Personalized heat supply system

Abstract

A personalized heating system is disclosed. The system includes: a heat source; one or more actuators configured to set a direction of heat emitted by the heat source; one or more sensors that capture sensor data regarding the environment; a processor; and programming instructions configured to, when executed, cause the processor to perform various functions. The functionality includes processing the sensor data and identifying a target person in the environment and a first target area of the target person. The system will cause the one or more actuators to set a direction of heat emitted by the heat source toward the first target area. Then, the system will cause the heat source to generate heat and direct the heat as a heat beam to the first target area.

Description

[0001] Related applications and priority claims

[0002] This patent document claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 364,215, filed on May 5, 2023. The disclosure of the priority application is fully incorporated into this document by reference. Background Art

[0003] Current systems for heating people are often inefficient, especially when the environment they are in is large and / or outdoors. If a person is in a large indoor space, the entire space must be heated to provide a comfortable ambient temperature for the person, even if the person only occupies a small portion of the space. If the person is outdoors, the person must be very close to the heater, and the dissipation of heat in the environment means that the heater must be constantly running at a high level.

[0004] To address these issues, space heaters have been developed. However, most space heaters must use a large amount of energy to heat the space where the person is located, and a large amount of energy is wasted because the heat is dissipated to areas where no one is present. In addition, when a person leaves the area where the space heater is located, the person will feel uncomfortable unless an additional space heater is available to heat the person's new location.

[0005] This document describes methods and systems that are intended to address at least some of the issues discussed above. Summary of the invention

[0006] In a first aspect, a personalized heating system is disclosed. The system includes: a heat source; one or more actuators configured to set the direction of heat emitted by the heat source; one or more sensors that capture sensor data about the environment; a processor; and programming instructions that are configured to cause the processor to perform various functions when executed. The functions include: processing the sensor data, and identifying a target person in the environment and a first target area of ​​the target person. The system will cause the one or more actuators to set the direction of heat emitted by the heat source toward the first target area. Then, the system will cause the heat source to generate a heat beam and direct the heat beam to the first target area.

[0007] In some embodiments, the system can process the sensor data and determine whether the target person is moving or has moved in the environment. In response to determining that the target person is moving or has moved, the system can identify a second target area. The system can then cause the one or more actuators to move the heat source to direct the heat beam toward the second target area.

[0008] In any of the above embodiments, the system may access a profile of the target person from a data store. The system may use the preference data in the profile to determine an intensity level. Then, when causing the heat source to generate the heat beam, the heat source may generate the heat beam at the determined intensity level.

[0009] In any of the above embodiments, the system can access a profile of the target person from a data store. The system can use the profile to determine an expected time when the target person is expected to move to a second target area from a movement pattern in the profile. Then, at or within a threshold time period before the expected time, the system can cause the one or more actuators to move the heat source to direct the heat beam to the second target area.

[0010] In any of the above embodiments, the heat source may be disposed in or on top of the emitter base. The emitter base may include a plurality of grooves. One or more filaments comprising a ductile material may be wound around the emitter base in the grooves.

[0011] In any of the above embodiments, the system may include a collimator, and the heat source may be disposed within an emitter base positioned to emit heat toward the collimator. The collimator may be configured to focus the heat into the heat beam. In some embodiments, the collimator may include a parabolic reflector, and the emitter base may be positioned to emit heat toward a concave surface of the parabolic reflector. In some embodiments, the system may include a lens positioned to receive and focus heat reflected from the concave surface of the parabolic reflector.

[0012] In any of the above embodiments, the heat source can be disposed within an emitter base, and the emitter base can include a surface having a plurality of surface features that increase the effective surface area of ​​the surface relative to a smooth surface.

