Control methods for setting a reference voltage in an air treatment system
First Claim
1. A method for controlling an air treatment system comprising the steps of:
- providing a blower motor operable at a plurality of blower speeds;
providing a light sensor having an output based on a particulate level;
providing, in computer readable memory, a reference voltage for the light sensor;
taking a plurality of sample readings from the light sensor output;
resetting the reference voltage for the light sensor as a function of an average of the plurality of sample readings from the light sensor output; and
operating the blower motor at one of the plurality of blower speeds in response to a further reading from the light sensor output as compared to the reset reference voltage,wherein each of the plurality of blower speeds corresponds to a subrange of possible light sensor output values, wherein each subrange includes a variable size that is determined based on the reset reference voltage.
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Abstract
A control system and associated methods for an air treatment system. In one aspect, the present invention provides a control system and method for controlling blower speed as a function of separately determined smoke and dust concentrations. In one embodiment, the control system and method provides a variable delayed between changes in motor speed to address undesirable rapid changes between speeds. In another aspect, the present invention provides a system and method for calibrating a sensor to provide more uniform operation over time. In yet another aspect, the present invention provide a system and method for calibrating motor speed to provide more consistent and uniform motor speed over time. The present invention also provides a system and method for tracking filter life by as a function of time, motor speed and/or a sensed variable, such as particulate concentration in the environment.
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Citations
10 Claims
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1. A method for controlling an air treatment system comprising the steps of:
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providing a blower motor operable at a plurality of blower speeds; providing a light sensor having an output based on a particulate level; providing, in computer readable memory, a reference voltage for the light sensor; taking a plurality of sample readings from the light sensor output; resetting the reference voltage for the light sensor as a function of an average of the plurality of sample readings from the light sensor output; and operating the blower motor at one of the plurality of blower speeds in response to a further reading from the light sensor output as compared to the reset reference voltage, wherein each of the plurality of blower speeds corresponds to a subrange of possible light sensor output values, wherein each subrange includes a variable size that is determined based on the reset reference voltage. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10)
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2. A method for controlling an air treatment system including a light sensor for sensing a particulate level and a blower motor operable at a plurality of blower speeds, the method comprising the steps of:
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providing a reference voltage for the light sensor; taking a first sample reading from the light sensor; storing the first sample reading from the light sensor in a local variable; taking an additional sample reading from the light sensor; adding the additional sample reading from the light sensor to the first sample reading from the light sensor to arrive at a sum and storing the sum in the local variable; determining an average sample reading from the light sensor by dividing the sum by a total number of sample readings from the light sensor; using the average sample reading from the light sensor to reset the reference voltage for the light sensor; and operating the blower motor at one of the plurality of blower speeds in response to a further reading from the light sensor as compared to the reset reference voltage, wherein each of the plurality of blower speeds corresponds to a subrange of possible sample readings, wherein each subrange includes a variable size that is determined based on the reset reference voltage. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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Specification