Patents by Inventor Nicholas J. Schaf

Nicholas J. Schaf 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: 11725838
    Abstract: A building system for a building includes an environmental controller including a controller radio. The environmental controller is configured to communicate a wake-up message. The building system includes an environmental sensor including a wake-up radio and a main radio. The environmental sensor is configured to operate the main radio in a low power state. The environmental sensor is configured to receive the wake-up message from the controller radio via the wake-up radio. The environmental sensor is configured to operate the main radio in a high power state in response to a reception of the wake-up message via the wake-up radio. The environmental sensor is configured to communicate sensor data of the environmental sensor to the controller radio via the main radio in response to the main radio operating in the high power state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Tyco IP Holdings LLP
    Inventors: Robert C. Hall, Jr., Timothy C. Gamroth, Nicholas J. Schaf
  • Patent number: 11671274
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a building network system for a building. The system includes network devices forming a network for the building. Each of the network devices include a communications processing circuit including an access point configured to communicate with any of the network devices to form the network, and a second processing circuit removably communicably connected to the communications processing circuit. The communications processing circuit and the second processing circuit are configured to operate independently of each other. The access point is a wireless radio configured to wirelessly communicate with the access points of any of the network devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Tyco IP Holdings LLP
    Inventors: Timothy C. Gamroth, Nicholas J. Schaf, Robert C. Hall, Jr.
  • Patent number: 11604443
    Abstract: A system for distributed device management includes a group of devices. Each device in the group of devices communicate with one or more other devices in the group of devices over one or more network channels, and each device in the group of devices includes a processing circuit. The processing circuit of each device in the group of devices manages one or more devices in the group of devices, authorizes a new device to join the group of devices, and synchronizes data with the new device and with one or more devices in the group of devices over the one or more network channels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2023
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Tyco IP Holdings LLP
    Inventors: Jeremy P. Hannon, Nicholas J. Schaf, Leyla Mousavi, Scott G. Ambelang, Xin Zhang
  • Patent number: 11561606
    Abstract: A system for reducing power consumption in a wireless network includes a station (e.g., Wi-Fi sensor) and an access point in wireless communication with the station. The station has at least a low-power sleep mode and an active mode. The system can be configured to assign a static Internet Protocol (IP) address to the station and disable re-negotiation of an encryption key while the station is in sleep mode. The system can further be configured to force the station to communicate via 802.11g and to transmit data to a proxy service while in active mode before returning to sleep mode upon receiving a response from the proxy service. Further, an association timeout period associated with the station can be configured to be at least twice as long as a wake-up period associated with the station.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2023
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Tyco IP Holdings LLP
    Inventors: Ezra M Imes, Nicholas J. Schaf, Robert C. Hall, Jr.
  • Patent number: 10880107
    Abstract: A temporary building network system for forming a temporary network for a building includes a first network device and a second network device. The first network devices includes an energy storage device configured to power the first network device using stored energy, a wireless radio configured to communicate with the second network device, and an indicator device configured to indicate a wireless radio connection strength to a user. The first network device includes a processing circuit configured to cause the wireless radio to communicate with the second network device via the temporary network, determine the wireless radio connection strength for the wireless connection between the first network device and the second network device based on a communication with the second network device via the temporary network, and cause the indicator device to indicate the determined wireless radio connection strength to the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2020
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Timothy C. Gamroth, Nicholas J. Schaf, Joseph Piccolo, III
  • Publication number: 20200318842
    Abstract: A building system for a building includes an environmental controller including a controller radio. The environmental controller is configured to communicate a wake-up message. The building system includes an environmental sensor including a wake-up radio and a main radio. The environmental sensor is configured to operate the main radio in a low power state. The environmental sensor is configured to receive the wake-up message from the controller radio via the wake-up radio. The environmental sensor is configured to operate the main radio in a high power state in response to a reception of the wake-up message via the wake-up radio. The environmental sensor is configured to communicate sensor data of the environmental sensor to the controller radio via the main radio in response to the main radio operating in the high power state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 2, 2020
    Publication date: October 8, 2020
    Applicant: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Robert C. Hall, JR., Timothy C. Gamroth, Nicholas J. Schaf
  • Patent number: 10735976
    Abstract: A wireless mesh network survey tool is provided. The tool includes a user interface and a processing circuit. The processing circuit is configured to access a scaled floorplan of a building site, and identify a receiver device location on the scaled floorplan. The processing circuit is further configured to instruct a user to position a transmitter device at a number of test locations to determine a signal strength at each of the test locations. The processing circuit is also configured to determine a device count for a proposed mesh network based on the signal strength at each of the test locations. The device count includes a number of repeater devices. The processing circuit is further configured to display the proposed mesh network to the user via the user interface. The proposed mesh network includes recommended locations for the repeater devices on the scaled floorplan.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Daniel R. Rumler, Nicholas J. Schaf, Kim K. Weller, Jeremy P. Hannon, Milan Mitra, Anchal K. Swarnkar
  • Publication number: 20200228621
    Abstract: A building network system for a building includes network devices forming a network for the building. Each network device includes a communications interface and a processing circuit. The communications interface is configured to communicate with other network devices of the multiple network devices. The processing circuit stores a first profile and a second profile. The first profile includes a first set of configuration settings that cause the network device to operate according to a first network topology when the first profile is active. The second profile includes a second set of configuration settings that cause the network device to operate according to a second network topology when the second profile is active. The processing circuit is configured to transition the network device from operating according to the first network topology to operating according to the second network topology by deactivating the first profile and activating the second profile.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 10, 2020
    Publication date: July 16, 2020
    Inventors: Timothy C. Gamroth, Nicholas J. Schaf, Robert C. Hall, Jr., Xin Zhang
  • Publication number: 20200228367
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a building network system for a building. The system includes network devices forming a network for the building. Each of the network devices include a communications processing circuit including an access point configured to communicate with any of the network devices to form the network, and a second processing circuit removably communicably connected to the communications processing circuit. The communications processing circuit and the second processing circuit are configured to operate independently of each other. The access point is a wireless radio configured to wirelessly communicate with the access points of any of the network devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 11, 2019
    Publication date: July 16, 2020
    Applicant: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Timothy C. Gamroth, Nicholas J. Schaf, Robert C. Hall, JR.