[0013] In a second aspect, a heating system comprises: (a) a heat source; (b) one or more actuators configured to set a direction of heat emitted by the heat source; (c) one or more sensors that capture sensor data about an environment; (d) a collimator; (e) an emitter base that mounts the heat source and is positioned to emit heat generated by the heat source toward the collimator so that the collimator focuses the heat into a heat beam; (f) a processor; and (g) programming instructions that are configured to, when executed, cause the processor to: (i) process the sensor data and identify a target person in the environment and a first target area of ​​the target person, (ii) cause the one or more actuators to set the direction of the heat beam toward the first target area, and (iii) cause the heat source to generate the heat beam so as to direct the heat toward the first target area.

[0014] In some embodiments of the second aspect, the collimator comprises a parabolic reflector, and the emitter base is positioned to emit heat toward a concave surface of the parabolic reflector. Optionally, the system may include a lens positioned to receive and focus heat reflected from the concave surface of the parabolic reflector.

[0015] In any embodiment of the second aspect above, the emitter base may include a surface having a plurality of surface features that increase the effective surface area of ​​the surface relative to a smooth surface.

[0016] In a third aspect, a method for providing personalized heating to a target is disclosed. The method includes: receiving, by a processor: sensor data from one or more sensors; processing the sensor data to identify a target person in the environment and a first target area of ​​the target person. The method also includes causing one or more actuators to set the direction of heat emitted by a movable heat source toward the first target area. Then, the method includes causing the heat source to generate heat, collimating the heat into a heat beam, and directing the heat beam toward the first target area.

[0017] Optionally, the third aspect may further include: processing the sensor data and determining whether the target person is moving or has moved in the environment. If so, in response to determining that the target person is moving or has moved, the method may include: identifying a second target area, and also causing the one or more actuators to move the heat source to direct the heat beam to the second target area.

[0018] Optionally, any of the above embodiments of the third aspect may further include: accessing a profile of the target person from a data store. Then, the method may include: using the preference data in the profile to determine an intensity level. Then, when causing the heat source to generate the heat beam, the method may include causing the heat source to generate the heat beam at the determined intensity level.

[0019] Optionally, any of the above embodiments of the third aspect may also include: accessing a profile of the target person from a data storage; using the profile to determine an expected time when the target person is expected to move to a second target area from a movement pattern in the profile; and causing the one or more actuators to move the heat source to direct the heat beam to the second target area at a threshold time period before the expected time or within a threshold time period.

[0020] Optionally, in any of the above embodiments of the third aspect, in response to identifying multiple potential targets, the method may include: (i) using a target prioritization system to rank the potential targets, and (ii) selecting the potential target with the highest rank as the target.

[0021] Optionally, in any of the above embodiments of the third aspect, in response to identifying multiple potential targets, the method may include: (i) classifying the potential targets using a target prioritization system, and (ii) selecting a potential target with a specified category as the target. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] Figure 1 An exemplary environment is shown in which a heating system is installed to deliver heat to people in a targeted manner.

[0023] Figure 2 Exemplary subsystems of a heating system according to various embodiments are shown.

[0024] Figure 3 Exemplary elements of a heating unit are shown.

[0025] Figure 4 is a flow chart illustrating a method of operating a personalized heating system.

[0026] Figure 5 Exemplary elements of a computing system are shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] As used in this document, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" include plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meanings as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. In this document, the term "including" means "including but not limited to". When used in this document, the term "exemplary" is intended to mean "by way of example" and is not intended to indicate that a particular exemplary item is preferred or required.

[0028] In this document, when terms such as "first" and "second" are used to modify nouns, such usage is intended only to distinguish one item from another and does not imply a required ordinal order unless otherwise specified. When used in conjunction with a numerical value, the term "approximately" is intended to include values ​​that are close to, but not exactly, the stated number. For example, in some embodiments, the term "approximately" may include values ​​that are within + / -10% of the stated value.

[0029] In this document, the term "connected" when referring to two physical structures means that the two physical structures are in contact with each other. Connected devices can be fixed to each other, or they can just be in contact with each other without being fixed.

[0030] In this document, the term "electrically connected" when referring to two electrical components means that there is a conductive path between the two components, which can be a direct path or an indirect path through one or more intermediate components.

