Electrically Actuated Patents (Class 236/49.3)
  • Patent number: 12132181
    Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure provide for smart cooling of a battery energy storage system. An example smart cooling controller may include a weather forecaster, an energy cost forecaster, a state of charge forecaster, and a battery usage forecaster. The example smart cooling controller may be configured to determine one or more times to cool the battery energy storage system based on a weather forecast, an energy cost forecast, a state of charge, and a battery usage forecast, and to control a cooling system to cool the battery energy storage system at the one or more times.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2024
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2024
    Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Henry Nguyen, Julien Toniolo
  • Patent number: 12036840
    Abstract: A method for activating a climate system of a vehicle includes monitoring an operational state of the vehicle. Said monitoring is performed by a system controller incorporated into the vehicle, wherein the vehicle is on when said operational state corresponds to a first state, wherein the vehicle is off when said operational state corresponds to a second state. When said operational state corresponds to said second state, the method further includes asking the driver via an output interface if extended drive of climate system is desired, monitoring reply from driver on an input interface, if confirmation of extended drive of climate system is registered on the input interface, setting a timer for extended drive of the climate system, activating climate system for the vehicle, and deactivating the climate system at the time specified by the timer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2024
    Assignee: Ningbo Geely Automobile Research & Dev. Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Johan Setterberg, Måns Pihlsgård
  • Patent number: 11993155
    Abstract: Systems are disclosed for providing a work vehicle with a second air conditioning compressor driven by a small engine mounted on the work vehicle. The second compressor shares a refrigeration loop with the primary air conditioning compressor of the work vehicle. The small engine may be configured to drive various loads, and accordingly may include control circuitry to manage the power provided to the various loads, including the second compressor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2024
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
    Inventor: Nathan Joe Jochman
  • Patent number: 11953865
    Abstract: A controller for heating, ventilation, or air conditioning (HVAC) equipment including a processing circuit configured to perform a first optimization to generate a first set of control decisions for HVAC equipment including waterside HVAC equipment that consume resources from utility providers to generate a heated or chilled fluid and airside HVAC equipment that receive and use the fluid from the waterside HVAC equipment to heat or cool a supply of airflow for a building. The processing circuit is configured to perform a second optimization subject to a constraint based on a result of the first optimization to generate a second set of control decisions for the HVAC equipment and to combine the first and second sets to generate a combined set of control decisions for the HVAC equipment. The processing circuit is configured to operate the HVAC equipment in accordance with the combined set of control decisions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Tyco IP Holdings LLP
    Inventors: Michael J. Risbeck, Robert D. Turney, Christos T. Maravelias
  • Patent number: 11919428
    Abstract: A temperature management system for an occupant supporting device comprising an air-circulating circuit is provided, the air-circulating circuit comprising: an air distributing device; a main power device for circulating the air in the air-circulating circuit; and a temperature adjusting device for adjusting the temperature of the air in the air-circulating circuit, wherein an airflow, which has been temperature adjusted by the temperature adjusting device, out of the main power device comprises at least a first portion which flows into the air distributing device and a second portion which returns back to the main power device after circulating within the air-circulating circuit, and wherein the airflow which returns back to the main power device will be adjusted by the temperature adjusting device and circulated in the air-circulating circuit again.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: GENTHERM AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS (CHINA) LTD.
