Operatively Correlated With Automatic Control Patents (Class 62/126)
  • Patent number: 11976831
    Abstract: A method monitors an air-conditioner having a semi-conductor gas sensor, the method including: determining that a refrigerant leakage has occurred on condition that the detection value is equal to or greater than a first threshold when the fan is in operation; starting operation of the fan as a provisional operation if the detection value is equal to or greater than a second threshold when the fan is not in operation; stopping the provisional operation of the fan; determining that a refrigerant leakage has occurred on condition that the detection value is equal to or greater than a third threshold after stopping the provisional operation of the fan; and taking a predetermined action for outputting alarm information and/or limiting supply of refrigerant to the heat exchanger when a refrigerant leakage is determined to have occurred.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignees: DAIKIN INDUSTRIES, LTD., DAIKIN EUROPE N.V.
    Inventors: Satoshi Kawano, Kyouji Araya, Kazuya Fukuda, Ryuuichi Toyota, Kazunari Fukagawa, Makoto Inoue, Natsuko Kitagawa
  • Patent number: 11976852
    Abstract: A utilization unit has a power source configured to receive electric power supplied from a power source system and supplies operating electric power. At least one of the first cut-off valve or the second cut-off valve is an external cut-off valve provided outside the utilization unit. The external cut-off valve is driven using the operating electric power supplied from the power source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: DAIKIN INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventor: Shigetaka Wakisaka
  • Patent number: 11954713
    Abstract: A variable refrigerant flow system for a building includes a plurality of indoor units, a first outdoor unit, an outdoor meter, and a variable refrigerant flow management system. The plurality of indoor units configured to generate activation requests. The first outdoor unit is configured to receive the activation requests and, in response to the activation requests, provide a refrigerant to the plurality of indoor units. The outdoor meter is configured to provide an outdoor unit electricity consumption measurement. The variable refrigerant flow management system is configured to receive the outdoor unit electricity consumption measurement and activation data indicating the activation requests and apportion an outdoor share of the outdoor electricity consumption measurement to each of the plurality of indoor units based on the activation data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: JOHNSON CONTROLS TYCO IP HOLDINGS LLP
    Inventors: Anupam Ajit Ingale, Ankur Thareja, Subrata Bhattacharya, Prasanna Bari, Braja Majumdar, Tousif H. Khan
  • Patent number: 11933458
    Abstract: Heat is transferred from a first portion of liquid hydrogen to a flow of a heat transfer fluid at a first heat exchanger through heat exchange with a heat transfer fluid to produce a flow of vaporized hydrogen and a warmed flow of heat transfer fluid. The flow of vaporized hydrogen is combined with a second portion of liquid hydrogen in amounts designed to produce a combined flow with a desired temperature, the combined flow being used to fill one or more buffer vessels. Heat is also transferred at a second heat exchanger from a stream of pressurized hydrogen from the at least one buffer vessel to the cooled flow of heat transfer fluid to produce a cooled flow of pressurized hydrogen that is used to fill tanks of fuel cell electric vehicles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: L'Air Liquide, Societe Anonyme Pour L'Etude Et L'Exploitation Des Procedes Georges Claude
    Inventors: Vincent Fairy, Anh Thao Thieu, Samuel Trompezinski
  • Patent number: 11933516
    Abstract: An exemplary heating ventilation and cooling (HVAC) system includes a multi-phase power input, an AC-DC rectifier connected to a DC-AC inverter via a DC power bus, a multi-phase power output connecting the DC-AC inverter to a fan blower motor, and at least one redundancy power system. The redundancy power system is configured to bypass at least one of the AC-DC rectifier and the DC-AC inverter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Carrier Corporation
    Inventors: Xu She, HanJong Kim, David Ginsberg
  • Patent number: 11927531
    Abstract: A degradation status of a casing containing fresh items is to be grasped. An information processing device includes: an internal information acquisition unit acquiring internal information, which is information regarding an inside of a casing containing a fresh item in a refrigerated state or a frozen state; and a degradation information generation unit generating information regarding degradation of the casing based on the internal information acquired by the internal information acquisition unit. The internal information acquisition unit acquires, as the internal information, atmosphere information, which is information regarding an atmosphere inside the casing, and the degradation information generation unit generates the information regarding the degradation based on the atmosphere information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: Daikin Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hidenori Matsui, Kiichirou Satou, Shouichi Tanno
