Building insulation auditing system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10019748-B2
Application number	US-201615176434-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 8, 2016
Priority date	Jun 8, 2015
Publication date	Jul 10, 2018
Grant date	Jul 10, 2018

Abstract

In an exemplary method for evaluating building insulation, first thermal data for a first building location is received at a computing device from a thermal scanning device, the first thermal data including a first leak temperature reading of a first leak path feature at the first building location. Estimated inside and outside temperatures are stored in the computing device, and an environmental temperature deviation between the estimated inside temperature and the estimated outside temperature is determined. A first leak temperature deviation between the first leak temperature reading and the estimated inside temperature is determined. A first temperature deviation ratio of the first leak temperature deviation to the environmental temperature deviation is compared with a predetermined first maximum acceptable inefficiency ratio. A first user notification is provided, identifying the first leak path feature and indicating whether the first temperature deviation ratio is greater than the first maximum acceptable inefficiency ratio.

First claim

We claim:

1. A system for evaluating building insulation, the system comprising:
a thermal scanning device configured to record thermal data for one or more leak path features at one or more building locations; and
a computing device in communication with the thermal scanning device for receiving the thermal data, the computing device being configured to determine an environmental temperature deviation between an estimated inside temperature and an estimated outside temperature, wherein the computing device, in response to receipt from the thermal scanning device of first thermal data for a first leak path feature at a first building location:
determines a first leak temperature deviation between the first leak temperature reading and the estimated inside temperature,
compares a first temperature deviation ratio of the first leak temperature deviation to the environmental temperature deviation with a predetermined first maximum acceptable inefficiency ratio; and
provides a first user notification identifying the first leak path feature and indicating whether the first temperature deviation ratio is greater than the first maximum acceptable inefficiency ratio.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein when the first temperature deviation ratio is greater than the first maximum acceptable inefficiency ratio, the first user notification includes at least one of recommended building material products for remediation of the first leak path feature, price of the recommended building material products, a retail location for the recommended building material products, and a level of difficulty of the remediation of the first leak path feature.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the computing device comprises a mobile device, and the thermal scanning device is attachable to the mobile device.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the computing device, in response to receipt from the thermal scanning device of second thermal data for a second leak path feature at a second building location:
determines a second leak temperature deviation between the second leak temperature reading and the estimated inside temperature,
compares a second temperature deviation ratio of the second leak temperature deviation to the environmental temperature deviation with a predetermined second maximum acceptable inefficiency ratio; and
provides a second user notification identifying the second leak path feature and indicating whether the second temperature deviation ratio is greater than the second maximum acceptable inefficiency ratio.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the computing device, in response to the receipt of the first and second thermal data, calculates a first leak remediation impact rating for the first leak path feature based on at least one of leak path type and deviation of the first temperature deviation ratio from the first maximum acceptable inefficiency ratio, and calculates a second leak remediation impact rating for the second leak path feature based on at least one of leak path type and deviation of the second temperature deviation ratio from the second maximum acceptable inefficiency ratio, wherein the computing device provides the first and second user notifications in a prioritized list based on the first and second leak remediation impact ratings.

6. A method for evaluating building insulation of a building, the method comprising:
receiving at a computing device first thermal data for a first building location from a thermal scanning device in communication with the computing device, the first thermal data including a first leak temperature reading of a first leak path feature at the first building location;
storing a first estimated inside temperature and an estimated outside temperature in the computing device, and determining a first environmental temperature deviation between the first estimated inside temperature and the estimated outside temperature;
determining a first leak temperature deviation between the first leak temperature reading and the estimated inside temperature;
comparing a first temperature deviation ratio of the first leak temperature deviation to the environmental temperature deviation with a predetermined first maximum acceptable inefficiency ratio; and
providing a first user notification identifying the first leak path feature and indicating whether the first temperature deviation ratio is greater than the first maximum acceptable inefficiency ratio.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein providing the first user notification comprises providing a location of the first leak path feature, recommended building material products for remediation of the first leak path feature, price of the recommended building material products, and a level of difficulty of the remediation of the first leak path feature.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein providing the first user notification comprises displaying the first user notification on the computing device.

9. The method of claim 6 , wherein receiving the first thermal data from the thermal scanning device comprises receiving a first thermal image of the first building location.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein storing the estimated inside temperature comprises calculating an average temperature of the first thermal image.

11. The method of claim 6 , wherein storing the estimated inside temperature comprises receiving a plurality of thermal images of the building and calculating an average temperature of the plurality of thermal images.

12. The method of claim 6 , wherein storing the estimated outside temperature comprises communicating with a web-based service to obtain a temperature of a geographic location of the computing device.

13. The method of claim 6 , wherein storing the estimated outside temperature comprises receiving manual user entry of an estimated outside temperature.

14. The method of claim 6 , further comprising generating an alert if the environmental temperature deviation is less than a predetermined amount considered sufficient to recognize a significant thermal leak path.

15. The method of claim 6 , further comprising identifying the first leak path feature as one of a plurality of leak path types, wherein the first predetermined acceptable inefficiency ratio is specific to the identified leak path type.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the plurality of leak path types includes a window, a wall, a door, and a ceiling.

17. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
receiving at the computing device second thermal data for a second building location from the thermal scanning device, the second thermal data including a second leak temperature reading of a second leak path feature at the second building location;
determining a second leak temperature deviation between the second leak temperature reading and the estimated inside temperature;
comparing a second temperature deviation ratio of the second leak temperature deviation to the environmental temperature deviation with a predetermined second maximum acceptable inefficiency ratio; and
providing a second user notification if the second temperature deviation ratio is greater than the second maximum acceptable inefficiency ratio.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein receiving the first and second thermal data from the thermal scanning device comprises receiving a first thermal image of the first and second building locations.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein receiving the first thermal data from the thermal scanning device comprises receiving a first thermal image of the first building location and r

Assignees

• Owens Corning Intellectual Capital Llc

Inventors

• Mcnamee Iii Thomas J
• Nichols Matthew
• Berdan Ii Clarke
• Dolinar Michael

Classifications

• G01M3/002

  by using thermal means · CPC title

• E04B1/74

  Heat, sound or noise insulation, absorption, or reflection (forms of, or arrangements in, rooms for influencing or directing sound E04B1/99); Other building methods affording favourable thermal or acoustical conditions, e.g. accumulating of heat within walls (fire protection E04B1/94; elements chiefly adapted for structural purposes E04C1/00 - E04C3/00; chiefly adapted for surface coverings E04F13/00; as underlayers for floor coverings E04F15/18; closures for wall or like openings E06B) · CPC title

• G06Q30/0631 Primary

  Recommending goods or services · CPC title