Patents by Inventor Michael J. Ajax

Michael J. Ajax has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20230332788
    Abstract: An HVAC system within a building including an HVAC device having an air filter, a number of sensors, and a control device. The control device has a processor that is configured to determine a current air quality metric based on air quality measurements received by the sensor. The control device is further configured to calculate an average air quality metric based on the current air quality metric and a set of previous air quality metrics. The control device is further configured to store the average air quality metric. The control device is further configured to generate an air filter type recommendation based on the average air quality metric.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 26, 2023
    Publication date: October 19, 2023
    Applicant: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Michael J. Ajax, Joseph R. Ribbich
  • Patent number: 11686492
    Abstract: An HVAC system within a building including an HVAC device having an air filter, a number of sensors, and a control device. The control device has a processor that is configured to determine a current air quality metric based on air quality measurements received by the sensor. The control device is further configured to calculate an average air quality metric based on the current air quality metric and a set of previous air quality metrics. The control device is further configured to store the average air quality metric. The control device is further configured to generate an air filter type recommendation based on the average air quality metric.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Michael J. Ajax, Joseph R. Ribbich
  • Patent number: 11604002
    Abstract: A thermostat is disclosed. The thermostat can include one or more temperature sensors configured to measure one or more temperature values. The thermostat can include a processing circuit. The processing circuit can receive the one or more temperature values from the one or more temperature sensors. The processing circuit can receive one or more central processing unit (CPU) usage values, wherein the one or more CPU usage values indicate computing usage of the processing circuit. The processing circuit can determine, based on an empirical model comprising one or more gain values and one or more filters and based on one or more signals, a temperature of the building. The one or more signals comprise the one or more temperature values and the one or more CPU usage values. The empirical model accounts for dynamics of heat generated by the processing circuit and airflow acting on the thermostat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2023
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Tyco IP Holdings LLP
    Inventors: Nathan M. Zimmerman, Michael J. Ajax, Nicholas S. Van Derven, John M. House, Timothy I. Salsbury
  • Patent number: 11493220
    Abstract: A HVAC controller includes a housing and one or more heat-generating components contained within the housing. The heat-generating components cause a temperature inside the housing to exceed a temperature outside the housing. The controller includes a temperature sensor configured to measure the temperature inside the housing and a controller event detector configured to detect, for at least one of the heat-generating components, a controller event that generates heat inside the housing. The controller further includes a temperature compensation module configured to identify a steady-state temperature gain associated with the detected controller event, to calculate a temperature offset using a summation of the steady-state temperature gain, to determine the temperature of the building zone outside the housing by subtracting the temperature offset from the temperature measured inside the housing, and to store the temperature offset.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Michael J. Ajax, Justin J. Seifi
  • Patent number: 11480356
    Abstract: A thermostat is disclosed. The thermostat can include one or more temperature sensors configured to measure a plurality of temperature values within a building. The thermostat can include a processing circuit coupled to the one or more temperature sensors. The processing circuit can receive the plurality of measured temperature values from the one or more temperature sensors. The processing circuit can determine, based on a time invariant Non-Linear Least Squares (NLSQ) technique and the plurality of measured temperature values, a compensated temperature value within the building, wherein the compensated temperature value accounts for an unknown temperature state of the thermostat when the thermostat is turned on.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Tyco IP Holdings LLP
    Inventors: Nathan M. Zimmerman, Michael J. Ajax
  • Patent number: 11441799
    Abstract: A building system comprising one or more memory devices storing instructions that, are executed by one or more processors. The instructions include retrieving one or more instructions for installing a thermostat with heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) equipment and causing a user interface to display the one or more instructions. The instructions further include receiving one or more confirmation indications of the one or more instructions being performed successfully by a user and causing the user interface to display an interface including one or more indication that the one or more instructions were performed successfully by the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Tyco IP Holdings LLP
    Inventors: Joseph R. Ribbich, Nicholas S. Van Derven, William P. Alberth, Jr., Alan S. Schwegler, Corey A. Poquette, Michael J. Ajax
  • Patent number: 11162698
    Abstract: A system for controlling air quality of a building space includes an air quality sensor configured to sense the air quality of the building space, an exhaust fan configured to exhaust air from inside the building space to outside the building space, a switch device configured to control the exhaust fan to exhaust the air from inside the building space to outside the building space, and a controller comprising a processing circuit. The processing circuit is configured to determine an air quality level of the building space based on the air quality sensor, determine whether the air quality level is less than an air quality threshold, and cause the switch device to operate the exhaust fan to exhaust air from inside the building space to outside the building space in response to a determination that the air quality level is less than the air quality threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2021
