Occupancy based demand controlled utility system

• US 10,088,820 B2
• Filed: 01/21/2016
• Issued: 10/02/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Michael Eugene Williams, Thomas David Aiken
• Original Assignee: Michael Eugene Williams, Thomas David Aiken
• Inventors: Aiken, Thomas David, Williams, Michael Eugene
• Primary Examiner(s): Lo, Kenneth M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ahmed, Istiaque
• Application Number:
  US15/003,290
• Publication Number:
  US 20160139576A1
• Time in Patent Office: 985 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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 11/46 Improving electric energy efficiency or saving
• 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 2120/10 Occupancy
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/115 by determining the presence or movement of objects or living beings
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

To control lighting and other utilities in buildings based upon occupancy, mountable sensors are used to detect low energy radio frequencies emitted from devices, or tags, worn or carried by occupants. In a demand control system, identification (ID) codes embedded in tags worn by occupants are detected in each room by a tag sensor and may wirelessly communicate to a zonal compiler that determines zonal occupancy. The zonal occupancy count is transmitted to an interface relay that immediately adjusts the intensity and rate of the specific utility. HVAC systems may also be tied into the system to have adjustments made to the intensity and rate of ventilation as done with the lighting in this system. This system has many advantages over current systems such as not being dependent upon movement of an occupant or following the heat signature of an occupant that both may lead to false readings and delay in adjusting the specific building utility to save energy and costs.

Claims

1. A system for adjusting building utilities of a controlled zone within a building occupied by a plurality of occupants, the system comprising:

a controlled zone having a service utility within a building, wherein each controlled zone includes a plurality of rooms;

a plurality of tags or devices, wherein each tag or device of the plurality of tags or devices emits a signal and has a specific digital identification code assigned to a corresponding occupant that wears or carries the tag or device inside at least one room of the plurality of rooms;

a first one or more sensors disposed in a first room in the controlled zone and emitting a search signal for any tags or devices in the first room for detecting a first subset of tags or devices of the plurality of tags or devices located in the first room during a time interval, and

a second one or more sensors disposed in a second room in the controlled zone and emitting a search signal for any tags or devices in the second room for detecting a second subset of tags or devices of the plurality of tags or devices located in the second room during the time interval;

a zonal compiler disposed in the controlled zone and wirelessly in communication with the first and second sensors;

the zonal compiler configured to;

communicate wirelessly with the first one or more sensors and the second one or more sensors, and with the first subset of tags or devices and the second subset of tags or devices to thereby wirelessly acquire a first group of digital identification (ID) codes corresponding to the first subset of tags or devices detected by the first one or more sensors during the time interval, and a second group of digital identification (ID) codes corresponding to the second subset of tags or devices detected by the second one or more sensors during the time interval;

compare the first group of digital identification (ID) codes with the second group of digital ID codes;

based on said comparison, identify a tag or device of the first subset of tags or devices as being the same as a tag or device of the second subset of tags or devices,

eliminate the identified tag or device from the second group of digital identification (ID) codes to establish a corrected second group of digital identification (ID) codes, and

determine a zonal occupancy count for the controlled zone and each room based on the acquired first group of digital identification (ID) codes and the corrected second group of digital identification (ID) codes; and

a microprocessor that controls the service utility within the building, the microprocessor wirelessly interfaces with the first and second sensors, wherein the microprocessor immediately adjusts the service utility for each room in the controlled zone immediately upon entrance into or removal of the occupant wearing or carrying the tag or device from any room;

wherein the microprocessor wirelessly interfaces through an interface relay with the zonal compiler to control the service utility, and the service utility is an electrical lighting.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the interface relay is a luminaire relay.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein each room is individually controlled by the interface relay.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein the lighting intensity is immediately adjusted to a visual comfort level according to the amount of occupants wearing or carrying the tags or devices in each room and the available ambient lighting.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the tags or device emit a radio frequency selected from the group consisting of RF low energy (BLUETOOTH), extremely low frequency RF 3-30 Hz, super low frequency RF 30-300 Hz, ultra low frequency RF 300-3000 HZ, microwave, and any combination thereof.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the interface relay that controls the service utility is controlled only by the presence or absence of the tag or device in the room, and not motion or sound of the occupant within the room.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein an utility intensity is immediately adjusted to a comfort level according to an amount of occupants wearing or carrying the tags or devices in each room.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the service utility is a combination HVAC and the electrical lighting and the interface relay includes a luminaire relay.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein each room is individually controlled and wherein each lighting fixture is individually controlled or jointly controlled as occupants enter and leave the room.