    Inventor: Jonathan Yu Zhang
  • Patent number: 11912107
    Abstract: The invention relates to the technical field of air outflow, and aims to solve the problem whereby louvers in an air outflow device in a current vehicle needs to be manually turned to adjust an air outflow direction. The invention provides an air outflow device. An opening/closing member and an air distribution member are rotatably disposed in an air inflow section, an outlet of a first air outflow section and an outlet of a second air outflow section are respectively provided with a first louver structure and a second louver structure, and a first driving member and a second driving member are disposed outside an air channel. The first driving member is capable of driving the opening/closing member to open/close the air inflow section so as to connect/disconnect the air inflow section, and is capable of driving the air distribution member to rotate so as to adjust an air outflow amount and a longitudinal air outflow direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: NIO TECHNOLOGY (ANHUI) CO., LTD
    Inventors: Chunhua Zhu, Haobin Zhang, Tao Wang, Han Zhang, Guangming Tian, Yong Li
  • Patent number: 11906179
    Abstract: An air conditioning control apparatus acquires an audio signal for controlling air conditioners (outdoor units and indoor units) from a mobile terminal via the Internet. The air conditioning control apparatus specifies from among the air conditioners at least one air conditioner to be controlled based on the acquired audio signal. The air conditioning control apparatus generates control commands for controlling the specified air conditioner based on the acquired audio signal. The air conditioning control apparatus transmits the generated control commands to the specified air conditioner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventor: Shuichi Tatei
  • Patent number: 11898766
    Abstract: In a commercial building, individual occupant thermal comfort is achieved with optimal cost and energy efficiency through the integration of a variety of local thermal comfort components into a communication network that employs emerging optimization principles to meet individual preferences for the thermal environment on a workstation basis while reducing building energy use and operating in accordance with any constraints on the energy grids that serve the buildings. These multiple objectives are met in part through a robust communication network that employs distributing processing to achieve preferred thermal conditions with optimal control of all components at subzone, zone, system, central plant, and energy grid levels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Inventor: Thomas Hartman
  • Patent number: 11885522
    Abstract: The disclosure is directed to a control device configured to control the distribution of conditioned air, or liquid, to a space inside a building. In some examples, the control device may be a wall mounted switch, similar to a light switch, inside or near the space. Operating the switch may send signals to control the position of a vent, or a valve, to allow or prevent conditioned air, or liquid, from changing the environment of the space in the building.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: Ademco Inc.
    Inventors: Paul Robare, Travis J. Read, David J. Emmons
  • Patent number: 11812288
    Abstract: A system, method and apparatus for presentation of sensor information to a building control system. Nodes in the sensor network can be configured to emulate a monitoring device in presenting sensor information to a data collection device such as a building control system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: Senseware, Inc.
    Inventor: Julien G. Stamatakis
  • Patent number: 11803174
    Abstract: A building management system (BMS) includes sensors that measure time series values of building variables and a deterministic model generator that uses historical values for the time series of building variables to train a deterministic model that predicts deterministic values for the time series. The BMS includes a stochastic model generator that uses differences between actual values for the time series and the predicted deterministic values to train a stochastic model that predicts a stochastic value for the time series. The BMS includes a forecast adjuster that adjusts the predicted deterministic values using the predicted stochastic value to generate an adjusted forecast for the time series. The BMS includes a demand response optimizer that uses the adjusted forecast to generate an optimal set of control actions for building equipment of the BMS. The building equipment operate to affect the building variables.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2023
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Mohammad N. Elbsat, Michael J. Wenzel
  • Patent number: 11781774
    Abstract: The air flow of an HVAC system for a multi-story building B is controlled by optimizing the pressure setpoint at the return air plenum PL-1 used for removing or recirculate air from the building, by measuring a pressure differential between the building B air and atmosphere A air at a sensor location P-2, computing a desired pressure differential between the building B air and atmosphere A air, based upon a computed stack effect pressure that is expected to develop at the sensor location on the building for the current inside and outside air temperature in the absence of mechanical action, and controlling the return air fan and damper D-1 to pressurize the air in at the sensor location to produce the desired pressure differential between the building B air and atmosphere A air at the sensor P-2 location. Air pressure is also controlled between specific rooms and adjacent rooms by control of the conditioned air or return air paths connected thereto.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2023
    Assignee: Pathian Incorporated
    Inventor: Daniel Buchanan
  • Patent number: 11747964
    Abstract: An information processing apparatus includes: a receiver that receives an instruction to return to a home screen from a device settings screen; and a display controller that performs control in such a way that the returning to the home screen is prohibited in a case where the instruction is received by the receiver between commencement of processing to transition to a setting mode of a device and completion of the processing to transition to the setting mode, or between commencement of processing to end the setting mode of the device and completion of the processing to end the setting mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
    Inventor: Eri Hirakawa
  • Patent number: 11715360
    Abstract: A monitoring system that is configured to monitor a property is disclosed. The monitoring system includes a thermal camera that is configured to generate a thermal image of the property. The monitoring system further includes a monitor control unit that is configured to receive, from the thermal camera, the thermal image. The monitor control unit is further configured to, based on the thermal image, determine a temperature of a portion of the property depicted in the thermal image. The monitor control unit is further configured to determine that the temperature of the portion of the property depicted in the thermal image satisfies a temperature threshold. The monitor control unit is further configured to, based on determining that the temperature of the portion of the property depicted in the thermal image satisfies the temperature threshold, select and perform a monitoring system action.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2023
    Assignee: Alarm.com Incorporated
    Inventors: Adam Sulucz, Ramy Samir Aziz ElDelgawy, William Wireko Mensah
  • Patent number: 11706900
    Abstract: An information handling system includes a plurality of computing devices, and at least one environmental management unit external to the plurality of the computing devices and configured to manage an internal environment of the information handling system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: Dell Products L.P.
