Managing an environment according to environmental preferences retrieved from a personal storage device

• US 6,622,115 B1
• Filed: 04/28/2000
• Issued: 09/16/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Paolini, Michael A., Brown, Michael Wayne, Lawrence, Kelvin Roderick
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoff, Marc S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Raymond, Edward
• Application Number:
  US09/560,162
• Time in Patent Office: 1,236 Days
• Field of Search: 702/183, 702/188, 702/99, 702/33, 236/1.C, 236/44.R, 236/44.A, 236/91.R, 236/91.C, 236/91.D, 236/91.E, 236/91.F, 236/94, 236/99.A, 236/99.E, 374/10, 374/11, 374/110, 432/36, 700/9, 700/17, 700/83, 700/108, 700/298, 700/299
• US Class Current: 702/183
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/042 using digital processors G05B19/05 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25084 Select configuration as function of operator

Abstract

According to the present invention, environment indicators computed for a particular environment from among multiple environments are converted into a common transmittable data format. The environment indicators are transmitted in the common transmittable data format to a data processing system, wherein the data processing system has access to a personal storage device proffered by a particular user. An environment sensitivity profile for the particular user associated with the particular environment, is retrieved from the personal storage device to the data processing system. An environment indicator analyzer application executing on the data processing system analyzes the multiple environment indicators received at the data processing system according to the environmental sensitivity profile and determines control signals for adjusting multiple environmental control systems that control the particular environment.

Claims

1. A method for managing an environment, said method comprising the steps of:

converting a plurality of environment indicators computed for a particular environment from among a plurality of environments into a transmittable data format, wherein each of said plurality of environment indicators is computed by an electronic environmental measurement device from among a plurality of diverse electronic environmental measurement devices; and

transmitting said plurality of environment indicators in said transmittable data format to a temporary data storage medium of a data processing system, wherein said data processing system has access to a personal storage device proffered by a particular user;

retrieving from said personal storage device into said temporary data storage medium an environment sensitivity profile of said particular user'"'"'s sensitivities to environment as indicated by said environment indicators for said particular user associated with said particular environment;

retrieving from said personal storage device into said temporary data storage medium an environment indicator analyzer application that when executed analyzes said plurality of environment indicators received at said data processing system according to said particular environment and said environmental sensitivity profile and determines a plurality of control signals for adjusting a plurality of environmental control systems that control said particular environment; and

adjusting said plurality of environmental control systems according to said plurality of control signals determined by said environment indicator analyzer application executing on said data processing system, such that said particular environment is managed according to said environment sensitivity profile retrieved from said personal storage device for said particular user associated with said particular environment.

2. The method for managing an environment according to claim 1, said method further comprising the step of:

outputting results from said analysis according to user output preferences retrieved from said personal storage device.

3. The method for managing an environment according to claim 1, said method further comprising the step of:

storing said plurality of environment indicators on said personal storage device.

4. The method for managing an environment according to claim 1, said method further comprising the step of:

downloading data onto said personal storage device, wherein said downloaded data is utilized by said environment indicator analyzer application for said analysis of said plurality of environment indicators and said determination of said plurality of control signals.

5. The method for managing an environment according to claim 1, wherein executing said environment indicator analyzer application further comprises the step of:

analyzing said plurality of physical environment indicators according to an environment indicator reference retrieved from said personal storage device.

6. The method for managing an environment according to claim 1, wherein said step of receiving from said personal storage device into said temporary data storage medium an environment sensitivity profile for said particular user within said particular environment further comprises the step of:

receiving from said personal storage device into said temporary data storage medium an environment sensitivity profile for said particular user, wherein said personal storage device is proffered by a holder on behalf of said particular user.

7. The method for managing an environment according to claim 1, wherein said step of receiving from said personal storage device into said temporary data storage medium an environment sensitivity profile for said particular user within said particular environment further comprises the step of:

receiving from a plurality of personal storage devices into said temporary data storage medium a plurality of environment sensitivity profiles for a plurality of users.

8. The method for managing an environment according to claim 1, said method further comprising the step of:

retrieving from said personal storage device into said temporary data storage medium a designated time period during which a particular environment indicator is expected to be received at said data processing system from a particular environmental measurement device.

9. The method for managing an environment according to claim 1, said method further comprising the steps of:

requesting a secure communication medium access from said data processing system to a particular server indicated by data stored in said personal storage device; and

in response to receiving a secure communication medium access to said particular server, transmitting said plurality of environment indicators to said particular server.

10. The method for managing an environment according to claim 1, said method further comprising the step of:

in response to receiving a plurality of environment indicators at said data processing system, debiting an environment account stored on said personal storage device.

