Air filter condition sensing

• US 10,363,509 B2
• Filed: 01/22/2018
• Issued: 07/30/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Inventors: Arthur, Jonathan B., Bloedorn, Karl W., Chakravarty, Jayant, Portelli, Gene B., Glass, Dennis M., Meis, Michael A., Luppes, Lyle L., Hennen, Daniel W., Fletcher, Douglas D., Hemberg, Eric O., Hemberg, Oscar M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yacob, Sisay
• Application Number:
  US15/876,742
• Publication Number:
  US 20180140989A1
• Time in Patent Office: 554 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 46/0086 Filter condition indicators
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 46/009 Identification of filter type or position thereof, e.g. by transponders or bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 46/10 Particle separators, e.g. dust precipitators, using filter plates, sheets or pads having plane surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 46/429 Means for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 46/446 by pressure measuring
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 46/521 using folded, pleated material
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/39 Monitoring filter performance
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 13/00 Devices or apparatus for measuring differences of two or more fluid pressure values
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 19/086 for remote indication
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 15/0826 and measuring fluid flow rate, i.e. permeation rate or pressure change
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2015/084 Testing filters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/33 for indoor environments, e.g. buildings
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/38 for collecting sensor information
• 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

Abstract

An air filter includes filter media, a sensor, and circuitry coupled to the sensor, the circuitry configured to receive data from the sensor representative of the condition of the filter media and wirelessly transmit such data. The data may be received by a device with a display to use the information to present an indication of the filter media condition to a user.

Claims

1. An air filter comprising:

filter media comprising a downstream side and an upstream side;

an absolute pressure sensor attached to the downstream side of the filter media adapted to measure downstream pressure while air is moved through the filter media; and

circuitry coupled to the sensor, the circuitry configured to receive pressure data from the sensor representative of the condition of the filter media and wirelessly transmit such data, wherein the sensor does not rely on the monitoring of airflow through a bypass through or around the filter media.

2. The air filter of claim 1, wherein the circuitry is adapted to transmit sensor data to a memory device coupled to a processor and having a program stored thereon for execution by the processor to determine a pressure at the filter media as a function of the data from the pressure sensor.

3. The air filter of claim 2, wherein the processor is programmed to determine a status of the filter by a temporal analysis of the pressure data.

4. The air filter of claim 1, wherein the circuitry or the processor is adapted to determine a pressure difference across the filter media.

5. The air filter of claim 1 and further comprising a second sensor to provide second data, wherein the circuitry is further adapted to combine the second data with the data from the pressure sensor to determine a pressure or pressure difference.

6. The air filter of claim 1 and further comprising a perimeter frame.

7. The air filter of claim 6, wherein the filter media is pleated, and wherein the frame has a generally rectangular shape.

8. The air filter of claim 1 and further comprising an electronically readable filter ID, wherein the circuitry is further adapted to at least one of read the filter ID and transmit the filter ID.

9. The air filter of claim 8, wherein the circuitry is adapted to use the filter ID to enable or disable providing wireless data transmission.

10. The air filter of claim 1, wherein the circuitry is adapted to either transmit data intermittently, acquire data intermittently, or both.

11. The air filter of claim 1, wherein the circuitry is further adapted to generate an alert indicative of a time to replace the air filter as a function of the sensed condition of the filter.

12. The air filter of claim 1, wherein the circuitry is co-located with the sensor in a sensor housing.

13. The air filter of claim 1, wherein the circuitry wirelessly transmits data by at least one communication protocol selected from the group consisting of Bluetooth and Bluetooth Low Energy.

14. The air filter of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises a single sensor attached to only the downstream side of the filter media.

15. A system for determining the useful life of an air filter, the system comprising:

filter media comprising a downstream side and an upstream side;

a single sensor attached to only the downstream side of the filter media for sensing a condition of the filter; and

circuitry coupled to the sensor, the circuitry configured to receive data from the sensor representative of the condition of the filter media and wirelessly transmit such data; and

a personal mobile device comprising a processor;

a display coupled to the processor; and

a memory device coupled to the processor and having a program stored thereon for execution by the processor to perform operations comprising;

wirelessly receiving data directly or indirectly from the sensor representative of a condition of filter media;

providing a visual indication to a user on the display representative of the condition of the filter media as a function of the received data, wherein the visual indication includes a graphical representation of a remaining period of useful life of the filter media, and wherein the operations further comprise generating a filter type recommendation based on user profile information indicative of air quality.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the circuitry is co-located with the sensor in a sensor housing.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise obtaining time-based pressure data points from the sensor;

calculating a mean difference between obtained adjacent pressure data points; and

estimating filter life based on the identification of a pressure difference in adjacent points that is greater than a threshold pressure difference.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the user profile information is indicative of a medical condition correlated to air quality.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the visual indication is provided as a function of user profile information indicative of air quality.

20. A system for determining the useful life of an air filter, the system comprising:

An air filter comprising;

filter media comprising a downstream side and an upstream side;

an absolute pressure sensor attached to the downstream side of the filter media adapted to measure downstream pressure while air is moved through the filter media; and

circuitry coupled to the sensor, the circuitry configured to receive pressure data from the sensor representative of the condition of the filter media and wirelessly transmit such data, wherein the sensor does not rely on the monitoring of airflow through a bypass through or around the filter media; and

a personal mobile device comprising a processor;

a display coupled to the processor; and

a memory device coupled to the processor and having a program stored thereon for execution by the processor to perform operations comprising;

wirelessly receiving data directly or indirectly from the sensor representative of a condition of filter media;

providing a visual indication to a user on the display representative of the condition of the filter media as a function of the received data, wherein the visual indication includes a graphical representation of a remaining period of useful life of the filter media.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the operations further comprise generating a filter type recommendation based on user profile information indicative of air quality.