[0031] When used in this document, terms such as "top" and "bottom," "upper" and "lower," or "front" and "back" are not meant to have absolute orientations, but are intended to describe the relative positions of various components with respect to each other. For example, when a device of which the components are a part is oriented in a first direction, the first component may be the "upper" component and the second component may be the "lower" component. If the orientation of the structure containing the components changes, the relative orientations of the components may be reversed, or the components may be on the same plane. The claims are intended to include all orientations of devices containing such components.

[0032] Other terms relevant to the present disclosure are defined at the end of this Detailed Description section.

[0033] This document describes a system for efficiently delivering customized, targeted heat to one or more specific locations, individuals, or objects. The system thus also reduces unnecessary heat delivery to the surrounding environment that is an unintended target of the heat. The system identifies and distinguishes the target location from the surrounding environment, generates radiant heat, and focuses the generated heat into a beam and directs it to the target. The efficient heat delivery results in reduced energy usage and cost savings, and a system with multiple heating units can heat more people or objects with less energy and at a lower overall cost than existing systems.

[0034] Optionally, the system can also customize the heat according to the needs of the target. Customization of heat enables people and objects to be heated to a level customized to their needs, thereby improving the comfort of the environment and reducing user dissatisfaction with the environment.

[0035] Figure 1 An exemplary environment 10 is shown in which a heating unit 16 is installed to deliver heat to a person 12 in a targeted manner. When the person 12 is at a first position A, the heating unit 16 generates a heat beam 17A and directs it to the person 12 at position A. When the person moves to position B in the environment 10, the heating unit 16 continues to generate heat, but now directs the heat beam 17B to the person 12 at position B. Methods and systems that enable the heating unit 16 to do this will be described below. The heating unit 16 can distinguish the target person 12 from other people 14 and objects in the environment so that it focuses heat on the target person rather than other locations. Optionally, the heating unit 16 may include one or more subsystems that communicate with a remote server 18, which provides commands for operation, data such as personal profile data, or other messages or data used in the operation of the system.

[0036] Figure 2 It shows that Figure 1 206. The heating unit is a system that includes a heating subsystem 201, a sensing subsystem 202, an actuator such as a motor 203 or other system capable of moving the heating unit 16, a communication portal 204 such as an antenna or a wired communication port, a computing system 205, and a housing 206. Optionally, the heating unit 16 can be a system that includes a remote server such as Figure 1 Each system includes hardware, a computing device with memory and software, or both, which is configured to perform various functions that will now be described.

[0037] The heating subsystem 201 will include a heat generating subsystem 211, which is a heat source configured to generate and emit radiant heat, and thus regulate the temperature of the target surrounding air. In some embodiments, the configuration of the heat generating system 211 will maximize (or at least generate significantly more) electromagnetic radiation in the spectrum that is safely and easily absorbed by human tissue, and will minimize (or at least significantly reduce) electromagnetic radiation in the visible spectrum. The heat generating subsystem 211 can also be designed to reduce the size of the emitter while increasing the collimation potential of the emitter.

[0038] Figure 3 Exemplary components of the heat generating subsystem 211 are shown, including an emitter base 301 that serves as a support structure for the heat source. The base also absorbs heat from the heat source through conduction, convection, and radiation, and re-radiates the heat. Materials such as ceramics can perform this temperature control function. The radiated heat output from the base 301 may depend on the surface area, temperature, and emissivity of the emitter base, as dictated by Stefan Boltzmann's law:

[0039] P=eσAT 2

[0040] Where P = radiant power (watts), e = emissivity, σ = Stefan-Boltzmann constant (5.67x10 -8 kgWm -2 K -4 ), A = surface area (m 2 ), T = temperature (Kelvin).

