System and method for detecting gas recirculation or airway occlusion

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11293908-B2
Application number	US-202016984739-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 4, 2020
Priority date	Jun 14, 2018
Publication date	Apr 5, 2022
Grant date	Apr 5, 2022

Abstract

A display assembly which detects abnormal operating conditions, such as gas recirculation or airway occlusion, is provided. An electronic display is located within a housing. An airflow pathway travels through the housing and is configured to accept, circulate, and exhaust air by way of one or more fans. One or more sensors measure characteristics of the air. Weather conditions for a location of the display assembly are gathered, measurements from the sensors are received, and a determination is made as to whether the measurements of the ingested air are within a margin of error expected measurements derived from the gathered weather conditions. An alert is generated if the measurements of the ingested air are not within the margin of error.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A display assembly for detecting abnormal operating conditions, said display assembly comprising:
a housing;
an electronic display located within said housing;
an airflow pathway through said housing;
one or more fans placed along said airflow pathway and configured to ingest air into said airflow pathway, circulate said ingested air through at least a portion of said housing, and exhaust said ingested air when activated;
one or more sensors for measuring characteristics of the ingested air in the airflow pathway;
one or more processors in electronic communication with said one or more sensors; and
one or more electronic storage devices in electronic communication with said one or more processors and comprising software instructions, which when executed, configure said one or more processors to:
gather weather conditions for a location of the display assembly;
receive measurements from the one or more sensors regarding characteristics of the ingested air;
determine if the measurements are within a margin of error of expected measurements from the gathered weather conditions; and
generate an alert if the measurements of the ingested air are not within the margin of error.

2. The display assembly of claim 1 wherein:
said electronic display comprises a liquid crystal display; and
said electronic display comprises a backlight provided in a direct backlighting arrangement for said liquid crystal display.

3. The display assembly of claim 2 wherein:
said airflow pathway extends along a rear surface of the backlight.

4. The display assembly of claim 1 wherein:
said abnormal operating conditions comprise gas recirculation or airflow occlusion.

5. The display assembly of claim 1 further comprising:
an intake in said housing forming part of said airflow pathway; and
an exhaust in said housing forming part of said airflow pathway.

6. The display assembly of claim 1 further comprising:
a closed loop pathway through said housing configured to circulate circulating gas through at least a second portion of said housing.

7. The display assembly of claim 1 further comprising:
a network interface device configured to place said one or more processors in electronic communication with a communications network.

8. The display assembly of claim 1 further comprising:
a location detection device in electronic communication with said one or more processors and configured to determine the location of the display assembly.

9. The display assembly of claim 1 wherein:
the one or more sensors are configured to measure at least the temperature of the ingested air; and
the gathered weather conditions comprise ambient air temperature.

10. The display assembly of claim 9 wherein:
said one or more electronic storage device comprises additional executable software instructions, which when executed, configure said one or more processors to determine said margin of error by analyzing historical differences between said gathered ambient air temperatures and said measured ambient air temperatures.

11. The display assembly of claim 1 wherein:
said one or more electronic storage device comprises additional executable software instructions, which when executed, configure said one or more processors to determine a rate of change in the measurements of the ingested air and a rate of change of the gathered weather conditions; and
said margin of error comprises a rate of change.

12. The display assembly of claim 1 wherein:
the margin of error is relatively greater during sunrise and sunset hours; and
the margin of error is relatively smaller during daytime and nighttime hours.

13. The display assembly of claim 1 wherein:
said one or more electronic storage device comprises additional executable software instructions, which when executed, configure said one or more processors to decrease power supplied to a backlight of the electronic display upon determining that the measurements are outside of the margin of error.

14. The display assembly of claim 1 wherein:
said one or more electronic storage device comprises additional executable software instructions, which when executed, configure said one or more processors to increase the speed of one or more fans upon determining that the measurements are outside of the margin of error.

15. The display assembly of claim 1 wherein:
said one or more electronic storage device comprises additional executable software instructions, which when executed, configure said one or more processors to automatically generate a request service by a technician upon determining that the measurements are outside of the margin of error.

16. A method for detecting abnormal operating conditions in a display assembly, said method comprising the steps of:
displaying one or more images at an electronic display within a housing;
gathering, by way of a network interface device for the display assembly, weather conditions data for a location;
ingesting ambient air into an open loop pathway, wherein said open loop pathway extends through a portion of said housing;
measuring, by way of one or more sensors, characteristics of the ingested ambient air in the open loop pathway;
determining that the characteristics of the ingested ambient air are not within a margin of error of expected measurements derived from the gathered weather conditions;
generating an alert indicating said abnormal operating conditions; and
transmitting, by way of the network interface device, said alert to at least one remote electronic device.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising the steps of:
generating a request for service of said display assembly; and
transmitting, by way of the network interface device, said request for service to at least one other remote electronic device.

18. The method of claim 16 further comprising the steps of:
decreasing a brightness level of a backlight for said electronic display; or
increasing a speed level for one of more fans within said open loop pathway.

19. The method of claim 16 wherein:
said characteristics comprise a temperature of the ambient air; and
said abnormal operating conditions comprise gas recirculation or airway occlusion.

Assignees

• Mri Inc

Inventors

• Dunn William
• Schuch John

Classifications

• G01N33/0063 Primary

  using a threshold to release an alarm or displaying means · CPC title

• G08B17/10

  Actuation by presence of smoke or gases {, e.g. automatic alarm devices for analysing flowing fluid materials by the use of optical means} · CPC title

• H05K7/20972

  Forced ventilation, e.g. on heat dissipaters coupled to components · CPC title