Occupancy-based wireless control of multiple environmental zones via a central controller

• US 9,273,879 B2
• Filed: 02/18/2014
• Issued: 03/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Kates, Lawrence
• Primary Examiner(s): NORMAN, MARC E
• Application Number:
  US14/182,964
• Publication Number:
  US 20140158337A1
• Time in Patent Office: 742 Days
• Field of Search: 236/1.B, 236/51, 165/205, 165/237
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 1/022 comprising a compressor cycle
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/0001 for ventilation F24F11/30 takes precedence
• 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 11/52 Indication arrangements, e.g. displays
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/523 for displaying temperature data
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/54 using one central controller connected to several sub-controllers
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/56 Remote control
• 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 11/66 Sleep mode
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/70 Control systems characterised by their outputs; Constructional details thereof
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/72 for controlling the supply of treated air, e.g. its pressure
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/74 for controlling air flow rate or air velocity
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/76 by means responsive to temperature, e.g. bimetal springs
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/77 by controlling the speed of ventilators
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/83 by controlling the supply of heat-exchange fluids to heat-exchangers
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/00 Control inputs relating to air properties
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/10 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/40 Pressure, e.g. wind pressure
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/00 : Control inputs relating to users or occupants
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/10 : Occupancy
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2140/40 : Damper positions, e.g. open or closed
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 3/044 : Systems in which all treatment is given in the central station, i.e. all-air systems
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 7/10 : with air supply, or exhaust, through perforated wall, floor or ceiling outlet members for directing or distributing air into rooms or spaces, e.g. ceiling air-diffusers F24F13/06
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1934 : each space being provided with one sensor acting on one or more control means

Abstract

An Electronically-Controlled Register vent (ECRV) that can be easily installed by a homeowner or general handyman is disclosed. The ECRV can be used to convert a non-zoned HVAC system into a zoned system. The ECRV can also be used in connection with a conventional zoned HVAC system to provide additional control and additional zones not provided by the conventional zoned HVAC system. In one embodiment, the ECRV is configured have a size and form-factor that conforms to a standard manually-controlled register vent. In one embodiment, a zone thermostat is configured to provide thermostat information to the ECRV. In one embodiment, the zone thermostat communicates with a central monitoring system that coordinates operation of the heating and cooling zones.

Claims

1. A system for wirelessly controlling multiple environmental zones, comprising:

a plurality of zone controllers, each zone controller being associated with one of the environmental zones and being configured to;

monitor an environmental condition of the environmental zone associated with the zone controller;

detect an occupancy state of the environmental zone associated with the zone controller indicative of whether the environmental zone is occupied or unoccupied; and

control actuation of a register vent specific to the environmental zone associated with the zone controller to modify the environmental condition of the environmental zone associated with the zone controller; and

a central controller configured to;

communicate, wirelessly, with the plurality of zone controllers;

for a zone controller of the plurality of zone controllers;

determine a first desired environmental condition for use when occupancy is determined to be present; and

determine a second desired environmental condition for use when occupancy is determined to not be present, the second desired environmental condition differing from the first desired environmental condition;

receive occupancy data from the plurality of zone controllers; and

via wireless communication with a zone controller of the plurality of zone controllers, control actuation of the register vent associated with the zone controller of the plurality of zone controllers based on the occupancy state received by the central controller from at least two zone controllers of the plurality of zone controllers, the first desired environmental condition, and the second desired environmental condition.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein each zone controller comprises an occupancy sensor for detecting the occupancy state of the environmental zone associated with the zone controller, the occupancy sensor being selected from the group consisting of:

an infrared sensor;

a motion sensor; and

an ultrasonic sensor.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein each zone controller is further configured to:

receive a first instruction indicating the first desired environmental condition of the environmental zone associated with the zone controller for when the environmental zone is occupied;

receive a second instruction indicating the second desired environmental condition of the environmental zone associated with the zone controller for when the environmental zone is unoccupied; and

control actuation of the register vent specific to the environmental zone to modify the environmental condition based at least in part on the first and second instructions and the occupancy state of the environmental zone associated with the zone controller.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the central controller is further configured to:

receive, from one of the zone controllers, an occupancy indicator that indicates whether the environmental zone associated with the zone controller is occupied or unoccupied;

receive first instructions indicating the first desired environmental condition for when the environmental zone associated with the zone controller is occupied;

receive second instructions indicating the second desired environmental condition for when the environmental zone associated with the zone controller is unoccupied; and

communicate, to the zone controller;

the first desired environmental condition when the occupancy indicator indicates that the environmental zone associated with the zone controller is occupied; and

the second desired environmental condition when the occupancy indicator indicates that the environmental zone associated with the zone controller is unoccupied.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the central controller is further configured to:

receive, from each of the zone controllers, an occupancy indicator that indicates whether the environmental zone associated with the zone controller is occupied or unoccupied;

