Patents Assigned to Johnson Controls Technology Company
  • Patent number: 11181238
    Abstract: Systems and methods for controlling flow with a rotatable valve are provided. A described system includes a valve body having a valve chamber and a plurality of ports into the valve chamber. The plurality of ports include a first port, a second port, and a third port. The first port and the second port are aligned with a common axis and located on opposite sides of the valve chamber. The system further includes a valve member located within the valve chamber. The valve member is controllably rotatable to modulate fluid flow between the first port and the third port while maintaining the second port completely closed and to modulate fluid flow between the second port and the third port while maintaining the first port completely closed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventor: Russell T. Jenks
  • Publication number: 20210356916
    Abstract: A system includes a processing circuit configured to provide an energy use setpoint based on energy data including an energy characteristic and subject to a constraint based on a variable condition of a building. The processing circuit is configured to estimate a value for the energy use setpoint that will result in the variable condition of the building satisfying the constraint and provide a control signal for equipment based on a difference between the energy use setpoint and a measured energy use.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 29, 2021
    Publication date: November 18, 2021
    Applicant: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Michael J. Wenzel, Kirk H. Drees
  • Publication number: 20210359721
    Abstract: A sensor in a building HVAC system includes a transducer configured to measure a variable in the building HVAC system and to generate a sensor reading indicating a value of the measured variable. The sensor includes a communications interface configured to provide the sensor reading to a control device in the building HVAC system and a near field communication (NFC) circuit separate from the communications interface. The NFC circuit is configured to facilitate bidirectional NFC data communications between the sensor and a mobile device. The sensor includes a processing circuit having a processor and memory. The processing circuit is configured to wirelessly transmit data stored in the memory of the sensor to the mobile device via the NFC circuit, wirelessly receive data from the mobile device via the NFC circuit, and store the data received from the mobile device in the memory of the sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2021
    Publication date: November 18, 2021
    Applicant: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Daniel R. Rumler, Steven L. Whitsitt, Robert K. Alexander, Christopher Merkl, Gary A. Romanowich, Bernard Clement, Kevin A. Weiss
  • Publication number: 20210356153
    Abstract: A building system for a building including one or more storage devices storing instructions thereon that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to operate one or more pieces of building equipment associated with a building space based on a first operating mode. The instructions cause the one or more processors to receive an indication to update operation of the building space based on an emergency situation and responsive to receiving the indication to update operation of the building space based on the emergency situation, operate the one or more pieces of building equipment based on a second operating mode, wherein the second operating mode defines one or more second parameters for the one or more pieces of building equipment and is adapted to reconfigure the operation of the building space to address or mitigate the emergency situation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 4, 2020
    Publication date: November 18, 2021
    Applicant: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Clay G. Nesler, Jonathan Douglas, Kirk H. Drees, Bernard P. Clement, Joseph Pustai, JR.
  • Publication number: 20210358395
    Abstract: A display device includes a front portion, a rear portion, a halo, and sides extending between the front portion and the rear portion. The front portion, the rear portion, and the sides form an enclosure. The halo includes a rim and an internal structure. The rim is positioned between the front portion and the rear portion. The internal structure is at least partially within the enclosure and includes a sweep portion and a receiving post. The receiving post and the sweep portion are configured to receive light emitted by one or more light emitting devices and at least one of guide, direct, diffuse, focus, and scatter light emitted by the one or more light emitting devices out of the display device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2021
    Publication date: November 18, 2021
    Applicant: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: John Robert Taylor, JR., John Michael Reiszl, Damon Bryan Smith
  • Patent number: 11175076
    Abstract: A refrigeration system includes a chiller with an integrated free cooling system and refrigeration system. In certain embodiments, the chiller may be a single package unit with all equipment housed within the same support frame. The chiller may generally include three modes of operation: a first mode that employs free cooling, a second mode that employs free cooling and implements a refrigeration cycle, and a third mode that uses the free cooling system to remove heat from the refrigeration system. A heat exchanger may be shared between the free cooling system and the refrigeration system to transfer heat from the refrigeration system to the free cooling system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: William L. Kopko, Mustafa K. Yanik
  • Patent number: 11175057
    Abstract: In an embodiment of the present disclosure, a control system for a heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) system includes a user interface configured to display a zone management screen having a first selectable representation of a first zone of the HVAC system including a first temperature set point and a first operating mode of the first zone, and a second selectable representation of a second zone of the HVAC system having a second temperature set point and a second operating mode of the second zone. The control system further includes a controller configured to receive a first input via the zone management screen to adjust the first temperature set point or to adjust the second temperature set point, and receive a second input via the zone management screen to adjust the first operating mode or to adjust the second operating mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Theresa N. Gillette, Shaun B. Atchison, John W. Uerkvitz, Jonathan A. Burns, Brian D. Rigg
