System and method for enabling environment to be ventilated as planned

Abstract

The invention relates to a system and method for enabling an environment to be ventilated as planned. A system for enabling planned ventilation of a region of interest (AOI) is disclosed. The system includes a controller configured to receive first historical data and first real-time data associated with one or more of temperature, humidity, air quality, and occupancy within the AOI. The controller is further configured to receive second historical data and second real-time data associated with one or more of temperature, humidity, air quality, and weather attributes outside the AOI. The controller determines a planned time and a planned duration for ventilation of the AOI based on the received first and second historical data and the received first and second real-time data, respectively.

Description

Background Art

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of indoor air quality management systems and, more particularly, to systems and methods for enabling planned ventilation of an area or environment of interest. Summary of the invention

[0002] A system for enabling planned ventilation of an area of ​​interest (AOI) is described herein. The system includes a controller, the controller including one or more processors, the one or more processors coupled to a memory executable by the one or more processors. The controller is configured to: receive first historical data associated with one or more of temperature, humidity, air quality, and occupancy within the AOI; receive second historical data associated with one or more of temperature, humidity, air quality, and weather attributes outside the AOI; and determine a planned time and a planned duration for ventilation of the AOI based on the received first historical data and the received second historical data.

[0003] In one or more embodiments, the controller is configured to: receive first real-time data associated with one or more of temperature, humidity, air quality, and occupancy within the AOI; receive second real-time data associated with one or more of temperature, humidity, air quality, and weather attributes outside the AOI; and determine a planned time and a planned duration for ventilation of the AOI based on the received first real-time data and second real-time data and the received first historical data and second historical data.

[0004] In one or more embodiments, the controller is configured to determine a planned time and a planned duration for ventilation of the AOI based on corresponding real-time data and / or corresponding historical data for an area within a predefined radius around the geographic location of the AOI.

[0005] In one or more embodiments, the system includes a thermostat positioned within the AOI, wherein the thermostat is operable to monitor one or more of temperature, humidity, and air quality within the AOI.

[0006] In one or more embodiments, the system includes one or more first sensors positioned within the AOI to monitor one or more of temperature, humidity, air quality, and occupancy within the AOI.

[0007] In one or more embodiments, the one or more first sensors include a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, an indoor air quality (IAQ) sensor, and an occupancy sensor.

[0008] In one or more embodiments, the controller is configured to receive second historical data and second real-time data from a World Wide Web service and / or one or more second sensors located outside the AOI, wherein the one or more second sensors include a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, and an outdoor air quality (OAQ) sensor.

[0009] In one or more embodiments, the IAQ sensor and the OAQ sensor include one or more of the following: a volatile organic compound sensor, a carbon dioxide sensor, a particulate matter sensor, a smoke detector, a pollen detector, a carbon monoxide sensor, an ethylene sensor, a formaldehyde sensor, a radon sensor, a methane sensor, an ozone sensor, a sulfur dioxide sensor, a nitric oxide sensor, and a nitrous oxide sensor.

[0010] In one or more embodiments, the controller is configured to communicate the scheduled time and the scheduled duration determined for ventilation to a thermostat associated with the AOI, wherein the thermostat enables the AOI to be ventilated at the scheduled time and for the scheduled duration.

[0011] In one or more embodiments, the controller or thermostat is configured to operate an air handling unit associated with the AOI to enable the AOI to be ventilated at a scheduled time for a scheduled duration.

[0012] In one or more embodiments, the controller or thermostat is configured to operate an air ventilator associated with the AOI to enable the AOI to be ventilated at a scheduled time and for a scheduled duration.

[0013] In one or more embodiments, the controller or thermostat is configured to operate an air blower associated with the AOI to enable the AOI to be ventilated at a scheduled time for a scheduled duration.

[0014] In one or more embodiments, the controller or thermostat is configured to generate and transmit a first set of signals to one or more mobile devices associated with one or more occupants of the AOI, wherein the first set of signals indicates the determined scheduled time and scheduled duration and an alarm for enabling the AOI to be manually ventilated at the scheduled time and scheduled duration.

[0015] A method for enabling planned ventilation of an area of ​​interest (AOI) is also described herein. The method includes the following steps: receiving, by a controller, first historical data associated with one or more of temperature, humidity, air quality, and occupancy within the AOI; receiving, by the controller, second historical data associated with one or more of temperature, humidity, air quality, and weather attributes outside the AOI; and determining, by the controller, a planned time and a planned duration for ventilation of the AOI based on the received first historical data and the received second historical data.