    Inventors: Eric Michael Tunks, Ayedin Nikazm, Joseph Andrew Vivio
  • Patent number: 11614244
    Abstract: Provided is an air conditioning system that uses ducts to supply conditioned air to a plurality of places inside a building, and is configured to counteract air backflow that occurs in ducts. A heat exchanger unit (10) includes a use side heat exchanger (11). A plurality of ducts (20) are connected to the heat exchanger unit (10). A plurality of fan units (30) suction conditioned air from the heat exchanger unit (10), and supply the conditioned air to a plurality of air outlets (71) through the plurality of ducts (20). A differential pressure sensor (121) acting as a detection device detects air backflow proceeding from at least one air outlet (71) among the plurality of air outlets (71) toward the heat exchanger unit (10) in a plurality of distribution flow paths including the plurality of ducts (20), the plurality of fan units (30), and the air outlets (71) of a plurality of outlet units (70).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: Daikin Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shuuichi Tanaka, Yoshiteru Nouchi, Kouji Tatsumi
  • Patent number: 11590821
    Abstract: A temperature adjusting apparatus is provided in a vehicle capable of performing an automatic driving. The temperature adjusting apparatus includes: an automatic driving determination unit that determines whether or not an automatic driving control is operating in the vehicle; a cabin temperature acquiring unit that acquires a cabin temperature in a vehicle cabin of the vehicle; and a cabin temperature adjusting unit that adjusts the cabin temperature. The cabin temperature adjusting unit is configured to control, when the automatic driving determination unit determines that the automatic driving control is operating in the vehicle and the cabin temperature acquired by the cabin temperature acquiring unit exceeds a predetermined range, temperature adjusting means provided in the vehicle, thereby executing a temperature adjusting control to adjust the cabin temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Mitsuharu Higashitani, Noriaki Ikemoto, Tomomi Hase
  • Patent number: 11549710
    Abstract: Systems and methods are configured to control operation of an HVAC system providing climate control for a zone of a structure. In various embodiments, a constrained optimization problem is performed to set control commands for controlling operation of the HVAC system to achieve one or more objectives while providing a supply air flow at an air temperature and a humidity ratio for the zone at a future time. For instance, the optimization problem may include a cost function having constraints based on a desired temperature setpoint and a humidity ratio for the zone. A value is set for each control command based on the performance of the constrained optimization problem to achieve at least one of the objectives and as a result, the supply air flow at the air temperature and humidity ratio is provided by the HVAC system at the future time to the zone based on the values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2023
    Assignee: University of Florida Research Foundation, Incorporated
    Inventor: Prabir Barooah
  • Patent number: 11518274
    Abstract: A battery cooling system includes a cooling fan that takes in inside air of a vehicle cabin to an intake passage and sends the air to a battery communicating with the vehicle cabin through the intake passage, a battery temperature sensor that detects a temperature of the battery, an intake air temperature sensor that is disposed in the intake passage and detects a temperature of the air flowing through the intake passage, and a controller. The controller controls the cooling fan based on the detected temperatures. The controller performs a temperature check operation. Firstly, when the difference value between the detected temperatures is larger than zero, the controller repeats the temperature check operation. Afterward, When the difference value in the latest temperature check operation is smaller than the difference value in the previous temperature check operation and larger than zero, the controller repeats the temperature check operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tomoki Shinozaki, Ringo Shimada
  • Patent number: 11507063
    Abstract: A building management system (BMS) includes sensors that measure time series values of building variables and a deterministic model generator that uses historical values for the time series of building variables to train a deterministic model that predicts deterministic values for the time series. The BMS includes a stochastic model generator that uses differences between actual values for the time series and the predicted deterministic values to train a stochastic model that predicts a stochastic value for the time series. The BMS includes a forecast adjuster that adjusts the predicted deterministic values using the predicted stochastic value to generate an adjusted forecast for the time series. The BMS includes a demand response optimizer that uses the adjusted forecast to generate an optimal set of control actions for building equipment of the BMS. The building equipment operate to affect the building variables.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Mohammad N. Elbsat, Michael J. Wenzel
