Sensor calibration systems and methods

• US 10,690,641 B2
• Filed: 06/17/2016
• Issued: 06/23/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Trane International Inc. (Trane Technologies plc)
• Original Assignee: Trane International Inc. (Trane Technologies plc)
• Inventors: van Tol, Joshua
• Primary Examiner(s): Nghiem, Michael P
• Application Number:
  US15/185,149
• Publication Number:
  US 20160370334A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,467 Days
• Field of Search: 702104
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 18/002 Automatic recalibration G01D18/008 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/0008 Details concerning storage of calibration data, e.g. in EEPROM

Abstract

A system for calibrating sensors includes at least one computer server configured to be in communication with at least one uncalibrated sensor and at least one calibrated sensor, and a calibration module stored on the server. The calibration module may be configured to receive calibrated sensor data from the at least one calibrated sensor, and output calibration data to the at least one uncalibrated sensor.

Claims

1. A sensor for an HVAC system, comprising:

a processor;

a memory; and

a set of instructions stored in the memory and executable on the processor, which, when executed by the processor, cause the sensor to;

determine if the sensor may be locally auto-calibrated based on local conditions;

locally auto-calibrate the sensor against a reliable baseline reading upon a determination that the sensor may be locally auto-calibrated based on the local conditions;

output uncalibrated sensor data to a calibration module, upon a determination that the sensor cannot be auto-calibrated based on the local conditions, to populate an uncalibrated sensor dataset of the calibration module; and

receive calibration data, based on the uncalibrated sensor data, from the calibration module of a remote server, to calibrate the sensor.

2. The sensor of claim 1, further including instructions stored in the memory and executable on the processor, which, when executed by the processor, cause the sensor to output calibrated sensor data to the calibration module if the sensor is locally auto-calibrated to populate a calibrated sensor dataset of the calibration module.

3. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the local conditions include at least one of local environment conditions, location data of the sensor, an input indication that the sensor cannot be auto-calibrated, a building schedule at a required interval of calibration, or a variance of a current attempted baseline reading versus a previous known baseline reading.

4. A sensor for an HVAC system, comprising:

a processor;

a memory; and

a set of instructions stored in the memory and executable on the processor, which, when executed by the processor, cause the sensor to;

determine if the sensor may be locally auto-calibrated based on local conditions;

locally auto-calibrate the sensor against a reliable baseline reading upon a determination that the sensor may be locally auto-calibrated based on the local conditions;

receive calibration data to calibrate the sensor from a calibration module of a remote server upon a determination that the sensor cannot be auto-calibrated based on the local conditions; and

output calibrated sensor data to the calibration module if the sensor is locally auto-calibrated to populate a calibrated sensor dataset of the calibration module.

5. The sensor of claim 4, wherein the local conditions include at least one of local environment conditions, location data of the sensor, an input indication that the sensor cannot be auto-calibrated, a building schedule at a required interval of calibration, or a variance of a current attempted baseline reading versus a previous known baseline reading.