Systems and methods for intelligent disinfection of susceptible environments based on occupant density

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11513486-B2
Application number	US-201916515865-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 18, 2019
Priority date	Jul 18, 2019
Publication date	Nov 29, 2022
Grant date	Nov 29, 2022

Abstract

A building automation system may control ultraviolet lights to intelligently disinfect susceptible environments based on occupant density. The system comprises multiple occupancy sensors, a disinfection environment tracking engine, and an ultraviolet light control engine. The multiple occupancy sensors generate real time occupancy data associated with multiple objects detected within an area. The disinfection environment tracking engine determines real time occupant density of the multiple objects detected within the area based on the real time occupancy data generated by the multiple occupancy sensors. The ultraviolet light control engine controls operation of one or more ultraviolet lights to disinfect the area based on the real time occupant density determined by the disinfection environment tracking engine.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a plurality of occupancy sensors configure to generate real time occupancy data associated with a plurality of objects detected within an area; and
a building automation system including a disinfection environment tracking engine and an ultraviolet light control engine, wherein:
the disinfection environment tracking engine configured to determine real time occupant density of the plurality of objects detected within the area based on the real time occupancy data generated by the plurality of occupancy sensors; and
the ultraviolet light control engine configured to control operation of at least one ultraviolet light to disinfect the area based on the real time occupant density determined by the disinfection environment tracking engine, wherein the ultraviolet light control engine controls the operation of the at least one ultraviolet light based on health information received from a health information system and the real time occupant density,

wherein the health information received from the health information system comprises a healthcare professional classification selected from a group consisting of a doctor class, a nurse class, or a staff class and a non-healthcare professional classification including a visitor class,
wherein one object of the plurality of objects corresponds to a class of the healthcare professional classification and another object of the plurality of objects corresponds to a class of the non-healthcare professional classification, and
wherein the ultraviolet light control engine controls an operation strength and duration for each ultraviolet light based on a combination of the healthcare professional classification and a non-healthcare professional classification as well as a last time the area was disinfected, including a summation of strength values of two or more classifications, each classification including an ultraviolet strength required to disinfect for each particular classification.

2. The system as described by claim 1 , wherein:
the real time occupancy data include individual occupancy data corresponding to a presence within the area by each object of the plurality of objects detected by the plurality of occupancy sensors; and
the disinfection environment tracking engine determines real time occupant density based on the individual occupancy data associated with the plurality of objects.

3. The system as described by claim 1 , wherein the ultraviolet light control engine controls at least one operation property of the at least one ultraviolet light selected from the group consisting of operation time, operation duration, or operation frequency for each ultraviolet light.

4. The system as described by claim 1 , wherein the health information received from the health information system includes at least one scheduled event associated with an occupant and the area.

5. The system as described by claim 1 , wherein the health information received from the health information system includes at least one service class indicating at least a portion of the control operation of the at least one ultraviolet light to disinfect the area based on a disease exposed to the area.

6. A method of a building automation system comprising:
generating, at a plurality of occupancy sensors, real time occupancy data associated with a plurality of objects detected within an area;
determining, at a disinfection environment tracking engine, real time occupant density of the plurality of objects detected within the area based on the real time occupancy data generated by the plurality of occupancy sensors; and
controlling, at an ultraviolet light control engine, operation of at least one ultraviolet light to disinfect the area based on health information received from a health information system and the real time occupant density determined by the disinfection environment tracking engine,
wherein the health information received from the health information system comprises a healthcare professional classification selected from a group consisting of a doctor class, a nurse class, or a staff class and a non-healthcare professional class including a visitor class,
wherein one object of the plurality of objects corresponds to a class of the healthcare professional classification and another object of the plurality of objects corresponds to a class of the non-healthcare professional classification, and
wherein controlling the operation of the at least one ultraviolet light includes controlling an operation strength and duration for each ultraviolet light based on a combination of the healthcare professional classification and a non-healthcare professional classification as well as a last time the area was disinfected, including a summation of strength values of two or more classifications, each classification including an ultraviolet strength required to disinfect for each particular classification.

7. The method as described by claim 6 , wherein:
the real time occupancy data include individual occupancy data corresponding to a presence within the area by each object of the plurality of objects detected by the plurality of occupancy sensors; and
determining real time occupant density includes determining the real time occupant density based on the individual occupancy data associated with the plurality of objects.

8. The method as described by claim 6 , wherein controlling the operation of the at least one ultraviolet light includes controlling at least one operation property of the at least one ultraviolet light selected from the group consisting of operation time, operation duration, or operation frequency for each ultraviolet light.

9. The method as described by claim 6 , wherein the health information received from the health information system includes at least one scheduled event associated with an occupant and the area.

10. The method as described by claim 6 , wherein the health information received from the health information system includes at least one service class indicating at least a portion of the control operation of the at least one ultraviolet light to disinfect the area based on a disease exposed to the area.

11. A non-transitory machine-readable medium comprising storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause a system to:
generate real time occupancy data associated with a plurality of objects detected within an area;
determine real time occupant density of the plurality of objects detected within the area based on the real time occupancy data generated by the plurality of occupancy sensors; and
control operation of at least one ultraviolet light to disinfect the area based on health information received from a health information system and the real time occupant density determined by the disinfection environment tracking engine,
wherein the health information received from the health information system comprises a healthcare professional classification selected from a group consisting of a doctor class, a nurse class, or a staff class and a non-healthcare professional class including a visitor class,
wherein one object of the plurality of objects corresponds to a class of the healthcare professional classification and another object of the plurality of objects corresponds to a class of the non-healthcare professional classification, and
wherein control of the operation of the at least one ultraviolet light includes control of an operation strength and duration for each ultraviolet light based on a combination of the healthcare professional classification and a non-healthcare professional classification as well as a last time the area was disinfected, including a summation of strength values of tw

Assignees

• Siemens Industry Inc

Inventors

• Kupa Timur
• Baker Robert
• Songkakul Pornsak

Classifications

• A61L2103/75

  Room floors or walls · CPC title

• Y02B20/40

  Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection · CPC title

• G05B19/042 Primary

  using digital processors (G05B19/05 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A61L9/20

  Ultraviolet radiation · CPC title

• G05B2219/2642

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