Method and apparatus for centrally controlling environmental characteristics of multiple air systems

• US 20020014538A1
• Filed: 08/06/2001
• Published: 02/07/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tjernlund Products, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Tjernlund Products, Inc.
• Inventors: Hoyez, Timothy G., Weimer, John R.
• Granted Patent: US 6,726,111 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 236/51
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/0001 for ventilation F24F11/30 takes precedence
• 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 11/54 using one central controller connected to several sub-controllers
• 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 11/77 by controlling the speed of ventilators
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/88 Electrical aspects, e.g. circuits
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/00 Control inputs relating to air properties
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/40 Pressure, e.g. wind pressure
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 27/02 characterised by the use of electric means
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 30/70 Efficient control or regulation technologies, e.g. for control of refrigerant flow, motor or heating

Abstract

The present invention provides an air control system which in large part solves the problems referred to above, by providing a system and single controller for receiving constant and individualized information from a plurality of air control systems. A single controller is capable of controlling and interacting with at least two separate air control systems to control an environmental characteristic, and in the process, reduces the costs associated with the manufacturing and every day operation of the individual systems. In addition, the controller is capable of intelligently communicating with the input and output devices of the system, and particularly with each individually interfaced appliance, such that the controller can adaptively control the system through the use of stored historical data.

Claims

1. An air control system for governing environmental characteristics in a plurality of enclosed environments, the system comprising:

an input device for receiving at least one environmental characteristic parameter;

at least one sensor for periodically measuring said at least one environmental parameter;

a controller in communication with said at least one sensor, the controller comprising electronic circuitry capable of controlling the environmental characteristic according to said at least one parameter in at least two of the plurality of enclosed environments such that the data from said at least one sensor is periodically received and processed, the controller periodically generating at least one output signal for controlling the environmental characteristic in at least one of said at least two enclosed environments; and

at least one variable speed fan motor for receiving said at least one output signal such that the speed of the fan is controllable to govern the environmental characteristic within at least one of said at least two enclosed environments.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one sensor is selectable from sensors included within the following group:

pressure, temperature, humidity, particulates, and density.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said controller comprises a plurality of communication ports for individually interfacing with and controlling a plurality of appliances.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said controller comprises a serial interface for communicating with an external electronic management system.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said controller comprises memory for retaining historical data corresponding to the operating parameters of the interfaced plurality of appliances for use in controlling the variable speed fan motor.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said system further comprises a mechanical override safety switch where the switch prevents the appliances from operating when the environmental characteristic is at an unacceptable level for a predetermined time period.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said electronic circuitry includes a parallel device controller and a sequential logic microcontroller for communicating with and controlling devices attached to the controller, with the parallel device controller serving as an intermediary communication point between the microcontroller and the devices.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the parallel device controller is a field programmable gate array chip.

9. An air control system for governing environmental characteristics in a plurality of enclosed environments, the system comprising:

an input device for receiving at least one environmental characteristic parameter;

at least one sensor for periodically measuring said at least one environmental parameter;

a controller in communication with said at least one sensor, the controller comprising electronic circuitry capable of controlling the environmental characteristic according to said at least one parameter in at least two of the plurality of enclosed environments such that the data from said at least one sensor is periodically received and processed, the controller periodically generating at least one output signal for controlling the environmental characteristic in at least one of said at least two enclosed environments;

a plurality of appliance interfaces on the controller for individually communicating with and controlling the operations of individual appliances; and

at least one variable speed fan motor for receiving said at least one output signal such that the speed of the fan is controllable to govern the environmental characteristic within at least one of said at least two enclosed environments.

10. An air control system for governing environmental characteristics in a plurality of enclosed environments, the system comprising:

an input device for receiving at least one environmental characteristic parameter;

at least one sensor for periodically measuring said at least one environmental parameter;

a controller in communication with said at least one sensor, the controller comprising electronic circuitry capable of controlling the environmental characteristic according to said at least one parameter in at least two of the plurality of enclosed environments such that the data from said at least one sensor is periodically received and processed, the controller periodically generating at least one output signal for controlling the environmental characteristic in at least one of said at least two enclosed environments;

a plurality of appliance interfaces on the controller for individually communicating with and controlling the operations of the individual appliances;

adaptive means on the controller for storing and processing data pertaining to the connected devices for use in later communicating to the devices; and

at least one variable speed fan motor for receiving said at least one output signal such that the speed of the fan is controllable to govern the environmental characteristic within at least one of said at least two enclosed environments.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the adaptive means stores and processes data pertaining to the plurality of appliances such that decisions and processing by the microcontroller relating to the operation of the plurality of appliances are reduced based on similar or identical past operations stored in memory.

12. An air control system for governing environmental characteristics in a plurality of enclosed environments, the system comprising:

inputting means for receiving at least one environmental characteristic parameter;

at least one sensing means for periodically measuring said at least one environmental parameter;

controlling means in communication with said at least one sensing means, the controlling means comprising electronic circuitry capable of controlling the environmental characteristic according to said at least one parameter in at least two of the plurality of enclosed environments such that the data from said at least one sensing means is periodically received and processed, the controlling means periodically generating at least one output signal for controlling the environmental characteristic in at least one of said at least two enclosed environments;

interfacing means on the controlling means for individually communicating with and controlling the operations of individual appliances;

adaptive means on the controlling means for storing and processing data pertaining to devices connected to the controlling means for use in later communicating to the devices;

at least one variable speed fan motor for receiving said at least one output signal such that the speed of the fan is controllable to govern the environmental characteristic within at least one of said at least two enclosed environments; and

mechanical safety means operably connected to the controlling means to prevent the appliances from operating when the environmental characteristic is at an unacceptable level for a predetermined time period.