Fan control for electronic display assemblies

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12105370-B2
Application number	US-202318213709-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 23, 2023
Priority date	Mar 15, 2021
Publication date	Oct 1, 2024
Grant date	Oct 1, 2024

Abstract

A display assembly with condensation control includes an electronic display and airflow pathway located within the housing. At least one sensor is located along said airflow pathway. A controller in electronic communication determines a local dewpoint and an internal temperature for the display assembly based, at least in part, on data received from the at least one sensor, calculates a dewpoint spread between the dewpoint temperature and the internal temperature, and initiates modified operations where said dewpoint spread is less than a predetermined threshold.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A display assembly with condensation control comprising:
a housing;
an electronic display located within the housing;
an airflow pathway extending within the housing;
one or more sensors, at least some of which are located along said airflow pathway; and
a controller in electronic communication with said one or more sensors and comprising software instructions stored at one or more electronic storage devices, which when executed, configure one or more processors to:
determine a dewpoint temperature for air at the display assembly;
determine an internal temperature for the display assembly based, at least in part, on data received from said one or more sensors;
calculate a dewpoint spread between said dewpoint temperature and said internal temperature;
where said dewpoint spread is equal to or below a predetermined threshold, initiate modified operations; and
where said dewpoint spread is equal to or above a same or different predetermined threshold, cease modified operations.

2. The display assembly of claim 1 further comprising:
one or more fans located along said airflow pathway, wherein said modified operations comprise changing an operating speed for said one or more fans.

3. The display assembly of claim 2 wherein:
said modified operations comprise reducing the operating speed for said one or more fans.

4. The display assembly of claim 3 wherein:
said modified operations comprise setting the operating speed for said one or more fans to zero.

5. The display assembly of claim 2 further comprising:
an intake and an exhaust located at said housing and fluidly connected to an ambient environment, wherein said airflow pathway comprises an open loop airflow pathway extending between said intake and said exhaust for ambient air;
at least one closed airflow area; and
one or more additional fans located within the closed airflow area, wherein said modified operations comprise modifying an operating speed for said one or more additional fans.

6. The display assembly of claim 5 wherein:
said modified operations comprise reducing the operating speed for said one or more fans; and
said modified operations comprise increasing the operating speed for said one or more additional fans.

7. The display assembly of claim 1 wherein:
said electronic display comprises one or more illumination devices; and
said modified operations comprise increasing power supplied to the one or more illumination devices.

8. The display assembly of claim 7 wherein:
said electronic display comprises a liquid crystal display; and
the one or more illumination devices comprise light emitting diodes providing direct backlighting to the electronic display.

9. The display assembly of claim 1 further comprising:
an additional airflow pathway located within the housing and separated from the airflow pathway, wherein said airflow pathway is fluidly connected to an ambient environment, wherein at least some of the one or more sensors are located along the additional airflow pathway, and wherein the data received from said one or more sensors to determine the internal temperature for the display assembly is received from the at least some of the one or more sensors located along the additional airflow pathway.

10. The display assembly of claim 9 wherein:
the data received from the at least some of the one or more sensors located along the additional airflow pathway is used to determine the dewpoint temperature.

11. The display assembly of claim 1 further comprising:
additional software instructions stored at said one or more electronic storage devices, which when executed, configure said one or more processors to: if a predetermined maximum internal temperature threshold is met or exceeded, reduce a power supplied to a backlight for the electronic display.

12. The display assembly of claim 1 further comprising:
a closed loop airflow area for circulating gas within said housing;
a cover layer located forward of the electronic display; and
one or more gaskets provided to, at least in part, separate said closed loop airflow area from said airflow pathway and an ambient environment, wherein said one or more gaskets extend from an interior surface of the cover layer to a portion of the housing.

13. The display assembly of claim 12 wherein:
the closed loop airflow area comprises a loop which extends forward of the electronic display behind the cover layer and behind a rear surface of the electronic display.

14. The display assembly of claim 1 wherein:
said one or more sensors comprises temperature sensors located internal to the housing;
the controller is configured to utilize data from a first one of said one or more sensors to determine the dewpoint temperature; and
the controller is configured to utilize data from a lowest reporting one of said one or more sensors to determine the internal temperature.

15. The display assembly of claim 1 wherein:
at least one of the one or more sensors comprises a humidity sensor located internal to the housing; and
the controller is configured to receive data from said humidity sensor to determine the dewpoint temperature.

16. The display assembly of claim 1 wherein:
the controller is configured to utilize data from an internet-based weather reporting service to determine the dewpoint temperature.

17. The display assembly of claim 1 wherein:
said controller is configured to cease said modified operations where said dewpoint spread is equal to or above a second predetermined threshold;
said predetermined threshold is 2 degrees Celsius or less; and
said second predetermined threshold is 4 degrees Celsius or more.

18. A method for operating a display assembly to provide condensation control, said method comprising:
determining a local dewpoint temperature;
determining an internal temperature for the display assembly based, at least in part, on data received from one or more internal sensors of the display assembly;
calculating, at a controller of the display assembly, a dewpoint spread between said local dewpoint temperature and said internal temperature;
determining that said dewpoint spread is equal to or below a predetermined threshold and initiating modified operations comprising at least one of: reducing operating speed of a first fan located along a first airflow pathway open to an ambient environment, increasing operating speed of a second fan located along a second airflow pathway extending entirely within the display assembly, where the second airflow pathway is separated from the ambient environment and the first airflow pathway, and increasing a power level supplied to a backlight for an electronic display of the display assembly; and
determining that said dewpoint spread is equal to or above a same or different predetermined threshold and ceasing said initiating modified operations.

19. A method for operating a display assembly to provide condensation control, said method comprising:
determining, at a controller for the display assembly, a localized dewpoint temperature for internal air based, at least in part, on data received from at least one of multiple internal temperature sensors of the display assembly;
determining, at the controller, an internal air temperature for the display assembly based, at least in part, on data received from at least a same or different one of the multiple internal temperature sensors of the display assembly;
calculating, at the controller of the display assembly, a dewpoint spread between said l

Assignees

• Mri Inc

Inventors

• Dunn William
• Brown Mike
• Schuch John

Classifications

• H05K5/0212

  Condensation eliminators · CPC title

• G02F2201/36

  Airflow channels, e.g. constructional arrangements facilitating the flow of air · CPC title

• H05K7/20972

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

• G02F1/133385 Primary

  with cooling means, e.g. fans · CPC title

• G02F1/133311 Primary

  Environmental protection, e.g. against dust or humidity · CPC title