Digital control of ice making apparatus and output of operating status
AssigneeDometic Environmental Corporation
InventorKENDALL E. ALLEN
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The subject application relates to a remote control system and method for an ice maker machine. The system, for example, can monitor and regulate the operations of a plurality of ice maker components. An output display can also be employed in order to output relevant operating statuses to a user remotely or at a distance from the ice maker machine. The system can receive user input as well as sensor input and control the operation of the ice maker according to both types of input. As a result, a user can remotely determine failure modes and efficiently troubleshoot them as well as maintain an overall awareness of the operation status of the ice maker without physical interaction with the machine.
Claims20
A remote ice maker control system comprising:
- a plurality of ice maker components that cooperatively function as an ice maker machine;
- a plurality of at least one of sensors and switches corresponding to at least one of the plurality of ice maker components;
- a central processor that monitors and controls operations of the plurality of ice maker components using, at least in part, input from at least one of:
- at least one sensor or at least one switch;
- and
- an output display remotely located from at least a portion of the ice-maker components that presents one or more visual indicators based on at least one of sensor input and switch input to facilitate maintaining user awareness of the operations of the ice maker components at a distance from the ice maker machine.
A method that facilitates remote control of an ice maker machine comprising:
- monitoring a state of one or more ice maker components;
- detecting at least one state change;
- analyzing state change according to one or more set operational parameters to determine an occurrence of at least one failure mode;
- and
- remotely displaying at least one visual indicator corresponding to the at least one state change to facilitate maintaining user awareness of the ice maker machine at a distance from the machine.
A method that facilitates remote control of an ice maker machine comprising:
- monitoring ice maker component activity relative to corresponding operational parameters;
- receiving a change to at least one operational parameter;
- and
- determining effects to unchanged operational parameters.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.