Dynamic control of cooling device based on thermographic image analytics of cooling targets

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10323854-B2
Application number	US-201715493945-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 21, 2017
Priority date	Apr 21, 2017
Publication date	Jun 18, 2019
Grant date	Jun 18, 2019

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method comprises a controller receiving a thermographic image of an area to be cooled by one or more cooling devices; the controller identifying at least a first cooling target within the area to be cooled based on executing image analytics on the thermographic image, the first cooling target identified based on prioritizing hot zones on one or more identified objects in the thermographic image, and identifying among the prioritized hot zones the first cooling target as covering a first hot zone on a first identified object; and the controller generating and sending a cooling command to the one or more cooling devices for directed cooling of at least the first cooling target.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
a controller receiving a thermographic image of an area to be cooled by one or more cooling devices;
the controller identifying at least a first cooling target within the area to be cooled based on executing image analytics on the thermographic image, comprising identifying a plurality of identified objects based on executing pattern recognition on the thermographic image, identifying one or more ineligible objects from the identified objects that are ineligible for cooling regardless of a corresponding temperature of the one or more ineligible objects, identifying one or more eligible objects eligible for cooling, identifying the first cooling target based on prioritizing hot zones on one or more of the identified eligible objects in the thermographic image relative to a plurality of thermographic zones having respective temperature ranges, and identifying among the prioritized hot zones the first cooling target as covering a first hot zone on a first identified eligible object; and
the controller generating and sending a cooling command to the one or more cooling devices for directed cooling of at least the first cooling target.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving an updated thermographic image containing the first cooling target;
identifying one or more updated cooling targets based on updating execution of the image analytics on the updated thermographic image; and
the controller sending an updated cooling command to the one or more cooling devices based on the updated thermographic image, for changing from directed cooling of at least the first cooling target to directed cooling of the one or more updated cooling targets.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the identifying one or more updated cooling targets includes at least one of:
adjusting a prioritization of the first identified eligible object based on a corresponding updated first hot zone for the first identified eligible object obtained from the updated thermographic image; identifying a new cooling target based on identification of a second identified eligible object having a corresponding second hot zone; or
excluding the first identified eligible object from the one or more updated cooling targets based on identifying the updated first hot zone as cooler than the first hot zone and the second hot zone.

4. The method of claim 2 , further comprising generating a heat pattern graph for the area based on accumulating image analytics results on a plurality of the thermographic images over time, the heat pattern graph identifying heating trend patterns in the area relative to successive cooling commands generated and output by the controller.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the identifying includes identifying a second cooling target within the area to be cooled based on executing the image analytics, the second cooling target identified as a second hot zone on a second identified eligible object distinct from the first identified object;
the generating includes specifying in the cooling command instructions for causing a first of cooling devices to oscillate between the first cooling target and the second cooling target.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the generating includes setting an airflow cone angle based on an identified density and size of the first hot zone, the airflow cone angle causing the one or more cooling devices to adjust a generated airflow cone angle directed toward the first cooling target.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
the controller receiving power from a Power over Ethernet connection;
the controller receiving the thermographic image from a sensor via the Power over Ethernet connection; and
the controller supplying the cooling command to the one or more cooling devices via the Power over Ethernet connection.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the identifying includes identifying a first cold zone on the first identified eligible object;
the generating including specifying, in the cooling command, instructions for directed cooling of the first hot zone on the first identified eligible object and that avoids any cooling of the first cold zone on the first identified eligible object.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the identifying includes excluding, from the prioritizing of hot zones, any identified object that is determined to not require cooling.

10. An apparatus comprising:
a device interface circuit configured for receiving a thermographic image of an area to be cooled by one or more cooling devices; and
a processor circuit configured for identifying at least a first cooling target within the area to be cooled based on the processor circuit executing image analytics on the thermographic image, the processor circuit configured for identifying a plurality of identified objects based on executing pattern recognition on the thermographic image, the processor circuit further configured for identifying one or more ineligible objects from the identified objects that are ineligible for cooling regardless of a corresponding temperature of the one or more ineligible objects, identifying one or more eligible objects eligible for cooling, identifying the first cooling target based on prioritizing hot zones on one or more of the identified eligible objects in the thermographic image relative to a plurality of thermographic zones having respective temperature ranges, and identifying among the prioritized hot zones the first cooling target as covering a first hot zone on a first identified eligible object;
the processor circuit further configured for generating a cooling command that is output by the device interface circuit, the cooling command including instructions for the one or more cooling devices to implement directed cooling of at least the first cooling target.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein:
the device interface circuit is configured for receiving an updated thermographic image containing the first cooling target;
the processor circuit configured for identifying one or more updated cooling targets based on updating execution of the image analytics on the updated thermographic image; and
the processor circuit configured for generating an updated cooling command for the one or more cooling devices based on the updated thermographic image, the updated cooling command including instructions for changing from directed cooling of at least the first cooling target to directed cooling of the one or more updated cooling targets.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the processor circuit is configured for identifying one or more updated cooling targets based on at least one of:
adjusting a prioritization of the first identified eligible object based on a corresponding updated first hot zone for the first identified eligible object obtained from the updated thermographic image; identifying a new cooling target based on identification of a second identified eligible object having a corresponding second hot zone; or
excluding the first identified eligible object from the one or more updated cooling targets based on identifying the updated first hot zone as cooler than the first hot zone and the second hot zone.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the processor circuit configured for generating a heat pattern graph for the area based on accumulating image analytics results on a plurality of the thermographic images over time, the heat pattern graph identifying heating trend patterns in the area relative to successive cooling commands generated and output by the controller.

14. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein:
the processor circuit is c

Assignees

• Cisco Tech Inc

Inventors

• Byers Charles Calvin

Classifications

• F24F11/65

  for selecting an operating mode · CPC title

• G05D23/1917

  using digital means · CPC title

• G01J2005/0081

  Physics · mapped topic

• G01J5/0025 Primary

  Living bodies (ear thermometers G01J5/0011; detecting, measuring or recording for diagnostic purposes A61B5/00) · CPC title

• F24F11/62

  characterised by the type of control or by internal processing, e.g. using fuzzy logic, adaptive control or estimation of values · CPC title