  • Publication number: 20200159312
    Abstract: A system for reducing power consumption in a wireless network includes a station (e.g., Wi-Fi sensor) and an access point in wireless communication with the station. The station has at least a low-power sleep mode and an active mode. The system can be configured to assign a static Internet Protocol (IP) address to the station and disable re-negotiation of an encryption key while the station is in sleep mode. The system can further be configured to force the station to communicate via 802.11g and to transmit data to a proxy service while in active mode before returning to sleep mode upon receiving a response from the proxy service. Further, an association timeout period associated with the station can be configured to be at least twice as long as a wake-up period associated with the station.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2018
    Publication date: May 21, 2020
    Applicant: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Ezra M. Imes, Nicholas J. Schaf, Robert C. Hall, JR.
  • Publication number: 20200149771
    Abstract: A thermostat gateway device includes one or more circuits configured to receive a control input from a user device or from a sensor device via a first frequency band of a local wireless network, generate a control signal for the HVAC equipment using the control input, and provide the control signal to the HVAC equipment via a second frequency band of the local wireless network to affect operation of the HVAC equipment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2019
    Publication date: May 14, 2020
    Inventors: Vineet Sinha, Yingchun Xu, Patrick W. Mulcahy, August Lu, Bing Mao, Karl F. Reichenberger, Nathan Zimmerman, Nicholas J. Schaf, Robert C. Hall, JR.
  • Publication number: 20200064797
    Abstract: A system for distributed device management includes a group of devices. Each device in the group of devices communicate with one or more other devices in the group of devices over one or more network channels, and each device in the group of devices includes a processing circuit. The processing circuit of each device in the group of devices manages one or more devices in the group of devices, authorizes a new device to join the group of devices, and synchronizes data with the new device and with one or more devices in the group of devices over the one or more network channels.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 16, 2019
    Publication date: February 27, 2020
    Inventors: Jeremy P. Hannon, Nicholas J. Schaf, Leyla Mousavi, Scott G. Ambelang, Xin Zhang
  • Publication number: 20180317095
    Abstract: A wireless mesh network survey tool is provided. The tool includes a user interface and a processing circuit. The processing circuit is configured to access a scaled floorplan of a building site, and identify a receiver device location on the scaled floorplan. The processing circuit is further configured to instruct a user to position a transmitter device at a number of test locations to determine a signal strength at each of the test locations. The processing circuit is also configured to determine a device count for a proposed mesh network based on the signal strength at each of the test locations. The device count includes a number of repeater devices. The processing circuit is further configured to display the proposed mesh network to the user via the user interface. The proposed mesh network includes recommended locations for the repeater devices on the scaled floorplan.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 1, 2018
    Publication date: November 1, 2018
    Inventors: Daniel R. Rumler, Nicholas J. Schaf, Kim K. Weller, Jeremy P. Hannon, Milan Mitra, Anchal K. Swarnkar
  • Publication number: 20180316513
    Abstract: A temporary building network system for forming a temporary network for a building includes a first network device and a second network device. The first network devices includes an energy storage device configured to power the first network device using stored energy, a wireless radio configured to communicate with the second network device, and an indicator device configured to indicate a wireless radio connection strength to a user. The first network device includes a processing circuit configured to cause the wireless radio to communicate with the second network device via the temporary network, determine the wireless radio connection strength for the wireless connection between the first network device and the second network device based on a communication with the second network device via the temporary network, and cause the indicator device to indicate the determined wireless radio connection strength to the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2018
    Publication date: November 1, 2018
    Inventors: Timothy C. Gamroth, Nicholas J. Schaf, Joseph Piccolo, III