Patent ID: 8833093
Filing Date: 2014-09-16
Classification: F25C,F25D,G05D

Abstract:
1. A method of controlling temperature in a compartment of a refrigerator, the compartment being cooled by a temperature control circuit cycled by a controller in accordance with a predetermined thermodynamic cycle, the method comprising the steps of: determining by the controller a variable parameter of the compartment, the variable parameter being a rate of temperature change in the compartment; comparing the variable parameter with a threshold, the threshold being a rate of temperature change in the compartment characteristic of a substantially empty compartment, and a first condition wherein the variable parameter is less than the threshold, determining by the controller that a fill level of the compartment does not indicate a substantially empty compartment, and a second condition wherein the variable parameter substantially matches the threshold, determining by the controller that the fill level of the compartment indicates a substantially empty compartment; receiving at the controller a request to at least one of deactivate or turn off cooling of the compartment; responsive to receiving the request when the determined fill level indicates a substantially empty compartment, terminating by the controller cycling of the temperature control circuit; and responsive to receiving the request when the determined fill level does not indicate a substantially empty compartment, continuing by the controller cycling of the temperature control circuit by activating and deactivating the temperature control circuit in accordance with the predetermined thermodynamic cycle.