Systems and methods for monitoring and automatically regulating an environmental variable within a target zone

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016258641-A1
Application number	US-201514638946-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 4, 2015
Priority date	Mar 4, 2015
Publication date	Sep 8, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A system and associated methods of operation for regulating an environmental variable (such as ambient room temperature) within a target zone. The system includes a sensor system configured to monitor the target zone and measure a skin parameter (such as skin temperature and/or sweat) from an inhabitant occupying the target zone. A processor in operative communication with the sensor system receives the measured skin parameter and queries a storage medium to obtain a threshold setpoint relating to measured skin parameter. The processor compares the measured skin parameter to the threshold setpoint and generates an operation mode signal based on the comparison. An environmental control system receives the operation mode signal and determines whether and how to regulate an environmental variable within the target zone based on the signal.

First claim

1 . A system for regulating an environmental variable, the system comprising:
a sensor system configured to monitor a target zone, the sensor system measuring a skin parameter from an inhabitant occupying the target zone and generating a sensor signal communicating the measured skin parameter; a storage medium having stored therein a threshold setpoint relating to the skin parameter; a processor in operative communication with the sensor system and storage medium, the processor receiving the sensor signal from the sensor system and determining a variance between the measured skin parameter and the threshold setpoint, the processor generating an operation mode signal based on the determined variance; and an environmental control system in operative communication with the processor, the environmental control system receiving the operation mode signal and regulating an environmental variable within the target zone based on the operation mode signal.

2 - 4 . (canceled)

5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the environmental control system is a heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system having a heating mode and a cooling mode, wherein the environmental variable is an ambient temperature, wherein the skin parameter is skin temperature, wherein the threshold setpoint is a target skin temperature, wherein the processor compares the measured skin temperature to the threshold setpoint, and wherein the HVAC system regulates the temperature within the target zone based on the variance between the

6 . The system of claim 5 , wherein when the variance is a positive variance, indicating that the measured skin parameter is higher than the threshold setpoint, the operation mode signal directly or indirectly activates the cooling mode of the HVAC system to decrease the temperature within the target zone.

7 . (canceled)

8 . The system of claim 5 , wherein when the variance is a negative variance, indicating that the measured skin parameter is lower than the threshold setpoint, the operation mode signal directly or indirectly activates the heating mode of the HVAC system to increase the temperature within the target zone.

9 - 12 . (canceled)

13 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the threshold setpoint stored in the storage medium is updated based on a temperature of an external zone relative to the target zone.

14 - 19 . (canceled)

20 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the storage medium further includes information regarding a time of day, and wherein the threshold setpoint stored in the storage medium is updated based on the time of day when the inhabitant is occupying the target zone.

21 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the storage medium further includes information relating to a calendar date, and wherein the threshold setpoint stored in the storage medium is updated based on the calendar date corresponding to the calendar date when the inhabitant is occupying the target zone.

22 - 27 . (canceled)

28 . The system of claim 1 , the storage medium further having stored therein a plurality of user profiles, each of the plurality of user profiles having a user-specific threshold setpoint associated therewith, wherein the processor is further configured to determine the variance based on the measured skin variable and the user-specific threshold setpoint for a target user profile.

29 . The system of claim 28 , the sensor system including an imaging subsystem configured to acquire an image of the inhabitant, wherein one of the imaging subsystem or the processor determines the target user profile based on the acquired image.

30 . (canceled)

31 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the skin parameter is sweat.

32 . (canceled)

33 . The system of claim 31 , wherein when the presence of sweat is greater than the threshold setpoint, the operation mode signal directly or indirectly activates the cooling mode of the HVAC system to decrease the temperature within the target zone.

34 - 41 . (canceled)

42 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the target zone is a room with a door, and wherein the sensor system further includes a door sensor for determining whether the door of the room is in an open or closed position, wherein the door sensor generates a door signal communicating the open or closed position of the door, and wherein the processor further generates the operation mode signal based on the door signal.

43 . (canceled)

44 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor system measures the skin parameter at a first time point and at a subsequent second time point, and wherein the processor further determines a skin parameter trend by comparing a first skin parameter measured at the first time point and a second skin parameter measured at the second time point with a third skin parameter measured at a third time point at or subsequent the second time point, the skin parameter trend indicating whether the skin parameter has increased or decreased from the first time point to the second time point.

45 . The system of claim 44 , wherein when the skin parameter trend indicates that the skin parameter has decreased, the operation mode signal directly or indirectly activates a heating mode of the environmental control system to regulate the environmental variable within the target zone.

46 . The system of claim 44 , wherein when the skin parameter trend indicates that the skin parameter has increased, the operation mode signal directly or indirectly activates a cooling mode of the environmental control system to regulate the environmental variable within the target zone.

47 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor system measures the skin parameter at a first time point and at a subsequent second time point, and wherein the processor determines a first variance between the measured skin parameter and the threshold setpoint at the first time point and a second variance between the measured skin parameter and the threshold setpoint at the second time point.

48 . The system of claim 47 , wherein the processor further determines a variance trend by comparing the first and second variances at a third time point at or subsequent the second time point, the variance trend indicating whether the variance has increased or decreased from the first time point to the second time point.

49 . The system of claim 48 , wherein when the variance trend indicates that the variance has decreased, the operation mode signal directly or indirectly activates a heating mode of the environmental control system to regulate the environmental variable within the target zone.

50 . The system of claim 48 , wherein when the variance trend indicates that the variance has increased, the operation mode signal directly or indirectly activates a cooling mode of the environmental control system to regulate the environmental variable within the target zone.

51 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor system measures the skin parameter at a first time point and at a subsequent second time point, wherein the processor further determines a rate of change relating to the skin parameter based on the first and second time points, and wherein the operation mode signal directly or indirectly activates the environmental control system to operate a heating or cooling mode at a heating or cooling rate corresponding to the rate of change relating to the skin parameter.

Assignees

• Elwha Llc

Inventors

• Cheatham Iii Jesse R
• Duncan William David
• Hwang Eun Young
• Hyde Roderick A
• Pan Tony S
• Tegreene Clarence T
• Wood Victoria Y H

Classifications

• F24F11/56

  Remote control · CPC title

• F24F11/64 Primary

  using pre-stored data · CPC title

• F24F2120/00

  Control inputs relating to users or occupants · CPC title

• F24F11/67

  Switching between heating and cooling modes · CPC title

• F24F11/30 Primary

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