  • Patent number: 11920736
    Abstract: Heat is transferred from a flow of liquid hydrogen to a flow of a heat transfer fluid at a first heat exchanger to produce a warmed flow of pressurized hydrogen and a cooled flow of heat transfer fluid. Heat is also transferred at a second heat exchanger, to the cooled flow of heat transfer fluid, from a flow of pressurized hydrogen that is derived from one or more buffer vessels filled by the warmed flow of pressurized hydrogen and/or the warmed flow of pressurized hydrogen from the first exchanger to produce a cooled flow of pressurized hydrogen that is used to fill tanks of fuel cell electric vehicles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: L'Air Liquide, Societe Anonyme Pour L'Etude Et L'Exploitation Des Procedes Georges Claude
    Inventors: Vincent Fairy, Anh Thao Thieu
  • Patent number: 11898929
    Abstract: A thermal management system includes a switching valve that switches between a first mode in which first and second flow paths are separated and a second mode in which parts of the first and second flow paths are connected. In the first mode, a control unit acquires measured values of first and second temperatures in the first and second flow paths and estimated values of the first and second temperatures when the switching valve is not in a slightly open state. The switching valve is in the slightly open state when the measured value of the first temperature is higher than the estimated value of the first temperature by a value greater than a first predetermined threshold and the measured value of the second temperature is lower than the estimated value of the second temperature by a value greater than a second predetermined threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignees: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hironobu Sakamoto
  • Patent number: 11898763
    Abstract: An air conditioning system includes: a controller that controls an air conditioner; a thermostat that measures a temperature of an air conditioning target space, changes a contact point to an ON state or an OFF state in accordance with a measurement result, and manages input of a control signal to the controller to control operation of a component of the air conditioner; a connection line group that electrically connects the thermostat and the controller; a relay that switches, to either a conductive state or a cut-off state, at least one of a first connection line that controls a compressor of the air conditioner or a second connection line that controls an indoor fan of the air conditioner, among the connection line group; and a leakage detection sensor that detects refrigerant leakage from the air conditioner, and outputs a signal that controls the relay.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: DAIKIN INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventor: Miki Yamada
  • Patent number: 11898783
    Abstract: A performance degradation diagnosis system includes a determining unit, and control unit. A refrigeration cycle apparatus includes a refrigerant circuit having a compressor, heat-source-side heat exchanger, and use-side heat exchanger. The determining unit determines, based on an index indicating an operation state of the refrigeration cycle apparatus, performance degradation of the refrigeration cycle apparatus with respect to each of a plurality of performance degradation factors. In a case in which the determining unit determines performance degradation, the control unit grasps an operation condition of the refrigeration cycle apparatus which is operating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: Daikin Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shuji Fujimoto, Akihiro Inao, Shizuka Sadai, Shinichi Kasahara, Takeshi Hikawa
  • Patent number: 11884127
    Abstract: A thermal management system includes: a first radiator, a first electric water pump, and a first coolant line configured to allow a coolant to be circulated by the first electric water pump; a second radiator, a second electric water pump, and a second coolant line configured to allow a coolant to be circulated by the second electric water pump; and a first flow control device and a second flow control device installed at front ends and rear ends of the first radiator and the second radiator so as to control a coolant flow direction between the first coolant line, the second coolant line, and a third coolant line. The third coolant line is installed so as to connect the first flow control device and the second flow control device to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignees: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY, KIA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Seong Bin Jeong, Wan Je Cho, Jae Eun Jeong, Hyun Jae Lee, Nam Ho Park, Tae Hee Kim
