Gesture control of building automation system components during installation and/or maintenance

• US 10,691,214 B2
• Filed: 10/12/2015
• Issued: 06/23/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: D'Souza, Aaron
• Primary Examiner(s): Lao, Lunyi
• Assistant Examiner(s): Suteerawongsa, Jarurat
• Application Number:
  US14/880,635
• Publication Number:
  US 20170102773A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,716 Days
• 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 11/526 giving audible indications
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/58 using Internet communication
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/00 Control inputs relating to air properties
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/32 Remote control based on movements, attitude of remote control device
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/50 Receiving or transmitting feedback, e.g. replies, status updates, acknowledgements, from the controlled devices
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/93 Remote control using other portable devices, e.g. mobile phone, PDA, laptop

Abstract

An HVAC component may be configured using a wearable device and a mobile device that is operatively coupled to the wearable device. The wearable device may be configured to capture one or more gestures that correspond to a particular HVAC component command, and to communicate the captured gestures to the mobile device. In response, the mobile device may carry out the HVAC component command that corresponds to the captured gesture. In this way, an installer may configure the HVAC component while lessening the need to directly enter commands into the mobile device and/or some other device.

Claims

1. A method for a contractor to configure a heating, ventilation and cooling (HVAC) component during initial installation and/or maintenance of a forced air HVAC system using a wearable device and a mobile device that is operatively coupled to the wearable device, the method comprising:

storing in the mobile device two or more different HVAC component configuration commands for use in configuring the HVAC component by the contractor during initial installation and/or maintenance of the forced air HVAC system, one of the two or more different HVAC component configuration commands including an open damper command for commanding a damper of the HVAC component of the forced air HVAC system to move in an open direction and another of the two or more different HVAC component configuration commands including a close damper command for commanding the damper to move in a close direction;

storing in the mobile device a defined gesture for each of the two or more HVAC component configuration commands;

receiving at the mobile device a gesture of the contractor sensed by the wearable device;

determining if the received gesture is one of the defined gestures stored in the mobile device that corresponds to one of the one or more HVAC component configuration commands stored in the mobile device;

if the received gesture does not correspond to any of the defined gestures stored in the mobile device that correspond to one of the one or more HVAC component configuration commands stored in the mobile device, sending a message to the wearable device indicating that the received gesture did not correspond to any of the defined gestures stored in the mobile device that correspond to one of the one or more HVAC component configuration commands stored in the mobile device;

if the received gesture corresponds to one of the defined gestures stored in the mobile device that corresponds to one of the one or more HVAC component configuration commands stored in the mobile device;

sending a confirmation to the wearable device that the received gesture was recognized by the mobile device as corresponding to one of the defined gestures stored in the mobile device that corresponds to one of the one or more HVAC component configuration commands stored in the mobile device;

transmitting the HVAC component configuration command that corresponds to the received gesture to effect a change in the operation of the HVAC component of the forced air HVAC system to aid the contractor in configuring the HVAC component of the forced air HVAC system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein in response to receiving the confirmation at the wearable device, providing a detectable signal to the wearer of the wearable device that confirms the received gesture was recognized by the mobile device as corresponding to one of the defined gestures stored in the mobile device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the detectable signal is provided by the wearable device, by the mobile device or by both the wearable device and the mobile device.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the detectable signal includes an audible signal and/or a visually perceptible signal.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the audible signal comprises one or more of:

a tone;

a beep;

a buzz;

a spoken word, phrase or sentence; and

a song.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the visually perceptible signal comprises one or more of:

a flash or series of flashed from a light source;

a description displayed on a display; and

an icon displayed on a display.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the detectable signal includes a vibration signal.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein the detectable signal includes two or more of an audible signal, a visually perceptible signal and a vibration signal.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein the detectable signal comprises an indication of which of the defined gestures stored in the mobile device was identified as corresponding to the received gesture.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the two or more HVAC component configuration commands provide part of a test and balance procedure used by the contractor for calibrating the forced air HVAC system.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the two or more HVAC component configuration commands further comprise an HVAC component configuration command that instructs the damper to drive to an intermediate position between a fully open position and a fully closed position as part of calibrating a Variable Air Volume (VAV) box.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device comprises a learning mode for allowing a user to teach the mobile device one or more of the defined gestures, such that at least one of the one or more defined gestures is a learned gesture.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the gesture sensed by the wearable device is received at the mobile device via bluetooth communication; and

the HVAC component configuration command that is identified as corresponding to the received gesture is transmitted via bluetooth.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the gesture sensed by the wearable device is received at the mobile device via bluetooth communication; and

the HVAC component configuration command that is identified as corresponding to the received gesture is transmitted via WiFi.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the gesture sensed by the wearable device is received at the mobile device via WiFi communication; and

the one or more HVAC component configuration command that is identified as corresponding to the received gesture is transmitted via WiFi.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the mobile device is a smartphone and the wearable device is a smart watch.