Centralized automatic energy control system

• US 6,772,049 B2
• Filed: 02/25/2002
• Issued: 08/03/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sang J. Choi
• Original Assignee: Sang J. Choi
• Inventors: Choi, Sang J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Picard, Leo
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bahta, Kidest
• Application Number:
  US10/081,957
• Publication Number:
  US 20030163222A1
• Time in Patent Office: 890 Days
• Field of Search: 700/277, 700/278, 700/276, 700/299, 700/300, 700/83, 700/17, 340/540, 340/528, 340/522, 165/120, 165/209, 236/47, 210/201-265
• US Class Current: 700/277
• 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 11/47 Responding to energy costs
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/52 Indication arrangements, e.g. displays
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/54 using one central controller connected to several sub-controllers
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/10 Occupancy
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1902 characterised by the use of a variable reference value

Abstract

For a facility, such as hotels, motels, or apartments, energy expenses especially for air conditioning, heating and room lighting are one of major concerns of the management. This invention is pertaining to how to save the electricity usage by effectively controlling room lighting sand temperatures, from the front office.

In a hotel/motel environment, when a office clerk checks out a guest from a room, the room is automatically put in vacant status and, of which unnecessary lights are turned off, temperature is adjusted to the preset vacant level, and the room indicator LED is off showing that the room is vacant. When a new guest is checked in, the process is just opposite, turning the room indicator LED on, all lights are enabled to turn on, and temperature is adjusted to the preset occupied level for the room. Since this invention uses the existing telephone lines to control the room devices automatically from the front office, no extra wiring from room to room are needed for the communication.

Claims

1. A centralized automatic energy control system for managing energy efficiently in a hotel or motel facility with multi room environment, the control system comprises:

a central controller means; and

plurality of local controller means;

wherein

the central controller means for controlling individual room'"'"'s heating, airconditioning, lightings automatically from a central location further comprising;

a) microcontroller for;

inputting room address number from keypad during check in, check out process of a guest into, or out of, a room,

transferring occupied and vacant preset limit temperatures to a local controller located in each room,

maintaining room status table in memory within the microcontroller,

updating room status LED matrix,

outputting the room address during check in and check out process,

updating preset limit temperatures and keeping them inside memory,

maintaining the programs for the aforementioned functions;

b) LED Matrix means for displaying the room status whether checked out, checked in, or the room is clean by different colors;

c) keypad means for inputting room numbers during check in, or check out process, inputting preset limit temperature values for the occupied and vacant states;

d) function control push buttons defined as IN, OUT, UPDATE, and RESET buttons, for checking in, checking out, updating vacant room limit temperature and occupied room limit temperature, and resetting the system;

e) display means for displaying occupied preset limit temperature value and vacant preset limit temperature value, and displaying room numbers during check in and check out process;

f) tone generator means for converting a digital data to a DTMF data, and transmitting room address and the preset temperature values;

g) tone receiver mean for converting a DTMF data to a digital data, and receiving room status information from local controllers;

h) existing telephone lines for data transmissions between the central controller and the local controllers.

2. The centralized automatic energy control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said local controller means installed in every room, and controlled by the central controller further comprising:

a) a microcontroller for inputting the preset occupied and vacant limit temperatures during check in, check out processes from the central controller means, generating the control voltage to activate or deactivate heating or cooling relay, maintaining appropriate programs for aforementioned functions;

b) temperature sensor for inputting the measured ambient temperature value which is converted to a digital value by an ADC converter embedded in the microprocessor;

c) tone receiver for converting touch tone signal, DTMF, received via telephone lines to digital data format;

d) tone generator for;

converting digital data to touch tone signal, transmitting the status data and room number to central controller;

e) display means for displaying the preset limit temperature value, ambient temperature value on the local controller;

f) a three position switch means defined as HFC switch for selecting either heating, fan, or cooling function;

g) increase and decrease buttons, defined as INC and DEC buttons, to manually increase or decrease a room temperature while the room is occupied;

h) room status report button means defined as READY button for sending a room number and the room status signal to the central controller and disabling the lighting system of the room; and

I) a relay and amplifier means for activating or deactivating either heating or cooling unit.

3. Method of automatically controlling temperatures and lightings for all individual rooms in a multi rooms environment from a central controller comprising, steps of:

a) transmitting the preset limit temperature values for the occupied state and the vacant state from the central controller to a local controller via existing telephone lines through tone generator and tone receiver during check in and check out processes;

b) reporting said room status from a local controller to the central controller via telephone lines through tone generator and tone receiver;

c) maintaining a LED Matrix on the central controller for displaying the room occupancy status with one LED per room, said status includes check in, check out, room is clean states, distinguished by the different colors;

d) utilizing the existing telephone lines for the data communications between the central controller located in the front office and the local controllers installed one in each room;

e) displaying a vacant room limit temperature and an occupied room limit temperature values on a display on the central controller;

f) displaying a current room temperature and a room limit temperature values on a display on the local controller;

g) converting a DTMF signal to a digital signal by tone receivers of the central and the local controllers; and

h) converting a digital signal to a DTMF signal by tone generators of the central and local controllers.