11. A system for managing an environment, said system comprising:

means for converting a plurality of environment indicators computed for a particular environment from among a plurality of environments into a transmittable data format, wherein each of said plurality of environment indicators is computed by an electronic environmental measurement device from among a plurality of diverse electronic environmental measurement devices;

means for transmitting said plurality of environment indicators in said transmittable data format to a temporary data storage medium of a data processing system, wherein said data processing system has access to a personal storage device proffered by a particular user;

means for retrieving from said personal storage device into said temporary data storage medium an environment sensitivity profile of said particular user'"'"'s sensitivities to environment as indicated by said environment indicators for said particular user associated with said particular environment;

means for retrieving from said personal storage device into said temporary data storage medium an environment indicator analyzer application that when executed analyzes said plurality of environment indicators received at said data processing system according to said particular environment and said environmental sensitivity profile and determines a plurality of control signals for adjusting a plurality of environmental control systems that control said particular environment; and

means for adjusting said plurality of environmental control systems according to said plurality of control signals determined by said environment indicator analyzer application executing on said data processing system, such that said particular environment is managed according to said environment sensitivity profile retrieved from said personal storage device for said particular user associated with said particular environment.

12. The system for managing an environment according to claim 11, said system further comprising:

means for outputting results from said analysis according to user output preferences retrieved from said personal storage device.

13. The system for managing an environment according to claim 11, said system further comprising:

means for storing said plurality of environment indicators on said personal storage device.

14. The system for managing an environment according to claim 11, said system further comprising:

means for downloading data onto said personal storage device, wherein said downloaded data is utilized by said environment indicator analyzer application for said analysis of said plurality of environment indicators and said determination of said plurality of control signals.

15. The system for managing an environment according to claim 11, said system further comprising:

means for analyzing said plurality of environment indicators according to an environment profile stored on said data processing system, wherein said environment profile comprises environmental sensitivities for said a plurality of users within said particular environment.

16. The system for managing an environment according to claim 11, said system further comprising:

means for analyzing said plurality of physical environment indicators according to an environment indicator reference retrieved from said personal storage device.

17. The system for managing an environment according to claim 11, wherein said means for receiving from said personal storage device into said temporary data storage medium an environment sensitivity profile for said particular user within said particular environment further comprises:

means for receiving from said personal storage device into said temporary data storage medium an environment sensitivity profile for said particular user, wherein said personal storage device is proffered by a holder on behalf of said particular user.

18. The system for managing an environment according to claim 11, wherein said means for receiving from said personal storage device into said temporary data storage medium an environment sensitivity profile for said particular user within said particular environment further comprises:

means for receiving from a plurality of personal storage devices into said temporary data storage medium a plurality of environment sensitivity profiles for a plurality of users.

19. The system for managing an environment according to claim 11, said system further comprising:

means for retrieving from said personal storage device into said temporary data storage medium a designated time period during which a particular environment indicator is expected to be received at said data processing system from a particular environmental measurement device.

20. The system for managing an environment according to claim 11, said system further comprising:

means for requesting a secure communication medium access from said data processing system to a particular server indicated by data stored in said personal storage device; and

means for transmitting said plurality of environment indicators to said particular server, in response to receiving a secure communication medium access to said particular server.

21. The system for managing an environment according to claim 11, said means for analyzing and storing each of said plurality of environment indicators at said data processing system, further comprising:

means for debiting an environment account stored on said personal storage device, in response to receiving a plurality of environment indicators at said data processing system.

22. The system for managing an environment according to claim 11, said means for retrieving from said personal storage device further comprising:

a personal storage device adapter coupled to said data processing system via a communication medium.

23. The system for managing an environment according to claim 22, wherein said personal storage device adapter reads data from and writes data to said personal storage device via a wireless communication medium.

24. The system for managing an environment according to claim 22, wherein said personal storage device further comprises:

a processor; and

a data storage medium coupled to said processor.

25. A program, residing on a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means, said program comprising:

means for retrieving into a temporary data storage medium of a data processing system a plurality of environment indicators computed for a particular environment from among a plurality of environments, wherein each of said plurality of environment indicators is computed by an electronic environmental measurement device from among a plurality of diverse electronic environmental measurement devices, wherein said data processing system has access to a personal storage device proffered by a particular user;

means for retrieving from said personal storage device into said temporary data storage medium an environment sensitivity profile of said particular user'"'"'s sensitivities to environment as indicated by said environment indicators for said particular user within said particular environment;

means for executing an analyzer application that analyzes said plurality of environment indicators received at said data processing system according to said particular environment and said environmental sensitivity profile;

means for executing a controller application that determines a plurality of control signals for adjusting a plurality of environmental control systems that control said particular environment; and

means for outputting said plurality of control signals to said plurality of environmental control systems for adjusting said plurality of environmental control systems according to said plurality of control signals.

