 pm. At section 312, the initial temperature of the fridge/freezer is shown. The initial temperature is the temperature reported by the communication interface 210 at which the cooling appliance 102 shuts down. At section 314, 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 316, 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 FIG. 4 , the GUI that alerts the user about quality of food 400 in the cooling appliance 102 after a power outage is shown. At section 306, 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 402, the user can see that almost 63% of ice in the cooling appliance 102 has been thawed. At section 404, food items such as raw beef, yogurt, milk, eggs, and curry sauce are marked as red. At section 406, food items such as water, cola, frozen meat, ketchup, mayonnaise, and carrots are marked as green. Similarly in section 408, food items such as bread, oranges, garlic paste, and jam are marked as yellow. At section 410, 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 from FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 can be used to detect different problems of the cooling appliance 102 as an embodiment. The cloud network 106 can also provide recommendations to the user at the user device 112 for 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 102. The cloud network 106 can provide recommendations such as changing the rubber seal at the door of the cooling appliance 102 or increasing/decreasing the temperature of the cooling appliance 102 as the weather changes. If the cooling appliance 102 is consuming large amounts of energy but not producing enough cooling, the cloud network 106 can 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 102, 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 FIG. 5 , a method of notifying 500 users about the quality of food via the cooling appliance 102 is shown. At block 502, the temperature sensors 204 of the cooling appliance 102 take temperature readings of the storage spaces 202 and the food inside. The temperature sensors 204 control the cooling process by monitoring the temperature and then switching the compressor on and off. When the temperature sensor 204 senses 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 504, the timer module 208 updates the timer relative to the boot-up of the cooling appliance 102. This results in the calculation of the up-time. The uptime is the time for which the cooling appliance 102 has a power supply available and is running smoothly. The up-time of the cooling appliance 102 differs from the normal time at the cloud network 106. The cloud network 106 compares 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 appliance 102 went offline at 14:00 pm and then contacted back to the cloud network 106 with an up-time of 2 hours. The cloud network 106 analyzes that the real-time at this moment is 18:00 pm. This means 4 hours have passed since the last contact. By, the cooling appliance 102 reports the up-time of 2 hours. This means that the cooling appliance 102 was out of power for approximately 2 hours.
At block 506, the cooling appliance 102 contacts with the cloud network 106 if it has regained connection or Wi-Fi. Otherwise, if the cooling appliance 102 still does not have connection or is facing connectivity issues, the cooling appliance 102 keeps on performing its usual routine.
At block 508, the cooling appliance 102 contacts with the cloud network 106 if it has recovered from a power outage. Otherwise, the cooling appliance 102 sits idle and waits for a working power supply. Both the processes of blocks 506 and 508 are 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 510, the cooling appliance 102 sends data to the cloud network 106 at regular intervals as part of declaration process. The data is sent to the cloud network 106 by the communication interface 210. The communication interface 210 sends the temperature of the storage space, the up-time, and the connectivity status of the cooling appliance 102.
At block 512, the cloud network 106 processes the incoming data for determining the interruptions in the operation of the cooling appliance 102. The interruptions in operation of the cooling appliance 102 include determining the time when the cooling appliance 102 went offline and the initial temperature of the fridge/freezer at that time. It further includes determining the duration of time for which the cooling appliance 102 is suspected to have been offline due to power outage and, based on that information, determining the quality of the food.
At block 514, if the quality of food is not affected by the power outage, then the cooling appliance 102 goes back to its normal functioning. Otherwise, if the quality of food is affected by the power outage, then the cooling appliance 102 notifies its user.
At block 516, the user gets a notification consisting of a warning at its user device 112. The warning includes the temperature information and tells the overall quality of food stored in cooling appliance 102. Moreover, the detailed status of each food item is also provided to the user at the user device 112.
Referring next to FIG. 6 , a flowchart of block 512 for processing the data received at the cloud network 106 from the cooling appliance 102 is shown. At block 602, the cloud network 106 receives temperature readings from the temperature sensors 204 of the cooling appliance 102. These temperature readings include the internal temperature of each food storage space of the cooling appliance 102.
At block 604, the cloud network 106 receives the up-time from the timer module 208 of the cooling appliance 102. The up-time of the cooling appliance 102 indicates the duration of time for which the fridge/freezer was running. At block 606, the cloud network retrieves the previous data of the cooling appliance 102 from the server 110. The server contains databases of previous uptimes, and temperature readings of the cooling appliance 102.
At block 608, the cloud network 106 determines the cause of losing connection. Whenever the cloud network 106 receives data from the cooling appliance, it knows that the cooling appliance 102 has either faced connectivity issues or a power outage. The cloud network 106 compares the up-time of cooling appliance 102 with the real-time on the cloud. If both the times are matched, then this means that the cooling appliance 102 has been running smoothly and could not report back to the cloud network 106 just because it has lost Wi-Fi.
At block 610, if the cloud network 106 determines that the cooling appliance 102 faced connectivity issues/lost Wi-Fi for some time, it reports to the server 110 at block 612. Otherwise, if the uptime of the cooling appliance 102 does not match the real-time of the cloud that means there must be another issue.
At block 614, the cloud network 106 determines if the cooling appliance 102 faced power outage, and for how much time it has been offline. The cloud network compares the up-time of the cooling appliance 102 with the real-time of the cloud to find the duration of power outage. If there is no power outage detected, then the cloud network 106 repeats the whole process.
At block 616, if the cooling appliance 102 faced 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 appliance 102 stayed offline. The server 110 has 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 618, 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 112. The user can regulate the temperature of the cooling appliance 102 from the GUI at the user device 112.