  • Patent number: 11879681
    Abstract: A refrigerator control method of the present embodiment comprises the steps of: operating a compressor by operating a first cooling cycle for cooling a first storage chamber, and operating a first cold air supply means for the first storage chamber; and operating the compressor by switching into a second cooling cycle for cooling a second storage chamber, and operating a second cold air supply means, when a stop condition of the first cooling cycle is satisfied, wherein the cooling capacity of the compressor in the current second cooling cycle is determined on the basis of the representative temperature of the second storage chamber during one operating cycle which includes the previous first cooling cycle and the previous second cooling cycle, and a control unit performs control such that the compressor is operated in the current second cooling cycle with the determined cooling capacity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Seunguk Ahn, Kyunghun Cha, Sunam Chae
  • Patent number: 11879679
    Abstract: A refrigerator comprises: a storage chamber, a cooler, a first tray, a second tray, the first portion and the second portion being configured to define a space formed by the cell to receive a liquid to be phase-changed to form ice, a heater provided adjacent to at least one of the first tray or the second tray; and a controller configured to: operate the heater while the ice is being formed so that gas bubbles dissolved in the liquid within the cell move from a portion of space where the liquid that has phase-changed into the ice to another portion of the space where the liquid is in a fluid state, and when a defrosting start condition is satisfied while the ice is being formed in the space of the cell, perform a defrosting process and reduce an amount of cold supplied by the cooler.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Donghoon Lee, Wookyong Lee, Chongyoung Park, Donghoon Lee, Seungseob Yeom, Yongjun Bae, Sunggyun Son
  • Patent number: 11874637
    Abstract: Techniques are described for providing remote device (e.g., thermostat, lighting, appliance, etc.) control and/or energy monitoring. A system monitors sensor data captured by one or more sensors that sense attributes relevant to user presence at one or more monitored properties and status of one or more energy consuming devices associated with the one or more monitored properties. The system analyzes the monitored sensor data and the monitored device status with respect to a set of one or more rules and performs an operation related to controlling the one or more energy consuming devices based on the analysis of the monitored sensor data and the monitored device status with respect to the set of one or more rules.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: Alarm.com Incorporated
    Inventors: Stephen Scott Trundle, Alison Jane Slavin, Jean-Paul Martin, David James Hutz
  • Patent number: 11867421
    Abstract: An air conditioner and control method therefor to solve the problem that an existing air conditioner stops operation upon detection of an operation parameter abnormality situation, causing the user experience to be significantly influenced. For this reason, the air conditioner includes a compressor. The control method includes: obtaining an outdoor ambient temperature; determining a first preset time period according to the outdoor ambient temperature; obtaining operation parameters of the compressor after the first preset time period; and selectively stopping operation of the air conditioner according to the operation parameters of the compressor, so that the air conditioner can be automatically repaired within the first preset time period. If the air conditioner can be automatically repaired within the first preset time period, the air conditioner does not need to stop operation, so as to guarantee a continuous heat exchange capability of the air conditioner and not to cause an operation failure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignees: Qingdao Haier Air-conditioning Electronic Co., Ltd, Haier Smart Home Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kun Yang, Yabin Sui, Yanyao Lei, Yunhua Ma, Junhui Zhang, Zongke Wei
  • Patent number: 11862275
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for testing a Device Under Test (DUT) in its working environment. A control computer is coupled to an air compressor and generates a temperature control signal that is provided to the air compressor to generate an amount of hot air or cold air to set the temperature of the DUT's working environment to a desired test temperature. The control computer also generates at least one test signal that is sent to a hardware test element for testing at least one memory component of the DUT at the desired test temperature and obtaining test results. The control computer analyzes the test results to determine a parameter adjustment for the at least one memory element so that it operates in a stable manner at the test temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: KINGTIGER TECHNOLOGY (CANADA) INC.