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Tyco IP Holdings LLP
    Inventors: Michael J. Ajax, Joseph R. Ribbich, Nicholas S. Van Derven
  • Publication number: 20210123626
    Abstract: A thermostat for a building space can include a processing circuit. The processing circuit can cause building equipment to heat or cool the building space via one or more heating outputs or one or more cooling outputs. The processing circuit can record the length of time that the processing circuit causes the building equipment to heat or cool the building space. The processing circuit can simulate a thermal plant model to determine a simulated runtime, wherein the thermal plant model is a thermal plant model of the building space and the building equipment. The processing circuit can determine a number of hours saved based on the simulated runtime and the recorded length of time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 4, 2021
    Publication date: April 29, 2021
    Applicant: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Nathan M. Zimmerman, Michael J. Ajax
  • Patent number: 10928084
    Abstract: An HVAC system within a building including an HVAC device having a blower fan, a number of sensors, and a control device. The control device has a processor that is configured to receive a request to operate the blower fan. The control device is further configured to determine an air quality value based on measurements provided by the sensors, and a runtime of the blower fan within a previous time frame. The control device is also configured to operate the blower fan based on the determined air quality value and the determined runtime of the blower fan within the previous time frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Michael J. Ajax, Joseph R. Ribbich, Joseph M. Ruggiero
  • Publication number: 20210041124
    Abstract: An HVAC system within a building including an HVAC device having an air filter, a number of sensors, and a control device. The control device has a processor that is configured to determine a current air quality metric based on air quality measurements received by the sensor. The control device is further configured to calculate an average air quality metric based on the current air quality metric and a set of previous air quality metrics. The control device is further configured to store the average air quality metric. The control device is further configured to generate an air filter type recommendation based on the average air quality metric.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 26, 2020
    Publication date: February 11, 2021
    Applicant: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Michael J. Ajax, Joseph R. Ribbich
  • Patent number: 10866003
    Abstract: A controller for controlling a temperature of a building space includes an occupancy sensor configured to measure an occupancy signal indicating whether one or more occupants are within the building space and a processing circuit configured to receive the occupancy signal from the occupancy sensor. The processing circuit is configured to determine whether the number of occupants within the building space has increased by a predefined amount based on the received occupancy signal, decrease a value of a temperature setpoint for the building space from a first value to a second value in response to a determination that the number of occupants within the building space has increased by the predefined amount based on the received occupancy signal, and reduce the temperature of the building space by controlling one or more pieces of building equipment associated with the building space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2020
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Michael J. Ajax, Joseph R. Ribbich, Nicholas S. Van Derven
  • Patent number: 10837665
    Abstract: An HVAC system within a building including a ventilator, a number of sensors, and a control device. The control device has a processor that is configured to receive a request to operate the ventilator. The control device is further configured to determine a status of a minimum runtime mode of the ventilator. The minimum runtime mode operates the ventilator for a minimum amount of each time in a predefined time period. The control device is further configured to determine an air quality value. The air quality value is based on one or more measurements provided to the control device by the plurality of sensors. The control device is further configured to operate the ventilator based on the air quality value being determined to be below an acceptable value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Michael J. Ajax, Joseph R. Ribbich, Joseph Michael Ruggiero
  • Patent number: 10816234
    Abstract: An HVAC system within a building including an HVAC device having an air filter, a number of sensors, and a control device. The control device has a processor that is configured to determine a current air quality metric based on air quality measurements received by the sensor. The control device is further configured to calculate an average air quality metric based on the current air quality metric and a set of previous air quality metrics. The control device is further configured to store the average air quality metric. The control device is further configured to generate an air filter type recommendation based on the average air quality metric.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2020
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Michael J. Ajax, Joseph R. Ribbich
  • Patent number: 10731885
    Abstract: A controller for controlling an environmental condition of a building space includes a proxy sensor configured to measure a proxy value indicating whether an occupant is within the building space and an occupancy sensor configured to measure an occupancy value. The controller includes a processing circuit configured to determine whether the occupant is within the building space based on the occupancy value of the occupancy sensor, generate a proxy parameter based on a first proxy value measured via the proxy sensor in response to a determination that the occupant is not within the building space based on the occupancy value of the occupancy sensor, determine whether the occupant is within the building based on a second proxy value measured via the proxy sensor and the generated proxy parameter, and control one or more pieces of building equipment to control the environmental condition of the building space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Michael J. Ajax, Nicholas S. Van Derven, Joseph R. Ribbich