10. A system for adjusting building lighting within a controlled zone in a building occupied by a plurality of occupants, the system comprising:

a controlled zone having a lighting service utility within a building, wherein each controlled zone includes a plurality of rooms;

a plurality of tags or devices worn or carried by a plurality of occupants, wherein one tag or device is with one occupant and the tags or devices emit a signal with a specific digital identification (ID) code assigned to a corresponding occupant having the tag or device;

a first sensor disposed in a first room in the controlled zone, the first sensor emitting a search signal for any tags or devices in the first room for detecting a first subset of tags or devices of the plurality of tags or devices located in the first room during a time interval, and

a second sensor disposed in a second room in the controlled zone, the second sensor emitting a search signal for any tags or devices in the second room for detecting a second subset of tags or devices of the plurality of tags or devices located in the second room during the time interval;

a zonal compiler disposed in the controlled zone and wirelessly in communication with the first and second sensors;

the zonal compiler configured to;

communicate wirelessly with the first one or more sensors and the second one or more sensors, and with the first subset of tags or devices and the second subset of tags or devices to thereby wirelessly acquire a first group of digital identification (ID) codes corresponding to the first subset of tags or devices detected by the first one or more sensors during the time interval, and a second group of digital identification (ID) codes corresponding to the second subset of tags or devices detected by the second one or more sensors during the time interval;

compare the first group of digital identification (ID) codes with the second group of digital ID codes;

based on said comparison, identify a tag or device of the first subset of tags or devices as being the same as a tag or device of the second subset of tags or devices,

eliminate the identified tag or device from the second group of digital identification (ID) codes to establish a corrected second group of digital identification (ID) codes, and

determine a zonal occupancy count for the controlled zone and each room based on the acquired first group of digital identification (ID) codes and the corrected second group of digital identification (ID) codes; and

wherein a microprocessor wirelessly interfaces through an interface relay with the zonal compiler to control the lighting service utility;

and wherein the lighting service utility for each room in the controlled zone is immediately adjusted upon entrance into or removal of the occupant having the tag or device from any room.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein the microprocessor wirelessly interfaces with the first and second sensors.

12. The system according to claim 11, whereby the interface relay controls the lighting service utility within the building, and the interface relay wirelessly interfaces with the microprocessor and the first and second sensors, and the interface relay immediately adjusts the lighting service utility for each room in the controlled zone immediately upon entrance into or removal of the occupant having the tag or device from any room, and each room is individually controlled by the interface relay.

13. The system according to claim 10, wherein the one sensor is mounted and the tags or devices are worn or carried by the occupants and each room has only one sensor.

14. The system according to claim 10, wherein a lighting intensity is immediately adjusted to a comfort and an energy saving level according to an amount of occupants wearing or carrying the tags or devices in each room and amount of available ambient light already in the room.

15. A process for adjusting building service utilities of a controlled zone within a building occupied by a plurality of occupants, the process comprising the following steps:

assigning a tag or device to each occupant of the plurality of occupants, each tag or device having a specific digital identification (ID) code related to the occupant;

placing in the controlled zone at least a first sensor and a second sensor;

prompting initiation of wireless communications during a time interval between the first sensor and a first subset of tags or devices located in a first room, and between the second sensor and a second subset of tags or devices located in a second room;

providing an interface relay that controls the service utility within the building, the interface relay wirelessly interfaces with a microprocessor, wherein the interface relay immediately adjusts the service utility based on the occupancy for each room in the controlled zone immediately upon entrance into or removal of the occupant wearing or carrying the tag or device from any room;

placing a zonal compiler assigned to controlled zone and wirelessly communicating with the first sensor and the second sensor, and the first subset of tags or devices and the second subset of tags or devices to acquire a first group of digital identification (ID) codes corresponding to the first subset of tags or devices detected by the first sensor during the time interval, and a second group of digital identification (ID) codes corresponding to the second subset of tags or devices detected by the second sensor during the time interval, the zonal compiler configured to;

compare the first group of digital identification (ID) codes with the second group of digital identification (ID) codes,

identify any tag or device of the first subset of tags or devices as being the same as one in the second subset of tags or devices, wherein an identified tag or device moved between the first room and the second room during the time interval,

eliminate the identified tag or device from the second group of digital identification (ID) codes to establish a corrected second group of digital identification (ID) codes, and

determine a zonal occupancy count for the zone based on the acquired first group of digital identification (ID) codes and the corrected second group of digital identification (ID) codes;

determine a zonal utility rate based on the zonal occupancy count and a floor area of the controlled zone; and

wherein the service utility is an electrical lighting.

16. The process according to claim 15, wherein the interface relay is a luminaire relay.

17. The processes according to claim 15, wherein the service utility is a combination HVAC and the electrical lighting and the interface relay includes a luminaire relay.