    Inventors: Bosco Chun Sang Lai, Sunny Lai-Ming Chang, Lawrence Wai Cheung Ho, Eric Sin Kwok Chiu, Simon Shu Man Choi, Arthur Yu Kuen Lam
  • Patent number: 11843144
    Abstract: A vehicle includes first and second fuel-cell stacks, a first coolant circuit having conduit arranged to circulate coolant through the first fuel-cell stack, a second coolant circuit having conduit arranged to circulate coolant through the second fuel-cell stack, a heater in fluid communication with at least the first coolant circuit, and an isolation valve assembly configured to proportion a flow of coolant between the first and second coolant circuits. The isolation valve assembly includes valving. The valving has an isolation position in which the first and second circuits are isolated. The valving also has at least one mixing position in which the first and second circuits are in fluid communication.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2023
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Hassan Farhat, Ravi Gopal
  • Patent number: 11841182
    Abstract: A system is provided and includes refrigerated storage containers (20), local controllers (30) respectively coupled with corresponding refrigerated storage containers (20) to control operations thereof in accordance with controller parameters and a supervisory controller (40). The supervisory controller (40) is configured to issue control commands to the local controllers (30) based on respective responses of the refrigerated storage containers (20) to local controller control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2023
    Assignee: CARRIER CORPORATION
    Inventors: Veronica Adetola, Dong Luo, Hayden M. Reeve, Craig R. Walker
  • Patent number: 11835244
    Abstract: An HVAC/R system having: an HVAC/R component that has a heat exchanger, the HVAC/R component configured to allow a refrigerant to flow therethrough; a housing with the heat exchanger disposed there therein, and a supply side air conduit connected to the housing, the supply side air conduit being operably coupled to the HVAC/R component; a supply side leak mitigation damper operably coupled to the supply side air conduit; and wherein the supply side leak mitigation conduit is configured to selectively block airflow through the supply side air conduit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: CARRIER CORPORATION
    Inventors: Richard G. Lord, Larry D. Burns
  • Patent number: 11796249
    Abstract: Provided is a refrigeration appliance including a storage compartment, a user interface controller, and a user interface arranged in the storage compartment. The user interface is a stacked arrangement including a sensor assembly carrier, a graphic overlay, a light guide, and a printed circuit board (PCB) with a user interface controller and a self-capacitive electrode sensor. The main controller receives a signal from the user interface with self-capacitive electrode sensor and adjusts the temperature of the storage compartment based on the signal from the self-capacitive electrode sensor. A method controlling a refrigeration appliance with a stacked user interface is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: Electrolux Home Products, Inc.
    Inventors: Cornel Comsa, Christian Detlefsen, Michael Melecci, Matthew C. Bobinski
  • Patent number: 11774126
    Abstract: A refrigerant leak management system includes a return inlet assembly and a purge exhaust outlet assembly. The system also includes a sensor configured to detect refrigerant proximate an air handling enclosure of a HVAC unit. The system further includes a controller configured to control the system to drive air from a conditioned interior space of a building into an external environment via the purge exhaust outlet assembly when the sensor detects the refrigerant proximate the air handling enclosure by: actuating the return inlet assembly to close the return inlet assembly, actuating the purge exhaust outlet assembly to open the purge exhaust outlet assembly, and activating a reversible supply fan of the HVAC unit in a reverse direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: JOHNSON CONTROLS TYCO IP HOLDINGS LLP
    Inventor: Jamie Weinert
  • Patent number: 11767999
    Abstract: A heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) system includes a sensor configured to detect an operating parameter of the HVAC system, a processor, and a memory having instructions executable by the processor to cause the processor, during a normal operation mode of the HVAC system, to iteratively receive feedback from the sensor indicative of a value of the operating parameter, compare the value with reference data, and determine a refrigerant charge level of the HVAC system based on the value and the reference data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2023
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Tyco IP Holdings LLP
    Inventors: Tyler P. McCune, Shawn A. Hern, Aneek M. Noor, Cody J. Kaiser, Drew H. Carlton
  • Patent number: 11754073
    Abstract: A compressor fault diagnostic apparatus including a current sensing unit to sense a current flowing through a motor of the compressor, a fault diagnostic unit to determine whether or not the motor performs a reverse rotation based on the current flowing through the motor, and a cut-off unit to remove power based on a determination of the fault diagnostic unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Sehoon Kim, Jangsik Kim
  • Patent number: 11703246
