Patents by Inventor Kirk H. Drees
Kirk H. Drees 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).
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Publication number: 20230272933Abstract: Systems and methods for particulate sensing of a building. Some embodiments relate to an air handling unit of an HVAC system of a building. The air handling unit includes ducting, one or more air dampers coupled to the ducting, and an integrated sampling system including piping coupled to at least one of the ducting or the one or more air dampers and configured to collect a plurality of air stream samples, a plurality of integrated sensors configured to measure the air stream sample, wherein a first integrated sensor is configured to measure a first species of the air stream sample, and wherein a second integrated sensor is configured to measure a second species of the air stream sample, and a processing circuit configured to estimate one or more air quality indicators of the air handling unit.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 24, 2023Publication date: August 31, 2023Inventors: Jonathan D. Douglas, Tyler A. Smith, Kirk H. Drees
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Publication number: 20230273576Abstract: Systems and methods for particulate sensing of a building. Some embodiments relate to an air handling unit of an HVAC system of a building. The air handling unit includes a zone sensor configured to sample a first zone and measure a first particle disturbance of the first zone, an integrated sampling system includes one or more integrated sensors configured to measure a second particle disturbance of an outdoor air stream and a third particle disturbance of an indoor air stream. The air handling unit further includes an air handling unit controller configured to control operation of the air handling unit, responsive to comparing the second particle disturbance with at least one of the first particle disturbance or and the third particle disturbance.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 24, 2023Publication date: August 31, 2023Inventors: Jonathan D. Douglas, Tyler A. Smith, Kirk H. Drees
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Publication number: 20230250987Abstract: Systems and methods for controlling building equipment based on an indoor air quality (IAQ) ventilation analysis of a building. One system includes a controller including memory and one or more processors configured to continuously collect IAQ data from one or more sensors within the building, estimate a plurality of outdoor airflow rates for an area of the building during a plurality of transient periods using the IAQ data as input, generate a time series outdoor airflow rate includes the plurality of estimated outdoor airflow rates, and modify a control strategy for the area of the building based on the time series outdoor airflow rate and a ventilation schedule for the area of the building.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 3, 2023Publication date: August 10, 2023Applicant: Johnson Controls Tyco IP Holdings LLPInventors: FANG DU, MICHAEL J. WENZEL, ANAS W.I. ALANQAR, JONATHAN D. DOUGLAS, SEAN A. FINN-SAMUELS, MICHAEL J. RISBECK, MOHAMMAD N. ELBSAT, KIRK H. DREES
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Publication number: 20230204241Abstract: A building system operates to receive building data from one or more building data sources associated with the building, wherein at least a portion of the building data is associated with control of the one or more environmental conditions of the building and generate, based on the building data, one or more data quality indicators for the building data received from the one or more building data sources, the one or more data quality indicators indicating quality levels of the building data. The building system operates to generate user interface data configured to cause a user device to display a user interface providing indications of the one or more data quality indicators.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 6, 2023Publication date: June 29, 2023Inventors: SHAWN D. SCHUBERT, VINEET BINODSHANKER SINHA, MOHAMMAD N. ELBSAT, MICHAEL J. WENZEL, KIRK H. DREES
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Patent number: 11681264Abstract: An energy storage system for a building includes a battery asset configured to store electricity and discharge the stored electricity for use in satisfying a building electric load. The system includes a planning tool configured to identify one or more selected functionalities of the energy storage system and generate a cost function defining a cost of operating the energy storage system over an optimization period. The cost function includes a term for each of the selected functionalities. The planning tool is configured to generate optimization constraints based on the selected functionalities, attributes of the battery asset, and the electric energy load to be satisfied. The planning tool is configured to optimize the cost function to determine optimal power setpoints for the battery asset at each of a plurality of time steps of the optimization period.Type: GrantFiled: October 4, 2021Date of Patent: June 20, 2023Assignee: Con Edison Battery Storage, LLCInventors: Mohammad N. Elbsat, Michael J. Wenzel, Kirk H. Drees
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Publication number: 20230177422Abstract: A building system for a school building, the building system including one or more memory devices storing instructions thereon that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to receive attendance data indicating whether occupants of the school building are present or absent from the school building, determine, based on the attendance data, an infection risk level of at least one of the school building, a space of the school building, or one or more of the occupants to being infected with an infectious disease present in a population, and perform one or more operations for causing the infection risk level to be reduced in the school building.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 2, 2021Publication date: June 8, 2023Inventors: Jonathan D. Douglas, Kirk H. Drees, Tyler A. Smith
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Publication number: 20230152760Abstract: A building system of a building including one or more memory devices storing instructions thereon that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to receive water usage data from one or more network connected water valves, the water usage data indicating water usage by one or more occupants within the building. The instructions cause the one or more processors to derive one or more health metrics indicating physical health of the one or more occupants based on the water usage data and cause one or more pieces of building equipment to perform one or more operations based on values of the one or more health metrics, the one or more operations improving the physical health of the one or more occupants.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 12, 2021Publication date: May 18, 2023Inventors: Jonathan D. Douglas, Terrill R. Laughton, Rachel D. M. Ellerman, Kirk H. Drees