[0016] In one or more embodiments, the method includes the following steps: receiving, by a controller, first real-time data associated with one or more of temperature, humidity, air quality, and occupancy within the AOI; receiving, by the controller, second real-time data associated with one or more of temperature, humidity, air quality, and weather attributes outside the AOI, wherein the second historical data and the second real-time data are received from a World Wide Web service and / or one or more sensors located outside the AOI, wherein the one or more sensors include a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, and an outdoor air quality (OAQ) sensor; and determining, by the controller, a planned time and a planned duration for ventilation of the AOI based on the received first real-time data and the second real-time data and the received first historical data and the second historical data.

[0017] In one or more embodiments, the method includes the following steps: determining a planned time and a planned duration for ventilation of the AOI based on corresponding real-time data and / or corresponding historical data for an area within a predefined radius around the geographical location of the AOI.

[0018] In one or more embodiments, the method includes the steps of transmitting, by the controller, the scheduled time and the scheduled duration determined for ventilation to a thermostat associated with the AOI, wherein the thermostat enables the AOI to be ventilated at the scheduled time and the scheduled duration.

[0019] In one or more embodiments, the method includes the step of operating an air handling unit or blower associated with the AOI to enable the AOI to be ventilated at a scheduled time for a scheduled duration.

[0020] In one or more embodiments, the method includes the step of operating an air ventilator associated with the AOI to enable the AOI to be ventilated at a scheduled time for a scheduled duration.

[0021] In one or more embodiments, the method includes the following steps: generating, by a controller, a first set of signals and transmitting the first set of signals to one or more mobile devices associated with one or more occupants of the AOI, wherein the first set of signals indicates the determined scheduled time and scheduled duration and an alarm for enabling the AOI to be manually ventilated at the scheduled time and scheduled duration.

[0022] The foregoing summary is illustrative only and is not intended to be limiting in any way. In addition to the illustrative aspects, embodiments, and features described above, further aspects, embodiments, features, and techniques of the subject disclosure will become more apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the subject disclosure and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate exemplary embodiments of the subject disclosure and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the subject disclosure.

[0024] In the drawings, similar components and / or features may have the same reference label. In addition, various components of the same type may be distinguished by following the reference label with a second label that distinguishes among the similar components. If only the first reference label is used in the specification, the description applies to any of the similar components having the same first reference label (regardless of the second reference label).

[0025] Figure 1 An exemplary representation of a system for controlling and enabling planned ventilation of an environment is shown in accordance with one or more embodiments of the subject disclosure.

[0026] Figure 2 Showing one or more embodiments according to the present subject disclosure Figure 1 An exemplary block diagram of a system.

[0027] Figure 3 An exemplary flow chart illustrating a method for enabling planned ventilation of an environment in accordance with one or more embodiments of the subject disclosure.

[0028] Figure 4 One or more embodiments disclosed in the present subject matter are shown for implementing Figures 1 to 3 An exemplary schematic block diagram of a hardware system of a controller. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] The following is a detailed description of the embodiments of the subject disclosure depicted in the accompanying drawings. These embodiments are so detailed in order to clearly convey the subject disclosure. However, the many details provided are not intended to limit the intended changes of the embodiments; on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents and alternatives that fall within the scope and spirit of the subject disclosure as defined by the appended claims.

[0030] Various terms are used herein. To the extent a term used in a claim is not defined below, it should be given the broadest definition persons in the pertinent art have given that term as reflected in printed publications and issued patents at the time of filing.

[0031] In the specification, the spatial relationship between various components and the spatial orientation of various aspects of the components may be mentioned because these devices are depicted in the accompanying drawings. However, as those skilled in the art will recognize after reading this subject disclosure in its entirety, the components of the present invention described herein can be positioned in any desired orientation. Therefore, the use of terms such as "above", "below", "above", "below", "first", "second" or other similar terms to describe the spatial relationship between various components or to describe the spatial orientation of various aspects of such components should be understood to describe the relative relationship between components or the spatial orientation of various aspects of such components, respectively, and the components described herein can be oriented in any desired direction.

[0032] In an environment such as, but not limited to, a building having one or more floors and rooms, a duct-based heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system may be installed for supplying conditioned fresh air to different areas of interest (AOIs), such as zones or rooms of the building. The HVAC system may include: a supply air flow duct having a plurality of interconnected supply air channels through which supply air flows to the zones; and a return air duct having a plurality of interconnected return air channels through which return air from each zone is recirculated or circulated. The HVAC system may further involve an air handling unit (AHU) or blower connected to the supply air flow duct and the return air flow duct to receive fresh outside air, condition the outside air, supply the conditioned fresh air to the entire duct across the different zones in a timely manner, and further receive return air from the different zones to control and enable ventilation of the AOI. In addition, each of the AOIs or zones may include an air ventilator, which may control the ventilation of the AOIs or zones of the building.