  • Patent number: 11505089
    Abstract: A cooling system includes air intakes, air intake fans, a duct, and an intake-air controller. The air intakes are separately formed near seats disposed side by side inside a vehicle. The air intake fans individually take in air through the air intakes. The duct guides the air taken in by the air intake fans to a battery. The intake-air controller controls a ratio of intake air flow rates in the air intake fans according to the state of a seated occupant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventor: Takahito Fujino
  • Patent number: 11506410
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a control system for a heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) system. The control system includes a user interface configured to receive a first input indicative of a first expected operating range of a first parameter in a first zone and to receive a second input indicative of a second expected operating range of a second parameter in a second zone. A first set point for the first parameter is within the first expected operating range and a second set point for the second parameter is within the second expected operating range. The control system includes a controller configured to manage operation of the HVAC system and to provide a first alert in response to the first parameter being outside of the first expected operating range and a second alert in response to the second parameter being outside of the second expected operating range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Tyco IP Holdings LLP
    Inventors: Theresa N. Gillette, Brian D. Rigg, Jonathan A. Burns, John W. Uerkvitz
  • Patent number: 11499735
    Abstract: A programmable thermostat supports at least one attribute where each different attribute values may support different sets of thermostatic settings. The programmable thermostat may be programmed based on the different attribute values rather than on temperature set points that are traditionally mapped to programmed times. Each set may include settings for a plurality of controlled equipment including a heating/cooling system, fan, ventilator, humidifier, and/or de-humidifier. Each embodiment may support attribute values associated with an occupancy attribute (which is indicative whether or not people are occupying an environmental entity) and/or a scenario attribute (which flexibly maps different thermostatic settings to different scenario attribute values). Stored configuration data about the thermostatic settings may be organized as a tree structure, where the leaves correspond to the thermostatic settings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: Computime Ltd.
    Inventor: Cheng Chung Ming
  • Patent number: 11486597
    Abstract: A control method for an air conditioning system includes: calculating an average heat exchange amount of a coil according to real-time operation information; setting a full-load air volume parameter and a full-load water volume parameter in a heat exchange model according to the real-time operation information and the heat exchange model, and calculating a full-load heat exchange amount; calculating a dynamic margin value based on the average heat exchange amount and the full-load heat exchange amount; determining whether the dynamic margin value is greater than a first preset condition or less than a second preset condition, so that the controller outputs a first control signal or a second control signal respectively to adjust a coil water inlet temperature; and when the dynamic margin value is less than the first preset condition and greater than the second preset condition, maintaining the current setting state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: CHICONY POWER TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tse-Wen Chang, Wen-Yen Cheng
  • Patent number: 11454411
    Abstract: A heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) system includes processing circuitry configured to receive a plurality of air flow rates, in which each air flow rate of the plurality of air flow rates is associated with a zone of a plurality of zones of the HVAC system, determine a sum of the plurality of air flow rates is outside of a threshold range around a total output air flow rate, and, in response to determining the sum of the plurality of air flow rates is outside of the threshold range around the total output air flow rate, adjust an air flow rate of the plurality of air flow rates based on a comparison between the sum of the plurality of air flow rates and the total output air flow rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Tyco IP Holdings LLP
    Inventor: Shaun B. Atchison
  • Patent number: 11446985
