Building management system with natural language interface

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022018565-A1
Application number	US-202117491877-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 1, 2021
Priority date	Jun 22, 2018
Publication date	Jan 20, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

A building management system includes a controller that is configured to provide a natural language interaction on a remote user interface via an I/O port and to receive one or more building management requests from one or more users as well as to ascertain whether the received one or more building management requests can be carried out by the building management system. The one or more building system components of the building are instructed to carry out the received one or more building management requests unless one or more building management requests cannot be carried out, in which case one or more natural language messages on the remote user interface via the I/O port that informs the user that one or more of the building management requests cannot be carried out.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An HVAC management system configured to control operation of one or more HVAC system components of a building, the HVAC management system comprising:
an I/O port for operative coupling to a remote user interface; a controller operatively coupled to the I/O port, the controller configured to:
provide a natural language interaction on the remote user interface via the I/O port and to receive one or more HVAC comfort requests from one or more users;
determine an HVAC operational parameter change in response to one or more of the HVAC comfort requests; and
instruct the one or more HVAC system components to institute the determined HVAC operational parameter change for a period of time, and then to return to a previous setting for the HVAC operational parameter.

2 . The HVAC management system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to determine whether each of the one or more of the HVAC comfort requests can be accommodated, and if not, not instructing the one or more HVAC system components to carry out the corresponding HVAC comfort request.

3 . The HVAC management system of claim 2 , wherein the controller is configured to determine that one of the HVAC comfort requests cannot be accommodated by determining that the one or more HVAC system components are not capable of carrying out the corresponding HVAC comfort request.

4 . The HVAC management system of claim 2 , wherein the controller is configured to determine that one of the HVAC comfort requests cannot be accommodated by determining that the HVAC operational parameter change determined for the corresponding HVAC comfort request is not within an allowed range.

5 . The HVAC management system of claim 2 , wherein the controller is configured to determine that one of the HVAC comfort requests cannot be accommodated by determining that the corresponding HVAC comfort request is in conflict with one or more other HVAC comfort requests.

6 . The HVAC management system of claim 2 , wherein the controller is configured to send an alert when it is determined that one of the HVAC comfort requests cannot be accommodated.

7 . The HVAC management system of claim 6 , wherein the controller is configured to send the alert to a user of the one or more users that made the corresponding HVAC comfort request.

8 . The HVAC management system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to communicate with the one or more HVAC system components in order to confirm that the determined HVAC operational parameter change is being executed.

9 . The HVAC management system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more HVAC system components include a variable air volume (VAV) box.

10 . The HVAC management system of claim 1 , wherein the HVAC comfort requests from the one or more users comprise a statement that the user is too cold or too warm.

11 . The HVAC management system of claim 1 , wherein the period of time during which the determined HVAC operational parameter change is in effect comprises an adjustable time period.

12 . The HVAC management system of claim 11 , wherein the controller is further configured to adjust the adjustable time period in response to a history of HVAC comfort requests.

13 . An HVAC management system configured to control operation of one or more HVAC system components of a building, the HVAC management system comprising:
an I/O port for operative coupling to a remote user interface; a controller operatively coupled to the I/O port, the controller configured to:
provide a natural language interaction on the remote user interface via the I/O port and to receive one or more HVAC comfort requests from one or more users;
determine a location of the user within the building that is making one or more of the HVAC comfort requests;
determine an HVAC operational parameter change for a specific HVAC zone from a plurality of HVAC zones that corresponds to the determined location of the user that is making one or more of the HVAC comfort requests; and
instruct the one or more HVAC system components to institute the determined HVAC operational parameter change in the specific HVAC zone for a period of time, and then to return to a previous setting for the HVAC operational parameter in the specific HVAC zone.

14 . The HVAC management system of claim 13 , wherein the controller is further configured to determine whether each of the one or more of the HVAC comfort requests can be accommodated, and if not, not instructing the one or more HVAC system components to carry out the corresponding HVAC comfort request.

15 . The HVAC management system of claim 13 , wherein the HVAC comfort requests from the one or more users comprise a statement that the user is too cold or too warm.

16 . The HVAC management system of claim 13 , wherein the period of time during which the determined HVAC operational parameter change is in effect in the specific HVAC zone comprises an adjustable time period.

17 . A method for control operation of one or more HVAC system components of a building, the method comprising:
receiving a natural language utterance from a user; determining one or more HVAC comfort requests based at least in part on the natural language utterance; determining an HVAC operational parameter change in response to one or more of the HVAC comfort requests; determining whether the one or more HVAC comfort requests can be accommodated or not, wherein:
when a particular HVAC comfort request can be accommodated, instructing the one or more HVAC system components to institute the corresponding HVAC operational parameter change for a period of time, and then to return to a previous setting for the HVAC operational parameter; and
when the particular HVAC comfort request cannot be accommodated, not instructing the one or more HVAC system components to institute the corresponding HVAC operational parameter change for a period of time.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein determining that the particular HVAC comfort request cannot be accommodated comprises determining that the one or more HVAC system components are not capable of carrying out the particular HVAC comfort request.

19 . The method of claim 17 , wherein determining the particular HVAC comfort request cannot be accommodated comprises determining that the HVAC operational parameter change determined for the particular HVAC comfort request is not within an allowed range.

20 . The method of claim 17 , wherein determining the particular HVAC comfort request cannot be accommodated comprises determining that the particular HVAC comfort request is in conflict with one or more other HVAC comfort requests.

Assignees

• Honeywell Int Inc

Inventors

• Brisbine Patrick
• Callahan Kevin M
• Geffe John

Classifications

• G05B2219/25011

  Domotique, I-O bus, home automation, building automation · CPC title

• G10L15/22

  Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue · CPC title

• G05B15/02 Primary

  electric · CPC title

• G05B2219/2614

  HVAC, heating, ventillation, climate control · CPC title

• G05B2219/2642

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