IP Library Granted Patent US 10,951,751
Granted Patent B2
US 10,951,751 · App. 16/193,235 · Granted Mar 16, 2021

Mobile application for controlling outdoor grill

Inventor: Michael Virgil Colston (Salt Lake City, UT)
Assignee: Traeger Pellet Grills, LLC
H04M1/72533A47J36/321G08C17/02H04L67/125H04Q9/00H04W4/80H04W68/005G08C2201/30G08C2201/42G08C2201/93
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,951,751
App. No.
16/193,235
Granted
Mar 16, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

Embodiments are directed to controlling an electronically-controlled appliance using a software application and providing a user interface for controlling an electronically-controlled appliance. In one scenario, a computer system receives an indication from a remote computing system indicating that an electronically-controlled appliance is communicably connected to the remote computing system. The computer system provides a notification in the software application indicating that the electronically-controlled appliance is available to receive instructions, and receives a user input at the software application indicating that certain functions are to be performed by the electronically-controlled appliance. The computer system further generates instructions configured to control the electronically-controlled appliance based on the functions specified in the received user input, and sends the generated instructions to the electronically-controlled appliance to perform the specified functions. These functions are then interpreted and carried out on the electronically-controlled appliance via the hardware controller.

Claims (59)

1. A cloud computing system for communicating with and controlling operation of an electronically-controlled wood-pellet grill, the cloud computing system comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more computer-readable media having stored thereon executable instructions that when executed by the one or more processors configure the cloud computing system to perform at least the following:

while the electronically-controlled wood-pellet grill is unignited, receive an ignition command from a remote device via a software application, wherein the ignition command is configured to cause the electronically-controlled wood-pellet grill to ignite wood-pellets within the electronically-controlled wood-pellet grill;

receive an indication of a current location associated with the remote device;

determine that the ignition command is not permissible based upon a current location of the remote device; and

prevent the electronically-controlled wood-pellet grill from igniting the wood-pellets within the electronically-controlled wood-pellet grill based upon the current location of the remote device, wherein the cloud computing system is in direct communication with the electronically-controlled wood-pellet grill.

2. The cloud computing system of claim 1 , wherein the executable instructions include instructions that are executable to configure the cloud computing system to:

receive, at the cloud computing system, a sensor reading from the electronically-controlled wood-pellet grill.

3. The cloud computing system of claim 2 , wherein the executable instructions include instructions that are executable to configure the cloud computing system to:

receive the sensor reading in the form of an ambient temperature reading from the electronically-controlled wood-pellet grill; and

communicate the ambient temperature reading from the electronically-controlled wood-pellet grill to the remote device.

4. The cloud computing system of claim 2 , wherein the executable instructions include instructions that are executable to configure the cloud computing system to:

receive the sensor reading in the form of a food-probe temperature reading from the electronically-controlled wood-pellet grill; and

communicate the food-probe temperature reading from the electronically-controlled wood-pellet grill to the remote device.

5. The cloud computing system of claim 2 , wherein the executable instructions include instructions that are executable to configure the cloud computing system to:

receive from the remote device a command to increase a temperature within the electronically-controlled wood-pellet grill; and

communicate to the electronically-controlled wood-pellet grill a temperature command configured to cause the electronically-controlled wood-pellet grill to add fuel to a combustion area within the electronically-controlled wood-pellet grill.

6. The cloud computing system of claim 5 , wherein the executable instructions include instructions that are executable to configure the cloud computing system to:

receive from the remote device a command to decrease a temperature within the electronically-controlled wood-pellet grill; and

communicate to the electronically-controlled wood-pellet grill a temperature command configured to cause the electronically-controlled wood-pellet grill to allow fuel within the interior of the electronically-controlled wood-pellet grill to burn down.

7. The cloud computing system of claim 2 , wherein the executable instructions include instructions that are executable to configure the cloud computing system to:

store at least one recipe for use by the electronically-controlled wood-pellet grill, wherein the at least one recipe comprises custom cooking settings that are to be carried out by the electronically-controlled wood-pellet grill.

8. The cloud computing system of claim 7 , wherein the executable instructions include instructions that are executable to configure the cloud computing system to:

receive from the remote device an indication to initiate the at least one recipe at the electronically-controlled wood-pellet grill; and

communicate to the electronically-controlled wood-pellet grill a temperature command configured to cause the electronically-controlled wood-pellet grill to achieve a particular temperature indicated by the at least one recipe.