  • Patent number: 11168931
    Abstract: A vapor compression system that includes a reheat coil that heats a supply air stream flowing across the reheat coil with a refrigerant. A fan forces an environmental air flow across a condenser to remove energy from the refrigerant. A controller adjusts a speed of the fan to control a flow of the refrigerant through the reheat coil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Norman J. Blanton, Stephen C. Wilson, Curtis W. Caskey
  • Publication number: 20210341162
    Abstract: A building heating, ventilation or air conditioning (HVAC) system is shown. The system includes a display device. The display device includes a first processing circuit, the first processing circuit provides a setpoint to one or more virtual controllers. Execution of one of the one or more virtual controllers with the setpoint of an environmental condition of the building generates one or more control commands. The processing circuit further provides the one or more control commands to a building equipment. The system further includes the building equipment that receives the one or more control commands to control the environmental condition of the building.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2020
    Publication date: November 4, 2021
    Applicant: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Sayan Chakraborty, Rohit Madhav Udavant
  • Publication number: 20210341890
    Abstract: A building management system including one or more circuits configured to receive a selection of an object associated with one of a building system, a piece of equipment, or a space of one or more building systems, one or more pieces of equipment, and/or one or more spaces of a building; determine the one or more pieces of equipment related to the object and/or the one or more spaces related to the object; and generate a graphical user interface illustrating (i) a relationship of the object with (a) the one or more pieces of equipment related to the object and/or (b) the one or more spaces related to the object and/or (ii) a control path between the object and (a) the one or more pieces of equipment related to the object and/or (b) the one or more spaces related to the object.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 12, 2021
    Publication date: November 4, 2021
    Applicant: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Ryan A. Piaskowski, Prashant P. Taralkar
  • Patent number: 11162726
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a sensor disposed in a conduit on a suction side of a compressor, wherein the conduit is configured to convey a fluid and a controller communicatively coupled to the sensor. The controller includes a processor and a memory, the memory is configured to store instructions to be performed by the processor, and the controller is configured to receive one or more indications from the sensor of an amount of power consumed by an active sensor component, determine a presence of liquid in the fluid based at least on the one or more indications, and control a device based on the presence of liquid in the fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2021
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Brian Thomas Gallus, Curtis C. Crane, Justin P. Kauffman
  • Patent number: 11162717
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) system. The HVAC system includes an air handling unit configured to transfer heat between a refrigerant and an airflow, a first heat exchanger configured to receive the refrigerant from the air handling unit and transfer heat between the refrigerant and a first working fluid, a cooling bank including a vessel and a coil disposed in the vessel, wherein the coil is configured receive the first working fluid from the first heat exchanger and configured to transfer heat between the working fluid and a second working fluid within the vessel, and a second heat exchanger configured to receive the second working fluid and to transfer heat between the second working fluid and the airflow, wherein the second heat exchanger is disposed upstream of the air handling unit with respect to a flow path of the airflow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2021
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Vinoraj Rajendran, Anil V. Bhosale, Arun K. Tiwari
  • Patent number: 11162706
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) system including an exhaust plenum configured to receive an exhaust air flow from a cooling load. The HVAC system also includes a condenser configured to receive an input air flow and transfer thermal energy to the input air flow. A panel is positioned directly adjacent to and between the exhaust plenum and the condenser. The panel includes a passage providing a fluid flow path directly between the exhaust plenum and the condenser. The passage is configured to discharge a portion of the exhaust air flow, and the input air flow includes the portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2021
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Anil V. Bhosale, Appiya B. Suriya Prakash, Neelkanth S. Gupte, Vinay Nanjappa
  • Patent number: 11163271
    Abstract: A building energy system includes an energy storage system (ESS) configured to store energy received from an energy source and provide the stored energy to one or more pieces of building equipment. The system includes a local building system configured to collect building data and communicate the building data to a cloud platform and the cloud platform configured to receive the building data from the local building system via the network, determine whether to retrain a trained load prediction model based on at least some of the building data, retrain the trained load prediction model based on at least some of the building data in response to a determination to retrain the trained load prediction model, determine a load prediction for the building based on the retrained load prediction model, and cause the local building system to operate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2021