26. The program according to claim 25, said program further comprising:

means for outputting results from said analysis according to user output preferences previously stored on said personal storage device.

27. The program according to claim 25, said program further comprising:

means for storing said plurality of environment indicators on said personal storage device.

28. The program according to claim 25, said program further comprising:

means for downloading data onto said personal storage device, wherein said downloaded data is utilized for said analysis of said plurality of environment indicators.

29. The program according to claim 25, said program further comprising:

means for analyzing said plurality of environment indicators according to an environment profile stored on said data processing system, wherein said environment profile comprises environmental sensitivity profiles for a plurality of diverse users within said particular environment.

30. The program according to claim 25, said program further comprising:

means for analyzing said plurality of physical environment indicators according to a environment indicator reference retrieved from said personal storage device.

31. The program according to claim 25, said program further comprising:

means for retrieving said analyzer application and said controller application from said personal storage device into said temporary data storage medium.

32. The program according to claim 25, said program further comprising:

means for designating a time period during which a particular environment indicator is expected to be received at said personal storage device from a particular environmental measurement device.

33. The program according to claim 25, said program further comprising:

means for requesting a secure communication medium access to a particular server according to a server designation retrieved from said personal storage device; and

means for transmitting said plurality of environment indicators to said particular server, in response to receiving a secure communication medium access to said particular server.

34. The program according to claim 25, said program further comprising:

means for debiting an environment account stored at said personal storage device.

35. A method for monitoring the environmental exposure of a particular user, said method comprising the steps of:

accessing at a computer system a plurality of environmental indicators computed for a particular environment by a plurality of diverse electronic environmental measurement devices and converted into a common transmittable data format; and

in response to detecting a particular user within a particular proximity of said particular environment, transmitting said plurality of environmental indicators to a personal storage device proffered by said particular user, such that environmental indicators for environments to which said particular user is exposed are automatically stored on said personal storage device.

36. The method for monitoring the environmental exposure of a particular user according to claim 35, said method comprising the step of:

debiting said personal storage device, in response to transmitting said plurality of environmental indicators to said personal storage device.

37. The method for monitoring the environmental exposure of a particular user according to claim 35, said method comprising the steps of:

accessing at said computer system an environmental sensitivity profile for a particular user from a personal storage device proffered by said particular user;

comparing said plurality of environmental indicators for said particular environment with said environmental sensitivity profile for said particular user at said computer system; and

controlling output of a recommendation of suitability of said particular environment for said particular user, in response to said comparison of said plurality of environmental indicators with said environmental sensitivity profile, such that said particular user receives an indication of whether said particular environment is suitable for said particular user.

38. The method for monitoring the environmental exposure of a particular user according to claim 35, said method further comprising the step of:

detecting said user by detecting said personal storage device by a personal storage device adapter that detects said personal storage device within a particular range.

39. A system for monitoring the environmental exposure of a particular user, said system comprising:

means for accessing at a computer system a plurality of environmental indicators computed for a particular environment by a plurality of diverse electronic environmental measurement devices and converted into a common transmittable data format; and

means for transmitting said plurality of environmental indicators to a personal storage device proffered by said particular user, in response to detecting a particular user within a particular proximity of said particular environment, such that environmental indicators for environments to which said particular user is exposed are automatically stored on said personal storage device.

40. The system for monitoring the environmental exposure of a particular user according to claim 39, said system comprising:

means for debiting said personal storage device, in response to transmitting said plurality of environmental indicators to said personal storage device.

41. The system for monitoring the environmental exposure of a particular user according to claim 39, said system comprising:

means for accessing at said computer system an environmental sensitivity profile for a particular user from a personal storage device proffered by said particular user;

means for comparing said plurality of environmental indicators for said particular environment with said environmental sensitivity profile for said particular user at said computer system; and

means for controlling output of a recommendation of suitability of said particular environment for said particular user, in response to said comparison of said plurality of environmental indicators with said environmental sensitivity profile, such that said particular user receives an indication of whether said particular environment is suitable for said particular user.

42. A program for monitoring the environmental exposure of a particular user, residing on a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means, said program comprising:

means for accessing at a computer system a plurality of environmental indicators computed for a particular environment by a plurality of diverse electronic environmental measurement devices and converted into a common transmittable data format; and

means for transmitting said plurality of environmental indicators to a personal storage device proffered by said particular user, in response to detecting a particular user within a particular proximity of said particular environment, such that environmental indicators for environments to which said particular user is exposed are automatically stored on said personal storage device.

