Multi-function thermostat with occupant tracking features

• US 10,310,477 B2
• Filed: 10/28/2016
• Issued: 06/04/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Original Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: Sinha, Sudhi, Ribbich, Joseph R., Ribbich, Michael L., Gaidish, Charles J., Cipolla, John P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dolly, Kendall
• Application Number:
  US15/336,793
• Publication Number:
  US 20170122613A1
• Time in Patent Office: 949 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02055 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular condition and temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02405 Determining heart rate variability
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02438 with portable devices, e.g. worn by the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1113 Local tracking of patients, e.g. in a hospital or private home
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/117 Identification of persons methods or arrangements for recognising patterns, e.g. fingerprints, G06F18/00, G06V40/00; identification of persons by analysing their voice or speech G10L17/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/681 Wristwatch-type devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2209/088 on the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14 Infusion devices, e.g. infusing by gravity; Blood infusion; Accessories therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/1723 using feedback of body parameters, e.g. blood-sugar, pressure measurement of body parameters A61B5/00
• 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 11/32 Responding to malfunctions or emergencies
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/52 Indication arrangements, e.g. displays
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/523 for displaying temperature data
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/526 giving audible indications
• 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 11/74 for controlling air flow rate or air velocity
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/84 using valves
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/10 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/00 : Control inputs relating to users or occupants
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/10 : Occupancy
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/12 : Position of occupants
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/14 : Activity of occupants
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/20 : Feedback from users
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2140/00 : Control inputs relating to system states
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/048 : Monitoring; Safety
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/15117 : Radio link, wireless
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2614 : HVAC, heating, ventillation, climate control
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2642 : Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24575 : using context
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 : for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 : Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 : specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 : insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/383 : Anonymous user system
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/405 : Establishing or using transaction specific rules
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/12 : Hotels or restaurants
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 : Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0057 : for the hiring or rent of vehicles, e.g. cars, bicycles or wheelchairs car rental G07B15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/0235 : the arrangements being full-front touchscreens
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 5/00 : Receipt-giving machines cash registers giving receipts G07G1/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 19/00 : Alarms responsive to two or more different undesired or abnormal conditions, e.g. burglary and fire, abnormal temperature and abnormal rate of flow
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0453 : worn on the body to detect health condition by physiological monitoring, e.g. electrocardiogram, temperature, breathing detecting, measuring or recording for diagnostic purposes A61B5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 27/00 : Alarm systems in which the alarm condition is signalled from a central station to a plurality of substations
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 7/066 : guiding along a path, e.g. evacuation path lighting strip
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 : specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 : Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/003 : locating network equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/11 : by determining the brightness or colour temperature of ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/115 : by determining the presence or movement of objects or living beings

Abstract

A multi-function thermostat for a building includes a communications interface and a processing circuit. The communications interface is configured to communicate with building equipment and receive data from one or more sensors. The processing circuit is configured to control the building equipment to affect an environmental condition within a first zone of the building when an occupant is detected within the first zone based on the data received from the sensors. The processing circuit is further configured to detect movement of the occupant from the first zone of the building to a second zone of the building based on the data received from the sensors. The processing circuit is further configured to control the building equipment to affect an environmental condition within the second zone of the building when the occupant is detected within the second zone based on the data received from the sensors.

Claims

1. A multi-function thermostat for a building, the thermostat comprising:

a user interface configured to receive user input adjusting settings of the thermostat;

a communications interface configured to communicate with building equipment and receive data from one or more sensors; and

a processing circuit configured to;

control the building equipment to affect an environmental condition within a first zone of the building when a first occupant is detected by the processing circuit within the first zone based on the data received from the sensors;

detect whether a second occupant associated with no permission to adjust the settings is within a predefined distance from the thermostat based on the data received from the sensors;

disable adjustment of the settings via the user interface in response to a detection that the second occupant is within the predefined distance from the thermostat;

detect movement of the first occupant from the first zone of the building to a second zone of the building based on the data received from the sensors; and

control the building equipment to affect an environmental condition within the second zone of the building when the first occupant is detected within the second zone based on the data received from the sensors.

2. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the sensors are located in the first zone and the second zone of the building, wherein the sensors comprise at least one of a microphone and a camera.

3. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the communications interface is further configured to receive permissions associated with the first occupant and the second occupant from a building management system, wherein the permissions define which of the settings of the thermostat the first occupant and the second occupant are allowed to adjust.

4. The thermostat of claim 3, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to allow the first occupant to adjust the settings of the thermostat based on the permissions via the user interface.

5. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to:

cause the building equipment to activate lighting in the first zone of the building when the first occupant is detected within the first zone based on the data received from the sensors;

cause the building equipment to deactivate lighting in the first zone of the building when the first occupant is detected in the second zone of the building based on the data received from the sensors; and

cause the building equipment to activate lighting in the second zone of the building when the first occupant is detected in the second zone of the building based on the data received from the sensors.

6. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the communications interface is further configured to receive signal strength data indicating a wireless signal strength between a user device associated with the first occupant and one or more routers;

wherein the processing circuit is further configured to determine a location of the first occupant based on the signal strength data and the locations of the routers.

7. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to determine a location of the first occupant based on audio data received from the sensors by:

determining one or more voice biometrics of the first occupant based on the audio data; and

matching the determined voice biometrics to voice biometrics linked to the first occupant.

8. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the communications interface is further configured to communicate with a user device associated with the first occupant;

wherein the processing circuit is further configured to;

receive a unique device identifier from the user device via the communications interface;

identify the first occupant associated with the user device based on the unique device identifier; and

identify preferred settings associated with the first occupant.

9. The thermostat of claim 8, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to:

control the environmental condition within the first zone based on the preferred settings when the first occupant is detected in the first zone; and

control the environmental condition within the second zone based on the preferred settings when the first occupant is detected in the second zone.

10. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the communications interface is further configured to receive signal strength data for a wireless connection between a user device associated with the first occupant and one or more emitters;

wherein the processing circuit is further configured to determine a location of the user device based on the signal strength data.

11. A thermostat controller for a building, the thermostat controller comprising:

a user interface configured to receive user input adjusting settings of the thermostat controller;

a communications interface configured to;

communicate with building equipment and receive data from one or more sensors; and

receive preferences of a first occupant from a building management system; and

a processing circuit configured to;

control the building equipment to affect an environmental condition within a first zone of the building based on the preferences of the occupant when the first occupant is detected by the processing circuit within the first zone based on the data received from the sensors;

detect whether a second occupant associated with no permission to adjust the settings is within a predefined distance from the thermostat controller based on the data received from the sensors;

disable adjustment of the settings via the user interface in response to a detection that the second occupant is within the predefined distance from the thermostat controller;

detect movement of the first occupant from the first zone of the building to a second zone of the building based on the data received from the sensors; and

control the building equipment to affect an environmental condition within a second zone of the building based on the preferences of the first occupant when the occupant is detected within the second zone based on the data received from the sensors.

12. The thermostat controller of claim 11, wherein the communications interface is further configured to receive permissions associated with the first occupant and the second occupant from the building management system, wherein the permissions define which of the settings of the thermostat controller the first occupant and the second occupant are allowed to adjust.

13. The thermostat controller of claim 12, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to allow the first occupant to adjust the settings of the thermostat controller based on the permissions via the user interface.

14. The thermostat controller of claim 11, wherein the communications interface is further configured to communicate with a user device associated with the first occupant;

wherein the processing circuit is further configured to;

receive a unique device identifier from the user device via the network communications interface;

identify the first occupant associated with the user device based on the unique device identifier; and

identify the preferred settings associated with the first occupant.

15. The thermostat controller of claim 11, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to determine a location of the first occupant based on audio data received from the sensors by:

determining one or more voice biometrics of the first occupant based on the audio data; and

matching the determined voice biometrics to voice biometrics linked to the first occupant.

16. The thermostat controller of claim 11, wherein the communications interface is configured to receive signal strength data indicating a wireless signal strength between a user device associated with the first occupant and one or more routers;

wherein the processing circuit is further configured to determine a location of the first occupant based on the signal strength data and the locations of the routers.

17. A method for controlling building equipment with a multi-function thermostat for a building, the method comprising:

receiving, by the thermostat, user input adjusting settings of the thermostat via a user interface of the thermostat;

operating, by the thermostat, the building equipment to affect an environmental condition within a first zone of the building when a first occupant is detected by the thermostat within the first zone based on occupancy data;

detecting, by the thermostat, whether a second occupant associated with no permission to adjust the settings is within a predefined distance from the thermostat based on the occupancy data;

disabling, by the thermostat, adjustment of the settings via the user interface in response to a detection that the second occupant is within the predefined distance from the thermostat;

detecting, by the thermostat, movement of the first occupant from the first zone of the building to a second zone of the building based on the occupancy data; and

operating, by the thermostat, the building equipment to affect an environmental condition within the second zone of the building when the first occupant is detected within the second zone based on the occupancy data.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the method further comprises receiving, by the thermostat, the occupancy data from one or more occupancy sensors located in the first zone and the second zone of the building, wherein the sensors comprise at least one of a microphone and a camera.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the method further comprises receiving, by the thermostat, permissions associated with the occupant from the building management system, wherein the permissions define which of the settings of the thermostat the first occupant and the second occupant are allowed to adjust.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the method further comprises:

activating, by the thermostat, lighting in the first zone of the building when the first occupant is detected within the first zone based on the occupancy data;

deactivating, by the thermostat, lighting in the first zone of the building when the first occupant is detected in the second zone of the building based on the occupancy data; and

activating, by the thermostat, lighting in the second zone of the building when the first occupant is detected in the second zone of the building based on the occupancy data.