Remote autonomous intelligent air flow control system and network

• US 20060105697A1
• Filed: 11/12/2004
• Published: 05/18/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Peter S. Aronstam
• Original Assignee: Peter S. Aronstam
• Inventors: Knobloch, Charles Saron, Aronstam, Peter S.
• Granted Patent: US 7,347,774 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 454/256
• 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 11/62 characterised by the type of control or by internal processing, e.g. using fuzzy logic, adaptive control or estimation of values
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/74 for controlling air flow rate or air velocity

Abstract

The present invention provides one or more autonomous in-duct or register grill mounted flow control devices, each of which has the capability to restrict or boost air flow through the duct or vent to which it is attached. The individual flow control devices may be in communication with other flow control devices in the duct works, having an ability to adapt in a cooperative fashion to optimize the environment served by the ductwork. In a preferred embodiment, each of the flow control devices provides its own power and does not require changing the existing ductwork or register boxes for installation.

Claims

1. A network of autonomous control devices for adjusting the flow through a system of ducts where each said autonomous control device operates in a cooperative fashion with other devices in said system of ducts, optimizing the operation of an environmental control unit, operating independently of said environmental control unit.

2. An device to control the air flow through a ductworks comprising:

a means to restrict air flow through a ductwork to which said flow control device is mounted;

a means to supply power;

a means to communicate with other flow control devices in said ductworks; and

a means to cooperate with said other flow control devices, whereby said control of said air flow is optimized.

3. The flow control device of claim 2 further comprising means for said flow control device to boost air flow through the ductwork to which it is mounted.

4. The flow control device of claim 2 wherein said flow control device further comprises self-powering means.

5. The flow control device of claim 2 wherein said flow restriction means provide air flow restriction of up to about 100%.

6. The flow control device of claim 2 wherein said flow restriction means provide air flow restriction in fractional increments up to about 100%.

7. The flow control device of claim 2 wherein said flow control device further comprises a communications means further comprising a means to receive the status of other devices in said ductworks.

8. The flow control device of claim 2 wherein said flow control device further comprises a communications means further comprising a means to receive local environmental conditions.

9. The flow control device of claim 2 wherein said flow control device further comprises a communications means further comprising a means to receive functional requests sent from a remote hand held controller.

10. The flow control device of claim 2 wherein said flow control device further comprises a communications means further comprising a means to receive the status of other devices in said ductworks, the local environmental conditions, and the functional requests sent from a remote hand held controller.

11. The flow control device of claim 2 wherein said flow control device further comprises a flow reversing means whereby said flow control device is able to move air through said ductworks, actuating an environmental control unit.

12. The flow control device of claim 2 wherein said flow control device further comprises a flow boosting means, whereby said flow control device moves air out of said ductworks.

13. The flow control device of claim 2 wherein said flow restriction means comprise:

a rotating structure; and

a motor-dynamo connected to said rotating structure.

14. The flow control device of claim 2 further comprising a means to generate power.

15. The flow control device of claim 14 wherein said means to generate power comprise:

a rotating structure; and

a motor-dynamo connected to said rotating structure.

16. The flow control device of claim 2 further comprising:

a means to generate power; and

a means to boost flow.

17. The flow control device of claim 16 wherein said flow restriction means comprises a rotating structure and said power generation means comprises said rotating structure.

18. The flow control device of claim 16 wherein said means to generate power comprise:

a rotating structure;

a motor-dynamo connected to said rotating structure;

said means to boost flow comprise said rotating structure and said motor-dynamo; and

said means to restrict flow comprise said rotating structure and said motor-dynamo.

19. The flow control device of claim 2 wherein said flow restriction means comprises a petal valve.

20. The apparatus of claim 2 further comprising a means to boost air flow, said means to boost air flow comprising a rotating structure.

21. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said flow restriction means comprises a single rotating structure.

22. The flow control device of claim 2 wherein said flow restriction means comprise:

a first rotating structure connected to a first motor-dynamo;

a first power manager connected to said first motor-dynamo;

a second rotating structure connected to a second motor-dynamo;

a second power manager connected to said second motor-dynamo; and

said cooperation means further comprising means to rotate first said and said second rotating structure independently, whereby controllable flow restriction is achieved.

23. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said flow control means comprise

a first rotating structure connected to a first motor-dynamo;

a first power manager connected to said first motor-dynamo;

a second rotating structure connected to a second motor-dynamo;

a second power manager connected to said second motor-dynamo; and

said intelligent controller further comprising means to rotate said second rotating structure out of phase with first said rotating structure, whereby controllable flow restriction is achieved.