[0041] In cases where maximizing the surface area is not enough, the surface area A of the emitter base 301 can be increased by using surface features, including using geometric shapes that increase or maximize the view factor between the emitter base 301 and the reflector 303. Examples of such geometric shapes include geometric shapes corresponding to dimples on a golf ball, spikes on a morning star, or teeth on a gear. Such geometric shapes rise from and / or extend into the major plane of the surface, thereby increasing the total surface compared to structures where the surface is smooth along the major plane.

[0042] For emitter geometries such as those described above, the temperature T of the emitter base 301 surface can be increased by increasing the intensity of the energy source (see description of thermal power control system 313 below) or reducing losses through convection and conduction. Convection losses can be reduced by placing the heating subsystem in a closed environment or vacuum. Conduction losses can be reduced by reducing the size of the support material.

[0043] The emissivity e of the emitter base 301 is an inherent property of the material from which the base is made. The emissivity of the emitter base 301 can be increased by applying a high emissivity coating (e.g., a high emissivity black paint or a black anodized coating) to the base. The spectral emissivity of the coating can be used to achieve the desired spectral characteristics of the emitted radiation.

[0044] The heat source 302 within the emitter base 301 may use any conventional or custom heat source, such as an electric heating unit (e.g., resistive or heat pump), a carbon fuel (oil, propane, natural gas, etc.) based heater such as a gas fired infrared tube heater, or other device. Figure 3 The exemplary heat source 302 shown in the figure will generate heat through one or more filaments wrapped around the emitter base 301. The (one or more) filaments can be formed of a ductile material, preferably a material with high resistivity, high melting point and high corrosion resistance against oxidation at high temperatures. Resilience against repeated high temperature cycles can also be a beneficial feature of the filament material. Some materials that meet some or all of these requirements include: nickel-based alloys, such as nickel-chromium alloys, Kanthal alloys, and constantan alloys; stainless steel alloys; carbon allotropes, such as graphite or graphene; and tungsten alloys. The emitter base 301 shown also includes surface features that increase the effective surface area of ​​the base, such as grooves in which the filaments can be guided, so that heat can be transferred away from the emitter base 301 by conduction and radiation. For a carbon-based heat source, once burning, flames and hot air can be directed to the emitter base to transfer heat to the base, which then radiates the heat away.

[0045] Return to reference Figure 2 , the heat guiding system 212 will collimate the heat and filter visible light and / or other undesirable spectra from the emission. To collimate the heat, the system includes one or more elements referred to herein as collimators, which are configured to reflect or direct radiation and focus the heat into a beam toward the target. The reflective elements may include reflectors of various geometries, such as elliptical, parabolic, parabolic, and / or flat. For example, in Figure 3In the heat generating subsystem 211, the parabolic reflector 303 is used as a collimator. The parabolic reflector 303 is supported by one or more support rods 305 and is separated from the emitter base. The heat source 302 generates heat, and the emitter base 301 directs the heat to the concave reflecting surface of the parabolic reflector 303. The heat is reflected from the concave surface of the parabolic reflector 303 and is focused into a heat beam 310 in the direction toward the target. The heat beam 310 is a collimated column of heat having an intensity greater than that when the heat is allowed to diffuse immediately after emission without collimation. Optionally, the guiding element may also include a lens, such as a converging lens, a diverging lens, and a Fresnel lens. The level of collimation may also be adjusted by changing the distance between the emitter and the lens to adjust the divergence of the heat beam.

[0046] The thermal power control system 313 includes a processor and a memory containing programming instructions that will cause the processor to adjust the current through the resistive heating element so that the system can achieve the desired emitter temperature. These elements of the thermal power control system can be within the heating unit, or in an external server that communicates with the heating unit through the communication portal 204 of the heating unit. The thermal power control system 313 can also include high temperature thermocouples or other temperature sensors that measure the emitter temperature, which the control system 313 can use to determine whether and when the desired temperature is reached in the target area. The power control strategy can be implemented by switching AC / DC power, adjusting the voltage delivered to the heat generating system 211, or other methods. The power provided to the heat generating system 211 can also be controlled with the help of a proportional-integral-derivative (PID) control algorithm, such as those known at the time of writing this article.