    Abstract: The invention relates to an air vent, comprising a first air channel, a second air channel, an air regulating flap pivotable around a flap axis for adjusting a ratio between a first airflow through the first air channel and a second airflow through the second air channel, wherein the air regulating flap closes the first air channel in a first position and the air regulating flap closes the second air channel in a second position. A plurality of first vanes are disposed at least partially in the first air channel, wherein each of the first vanes is pivotable around a first vane axis. A plurality of second vanes are disposed at least partially in the second air channel, wherein each of the second vanes is pivotable around a second vane axis. A manipulator can coupled to the first vanes, the second vanes and the air regulating flap such as for adjusting the first vanes, the second vanes and the air regulating flap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Assignee: Faurecia Innenraum Systeme GmbH
    Inventor: Volker Doll
  • Patent number: 11441800
    Abstract: Disclosed is a system and method for remote performance monitoring of a ventilation system. The method is independent of measuring electric meter current consumed or thermostatic data. The method uses two sensors to measure temperature and humidity. A first sensor is placed on a return grille, and a second sensor is placed on the supply grille. Using only data from the sensors, an on-off duty cycle is calculated. The on-off duty cycle is calculated for an on-time period during which the ventilation system is operating and an off-time period during which the ventilation system is not operating between the air as measured by the first sensor and the air as measured by the second sensor on the supply air grille. Machine learning with two or more datasets of the sensor data and the on-off duty cycle to indicate a component of the ventilation system is faulty.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: FPL Smart Services, LLC
    Inventors: Brent B. Rowswell, Raymond C. Dickenson
  • Patent number: 11441802
    Abstract: An air conditioning apparatus 1 includes a compressor (321), an indoor heat exchanger (242) that is a use-side heat exchanger that exchanges heat with first air (F1), an outdoor heat exchanger (323) that is a heat-source-side heat exchanger that exchanges heat with second air, a refrigerant, a first duct (209), and a casing (230). The refrigerant contains at least 1,2-difluoroethylene, and circulates in the compressor (321), the indoor heat exchanger (242), and the outdoor heat exchanger (323) to repeat a refrigeration cycle. The first duct (209) supplies the first air (F1) to a plurality of rooms in an interior. The casing (230) includes a use-side space (SP2) that is connected to the first duct (209) and that accommodates the indoor heat exchanger (242). The casing (230) is configured to allow the first air (F1) after heat exchange with the refrigerant at the indoor heat exchanger (242) to be sent out to the first duct (209).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: DAIKIN INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Mitsushi Itano, Daisuke Karube, Yuuki Yotsumoto, Kazuhiro Takahashi, Yuzo Komatsu, Shun Ohkubo, Tatsuya Takakuwa, Tetsushi Tsuda, Yuuichi Yanagi
  • Patent number: 11433734
    Abstract: A vent control system for a vehicle includes one or more processors and a memory communicably coupled to the one or more processors. The memory may store a vent control module including instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to autonomously control operation of a vehicle to open at least one vehicle vent when the vehicle is in a regular vent opening condition. Responsive to manual closure of the at least one vehicle vent within a predetermined time period after the at least one vehicle vent was autonomously opened, the regular opening condition may be updated to an updated regular opening condition. After updating the regular opening condition, operation of the vehicle may be autonomously controlled to open the at least one vehicle vent when the vehicle is subsequently in the updated regular opening condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventor: John-Michael McNew
  • Patent number: 11428432
    Abstract: A method and computing device for inferring an airflow of a controlled appliance operating in an area of a building. The computing device stores a predictive model. The computing device determines a measured airflow of the controlled appliance and a plurality of consecutive temperature measurements in the area. The computing device executes a neural network inference engine using the predictive model for inferring an inferred airflow based on inputs. The inputs comprise the measured airflow and the plurality of consecutive temperature measurements. The inputs may further include at least one of a plurality of consecutive humidity level measurements in the area and a plurality of consecutive carbon dioxide (CO2) level measurements in the area. For instance, the controlled appliance is a Variable Air Volume (VAV) appliance and a K factor of the VAV appliance is calculated based on the inferred airflow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: Distech Controls Inc.