24. The flow control device of claim 2 wherein said means to communicate further comprises a polling means whereby one or more parameters from said operational status table and said environmental control table may be polled.

25. The flow control device of claim 24 wherein said polling means comprise polling periodically over time, thereby providing the ability to monitor overall performance.

26. The flow control device of claim 2 wherein said means to communicate further comprises a status indication means whereby the operational status may be communicated.

27. The flow control device of claim 26 wherein said operational status includes at least one parameter from the list consisting of low power reserve, amount of flow restriction, amount of flow boost, failure conditions, parameters from an operational status table and parameters from an environmental control table.

28. The flow control device of claim 26 wherein said status indication means comprises a wireless transceiver.

29. The flow control device of claim 26 wherein said status indication means comprises a light emitting diode.

30. The flow control device of claim 2 wherein said communications means further comprises sensing means.

31. The flow control device of claim 2 wherein said flow control device further comprises adaptive control means, whereby said flow control device changes cooperative means with other devices in said ductworks.

32. The flow control device of claim 2 installed in a circular air duct.

33. The flow control device of claim 2 further comprising an adjustable bracket means whereby said flow control device may be installed in a register box.

34. The flow control device of claim 2 affixed to a register grill.

35. An apparatus to control the air flow through a ductworks comprising:

a flow control device mounted in said ductworks further comprising;

a communications device;

an intelligent controller connected to said communications device;

a power storage device;

a motor-dynamo;

a power manager, controlled by said intelligent controller, connecting said power storage device with said motor-dynamo; and

an operational status table, controlled by said intelligent controller and communicated from said communications device to a second communications device of a second flow control device;

a sensor in communication with said communications device; and

an environmental status table communicated from said sensor to said communications device.

36. The flow control device of claim 35 further comprising a temperature sensor connected to said intelligent controller.

37. The flow control device of claim 35 wherein said intelligent controller is programmed with adaptive processing means.

38. The flow control device of claim 35 wherein said communications device is comprised of a device selected from the group consisting of any typical wireless or wired system using infra red, 802.11, spread spectrum, digital cable, RS-232, modem, AC line network, ultrasonic, X10, ZigBee, Bluetooth, instrumentation bus, or other wire or wireless methods and protocols, and any combination thereof.

39. The flow control device of claim 35 wherein said communications device further comprises means to relay information to other devices.

40. The flow control device of claim 35 wherein said communications device further sends an environmental control unit command.

41. The apparatus of claim 35 wherein said sensor comprises:

a sensor communications device;

a sensor device;

a sensor microcontroller connected to said sensor communications device and said sensor device; and

a power source.

42. The sensor of claim 41 wherein said sensor device is comprised of at least one device selected from the group consisting of room temperature sensor, room proximity sensor, room humidity sensor, and user preference sensor.

43. The sensor of claim 41 wherein said sensor communications device is comprised of at least one device selected from the group consisting of infra red, 802.11, spread spectrum, digital cable, RS-232, modem, AC line network, ultrasonic, X10, ZigBee, Bluetooth, instrumentation bus, or other wire or wireless methods and protocols, and any combination thereof, which is able to communicate with a communications device of a flow control device.

44. The sensor of claim 41 wherein said sensor device is comprised of at least one means selected from the group consisting of infra-red, acoustic, resistive, semiconductor junctions, capacitive, inductive, received timing signals, switch setting, and position.

45. The sensor of claim 41 wherein said sensor device comprises a user preference sensor.

46. The apparatus of claim 35 wherein said sensor further comprises means to sense at least one environmental condition selected from the group consisting of temperature, humidity, date, day, time of day, use, proximity of inhabitants, desired temperature, and a user desired environmental condition.

47. The apparatus of claim 35 wherein said sensor further comprises means to communicate said operational status table to a second sensor in communication with a second flow control device.

48. The sensor of claim 47 wherein said communications means of said sensor comprises a network interface.

49. The sensor of claim 48 wherein said network interface is an AC line modem.

50. The sensor of claim 49 wherein said AC line modem is inductively coupled to AC power mains.

51. The sensor of claim 48 wherein said network interface is an X10 device.

52. The apparatus of claim 35 wherein said sensor device further comprises a means to relay information to other devices.

53. The apparatus of claim 35 wherein said sensor device further comprises a means to wirelessly communicate with other devices in a local area of said sensor device, relaying information from said other local area devices to a wired line network.

