Environmental control using a chaotic function

• US 9,727,037 B2
• Filed: 08/24/2012
• Issued: 08/08/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ABL IP Holding LLC (Acuity Brands, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ABL IP Holding LLC (Acuity Brands, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rains, Jr., Jack C., Ramer, David P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lo, Kenneth M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chu, Alan
• Application Number:
  US13/594,236
• Publication Number:
  US 20140058566A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,810 Days
• Field of Search: 700275-278
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2642 Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house

Abstract

One or more controlled environmental conditions have a characteristic thereof that varies over time at least in part in accordance with a chaotic function. Variable control, for example, may control one or more characteristics of visible lighting of the environmentally controlled space. Examples of lighting characteristics that may be controlled in such a manner include spectral content, intensity, color temperature, chromaticity difference or Delta_uv, and polarization. In addition or instead, one or more characteristics of the atmosphere in the controlled environment may be controlled based on a chaotic function. Examples of atmospheric characteristics that may be controlled in such a manner include temperature, humidity, air pressure, ionization, electromagnetic fields, precipitation, visibility, wind, smell and chemical composition. A sound system may also provide a chaotic component to the environment in the environmentally controlled space.

Claims

1. A method of environmental control, comprising steps of:

automatically producing a chaotic variation of a controlled characteristic of a first environmental condition in a space to be utilized by one or more occupants, during a period of time less than a day, at least in part in accordance with a first chaotic function that produces one of quad-stable results or unstable results with attractors in the chaotically varied controlled characteristic of the first environmental condition; and

automatically producing a chaotic variation of a controlled characteristic of a second environmental condition in the space, different from the first environmental condition, during a period of time less than a day when the space is occupied, at least in part in accordance with a second chaotic function that produces one of quad-stable results or unstable results with attractors in the chaotically varied controlled characteristic of the second environmental condition, wherein;

the first environmental condition is artificial visible illumination within the space; and

the second environmental condition is not directly related to visible illumination within the space.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first chaotic function is different from the second chaotic function.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sensing a characteristic of ambient light in the space,

wherein the step of automatically varying the characteristic of the first environmental condition comprises controlling of the variation of the characteristic of the visible illumination at least partially in response to the sensed characteristic of ambient light in the space.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the second environmental condition is sound.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the second environmental condition is atmospheric condition in the space.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the controlled characteristic of the first environmental condition is a characteristic of visible light in the space selected from the group consisting of:

intensity of light, spectral content of light, polarization of light, color temperature of light, and chromaticity difference (Delta_uv) of light from the Planckian locus.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the controlled characteristic of the second environmental condition is a characteristic of the atmospheric condition in the space selected from the group consisting of:

temperature, humidity, pressure, ionization, air movement, visibility and chemical composition.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of varying the controlled characteristic of the first environmental condition comprises varying the characteristic of the first environmental condition in accordance with a combination of a first nominal function over the period of time and the first chaotic function.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the combination of the first nominal function and the first chaotic function approximates a natural variation of the controlled characteristic of the first environmental condition.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the automatically producing steps comprises limiting variation to less than or equal to a maximum extent of variation.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the automatically producing steps comprises limiting variation to less than or equal to a maximum rate of variation.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sensing a characteristic of ambient relative to one of the controlled characteristics in the space,

wherein at least one of the steps of automatically producing controlled variation is at least partially responsive to the sensed ambient characteristic.

13. An article of manufacture, comprising a non-transitory machine readable medium and instructions embodied in the medium for configuring a programmable controller of an environmental control system to implement the method of claim 1.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein each chaotic function comprises a mathematical expression that determines the variation of the respective controlled characteristic in a dynamic manner that appears random or lacking in order.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein each mathematical expression is dynamic and highly sensitive to an initial condition.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first chaotic function comprises a first mathematical expression;

the second chaotic function comprises a second mathematical expression; and

the first mathematical expression is the same as the second mathematical expression.

17. A method of environmental control, comprising steps of:

automatically producing a chaotic variation of a controlled characteristic of a first environmental condition in a space to be utilized by one or more occupants, during a period of time less than a day, at least in part in accordance with a first chaotic function; and

automatically producing a chaotic variation of a controlled characteristic of a second environmental condition in the space, different from the first environmental condition, over a period of time less than a day, at least in part in accordance with a second chaotic function, wherein;

the step of chaotically varying the controlled characteristic of the first environmental condition comprises varying the controlled characteristic of the first environmental condition in accordance with a combination of a first nominal function and the first chaotic function;

the step of chaotically varying the controlled characteristic of the second environmental condition comprises varying the controlled characteristic of the second environmental condition in accordance with a combination of a second nominal function and the second chaotic function;

when the space is occupied, variations of the controlled characteristics of the environmental conditions impact perception of the space by a human occupant of the space; and

the second nominal function is different from the first nominal function.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the combination of the second nominal function and the second chaotic function approximates a natural variation of the controlled characteristic of the second environmental condition.

