MULTI-FUNCTION HOME CONTROL SYSTEM WITH CONTROL SYSTEM HUB AND REMOTE SENSORS

• US 20160327921A1
• Filed: 05/04/2016
• Published: 11/10/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Original Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: Albinger, Donald R., Ribbich, Joseph R., Cipolla, John Peter, Sinha, Sudhi, Park, Youngchoon, Ribbich, Michael L., Gaidish, Charles J.
• Granted Patent: US 10,907,844 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 11/50 characterised by user interfaces or communication
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/52 Indication arrangements, e.g. displays
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/62 characterised by the type of control or by internal processing, e.g. using fuzzy logic, adaptive control or estimation of values
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/63 Electronic processing
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/70 Control systems characterised by their outputs; Constructional details thereof
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/89 Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/10 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2140/00 Control inputs relating to system states
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1902 characterised by the use of a variable reference value
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/105 in response to determined parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/11 by determining the brightness or colour temperature of ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/115 by determining the presence or movement of objects or living beings
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/12 by detecting audible sound
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

A home control system includes a thermostat configured to measure environmental conditions in a first room of a building and control heating, ventilation, and air condition (HVAC) equipment within the building. The thermostat includes a central control hub configured to communicate with a plurality of remote sensor units via a data communications interface. The thermostat further includes a processing circuit configured to monitor and control non-HVAC equipment within the building. The system further includes a first remote sensor unit of the plurality of remote sensor units. The first remote sensor unit is configured to measure environmental conditions in a second room of the building and wirelessly communicate information associated with the measured environmental conditions to the central control hub. The thermostat is further configured to control both the HVAC equipment and the non-HVAC equipment within the building based on the information received from the remote sensor unit.

Claims

1. A home control system comprising:

a thermostat configured to measure environmental conditions in a first room of a building and control heating, ventilation, and air condition (HVAC) equipment within the building, wherein the thermostat comprises;

a central control hub configured to communicate with a plurality of remote sensor units via a data communications interface; and

a processing circuit configured to monitor and control non-HVAC equipment within the building; and

a first remote sensor unit of the plurality of remote sensor units, wherein the first remote sensor unit is configured to measure environmental conditions in a second room of the building and wirelessly communicate information associated with the measured environmental conditions to the central control hub,

wherein the thermostat is further configured to control both the HVAC equipment and the non-HVAC equipment within the building based on the information received from the remote sensor unit.

2. The home control system of claim 1, wherein the first remote sensor unit comprises a microphone configured to receive a voice command, wherein the first remote sensor unit is configured to communicate the voice command to the central control hub, and wherein the thermostat is further configured to control both the HVAC equipment and the non-HVAC equipment based on the voice command.

3. The home control system of claim 2, wherein the non-HVAC equipment comprises a lighting system, and wherein the thermostat is configured to operate the lighting system based on the voice command received from the first remote sensor unit.

4. The home control system of claim 3, wherein the thermostat is configured to control a light in a third room of the building based on a command received by the first remote sensor unit in the second room of the building.

5. The home control system of claim 2, wherein the non-HVAC equipment comprises a blind control system, and wherein the thermostat is configured to operate the blind control system based on the voice command received from the first remote sensor unit.

6. The home control system of claim 1, wherein the first remote sensor unit comprises an occupancy sensor configured to detect presence of a user within the second room, wherein the first remote sensor unit is configured to communicate occupancy information to the central control hub, and wherein the thermostat is further configured to control both the HVAC equipment and the non-HVAC equipment based on the occupancy information.

7. The home control system of claim 1, further comprising a second remote sensor unit located within a third room of the building, wherein the first remote sensor unit and the second remote sensor unit are configured to communicate temperature information associated with the second room and the third room, respectively, to the central control hub, and wherein the thermostat is configured to:

calculate an average temperature from temperature information of the first room, temperature information of the second room, and temperature information of the third room, and

control the HVAC equipment based on the calculated average temperature.

8. The home control system of claim 1, further comprising a second remote sensor unit configured to monitor building equipment and communicate status information for the building equipment to central control hub, and wherein the thermostat is configured to modify operation of the building equipment based on the status information for the building equipment.

9. The home control system of claim 1, wherein the first remote sensor unit comprises at least one of a proximity sensor, an ambient light sensor, a vibration sensor, or a motion sensor.

10. The home control system of claim 1, wherein the non-HVAC system comprises a home automation system.

11. The home control system of claim 10, wherein the home automation system comprises at least one of a security system, a sprinkler system, or a home entertainment system.

12. The home control system of claim 1, wherein the first remote sensor unit comprises an electrical outlet and a power relay configured to selectively provide power to the electrical outlet, and wherein the first remote sensor unit is configured to operate the power relay in accordance with a command from the thermostat.

13. The home control system of claim 1, wherein the first remote sensor unit comprises an electrical outlet and a power relay configured to selectively provide power to the electrical outlet, and wherein the first remote sensor unit is configured to operate the power relay based on the measured environmental conditions of the second room without a command from the thermostat.

14. The home control system of claim 1, wherein the thermostat is configured to control both the HVAC equipment and the non-HVAC equipment within the building based on a combination of information received from the plurality of remote sensor units.

15. A home control method comprising:

measuring, by a thermostat, environmental conditions in a first room of a building;

receiving, at the thermostat, information regarding measured environmental conditions from a first remote sensor unit in a second room of the building; and

controlling, by the thermostat, both heating, ventilation, and air condition (HVAC) equipment and non-HVAC equipment within the building based on the information received from the first remote sensor unit and the measured environmental conditions in the first room.

16. The home control method of claim 15, wherein the first remote sensor unit comprises a microphone configured to receive a voice command, the method further comprising receiving a voice command at the thermostat from the first remote sensor unit, and wherein the controlling both the HVAC equipment and the non-HVAC equipment comprises controlling both the HVAC equipment and the non-HVAC equipment based on the voice command.

17. The home control method of claim 16, wherein the non-HVAC equipment comprises a lighting system, and wherein the wherein the controlling both the HVAC equipment and the non-HVAC equipment comprises operating the lighting system based on the voice command received from the first remote sensor unit.

18. The home control method of claim 15, further comprising receiving, at the thermostat, information associated with measured environmental conditions from a second remote sensor unit in a third room of the building, and wherein the controlling both the HVAC equipment and the non-HVAC equipment comprises controlling both the HVAC equipment and the non-HVAC equipment based on a combination of the information associated with the measured environmental conditions received from the first remote sensor unit and the information associated with the measured environmental conditions received from the second remote sensor unit.

19. The home control method of claim 15, wherein the first remote sensor unit comprises an electrical outlet and a power relay configured to selectively provide power to the electrical outlet, the method further comprising sending a command from the thermostat to the first remote sensor unit to operate the power relay based on the information received from the first remote sensor unit.

20. The home control method of claim 15, wherein the non-HVAC system comprises at least one of a security system, a sprinkler system, or a home entertainment system.