[0033] The indoor air quality (IAQ) of a partition may be negatively affected by the increased levels of carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), volatile organic compounds (VOC), particles, bacteria, etc. present in the partition or the environment. Existing IAQ control solutions may involve multiple IAQ sensors to monitor the IAQ value of the partition. Accordingly, based on the IAQ value of the partition, external air can be supplied to the partition to maintain good IAQ in the partition. However, because the external air may need to be cooled and conditioned before being supplied to the partition, existing solutions may not be energy-efficient. In addition, the external air may be of poor quality, which may lead to poor IAQ. For example, the external air quality may be affected by weather conditions, smog, wildfires, pollen, traffic and industrial pollution, etc. Therefore, simply introducing air from the outside may not be an effective or efficient solution to enable ventilation of the partition, because it may cause contamination of the AOI / partition.

[0034] The present invention provides a simple, efficient and cost-effective system and method that can be easily configured with existing HVAC systems and IAQ control systems of any environment to determine the optimal time to enable scheduled ventilation of the AOI / zone based on real-time and historical indoor and outdoor air quality patterns, and further enable the AOI to be ventilated at the scheduled optimal time.

[0035] refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 , discloses a system 100 configured with an HVAC system of an environment 102 or area of ​​interest (AOI), the system 100 determining an optimal time to enable the AOI or environment to be ventilated as planned based on real-time and historical indoor and outdoor air quality patterns, and further enabling the AOI to be ventilated at the planned optimal time to maintain good IAQ. In one or more embodiments, the environment 102 (also referred to herein as the area of ​​interest (AOI) 102) may be a multi-zone environment that may include a plurality of zones 104-1 to 104-N (collectively referred to herein as zones 104). The system 100 may involve existing components of the HVAC system of the AOI.

[0036] The HVAC system of the environment / AOI 102 may include a supply air flow duct including a plurality of interconnected supply air passages 106-1 to 106-N (collectively referred to herein as supply air passages 106) fluidly connected to the zones 104-1 to 104-N of the AOI 102. In addition, one or more zone dampers 108-1 to 108-2 may be configured in the supply air passages 106-1 to 106-N, such that one of the zone dampers 108-1 to 108-N may be configured in each of the supply air passages 106-1 to 106-N for individually regulating the inflow of supply air to each of the zones 104-1 to 104-N. The HVAC system may further include a return air duct including a plurality of interconnected return air passages 110-1 to 110-N (collectively referred to herein as return air passages 110) to facilitate the flow of return air out of each of the zones 104. The outlet of each of the return air channels 110-1 to 110-N may be connected to the common return air duct 112, so that the common return air duct 112 may uniformly receive the return air from each of the partitions 104-1 to 104-N. The return air channel 110 may be fluidly configured between the partitions 104-1 to 104-N and the common return air duct 112, so that one of the return air channels 110-1 to 110-N may be fluidly configured between one of the partitions 104-1 to 104-N and the common return air duct 112, for individually supplying / regulating the return air from each of the partitions 104-1 to 104-N into the common return air duct 112.

[0037] The system 100 may include one or more first sensors 114, including temperature sensors, humidity sensors, indoor air quality (IAQ) sensors, and occupancy sensors, to sense one or more of temperature, humidity, air quality, and occupancy within the AOI or zone 104. In one or more embodiments, the first sensor 114 may be a single sensing device, such as a thermostat (also labeled 114 herein), which may be located in each of the AOI 102 or zones. However, in some embodiments, the first sensor 114 may be distributed within the AOI 102 or zone 104 and may further communicate with the thermostat 114 of the zone or AOI 102.

[0038] In one or more embodiments, the HVAC system of the AOI 102 may further include an air handling unit (AHU) 116 fluidly connected to the supply air flow duct / supply air channel 106 and the common return air duct 112 to facilitate the flow of supply air from the supply air channel 106 to the common return air duct 112 via the one or more zones 104 and the corresponding return air channels 110. In other embodiments, the HVAC system of the environment 102 may include at least one blower (also designated herein as 116) fluidly connected to the supply air flow duct and the common return air duct 112 to facilitate the flow of supply air from the supply air channel 106 to the common return air duct 112 via the one or more zones 104 and the corresponding return air channels 110.