    Abstract: A method for automatically adapting a predictive model used to control a heating, ventilation, or air conditioning (HVAC) system in a building to compensate for a detected fault in the HVAC system is shown. The method includes obtaining an indication of the detected fault in the HVAC system or a zone in the building. The method further includes determining a predicted impact of the detected fault on an operational performance of the HVAC system. The method further includes adjusting one or more parameters of the predictive model based on the predicted impact of the detected fault to generate a fault-adapted predictive model. The method further includes operating the HVAC system to control an environmental condition of the building using the fault-adapted predictive model.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: JOHNSON CONTROLS TYCO IP HOLDINGS LLP
    Inventors: Anas W. I. Alanqar, Michael J. Wenzel, Mohammad N. Elbsat
  • Patent number: 11639823
    Abstract: A refrigerator appliance includes a chilled chamber defining a plurality of cooling zones and a lighting assembly comprising a plurality of lighting zones corresponding to the plurality of cooling zones. A climate control system generates and selectively directs a flow of cooling air into the plurality of cooling zones such that the temperature in each zone is independently regulated and the lighting assembly selectively illuminates the plurality of lighting zones to provide user feedback regarding the operation of the climate control system, e.g., by indicating which zones are receiving the flow of cooling air, by notifying a user when a zone has reached a setpoint temperature, or by identifying the presence and location of a flow restriction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2023
    Assignee: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Jason Andrew May, Jarvis Ward
  • Patent number: 11629891
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a heat pump system comprising an outdoor unit disposed in an outdoor space, a plurality of thermal load units supplied with cool air and hot air, and an intermediate unit disposed between the outdoor unit and the plurality of thermal load units, wherein the intermediate unit is connected to the outdoor unit through refrigerant pipes and connected to the plurality of thermal load units through thermal medium pipes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masaki Saito, Takeshi Takahara, Kimio Koda, Kazushige Tajima
  • Patent number: 11619408
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a method and device of combining outdoor units and rotating operation of outdoor units, and MSAC system, and relates to the field of unit technology. The method includes: determining a plurality of combination manners of the outdoor units, according to a capacity of an indoor unit currently turned on and a capacity of each of the outdoor units; sequencing the plurality of combination manners in priority, according to priority strategies; and sequentially rotating the outdoor units to operate, based on the sequenced combination manners.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: Gree Electric Appliances, Inc. of Zhuhai
    Inventors: Shiqiang Zhang, Huachao Jiao, Jianguo Xiong, Lianfa Wu
  • Patent number: 11603020
    Abstract: Energy management techniques for heating or cooling a surface of a component of a vehicle comprise determining a heating lag time indicative of a lag time for a surface element of the vehicle component to heat to a first target temperature in response to a power on-off or power off-on modulation of a heat transfer component, determining a cooling lag time indicative of a lag time for the surface element to cool to a second target temperature in response to a power on-off or power off-on modulation of the heat transfer component, and controlling power-on and power-off times of the heat transfer component based on the determined heating and cooling lag times so as to not require a temperature sensor for feedback-based temperature control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2023
    Assignee: FCA US LLC
    Inventors: Mark J Duty, Daniel R King, Shantanu Ajankar, Yugandhara P Joshi
  • Patent number: 11598305
    Abstract: In one aspect, a method for controlling an engine system includes starting the engine system, activating an engine idling reduction mode allowing automatic shutdown and automatic restarting of an engine, disallowing automatic shutdown of the engine within the engine idling reduction mode if a state of charge of a voltage source is below a charge limit for permitting automatic shutdown of the engine, and modifying the charge limit as a function of a number of starts of the engine. Other aspects include a method for disallowing automatic shutdown of an engine if a voltage source has not achieved a fully charged condition, a method of triggering an automatic restarting of an engine, if the engine is automatically shutdown, based on at least two separate indicators of engine temperature, and a method of disallowing automatic shutdown of an engine if ambient temperature is less than a predetermined value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Keith Harmeyer, Michael E. Kenning, Navya X. Koka, Matthew E. Lueddecke, Jon B. Borgeson
  • Patent number: 11585562
    Abstract: A body of a casing is provided with a predetermined component. An imaging device includes an attachment portion detachably attached to the component so as to be at a position at which the imaging device can image the at least one predetermined object to be imaged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: DAIKIN INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Takanori Suzuki, Youichi Handa, Keita Kitagawa, Masaya Nishimura, Yoshiteru Nouchi
