Patents by Inventor Douglas Glass Benefield

Douglas Glass Benefield 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: 11463854
    Abstract: Vehicles are equipped with Free-Space-Optics (FSO) transceivers for establishing one or more inter-vehicle communication link. A vehicle, mounted with one or one or more FSO transceiver unit, may enable individual driver to initiate and engage automated communication, exchanging vehicle, road, or driving environment conditions, with another vehicle, forming a vehicle communication network. A group of vehicles may spontaneously, opportunistically, or automatically communicate with each other, forming a vehicle communication network. The FSO transceiver unit enables the determine independently or communicate concomitantly one or more inter-vehicle distance, range, location, speed, velocity, acceleration, using a position locating and range measurement system. Each vehicle can perform unicast, multicast, or broadcast communication using an On-Board Unit containing hardware and software to enable access to the in-vehicle bus systems to collect vehicle information for dissemination in real-time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Inventor: Douglas Glass Benefield
  • Publication number: 20220074621
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure enable an HVAC system comprising an adaptive air distribution system, and methods for distributed and adaptive control of an occupant comfort parameter in a localized, distributed space, within a multizone environment. The system comprises an HVAC system controller, sensors, and actuators for the control and distribution of a primary airflow of an HVAC system into a specific zone of a residential or housing unit. The various system elements are configured to adapt operation under a variable sensible or latent internal load gain or change to achieve a desired occupant comfort parameter target set point or occupant ambient target for a distributed zone within a multizone environment. The occupant comfort parameter target set point is configurable through a task ambient management system residing within an application cloud server operably engaged with an application database, the application cloud server being communicably connected to the HVAC system controller.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 27, 2021
    Publication date: March 10, 2022
    Inventor: Douglas Glass Benefield
  • Publication number: 20220042708
    Abstract: An HVAC renewable energy management system and components to enable the efficient use of locally produced power from an onsite nanogrid and interconnected nanogrids of a cohesive direct current microgrid network. The system comprises a central controller for controlling one or more intermittent distributed energy resource (DER), source converter, distributed storage device, energy storage converter, power bus, internal load, and interface gateway to one or more external grid for bi-directional power control, sharing, and consumption. System hardware and software elements are configured for internetworking communication, management, control, demand side management, and power balance, using maximum power point tracking to shift power consumption, dynamic matching of local DER production, power quality assurance, system protection, power interconnection management, interface management, metering, revenue settlement, system optimization, and security.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 23, 2021
    Publication date: February 10, 2022
    Inventor: Douglas Glass Benefield
  • Publication number: 20210041136
    Abstract: A self-contained, integrated, modular HVAC system includes a plurality of adaptive or interchangeable components or swappable modules interconnected to enable the modulation of total airflow and total cooling capacity (sensible plus latent) to meet variable loads and adjust a sensible heat ratio (SHR) to meet a variable latent ratio of a conditioned space. The components comprise one or more air inlet, damper, inlet damper, air filtration module, air purification module, air freshener module, dehumidifying module, cooling module, air bypass module, blower module, air outlet, I/O panel, and a control cabinet. The components have sensors and actuators that allows a programmable control system to coordinate diagnostics and operations of internal and external components of a refrigeration/heating cycle using various feedback control logics.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2020
    Publication date: February 11, 2021
    Inventors: Douglas Glass Benefield, Justin Deshon Stabb
  • Publication number: 20210041135
    Abstract: A self-contained, integrated, modular HVAC system includes a plurality of adaptive or interchangeable components or swappable modules interconnected to enable the modulation of total airflow and total cooling capacity (sensible plus latent) to meet variable loads and adjust a sensible heat ratio (SHR) to meet a variable latent ratio of a conditioned space. The components comprise one or more air inlet, damper, inlet damper, air filtration module, air purification module, air freshener module, dehumidifying module, cooling module, air bypass module, blower module, air outlet, I/O panel, and a control cabinet. The components have sensors and actuators that allows a programmable control system to coordinate diagnostics and operations of internal and external components of a refrigeration/heating cycle using various feedback control logics.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2020
    Publication date: February 11, 2021
    Inventors: Douglas Glass Benefield, Justin Deshon Stabb
  • Patent number: 10801747
    Abstract: A self-contained, integrated, modular HVAC system includes a plurality of adaptive or interchangeable components or swappable modules interconnected to enable the modulation of total airflow and total cooling capacity (sensible plus latent) to meet variable loads, and adjust a sensible heat ratio (SHR) to meet a variable latent ratio of a conditioned space. The components comprise one or more air inlet, damper, inlet damper, air filtration module, air purification module, air freshener module, dehumidifying module, cooling module, air bypass module, blower module, air outlet, I/O panel, and a control cabinet. The components have sensors and actuators that allows a programmable control system to coordinate diagnostics and operations of internal and external components of a refrigeration/heating cycle using various feedback control logics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2020
    Assignee: Scientific Environmental Design, Inc.