    Inventors: Francois Gervais, Dominique Laplante, Carlo Masciovecchio, Jean-Simon Boucher
  • Patent number: 11429177
    Abstract: A system and method of scheduling tasks, comprising receiving activity and performance data from registers or storage locations maintained by hardware and an operating system; storing calibration coefficients associated with the activity and performance data; computing an energy dissipation rate based on at least the activity and performance data; and scheduling tasks under the operating system based on the computed energy dissipation rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: The Research Foundation for The State University of New York
    Inventor: Kanad Ghose
  • Patent number: 11420146
    Abstract: An environmental control unit including a particulate filter located within an airstream, the filter created with an additive manufacturing device that creates at least one of randomly sized layering of the filter and randomly oriented layering of the filter to provide for impeding varying sized particulates from passing through the filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: REDWIRE SPACE, INC.
    Inventors: Michael Snyder, Daniel Riley
  • Patent number: 11390199
    Abstract: A seating module for a seat, in particular a vehicle seat, may have at least a substantially air-permeable upholstery part. The upholstery part is substantially configured to let air-flow pass through horizontally.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: Adient US LLC
    Inventors: Bethany M. Scott, David B. Bakker, Eric Bernard Michalak
  • Patent number: 11378292
    Abstract: An energy-reducing method and apparatus for retrofitting a single zone, constant volume HVAC system, with or without an economizer, that provides heating, cooling, and ventilation to occupants within a building space. The present invention includes the introduction of a programmable logic controller and variable frequency drive (VFD) that takes control of the existing fan, heating, cooling, and optional economizer operation. The reduction of the fan speed in the ventilation mode when the 100% operation is not needed saves significant energy of the existing constant volume HVAC system where the fan motor is designed to run 100% of the time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: Pro Star Energy Solutions, L.P.
    Inventors: Danny Miller, Justin Sipe
  • Patent number: 11357134
    Abstract: A multiple mode cooling system circulates outside air through a data center to cool heat-generating information technology (IT) component(s). Based on outside and interior air temperature values and outside humidity value, a controller determines that outside air cooling poses a risk of damage to the heat-generating IT component(s) due to condensation or overheating. Controller also determines that compressor(s) of the cooling system have been inactive for less than a minimum off-time specified for maintaining service life of the compressor(s). In response, controller checks a cooling mode setting and, based on determining that a cooling mode setting indicates an optimization preference for avoiding the posed risk of damage to the heat-generating IT component(s) over compressor service life, the controller restarts the compressor(s) before expiration of the minimum off-time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: Dell Products, L.P.
    Inventors: Trey S. Wiederhold, Tyler B. Duncan
  • Patent number: 11338107
    Abstract: Environmental characteristics or scenes of habitable environments (e.g., hotel or motel rooms, spas, resorts, cruise boat cabins, offices, hospitals and/or homes, apartments or residences, or other spaces or sub-spaces) are controlled to facilitate certain activities of a user in the environment by increasing focus, preparing for sleep, directing movement, masking ambient noise, and improving air quality, among others. Controllable characteristics include, for example, lighting, CO2/O2 levels, humidity levels, sound, aroma, and air temperature. Controls are provided for the occupant and/or facility personnel to select activities or scenes, or sensors detect the activity and implement an appropriate scene.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: Delos Living LLC
    Inventors: Samantha Kinko Allen, Trevor Starin Granger, Max Andrew Pollinger, Regina Vaicekonyte-Peters, Jie Zhao
  • Patent number: 11326803
    Abstract: The disclosure is directed to a control device configured to control the distribution of conditioned air, or liquid, to a space inside a building. In some examples, the control device may be a wall mounted switch, similar to a light switch, inside or near the space. Operating the switch may send signals to control the position of a vent, or a valve, to allow or prevent conditioned air, or liquid, from changing the environment of the space in the building.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: Ademco Inc.
    Inventors: Paul Robare, Travis J. Read, David J. Emmons
  • Patent number: 11306932
    Abstract: A ventilation system with: (i) a volumetric enclosure having an inlet and an outlet and for coupling to an interior of a building habitable by human occupants; (ii) a fan located within the volumetric enclosure and for drawing air exterior to the building and supplying the air to the interior of the building; (iii) a programmable control apparatus for enabling and disabling the fan in response to a plurality of parameters, at least some of the parameters relating to quality of air to be moved in response to the fan; and (iv) circuitry coupled between the inlet and the outlet for measuring a signal representative of a volume of air passing through the volumetric enclosure over a period of time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignee: Ventamatic, Ltd.