  • Patent number: 11577688
    Abstract: Smart window apparatus, systems, and related methods for use with vehicles are disclosed. A disclosed apparatus includes control circuitry configured to obtain data associated with a vehicle that is parked, determine, based on the data, a status of the vehicle associated with relatively high cabin temperature or an unattended occupant in the vehicle, and open a vehicle window via a window actuator to cool the vehicle cabin. The control circuitry is also configured to detect, based on the data, an event in an environment associated with the vehicle while the vehicle window is open and adjust the vehicle window via the window actuator in response to the detection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA MOTOR ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Abhishek Srivastava, David W. Cosgrove
  • Patent number: 11565573
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for controlling air conditioning of a vehicle are provided. The apparatus includes a sensing device that measures a pollutant concentration and a carbon dioxide concentration in the vehicle using at least one sensor. A controller determines an in-vehicle air condition based on the pollutant concentration and the carbon dioxide concentration, and automatically switches an in-vehicle air circulation mode based on a determination result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventor: Gwi Hwan Noh
  • Patent number: 11545732
    Abstract: An RFID tag is provided as a wireless communication device for transmitting and receiving a communication signal. The RFID tag includes a base material, antenna patterns formed on the base material, an RFIC package that is a feeder circuit connected to the antenna patterns, and an LC resonance circuit that is adjacent to the antenna patterns and resonates at a frequency higher than the frequency of the communication signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: MURATA MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Noriyuki Ueki
  • Patent number: 11519660
    Abstract: A refrigerator is provided. The refrigerator includes a camera, a thermal imaging camera, a display, and a processor configured to acquire an image that photographed the inside of the refrigerator through the camera, identify an object included in the acquired image, acquire information on the temperature of the identified object based on a thermal image that photographed the inside of the refrigerator through the thermal imaging camera, and control the display to display information on the identified object and information on the temperature of the identified object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Wookjin Jeong, Sihyun Park, Gyuchang Ha
  • Patent number: 11493250
    Abstract: A system comprising a compressor, a first valve coupled to the compressor and to a first coil, a first expansion valve coupled to the first coil, and a second expansion valve. The second expansion valve coupled to a second coil. A second valve is coupled to the second coil and the compressor. A third valve is coupled to the compressor and a third coil. In response to receiving a heating demand that is below a threshold heating demand, a controller induces an artificial heating demand.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: Lennox Industries Inc.
    Inventor: Der-Kai Hung
  • Patent number: 11473821
    Abstract: Upon detection of a leakage of refrigerant, a refrigerant recovery operation is performed for operating a compressor in a state where an outdoor expansion valve is closed. The refrigerant suctioned from an indoor unit passes through an outdoor heat exchanger so as to be liquefied and accumulated in an outdoor unit. When a low-pressure detection value by a pressure sensor decreases below a reference value, a termination condition for the refrigerant recovery operation is satisfied, and the compressor is stopped. Furthermore, when an abnormality in the refrigerant recovery operation is detected based on a behavior of the low-pressure detection value obtained until the termination condition is satisfied, the compressor is stopped to thereby end the refrigerant recovery operation. Also, guidance information for notification about an abnormality is output to a user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Makoto Wada, Takuya Matsuda, Katsuhiro Ishimura
  • Patent number: 11472265
    Abstract: A leak detection system includes a sensor assembly (30) having a sensor housing (32), a leak sensor (60), and a 36 collection housing (34). The sensor housing (32) defines a first fluid inlet (40). The leak sensor (60) is disposed within the sensor housing (32). The leak sensor (60) is arranged to provide a signal indicative of a presence of the first fluid within an interior space of the transport refrigeration unit. The collection housing (34) is spaced apart from the sensor housing (32) and defines a second fluid inlet (80).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: CARRIER CORPORATION
    Inventor: Michael Stockbridge
  • Patent number: 11468978
    Abstract: There is provided a refrigerator, including an input unit configured to receive information on a user, the user's health information, and an examination time; a control unit configured to perform control such that the received user information and health information are stored and displayed, identify a reception time at which the health information is received, and perform control such that at least one time of the examination time and the reception time is stored and displayed; a storage unit configured to accumulate and store the user's health information and examination time and match the user information and the health information for each examination time and store; and a display unit configured to display the health information in order of the examination time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sang Chul Won, Taek Woon Kim, Hani Yang, Min Jin Song
