Environment controller and method for controlling an environmental characteristic in an area based on concurrent BLE requests

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11144019-B2
Application number	US-201916437563-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 11, 2019
Priority date	Jun 20, 2018
Publication date	Oct 12, 2021
Grant date	Oct 12, 2021

Abstract

Environment controller and method for controlling an environmental characteristic in an area of a building based on concurrent BLE requests. The environment controller receives a plurality of concurrent environmental characteristic target values originating from a plurality of BLE enabled user devices. The plurality of concurrent environmental characteristic target values is forwarded from the plurality of BLE enabled user devices to the environment controller via one or more BLE proxy device. The environment controller applies an algorithm to generate one or more command for controlling at least one controlled appliance based on the plurality of concurrent environmental characteristic target values. The environment controller further transmits the one or more command to the at least one controlled appliance. Examples of concurrent environmental characteristic target values include target temperatures, target humidity levels, target CO2 levels, target lightning levels, etc.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An environment controller for controlling an environmental characteristic in an area based on concurrent short range wireless interactions, the environment controller comprising:
at least one communication interface;
a processing unit for:
receiving via the at least one communication interface a plurality of concurrent environmental characteristic target values originating from a plurality of short range wireless enabled user devices, the plurality of concurrent environmental characteristic target values being forwarded from the plurality of short range wireless enabled user devices to the environment controller via one or more short range wireless enabled proxy device;
applying an algorithm to generate one or more command for controlling at least one controlled appliance based on the plurality of concurrent environmental characteristic target values; and
transmitting the one or more command to the at least one controlled appliance via the at least one communication interface.

2. The environment controller of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of concurrent environmental characteristic target values comprises one of the following: a plurality of target temperatures, a plurality of target humidity levels, a plurality of target CO2 levels and a plurality of target lightning levels.

3. The environment controller of claim 1 , wherein the algorithm further takes into consideration at least one environmental characteristic measured value for generating the one or more command.

4. The environment controller of claim 3 , wherein the at least one environmental characteristic measured value comprises one of the following: a measured temperature, a measured humidity level, a measured CO2 level, a measured lightning level and an occupancy of the area.

5. The environment controller of claim 1 , wherein applying the algorithm comprises calculating a mean value of the plurality of concurrent environmental characteristic target values and generating the one or more command based on the mean value.

6. The environment controller of claim 1 , wherein applying the algorithm comprises selecting one value among the plurality of concurrent environmental characteristic target values and generating the one or more command based on the selected value.

7. The environment controller of claim 1 , wherein the at least one controlled appliance consists of a plurality of controlled appliances; and applying the algorithm comprises selecting one or more value among the plurality of concurrent environmental characteristic target values and generating one or more command for controlling one among the plurality of controlled appliances based on the one or more selected value.

8. The environment controller of claim 7 , wherein the selected one or more value originates from one or more among the plurality of short range wireless enabled user devices, the one or more among the plurality of short range wireless enabled user devices being located in a given zone within the area.

9. The environment controller of claim 8 , wherein the one or more short range wireless enabled proxy device consists of a plurality of short range wireless enabled proxy devices, the given zone is defined by at least one among the plurality of short range wireless enabled proxy devices, and the one or more among the plurality of short range wireless enabled user devices located in the given zone is capable of interacting with the at least one among the plurality of short range wireless enabled proxy devices through a short range wireless protocol.

10. The environment controller of claim 7 , wherein applying the algorithm further comprises selecting another one or more value among the plurality of concurrent environmental characteristic target values and generating one or more command for controlling another one among the plurality of controlled appliances based on the another one or more selected value.

11. A method for controlling an environmental characteristic in an area based on concurrent short range wireless interactions, the method comprising:
receiving by a processing unit of an environment controller via at least one communication interface of the environment controller a plurality of concurrent environmental characteristic target values originating from a plurality of short range wireless enabled user devices, the plurality of concurrent environmental characteristic target values being forwarded from the plurality of short range wireless enabled user devices to the environment controller via one or more short range wireless enabled proxy device;
applying by the processing unit of the environment controller an algorithm to generate one or more command for controlling at least one controlled appliance based on the plurality of concurrent environmental characteristic target values; and
transmitting by the processing unit of the environment controller the one or more command to the at least one controlled appliance via the at least one communication interface of the environment controller.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of concurrent environmental characteristic target values comprises one of the following: a plurality of target temperatures, a plurality of target humidity levels, a plurality of target CO2 levels and a plurality of target lightning levels.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the algorithm further takes into consideration at least one environmental characteristic measured value for generating the one or more command.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein applying the algorithm comprises calculating a mean value of the plurality of concurrent environmental characteristic target values and generating the one or more command based on the mean value.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein applying the algorithm comprises selecting one value among the plurality of concurrent environmental characteristic target values and generating the one or more command based on the selected value.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein the at least one controlled appliance consists of a plurality of controlled appliances; and applying the algorithm comprises selecting one or more value among the plurality of concurrent environmental characteristic target values and generating one or more command for controlling one among the plurality of controlled appliances based on the one or more selected value.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the selected one or more value originates from one or more among the plurality of short range wireless enabled user devices, the one or more among the plurality of short range wireless enabled user devices being located in a given zone within the area.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the one or more short range wireless enabled proxy device consists of a plurality of short range wireless enabled proxy devices, the given zone is defined by at least one among the plurality of short range wireless enabled proxy devices, and the one or more among the plurality of short range wireless enabled user devices located in the given zone is capable of interacting with the at least one among the plurality of short range wireless enabled proxy devices through a short range wireless protocol.

19. The method of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of concurrent environmental characteristic target values is transmitted from the plurality of short range wireless enabled user devices to the one or more short range wireless enabled proxy device through a short range wireless protocol.

20. A non-transitory computer program product comprising

Assignees

• Distech Controls Inc

Inventors

• Gagnon Dominic
• Demers Martin
• Legault Marc

Classifications

• G05B2219/2614

  HVAC, heating, ventillation, climate control · CPC title

• G05B2219/2642

  Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house · CPC title

• G05B15/02 Primary

  electric · CPC title

• G05D23/1905

  associated with tele control · CPC title

• F24F11/30 Primary

  for purposes related to the operation of the system, e.g. for safety or monitoring · CPC title