  • Patent number: 10677484
    Abstract: A system for a plurality of thermostats each located in a different building in a neighborhood. Each thermostat includes a processing circuit configured to receive one or more assigned operating time slots from an analytics service and operate building equipment associated with the thermostat based on the one or more assigned operating time slots. The system further includes the analytics service. The analytics service includes a processing circuit configured to receive weather forecast data from a weather service and predict a period of time during which an energy usage peak will occur for the plurality of buildings based on the weather forecast data, determine the one or more operating time slots based on the period of time, assign the one or more operating time slots to each of the plurality of thermostats, and send the one or more assigned operating time slots to the plurality of thermostats.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2020
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Joseph R. Ribbich, Michael J. Ajax, Michael F. Kornacki, Scott T. Holland, Youngchoon Park, Maria L. Mejia
  • Patent number: 10579023
    Abstract: A plant includes equipment that operate to affect a variable state or condition of the plant in response to a control signal. A feedback controller monitors a process variable received via a feedback signal from the plant and uses an error signal representing a setpoint error between the process variable and a setpoint to generate the control signal for the plant. An exponentially-weighted moving average (EWMA) calculator generates EWMA values based on the setpoint error. A normalized index generator uses the EWMA values to calculate a normalized performance index. A threshold generator generates a threshold based on a first alarm parameter ? representing a normalized magnitude of the setpoint error and a second alarm parameter ? representing a normalized duration that the setpoint error has persisted. An alarm manager generates an alarm in response to the normalized performance index crossing the threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2020
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Timothy I. Salsbury, Carlos Felipe Alcala Perez, Michael J. Ajax
  • Publication number: 20200041154
    Abstract: A building system comprising one or more memory devices storing instructions that, are executed by one or more processors. The instructions include retrieving one or more instructions for installing a thermostat with heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) equipment and causing a user interface to display the one or more instructions. The instructions further include receiving one or more confirmation indications of the one or more instructions being performed successfully by a user and causing the user interface to display an interface including one or more indication that the one or more instructions were performed successfully by the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 14, 2019
    Publication date: February 6, 2020
    Applicant: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Joseph R. Ribbich, Nicholas S. Van Derven, William P. Alberth, JR., Alan S. Schwegler, Corey A. Poquette, Michael J. Ajax
  • Patent number: 10458669
    Abstract: A thermostat for controlling HVAC equipment via one or more control wires includes a user interface, a wiring terminal, and a processing circuit. The user interface is configured to display output to a user. The wiring terminal includes one or more connection points. The processing circuit is configured to determine one or more wiring instructions for wiring the thermostat with the HVAC equipment and cause the user interface to display the one or more instructions. The instructions instruct the user to connect the control wires to the connection points.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2019
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Joseph R. Ribbich, Nicholas S. Van Derven, William P. Alberth, Jr., Alan S. Schwegler, Corey A. Poquette, Michael J. Ajax
  • Patent number: 10443876
    Abstract: A HVAC controller located within a building zone includes a housing, a wireless radio, a controller monitor, a temperature sensor, and a temperature compensation module. The wireless radio is contained within the housing and is configured to transmit data via a wireless HVAC network. The controller monitor is configured to detect wireless activity of the wireless radio, the wireless activity generating heat inside the housing and causing a temperature inside the housing to exceed a temperature of the building zone outside the housing. The temperature sensor is configured to measure the temperature inside the housing. The temperature compensation module is configured to determine a wireless heat rise resulting from the wireless activity, to calculate a temperature offset based on the wireless heat rise, and to determine the temperature of the building zone outside the housing by subtracting the temperature offset from the temperature measured inside the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2019
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Christine R. Erickson, Michael J. Ajax, Christopher J. McCann, Daniel R. Hjortland, Justin J. Seifi
  • Publication number: 20190277525
    Abstract: A HVAC controller includes a housing and one or more heat-generating components contained within the housing. The heat-generating components cause a temperature inside the housing to exceed a temperature outside the housing. The controller includes a temperature sensor configured to measure the temperature inside the housing and a controller event detector configured to detect, for at least one of the heat-generating components, a controller event that generates heat inside the housing. The controller further includes a temperature compensation module configured to identify a steady-state temperature gain associated with the detected controller event, to calculate a temperature offset using a summation of the steady-state temperature gain, to determine the temperature of the building zone outside the housing by subtracting the temperature offset from the temperature measured inside the housing, and to store the temperature offset.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 29, 2019
    Publication date: September 12, 2019
    Applicant: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Michael J. Ajax, Justin J. Seifi