[0047] The perception subsystem 202 will include one or more sensors that collect data about the scene in the heating unit environment, as well as a processor and programming instructions that are configured to cause the processor to process the data collected by the sensors and detect people and / or objects in the environment. Exemplary sensors include RGB cameras, infrared cameras, passive infrared detector arrays, time-of-flight sensors, or other information. The sensors can be interfaced with the vision system 251 component of the computing subsystem 205, which will be described below. Other sensors can include radar or other acoustic wave sensors, LiDAR systems, or similar sensors that can detect objects in the environment, and Bluetooth or Wi-Fi sensors combined with triangulation systems that can identify the location of another device within the communication range of the sensor.

[0048] The system may include one or more motors 203 and mechanical components that enable the heating unit to move the heating subsystem 201 to direct the heat beam to the target. These components may include rotating or translating joints around which the heating subassembly including the emitter base 301 and the parabolic reflector 303 can translate / tilt / roll or a combination thereof. These components may also include a base with wheels and / or rollers and a drive system that turns the wheels or rollers and moves the heating unit 211 to a certain position.

[0049] As described above, the sensors of the perception system 202 can provide data to the visual system 251 of the computing subsystem 205. The visual system 251 will apply one or more perception algorithms to process the sensor data and identify people or objects to which heat can be directed. The visual system 251 may include programming for any suitable perception algorithm, such as a knowledge-based algorithm, a feature-based algorithm, or a template matching algorithm, such as an eigenface-based algorithm and the Fisher discriminant. The system can use known processes such as multi-person detection and tracking, skeleton tracking, and semantic segmentation to identify people and / or areas of interest to be heated. The system can also process data using a trained model (e.g., a naive Bayes classifier) ​​or a neural network that classifies objects in the sensor data into people, other objects, etc.

[0050] The perception subsystem 202 may use the target prioritization system 252 to classify and distinguish people and / or objects from each other so that if there are multiple people or objects (e.g. Figure 1 12 and 14), the system will select a person or object as a target to which it will direct heat.

[0051] The computing subsystem 205 will also include a motor control system 253 having programmed instructions configured to cause the processor to generate certain commands to activate, deactivate and otherwise control the operation of the motor 203 and direct the collimated heat beam toward the target.

[0052] The computing subsystem 205 will also include a heat level control system 254 having programmed instructions configured to cause the processor to generate certain signals that increase or decrease the intensity of the heat beam directed at the target, thereby regulating (i.e., adjusting by increasing or decreasing) the temperature of the target area. Control methods that may be used include pulse width modulation of the DC control signal, AC phase angle control, or AC zero voltage switching. Optionally, the computing subsystem may include a personal comfort settings module 255. For example, the system may include or have access to a data store (e.g., Figure 1The profile data may include information such as preferred temperatures and previous and / or common movement patterns of the individual in the environment. When the visual system 251 identifies an individual associated with a profile in the data store, the personal comfort settings module 255 may use the person's profile data to control temperature and heat direction. For example, the system may generate heat to produce a temperature corresponding to the preferred temperature stored in the profile. The system may also identify typical times of day for the user to move from point A to point B, and it may anticipate such movement over the next few days by moving the target area of ​​its heat beam from point A to point B within a threshold time period (e.g., one minute) before the time when the person's profile indicates that the person may move from point A to point B. The personal comfort settings module 255 may also include or access a thermal model of the target area, environmental parameters, and thermal requirements (e.g., predetermined parameters) to determine the level and duration of heat to be applied to an area.

[0053] The housing 206 may house some or all of the above subsystems. Multiple heating subsystems within the same housing may be used to heat multiple targets from the same device. Depending on the number of heating subsystems included and the use scenario, the housing may be of different sizes. They may be roughly divided into single beam systems and multi-beam systems. Each of these categories may be subdivided into categories with one or more fixed heat beams (where the heat beam direction is fixed and manually adjusted), or categories with one or more tracking heat beams (where the heat beam follows the target or advances in front of the target).