[0039] The HVAC system may include a central damper (not shown) configured to regulate the flow of supply air (including any one of outside air and return air or a mixture thereof) into the supply air flow duct / supply air channel 106. In addition, the system 100 may include a plurality of zone dampers 108 that may be installed in the interconnected supply air channels 106, so that one of the zone dampers 108 may be configured in each channel in the supply air channels 106 for individually regulating the flow of supply air into each of the zones. For example, as shown, the zone damper 108-1 may be configured in the supply air channel 106-1. In addition, the zone damper 108-2 may be configured in the supply air channel 106-N. Similarly, N zone dampers 108-N may be configured in the N supply air channels 106-N. The zone dampers 108 may be configured to operate in a closed state, a semi-closed state, or an open state. In the closed state, the zone damper 108 may completely restrict the flow of air into the corresponding zone 104 through the corresponding supply air channel 106. In addition, in the open state, the zone damper 108 can allow air to flow unrestrictedly into the corresponding zone 104 through the corresponding air supply channel 106. In addition, in the semi-closed state or the semi-open state, the zone damper 108 can allow air to flow into the corresponding zone 104 through the corresponding air supply channel 106 with reduced flow.

[0040] In one or more embodiments, the HVAC system may further include an air ventilator 118-1 to 118-N (collectively referred to herein as ventilator 118) configured in at least one of the zones 104-1 to 104-N. The ventilator 118 may be operable to circulate air from the corresponding zone 104. In addition, when a ventilator is not present in any of the zones 104, ventilation in such zones 104 may be manually accomplished by opening doors and windows of the corresponding zones 104. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that although Figure 1 Zones 104-1 and 104-N are shown with ventilators 118-1 and 118-N and zone 104-2 is shown without a ventilator, but depending on the AOI, all zones 104 may also include ventilators 118, or at least some zones 104 may include ventilators 118 without any limitation. In addition, the number of zone dampers 108, air ventilators 118, and first sensors or thermostats 114 may vary based on the number of zones 104 of the environment 102.

[0041] The system 100 may include a controller 120 that is communicatively connected to the AHU / blower 116, the zone damper 108, the first sensor or thermostat 114, the air ventilator 118, and other components of the HVAC system to control the operation of the HVAC system or ventilation of the AOI 102. The controller 120 may include a processor 120-1 coupled to a memory 120-2 that stores instructions executable by the processor 120-1 to enable the controller 120 to perform one or more specified operations. In one or more embodiments, the controller 120 may be a central server, however, the controller 120 may also be a control unit of the thermostat 114 or HVAC system or air quality control system of the same AOI 102.

[0042] The system 100 may further include one or more mobile devices 126 associated with occupants of the zones 104. The mobile devices 126 may communicate with the controller and may allow the occupants to monitor the IAQ of the zones 104 and further set predefined IAQ values ​​for the respective zones 104.

[0043] The controller 120 may be configured to receive first historical data and first real-time data associated with one or more of temperature, humidity, air quality, and occupancy within the AOI. The first sensor 114 may monitor and store the real-time data for a predefined duration to generate corresponding first historical data. The system 100 may be configured to collect the (first) real-time data in a database, and correspondingly continuously generate (first) historical data for future operations and further collect and store new (first) data to update the (first) historical data in the database. In addition, the controller 120 may be configured to receive second historical data and second real-time data associated with one or more of temperature, humidity, air quality, and weather attributes outside the AOI. Accordingly, based on the received first real-time data and second real-time data and the received first historical data and second historical data, the controller may determine the optimal planned time and duration for ventilation of the AOI or the zone.

[0044] In an example, but not limited to such, the best time to introduce fresh outside air into the space of the partition or AOI (for ventilation) may be the morning hours, because pollution outside the AOI is generally less. In addition, because the temperature of the outside air is generally low during the morning, introducing cool outside air into the space may reduce the load on the HVAC system to cool the space, thereby making the cooling operation cost-effective and energy-efficient. In another example, but not limited to such, when the system 100 determines that: based on historically analyzed data, occupants of the AOI may arrive at 5:00 PM in the evening, and according to historical and real-time data from the IAQ sensor, the demand for outside fresh air within the AOI may be around 7:30 PM, because the outside air quality may generally be poor around 5:00 PM due to traffic pollution and external construction activities, the system may determine / identify that the best time for ventilation of the AOI is 6:30 PM, and accordingly enable the flow of outside fresh air into the AOI no later than 6:30 PM.

[0045] In an example, weather data (historical, real-time, and future forecasts) collected from the web service 124 can enable the system 100 to predict the operation of the HVAC system (filtration, humidity, ventilation) in advance of changes in the outdoor environment. The system 100 can automatically shut down the ventilation of the AOI in the event of heavy smoke conditions or pollen accumulation outside the AOI, thereby preventing contamination of the AOI or partition. The system 100 can further minimize the ventilation of the AOI during high ozone events. In addition, the system 100 can control energy recovery operations, heat recovery operations, or the routing / bypassing of air accordingly during ventilation of the AOI based on outdoor temperature / humidity conditions.

