Single point communication scheme for a transport refrigeration system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9649911-B2
Application number	US-201414897549-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 10, 2014
Priority date	Jun 10, 2013
Publication date	May 16, 2017
Grant date	May 16, 2017

Abstract

The embodiments described herein allow a user device to communicate with one or more components within a TRS via a single point communication scheme. That is, a single point access coordinator of a TRS can be configured to receive a message from a user device via a commercial grade communication link, process the message (e.g., determine which TRS component the message is intended for, determine whether the message is a proper message, unpack the message from a commercial grade communication protocol, repack the message into a rugged industrial grade communication protocol, etc.) and relay that message to one or more components of the TRS via a rugged industrial grade communication link within the TRS.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A transport refrigeration system (TRS) comprising:
a refrigeration circuit;
one or more TRS components connected via an industrial grade communication link; and
a single point access coordinator connected to the one or more TRS components via the industrial grade communication link and connected to the refrigeration circuit, wherein the single point access coordinator is configured to communicate with an external device via a commercial grade communication link and configured to relay a message from the external device to an intended TRS component of the one or more TRS components via the industrial grade communication link;
wherein the single point access coordinator is configured to:
receive a message packed in a communication grade communication protocol from the external device via the commercial grade communication link;
unpack the message from the communication grade communication protocol;
determine the intended TRS component of the one or more TRS components for the message;
repack the message in an industrial grade communication protocol; and
send the message to the intended TRS component of the one or more TRS components via the industrial grade communication link.

2. The TRS of claim 1 , wherein the single point access coordinator is a TRS controller configured to control operation of the refrigeration circuit.

3. The TRS of claim 1 , wherein the one or more TRS components includes at least one of a human-machine interface, a telematics unit, a wireless personal area network (WPAN), and a data logger.

4. The TRS of claim 1 , wherein the industrial grade communication link is at least one of a Jl 939 control area network (CAN) connection and a RS45 connection.

5. The TRS of claim 1 , wherein the commercial grade communication link is at least one of a universal serial bus (USB) communication link, a Wi-Fi data link, a Bluetooth data link and a Zigbee data link.

6. A method of communication for a transport refrigeration system (TRS), the method comprising:
a single point access coordinator of the TRS receiving a message from a device external the TRS via a commercial grade communication link;
processing the message for communication within the TRS; and
sending the message to an intended TRS component of the TRS via an industrial grade communication link;
wherein processing the message for communication within the TRS includes:
unpacking the message from a commercial grade communication protocol;
determining an intended TRS component of the TRS for receiving the message; and
packing the message into an industrial grade communication protocol.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising the single point access coordinator determining whether the message is a proper message; and
notifying the device that the message is improper when the single point access coordinator determines that the message is not a proper message.

8. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
the single point access coordinator waiting for a response from the intended TRS component via the industrial grade communication link after sending the message to the intended TRS component;
sending the response from the intended TRS component to the device via the commercial grade communication link.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising notifying the device that a response was not received when the response is not received by the single point access coordinator.

10. The method of claim 6 , wherein the single point access coordinator is a TRS controller, the TRS controller controlling operation of a refrigeration circuit of the TRS.

11. The method of claim 6 , wherein the intended TRS component is one of a human-machine interface, a telematics unit, a wireless personal area network (WPAN), and a data logger.

12. A single point communication system comprising:
a transport refrigeration system (TRS) including:
a refrigeration circuit,
one or more TRS components connected via an industrial grade communication link, and
a single point access coordinator connected to the one or more TRS components via the industrial grade communication link and connected to the refrigeration circuit;
a user device external to the TRS, the user device connected to the single point access coordinator via a commercial grade communication link,
wherein the single point access coordinator and the user device are configured to communicate via the commercial grade communication link, and
wherein the single point access coordinator is configured to relay a message from the user device to an intended TRS component of the one or more TRS components via the industrial grade communication link;
wherein the single point access coordinator is configured to:
receive a message packed in a communication grade communication protocol from the user device via the commercial grade communication link;
unpack the message from the communication grade communication protocol;
determine the intended TRS component of the one or more TRS components for the message;
repack the message in an industrial grade communication protocol; and
send the message to the intended TRS component of the one or more TRS components via the industrial grade communication link.

13. The single point communication system of claim 12 , wherein the single point access coordinator is a TRS controller configured to control operation of the refrigeration circuit.

14. The single point communication system of claim 12 , wherein the one or more TRS components includes at least one of a human-machine interface, a telematics unit, a wireless personal area network (WPAN), and a data logger.

15. The single point communication system of claim 12 , wherein the industrial grade communication link is at least one of a Jl 939 control area network (CAN) connection and a RS45 connection.

16. The single point communication system of claim 12 , wherein the commercial grade communication link is at least one of a universal serial bus (USB) communication link, a Wi-Fi data link, a Bluetooth data link and a Zigbee data link.

17. The single point communication system of claim 12 , wherein the user device is at least one of a personal computer, a smart phone, and a tablet computer.

Assignees

• Thermo King Corp

Inventors

• Abbott Philip Morgan
• Hoium Stanley O
• Longen Nathan Patrick

Classifications

• F25B2700/1931

  Discharge pressures · CPC title

• F25B2700/21152

  at the discharge side of the compressor · CPC title

• G06Q10/0833

  Tracking · CPC title

• F25B49/02

  for compression type machines, plants or systems · CPC title

• F25B2700/21151

  at the suction side of the compressor · CPC title