  • Patent number: 11467571
    Abstract: A sensor management system includes a historical data repository, a building management system (BMS) controller, and a sensor diagnostics system. The historical data repository may store historical data by a plurality of sensors. The BMS controller may control one or more components of a building subsystem based on data provided by one or more sensors. The sensor diagnostic system may receive, from a sensor, sensor data. The sensor diagnostic system may determine at least one fault in the sensor data. The sensor diagnostic system may select, from the historical data repository, substitute sensor data for the sensor based on a comparison of one or more attributes of the sensor data and one or more attributes of the historical data in the data repository. The sensor diagnostic system may provide, in replacement of the sensor data from the sensor, the supplemental sensor data to the BMS controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: JOHNSON CONTROLS TYCO IP HOLDINGS LLP
    Inventors: Abhigyan Chatterjee, Rohit Bhagwan Mansukhani, Rajesh C. Nayak, Moheet Vishwas
  • Patent number: 11465095
    Abstract: A ventilation system includes an inside air passage having inflow and outflow ends communicating with an indoor space to be ventilated, at least one permeable film unit including a permeable film, and an air supply passage having an inflow end communicating with an outdoor space and an outflow end connected to a downstream side of the permeable film in the inside air passage. The permeable film allows a target gas to pass and allows the target gas that has passed through the permeable film to be discharged into outdoor air. The target gas contains at least one of carbon dioxide and a volatile organic compound in indoor air that flows in the inside air passage. Alternatively or in addition, the ventilation system can include an outside air passage and a discharge passage in place of or in addition to the inside air passage and the air supply passage, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: Daikin Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shin Koizumi, Toshio Tanaka, Shunji Haruna
  • Patent number: 11460207
    Abstract: An HVAC system includes an evaporator. The evaporator includes a sensor configured to measure a property value (i.e., a saturated suction temperature or a saturated suction pressure) associated with saturated refrigerant flowing through the evaporator. The system includes a variable-speed compressor configured to receive the refrigerant and compress the received refrigerant. The system includes a controller communicatively coupled to the sensor and the variable-speed compressor. The controller monitors the property value measured by the sensor and detects a system fault, based on the monitored property value. In response to detecting the system fault, the controller operates the compressor in a freeze-prevention mode, which is configured to maintain the property value above a setpoint value by adjusting a speed of the variable-speed compressor. This prevents or delays freezing of the evaporator during operation of the system during the detected system fault.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: Lennox Industries Inc.
    Inventor: Rakesh Goel
  • Patent number: 11460206
    Abstract: A refrigerant detection apparatus that is able to detect refrigerant having leaked in a plurality of rooms using sensors the number of which is smaller than the number of rooms serving as detection targets includes a sensor configured to be able to detect refrigerant being filled in a refrigerant pipe of an air conditioner, and a casing that houses the sensor. The casing has a first opening configured to be able to connect to the inside of a room, and a second opening configured to be able to connect to the inside of a room different from the room being able to be connected to the first opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventor: Mitsuru Kawashima
  • Patent number: 11446982
    Abstract: A user body temperature assistance system associated with an air conditioning device, may include air conditioning controller configured to control an operation of an air conditioning device configured for adjusting an interior air temperature of a vehicle and determine an operation stage of a temperature adjustment unit in the vehicle according to an operation-based signal of the air conditioning device; and a temperature adjustment controller, which is configured to control an operation of the temperature adjustment unit for assisting a user body temperature according to the operation stage determined by the air conditioning controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Sang Ki Seo, Yong Chul Kim, June Kyu Park, Ju Ho Choi, Doo Ri Kim, Hyeong Jun Kim, Sung Hae Park
  • Patent number: 11441813
    Abstract: An indoor unit of a refrigeration apparatus includes: a drain pan that includes four wall surfaces including a first wall surface, and has a quadrangle shape in a plan view; a heat exchanger disposed above the drain pan and through which a combustible refrigerant, having a larger specific gravity than air, flows; a fan that generates air flow to the heat exchanger; a gas sensor that detects a refrigerant leakage; and a casing accommodating the drain pan, the heat exchanger, the fan, and the gas sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: DAIKIN INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki Tsuji, Makoto Kojima