[0046] In one or more embodiments, the controller 120 may be configured to receive second real-time and historical data from one or more second sensors 122 located outside the AOI and / or from a web service 124. The second sensors 122 may include a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, and an outdoor air quality (OAQ) sensor. In one or more embodiments, the IAQ sensor and the OAQ sensor may include, but are not limited to, one or more of the following: a volatile organic compound sensor, a carbon dioxide sensor, a smoke detector, a pollen detector, a particulate matter sensor, a carbon monoxide sensor, an ethylene sensor, a formaldehyde sensor, a radon sensor, a methane sensor, an ozone sensor, a sulfur dioxide sensor, a nitric oxide sensor, and a nitrous oxide sensor.

[0047] In one or more embodiments, the controller 120 may be configured to determine a planned time and a planned duration for ventilation of the AOI 102 based on corresponding real-time data and / or corresponding historical data for an area within a predefined radius around the geographic location of the AOI 102. This may enable the controller 120 to process minimal data to determine the optimal time and duration for ventilation of the AOI, thereby making the overall ventilation operation efficient and effective.

[0048] In one or more embodiments, the controller 120 may be configured to transmit the scheduled time and scheduled duration determined for ventilation to a thermostat 114 associated with the AOI 102 or a control unit associated with the HVAC system of the AOI 102. Accordingly, the thermostat or control unit may enable the AOI to be ventilated at the scheduled time and for the scheduled duration.

[0049] In one or more embodiments, the controller 120 or the thermostat 114 may be configured to activate the AHU or blower 116 associated with the AOI 102 to enable the AOI 102 to be ventilated at the scheduled time for the scheduled duration. In addition, in one or more embodiments, the controller 120 or the thermostat 114 may be configured to activate the air ventilator 118 associated with the AOI 102 to enable the AOI to be ventilated at the scheduled time for the scheduled duration. In addition, in other embodiments, the controller 120 may be configured to generate a first set of signals and transmit the first set of signals to a mobile device 126 associated with an occupant of the zone 104 and / or to a thermostat 114 disposed in the zone 104. The first signal may indicate a scheduled time and a scheduled duration determined for ventilation of the corresponding zone, as well as a request for manual ventilation of the corresponding zone 104 by the corresponding occupant by opening the door and window of the zone 104.

[0050] In one or more embodiments, the controller 120 may operate the zone damper 108 in any state of an open state, a semi-closed state, or a closed state, and further operate the AHU or blower 116 at a predefined capacity based on the determined planned time and the planned duration, and enable or control ventilation of the corresponding zone or AOI 102. In one or more embodiments, the controller 120 may operate the air ventilator 118 of the zone at a predefined capacity based on the determined planned time and the planned duration, and enable or control ventilation of the corresponding zone or AOI 102.

[0051] In one or more embodiments, when the AOI 102 or any zone 104 is to be ventilated at a scheduled time and for a scheduled duration, the controller 120 may operate the zone damper 108 of the corresponding zone in an open state so that supply air flows into the zone 104 having the corresponding zone damper, and the corresponding return air from the corresponding zone flows into the common return air duct 112. For example, the controller 120 may operate the zone damper 108-1 in an open state so that supply air may flow into the zone 104-1, and the corresponding return air from the zone 104-1 may flow into the common return air duct 112 to enable ventilation of the zone 104-1. In addition, the controller 120 may operate the zone damper 108-2 in a closed state so that the inflow of external air to the zone 104-2 may be restricted. Similarly, the controller 120 may operate the zone dampers 108-3 to 108-N individually in an open state or a closed state to achieve ventilation of the zone at a scheduled time and restrict ventilation of the zone at other unscheduled times.

[0052] The controller 120, AHU / blower 116, zone damper 108, first sensor 114, second sensor 122, mobile device 126, and air ventilator 118 may include a transceiver or communication module to communicatively connect the controller 120 to one or more of the AHU / blower 116, zone damper 108, first sensor 114, second sensor 122, mobile device 126, web service 124, and air ventilator 118 over a network via a wired and / or wireless medium. In one or more embodiments, the controller 120 may be a control unit associated with the HVAC system of the AOI 102. However, in other embodiments, the controller 120 may be a central server that can communicate with the control unit of the HVAC system. In one or more embodiments, the system 100 or the controller 120 and the mobile device 126 associated with the occupant may be operably coupled to a website and thus may be operated from any Internet-enabled user device. Examples of the mobile device 126 may include, but are not limited to, a portable computer, a personal digital assistant, a handheld device, and a workstation.

