GESTURE CONTROL OF BUILDING AUTOMATION SYSTEM COMPONENTS DURING INSTALLATION AND/OR MAINTENANCE

• US 20170102773A1
• Filed: 10/12/2015
• Published: 04/13/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: D'Souza, Aaron
• Granted Patent: US 10,691,214 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 11/526 giving audible indications
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/58 using Internet communication
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/00 Control inputs relating to air properties
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/32 Remote control based on movements, attitude of remote control device
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/50 Receiving or transmitting feedback, e.g. replies, status updates, acknowledgements, from the controlled devices
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/93 Remote control using other portable devices, e.g. mobile phone, PDA, laptop

Abstract

An HVAC component may be configured using a wearable device and a mobile device that is operatively coupled to the wearable device. The wearable device may be configured to capture one or more gestures that correspond to a particular HVAC component command, and to communicate the captured gestures to the mobile device. In response, the mobile device may carry out the HVAC component command that corresponds to the captured gesture. In this way, an installer may configure the HVAC component while lessening the need to directly enter commands into the mobile device and/or some other device.

Claims

1. A method for a contractor to configure one or more HVAC components of an HVAC system using a wearable device and a mobile device that is operatively coupled to the wearable device, the mobile device storing a correspondence between each of one or more defined gestures and one or more corresponding HVAC component commands, wherein the one or more HVAC component commands effect a change in the operation of one or more of the HVAC components of the HVAC system, the method comprising:

receiving at the mobile device a gesture sensed by the wearable device;

determining if the received gesture corresponds to one of the defined gestures stored in the mobile device;

if the received gesture corresponds to one of the defined gestures stored in the mobile device;

sending a confirmation to the wearable device that the received gesture was recognized by the mobile device as corresponding to one of the defined gestures stored in the mobile device;

using the correspondence between each of one or more defined gestures and the one or more corresponding HVAC component commands stored in the mobile device to identify the one or more HVAC component commands that correspond to the received gesture; and

transmitting the one or more HVAC component commands that are identified as corresponding to the received gesture to effect a change in the operation of one or more of the HVAC components of the HVAC system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein in response to receiving the confirmation at the wearable device, providing a detectable signal to the wearer of the wearable device that confirms the received gesture was recognized by the mobile device as corresponding to one of the defined gestures stored in the mobile device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the detectable signal is provided by the wearable device.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the detectable signal is provided by the mobile device.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the detectable signal is provided by the wearable device and the mobile device.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the detectable signal includes an audible signal.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the audible signal comprises one or more of:

a tone;

a beep;

a buzz;

a spoken word, phrase or sentence; and

a song.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein the detectable signal includes a visually perceptible signal.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the visually perceptible signal comprises one or more of:

a flash or series of flashed from a light source;

a description displayed on a display; and

an icon displayed on a display.

10. The method of claim 2, wherein the detectable signal includes a vibration signal.

11. The method of claim 2, wherein the detectable signal includes two or more of an audible signal, a visually perceptible signal and a vibration signal.

12. The method of claim 2, wherein the detectable signal comprises an indication of which of the defined gestures stored in the mobile device was identified as corresponding to received gesture.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the gesture sensed by the wearable device is received at the mobile device via bluetooth communication; and

the one or more HVAC component commands that are identified as corresponding to the received gesture are transmitted via bluetooth.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the gesture sensed by the wearable device is received at the mobile device via bluetooth communication; and

the one or more HVAC component commands that are identified as corresponding to the received gesture are transmitted via Wifi.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the gesture sensed by the wearable device is received at the mobile device via Wifi communication; and

the one or more HVAC component commands that are identified as corresponding to the received gesture are transmitted via Wifi.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the mobile device is a smartphone and the wearable device is a smart watch.

17. A mobile device for use by a contractor in configuring one or more HVAC components of an HVAC system, the mobile device operatively couplable to a wearable device, the mobile device comprising:

a memory for storing a correspondence between each of one or more defined gestures and one or more corresponding HVAC component commands, wherein the one or more HVAC component commands effect a change in the operation of one or more of the HVAC components of the HVAC system;

a receiver for receiving a gesture sensed by the wearable device;

a transmitter;

a processing unit operatively coupled to the memory, the receiver and the transmitter, the processing unit configured to determine if the gesture received via the receiver corresponds to one of the defined gestures stored in the memory, and if so;

identify the one or more HVAC component commands that correspond to the received gesture using the correspondence between each of one or more defined gestures and the one or more corresponding HVAC component commands stored in the memory; and

transmit via the transmitter the one or more HVAC component commands identified as corresponding to the received gesture to effect a change in the operation of one or more of the HVAC components of the HVAC system.

18. The mobile device of claim 17, wherein the processing unit is further configured to transmit a confirmation to the wearable device that the received gesture was recognized by the mobile device as corresponding to one of the defined gestures stored in the mobile device.

19. A mobile device for use by a contractor in configuring one or more HVAC components of an HVAC system, the mobile device operatively couplable to a wearable device, the mobile device comprising:

a communication block;

a processing unit operatively coupled to the communication block, the processing unit configured to receiving a gesture sensed by the wearable device via the communication block, and to determine if the gesture received via the communications block corresponds to one of a plurality of defined gestures, and if so;

transmit via the communication block an indication of the defined gesture that corresponds to the received gesture, and in response, receive via the communications block an indication of one or more HVAC component commands that correspond to the defined gesture; and

transmit via the communications block the one or more HVAC component commands identified as corresponding to the received gesture to effect a change in the operation of one or more of the HVAC components of the HVAC system.

20. The mobile device of claim 19, wherein the indication of the defined gesture that corresponds to the received gesture is transmitted to a remote server, and the indication of one or more HVAC component commands that correspond to the defined gesture are received from the remote server.