Referring next to FIG. 7 , a method of monitoring 700 unsafe temperature of the cooling appliance 102 as an embodiment is shown. This provides another way to implement the method of the present disclosure. At block 702, the timer module 208 updates the timer with time relative to the boot-up of the cooling appliance 102. At block 704, the cooling appliance 102 writes its up-time in a flash memory. The flash memory is also a part of the architecture of the cooling appliance 102.
At block 706, if there is no power outage, the cooling appliance 102 keeps on performing its normal routine. If not the process loops back to the block 702. At block 708, if there is a power outage for a long time, an alarm is set off at the cooling appliance 102. The alarm keeps on buzzing until it is reset again.
At block 710, the internal temperature and the up-time of the cooling appliance 012 is reported to the cloud network 106. At the cloud network 106, the data is evaluated to find the cause of interruption in the operations of the cooling appliance 102. The relevant data of the cooling appliance is also stored at the server 110 of the cloud network 106.
At block 712, the cloud network 106 evaluates 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 714, the cooling appliance 102 notifies the user about the quality of food by sending an alert message/notification on the user device 112. The cloud network can also provide recommendations and detect problems with the cooling appliance 102 using this information.
Using flash memory for writing uptime of the cooling appliance 102 is rather expensive. In other embodiments, the calculations and determination of interruptions in the operation of the cooling appliance 102 can be done locally. The cooling appliance 102 can compare its previous and current running times to detect a power outage. After determining the duration when the cooling appliance 102 was offline due to a power outage, the cloud network 106 can determine the quality of food. An alarm configured on the cooling appliance 102 can alert the user in case of longer power outages where the run time counter is reset.
In an event of power outage of say 8 hours where the fridge has enough battery to run a timer, the value from the timer can be used to determine the duration for which the cooling appliance 102 was offline. A memory at the cooling appliance 102 saves the value of uptime of the cooling appliance 102. When the power comes back, the timer is either dead or has a value that indicates the duration for which there was a power outage. In another embodiment, a small capacitor can be used with the microprocessor to store uptime of the cooling appliance 102 instead of a battery.
Specific details are given in the above description to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments. However, it is understood that the embodiments may be practiced without these specific details. For example, circuits may be shown in block diagrams in order not to obscure the embodiments in unnecessary detail. In other instances, well-known circuits, processes, algorithms, structures, and techniques may be shown without unnecessary detail to avoid obscuring the embodiments.
Implementation of the techniques, blocks, steps and means described above may be done in various ways. For example, these techniques, blocks, steps and means may be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination thereof. For a hardware implementation, the processing units may be implemented within one or more application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), digital signal processors (DSPs), digital signal processing devices (DSPDs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), processors, controllers, micro-controllers, microprocessors, other electronic units designed to perform the functions described above, and/or a combination thereof.
Also, it is noted that the embodiments may be described as a process that is depicted as a flowchart, a flow diagram, a swim diagram, a data flow diagram, a structure diagram, or a block diagram. Although a depiction may describe the operations as a sequential process, many of the operations can be performed in parallel or concurrently. In addition, the order of the operations may be re-arranged. A process is terminated when its operations are completed but could have additional steps not included in the figure. A process may correspond to a method, a function, a procedure, a subroutine, a subprogram, etc. When a process corresponds to a function, its termination corresponds to a return of the function to the calling function or the main function.
Furthermore, embodiments may be implemented by hardware, software, scripting languages, firmware, middleware, microcode, hardware description languages, and/or any combination thereof. When implemented in software, firmware, middleware, scripting language, and/or microcode, the program code or code segments to perform the necessary tasks may be stored in a machine-readable medium such as a storage medium. A code segment or machine-executable instruction may represent a procedure, a function, a subprogram, a program, a routine, a subroutine, a module, a software package, a script, a class, or any combination of instructions, data structures, and/or program statements. A code segment may be coupled to another code segment or a hardware circuit by passing and/or receiving information, data, arguments, parameters, and/or memory contents. Information, arguments, parameters, data, etc. may be passed, forwarded, or transmitted via any suitable means including memory sharing, message passing, token passing, network transmission, etc.
For a firmware and/or software implementation, the methodologies may be implemented with modules (e.g., procedures, functions, and so on) that perform the functions described herein. Any machine-readable medium tangibly embodying instructions may be used in implementing the methodologies described herein. For example, software codes may be stored in a memory. Memory may be implemented within the processor or external to the processor. As used herein the term “memory” refers to any type of long term, short term, volatile, nonvolatile, or other storage medium and is not to be limited to any particular type of memory or number of memories, or type of media upon which memory is stored.
Moreover, as disclosed herein, the term “storage medium” may represent one or more memories for storing data, including read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic RAM, core memory, magnetic disk storage mediums, optical storage mediums, flash memory devices and/or other machine-readable mediums for storing information. The term “machine-readable medium” includes but is not limited to portable or fixed storage devices, optical storage devices, and/or various other storage mediums capable of storing that contain or carry instruction(s) and/or data.
While the principles of the disclosure have been described above in connection with specific apparatuses and methods, it is to be clearly understood that this description is made only by way of example and not as a limitation on the scope of the disclosure.