[0053] In one implementation, the network can be a wireless network, a wired network, or a combination thereof. The network can be implemented as one of different types of networks, such as an intranet, a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), LoRaWAN, the Internet, and the like. In addition, the network can be a dedicated network or a shared network. A shared network represents an association of different types of networks that communicate with each other using various protocols (e.g., hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP), transmission control protocol / Internet protocol (TCP / IP), wireless application protocol (WAP), and the like). In addition, the network can include various network devices, including transceivers, routers, bridges, servers, computing devices, storage devices, and the like. In another implementation, the network can be a cellular network or a mobile communication network based on various technologies, including but not limited to global system for mobile (GSM), general packet radio service (GPRS), code division multiple access (CDMA), long term evolution (LTE), WiMAX, 5G or 6G network protocols, and the like.

[0054] refer to Figure 3 , discloses a method 300 for detecting low indoor air quality (IAQ) and enabling ventilation in a zone of a multi-zone environment. The method 300 may involve a controller 120, an AHU / blower 116, a ventilator 118, a mobile device 126, a first sensor or thermostat 114, a second sensor 122, and ... Figure 1 and Figure 2 The method 300 may include a step 302 of receiving, by the controller, first historical data associated with one or more of temperature, humidity, air quality, and occupancy within the AOI. The method 300 may further include a step 304 of receiving, by the controller, second historical data associated with one or more of temperature, humidity, air quality, and weather attributes outside the AOI.

[0055] In addition, the method 300 may include a step 306 of receiving, by the controller, first real-time data associated with one or more of temperature, humidity, air quality, and occupancy within the AOI. The method 300 may further include a step 308 of receiving, by the controller, second real-time data associated with one or more of temperature, humidity, air quality, and weather attributes outside the AOI. The second historical data and the second real-time data may be received from a World Wide Web service and / or one or more sensors located outside the AOI. Accordingly, the method 300 may include a step 310 of determining, by the controller, a planned time and a planned duration for ventilation of the AOI based on the received first real-time data and the second real-time data and the received first historical data and the second historical data.

[0056] In one or more embodiments, method 300 may include the step of determining a planned time and a planned duration for ventilation of the AOI based on corresponding real-time data and / or corresponding historical data for an area within a predefined radius around the geographic location of the AOI.

[0057] In one or more embodiments, method 300 may include the step of transmitting, by the controller, the scheduled time and the scheduled duration determined for ventilation to a thermostat associated with the AOI. The thermostat may further enable the AOI to ventilate at the scheduled time and the scheduled duration.

[0058] In one or more embodiments, method 300 may include the step of starting or operating a ventilator associated with a zone or AOI to enable the zone or AOI to be ventilated for a scheduled duration at a scheduled time. Additionally, in other embodiments, method 300 may include the step of starting or operating a blower or AHU to enable ambient air to flow into a zone with low IAQ conditions to facilitate ventilation of the AOI at a scheduled time for a scheduled duration.

[0059] In addition, in one or more embodiments, the method 300 may include the step of generating, by the controller, a first set of signals and transmitting the first set of signals to a mobile device associated with an occupant of the zone to be ventilated. The first signal may indicate a scheduled time and a scheduled duration determined for ventilation, and a request for the corresponding occupant to manually ventilate the corresponding zone by opening the door and window of the zone at the scheduled time for the scheduled duration.

[0060] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the system and method utilizes existing blowers, AHUs, ventilators, thermostats, zone dampers, and ductwork already installed in the AOI without any additional hardware components, which keeps the system simple, cost-effective, and sustainable. Moreover, the system and method further make the system cost-effective, sustainable, and easy to control. Furthermore, the system can alert occupants and also enable ventilation in the low IAQ zone even when no air ventilators are present in the low IAQ zone.

[0061] Thus, the present invention provides a simple, efficient and cost-effective system and method that can be easily configured with existing HVAC systems and IAQ control systems of any multi-zone environment to determine the optimal time to enable scheduled ventilation of the AOI / zone based on real-time and historical indoor and outdoor air quality patterns, and further enable ventilation of the AOI at the scheduled optimal time. In addition, since the present invention considers the outside air quality, weather data and air properties (temperature, humidity) before supplying the outside air into the AOI for ventilation, this can make the present invention energy efficient because the outside air can be cleaned and conditioned before being supplied into the zone or AOI. In addition, the present invention can be implemented in zones without air ventilation systems, and occupants can be warned if low IAQ is detected.