9. A cloud computing system for communicating with and controlling operation of an electronically-controlled wood-pellet grill, the cloud computing system comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more computer-readable media having stored thereon executable instructions that when executed by the one or more processors configure the cloud computing system to perform at least the following:

cause at least one command for the electronically-controlled wood-pellet grill to be displayed within a software application of a remote device;

identify a relative location of the remote device with respect to the electronically-controlled wood-pellet grill, wherein the electronically-controlled wood-pellet grill is in an unignited state; and

based upon the relative location, prevent a received ignition command from being sent to the electronically-controlled wood-pellet grill from the cloud computing system, wherein the cloud computing system is in direct communication with the electronically-controlled wood-pellet grill.

10. The cloud computing system of claim 9 , wherein the executable instructions include instructions that are executable to configure the cloud computing system to cause a visual indication of a connection between the cloud computing system and the electronically-controlled wood-pellet grill to be displayed within the software application of the remote device.

11. The cloud computing system of claim 9 , wherein the executable instructions include instructions that are executable to configure the cloud computing system to:

receive an ambient temperature reading from the electronically-controlled wood-pellet grill; and

cause the ambient temperature reading to be displayed within the software application of the remote device.

12. The cloud computing system of claim 9 , wherein the executable instructions include instructions that are executable to configure the cloud computing system to:

receive a food-probe temperature reading from the electronically-controlled wood-pellet grill; and

cause the food-probe temperature reading to be displayed within the software application of the remote device.

13. The cloud computing system of claim 9 , wherein the executable instructions include instructions that are executable to configure the cloud computing system to:

receive a command to increase a temperature within the electronically-controlled wood-pellet grill from the remote device, wherein the command originates from a user input; and

communicate to the electronically-controlled wood-pellet grill a temperature command configured to cause the electronically-controlled wood-pellet grill to add fuel to a combustion area within the electronically-controlled wood-pellet grill.

14. The cloud computing system of claim 9 , wherein the executable instructions include instructions that are executable to configure the cloud computing system to:

receive a command to decrease a temperature within the electronically-controlled wood-pellet grill from the remote device, wherein the command originates from a user input; and

communicate to the electronically-controlled wood-pellet grill a temperature command configured to allow fuel within the interior of the electronically-controlled wood-pellet grill to burn down.

15. The cloud computing system of claim 9 , wherein the executable instructions include instructions that are executable to configure the cloud computing system to:

identify at least one recipe for use by the electronically-controlled wood-pellet grill, wherein the at least one recipe comprises custom cooking settings that are to be carried out by the electronically-controlled wood-pellet grill.

16. The cloud computing system of claim 15 , wherein the executable instructions include instructions that are executable to configure the cloud computing system to:

receive a command to initiate the at least one recipe at the electronically-controlled wood-pellet grill from the remote device, wherein the command originates from a user input; and

communicate to the electronically-controlled wood-pellet grill a temperature command configured to cause the electronically-controlled wood-pellet grill to achieve a particular temperature indicated by the at least one recipe.

17. The cloud computing system of claim 9 , wherein the executable instructions include instructions that are executable to configure the cloud computing system to:

receive an alert from the electronically-controlled wood-pellet grill.

18. The cloud computing system of claim 17 , wherein the alert indicates that a food probe within the electronically-controlled wood-pellet grill detects a target temperature.

19. The cloud computing system of claim 17 , wherein the alert indicates that a level of fuel is low.

20. A cloud computing system for controlling an electronically-controlled wood-pellet grill, the cloud computing system comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more computer-readable media having stored thereon executable instructions that when executed by the one or more processors configure the cloud computing system to perform at least the following:

determine a location of a remote device relative to the electronically-controlled wood-pellet grill; and

directly communicate an ignition command to the electronically-controlled wood-pellet grill in response to determining the location of the remote device, wherein the electronically-controlled wood-pellet grill is in an unignited state.

Assignments (3)
ASSIGNMENT OF PATENT AND TRADEMARK SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 1, 2024
From: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 067276/0414 →
FIRST LIEN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jul 9, 2021
From: TRAEGER PELLET GRILLS LLC
To: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 057434/0500 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 16, 2018
From: COLSTON, MICHAEL VIRGIL
To: TRAEGER PELLET GRILLS, LLC
Reel/Frame 047525/0460 →
Cited By (3)
US 1,063,483 US 12,446,730 US 12,478,213