[0054] Figure 4 is a flow chart showing various elements of a method for operating a personalized heating system. At 401, one or more sensors will capture sensor data about an environment including a target. As described above in the context of the perception system 202, the sensor will be an element of a perception system, such as a camera, a sound sensor, a LiDAR system, etc. At 404, the system will process the sensor data to identify a target to which the system will direct heat. If multiple potential targets are identified (402: yes), the system can rank or classify the targets using a target prioritization system at 403. For example, the system can rank the potential targets according to location, size, or profile data, and then select the highest-ranked potential target at 404. Alternatively or in addition, the system can classify the targets (e.g., people, chairs, dogs, etc.), and then select potential targets that fit a specified category (e.g., people) at 404. Optionally, the system can combine these steps by classifying the potential targets, ranking the potential targets of the specified category, and then selecting the highest-ranked potential target that is also within the specified category. Other methods of prioritizing targets are also possible.

[0055] Optionally, after identifying the target, at 405, the system can access a stored profile for the target stored in a data store. For example, if the system identifies the target as a target that has a stored profile, the system can access the profile. Alternatively, the system can obtain an identification code from the target, either through input from the target or a target agent, or through communication with an electronic device that the target is using, and then use the identification code to look up the target's profile in a data store. Once the system has accessed the target's profile, at 406, the system can use the target's preferences to set the intensity of heat that the system will use to direct heat to the target. If no preference information is available, the system can set the intensity of heat to a default level, or to a level based on other factors.

[0056] At 407, the system's actuators move the system's heating elements to a position where they will emit a heat beam toward a target area including the target. At 408, the system will emit a heat beam toward the target area at an intensity level set as described above.

[0057] In some embodiments, the system's sensors may determine that the target has moved to a second area (411: Yes). If this occurs, at 412, the actuator will set a new direction for the heat by causing one or more motors of the system to move the system's heating element to a position where the heat beam will be directed to the second area. At 413, after the actuator completes this movement, the system will emit a heat beam to the second area.

[0058] In some embodiments, if the system has accessed a profile of the target at 405, the system may use the profile to determine from the movement pattern in the profile an expected time when the target person is expected to move to the second target area. If this occurs (421: yes), then at or within a threshold time period before the expected time (422: yes), the system may cause the one or more motors to set the direction of the heat emitted by the heat source toward the second target area (step 412), directing the heat beam toward the second area (step 413). Before this occurs (422: no), the system will continue to direct the heat beam toward the first area.

[0059] Figure 5Depicted are examples of internal hardware that may be included in any electronic component of the system, such as a computing device in the heating unit or a remote server. Electrical bus 500 serves as an information highway interconnecting the other illustrated elements of the hardware. Processor 505 is the central processing device of the system, which is configured to perform the calculations and logical operations required to execute programming instructions. The terms "processor" and "processing device" used in this document and the claims may refer to any number of processors in a single processor or a group of processors that perform a set of operations together, such as a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), a remote server, or a combination thereof. Read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), flash memory, hard disk drives, and other devices capable of storing electronic data constitute examples of storage devices 525. Storage devices may include a single device or a collection of devices that store data and / or instructions across devices.

[0060] An optional display interface 530 can allow information from bus 500 to be displayed on a display device 535 in a visual, graphical, or alphanumeric format. An audio interface and audio output (such as a speaker) can also be provided. Communication with external devices can be performed using various communication devices 540, such as wireless antennas, radio frequency identification (RFID) tags, and / or short-range or near-field communication transceivers, each of which can be optionally communicatively connected to other elements of the device through one or more communication systems. Communication devices 540 can be configured to be communicatively connected to a communication network, such as the Internet, a local area network, or a cellular telephone data network.