receive first instructions indicating the first desired environmental condition for when any of the environmental zones associated with the plurality of zone controllers is occupied;

receive second instructions indicating the second desired environmental condition for when all of the environmental zones associated with the plurality of zone controllers are unoccupied; and

communicate, to the zone controllers, the first desired environmental condition when any of the occupancy indicators indicate that the environmental zone associated therewith is occupied and the second desired environmental condition when all of the occupancy indicators indicate that the environmental zones associated therewith are unoccupied.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein each zone controller includes:

a temperature sensor for measuring a temperature of the environmental zone associated with the zone controller;

an occupancy sensor for detecting the occupancy state of the environmental zone associated with the zone controller;

a communication module for communicating with the central controller; and

a processor for controlling the register vent to alter the temperature of the environmental zone associated with the zone controller.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the processor controls the register vent to alter the temperature of the environmental zone associated with the zone controller based at least in part on the temperature of the environmental zone associated with the zone controller, the occupancy state of the environmental zone associated with the zone controller, and one or more instructions received from the central controller via the communication module.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising a remote control operable to communicate instructions to the zone controller, the instructions including instructing the zone controller to control the register vent respectively associated with the zone controller to modify the environmental condition of the environmental zone respectively associated with the zone controller to satisfy a desired environmental condition set by a user via the remote control.

9. A method for wirelessly controlling multiple environmental zones, comprising:

monitoring, by a plurality of zone controllers associated with a respective plurality of environmental zones, an environmental condition of each of the environmental zones;

detecting, by each zone controller, an occupancy state of the environmental zone associated with the zone controller indicative of whether the environmental zone is occupied or unoccupied;

controlling, by at least one of the zone controllers, a register vent specific to the environmental zone associated with the at least one zone controller to modify the environmental condition of the environmental zone;

communicating, wirelessly, between the plurality of zone controllers and a central controller;

determining, by the central controller, a first desired environmental condition for use when occupancy is determined to be present;

determining, by the central controller, a second desired environmental condition for use when occupancy is determined to not be present, the second desired environmental condition differing from the first desired environmental condition; and

via wireless communication with a zone controller of the plurality of zone controllers, controlling, with the central controller, actuation of the register vent associated with the zone controller of the plurality of zone controllers based at least in part on the occupancy state detected by each of the zone controllers based on the occupancy state received by the central controller from at least two zone controllers of the plurality of zone controllers, the first desired environmental condition, and the second desired environmental condition.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving first instructions indicating the first desired environmental condition for when a particular environmental zone is occupied; and

receiving second instructions indicating the second desired environmental condition for when the particular environmental zone is unoccupied.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the first and second desired environmental conditions comprise temperatures.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein:

receiving first and second instructions includes receiving the first and second instructions at a particular zone controller associated with the particular environmental zone; and

controlling a register vent includes controlling the register vent associated with the particular environmental zone to modify the environmental condition of the particular environmental zone based at least in part on the received first and second instructions and the detected occupancy state of the particular environmental zone.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein:

receiving first and second instructions includes receiving the first and second instructions at the central controller; and

controlling, with the central controller, the plurality of zone controllers, includes instructing a particular zone controller associated with the particular environmental zone to control the register vent associated with the particular environmental zone based at least in part on the received first and second instructions and the detected occupancy state of the particular environmental zone.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving from a user, at the central controller, instructions indicating the first desired environmental condition for when any of the environmental zones is occupied; and

in response to receiving the instructions indicating the desired environmental condition for when any of the environmental zones is occupied, wirelessly communicating, from the central controller to the zone controllers, instructions for causing the zone controllers to control the register vents associated with the zone controllers based at least in part on the desired environmental condition.

15. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving from a user, at the central controller, instructions indicating the second desired environmental condition for when all of the environmental zones are unoccupied; and

in response to receiving the instructions indicating the desired environmental condition for when all of the environmental zones are unoccupied, wirelessly communicating, from the central controller to the zone controllers, instructions for causing the zone controllers to control the register vents associated with the zone controllers based at least in part on the desired environmental condition.

16. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving at one of the zone controllers from a user, via a remote control in wireless communication with the zone controller, an instruction indicating a third desired environmental condition of the environmental zone associated with the zone controller; and

in response the zone controller receiving the instruction indicating the desired environmental condition of the environmental zone associated with the zone controller, the zone controller controlling the register vent specific to the environmental zone associated with the zone controller to modify the environmental condition of the environmental zone based at least in part on the desired environmental condition.

17. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving at one of the zone controllers from a user, via a remote control in wireless communication with the zone controller, an instruction indicating a desired environmental condition of the environmental zone associated with a different one of the zone controllers; and

in response the zone controller receiving the instruction indicating the desired environmental condition of the environmental zone associated with the different one of the zone controllers, the different one of the zone controllers controlling the register vent specific to the environmental zone associated with the different one of the zone controllers to modify the environmental condition of the environmental zone based at least in part on the desired environmental condition.