    Inventors: John S. Saunders, Thomas L. Murrell, Aaron E. Gary, Randall W. Clark, James V. Kokal
  • Patent number: 11300310
    Abstract: A method for conditioning at least one room comprises receiving a first temperature target for a first room; determining a current temperature of the room; determining a first amount of forced air required to reach the temperature target based on a thermal inertia of the first room and the current temperature; powering on an HVAC blower; and powering off the blower once the determined first amount of forced air is blown.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: Alea Labs, Inc.
    Inventors: Bhusan Gupta, Hamid Najafi, Hamid Farzaneh
  • Patent number: 11292314
    Abstract: An air-conditioning control system for a vehicle includes: an occupant sensing unit that determines whether or not there is an occupant inside the vehicle when a driver exits from the vehicle; a ventilation control unit that performs control to allow external air to be introduced into the vehicle, upon sensing that there is an occupant in the vehicle; and a temperature control unit that senses at least one of an interior temperature of the vehicle and an external temperature at the time of controlling ventilation. The system is configured to control heating or cooling based on the sensed interior temperature or the external temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Sang Shin Lee, Man Ju Oh, So La Chung, Jae Woong Kim
  • Patent number: 11274487
    Abstract: A roof opening/closing system of a convertible vehicle includes an opening/closing device for opening/closing the roof of the convertible vehicle; and a controller for determining, with respect to at least one of the opening and closing operations by the opening/closing device, whether to enable or disable the operation; and a notifying device for notifying a user whether the operation is enabled or disabled as determined by the controller. For example, in the case where the burning protection is turned off, following the determination based on the condition relevant to burning protection, lift of prohibition of the roof operation is notified when other permitting conditions for the roof operation are fulfilled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Masaya Hattori
  • Patent number: 11274841
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a decentralized hybrid ventilation. The ventilation system comprises a housing having an inlet channel and an outlet channel. A first fan is arranged in the inlet channel for providing an airflow into the room and a second fan is arranged in the outlet channel for providing an airflow out of the room. A heat exchanger and filters are arranged in said channels for exchanging heat between and for filtrating air flowing into the room and air flowing out of the room. Furthermore, the ventilation system comprises a first and a second service door each providing, when open, an opening between the room and one of said channels to diverge the airflow from primarily flowing through the air filters and/or heat exchanger. The ventilation system also comprises a control system configured for switching between different modes of operations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2022
    Assignee: Airmaster A/S
    Inventor: Erik Bjørn
  • Patent number: 11274840
    Abstract: An improved HVAC vent is disclosed. The vent may include an air turbine positioned within a passageway for selectively enabling and preventing airflow. In use, the air turbine is selectively operable between first and second states. In the first state, the air turbine may be freely rotatable, via the airflow, so that the received airflow can move through the passageway. In the second state, rotation of the air turbine is controlled or prevented so that the received airflow is inhibited or substantially inhibited from moving through the passageway. The vent may also include a motor. In use, the motor may act an energy generator and as an active brake so that in the first state, rotation of the air turbine is used to charge a power storage unit, and in the second state, the motor limits rotation of the air turbine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2022
    Assignee: JOHNSON CONTROLS TYCO IP HOLDINGS LLP
    Inventors: Andrei Bucsa, Rob Vandervecht, Gregory W. Hill
  • Patent number: 11269587
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an information processing apparatus and an information processing method as well as a program that make it possible to control, by a partition provided on a boundary between two spaces, a visual shielding property and an auditory shielding property of a first space to a person in a second space in an interlocking relationship with each other in response to a distance between the person in the second space and the partition. A distance between the partition, which partitions the first space and the second space, and a person in the second space is measured, and transmittance of the partition and magnitude of output of audio in the first space to the second space are controlled in response to the measured distance. The present disclosure can be applied to a control apparatus for a partition section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoshihito Ohki, Miho Yamada, Hirotaka Tako, Masao Kondo, Yusuke Tsujita, Yohei Nakajima, Daisuke Shiono, Masanori Matsushima, Hiroshi Nakayama, Seiji Suzuki, Yoshiyasu Kubota, Kenichi Yamaura
