OCCUPANCY-BASED WIRELESS CONTROL OF MULTIPLE ENVIRONMENTAL ZONES WITH ZONE CONTROLLER IDENTIFICATION

• US 20140158338A1
• Filed: 02/18/2014
• Published: 06/12/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Nest Labs Incorporated (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: KATES, Lawrence
• Granted Patent: US 9,353,963 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 165/237
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 1/022 comprising a compressor cycle
• 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 11/46 Improving electric energy efficiency or saving
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/52 Indication arrangements, e.g. displays
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/523 for displaying temperature data
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/54 using one central controller connected to several sub-controllers
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/56 Remote control
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/58 using Internet communication
• 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 11/66 Sleep mode
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/70 Control systems characterised by their outputs; Constructional details thereof
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/72 for controlling the supply of treated air, e.g. its pressure
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/74 for controlling air flow rate or air velocity
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/76 by means responsive to temperature, e.g. bimetal springs
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/77 by controlling the speed of ventilators
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/83 by controlling the supply of heat-exchange fluids to heat-exchangers
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/00 Control inputs relating to air properties
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/10 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/40 Pressure, e.g. wind pressure
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/00 : Control inputs relating to users or occupants
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/10 : Occupancy
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2140/40 : Damper positions, e.g. open or closed
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 3/044 : Systems in which all treatment is given in the central station, i.e. all-air systems
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 7/10 : with air supply, or exhaust, through perforated wall, floor or ceiling outlet members for directing or distributing air into rooms or spaces, e.g. ceiling air-diffusers F24F13/06
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1934 : each space being provided with one sensor acting on one or more control means

Abstract

An Electronically-Controlled Register vent (ECRV) that can be easily installed by a homeowner or general handyman is disclosed. The ECRV can be used to convert a non-zoned HVAC system into a zoned system. The ECRV can also be used in connection with a conventional zoned HVAC system to provide additional control and additional zones not provided by the conventional zoned HVAC system. In one embodiment, the ECRV is configured have a size and form-factor that conforms to a standard manually-controlled register vent. In one embodiment, a zone thermostat is configured to provide thermostat information to the ECRV. In one embodiment, the zone thermostat communicates with a central monitoring system that coordinates operation of the heating and cooling zones.

Claims

1. A system for wirelessly controlling multiple environmental zones, comprising:

a plurality of zone controllers, each zone controller being associated with one of the environmental zones and being configured to send wireless communications to other devices of the system, each wireless communication including a zone controller identifier that uniquely identifies the zone controller with respect to the other zone controllers;

a temperature control device configured to;

receive the wireless communication from at least one of the zone controllers;

determine, based on the wireless communications from the zone controllers, whether an environmental zone at which the temperature control device is located is occupied or unoccupied; and

control an HVAC system to adjust a temperature of the environmental zone at which the temperature control device is located based on whether the environmental zone is occupied or unoccupied.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the temperature control device is further configured to:

determine a desired temperature of the environmental zone at which the temperature control device is located; and

control the HVAC system to adjust the temperature of the environmental zone at which the temperature control device is located when the environmental zone is occupied to reach the desired temperature.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein each zone controller comprises a temperature sensor for sensing a current temperature of the environmental zone associated with the zone controller, each zone controller is configured to communicate the current temperature of the environmental zone associated with the zone controller, and the temperature control device is further configured to control the HVAC system to adjust the temperature of the environmental zone at which the temperature control device is located when the environmental zone is occupied to reach the desired temperature based on the communicated current temperature.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein each zone controller comprises an occupancy sensor for detecting an occupancy state of the environmental zone associated with the zone controller, and is configured to include the occupancy state in the wireless communications to other devices of the system.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein being configured to determine a desired temperature of the environmental zone at which the temperature control device is located includes being configured to receive the desired temperature from a user.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the temperature control device is further configured to display information indicating a characteristic of the environmental zone at which the temperature control device is located.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the characteristic is a current temperature of the environmental zone at which the temperature control device is located.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the characteristic is a desired temperature of the environmental zone at which the temperature control device is located, the desired temperature being set by a user.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising a thermostat operable to control the HVAC system, the thermostat configured to wirelessly communicate with the temperature control device.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the temperature control device is a thermostat.

11. A method for wirelessly controlling multiple environmental zones, comprising:

sending, by each of a plurality of zone controllers, each zone controller being associated with one of the environmental zones, wireless communications to other devices of the system, each wireless communication including a zone controller identifier that uniquely identifies the zone controller with respect to the other zone controllers;

receiving, by a temperature control device, the wireless communication from at least one of the zone controllers;

determining, by the temperature control device, whether an environmental zone at which the temperature control device is located is occupied or unoccupied based on the wireless communication from the at least one zone controller; and

controlling, by the temperature control device, an HVAC system to adjust a temperature of the environmental zone at which the temperature control device is located based on whether the environmental zone is occupied or unoccupied.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining a desired temperature of the environmental zone at which the temperature control device is located; and

controlling the HVAC system to adjust the temperature of the environmental zone at which the temperature control device is located when the environmental zone is occupied to reach the desired temperature.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

sensing a current temperature of the environmental zone associated with the zone controller to the temperature control device; and

controlling the HVAC system to adjust the temperature of the environmental zone at which the temperature control device is located when the environmental zone is occupied to reach the desired temperature based on the communicated current temperature.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein determining a desired temperature of the environmental zone at which the temperature control device is located includes wirelessly receiving the desired temperature from a user.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein controlling an HVAC system to adjust a temperature of the environmental zone at which the temperature control device is located includes varying an amount of heating or cooling into the environmental zone at which the temperature control device is located.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein varying an amount of heating or cooling into the environmental zone at which the temperature control device is located includes adjusting an aperture size of an air vent located in the environmental zone at which the temperature control device is located.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising the at least one zone controller operating in a multiple power modes including a low power mode and a high power mode.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein, when the at least one zone controller operates in the low power mode, the at least one zone controller performs a first set of operations, and when in the high power mode, the at least one zone controller performs a second set of operations that includes operations excluded by the first set of operations.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein at least one of the zone controllers is battery powered, and the method further comprises displaying, to a user, information indicative of an amount of power available to the at least one zone controller.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein at least one of the zone controllers is battery powered, and the method further comprises:

comparing an amount of power available to the at least one zone controller to a threshold value;

determining whether the amount of power available to the at least one zone controller is below the threshold value; and

in response to determining that the amount of power available to the at least one zone controller is below the threshold value, displaying a low battery alert.