Remote sensor for smart thermostat

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11085665-B2
Application number	US-201916538411-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 12, 2019
Priority date	Aug 10, 2018
Publication date	Aug 10, 2021
Grant date	Aug 10, 2021

Abstract

A building control system includes a sensor unit, a space controller, and a controlled device. The space controller is configured to operate one or more controlled devices to affect one or more environmental conditions of a first space of a building. The sensor unit is communicably coupled to the space controller and is configured to be disposed in the first space. The sensor unit includes one or more sensors. The sensor unit is configured to determine an environmental condition of the first space based on sensor data from the sensor and configured to provide at least some of the sensor data to the space controller. The controlled device is communicably coupled to the sensor unit and is operable to affect the environmental condition of the first space. The sensor unit is configured to control the controlled device independently from the space controller.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A building control system, comprising:
a main control unit configured to operate a controlled device to affect one or more environmental conditions of a first space of a building;
a sensor unit communicably coupled to the main control unit and configured to be disposed in the first space, the sensor unit comprising one or more sensors, the sensor unit configured to determine an environmental condition of the first space based on sensor data from the sensor and configured to provide at least some of the sensor data to the main control unit; and
the controlled device being communicably coupled to the sensor unit and the main control unit and operable to affect the environmental condition of the first space, the sensor unit configured to control the controlled device independently from the main control unit, and the main control unit configured to control the controlled device independently from the sensor unit.

2. The building control system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor unit is one of a plurality of sensor units, wherein the building control system further comprises a user control device, wherein the user control device is configured to access a web portal from which the plurality of sensor units may be identified, mapped to the first space, and paired with the main control unit and the controlled device, and wherein the plurality of sensor units may be mapped to the first space at the same time.

3. The building control system of claim 1 , wherein the environmental condition is at least one of a temperature of the first space, a humidity of the first space, an air quality of the first space, or an amount of lighting within the first space.

4. The building control system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor is an air quality sensor, wherein the sensor unit is configured to control the controlled device based on a determination that air quality data from the air quality sensor is greater than or less than an air quality threshold.

5. The building control system of claim 4 , wherein the air quality sensor is one of a CO2 sensor configured to measure an amount of CO2 in the first space, a VOC sensor configured to measure an amount of VOC in the first space, or a Radon sensor configured to measure an amount of Radon within the first space.

6. The building control system of claim 1 , wherein the controlled device is one of an air conditioning unit, a heater, a light, an automatic window blind, a fan, or a smart vent.

7. The building control system of claim 1 , wherein the building further comprising a second space that is located at least partially remotely from the first space, and wherein the controlled device is configured to selectively modify the environmental condition of the first space independently from an environmental condition of the second space.

8. The building control system of claim 1 , wherein the building further comprising a second space that is located at least partially remotely from the first space, wherein the sensor unit is configured to transmit at least one of the sensor data or the environmental condition to the main control unit, and wherein the main control unit is configured to control the controlled device to modify the environmental condition of the first space independently from the second space based on the sensor data or the environmental condition.

9. The building control system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor unit is a first sensor unit of a plurality of sensor units, further comprising a second sensor unit, wherein the first sensor unit is configured to control the controlled device based on at least one of sensor data from the second sensor unit or an environmental condition from the second sensor unit.

10. A sensor unit, comprising:
a housing configured to be disposed in a first space of a building;
a sensor coupled to the housing and configured to generate sensor data that is indicative of an environmental condition of the first space;
a communications interface coupled to the housing and configured to communicate with a main control unit and a controlled device; and
a processing circuit coupled to the housing and configured to:
receive identifying information associated with the main control unit and the controlled device;
receive the sensor data from the sensor;
identify the environmental condition of the first space based on the sensor data; and
transmit, by the communications interface, a control signal to the controlled device independently from the main control unit based on the environmental condition.

11. The sensor unit of claim 10 , wherein the communications interface is configured to communicate with a user control device, and wherein the processing circuit is further configured to:
transmit identification information associated with the sensor unit to the user control device;
and
pair with the main control unit and the controlled device such that the sensor unit is communicably coupled to the main control unit and the controlled device.

12. The sensor unit of claim 10 , wherein the environmental condition is at least one of a temperature of the first space, a humidity of the first space, an air quality of the first space, or an amount of lighting within the first space.

13. The sensor unit of claim 10 , wherein the sensor is an air quality sensor, wherein the processing circuit is configured to transmit the control signal to the controlled device based on a determination that air quality data from the air quality sensor is greater than or less than an air quality threshold.

14. The sensor unit of claim 10 , wherein the controlled device is one of an air conditioning unit, a heater, a light, an automatic window blind, a fan, or a smart vent.

15. The sensor unit of claim 10 , wherein the building further comprising a second space that is located at least partially remotely from the first space, and wherein the controlled device is configured to selectively modify the environmental condition of the first space independently from an environmental condition of the second space.

16. The sensor unit of claim 10 , wherein the building further comprising a second space that is located at least partially remotely from the first space, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to transmit at least one of the sensor data or the environmental condition to the main control unit, and wherein the main control unit is configured to control the controlled device to modify the environmental condition of the first space independently from an environmental condition of the second space based on the sensor data or the environmental condition.

17. A method, comprising:
receiving, by a sensor unit, sensor data from a sensor onboard the sensor unit, the sensor unit communicably coupled to a main control unit and a controlled device, the main control unit configured to operate one or more controlled devices to affect one or more environmental conditions of a first space of a building;
receiving identifying information associated with the main control unit and the controlled device;
identifying, by the sensor unit, an environmental condition of the first space based on the sensor data;
transmitting, by a communications interface onboard the sensor unit, a control signal to the controlled device independently from the main control unit based on the environmental condition.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:
transmitting, by the communications interface, identification information associated with the sensor unit;
and
pairing with the main control unit and the controlled device su

Assignees

• Johnson Controls Tech Co
• Johnson Controls Tyco IP Holdings LLP

Inventors

• Thoni Mark A
• Sinha Vineet B

Classifications

• H05B47/1965

  using handheld communication devices · CPC title

• H05B47/19

  via wireless transmission · CPC title

• F24F2110/66

  Volatile organic compounds [VOC] · CPC title

• F24F2110/70

  Carbon dioxide · CPC title

• Y02B30/70

  Efficient control or regulation technologies, e.g. for control of refrigerant flow, motor or heating · CPC title