Energy management for sensors

• US 10,191,024 B2
• Filed: 07/13/2016
• Issued: 01/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Trane International Inc. (Trane Technologies plc)
• Original Assignee: Trane International Inc. (Trane Technologies plc)
• Inventors: Johnson, Tedd P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gray, David M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Do, Andrew V
• Application Number:
  US15/209,200
• Publication Number:
  US 20170016869A1
• Time in Patent Office: 930 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/004 CO or CO2
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/0073 Control unit therefor

Abstract

The present disclosure is directed to a method for reducing power consumption of a sensor. The method includes determining if a predetermined condition has been met to change at least one of a sensing rate or a sensor resolution, and changing at least one of the sensing rate or sensor resolution if it is determined that the predetermined condition has been met.

Claims

1. A method for reducing power consumption of a sensor, comprising:

sensing a monitored gas in a local atmosphere by taking sensor readings at a sensing rate, wherein each sensor reading comprises an amount of individual samples;

determining if a predetermined condition has been met to change at least one of a sensing rate or the amount of individual samples comprising each sensor reading; and

changing the amount of individual samples comprising each sensor reading if it is determined that the predetermined condition has been met.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein sensing the amount of the monitored gas includes sensing at least one of ethylene, CO, methane, O₂, H₂S, and/or CO₂.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining if the predetermined condition has been met includes determining an amount and/or a proportion of the monitored gas in the local atmosphere.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining if the predetermined condition has been met includes determining a rate of change of the amount and/or a proportion of the monitored gas over a time.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein determining if the predetermined condition has been met includes comparing the rate of change of the amount and/or a proportion of the monitored gas to a threshold rate of change to determine whether to change the sensing rate or sensor resolution.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining if the predetermined condition has been met includes determining an occupancy state of a building.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein determining the occupancy state includes referencing a predetermined schedule and comparing a local clock to the predetermined schedule to determine the occupancy state of the building.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein changing the amount of individual samples comprising each sensor reading includes reducing the amount of individual samples comprising each sensor reading to a minimum safe sensor resolution.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein reducing the sensing rate includes reducing the sensing rate from about 1 sensing per minute to about 1 sensing per hour.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein determining if the predetermined condition has been met includes include determining if an HVAC system is in an off state.

11. A sensor for an HVAC system, comprising:

a processor operatively coupled to a memory; and

an energy management module stored in the memory and configured to be executed by the processor, the energy management module configured for;

sensing a monitored gas in a local atmosphere by taking sensor readings at a sensing rate, wherein each sensor reading comprises an amount of individual samples;

determining if a predetermined condition has been met to change at least one of a sensing rate or the amount of individual samples comprising each sensor reading; and

changing the amount of individual samples comprising each sensor reading if it is determined that the predetermined condition has been met.

12. The sensor of claim 11, wherein determining if the predetermined condition has been met includes determining a rate of change of the amount and/or a proportion of the monitored gas over a time.

13. The sensor of claim 12, wherein determining if the predetermined condition has been met includes comparing the rate of change of the amount and/or a proportion of the monitored gas to a threshold rate of change to determine whether to change the sensing rate and/or sensor resolution.

14. The sensor of claim 11, wherein determining if the predetermined condition has been met includes determining an occupancy state of a building.

15. The sensor of claim 14, wherein determining the occupancy state includes referencing a predetermined schedule and comparing a local clock to the predetermined schedule to determine the occupancy state of the building.

16. The sensor of claim 11, wherein changing the amount of individual samples comprising each sensor reading includes reducing the amount of individual samples comprising each sensor reading to a minimum safe sensor resolution.

17. The sensor of claim 16, wherein reducing the sensing rate includes reducing the sensing rate from about 1 sensing per minute to about 1 sensing per hour.

18. The sensor of claim 11, wherein determining if the predetermined condition has been met includes include determining if an HVAC system is in an off state.

19. A system for reducing power consumption of sensors, comprising:

at least one computer server configured to be in communication with at least one sensor; and

a power management module stored on the server, the power management module configured for;

determining if a predetermined condition has been met to change at least one of a sensing rate and/or a the amount of individual samples comprising each sensor reading of the at least one sensor; and

changing the amount of individual samples comprising each sensor reading if it is determined that the predetermined condition has been met.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein determining if the predetermined condition is met includes receiving condition data from the sensor.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein changing the amount of individual samples comprising each sensor reading includes outputting a command to the sensor to change the amount of individual samples comprising each sensor reading.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein determining if the predetermined condition is met includes determining if an HVAC system is in an off state.