    Inventors: Douglas Glass Benefield, Justin Deshon Stabb
  • Publication number: 20200280829
    Abstract: Vehicles are equipped with Free-Space-Optics (FSO) transceivers for establishing one or more inter-vehicle communication link. A vehicle, mounted with one or one or more FSO transceiver unit, may enable individual driver to initiate and engage automated communication, exchanging vehicle, road, or driving environment conditions, with another vehicle, forming a vehicle communication network. A group of vehicles may spontaneously, opportunistically, or automatically communicate with each other, forming a vehicle communication network. The FSO transceiver unit enables the determine independently or communicate concomitantly one or more inter-vehicle distance, range, location, speed, velocity, acceleration, using a position locating and range measurement system. Each vehicle can perform unicast, multicast, or broadcast communication using an On-Board Unit containing hardware and software to enable access to the in-vehicle bus systems to collect vehicle information for dissemination in real-time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2019
    Publication date: September 3, 2020
    Inventor: Douglas Glass Benefield
  • Publication number: 20200271348
    Abstract: An HVAC renewable energy management system and components to enable the efficient use of locally produced power from an onsite nanogrid and interconnected nanogrids of a cohesive direct current microgrid network. The system comprises a central controller for controlling one or more intermittent distributed energy resource (DER), source converter, distributed storage device, energy storage converter, power bus, internal load, and interface gateway to one or more external grid for bi-directional power control, sharing, and consumption. System hardware and software elements are configured for internetworking communication, management, control, demand side management, and power balance, using maximum power point tracking to shift power consumption, dynamic matching of local DER production, power quality assurance, system protection, power interconnection management, interface management, metering, revenue settlement, system optimization, and security.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 21, 2019
    Publication date: August 27, 2020
    Inventor: Douglas Glass Benefield
  • Publication number: 20200139169
    Abstract: A next generation, integrated HVAC platform incorporating an automated fire sensing, alarm, emergency geo-location/evacuation alert management system, and a clean agent total flooding fire suppression and control system. The fire sensing-alarm and wireless emergency geo-location/evacuation alert management system systems comprise one or more portable self-contained combustion detection-notification and wireless emergency geo-location/evacuation alert appliances deployed at one or more physical locations. The system comprises one or more fire suppressing agent, agent storage container, agent release valve, agent delivery route, and agent dispersion means. The platform incorporates a clean agent total flooding control system comprising an integrated communication means, sensors and wireless devices, to communicate and control one or more HVAC, fire-sensing, fire suppression/protection, and wireless emergency geo-location/evacuation alert management systems, components, or appliances.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 7, 2018
    Publication date: May 7, 2020
    Inventor: Douglas Glass Benefield
  • Publication number: 20200056804
    Abstract: A self-contained, integrated, modular HVAC system includes a plurality of adaptive or interchangeable components or swappable modules interconnected to enable the modulation of total airflow and total cooling capacity (sensible plus latent) to meet variable loads, and adjust a sensible heat ratio (SHR) to meet a variable latent ratio of a conditioned space. The components comprise one or more air inlet, damper, inlet damper, air filtration module, air purification module, air freshener module, dehumidifying module, cooling module, air bypass module, blower module, air outlet, I/O panel, and a control cabinet. The components have sensors and actuators that allows a programmable control system to coordinate diagnostics and operations of internal and external components of a refrigeration/heating cycle using various feedback control logics.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 14, 2018
    Publication date: February 20, 2020
    Inventors: Douglas Glass Benefield, Justin Deshon Stabb
  • Publication number: 20190346170
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure enable an HVAC system comprising an adaptive air distribution system, and methods for distributed and adaptive control of an occupant comfort parameter in a localized, distributed space, within a multizone environment. The system comprises an HVAC system controller, sensors, and actuators for the control and distribution of a primary airflow of an HVAC system into a specific zone of a residential or housing unit. The various system elements are configured to adapt operation under a variable sensible or latent internal load gain or change to achieve a desired occupant comfort parameter target set point or occupant ambient target for a distributed zone within a multizone environment. The occupant comfort parameter target set point is configurable through a task ambient management system residing within an application cloud server operably engaged with an application database, the application cloud server being communicably connected to the HVAC system controller.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 21, 2019
    Publication date: November 14, 2019
    Inventor: Douglas Glass Benefield
  • Publication number: 20190346417
    Abstract: A method and system for providing a user with real-time luminosity, temperature, indoor air quality sensing, diagnostics, analysis, and environmental control via a smart HVAC controller, a plurality of multi-sensor devices and personal health devices and gateways communicably engaged via a mesh network and the Internet. Indoor luminosity, temperature, indoor air quality and HVAC data from a residential or commercial structure as well as occupant health/wellness/activities status are collected, communicated, and aggregated in an application database via an Internet connection. An application server is operable to query the application database to provide a variety of home status, occupant status, analysis, and diagnostic reports. Reports containing detailed air quality and contaminant data could be communicated to client via email, web/mobile applications, and mobile push notifications.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 21, 2019
    Publication date: November 14, 2019
    Inventor: Douglas Glass Benefield