MULTI-FUNCTION THERMOSTAT WITH EMERGENCY DIRECTION FEATURES

• US 20170124842A1
• Filed: 10/28/2016
• Published: 05/04/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Original Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: Sinha, Sudhi, Ribbich, Joseph R., Ribbich, Michael L., Gaidish, Charles J., Cipolla, John P.
• Granted Patent: US 10,180,673 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02055 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular condition and temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02405 Determining heart rate variability
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02438 with portable devices, e.g. worn by the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1113 Local tracking of patients, e.g. in a hospital or private home
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/117 Identification of persons methods or arrangements for recognising patterns, e.g. fingerprints, G06F18/00, G06V40/00; identification of persons by analysing their voice or speech G10L17/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/681 Wristwatch-type devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2209/088 on the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14 Infusion devices, e.g. infusing by gravity; Blood infusion; Accessories therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/1723 using feedback of body parameters, e.g. blood-sugar, pressure measurement of body parameters A61B5/00
• 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 11/32 Responding to malfunctions or emergencies
• 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 11/526 giving audible indications
• 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 11/63 Electronic processing
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/74 for controlling air flow rate or air velocity
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/84 using valves
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/10 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/00 : Control inputs relating to users or occupants
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/10 : Occupancy
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/12 : Position of occupants
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/14 : Activity of occupants
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/20 : Feedback from users
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2140/00 : Control inputs relating to system states
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/048 : Monitoring; Safety
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/15117 : Radio link, wireless
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2614 : HVAC, heating, ventillation, climate control
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2642 : Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24575 : using context
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 : for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 : Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 : specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 : insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/383 : Anonymous user system
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/405 : Establishing or using transaction specific rules
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/12 : Hotels or restaurants
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 : Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0057 : for the hiring or rent of vehicles, e.g. cars, bicycles or wheelchairs car rental G07B15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/0235 : the arrangements being full-front touchscreens
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 5/00 : Receipt-giving machines cash registers giving receipts G07G1/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 19/00 : Alarms responsive to two or more different undesired or abnormal conditions, e.g. burglary and fire, abnormal temperature and abnormal rate of flow
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0453 : worn on the body to detect health condition by physiological monitoring, e.g. electrocardiogram, temperature, breathing detecting, measuring or recording for diagnostic purposes A61B5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 27/00 : Alarm systems in which the alarm condition is signalled from a central station to a plurality of substations
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 7/066 : guiding along a path, e.g. evacuation path lighting strip
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 : specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 : Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/003 : locating network equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/11 : by determining the brightness or colour temperature of ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/115 : by determining the presence or movement of objects or living beings

Abstract

A multi-function thermostat for a building includes a touch-sensitive display, a communications interface, and a processing circuit. The touch-sensitive display is configured to present information to a user and receive input from the user. The communications interface is configured to receive weather information from a weather server and building emergency information from at least one of a building management system and a building device. The processing circuit configured to cause the touch-sensitive display to display emergency response directions when the weather information indicates emergency weather conditions or the building emergency information indicates a building emergency.

Claims

1. A multi-function thermostat for a building, the thermostat comprising:

a touch-sensitive display configured to present information to a user and receive input from the user;

a communications interface configured to receive weather information from a weather server and building emergency information from at least one of a building management system and a building device; and

a processing circuit configured to cause the touch-sensitive display to display emergency response directions when the weather information indicates emergency weather conditions or the building emergency information indicates a building emergency.

2. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the building device comprises one or more building emergency sensors, wherein the emergency sensors comprise at least one of a smoke detector, a carbon monoxide detector, and a user-operable emergency button.

3. The thermostat of claim 2, wherein the building emergency information comprises sensor data measured by the emergency sensors, wherein the processing circuit is configured to:

determine whether an emergency exists by comparing the sensor data to an emergency threshold and;

cause the touch-sensitive display to display the emergency response directions in response to a determination that the emergency exists.

4. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the communications interface is configured to communicate with a building speaker system;

wherein the processing circuit is configured to cause, via the communications interface, the building speaker system to broadcast the emergency response directions.

5. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the emergency response directions comprise contact information of one or more authorities comprising at least one of an ambulance, police, and building security.

6. The thermostat of claim 5, wherein the emergency response directions comprise an order in which to contact the authorities.

7. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the emergency response directions comprise a building map and evacuation directions, wherein the evacuation directions comprise at least one of directions to a building exit and directions to an emergency shelter in the building.

8. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the communications interface is configured to receive non-emergency information from the building management system;

wherein the processing circuit is configured to cause the touch-sensitive display to display the non-emergency information when the weather information indicates non-emergency weather and the building emergency information indicates that the building is safe.

9. The thermostat of claim 8, wherein the processing circuit is configured to cause the touch-sensitive display to switch from displaying the non-emergency information to displaying the emergency information in response to receiving the emergency information via the communications interface.

10. A method for a multi-function thermostat, the method comprising:

presenting information to a user and receiving input from the user via a touch-sensitive display;

receiving weather information from a weather server and building emergency information from at least one of a building management system via a communications interface; and

causing, via a processing circuit, the touch-sensitive display to display emergency response directions when the weather information indicates emergency weather conditions or the building emergency information indicates a building emergency.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the method further comprises receiving sensor data from one or more building emergency sensors via the communications interface, wherein the building emergency sensors comprise at least one of a smoke detector, a carbon monoxide detector, and a user-operable emergency button.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the method further comprises:

determining, via the processing circuit, whether an emergency exists by comparing the sensor data to an emergency threshold; and

causing, via the processing circuit, the touch-sensitive display to display emergency response directions in response to a determination that the emergency exists.

13. The method of claim 10, the method further comprising:

receiving non-emergency information from the building management system via the communications interface; and

causing, via the processing circuit, the touch-sensitive display to display the non-emergency information when the weather information indicates non-emergency weather and the building emergency information indicates that the building is not experiencing an emergency.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving emergency information from one or more building emergency sensors via the communications interface; and

overriding the non-emergency information received from the building management system via the communications interface when the emergency information is received from the building emergency sensors via the communications interface.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the emergency response directions comprise emergency contact information of one or more authorities comprising at least one of an ambulance, police, and building security.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the emergency response directions comprise a building map and evacuation directions, wherein the evacuation directions comprise at least one of directions to a building exit and directions to an emergency shelter in the building.

17. A multi-function thermostat for a building, the thermostat comprising:

a touch-sensitive display configured to present information to a user and receive input from the user;

a communications interface configured to receive emergency information from one or more building emergency sensors; and

a processing circuit configured to cause the touch-sensitive display to display emergency response directions when the emergency information received from the building emergency sensors via the communications interface indicates an emergency.

18. The thermostat of claim 17, wherein the communications interface is configured to receive weather information from a weather server and building emergency information from at least one of a building management system and a building device;

wherein the processing circuit is further configured to cause the touch-sensitive display to display the emergency response directions when the weather information indicates emergency weather conditions or the building emergency information indicates a building emergency.

19. The thermostat of claim 17, wherein the communications interface is configured to receive non-emergency information from a building management system,

wherein the processing circuit is configured to cause the touch-sensitive display to display the non-emergency information when the building emergency sensors indicate that there is no emergency in the building.

20. The thermostat of claim 17, wherein the emergency sensors comprise at least one of a smoke detector, a carbon monoxide detector, and a user-operable emergency button.