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Patent number: 11644215Abstract: A system for controlling flow of a fluid through a heat exchanger in a heating, ventilation, or air conditioning (HVAC) system includes a flow control device operable to adjust the flow of the fluid through the heat exchanger, temperature sensors positioned to obtain a temperature differential of the fluid across the heat exchanger, and a controller configured to compare the temperature differential to a threshold. Responsive to the temperature differential being less than the threshold, the controller is configured to calculate an adjusted setpoint for the flow control device as a function of both the temperature differential and the threshold and operate the flow control device to adjust the flow of the fluid through the heat exchanger in accordance with the adjusted setpoint.Type: GrantFiled: October 5, 2021Date of Patent: May 9, 2023Assignee: Johnson Controls Tyco IP Holdings LLPInventors: Rachel A. Glanzer, Brennan H. Fentzlaff, Kirk H. Drees
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Publication number: 20230139152Abstract: A system can operate to receive building data for a plurality of buildings from one or more data sources. At least one building of the buildings can include building equipment. The system can operate to generate scores based on the building data for the buildings, the scores can indicate a level of potential building improvements for the buildings. The system can operate to select the building of the buildings based at least in part on the scores. The system can operate to perform an operation based at least in part on the score to generate data to improve control of the environmental condition of the building.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 24, 2022Publication date: May 4, 2023Inventors: Tyler A. Smith, Jonathan D. Douglas, Kirk H. Drees, Neuman Leverett, Brian Estill
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Publication number: 20230110033Abstract: A building system that operates to receive a plurality of data samples from building equipment of the building and identity whether one or more data samples of the plurality of data samples are anomalous indicating that one or more pieces of the building equipment are possibly experiencing a fault. The building system operates to generate one or more data health scores for the building equipment based on whether the one or more data samples are anomalous, the one or more data health scores indicating quality levels of the plurality of data samples and generate user interface data configured to cause a user device to display a user interface providing indications of the one or more pieces of building equipment that are possibly experiencing the fault and the one or more data health scores.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 30, 2022Publication date: April 13, 2023Inventors: SHAWN D. SCHUBERT, VINEET BINODSHANKER SINHA, MOHAMMAD N. ELBSAT, MICHAEL J. WENZEL, KIRK H. DREES
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Patent number: 11624524Abstract: A method for calibrating a flow sensor in a heating, ventilation, or air conditioning (HVAC) system. The method includes receiving, at a controller, a request to enter a calibration mode and, in response to receiving the request, automatically commanding a flow control device to achieve a target flow rate. The method further includes generating, by the controller, calibration data for the flow sensor using a reference flow value of the flow rate when the flow control device has achieved the target flow rate and a corresponding flow measurement from the flow sensor.Type: GrantFiled: December 30, 2019Date of Patent: April 11, 2023Assignee: Johnson Controls Tyco IP Holdings LLPInventors: Homero L. Noboa, Kirk H. Drees, Jack A. Peterson, Brennan H. Fentzlaff
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Publication number: 20230103453Abstract: An air handling unit of an HVAC system of a building including ducting through which airflow is controllably pushed by a supply fan of the HVAC system, at least one of a heating or cooling device within the ducting, an air handling unit controller configured to control operation of the at least one of the heating or cooling device within the ducting to generate condensation from air flowing through the air handling unit, and a collector tray placed within and/or integrated with the ducting below the at least one of the heating or cooling device and structured to collect the condensation, via gravity, for use in analysis of the condensation, wherein the at least one of the heating or cooling device, the air handling unit controller, and the collector tray are configured to collect the condensation including infectious disease particles from the air flowing through the air handling unit.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 3, 2022Publication date: April 6, 2023Inventors: Jonathan D. Douglas, Kirk H. Drees
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Publication number: 20230070313Abstract: A building system operates to receive air quality measurements of a plurality of spaces of the building from a mobile air quality sensor, the mobile air quality sensor configured to collect the air quality measurements of the plurality of spaces while the mobile air quality sensor moves throughout the plurality of spaces of the building and provide the collected air quality measurements to the one or more processors. The air quality measurements include data identifying locations and times at which the air quality measurements were collected The building system operates to cause the one or more processors to store information, or a link to the information, in a database based on the collected air quality measurements, the database including a contextual representation of the plurality of spaces of the building and perform at least one operation using the information based on the air quality measurements.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 25, 2022Publication date: March 9, 2023Inventors: Jonathan D. Douglas, Kirk H. Drees