[0062] Figure 4 1 is an exemplary schematic block diagram of a hardware system for implementing the controller 120. Figure 4 As shown in FIG. 1 , the controller 120 may include an external storage device 410, a bus 420, a main memory 430, a read-only memory 440, a mass storage device 450, a communication port 460, and a processor 470. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the controller 120 may include more than one processor and communication port. Examples of the processor 470 include, but are not limited to, (one or more) or Itanium 2 processor, or (one or more) or Athlon processor, Series processors, FortiSOC TMThe processor 470 may include various modules. The communication port 460 may be an RS-232 port for use with a modem-based dial-up connection, a 10 / 100 Ethernet port, a gigabit or 10 gigabit port using copper or optical fiber, a serial port, a parallel port, or any other existing or future port. The communication port 460 may be selected depending on a network such as a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), or any network to which the controller 120 is connected. The memory 430 may be a random access memory (RAM) or any other dynamic storage device known in the art. The read-only memory 440 may be any (one or more) static storage device, such as, but not limited to, a programmable read-only memory (PROM) chip for storing static information (e.g., for startup or BIOS instructions for the processor 470). The mass storage device 450 may be any current or future mass storage solution that can be used to store information and / or instructions. Exemplary mass storage solutions include, but are not limited to, Parallel Advanced Technology Attachment (PATA) or Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA) hard disk drives or solid-state drives (internal or external, e.g., with Universal Serial Bus (USB) and / or Firewire interfaces), such as those available from Seagate (e.g., the Seagate Barracuda 7102 series) or those available from Hitachi (e.g., the Hitachi Deskstar 7K1000); one or more optical disks; redundant array of independent disks (RAID) storage devices, such as disk arrays (e.g., SATA arrays) available from various vendors including Dot Hill Systems, LaCie, Nexsan Technologies, and Enhance Technology.

[0063] The bus 420 communicatively couples the processor(s) 470 with other memory, storage, and communication blocks. The bus 420 may be, for example, a peripheral component interconnect (PCI) / PCI expansion (PCI-X) bus, a small computer system interface (SCSI), a USB, etc., for connecting expansion cards, drives, and other subsystems, and other buses, such as a front-side bus (FSB), which connects the processor 470 to a software system.

[0064] Optionally, operator and management interfaces (e.g., a display, keyboard, and cursor control device) may also be coupled to bus 420 to enable an operator to interact directly with controller 120. Other operator and management interfaces may be provided via a network connection connected via communication port 460. External storage device 410 may be any type of external hard drive, floppy drive, Zip drive, compact disk - read only memory (CD-ROM), compact disk rewritable (CD-RW), digital video disk - read only memory (DVD-ROM). The components described above are only intended to illustrate various possibilities. The foregoing exemplary controller 120 should in no way limit the scope of the subject disclosure.

[0065] Although the subject disclosure has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the subject disclosure as defined by the appended claims. The teachings of the subject disclosure may be modified to accommodate specific circumstances or materials without departing from the scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the subject disclosure is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed, but rather that the subject disclosure encompasses all embodiments that fall within the scope of the subject disclosure as defined by the appended claims.

[0066] In interpreting the specification, all terms should be interpreted in the broadest possible manner consistent with the context. In particular, the terms "comprises" and "comprising" should be interpreted as referring to elements, components, or steps in a non-exclusive manner, indicating that the elements, components, or steps mentioned may exist, be utilized, or be combined with other elements, components, or steps not explicitly mentioned. In the case where the specification and claims refer to at least one of something selected from the group consisting of A, B, C, ..., and N, the text should be interpreted as requiring only one element from the group, rather than A plus N, or B plus N, etc.

Claims

1. A system for enabling planned ventilation of an area of ​​interest (AOI), the system comprising: A controller comprising one or more processors coupled to a memory executable by the one or more processors, the controller being configured to: receiving first historical data associated with one or more of temperature, humidity, air quality, and occupancy within the AOI; receiving second historical data associated with one or more of temperature, humidity, air quality, and weather attributes external to the AOI; as well as A planned time and a planned duration are determined for ventilation of the AOI based on the received first historical data and the received second historical data.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein: The controller is configured to: receiving first real-time data associated with one or more of the temperature, the humidity, the air quality, and the occupancy rate within the AOI; receiving second real-time data associated with one or more of the temperature, the humidity, the air quality, and the weather attribute outside the AOI; as well as The planned time and the planned duration are determined for ventilation of the AOI based on the received first real-time data and the second real-time data and the received first historical data and the second historical data.