43. A method for managing a controllable environment, said method comprising the steps of:

accessing at a computer system a plurality of environmental indicators computed for a particular environment by a plurality of diverse electronic environmental measurement devices and converted into a common transmittable data format;

accessing at said computer system an environmental sensitivity profile of said particular user'"'"'s sensitivities to environment as indicated by said environment indicators for a particular user from a personal storage device proffered by said particular user;

comparing said plurality of environmental indicators for said particular environment with an environmental profile for a particular user; and

transmitting control signals for adjusting said particular environment from said computer system to a plurality of environment control systems that each control one of a plurality of environmental parameters within said particular environment, in response to said comparison of said plurality of environmental indicators with said environmental sensitivity profile, such that said particular environment is adjusted to be suitable for said particular user.

44. A system for managing a controllable environment, said system comprising:

means for accessing at a computer system a plurality of environmental indicators computed for a particular environment by a plurality of diverse electronic environmental measurement devices and converted into a common transmittable data format;

means for accessing at said computer system an environmental sensitivity profile of said particular user'"'"'s sensitivities to environment as indicated by said environment indicators for a particular user from a personal storage device proffered by said particular user;

means for comparing said plurality of environmental indicators for said particular environment with an environmental profile for a particular user; and

means for transmitting control signals for adjusting said particular environment from said computer system to a plurality of environment control systems that each control one of a plurality of environmental parameters within said particular environment, in response to said comparison of said plurality of environmental indicators with said environmental sensitivity profile, such that said particular environment is adjusted to be suitable for said particular user.

45. A program for managing a controllable environment, residing on a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means, said program comprising:

means for accessing at a computer system a plurality of environmental indicators computed for a particular environment by a plurality of diverse electronic environmental measurement devices and converted into a common transmittable data format;

means for accessing at said computer system an environmental sensitivity profile of said particular user'"'"'s sensitivities to environment as indicated by said environment indicators for a particular user from a personal storage device proffered by said particular user;

means for comparing said plurality of environmental indicators for said particular environment with an environmental profile for a particular user; and

means for transmitting control signals for adjusting said particular environment from said computer system to a plurality of environment control systems that each control one of a plurality of environmental parameters within said particular environment, in response to said comparison of said plurality of environmental indicators with said environmental sensitivity profile, such that said particular environment is adjusted to be suitable for said particular user.

46. A method for managing an environmental control system, said method further comprising the steps of:

receiving at an environmental control system a plurality of environmental sensitivity profiles proffered by a plurality of personal storage devices each respectively associated with one of a plurality of users located within a particular proximity of a particular environment of which a particular parameter is controlled by said environmental control system, wherein said plurality of environmental sensitivity profiles each include requirements for said particular environment parameter;

negotiating conflicts between said plurality of environmental sensitivity profiles and current environmental settings at said environmental control system; and

controlling an adjustment of said particular environment parameter of said particular environment by said environmental control system, in response to said negotiation of conflicts between said plurality of controls signals and said current environmental settings, such that said particular environment parameter of said particular environment is adjusted according to requests from said plurality of users.

47. A system for managing an environmental control system, said system further comprising:

means for receiving at an environmental control system a plurality of environmental sensitivity profiles proffered by a plurality of personal storage devices each respectively associated with one of a plurality of users located within a particular proximity of a particular environment of which a particular parameter is controlled by said environmental control system, wherein said plurality of environmental sensitivity profiles each include requirements for said particular environment parameter;

means for negotiating conflicts between said plurality of environmental sensitivity profiles and current environmental settings at said environmental control system; and

means for controlling an adjustment of said particular environment parameter of said particular environment by said environmental control system, in response to said negotiation of conflicts between said plurality of controls signals and said current environmental settings, such that said particular environment parameter of said particular environment is adjusted according to requests from said plurality of users.

48. A program for managing an environmental control system, residing on a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means, said program comprising:

means for receiving at an environmental control system a plurality of environmental sensitivity profiles proffered by a plurality of personal storage devices each respectively associated with one of a plurality of users located within a particular proximity of a particular environment of which a particular parameter is controlled by said environmental control system, wherein said plurality of environmental sensitivity profiles each include requirements for said particular environment parameter;

means for negotiating conflicts between said plurality of environmental sensitivity profiles and current environmental settings at said environmental control system; and

means for controlling an adjustment of said particular environment parameter of said particular environment by said environmental control system, in response to said negotiation of conflicts between said plurality of controls signals and said current environmental settings, such that said particular environment parameter of said particular environment is adjusted according to requests from said plurality of users.