Patents Assigned to Johnson Controls Technology
  • Patent number: 12216452
    Abstract: A controller for equipment that operate to provide heating or cooling to a building or campus includes a processing circuit configured to obtain utility rate data indicating a price of resources consumed by the equipment to serve energy loads of the building or campus, obtain an objective function that expresses a total monetary cost of operating the equipment over an optimization period as a function of the utility rate data and an amount of the resources consumed by the equipment, determine a relationship between resource consumption and load production of the equipment, optimize the objective function over the optimization subject to a constraint based on the relationship between the resource consumption and the load production of the equipment to determine a distribution of the load production across the equipment, and operate the equipment to achieve the distribution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2025
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Michael J. Wenzel, Robert D. Turney, Kirk H. Drees, Matthew J. Asmus
  • Publication number: 20250012463
    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: September 23, 2024
    Publication date: January 9, 2025
    Applicant: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Robert K. Alexander, Christopher Merkl, Gary A. Romanowich, Bernard Clement, Kevin Weiss
  • Patent number: 12181320
    Abstract: A flow meter control assembly including a housing. The flow meter control assembly further includes a user interface disposed in the housing. The user interface includes an input device configured to receive a configuration parameter from a user and a display configured to display the configuration parameter. The flow meter control assembly further includes a processing circuit disposed within the housing and coupled to the user interface, the processing circuit configured to update a control program of at least one of the flow meter control assembly and an actuator coupled to the flow meter control assembly based on the configuration parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2024
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Cory C. Strebe, Frank J. Stier, Kyle M. Bero, George J. Dietz
  • Patent number: 12163678
    Abstract: A heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) system includes a first condenser coil of a refrigerant circuit, wherein the first condenser coil is configured to receive a first refrigerant flow from a compressor of the refrigerant circuit, a modulating valve of the refrigerant circuit, and control circuitry communicatively coupled to the modulating valve. The modulating valve is configured to receive a second refrigerant flow from the compressor and configured to direct the second refrigerant flow to a second condenser coil of the refrigerant circuit and to a reheat coil of the refrigerant circuit in a parallel flow arrangement, and the control circuitry is configured to operate the modulating valve to apportion the second refrigerant flow between the second condenser coil and the reheat coil based on a detected operating parameter of an air flow directed across the reheat coil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2023
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2024
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Stephen Blake Pickle, Norman Jack Blanton, Kerry Lyman Shumway
  • Patent number: 12104810
    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: June 26, 2023
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2024
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Michael J. Ajax, Joseph R. Ribbich
  • Patent number: 12098854
    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: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2023
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2024
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Robert K. Alexander, Christopher Merkl, Gary A. Romanowich, Bernard Clement, Kevin Weiss
  • Patent number: 12085900
    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: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2024
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Michael J. Wenzel, Kirk H. Drees
  • Publication number: 20240275431
    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: April 26, 2024
    Publication date: August 15, 2024
    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
  • Patent number: 12034497
    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: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2024
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Daniel R. Rumler, Steven L Whitsitt, Robert K. Alexander, Christopher Merkl, Gary A. Romanowich, Bernard Clement, Kevin A. Weiss
  • Patent number: 12033564
    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: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2024
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: John Robert Taylor, Jr., John Michael Reiszl, Damon Bryan Smith
  • Publication number: 20240219947
    Abstract: A building manager includes a communications interface configured to receive time-of-use information from a smart energy grid and a processing circuit configured to process the time-of-use information received from the smart energy grid to generate load shedding decisions for building subsystems or devices including determining when to utilize energy from energy storage equipment. The processing circuit is configured to determine an amount of greenhouse gas emissions corresponding to the load shedding decisions and convert the amount of greenhouse gas emissions into tradable carbon credits. The processing circuit is configured to generate a graphical user interface including modules indicating the amount of greenhouse gas emissions, the tradable carbon credits, or energy savings resulting from the load shedding decisions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2024
    Publication date: July 4, 2024
    Applicant: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Clay G. Nesler, Kirk H. Drees, James P. Kummer, Derek Supple, Marc D. Andraca, John I. Ruiz, Paul Harrison Rode
  • Patent number: 11927977
