Smart fan and ventilation system and method

• US 10,001,288 B1
• Filed: 06/16/2017
• Issued: 06/19/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Chengfu Yu
• Original Assignee: Chengfu Yu
• Inventors: Yang, Frank
• Primary Examiner(s): McAllister, Steven B
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cotov, Jonathan
• Application Number:
  US15/625,601
• Time in Patent Office: 368 Days
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/0001 for ventilation F24F11/30 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/30 for purposes related to the operation of the system, e.g. for safety or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/58 using Internet communication
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/62 characterised by the type of control or by internal processing, e.g. using fuzzy logic, adaptive control or estimation of values
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/63 Electronic processing
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/64 using pre-stored data
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/79 for controlling the direction of the supplied air
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 13/082 Grilles, registers or guards
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 13/10 movable, e.g. dampers
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 13/15 with parallel simultaneously tiltable lamellae
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 13/222 for evacuating condensate
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2011/0002 for admittance of outside air
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/10 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/12 of the outside air
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/20 Humidity
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/30 Velocity
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/40 Pressure, e.g. wind pressure
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/64 Airborne particle content
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/70 Carbon dioxide
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/72 Carbon monoxide
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/10 : Occupancy
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/20 : Feedback from users
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2130/20 : Sunlight
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2221/20 : mounted in or close to a window
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 7/013 : using wall or window fans, displacing air through the wall or window
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 30/70 : Efficient control or regulation technologies, e.g. for control of refrigerant flow, motor or heating

Abstract

A Smart Fan and Ventilation (“SFV”) device having at least one memory configured to store instructions, a processor coupled to the at least one memory, a cover attached to a first surface of the SFV device, and one or more louvers attached to the cover, the processor configured to cause the one or more louvers to move based on instructions stored on the at least one memory.

Claims

1. A smart fan and ventilation (SFV) device comprising:

at least one memory;

a processor, coupled to the at least one memory;

a cover, the cover positioned on a first surface of the SFV device;

one or more louvers attached to the cover;

a network module, the network module coupling the SFV device to a local wireless network;

wherein the processor is configured to cause the one or more louvers to move based on instructions stored on the at least one memory;

wherein the SFV device is communicably coupled to one or more sensors, wherein the one or more sensors collect at least one of an interior environmental condition or an exterior environmental condition;

wherein the instructions are based at least on interior environmental conditions or exterior environmental conditions collected by the one or more sensors;

wherein each of the one or more louvers comprises of a plate surface attached to a screen surface, wherein the plate surface comprises a top and a bottom surface and the screen surface comprises a top and bottom surface, wherein either the top surface or the bottom surface of the plate surface attaches to an edge of the screen surface at a plane substantially perpendicularly to the plane of the top surface or the bottom surface of the screen surface.

2. The SFV device of claim 1, wherein the processor receives the instructions from a server or one or more other SFV devices.

3. The SFV device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more sensors is integrated within the SFV device.

4. The SFV device of claim 1, wherein the cover is detachably coupled to the first surface of the SFV device.

5. The SFV device of claim 1, further comprising a grille having movable portions, wherein the grille is attached to a second surface of the SFV device, the second surface being spaced apart and parallel to the first surface.

6. The SFV device of claim 5, wherein the processor is further configured to cause the movable portions of the grille and the one or more louvers to change positions to isolate a first environment adjacent to the first surface from a second environment adjacent to the second surface, wherein the positions are one of an open position, a closed position, a partially open position or a partially closed position.

7. The SFV device of claim 1, wherein the SFV device is mountable within a window frame of a window without the need to remove a window screen of the window and wherein the window screen is adjacent to the second surface.

8. The SFV device of claim 7, wherein the first surface of the SFV is mounted flush to a window frame front side.

9. The SFV device of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors is a rain sensor, and wherein the one or more louvers is positioned to a closed position when moisture is sensed by the rain sensor.

10. The SFV device of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors is a temperature sensor and wherein the one or more louvers is positioned to a closed position or an open position when a predetermined delta temperature is triggered, wherein the predetermined delta temperature is the difference between an interior environment temperature and an exterior environment temperature.

11. The SFV device of claim 1, wherein the one or more louvers is operated by at least one motor to move, slide, or rotate to an open position, a closed position, partially closed position or partially opened position.

12. The SFV device of claim 1, wherein the one or more louvers is selected to have the plate surface or the screen surface parallel to the first surface.

13. The SFV device of claim 1, wherein the plate surface is a substantially nonpermeable surface and the screen surface is a substantially permeable surface and wherein the one or more louvers is positioned to the open position when the screen surface is selected parallel to the first surface and to the closed position when the plate surface is selected parallel to the first surface.

14. The SFV device of claim 1, further comprising a dispenser for storing a dispersible substance.

15. A method comprising:

detecting, by one or more sensors, at least one of an interior environmental condition or an exterior environmental condition;

communicating the at least one of the interior environmental condition or the exterior environmental condition to a smart fan and ventilation (SFV) device;

coupling the SFV device to a local wireless network; and

performing a first action, by the SFV, based on the detecting;

wherein the first action comprises of moving one or more louvers; and

wherein each of the one or more louvers comprises of a plate surface attached to a screen surface, wherein the plate surface comprises a top and a bottom surface and the screen surface comprises a top and bottom surface, wherein either the top surface or the bottom surface of the plate surface attaches to an edge of the screen surface at a plane substantially perpendicularly to the plane of the top surface or the bottom surface of the screen surface.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the one or more louvers are attached to a cover, and the first action comprises of moving the one or more louvers of the SFV device to an open position, a closed position, a partially open position or partially closed position.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the first action further comprises of moving a movable portion of a grille of the SFV device to an open position, a closed position, a partially open position or partially closed position.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising of comparing the at least one of the interior environmental condition or the exterior environmental condition acquired by the one or more sensors to user preferences stored in a database prior to performing a second action.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the second action comprises of moving both the one or more louvers of the cover and the movable portions of the grille to an open position, or a closed position.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein a user is prompted to approve of moving both the one or more louvers of the cover and the movable portions of the grille to an open position, or a closed position.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein the at least one of the interior environmental condition or the exterior environmental condition detected by the one or more sensors comprises of at least one of a temperature, humidity, smoke, CO, CO₂, air particulate, ambient light, motion, barometer, infrared, airflow or airspeed information.

22. The method of claim 15, wherein at least one of the one or more sensors is integrated within the SFV device.