Centralized automatic energy control system

• US 20030163222A1
• Filed: 02/25/2002
• Published: 08/28/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sang J. Choi
• Original Assignee: Sang J. Choi
• Inventors: Choi, Sang J.
• Granted Patent: US 6,772,049 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 comprising:

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

a plurality of local controller means for controlling heating unit, aircondition unit, lightings in each said room based on the control data sent by said central controller.

2. The centralized automatic energy control system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said central controller located in the front office further comprising:

a) microcontroller for;

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

transferring occupied and vacant preset limit temperature to a local controller located in said room,

maintaining the room status table in the memory within it,

updating room status LED matrix,

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

updating the preset limit temperature and keeping it 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 off color, green or, red color respectively;

c) keypad means for;

inputting room numbers during check in, or check out process, inputting preset limit temperature values for the occupied and vacant events;

d) function control push buttons, IN, OUT, UPDATE, RESET distinctively different compared with keypad keys for;

checking in function, checking out function, updating the preset limit temperature, resetting the system;

e) display means for;

displaying occupied preset limit temperature value,

displaying vacant preset limit temperature value,

displaying room numbers during check in and check out process;

f) tone generator means for;

transmitting a room address number and the preset temperature numbers; and

g) tone receiver means for;

receiving a room status information from a local controller.

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

a) microcontroller for;

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

b) temperature sensor for;

inputting the measured ambient temperature value which is converted to the digital value by the ADC converter embedded in it;

c) tone receiver for;

converting touch tone signal 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;

f) MFC switch means for selecting either heating, fan, or cooling function;

g) “

INC”

button and “

DEC”

button for locally (manually) adjusting the room temperature;

h) “

READY”

button means for sending a room number and the room status signal to the central controller and disabling the lighting system of the room; and

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

4. Method of automatically controlling temperatures and lightings for all said individual rooms from a central location comprising:

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

b) the procedure reporting said room status from a local controller to the central controller via telephone lines;

c) means maintaining a LED Matrix for displaying the room occupancy status with one LED per room, said status includes check in, check out, said room is clean, distinguished by the colors red, off color, green respectively; and

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