3. The system according to claim 1 and 2, wherein: The controller is configured to determine the planned time and the planned duration for ventilation of the AOI based on corresponding real-time data and / or corresponding historical data for an area within a predefined radius around a geographical location of the AOI.

4. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The system includes a thermostat positioned within the AOI, wherein the thermostat is operable to monitor one or more of the temperature, the humidity, and the air quality within the AOI.

5. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: The system includes one or more first sensors positioned within the AOI to monitor one or more of the temperature, the humidity, the air quality, and the occupancy within the AOI.

6. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein: The one or more first sensors include a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, an indoor air quality (IAQ) sensor, and an occupancy sensor.

7. A system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein: The controller is configured to receive the second historical data and the second real-time data from a World Wide Web service and / or one or more second sensors located outside the AOI, wherein the one or more second sensors include a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, and an outdoor air quality (OAQ) sensor.

8. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein: The IAQ sensor and the OAQ sensor include one or more of the following: a volatile organic compound sensor, a carbon dioxide sensor, a particulate matter sensor, a smoke detector, a pollen detector, a carbon monoxide sensor, an ethylene sensor, a formaldehyde sensor, a radon sensor, a methane sensor, an ozone sensor, a sulfur dioxide sensor, a nitric oxide sensor, and a nitrous oxide sensor.

9. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein: The controller is configured to communicate the scheduled time and the scheduled duration determined for ventilation to the thermostat associated with the AOI, wherein the thermostat enables the AOI to be ventilated at the scheduled time for the scheduled duration.

10. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein: The controller or the thermostat is configured to operate an air handling unit associated with the AOI to enable the AOI to be ventilated at the scheduled time for the scheduled duration.

11. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein: The controller or the thermostat is configured to operate an air ventilator associated with the AOI to enable the AOI to be ventilated at the scheduled time for the scheduled duration.

12. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein: The controller or the thermostat is configured to operate a blower associated with the AOI to enable ventilation of the AOI at the scheduled time for the scheduled duration.

13. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein: The controller or the thermostat is configured to generate and transmit a first set of signals to one or more mobile devices associated with one or more occupants of the AOI, wherein the first set of signals indicates the determined scheduled time and the scheduled duration and an alarm for enabling manual ventilation of the AOI at the scheduled time for the scheduled duration.

14. A method for enabling planned ventilation of an area of ​​interest (AOI), the method comprising the steps of: receiving, by a controller, first historical data associated with one or more of temperature, humidity, air quality, and occupancy within the AOI; receiving, by the controller, second historical data associated with one or more of temperature, humidity, air quality, and weather attributes external to the AOI; as well as The controller determines a planned time and a planned duration for ventilation of the AOI based on the received first historical data and the received second historical data.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein: The method comprises the following steps: receiving, by the controller, first real-time data associated with one or more of the temperature, the humidity, the air quality, and the occupancy rate within the AOI; receiving, by the controller, second real-time data associated with one or more of the temperature, the humidity, the air quality, and the weather attribute outside the AOI, wherein the second historical data and the second real-time data are received from a World Wide Web service and / or one or more sensors located outside the AOI, wherein the one or more sensors include a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, and an outdoor air quality (OAQ) sensor; and The controller determines the planned time and planned duration for ventilation of the AOI based on the received first real-time data and the second real-time data and the received first historical data and the second historical data.

16. The method according to any one of claims 14 and 15, wherein: The method comprises the following steps: determining the planned time and the planned duration for ventilation of the AOI based on corresponding real-time data and / or corresponding historical data of an area within a predefined radius around the geographical location of the AOI.

17. The method according to any one of claims 14 to 16, wherein: The method includes the steps of transmitting, by the controller, a scheduled time and a scheduled duration determined for ventilation to a thermostat associated with the AOI, wherein the thermostat enables the AOI to be ventilated at the scheduled time for the scheduled duration.

18. The method according to any one of claims 14 to 17, wherein: The method comprises the steps of operating an air handling unit or blower associated with the AOI to enable the AOI to be ventilated at the planned time for the planned duration.

19. The method according to any one of claims 14 to 17, wherein: The method comprises the steps of operating an air ventilator associated with the AOI to enable the AOI to be ventilated at the planned time for the planned duration.

20. The method according to any one of claims 14 to 19, wherein: The method includes the steps of generating, by the controller, a first set of signals and transmitting the first set of signals to one or more mobile devices associated with one or more occupants of the AOI, wherein the first set of signals indicates a determined scheduled time and a scheduled duration and an alarm for enabling manual ventilation of the AOI at the scheduled time for the scheduled duration.

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