Method and apparatus for controlling building component characteristics

• US 20050268629A1
• Filed: 03/25/2005
• Published: 12/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Industry Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Industry Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Ahmed, Osman
• Granted Patent: US 7,610,910 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 62/201
• 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 11/52 Indication arrangements, e.g. displays
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/875 by controlling heat-storage apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/00 Control inputs relating to air properties
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 10/20 Solar thermal

Abstract

A building component system includes a building component that is controllable between a first state and a second state in response to a sensed condition. The system may include a sensor on a first side of the building component and a sensor on the second side of the building component. The building component may be a window that is controllable between an opaque state and a clear state by a micro electromechanical system (MEMS) network that senses the conditions on both sides of the window.

Claims

1. A building component system comprising:

a building component located between a first area and a second area and controllable between a first state and a second state;

a first sensor for sensing a first condition in the first area;

a second sensor for sensing a second condition in the second area; and

a controller for controlling the state of the component based upon the sensed first condition and the sensed second condition.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the first sensor is located within a first micro electromechanical system module;

the controller is located within a second micro electromechanical system module; and

the first micro electromechanical system module and the second micro electromechanical system module are configured to communicate over a first wireless network.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the second sensor is located within a third micro electromechanical system module and the second micro electromechanical system module and the third micro electromechanical system module are configured to communicate over a second wireless network.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the component comprises a window with a first layer controllable between the first state wherein energy is allowed to pass through the first layer and the second state wherein energy is restrained from passing through the first layer.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the window comprises a second layer controllable between a third state wherein energy is allowed to pass through the second layer and a fourth state wherein energy is restrained from passing through the second layer.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the first layer and the second layer are spaced apart and the window further comprises a thermal fluid compartment located between the first layer and the second layer, the system further comprising:

a thermal energy storage device for storing thermal energy; and

a pump for pumping thermal fluid between the thermal fluid compartment and the thermal energy storage device so as to transfer energy between the window and the thermal energy storage device.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the thermal fluid comprises nano particles to increase the thermal energy transfer rate between the window and the thermal energy storage device.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the component comprises a wall with a layer controllable between the first state wherein energy is allowed to pass through the layer and the second state wherein energy is restrained from passing through the layer.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the wall is an outer wall of a building an the layer is controllable between a first state wherein energy is allowed to pass through the layer and the second state wherein energy is reflected by the layer.

10. A building control system comprising:

a building control network;

a first micro electromechanical system module network for controlling the state of a building envelope component based upon a sensed first condition, the first micro electromechanical system module network integrated into the building control network.

11. The building control system of claim 10, wherein the first micro electromechanical system module network is operable to control the state of an outer window between an opaque state and a transparent state.

12. The building control system of claim 11, wherein the first micro electromechanical system module network comprises a MEMS sensor module on the outer side of the window and a MEMS sensor module on the inner side of the window.

13. The building control system of claim 10, wherein the first micro electromechanical system module network comprises:

a MEMS sensor module for detecting a moving object on an outer side of a window.

14. The building control system of claim 10, wherein the first micro electromechanical system module network is operable to control the state of an outer wall between an energy reflective state and an energy absorbing state.

15. A method of controlling an energy transmission characteristic of a building component located between a first area and a second area comprising:

sensing a first condition in the first area;

sensing a second condition in the second area;

transmitting a signal indicative of the first sensed condition to a controller; and

controlling the energy transmission characteristic of the component based upon the sensed first condition and the sensed second condition.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein:

sensing a first condition comprises sensing a first condition with a first micro electromechanical system module;

controlling the energy transmission characteristic comprises controlling the energy transmission characteristic with a second micro electromechanical system module; and

transmitting a signal indicative of the first sensed condition comprises transmitting a signal indicative of the first sensed condition from the first micro electromechanical system module to the second micro electromechanical system module over a wireless network.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein:

sensing a second condition comprises sensing a second condition with a third micro electromechanical system module; and

the method further comprises transmitting a signal indicative of the second sensed condition from the third micro electromechanical system module to the second micro electromechanical system module over the wireless network.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein controlling the energy transmission characteristic of the component comprises controlling the energy transmission characteristic of a first layer of a window between the first state wherein energy is allowed to pass through the first layer and the second state wherein energy is restrained from passing through the first layer.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein controlling the energy transmission characteristic of the component further comprises controlling the energy transmission characteristic of a second layer of the window between a third state wherein energy is allowed to pass through the second layer and a fourth state wherein energy is restrained from passing through the second layer.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

pumping thermal fluid between a thermal energy storage device and a thermal fluid compartment located between the first layer of the window and the second layer of the window and so as to transfer energy between the window and the thermal energy storage device.