19. An environmental control system, comprising:

a first environmental conditioner configured to control of a characteristic of a first environmental condition in a space to be utilized by one or more occupants, so as to automatically chaotically vary the controlled characteristic of the first environmental condition during a period of time less than a day, at least in part in accordance with a first chaotic function that produces one of quad-stable results or unstable results with attractors in the chaotically varied controlled characteristic of the first environmental condition, the first environmental conditioner comprising a controlled lighting device for illuminating the space; and

a second environmental conditioner configured to control of a characteristic of a second environmental condition in the space different from the first environmental condition, so as to automatically chaotically vary the controlled characteristic of the second environmental condition during a period of time less than a day when the space is occupied, at least in part in accordance with a second chaotic function that produces one of quad-stable results or unstable results with attractors in the chaotically varied controlled characteristic of the second environmental condition.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the second environmental conditioner comprises a device configured to control an abiotic characteristic of atmospheric condition in the space.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein:

the lighting device is configured to control one or more light characteristics selected from the group consisting of;

intensity of light, spectral content of light, polarization of light, color temperature of light, and chromaticity difference (Delta_uv) of light from the Planckian locus, so as to vary at least in part in accordance with the first chaotic function; and

the second environmental conditioner is configured to control one or more abiotic atmospheric characteristics selected from the group consisting of;

temperature, humidity, pressure, ionization, air movement, visibility and chemical composition, so as to vary at least in part in accordance with the second chaotic function.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein each chaotic function comprises a mathematical expression that determines the variation of the respective controlled characteristic in a dynamic manner that appears random or lacking in order.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein each mathematical expression is dynamic and highly sensitive to an initial condition.

24. An environmental control system, comprising:

a source of visible artificial light configured to illuminate a space to be utilized by one or more occupants;

a conditioner configured to establish another environmental condition within the space not directly related to illumination of the space;

a controller coupled to control operation of the source of visible artificial light and the at least one conditioner, wherein the controller is configured to;

control operation of the source of visible artificial light so as to automatically produce chaotic variation of a controlled characteristic of visible artificial light emitted from the source into the space during a period of time less than a day, at least in part in accordance with a first function including a first chaotic function component that produces one of quad-stable results or unstable results with attractors in the chaotically varied controlled characteristic of the visible artificial light, and

control operation of the conditioner so as to automatically produce chaotic variation of a controlled characteristic of the other environmental condition within the space during a period of time less than a day when the space is occupied, at least in part in accordance with a second function including a second chaotic function component that produces one of quad-stable results or unstable results with attractors in the chaotically varied controlled characteristic of the other environmental condition,

wherein the second function is different from the first function.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the conditioner is a device configured to establish an abiotic characteristic of atmospheric condition in the space selected from the group consisting of:

temperature, humidity, pressure, ionization, air movement, visibility and chemical composition.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the second chaotic function component of the second function comprises a mathematical expression that determines the variation of the controlled characteristic of the abiotic environmental condition within the space in a dynamic manner that appears random or lacking in order.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the mathematical expression is dynamic and highly sensitive to an initial condition.

28. The system of claim 24, wherein the conditioner comprises a heating and air conditioning system, a humidity generator, an ion generator, an air flow generator or an air pressure generator.

29. The system of claim 24, wherein the controller is further configured to control operation of the conditioner such that the variation of the controlled characteristic of the other environmental condition comprises varying the controlled characteristic of the other environmental condition in accordance with a combination of a nominal function and the second chaotic function.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the combination of the nominal function and the second chaotic function approximates a natural variation of the at least one controlled characteristic of the other environmental condition.

31. The system of claim 24, wherein the controller is further configured to control operation of the conditioner such that the variation of the controlled characteristic of the other environmental condition effects perception by the one or more occupants in a manner that promotes an objective purpose of the space when occupied.

32. The system of claim 24, wherein:

the first chaotic function component of the first function comprises a mathematical expression that determines the variation of the controlled characteristic of the visible light emitted from the source into the space in a dynamic manner that appears random or lacking in order; and

the second chaotic function component of the second function comprises a mathematical expression that determines the variation of the controlled characteristic of other environmental condition in a dynamic manner that appears random or lacking in order.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein each mathematical expression is dynamic and highly sensitive to an initial condition.

34. An environmental control system, comprising:

a first environmental conditioner configured to control of a characteristic of a first environmental condition in a space to be utilized by one or more occupants, so as to chaotically vary the controlled characteristic of the first environmental condition over a period of time less than a day, at least in part in accordance with a first chaotic function; and

a second environmental conditioner configured to control of a characteristic of a second environmental condition in the space different from the first environmental condition, so as to chaotically vary the controlled characteristic of the second environmental condition over a period of time less than a day, at least in part in accordance with a second chaotic function, wherein;

the first environmental conditioner is further configured to enable control such that the chaotic variation of the controlled characteristic of the first environmental condition comprises varying the controlled characteristic of the first environmental condition in accordance with a combination of a first nominal function and the first chaotic function;

the second environmental condition is further configured to enable control such that the chaotic variation of the controlled characteristic of the second environmental condition comprises varying the controlled characteristic of the second environmental condition in accordance with a combination of a second nominal function and the second chaotic function;

when the space is occupied, variations of the controlled characteristics of the environmental conditions impact perception of the space by a human occupant of the space; and

the second nominal function is different from the first nominal function.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein:

the first environmental conditioner comprises a controlled lighting device for illuminating the space; and

the second environmental conditioner comprises a device configured to control an abiotic characteristic of atmospheric condition in the space.

36. The system of claim 35, wherein:

the first chaotic function comprises a mathematical expression that determines the variation of the controlled characteristic of visible illumination within the space in a dynamic manner that appears random or lacking in order; and

the second chaotic function comprises a mathematical expression that determines the variation of the controlled characteristic of the second environmental condition within the space in a dynamic manner that appears random or lacking in order.

37. The system of claim 36, wherein each mathematical expression is dynamic and highly sensitive to an initial condition.

38. The system of claim 35, wherein:

the lighting device is configured to control one or more light characteristics selected from the group consisting of;

intensity of light, spectral content of light, polarization of light, color temperature of light, and chromaticity difference (Delta_uv) of light from the Planckian locus, so as to vary at least in part in accordance with the first chaotic function; and

the second environmental conditioner is configured to control one or more abiotic atmospheric characteristics selected from the group consisting of;

temperature, humidity, pressure, ionization, air movement, visibility and chemical composition, so as to vary at least in part in accordance with the second chaotic function.