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EP-4003766-B1 - TRAILER COMPARTMENT TRANSPORTATION REFRIGERATION UNIT OPERATION VISUALIZATION

EP4003766B1EP 4003766 B1EP4003766 B1EP 4003766B1EP-4003766-B1

Inventors

  • MCDONALD, PATRICK
  • HANNON, JOHN F.
  • FRAGNITO, MARK
  • CHAMPAGNE, DEBORAH A.
  • PHAN, Thaison
  • SHUART, Ken
  • MCLEISH, Vohn

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20200727

Claims (15)

  1. A transport refrigeration system (200) comprising: a refrigerated cargo space (119) subdivided into a plurality of compartments (121A-121C) comprising a first compartment (121A) and a second compartment (121B); a transportation refrigeration unit (22) configured to provide conditioned air to each of the plurality of compartments; a controller (30) configured for controlling the operation of the transportation refrigeration system (200), including the operation of various components of the transportation refrigeration unit (22) to provide and maintain a desired thermal environment within the refrigerated cargo space; a display (410) in electronic communication with the controller (30), and configured to generate a graphical user interface (412) comprising a plurality of graphical user interface sections (422A-422C), wherein the plurality of graphical user interface sections comprises a first graphical user interface section (422A) associated with the first compartment and a second graphical user interface section (422B) associated with the second compartment; and an input device (408) associated with the display (410), wherein the controller (30) is in electronic communication with the input device (408), wherein the first graphical user interface section displays operating parameters (424A) for the first compartment, wherein the second graphical user interface section displays operating parameters (424B) for the second compartment ; characterized in that the first graphical user interface section displays a compartment icon (428) illustrating a current compartment layout of the plurality of compartments and identifies the first compartment, wherein the second graphical user interface section (422B) displays a second compartment icon (428) illustrating a current compartment layout of the plurality of compartments and identifies the second compartment, wherein the current compartment layout of the plurality of compartments includes the number and arrangement of the compartments, wherein the compartment layout of the plurality of compartments (121A-121C) is obtained via automatic detection by the controller (30) and/or a user input entered manually by a user via the input device (408).
  2. The transport refrigeration system (200) of claim 1, wherein the operating parameters (424A) include at least one of a temperature within the first compartment and a set point for the first compartment.
  3. The transport refrigeration system of claim 1 or 2, wherein the first compartment is identified by the first graphical user interface by shading the first compartment within the current compartment layout of the graphical user interface.
  4. The transport refrigeration system (200) of any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the second graphical user interface section (422B) is displayed simultaneously with the first graphical user interface section (422A).
  5. The transport refrigeration system of any of claims 1 to 4, wherein the graphical user interface (412) scrolls between the first graphical user interface section (422A) and the second graphical user interface section (422B).
  6. A method (600) of monitoring operating parameters of a refrigerated cargo space (119) within a transport refrigeration system (200), the method comprising: obtaining (604), via automatic detection and/or a user input entered manually by a user, a compartment layout of the refrigerated cargo space, the refrigerated cargo space being subdivided into a plurality of compartments (121A-121C) comprising a first compartment (121A) and a second compartment (121B); detecting (606) operating parameters (424A) of the first compartment; generating (608) a graphical user interface (412) on a display device (410), the graphical user interface comprising a plurality of graphical user interface sections (422A-422C), wherein the plurality of graphical user interface sections comprises a first graphical user interface section (422A) associated with the first compartment and a second graphical user interface section (422B) associated with the second compartment; displaying (610) the operating parameters of the first compartment via the graphical user interface within the first graphical user interface section; and displaying (612) a compartment icon (428) within the first graphical user interface section, the compartment icon illustrating a current compartment layout of the plurality of compartments and identifying the first compartment; displaying an operating parameter (424B) of the second compartment via the graphical user interface (412) within the second graphical user interface section; and displaying a second compartment icon (428) within the second graphical user interface section, the second compartment icon illustrating a current compartment layout of the plurality of compartments and identifying the second compartment, wherein the current compartment layout of the plurality of compartments includes the number and arrangement of the compartments.
  7. The method (600) of claim 6, further comprising: providing conditioned air to at least one of the plurality of compartments (121A-121C).
  8. The method of claim 6 or 7, further comprising: providing conditioned air to the plurality of compartments.
  9. The method (600) of any of claims 6 to 8, wherein the operating parameters (424A) include at least one of a temperature within the first compartment (121A) and a set point for the first compartment.
  10. The method of any of claims 6 to 9, wherein the first compartment is identified by the first graphical user interface by shading the first compartment within the current compartment layout of the graphical user interface.
  11. The method (600) of any of claims 6 to 10, further comprising: displaying the second graphical user interface section (422B) simultaneously with the first graphical user interface section (422A).
  12. The method of any of claims 6 to 10, further comprising: displaying the second graphical user interface section (422B) and the first graphical user interface section (422A) separately, wherein the graphical user interface (412) scrolls between the first graphical user interface section and the second graphical user interface section.
  13. A computer program product embodied on a non-transitory computer readable medium, the computer program product including instructions to cause the transport refrigeration system of any of claims 1 to 5 to perform operations comprising: obtaining, via automatic detection and/or a user input entered manually by a user, a compartment layout of a refrigerated cargo space (119), the refrigerated cargo space being subdivided into a plurality of compartments (121A-121C) comprising a first compartment (121A) and a second compartment (121B); detecting operating parameters (424A) of the first compartment; generating a graphical user interface (412) on a display device (410), the graphical user interface being sub-divided into a plurality of graphical user interface sections (422A-422C), wherein the plurality of graphical user interface sections comprises a first graphical user interface section (422A) associated with the first compartment and a second graphical user interface section (422B) associated with the second compartment; displaying an operating parameter (424A) of the first compartment via the graphical user interface within the first graphical user interface section; and displaying a compartment icon (428) within the first graphical user interface section, the compartment icon illustrating a current compartment layout of the plurality of compartments and identifying the first compartment, displaying an operating parameter (424B) of the second compartment via the graphical user interface within the second graphical user interface section, and displaying a second compartment icon within the second graphical user interface section, the second compartment icon illustrating a current compartment layout of the plurality of compartments and identifying the second compartment, wherein the current compartment layout of the plurality of compartments includes the number and arrangement of the compartments.
  14. The computer program product of claim 13, further including instructions that, when executed by the transport refrigeration system of any of claims 1 to 5, cause the transport refrigeration system to perform operations comprising: providing conditioned air to at least one of the plurality of compartments (121A-121C).
  15. The computer program product of claim 13 or 14, further including instructions that, when executed by the transport refrigeration system of any of claims 1 to 5, cause the transport refrigeration system to perform operations comprising: providing conditioned air to the plurality of compartments (121A-121C).