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Patent number: 11598544Abstract: A building system operates to receive building data from one or more building data sources associated with the building, wherein at least a portion of the building data is associated with control of the one or more environmental conditions of the building and generate, based on the building data, one or more data quality indicators for the building data received from the one or more building data sources, the one or more data quality indicators indicating quality levels of the building data. The building system operates to generate user interface data configured to cause a user device to display a user interface providing indications of the one or more data quality indicators.Type: GrantFiled: March 30, 2022Date of Patent: March 7, 2023Assignee: JOHNSON CONTROLS TYCO IP HOLDINGS LLPInventors: Shawn D. Schubert, Vineet Binodshanker Sinha, Mohammad N. Elbsat, Michael J. Wenzel, Kirk H. Drees
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Publication number: 20230042065Abstract: A building system can connect to temporary air quality sensors installed throughout spaces of the building for a period of time. The building system can receive air quality measurements of the temporary air quality sensors over the period of time and disconnect from the temporary air quality sensors at an end of the period of time, wherein the temporary air quality sensors are uninstalled at the end of the period of time. The building system can generate a control strategy based on the air quality measurements, the control strategy for controlling equipment of the building to improve air quality of the building and cause a building management system to implement the control strategy to control the equipment of the building to improve the air quality of the building.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 5, 2022Publication date: February 9, 2023Inventors: Jonathan D. Douglas, Bernard P. Clement, Kirk H. Drees
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Publication number: 20230037859Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: August 10, 2022Publication date: February 9, 2023Applicant: Johnson Controls Technology CompanyInventors: Clay G. Nesler, Kirk H. Drees, James P. Kummer, Derek Supple, Marc D. Andraca, John I. Ruiz, Paul Harrison Rode
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Patent number: 11573540Abstract: Systems and methods for training a reinforcement learning (RL) model for HVAC control are disclosed herein. A calibrated simulation model is used to train a surrogate model of the HVAC system operating within a building. The surrogate model is used to generate simulated experience data for the HVAC system. The simulated experience data can be used to train a reinforcement learning (RL) model of the HVAC system. The RL model is used to control the HVAC system based on the current state of the system and the best predicted action to perform in the current state. The HVAC system generates real experience data based on the actual operation of the HVAC system within the building. The real experience data is used to retrain the surrogate model, and additional simulated experience data is generated using the surrogate model. The RL model can be retrained using the additional simulated experience data.Type: GrantFiled: December 23, 2019Date of Patent: February 7, 2023Assignee: JOHNSON CONTROLS TYCO IP HOLDINGS LLPInventors: Young M. Lee, Zhanhong Jiang, Viswanath Ramamurti, Sugumar Murugesan, Kirk H. Drees, Michael James Risbeck
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Publication number: 20230034809Abstract: Systems and methods for training a reinforcement learning (RL) model for HVAC control are disclosed herein. Simulated experience data for the HVAC system is generated or received. The simulated experience data is used to initially train the RL model for HVAC control. The HVAC system operates within a building using the RL model and generates real experience data. A determination may be made to retrain the RL model. The real experience data is used to retrain the RL model. In some embodiments, both the simulated and real experience data are used to retrain the RL model. Experience data may be sampled according to various sampling functions. The RL model may be retrained multiple times over time. The RL model may be retrained less frequently over time as more real experience data is used to train the RL model.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 13, 2022Publication date: February 2, 2023Inventors: Young M. Lee, Zhanhong Jiang, Viswanath Ramamurti, Sugumar Murugesan, Kirk H. Drees, Michael James Risbeck
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Patent number: 11566805Abstract: An integrated device in an HVAC system is configured to modify an environmental condition of a building. The integrated device includes a valve configured to regulate a flow of a fluid through a conduit and an actuator. The actuator includes a motor and a drive device. The drive device is driven by the motor and coupled to the valve for driving the valve between multiple positions. The integrated device further includes a processing circuit coupled to the motor. The processing circuit is configured to detect device identifying information for the valve or the actuator and to detect the integrated device location within the building.Type: GrantFiled: February 21, 2018Date of Patent: January 31, 2023Assignee: Johnson Controls Tyco IP Holdings LLPInventors: Kirk H. Drees, Herbert J. Doll, Gerald A. Duenkel, Marcello Passoni, Abu Bakr Khan, Kevin A. Weiss, Christopher Merkl, Gary A. Romanowich, Joseph F. Mann, Hunter Hobgood, Dinesh Trikha, Rick A. Van Buren, Nicholas P. Prato
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Patent number: 11536476Abstract: A building system for a building including one or more storage devices storing instructions thereon that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to operate one or more pieces of building equipment associated with a building space based on a first operating mode. The instructions cause the one or more processors to receive an indication to update operation of the building space based on an emergency situation and responsive to receiving the indication to update operation of the building space based on the emergency situation, operate the one or more pieces of building equipment based on a second operating mode, wherein the second operating mode defines one or more second parameters for the one or more pieces of building equipment and is adapted to reconfigure the operation of the building space to address or mitigate the emergency situation.Type: GrantFiled: September 4, 2020Date of Patent: December 27, 2022Assignee: JOHNSON CONTROLS TYCO IP HOLDINGS LLPInventors: Clay G. Nesler, Jonathan Douglas, Kirk H. Drees, Bernard P. Clement, Joseph Pustai, Jr.