Managing environmental control system efficiency

• US 9,024,765 B2
• Filed: 01/11/2012
• Issued: 05/05/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Generac Power Systems Incorporated (Generac Holdings Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Hoesl, Mark J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Benjamin C
• Assistant Examiner(s): Foxx, Chico A
• Application Number:
  US13/348,347
• Publication Number:
  US 20130176130A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,210 Days
• Field of Search: 340/588, 340/506, 340/523, 340/526, 340/679, 340/680, 700/276, 700/278, 700/108, 700/174, 700/32, 236/46.C, 702182-185, 374/163, 374/170, 165/108, 454/162, 621/32
• US Class Current: 340/588
• 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 11/46 Improving electric energy efficiency or saving
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/58 using Internet communication

Abstract

A method, system or computer usable program product for providing alerts of inefficiency of an environmental conditioning system including, responsive to a cycle initiation by the environmental conditioning system, measuring a difference between an intake temperature and an outlet temperature after a predetermined period of time, and responsive to the difference being below a minimum level, generating an alert.

Claims

1. A method for providing alerts of inefficiency of an environmental conditioning system comprising:

responsive to a cycle initiation by the environmental conditioning system, measuring a first difference between an intake temperature and an outlet temperature after a predetermined period of time and measuring an outlet temperature difference between multiple outlet locations of the environmental conditioning system; and

determining whether the first difference is below a primary minimum level;

determining whether the first difference is above the primary minimum level and below a secondary minimum level and exhibits a negative trend according to historical information of the environmental conditioning system;

responsive to a positive determination, generating a user alert; and

responsive to determining whether the outlet temperature difference is above a threshold, generating an alert.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the historical information includes prior intake and outlet temperature differences.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein a statistically significant decrease in the prior intake and outlet temperature differences over time indicates a negative trend.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising responsive to the outlet temperature difference being below a threshold and above a secondary threshold, obtaining historical information of the environmental conditioning system.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising responsive to the outlet temperature difference in combination with the historical information indicating a statistically significant negative trend, generating the alert.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the alert is displayed on a home monitoring system.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the alert is sent to a service technician via the Internet.

8. A computer usable program product comprising a non-transitory computer usable storage medium including computer usable code for providing alerts of inefficiency of an environmental conditioning system, the computer usable program product comprising the computer usable code for performing the steps of:

responsive to a cycle initiation by the environmental conditioning system, measuring a first difference between an intake temperature and an outlet temperature after a predetermined period of time and measuring an outlet temperature difference between multiple outlet locations of the environmental conditioning system; and

determining whether the first difference is below a primary minimum level;

determining whether the first difference is above the primary minimum level and below a secondary minimum level and exhibits a negative trend according to historical information of the environmental conditioning system;

responsive to a positive determination, generating a user alert; and

responsive to determining whether the outlet temperature difference is above a threshold, generating an alert.

9. The computer usable program product of claim 8 wherein the historical information includes prior intake and outlet temperature differences.

10. The computer usable program product of claim 9 wherein a statistically significant decrease in the prior intake and outlet temperature differences over time indicates a negative trend.

11. The computer usable program product of claim 8 further comprising responsive to the outlet temperature difference being below a threshold and above a secondary threshold, obtaining historical information of the environmental conditioning system.

12. The computer usable program product of claim 11 further comprising responsive to the outlet temperature difference in combination with the historical information indicating a statistically significant negative trend, generating the alert.

13. The computer usable program product of claim 8 further comprising the computer usable code for performing the step of responsive to the outlet temperature difference being below a threshold and above a secondary threshold, obtaining historical information of the environmental conditioning system.

14. The computer usable program product of claim 13 further comprising the computer usable code for performing the step of responsive to the outlet temperature difference in combination with the historical information indicating a statistically significant negative trend, generating the alert.

15. A data processing system for anticipating parking space availability,

the data processing system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory storing program instructions which when executed by the processor execute the steps of;

responsive to a cycle initiation by the environmental conditioning system, measuring a first difference between an intake temperature and an outlet temperature after a predetermined period of time and measuring an outlet temperature difference between multiple outlet locations of the environmental conditioning system; and

determining whether the first difference is below a primary minimum level;

determining whether the first difference is above the primary minimum level and below a secondary minimum level and exhibits a negative trend according to historical information of the environmental conditioning system;

responsive to a positive determination, generating a user alert; and

responsive to determining whether the outlet temperature difference is above a threshold, generating an alert.

16. The data processing system of claim 15 wherein the historical information includes prior intake and outlet temperature differences.

17. The data processing system of claim 16 wherein a statistically significant decrease in the prior intake and outlet temperature differences over time indicates a negative trend.

18. The data processing system of claim 15 further comprising responsive to the outlet temperature difference being below a threshold and above a secondary threshold, obtaining historical information of the environmental conditioning system.

19. The data processing system of claim 18 further comprising responsive to the outlet temperature difference in combination with the historical information indicating a statistically significant negative trend, generating the alert.

20. The data processing system of claim 15 wherein the alert is displayed on a home monitoring system.