Networked freezer stocking management
AssigneeSpinnaker Process Instruments
InventorsThomas H. Johnson, Carrol E. Johnson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system for an ice merchandiser having a compressor in a compressor enclosure to cool the ice merchandiser includes a sensor disposed within the ice merchandiser, and a communications component disposed within the compressor enclosure and coupled to the sensor to receive signals from the sensor representative of the amount of ice in the ice merchandiser, wherein the communications component is configured to convert the received signals to a digital format and publish the signals via a network connection.
Claims20
A system for an ice merchandiser having a compressor in a compressor enclosure to cool the ice merchandiser comprises:
- a sensor disposed within the ice merchandiser;
- and
- a communications component disposed within the compressor enclosure and coupled to the sensor to receive signals from the sensor representative of the amount of ice in the ice merchandiser, wherein the communications component is configured to convert the received signals to a digital format and publish the signals via a network connection.
A device comprising:
- a weight scale adapted to be placed in an ice merchandiser to substantially cover a desired portion of the floor corresponding to stacked bags of ice;
- and
- a system to receive signals from the weight scale representative of the weight of the ice bags, convert the signals to digital, and publish the signals via a network connection.
A method comprising:
- receiving image signals from a camera within an ice merchandiser;
- controlling the camera to obtain images of the inside of the ice merchandiser sufficient to determine if ice should be restocked;
- controlling a heater proximate the camera to remove condensation from a field of view of the camera;
- and
- publishing the images via a wireless network connection to facilitate remote monitoring of the ice merchandiser.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.