Claims

We claim:

1. A cooling appliance coupled to a cloud network, the cooling appliance comprising:

a storage space to contain food;

a temperature sensor to detect a temperature of the storage space;

a timer module to update a timer with a time relative to boot-up of the cooling appliance; and

a communication interface to:

report the time and the temperature to the cloud network, wherein:

the cloud network determines interruptions in operation of the cooling appliance as a function of report, and

notify from the cooling appliance about a quality of food after power interruptions for the cooling appliance.

2. The cooling appliance coupled to the cloud network of claim 1, wherein the quality of food tells the user about a condition of food, which food has gone spoiled, and/or is at a risk of getting spoiled.

3. The cooling appliance coupled to the cloud network of claim 1, wherein the quality of food inside the cooling appliance is based on information collected from determining interruptions in operation of the cooling appliance.

4. The cooling appliance coupled to the cloud network of claim 1, wherein interruptions in operation of the cooling appliance comprises 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.

5. The cooling appliance coupled to the cloud network of claim 1, wherein the cloud network comprises a database of a plurality of up-times and a plurality of initial temperatures of the cooling appliance.

6. The cooling appliance coupled to the cloud network of claim 1, wherein the communication interface reports the time and the temperature to the cloud network at regular intervals.

7. The cooling appliance coupled to the cloud network of claim 1, wherein the time and the temperature are reported by the communication interface when:

the cooling appliance recovers from a power outage; and/or

the cooling appliance establishes a connection with the cloud network.

8. The cooling appliance coupled to the cloud network of claim 1, wherein the cloud network uses the time and the temperature to detect different problems of the cooling appliance and provide recommendations to the user.

9. The cooling appliance coupled to the cloud network of claim 1, wherein the cooling appliance further comprises:

a first temperature sensor to detect a first temperature of a first storage space; and

a second temperature sensor to detect a second temperature of a second storage space.

10. A method of monitoring unsafe temperatures of a cooling appliance coupled to a cloud network, the method comprising:

storing food in a storage space;

detecting a temperature of the storage space;

updating a timer module with a time relative to boot-up of the cooling appliance;

reporting the time and the temperature to the cloud network, wherein:

the cloud network determines interruptions in operation of the cooling appliance as a function of report; and

sending a notification away from the cooling appliance about a quality of food after power interruptions for the cooling appliance.

11. The method of monitoring unsafe temperatures of the cooling appliance of claim 10, wherein the quality of food tells the user about a condition of food, which food has gone spoiled, and/or is at a risk of getting spoiled.

12. The method of monitoring unsafe temperatures of the cooling appliance of claim 10, wherein the quality of food inside the cooling appliance is based on information collected from determining interruptions in operation of the cooling appliance.

13. The method of monitoring unsafe temperatures of the cooling appliance of claim 10, wherein interruptions in operation of the cooling appliance comprises determining:

when the cooling appliance went offline;

an initial temperature of the cooling appliance; and

14. The method of monitoring unsafe temperatures of the cooling appliance of claim 10, wherein the cloud network comprises a database of a plurality of up-times and a plurality of initial temperatures of the cooling appliance.

15. A computer-readable media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon that when executed by one or more processors, facilitates monitoring unsafe temperatures of a cooling appliance coupled to a cloud network, the computer-readable media comprises:

storing food in a storage space;

detecting a temperature of the storage space;

reporting the time and the temperature to the cloud network using a communication interface, wherein:

the cloud network determines interruptions in operation of the cooling appliance as a function of the report; and

16. The computer-readable media of claim 15, wherein the quality of food inside the cooling appliance is based on information collected from determining interruptions in operation of the cooling appliance.

17. The computer-readable media of claim 15, wherein interruptions in operation of the cooling appliance comprises determining:

when the cooling appliance went offline;

an initial temperature of the cooling appliance; and

18. The computer-readable media of claim 15, wherein a communication interface reports the time and the temperature to the cloud network at regular intervals.

19. The computer-readable media of claim 15, wherein the time and the temperature are reported by the communication interface when:

the cooling appliance recovers from a power outage; and/or

the cooling appliance establishes a connection with the cloud network.

20. The computer-readable media of claim 15, wherein the cloud network uses the time and the temperature to detect different problems of the cooling appliance and provide recommendations to the user.