Patents Assigned to Control Technology
  • Patent number: 10935940
    Abstract: A building management system is provided. The building management system includes a database, a trust region identifier configured to perform a cluster analysis technique to identify trust regions, and a regression model predictor configured to utilize a regression model technique to calculate a regression model prediction. The building management system further includes a distance metric calculator configured to calculate a distance metric, an artificial neural network model predictor configured to utilize an artificial neural network model technique to calculate an artificial neural network model prediction, and a combined prediction calculator configured to determine a combined prediction based on the distance metric, the regression model prediction, and the artificial neural network model prediction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventor: Kirk H. Drees
  • Patent number: 10935998
    Abstract: A heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system includes a plurality of sensors including a first sensor configured to measure an outside air temperature of outside air, a second sensor configured to measure a return air temperature of return air, and a third sensor configured to measure a mixed air temperature of mixed air. The system also includes a controller communicatively coupled to the plurality of sensors. The controller is configured to determine that data from one of the plurality of sensors is unavailable and estimate the data from the one of the plurality of sensors based on data from other sensors of the plurality of sensors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Aron M. Seiler, Chandra S. Yelamanchili, Nathan T. Ostrye
  • Patent number: 10935263
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) system that has a first circuit and a second circuit that each have a compressor and a condenser, a conduit extending from the second circuit downstream of the condenser to the first circuit upstream of the compressor, a valve along the conduit that may manage flow therethrough, and a controller that may operate the HVAC system in a first mode such that each circuit separately circulates the refrigerant in each circuit and transition to a second mode such that refrigerant-sharing occurs between the circuits. In response to a request to transition from the second mode to the first mode, the controller may determine an amount of refrigerant subcooling, compare the amount to a threshold value associated with the first mode, and instruct opening of the valve upon a determination that the amount is less than the threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Baskaran K, Karan Garg, Curtis W. Caskey, Norman J. Blanton, Anthony J. Reardon, Zhiwei Huang
  • Publication number: 20210055702
    Abstract: A method for operating equipment according to sequence of operation using geometric models including obtaining a first geometric model for a first set of equipment and a second geometric model for a second set of equipment, the first set of equipment and the second set of equipment defined by the sequence of operation for the equipment, locating, on the first geometric model, a first nearest operating point based on a desired operating point, generating a first modified geometric model by removing one or more operating points that do not satisfy the first nearest operating point, generating a merged geometric model by merging the first modified geometric model with the second geometric model, locating a second nearest operating point based on a modified desired operating point, and operating the equipment in accordance with the first nearest operating point and the second nearest operating point.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 22, 2019
    Publication date: February 25, 2021
    Applicant: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Andrew J. Przybylski, Michael J. Wenzel, John H. Burroughs
  • Publication number: 20210055698
    Abstract: A method for operating a subplant included in a central plant includes obtaining instruction-based equipment models associated with devices included in the subplant and comprises operating points that define an operation of the devices, generating, for each instruction-based equipment models, a geometric equipment model using the operating points from a particular instruction-based equipment model, the geometric equipment model defining at least one operating domain associated with the particular device, merging geometric equipment models to form a geometric subplant model, the geometric subplant model defining an operation of the subplant comprising devices associated with the geometric equipment models, receiving a desired operating point comprising a load value, determining, relative to the desired operating point, a nearest operating point on the geometric subplant model, setting the nearest operating point on the geometric subplant model as an actual operating point, and operating the subplant at the act
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 23, 2019
    Publication date: February 25, 2021
    Applicant: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Andrew J. Przybylski, John H. Burroughs, Michael J. Wenzel
  • Publication number: 20210055701
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are related to a system, a method, and a non-transitory computer readable medium for operating an energy plant. In one aspect, the system generates a regression model of a produced thermal energy load produced by a supply device of the plurality of devices. The system predicts the produced thermal energy load produced by the supply device for a first time period based on the regression model. The system determines a heat capacity of gas or liquid in the loop based on the predicted produced thermal energy load. The system generates a model of mass storage based on the heat capacity. The system predicts an induced thermal energy load during a second time period at a consuming device of the plurality of devices based on the model of the mass storage. The system operates the energy plant according to the predicted induced thermal energy load.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 15, 2020
    Publication date: February 25, 2021