Description

BACKGROUND The embodiments herein generally relate to transport refrigeration systems and more specifically, the monitoring the refrigerated cargo space of refrigerated transport refrigeration systems. Typically, cold chain distribution systems are used to transport and distribute cargo, or more specifically perishable goods and environmentally sensitive goods (herein referred to as perishable goods) that may be susceptible to temperature, humidity, and other environmental factors. Perishable goods may include but are not limited to fruits, vegetables, grains, beans, nuts, eggs, dairy, seed, flowers, meat, poultry, fish, ice, and pharmaceuticals. Advantageously, cold chain distribution systems allow perishable goods to be effectively transported and distributed without damage or other undesirable effects. Refrigerated vehicles and trailers are commonly used to transport perishable goods in a cold chain distribution system. A transport refrigeration system is mounted to the vehicles or to the trailer in operative association with a cargo space defined within the vehicles or trailer for maintaining a controlled temperature environment within the cargo space. Conventionally, transport refrigeration systems used in connection with refrigerated vehicles and refrigerated trailers include a transportation refrigeration unit having a refrigerant compressor, a condenser with one or more associated condenser fans, an expansion device, and an evaporator with one or more associated evaporator fans, which are connected via appropriate refrigerant lines in a closed refrigerant flow circuit. Air or an air/ gas mixture is drawn from the interior volume of the cargo space by means of the evaporator fan(s) associated with the evaporator, passed through the airside of the evaporator in heat exchange relationship with refrigerant whereby the refrigerant absorbs heat from the air, thereby cooling the air. The cooled air is then supplied back to the cargo space. On commercially available transport refrigeration systems used in connection with refrigerated vehicles and refrigerated trailers, the compressor, and typically other components of the transportation refrigeration unit, must be powered during transit by a prime mover. In mechanically driven transport refrigeration systems the compressor is driven by the prime mover, either through a direct mechanical coupling or a belt drive, and other components, such as the condenser and evaporator fans are belt driven. Transport refrigeration systems may also be electrically driven. In an electrically driven transport refrigeration system, a prime mover carried on and considered part of the transport refrigeration system, drives an alternating (AC) synchronous generator that generates AC power. The generated AC power is used to power an electric motor for driving the refrigerant compressor of the transportation refrigeration unit and also powering electric AC fan motors for driving the condenser and evaporator motors and electric heaters associated with the evaporator. A more efficient method to power the electric motor is desired to reduce fuel usage. According to US2017261255, it is known to provide a control unit for a transport refrigeration device comprising a multi-color display for displaying at least one view including at least one graphical element, a memory storing two or more color settings for the multi-color display, wherein the color settings define illumination colors of the multi-color display, and a processing unit operatively coupled with the multi-color display and the memory to cause applying a color setting to the multi-color display of the transport refrigeration device, and displaying the view using the applied color setting, wherein the at least graphical element is illuminated in a color defined by the applied color setting. According to JP2014152981, it is known to provide a freezing car management system which conducts communication between a freezing car including a hybrid system and an exterior center and includes: a refrigeration machine which cools a refrigerating room of the freezing car; a refrigeration machine control unit; a hybrid control unit; and a vehicle control unit for controlling a vehicle internal system; and a wireless communication device. The freezing car management system wirelessly transmits information to be reported to the center, from among failure information, from the wireless communication device to the center while enabling the information to be classified as information regarding the hybrid system, information regarding the refrigeration machine, or information regarding to the vehicle internal system. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to an aspect, a transport refrigeration system according to claim 1 is provided. According to an aspect, a method of monitoring operating parameters of a refrigerated cargo space within a transport refrigeration system according to claim 6 is provided. According to an aspect, a computer program p