[0061] The hardware may also include user interface sensors 545 that allow data to be received from input devices 550 such as a keyboard, mouse, joystick, touch screen, touch pad, remote control, pointing device, and / or microphone. Digital image frames may also be received from a camera 520 that may capture video and / or still images. The system may also include a position sensor 560 and / or a motion sensor 570 to detect the position and movement of the device. Examples of motion sensors 570 include gyroscopes or accelerometers. Examples of position sensors 560 include global positioning system (GPS) sensor devices that receive position data from an external GPS network.

[0062] Terms related to this disclosure include:

[0063] "Computing device" refers to a device or system that includes a processor and memory. Each device may have its own processor and / or memory, or the processor and / or memory may be shared with other devices in a virtual machine or container arrangement. The memory will contain or receive programming instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the electronic device to perform one or more operations in accordance with the programming instructions. Examples of computing devices include personal computers, servers, mainframes, virtual machines, containers, gaming systems, televisions, digital home assistants, and mobile electronic devices such as smart phones, fitness tracking devices, wearable virtual reality devices, Internet-connected wearable devices such as smart watches and smart glasses, personal digital assistants, cameras, tablet computers, laptops, media players, etc. Electronic devices may also include appliances and other devices that can communicate in an Internet of Things arrangement, such as smart thermostats, refrigerators, connected light bulbs, and other devices. In a client-server arrangement, the client device and the server are computing devices, wherein the server contains instructions and / or data that the client device accesses through one or more communication links in one or more communication networks. In a virtual machine arrangement, the server may be an electronic device, and each virtual machine or container may also be considered an electronic device. In the above discussion, for the sake of brevity, a client device, a server device, a virtual machine, or a container may be referred to simply as a "device". Figure 4 Other components that may be included in an electronic device are discussed in the context of FIG.

[0064] The terms "processor" and "processing device" refer to a hardware element of an electronic device that is configured to execute programmed instructions. Unless otherwise specifically stated, the singular terms "processor" and "processing device" are intended to include implementations of a single processing device and implementations in which multiple processing devices together or collectively execute a process.

[0065] The terms "memory", "storage device", "computer-readable medium", "data storage", "data storage facility", etc. each refer to a non-transitory device having stored thereon computer-readable data, programming instructions, or both. Unless specifically stated otherwise, the terms "memory", "storage device", "computer-readable medium", "data storage", "data storage facility", etc. are intended to include embodiments of a single device, embodiments in which multiple storage devices together or collectively store a set of data or instructions, and individual sectors within such devices. A computer program product is a storage device having stored thereon programming instructions.

[0066] In this document, the terms "communication link" and "communication path" mean a wired or wireless path through which a first device sends communication signals to and / or receives communication signals from one or more other devices. Devices are "communicatively connected" if they are capable of sending and / or receiving data via a communication link. "Electronic communication" means the transmission of data between two or more electronic devices via one or more signals, whether via a wired or wireless network, and whether directly or indirectly through one or more intermediate devices. The network may include or be configured to include any now or hereafter known communication network, such as but not limited to Bluetooth. Communication Network, communication network, Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) communication network, ZigBee communication network, HomePlug communication network, Power Line Communication (PLC) communication network, Message Queue Telemetry Transport (MQTT) communication network, MTConnect communication network, cellular network, Constrained Application Protocol (CoAP) communication network, Representational State Transfer Application Protocol Interface (REST API) communication network, Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol (XMPP) communication network, cellular communication network, any similar communication network for sending and receiving data, or any combination thereof. Thus, the communication network may be configured to implement wireless or wired communication via cellular network, WiFi, Bluetooth, Zigbee, RFID, Bluetooth low energy, NFC, IEEE 802.11, IEEE 802.15, IEEE 802.16, Z-Wave, home plug, Global System for Mobile (GSM), General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), Long Term Evolution (LTE), Advanced LTE (LTE-A), MQTT, MTConnect, CoAP, REST API, XMPP or another suitable wired and / or wireless communication method. The network may include one or more switches and / or routers, including wireless routers that connect wireless communication channels to other wired networks (e.g., the Internet). Data communicated in the network may include data communicated via Short Message Service (SMS), Multimedia Message Service (MMS), Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), direct data connection, Wireless Application Protocol (WAP), email, Smart Energy Profile (SEP), ECHONET Lite, OpenADR, MTConnect protocol, or any other protocol.