54. The claim of claim 53 wherein said wired line network is an AC line network.

55. The apparatus of claim 35 wherein said intelligent controller comprises preprogrammed instructions.

56. The apparatus of claim 35 wherein said intelligent controller comprises means to upload program instructions.

57. The flow control device of claim 35 installed in a circular air duct.

58. The flow control device of claim 35 further comprising an adjustable bracket means whereby said flow control device may be installed in a register box.

59. The flow control device of claim 35 affixed to a register grill.

60. A method of providing environmental control comprising the steps of:

a flow control device detecting movement of air in a duct;

a sensor sending an environmental status table to said flow control device; and

executing a collection of steps comprising;

receiving said environmental status table by said flow control device;

construction of a first operational status table by said flow control device;

transmission of said first operational status table by said flow control device to other devices;

receipt of a second operational status table by said flow control device from other devices;

calculation of desired flow restriction to apply by said flow control device; and

application of said calculated flow restriction by said flow control device.

61. The method of claim 60 wherein said operational status table comprises actual temperature;

requested temperature; and

flow restriction device temperature.

62. The method of claim 60 wherein said steps are used to boost the amount of air flow into a room.

63. The method of claim 60 wherein said calculation of desired flow restriction comprises the step of applying an inverse linear relationship between an actual temperature and a requested temperature.

64. The method of claim 60 wherein said calculation of desired flow restriction comprises the step of returning a maximum possible flow restriction result under the condition of:

an actual temperature being less than or equal to a requested temperature or a flow restriction device temperature being greater than or equal to an actual temperature; and

said actual temperature being greater than or equal to said requested temperature or said flow restriction device temperature being less than or equal to said actual temperature.

65. The method of claim 60 wherein said calculated flow restriction by said flow control device is applied by a plurality of flow restriction devices.

66. The method of claim 65 wherein said flow restriction devices comprise a petal valve and a rotating structure.

67. The method of claim 65 wherein said flow restriction devices comprise a plurality of rotating structures.

68. The method of claim 60 further comprising the steps of:

detecting depletion of power storage of said flow control device; and

extracting electrical energy from said movement of air in said duct upon detecting said depletion of power storage.

69. The method of providing environmental control of claim 60 further comprising the step of repeating execution of said collection of steps.

70. The method of providing environmental control of claim 69 wherein said calculation of desired flow restriction adapts to changes in said first operational status table.

71. The method of providing environmental control of claim 69 wherein said calculation of desired flow restriction adapts to changes in said second operational status table.

72. The method of providing environmental control of claim 60 wherein said operational status table is incomplete.

73. The operational status table of the method of claim 60 further comprising:

a parameter tracking whether a given room reaches its goal during an on state cycle of an environmental control unit;

rate of change variables;

parameters associated with the inverse linear relationship between the difference between the actual temperature and the requested temperature; and

a parameter specifying the amount of flow restriction that can be adjusted.

74. The operational status table of the method of claim 60 further comprising:

a parameter tracking the historical rate of change of temperature in a room versus the rate of flow and temperature of said room.

75. The operational status table of the method of claim 60 further comprising duct air pressures.

76. The operational status table of the method of claim 75 wherein said duct air pressure is calculated from the rotation rate of a rotating structure of said flow control device and the temperature of the air moving through said flow control device.

77. The operational status table of the method of claim 60 further comprising an assigned room priority.

78. The operational status table of the method of claim 60 comprising a collection of data objects, one data object for each flow control device, each data object comprising one or more data elements.

79. The operational status table of the method of claim 60 comprising one or more classes of parameters selected from the list containing:

energy parameters;

valve parameters, environmental control unit status parameters, flow control device parameters, and environmental status parameters.

80. The operational status table of the method of claim 60 comprises a historical rate of change table.

81. The operational status table of the method of claim 60 comprises a historical performance table.

86. The method of environmental control of claim 81 wherein said control means comprises an adaptive set of programming instructions.

82. A method of actuating an environmental control unit comprising the step of reversing flow through a flow control device.

83. The method of actuating an environmental control unit of claim 82 further comprising the step of restricting flow through a plurality of flow control devices.

84. The method of actuating an environmental control unit of claim 82 further comprising the step of boosting flow through a flow control device.

85. A method of environmental control using a plurality of flow control devices in a ductwork comprising the steps of:

each of said flow control devices receiving an environmental request;

said flow control device collecting local environmental conditions;

each said flow control device collecting the operational status of said flow control device;

each said flow control device making available through a communications means said environmental request, said operational status and said local environmental conditions to other flow control devices, thereby creating an information matrix;

each said flow control device applying a control means using said information matrix whereby an amount of flow restriction is determined with consideration of the other flow control devices; and

each flow control device adjusting an amount of flow restriction, whereby a response to said environmental request is achieved.