HVAC VENTILATION AIR FLOW POWERED SMART VENT

• US 20180202674A1
• Filed: 01/17/2017
• Published: 07/19/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vivint Incorporated (NRG Energy, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Vivint Incorporated (NRG Energy, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lin, Rongbin Lanny, Bunker, Brandon, Liu, Shiwei
• Granted Patent: US 10,527,305 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 11/58 using Internet communication
• 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 2110/10 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/20 Humidity
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/40 Pressure, e.g. wind pressure
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/50 Air quality properties
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/10 Occupancy
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2130/30 Artificial light
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/042 using digital processors G05B19/05 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2614 HVAC, heating, ventillation, climate control
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 30/70 Efficient control or regulation technologies, e.g. for control of refrigerant flow, motor or heating

Abstract

Techniques are described for generating power from airflow powered smart vents associated with security and automation systems. One method includes monitoring a rate of airflow through an air vent in a centralized heating and cooling system, generating, at a sensor at the air vent, power based at least in part on the rate of airflow through the air vent, storing the generated power in the sensor at the air vent, providing the stored power to one or more motors associated with the sensor at the air vent, and utilizing the stored power to perform communication between the sensor at the air vent and a control panel of the home automation system, wherein the control panel is located at a location different from a location of the sensor.

Claims

1. A method for a home automation system, comprising:

monitoring a rate of airflow through an air vent in a centralized heating and cooling system;

generating, at a sensor at the air vent, power based at least in part on the rate of airflow through the air vent; and

storing the generated power in the sensor at the air vent.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising:

providing the stored power to one or more motors associated with the sensor at the air vent; and

utilizing the stored power to perform communication between the sensor at the air vent and a control panel of the home automation system, wherein the control panel is located at a location different from a location of the sensor.

3. The method of claim 1, comprising:

monitoring a level associated with the power stored in the sensor; and

determining whether the level associated with the power satisfies a predetermined threshold.

4. The method of claim 3, comprising:

in response to the level not satisfying the predetermined threshold, adjusting an opening angle of one or more air vents in the centralized heating &

cooling system to increase the rate of airflow through the one or more air vents.

5. The method of claim 3, comprising:

in response to the level not satisfying the predetermined threshold, adjusting at least one of a fan of the centralized heating &

cooling system and a thermostat level associated with the home automation system to increase the rate of airflow through one or more air vents in the centralized heating &

cooling system.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensor at the air vent includes at least one of a motion sensor, a camera sensor, a shock sensor, a proximity sensor, an appliance sensor, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, a light beam sensor, a smoke sensor, a glass break sensor, and a carbon monoxide sensor.

7. The method of claim 1, comprising:

storing the generated power in one or more rechargeable batteries associated with the sensor at the air vent.

8. The method of claim 1, comprising:

using one or more sensors at the air vent to determine whether a home is occupied; and

adjusting the one or more sensors at the air vent to a conservation level in response to determining that the home has no occupancy.

9. The method of claim 8, comprising:

generating a schedule reflecting occupancy of the home; and

adjusting the one or more sensors at the air vent to a conservation level based at least in part on the schedule.

10. An apparatus for security and/or automation systems, comprising:

a processor;

memory in electronic communication with the processor; and

instructions stored in the memory, the instructions being executable by the processor to perform the steps of;

monitoring a rate of airflow through an air vent in a centralized heating and cooling system;

generating, at a sensor at the air vent, power based at least in part on the rate of airflow through the air vent; and

storing the generated power in the sensor at the air vent.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, the instructions being executable by the processor to perform the steps of:

providing the stored power to one or more motors associated with the sensor at the air vent; and

utilizing the stored power to perform communication between the sensor at the air vent and a control panel of the home automation system, wherein the control panel is located at a location different from a location of the sensor.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, the instructions being executable by the processor to perform the steps of:

monitoring a level associated with the power stored in the sensor; and

determining whether the level associated with the power satisfies a predetermined threshold.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, the instructions being executable by the processor to perform the steps of:

in response to the level not satisfying the predetermined threshold, adjusting an opening angle of one or more air vents in the centralized heating &

cooling system to increase the rate of airflow through the one or more air vents.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, the instructions being executable by the processor to perform the steps of:

in response to the level not satisfying the predetermined threshold, adjusting at least one of a fan of the centralized heating &

cooling system and a thermostat level associated with the home automation system to increase the rate of airflow through one or more air vents in the centralized heating &

cooling system.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the sensor at the air vent includes at least one of a motion sensor, a camera sensor, a shock sensor, a proximity sensor, an appliance sensor, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, a light beam sensor, a smoke sensor, a glass break sensor, and a carbon monoxide sensor.

16. The apparatus of claim 10, the instructions being executable by the processor to perform the steps of:

storing the generated power in one or more rechargeable batteries associated with the sensor at the air vent.

17. The apparatus of claim 10, the instructions being executable by the processor to perform the steps of:

using one or more sensors at the air vent to determine whether a home is occupied; and

adjusting the one or more sensors at the air vent to a conservation level in response to determining that the home has no occupancy.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, the instructions being executable by the processor to perform the steps of:

generating a schedule reflecting occupancy of the home; and

adjusting the one or more sensors at the air vent to a conservation level based at least in part on the schedule.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable code, the code executable by a processor to perform the steps of:

monitoring a rate of airflow through an air vent in a centralized heating &

cooling system;

generating, at a sensor at the air vent, power based at least in part on the rate of airflow through the air vent; and

storing the generated power in the sensor at the air vent.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, the code executable by the processor to perform the steps of:

providing the stored power to one or more motors associated with the sensor at the air vent; and

utilizing the stored power to perform communication between the sensor at the air vent and a control panel of the home automation system, wherein the control panel is located at a location different from a location of the sensor.