Patents by Inventor Nathan M. Zimmerman

Nathan M. Zimmerman 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).

  • 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
  • Publication number: 20230013555
    Abstract: A bridge device for a building network includes a radio, a wired communications interface configured to communicate with a first master slave/token passing (MS/TP) network, and a processing circuit configured to wirelessly transmit and receive messages to and from MS/TP devices coupled to the MS/TP network. The processing circuit is configured to transparently communicate the messages such that the MS/TP devices on the first MS/TP network are operationally unaware of a wireless network associated with the bridge device by passing tokens for MS/TP devices outside of the MS/TP network.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 13, 2021
    Publication date: January 19, 2023
    Inventors: William R. Kuckuk, Christopher J. McCann, Nathan M. Zimmerman, Kim K. Weller, Nick J. Schaf
  • 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
  • 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
  • Publication number: 20190178523
    Abstract: The present disclosure includes a thermostat for controlling HVAC equipment of a building based on occupancy of the building. The thermostat includes an occupancy sensor configured to detect a presence of an occupant. The thermostat includes a processing circuit. The processing circuit can receive occupancy data for one or more points in time from an occupancy sensor. The occupancy data indicates the presence of an occupant at the one or more points in time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2018
    Publication date: June 13, 2019
    Applicant: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Nathan M. Zimmerman, Michael J. Ajax
  • Publication number: 20190178521
    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: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2018
    Publication date: June 13, 2019
    Applicant: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Nathan M. Zimmerman, Michael J. Ajax
  • Publication number: 20190178518
    Abstract: A thermostat for a building space is disclosed. The thermostat 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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2018
    Publication date: June 13, 2019
    Applicant: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Nathan M. Zimmerman, Michael J. Ajax
  • Publication number: 20190178511
    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: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2018
    Publication date: June 13, 2019
    Applicant: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Nathan M. Zimmerman, Michael J. Ajax, Nicholas S. Van Derven, John M. House, Timothy I. Salsbury