    Applicant: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Mohammad N. ELBSAT, Michael J. WENZEL, Graeme WILLMOTT, Matthew J. ASMUS
  • Publication number: 20210055016
    Abstract: A building control system includes one or more processors and one or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing instructions. When executed by the one or more processors, the instructions cause the one or more processors to perform operations including using an artificial intelligence model to adjust a threshold value of a constraint based on user input provided via one or more user devices during a first time period. The user input indicates user satisfaction with an environmental condition of a building space during the first time period. The operations include using the threshold value of the constraint to operate equipment that affect the environmental condition of the building space during a second time period subsequent to the first time period.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 6, 2020
    Publication date: February 25, 2021
    Applicant: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventor: Robert D. Turney
  • Patent number: 10928089
    Abstract: A system for controlling temperature of a building space includes HVAC equipment configured to serve the building space, a plurality of sensors configured to measure a plurality of parameters relating to the building space, and a control system. The control system is configured to receive data from the plurality of sensors, generate a plurality of disturbance heat flow estimates for the building space based on the data from the plurality of sensors, determine a feedforward heat flow contribution based on the disturbance heat flow estimates, determine a feedback heat flow contribution based on a measured temperature of the building space and a temperature setpoint for the building space, combine the feedforward heat flow contribution and the feedback heat flow contribution to determine a rate of heat flow to be provided to the building space by the HVAC equipment, and control the HVAC equipment to provide the rate of heat flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Timothy C. Gamroth, Craig E. Trivelpiece, Joseph Piccolo, III, Kirk H. Drees
  • 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
  • Patent number: 10928088
    Abstract: The present disclosure includes a control board including a switchable input/output port. The switchable I/O port may provide a switchable communication bus capable of selectively supporting one of multiple different communication protocols and may provide a switchable power bus capable of selectively conducting electrical power from one of multiple different power supplies. As such, the control board may communicatively and/or electrically couple to a wide range of devices. To that end, the control board may support the dynamic interchange and reconfiguration of devices coupled to the control board, allowing a control system including the control board greater operational flexibility.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Shaun B. Atchison, Brian D. Rigg
  • Patent number: 10928790
    Abstract: A controller for multiple groups of equipment detects a staging event for a first group of equipment and determines when the staging event occurs. The controller determines whether a predetermined time period has elapsed since the staging event for the first group of equipment has occurred and prevents a second group of equipment from staging in response to a determination that the predetermined time period has not elapsed since the staging event for the first group of equipment has occurred. Preventing the second group of equipment from staging reduces peak energy consumption during the predetermined time period and reduces a demand charge based on the peak energy consumption.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Jon T. Mueller, Joseph P. Carmody
  • Patent number: 10927744
    Abstract: An exhaust component assembly includes a heat shield formed from a composite material and a mounting structure that attaches the heat shield to an outer housing of an exhaust component. The mounting structure comprises an insulator located between an outer surface of the outer housing an inner surface of the heat shield. A method of assembling the composite heat shield to the outer housing of the exhaust component assembly is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: Faurecia Emissions Control Technologies, USA, LLC
    Inventors: Robin Willats, Jerome Brian Hornback, Jeffery Warren Prairie, John G. Rohde, Thibaut Contremoulins, Maria Saur
  • Patent number: 10929090
    Abstract: A wireless display screen includes a display screen body, a power management module, a wireless audio/video signal receiving module used for receiving a wireless audio/video signal emitted by a host device and an audio/video signal conversion process module used for converting a video signal into a display signal which adapts to the display screen body to perform image display. A user selects a host device capable of emitting the wireless audio/video signal to perform signal pairing on the wireless display screen so as to be capable of achieving synchronous display and play of a signal outputted by the host device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: Shenzhen Ainoldia Intelligent Control Technology Co., LTD
    Inventors: Guoxing Sun, Ronghua Wen
  • Patent number: 10927850
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to an adjustable mounting assembly for a fan motor, having a frame defining a space configured to receive the fan motor, a fixed nut coupled to the frame, and a bolt extending through the fixed nut and into the space. The frame is configured to mount to a heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) unit, and the bolt is adjustable relative to the fixed nut to adjust a position of the fan motor within the space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Amit R. Chothave, Piyush R. Adhav, Shashank B. Kadam, Praveen M. Gotakhindi, Anand Talikot
  • Patent number: 10928784