    Abstract: A building manager includes a communications interface configured to receive information from a smart energy grid. The building manager further includes an integrated control layer configured to receive inputs from and to provide outputs to a plurality of building subsystems. The integrated control layer includes a plurality of control algorithm modules configured to process the inputs and to determine the outputs. The building manager further includes a fault detection and diagnostics layer configured to use statistical analysis on the inputs received from the integrated control layer to detect and diagnose faults. The building manager yet further includes a demand response layer configured to process the information received from the smart energy grid to determine adjustments to the plurality of control algorithms of the integrated control layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Clay G. Nesler, Kirk H. Drees, James P. Kummer, Derek Supple, Marc D. Andraca, John I. Ruiz, Paul Harrison Rode
  • Publication number: 20240060665
    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: August 30, 2023
    Publication date: February 22, 2024
    Applicant: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Robert K. Alexander, Christopher Merkl, Gary A. Romanowich, Bernard Clement, Kevin Weiss
  • Publication number: 20240061404
    Abstract: A controller for equipment that operate to provide heating or cooling to a building or campus includes a processing circuit configured to obtain utility rate data indicating a price of resources consumed by the equipment to serve energy loads of the building or campus, obtain an objective function that expresses a total monetary cost of operating the equipment over an optimization period as a function of the utility rate data and an amount of the resources consumed by the equipment, determine a relationship between resource consumption and load production of the equipment, optimize the objective function over the optimization subject to a constraint based on the relationship between the resource consumption and the load production of the equipment to determine a distribution of the load production across the equipment, and operate the equipment to achieve the distribution.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2023
    Publication date: February 22, 2024
    Applicant: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Michael J. Wenzel, Robert D. Turney, Kirk H. Drees, Matthew J. Asmus
  • Patent number: 11898771
    Abstract: A terminal unit for a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system includes a housing defining a plenum and having a first panel and a second panel disposed opposite each other. The first panel has a first outlet opening and a second outlet opening, and the second panel has a first inlet opening configured to receive a first air flow and a second inlet opening configured to receive a second air flow. The terminal unit includes a sound attenuator including an inlet configured to receive the first air flow and an outlet configured to discharge the first air flow into the housing via the first inlet opening. The terminal unit further includes first and second blowers. The first blower is configured to discharge air from the plenum via the first outlet opening, and the second blower is configured to discharge air from the plenum via the second outlet opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Abhijeet R. Salunkke, Tarun Dogra, Sushilkumar D. Gorad, Parmeshwar G. Patil, Timothy J. Wilson, Vinothkumar Muthu, Tyler J. Williams
  • Publication number: 20240044532
    Abstract: A building management system includes a communications bus, field devices connected to the communications bus, a cloud service including a machine learning engine; and a controller for an HVAC device. The controller communicates with the communications bus and the cloud service and is configured to transmit messages through the communications bus to the field devices, compile a list of connected field devices, receive sample data from the connected field devices, and transmit the sample data from the connected field devices to the cloud service. The controller is further configured to receive identifying characteristics for each of the connected field devices from the cloud service and to select a control logic file for the HVAC device based on the identifying characteristics.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 23, 2023
    Publication date: February 8, 2024
    Applicant: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Sourav Bandyopadhyay, Sushant Trivedi
  • Patent number: 11867415
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) system that includes a refrigerant circuit and a sensor configured to measure a refrigerant concentration external to the refrigeration circuit. The HVAC system also includes a controller that is communicatively coupled to the sensor and to an economizer. The controller is configured to control a flow of environmental air into the HVAC system. The controller is further configured to increase a ratio of the flow of environmental air relative to a flow of return air from a conditioned interior space of a building when the sensor measures the refrigerant concentration above a predetermined threshold concentration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Steven M. Maddox, William F. McQuade
  • Patent number: 11859880
    Abstract: A heat pump system includes a refrigerant circuit including a compressor, a reversing valve, a first heat exchanger, a second heat exchanger, a reheat heat exchanger, and a three-way valve. The reversing valve is configured to receive refrigerant from the compressor and adjust between a first configuration to direct the refrigerant toward the three-way valve and a second configuration to direct the refrigerant toward the first heat exchanger. The three-way valve is configured to adjust between a first position to direct the refrigerant between the reversing valve and the second heat exchanger and a second position to direct the refrigerant from the reversing valve to the reheat heat exchanger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Stephen Blake Pickle, Kerry Lyman Shumway, Thinh Huy Nguyen, Bradford Graham Briley
  • Patent number: D1006825
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Benjamin W. Hapka, Patrick E. Harder, William Schroeder
  • Patent number: D1054014
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2024
    Assignees: Johnson Controls (China) Investment Co., Ltd., Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Qi Yin, Eric Scott Mackey