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Young M. Lee, William N. Schroeder
  • Patent number: 11162692
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) unit that includes a condenser fan assembly. The condenser fan assembly includes a support frame having an opening and a condenser fan that is coupled to the support frame and configured to force air through the opening. The condenser fan assembly is configured to translate between an operating position and a service position. The HVAC unit also includes a brace that is configured to extend from an enclosure of the HVAC unit to the condenser fan assembly to hold the condenser fan assembly in the service position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2021
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Ravindra B. Salunkhe, Swapnil V. Mohite, Ritesh D. Rokade, Shridhar V. Vernekar
  • Patent number: 11162704
    Abstract: A heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) system includes a compressor configured to circulate a fluid through the HVAC system, a first coil configured to establish a first heat exchange relationship between the fluid and a first airflow across the first coil, a second coil configured to establish a second heat exchange relationship between the fluid and a second airflow across the second coil, and a fan configured to direct the first airflow across the first coil, the second airflow across the second coil, or both, and where the first airflow across the first coil is directed to be isolated from the second airflow across the second coil, and the first airflow is blocked from flowing across the first coil when the first coil is inactive and the second airflow is blocked from flowing across the second coil when the second coil is inactive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2021
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: John T. Knight, Stephen B. Pickle
  • Publication number: 20210332997
    Abstract: An actuator in a HVAC system includes a mechanical transducer, a processing circuit, a wireless transceiver, and a power circuit. The processing circuit includes a processor and memory and is configured to operate the mechanical transducer according to a control program stored in the memory. The wireless transceiver is configured to facilitate bidirectional wireless data communications between the processing circuit and an external device. The power circuit is configured to draw power from a wireless signal received via the wireless transceiver and power the processing circuit and the wireless transceiver using the drawn power. The processing circuit is configured to use the power drawn from the wireless signal to wirelessly transmit data stored in the memory of the actuator to the external device via the wireless transceiver, wirelessly receive data from the external device via the wireless transceiver, and store the data received from the external device in the memory.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 10, 2021
    Publication date: October 28, 2021
    Applicant: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Robert K. Alexander, Christopher Merkl, Gary A. Romanowich, Bernard Clement, Kevin Weiss
  • Publication number: 20210334724
    Abstract: A method for controlling an energy production and distribution system includes identifying sources that supply input resources, subplants that produce output resources using the input resources, and sinks that consume the output resources. The method includes obtaining a cost function including a cost of producing the output resources and generating a transit time constraint that requires the input resources be sent from the sources to the subplants at a first departure time that occurs before a first arrival time at which the input resources are predicted to be used by the subplants. The method includes solving an optimization problem to determine an amount of the output resources to produce at each of multiple time steps within a time period. Solving the optimization problem includes performing an optimization of the cost function subject to the transit time constraint.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 28, 2020
    Publication date: October 28, 2021
    Applicant: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Andrew J. Przybylski, Michael J. Wenzel, John H. Burroughs
  • Patent number: 11156381
    Abstract: An adjustable mount for a fan assembly includes a plurality of adjustable supports configured to mount the fan assembly to a heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) unit. Each adjustable support of the plurality of adjustable supports includes a first frame member, a second frame member, and a third frame member. The first and second frame members are adjustable relative to one another along a first axis, and the second and third frame members are adjustable relative to one another along a second axis crosswise to the first axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2021
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Akshay S. Baljekar, Sourabh Nema
  • Patent number: 11156394
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) unit having a vapor compression circuit including a compressor and a heat exchanger. The HVAC unit includes a controller configured to provide a first signal to control the compressor, and provide a second signal to control a variable speed fan associated with the heat exchanger based on a target speed. The HVAC unit further includes a pressure activated device coupled between the controller and the compressor, wherein the pressure activated device is configured to temporarily block the first signal from the controller while a refrigerant pressure within the vapor compression circuit is greater than a threshold value. In response to determining that the pressure activated device has blocked the first signal for at least a threshold time period, the controller is configured to both deactivate the first signal and provide the second signal for an equilibration time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2021
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventor: Tom R. Tasker