    Abstract: A central plant optimization system for designing and operating a central plant includes a planning tool, a central plant controller, and an optimization platform. The planning tool is configured to generate a model of the central plant. The central plant controller is configured to receive the model of the central plant from the planning tool and combine the model of the central plant with timeseries data including a timeseries of predicted energy loads to be served by equipment of the central plant. The optimization platform is configured to receive the model of the central plant combined with the timeseries data, construct an optimization problem using the model of the central plant and the timeseries data, solve the optimization problem to determine an optimal allocation of the energy loads across the equipment of the central plant, and provide optimization results to the central plant controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Peter A. Craig, Michael F. Jaeger, James P. Kummer, Carol T. Tumey
  • Publication number: 20210048797
    Abstract: A building device for a building management system (BMS) includes a processing circuit configured to receive one or more health messages from one or more other building devices. The processing circuit is configured to update an existing health message stored in a memory of the building device based on the one or more health messages by updating a message list of the existing health message with message list data of the one or more health messages, updating a sick node list of the existing health message based on the updated message list, and updating a sick node matrix of the existing health message based on the updated sick node list and the received one or more health messages. The processing circuit is configured to communicate the updated health message to at least one of the one or more other building devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 26, 2020
    Publication date: February 18, 2021
    Applicant: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Sudhi Sinha, Youngchoon Park
  • Publication number: 20210048785
    Abstract: A method for controlling a plant includes using a neural network modeling technique to calculate a neural network prediction based on plant input data, using a second modeling technique to calculate a second prediction based on the plant input data, and determining whether to use (1) the neural network prediction without the second prediction, (2) the second prediction without the neural network prediction, or (3) both the neural network prediction and the second prediction by comparing a location of the plant input data in a multi-dimensional modeling space to one or more thresholds. The method includes generating a combined prediction using one or both of the neural network prediction and the second prediction in accordance with a result of the determining and controlling the plant using the combined prediction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2020
    Publication date: February 18, 2021
    Applicant: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventor: Kirk H. Drees
  • Publication number: 20210048788
    Abstract: An illustrative embodiment disclosed herein is a circuit for sensing heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration (HVACR) equipment. The circuit includes an input port that has an input voltage signal. The circuit includes an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) generating a first digital signal based on receiving a representation of a supply voltage, generating a second digital signal based on receiving the divided input voltage signal, and outputting the first digital signal, the second digital signal, and an output voltage reference. The circuit includes an amplifier coupled to the ADC and amplifying the output voltage reference to generate a supply voltage. The circuit includes a microprocessor coupled to the ADC and configured to calculate a first ratio of the first digital signal and the supply voltage. The microprocessor is configured to determine the input voltage signal by calculating a second ratio of the second digital signal and the first ratio.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 13, 2019
    Publication date: February 18, 2021
    Applicant: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Denis Sterjo, Mark G. Freund, Michael J. Schantzen
  • Patent number: 10921833
    Abstract: A thermostat for includes a processing circuit configured to operate the building equipment to control an environmental condition within a building including a first zone and second zones and receive a first time-series data set for a parameter of a first piece of the building equipment associated with the first zone. The processing circuit is configured to receive second time-series data sets for the parameter of second pieces of building equipment associated with the second zones. The processing circuit is configured to perform a comparison including comparing the first time-series data set with the second time-series data sets and generate recommendations for improving the performance of the first piece of building equipment based on the comparison of the first time-series data set with the second time-series data sets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2021
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Justin J. Ploegert, Joseph R. Ribbich
  • Patent number: RE48443
    Abstract: A system and method of determining a topology of devices in an Ethernet network of a building management system (BMS). The method includes discovering a number and identification of devices within the Ethernet ring. The method further includes, for each device discovered in the Ethernet ring, disabling an Ethernet port of one of the device in the Ethernet ring; broadcasting a ring port request onto the Ethernet ring; receiving a ring port response from each of the devices having received the ring port request; and incrementing a count associated with each device based on receiving a ring port response from the device. The method then repeats the above steps until each device in the Ethernet ring has had an Ethernet port disabled. The method further includes determining the topology of the devices in the Ethernet ring by ordering the devices in the Ethernet ring based on the value of the count associated with each device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2021
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventor: Eric J. Drury