Smart temperature-controlled beverage cupholder
A cupholder temperature control system including a pressure sensor for detecting an object within a cupholder, a temperature sensor for detecting a current object temperature of the object, an optical sensor for capturing an image of the object, a processor to perform an image recognition algorithm to detect at least one of a logo, a bar code and a quick response code on the object, to determine the object is a beverage container in response to a detection of the at least one of the logo, the bar code and the quick response code, to generate a control signal in response to the current object temperature differing from an ambient temperature by a threshold amount and the object being a beverage container, and a heat transfer system configured to maintain the current object temperature of the object in response to the control signal.
1 . A cupholder temperature control system comprising:
a sensor for detecting an object within a cupholder;
a temperature sensor for detecting a current object temperature of the object;
an optical sensor for detecting a quick response (QR) code on the object in response to a detection of the object within the cupholder;
a processor in operable communication with the sensor, the optical sensor, and the temperature sensor and configured to estimate a type of object and a contents of the object in response to the current object temperature and the QR code, retrieve a heating instruction in response to the contents of the object and generate a control signal in response to the current object temperature and the heating instruction; and
a heat transfer system in operable communication with the processor and configured to perform a heating function on the object in response to the control signal.
2 . The cupholder temperature control system of claim 1 , wherein the type of object includes at least one of a can and a cup.
3 . The cupholder temperature control system of claim 1 , wherein the heating instruction includes a temperature value associated with the contents of the object.
4 . The cupholder temperature control system of claim 1 wherein the wherein the contents of the object are estimated to be a coffee from a coffee shop and wherein the heating instruction includes a warming temperature associated with a coffee from the coffee shop.
5 . The cupholder temperature control system of claim 1 further including a pressure sensor and wherein the heat transfer system is activated in response an output of the pressure sensor corresponding to a weight of the object exceeding a threshold value.
6 . The cupholder temperature control system of claim 1 further including a pressure sensor situated within the cupholder and wherein a presence of the object is determined in response to a change in pressure detected by the pressure sensor.
7 . The cupholder temperature control system of claim 1 wherein an initial temperature setting of the heat transfer system is determined in response to the current object temperature.
8 . The cupholder temperature control system of claim 1 wherein an initial temperature setting of the heat transfer system is determined in response to a prior user defined temperature associated with the object.
9 . The cupholder temperature control system of claim 1 wherein the heat transfer system is activated in response to the current object temperature differing from an ambient temperature by a threshold temperature value.
10 . A method for controlling a cupholder temperature control system comprising:
detecting an object within a cupholder;
determining a current temperature of the object;
detecting, by an optical sensor, a quick response (QR) code on the object in response to a detection of the object within the cupholder;
estimating a type of object and a contents of the object in response to the current temperature of the object and the QR code;
retrieving a heating instruction in response to the contents of the object;
generating a control signal in response to the current temperature of the object and the heating instruction; and
activating a heat transfer system to perform a heating function on the object within the cupholder in response to the control signal.
11 . The method for controlling the cupholder temperature control system of claim 10 wherein the optical sensor is a camera and wherein a processor performs an image recognition algorithm to determine the object is the beverage container and wherein the type of object includes at least one of a can and a cup and wherein.
12 . The method for controlling the cupholder temperature control system of claim 10 wherein a determination that the object is the beverage container is performed in response to the current temperature of the object exceeding a threshold difference from an ambient temperature within a vehicle cabin.
13 . The method for controlling the cupholder temperature control system of claim 10 wherein a determination that the object is the beverage container is performed in response to the current temperature of the object exceeding a threshold difference from an ambient temperature outside of a vehicle including the cupholder.
14 . The method for controlling the cupholder temperature control system of claim 10 wherein the object is detected within the cupholder in response to a change in an output value of a pressure sensor situated within the cupholder.
15 . The method for controlling the cupholder temperature control system of claim 10 including generating a user interface in response to generating the control signal, receiving a user input corresponding to a temperature and controlling the heat transfer system in response to the temperature.
16 . The method for controlling the cupholder temperature control system of claim 10 including generating a user interface in response to generating the control signal, receiving a user input corresponding to a temperature, controlling the heat transfer system in response to the temperature and storing the temperature and an indication of the beverage container in a memory wherein the temperature is used as a default temperature for the heat transfer system in response to a detection of the beverage container within the cupholder.
17 . The method for controlling the cupholder temperature control system of claim 10 wherein the object is determined to be the beverage container in response to at least one of a logo, a bar code, and the quick response code on the beverage container.
18 . The method for controlling the cupholder temperature control system of claim 10 wherein the heating instruction includes a temperature value associated with the contents of the object and wherein the contents of the object are estimated to be a coffee from a coffee shop and wherein the heating instruction includes a warming temperature associated with a coffee from the coffee shop.
19 . A cupholder temperature control system comprising;
a pressure sensor for detecting an object within a cupholder;
a temperature sensor for detecting a current object temperature of the object;
an optical sensor for capturing an image of the object;
a processor in operable communication with the pressure sensor, the optical sensor, and the temperature sensor, the processor configured to perform an image recognition algorithm to detect a quick response (QR) code on the object, to determine the object is a beverage container in response to a detection of the quick response code, to estimate a contents of the object in response to the current object temperature and the QR code, retrieve a heating instruction in response to the contents of the object, to generate a control signal in response to the current object temperature differing from an ambient temperature by a threshold amount m the heating instructions, and the object being a beverage container; and
a heat transfer system in operable communication with the processor and configured to perform a heating function on the object to maintain the current object temperature of the object in response to the control signal.
20 . The cupholder temperature control system of claim 19 further including a user interface for providing an indication of an activation of the heat transfer system, for receiving a user input indicative of an alternate temperature and wherein the heat transfer system is further configured to operate at the alternate temperature in response to the user input.