Patent ID: 7286907
Filing Date: 2007-10-23
Classification: F25B,F25D,G07F,Y02B

Abstract:
1. A refrigerated appliance for dispensing items and for use with a power source, said refrigerated appliance comprising: a cooling system; power control circuitry that selectively provides electrical coupling of at least one component of said cooling system to said power source; an audio signal detector for generating at least one dispensing event signal that represents the occurrence of one or more sound-based dispensing events; and a controller, operably coupled to said power control circuitry and said audio signal detector, that is adapted to control said power control circuitry in at least one power-conserving mode of operation and/or in a normal-operation mode, said controller automatically transitioning between said at least one power-conserving mode and said normal-operation mode based on said at least one dispensing event signal supplied to said controller by said audio signal detector.