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US 12,477,683 B2Granted
Fan control for electronic display assemblies
AssigneeManufacturing Resources International, Inc.
InventorsWilliam Dunn, Mike Brown, John Schuch
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Display assemblies with enhanced fan control are disclosed. An electronic display is located within a housing. A controller receives readings from sensors located at an airflow pathway extending within the housing and determines which of the readings is, relatively, furthest from a predetermined, associated parameter. The controller drives fans located at the airflow pathway based on the relatively furthest one of the readings in accordance with a control scheme including reading-dependent, preprogrammed operating parameters for the fans.
Claims19
A display assembly with enhanced fan control, said display assembly comprising:
- a housing;
- an electronic display located within the housing;
- an airflow pathway extending within the housing;
- fans located at said airflow pathway;
- sensors located at said airflow pathway, said sensors comprising temperature sensors and a humidity sensor;
- and
- a controller in electronic connection with said one or more sensors and said one or more fans, said controller comprising one or more electronic storage devices comprising software instructions, which when executed, configure one or more processors to, on an ongoing basis:
- receive a reading from each of said sensors;
- determine which of the readings is, relatively, furthest deviated, in a predetermined fashion, from a predetermined, associated parameter, including temperature parameters for the temperature sensors and a humidity parameter for the humidity sensor;
- identify, from the common control scheme, a respective operating parameter for said fans associated with the relatively, furthest deviated one of said readings;
- and
- drive said fans in accordance with said respective operating parameter.
9 more elements
A display assembly with enhanced fan control, said display assembly comprising:
- a housing comprising an intake and an exhaust, each open to an ambient environment;
- an electronic display layer located within the housing;
- a cover positioned forward of said electronic display layer;
- an illumination device positioned rearward of the electronic display layer to illuminate the electronic display layer when powered;
- a first airflow pathway extending within the housing between said intake and said exhaust to form an open airflow pathway;
- a second airflow pathway extending entirely within said housing to form a closed, continuous airflow pathway;
- fans comprising a first set of one or more fans located at said first airflow pathway and a second set of one or more fans located at said second airflow pathway;
- sensors comprising a first set of one or more temperature sensors located at said first airflow pathway, a second set of one or more temperature sensors located at said second airflow pathway, and a set of one or more humidity sensors located at said first airflow pathway;
- and
- a controller in electronic connection with said sensors and said fans, said controller comprising one or more electronic storage devices comprising software instructions, which when executed, configure one or more processors to:
- establish zones within said display assembly, including at least a first zone located at the first airflow pathway and a second zone located at the second airflow pathway, wherein at least one of said first set of one or more temperature sensors and at least one of said first set of one or more fans is located within the first zone and at least one of the second set of one or more temperature sensors and at least one of said second set of one or more fans is located within the second zone;
- establish an acceptable operating parameter for data received from each of said sensors, wherein said operating parameters are different between said zones, the acceptable operating parameters comprising temperature thresholds;
- establish a common control scheme for each of said fans, wherein said common control scheme comprises fan speed levels which vary relative to a difference between a reading from a respective subset of one or more of said sensors and a respective one of the operating parameters associated with the respective subset of one or more of said sensors in a positively correlated fashion, and wherein said fan speed levels of said common control scheme are different between said zones;
- and
- on an ongoing basis for each of said zones on a zone-by-zone basis:
- receive the readings from said sensors;
- determine which of said readings is, relatively, furthest deviated above the associated operating parameter for the respective sensor;
- identify a respective one of the fan speed levels for the respective zone of said common control scheme associated with the relatively furthest deviated one of said readings;
- and
- drive said fans of the respective zone at the respective fan speed level.
17 more elements
A display assembly with enhanced fan control, said display assembly comprising:
- a housing;
- an electronic display located within the housing;
- one or more airflow pathways extending, at least in part, within said housing;
- fans located at each of said one or more airflow pathways;
- sensors located at each of said one or more airflow pathways, said sensors comprising multiple temperature sensors and at least one humidity sensor;
- and
- a controller in electronic connection with said sensors and said fans, said controller comprising one or more electronic storage devices comprising software instructions, which when executed, configure one or more processors to:
- establish acceptable operating thresholds for said sensors;
- establish a common control scheme for said fans comprising sensor-reading-specific fan operating levels for said fans;
- and
- on an ongoing basis:
- receive the readings from said sensors;
- determine which of said readings is, relatively, furthest deviated from the acceptable operating parameter(s) associated with the respective sensor;
- identify a respective one of the fan operating levels associated with the relatively furthest deviated one of the readings;
- and
- drive said fans at the respective one of the fan operating levels.
13 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.