  • Patent number: 11428442
    Abstract: A cooling device includes a first evaporation unit, a second evaporation unit, a first condensation unit, a second condensation unit, common piping, a compressor, an expansion valve, a first valve, and a second valve. The common piping combines liquid-phase refrigerant flowing from the first condensation unit and liquid-phase refrigerant flowing from the second condensation unit. The first valve adjusts the liquid-phase refrigerant amount flowing into the first evaporation unit. The second valve adjusts the liquid-phase refrigerant amount flowing into the second evaporation unit. In addition, the pressure inside the common pipe is greater than the respective pressures inside the first evaporation unit and the second evaporation unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: NEC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hisato Sakuma, Koichi Todoroki, Masaki Chiba, Takafumi Natsumeda, Minoru Yoshikawa
  • Patent number: 11402122
    Abstract: An indoor unit of a refrigeration apparatus includes: a drain pan that includes four wall surfaces including a first wall surface, and has a quadrangle shape in a plan view; a heat exchanger disposed above the drain pan and through which a combustible refrigerant, having a larger specific gravity than air, flows; a fan that generates air flow to the heat exchanger; a gas sensor that detects a refrigerant leakage; and a casing accommodating the drain pan, the heat exchanger, the fan, and the gas sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: DAIKIN INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki Tsuji, Makoto Kojima
  • Patent number: 11391495
    Abstract: In order to reduce the effect on a compressor caused by foaming in an oil tank, a control unit for controlling an oil pump starts the oil pump before a compressor is started (SA1), starts the compressor (SA4) when an oil supply differential pressure P satisfies a compressor startup condition during a reference time Tas from the starting of the oil pump (“Yes” in SA3), and extends the operation of the oil pump for a prescribed time without starting the compressor (Step SA5) when the compressor startup condition is not satisfied (“No” in SA3).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES THERMAL SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshie Togano, Kenji Ueda, Yasushi Hasegawa
  • Patent number: 11392101
    Abstract: Disclosed are systems and methods for providing secure refrigerated bin systems. A method includes receiving, from a medication dispensing console via a communication interface, an access command for a selected compartment of a plurality of compartments, each for storing one or more medicines, wherein at least one of the plurality of compartments is lockable. The method also includes identifying, responsive to receiving the access command, one or more medications in the selected compartment, determining a safe temperature range of the identified one or more medications, determining, responsive to the received access command, a condition of the selected compartment based on whether sensor data recorded by one or more sensors conforms to one or more parameters including the safe temperature range, and setting, based on the determined condition, an access state of at least one of the selected compartment and a lockable door controlling access to the plurality of compartments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: CAREFUSION 303, INC.
    Inventors: Honey Garg, Magnus Felke, William Blackledge
  • Patent number: 11375838
    Abstract: A locker for unattended storage and automated access of stored goods including a locker housing having at least one environmentally controlled compartment with an environmentally controlled access opening, an air inlet duct and an air outlet duct; a door sealingly engaging the environmentally controlled access opening; an automated latch engaging the door and movable between a locked position and an unlocked position; an access control unit in communication with the automated latch; and an environmental control unit removably housed in the locker housing, the environmental control unit having duct interfaces engagable with the air inlet duct and with the air outlet duct for circulating air between the at least one environmentally controlled compartment and the environmental control unit, and the environmental control unit having an electric power connector engagable with an electric power outlet in the locker housing in communication with a source of electric power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: OCADO INNOVATION LIMITED
    Inventor: Lars Sverker Ture Lindbo
  • Patent number: 11359846
    Abstract: A refrigeration system includes: a leak sensor disposed within a building and configured to measure an amount of refrigerant that has leaked from the refrigeration system within the building; an estimation module configured to determine an estimated amount of refrigerant that has leaked from the refrigeration system within the building based on the measured amount; and a leak module configured to: determine whether a leak is present in the refrigeration system within the building based on the estimated amount of refrigerant that has leaked from the refrigeration system; and take one or more remedial actions when a leak is present in the refrigeration system within the building.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: Emerson Climate Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Andrew M. Welch