  • Patent number: 11267317
    Abstract: A system for controlling inside/outside air in air conditioner may include an air conditioner including an upward discharge passage, through which air is discharged toward a front glass of a vehicle, a downward discharge passage, through which air is discharged toward a floor of the vehicle, the upward discharge passage and the downward discharge passage being separated from each other, a first intake door, an opening amount of which is determined according to a ratio between inside air and outside air introduced into the upward discharge passage, and a second intake door, an opening amount of which is determined according to a ratio between inside air and outside air introduced into the downward discharge passage; and a control unit configured of controlling the opening amounts of the first and second intake doors according to a heating load of the air conditioner and a humidity of the interior of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventor: Yoon Hyung Lee
  • Patent number: 11254185
    Abstract: An air-conditioning control system for a vehicle includes an acquisitor configured to acquire an exposure temperature of an exposed body surface of an occupant and a clothing surface temperature of the occupant, a non-exposure temperature estimator configured to estimate a non-exposure temperature of a non-exposed body surface of the occupant on the basis of the exposure temperature and a clothing amount, a clothing amount estimator configured to estimate the clothing amount on the basis of the non-exposure temperature and the clothing surface temperature, and a control unit configured to control an air conditioner of a vehicle into which the occupant gets on the basis of an estimation result of the clothing amount estimator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Miki Shibuya, Mamoru Fujita, Junichi Kanemaru
  • Patent number: 11255568
    Abstract: An energy capture ventilation device is provided. The energy ventilation device includes a housing. The housing is formed by a number of side walls to define an interior volume. A duct is connected to the housing, to interface with a ventilation system. A vent is placed on the housing opposite of the duct. At least one generator is attached to the duct. The generator includes a turbine and is connected to a battery. When the turbine is rotated, power is supplied to the battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Inventors: Curtis Jefferson, Kimberly Jefferson
  • Patent number: 11248820
    Abstract: An air conditioning control device includes a control unit, a skin temperature measurement unit, an information acquisition unit, and a determination unit. The control unit controls an air conditioner that performs air conditioning of a room where a user is present. The skin temperature measurement unit measures a skin temperature of the user. The information acquisition unit acquires thermal sensation information of the user regarding the space where the user is present. The determination unit determines a comfortable skin temperature range in which the user feels comfortable, based on a skin temperature of the user obtained at the time of acquiring of the thermal sensation information. The control unit controls the air conditioner based on the comfortable skin temperature range determined by the determination unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignees: TSINGHUA UNIVERSITY, Daikin Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Fulin Wang, Toshiyuki Maeda
  • Patent number: 11243001
    Abstract: A common vent application and an independent fan coil are disclosed for improved heating, cooling and water making in a building. The independent fan coil obviates the common boilers and chillers in addition to all the common heating and cooling distribution piping used in known systems. Instead, the fan coils contain all the hydronic heating components and all the components needed to provide AC without the use of common boilers and chilled water systems. The fan coils utilize common vent shaft ducting to exhaust the products of combustion generated for the independent tankless water heater. In addition, the common vent shaft may utilize a negative static pressure environment to exhaust the heat of rejection from the AC portion of the fan coil unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2022
    Assignee: 1236220 B.C. LTD
    Inventor: Keith Richard White
  • Patent number: 11235638
    Abstract: The invention relates to a thermal management system (1) for a motor vehicle, comprising: at least one sensor (13, 113) capable of measuring at least one quantity that can be used to determine at least one thermal comfort data item (TS), a predefined number of actuators (A101, A102, A103, A104), configured, respectively, for adjusting at least one parameter of an associated piece of equipment (3, 5, 7, 9) of said vehicle, and a control device (12) for controlling the actuators (A101, A102, A103, A104) on the basis of the measurements of said at least one sensor (13, 113).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignee: Valeo Systemes Thermiques
    Inventors: Daniel Neveu, Didier Barat, Sophie Bede, Xavier Rousseil