ENVIRONMENT CONTROLLER, AN ENVIRONMENT CONTROL SYSTEM AND ENVIRONMENT CONTROL METHOD

• US 20150362930A1
• Filed: 08/24/2015
• Published: 12/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aristocrat Technologies Australia PTY Limited (Aristocrat Leisure Limited)
• Original Assignee: Aristocrat Technologies Australia PTY Limited (Aristocrat Leisure Limited)
• Inventors: Frerking, Gary
• Granted Patent: US 10,241,529 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 2110/00 Control inputs relating to air properties
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/10 Occupancy
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/20 Feedback from users
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1917 using digital means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1934 each space being provided with one sensor acting on one or more control means

Abstract

An example environment control system for a venue includes a controllable device arranged to perform at least one of heating, cooling or ventilation of the venue so as to affect the environment of the venue; a plurality of input devices disposed throughout the venue, each input device operable by a user to input environment feedback; and an environment controller arranged to control the at least one controllable device based on the environment feedback.

Claims

1. An environment control system for a venue, the environment control system comprising:

a controllable device configured to perform at least one of heating, cooling or ventilation of the venue;

a plurality of input devices disposed throughout the venue, each input device associated with a gaming device in the venue and operable by a user to input environment feedback;

a venue management system configured to receive the environment feedback and add location information to the environment feedback based on the input device from which the environment feedback is received; and

an environment controller configured to control the at least one controllable device by adjusting a control parameter of the at least one controllable device based on the environment feedback and location information.

2. An environment control system as claimed in claim 1 comprising a plurality of controllable devices each configured to perform at least one of heating, cooling or ventilation of the venue.

3. An environment control system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the environment controller determines which of the plurality of controllable devices to control based on the environment feedback.

4. An environment control system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the environment controller is configured to select which controllable device or devices to control based on location information associated with the environment feedback.

5. An environment control system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising at least one sensor disposed within the venue to provide sensor data to the environment control system, and wherein the environment controller is configured to control the controllable device based on the sensor data.

6. An environment control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein each input device is part of a user interface and the user interface comprises a display.

7. An environment control system as claimed in claim 6, further comprising a feedback prompter configured to cause a message to be displayed on said display requesting the user provide environment feedback.

8. An environment control system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the feedback prompter operates in response to at least one condition being met.

9. An environment control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the venue is a gaming venue, and the input devices are disposed at respective ones of a plurality of gaming devices disposed in the gaming venue such that each of the input devices is operable by a player at a respective one of the plurality of gaming devices.

10. An environment control system as claimed in claim 9, further configured to receive usage data indicative of use of gaming devices within the venue from a gaming device management system and wherein the environment controller is arranged to control the controllable device based on the usage data.

11. An environment control system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the environment controller is configured to select which controllable device or devices to control based on location information associated with the environment feedback and wherein the gaming device management system provides the location information to the environment controller.

12. An environment controller for a venue, the environment controller configured to receive environment feedback input via a plurality of input devices disposed throughout the venue, each input device associated with a gaming device in the venue and operable by a user to input environment feedback, the environment controller configured to receive location information with respect to the environment feedback based on the input device from which the environment feedback is received, the environment controller configured to process the environment feedback to generate at least one control output to control at least one controllable device in the venue by adjusting a control parameter of the at least one controllable device, based on the environment feedback and location information, to perform at least one of heating, cooling or ventilation of the venue.

13. An environment controller as claimed in claim 12, wherein the control output is output to a display to enable an operator to control the at least one controllable device configured to perform at least one of heating, cooling or ventilation of the venue based on the displayed control output.

14. An environment controller as claimed in claim 12, configured to determine which of a plurality of controllable devices to control based on the environment feedback.

15. An environment controller claimed in claim 14, configured to select which controllable device or devices to control based on location information associated with the environment feedback.

16. An environment controller claimed in claim 12, configured to generate the at least one control output based on sensor data from at least one sensor disposed within the venue.

17. An environment controller as claimed in claim 12, configured to cause a message to be displayed on a display of a user interface requesting the user provide environment feedback.

18. An environment controller as claimed in claim 17, configured to cause the message to be displayed in response to at least one condition being met.

19. An environment controller as claimed in claim 12, configured to receive usage data indicative of use of respective ones of a plurality of gaming devices within the venue from a gaming device management system and to generate the at least one control output based on the usage data.

20. A method of controlling an environment of a gaming venue, the method comprising:

receiving environment feedback input from a plurality of input devices disposed in the venue, each input device associated with a gaming device in the venue and operable by a user to input environment feedback;

adding location information to the environment feedback based on the input device from which the environment feedback is received; and

controlling at least one controllable device configured to perform at least one of heating, cooling or ventilation of the venue by adjusting a control parameter of the at least one controllable device based on the environment feedback and location information.

21. A method as claimed in claim 20, comprising determining which of a plurality of controllable devices to control based on the environment feedback.

22. A method as claimed in claim 20, comprising selecting which controllable device or devices to control based on location information associated with the environment feedback.

23. A method as claimed in claim 20, further comprising controlling the controllable device based on the sensor data from at least one sensor disposed within the venue.

24. A method as claimed in claim 20, further comprising causing a message to be displayed on a display of a user interface requesting the user provide environment feedback.

25. A method as claimed in claim 24, comprising causing the message to be displayed in response to at least one condition being met.

26. A method as claimed in claim 20, comprising receiving usage data indicative of use of respective ones of a plurality of gaming devices within the venue from a gaming device management system and controlling the controllable device based on the usage data.

27. A tangible computer readable medium comprising computer program code which when executed is to implement a method of controlling an environment of a gaming venue, the method comprising:

receiving environment feedback input from a plurality of input devices disposed in the venue, each input device associated with a gaming device in the venue and operable by a user to input environment feedback;

adding location information to the environment feedback based on the input device from which the environment feedback is received; and

controlling at least one controllable device configured to perform at least one of heating, cooling or ventilation of the venue by adjusting a control parameter of the at least one controllable device based on the environment feedback and location information.