[0067] The above features and functions and alternatives can be combined into many other different systems or applications. Various substitutions, modifications, changes or improvements may be made by those skilled in the art, each of which is also intended to be covered by the disclosed embodiments.

Claims

1. A heating system, comprising: Heat source; one or more actuators configured to set the direction of heat emitted by the heat source; one or more sensors that capture sensor data about the environment; processor; and programming instructions which, when executed, are configured to cause the processor to: processing the sensor data and identifying a target person in the environment and a first target area of ​​the target person, causing the one or more actuators to direct heat emitted by the heat source toward the first target area, and The heat source is caused to generate a heat beam to direct heat toward the first target area.

2. The heating system of claim 1 , further comprising additional programming instructions configured to cause the processor to: Processing the sensor data and determining whether the target person is moving or has moved in the environment; In response to determining that the target person is moving or has moved: identifying a second target area, and The one or more actuators are caused to move the heat source to direct the heat beam toward the second target area.

3. The heating system of claim 1 , further comprising additional programming instructions configured to cause the processor to: accessing a profile of the target person from a data store; using preference data in the profile to determine an intensity level; as well as When causing the heat source to generate the heat beam, the heat source is caused to generate the heat beam at the determined intensity level.

4. The heating system of claim 1 , further comprising additional programming instructions configured to cause the processor to: accessing a profile of the target person from a data store; using the profile, determining from the movement pattern in the profile an expected time at which the target person is expected to move to a second target area; and At or within a threshold time period before the expected time, the one or more actuators are caused to move the heat source to direct the heat beam toward the second target area.

5. The heating system according to claim 1, wherein: The heat source is placed in or on top of the emitter base; The transmitter base includes a plurality of grooves; as well as One or more filaments comprising a ductile material are wound around the emitter base within the groove.

6. The heating system of claim 1, further comprising a collimator, and wherein: The heat source is disposed within an emitter base, the emitter base being positioned to emit heat toward the collimator; as well as The collimator is configured to focus the heat into the heat beam.

7. The heating system according to claim 6, wherein: The collimator comprises a parabolic reflector; and The emitter base is positioned to emit heat toward a concave surface of the parabolic reflector.

8. The heating system of claim 7, further comprising a lens positioned to receive and focus heat reflected from the concave surface of the parabolic reflector.

9. The heating system according to claim 1, wherein: The heat source is disposed within the emitter base; The emitter base includes a surface having a plurality of surface features that increase the effective surface area of ​​the surface relative to a smooth surface.

10. A heating system, comprising: Heat source; one or more actuators configured to set the direction of heat emitted by the heat source; one or more sensors that capture sensor data about the environment; Collimator; an emitter base that mounts the heat source and is positioned to radiate heat generated by the heat source toward the collimator so that the collimator focuses the heat into a heat beam; processor; programming instructions which, when executed, are configured to cause the processor to: processing the sensor data and identifying a target person in the environment and a first target area of ​​the target person, causing the one or more actuators to direct the thermal beam toward the first target area, and The heat source is caused to generate the heat beam to direct the heat toward the first target area.

11. The heating system according to claim 10, wherein: The collimator comprises a parabolic reflector; and The emitter base is positioned to emit the heat toward a concave surface of the parabolic reflector.

12. The heating system of claim 11, further comprising a lens positioned to receive and focus heat reflected from the concave surface of the parabolic reflector.

13. The heating system according to claim 10, wherein: The emitter base includes a surface having a plurality of surface features that increase the effective surface area of ​​the surface relative to a smooth surface.

14. The heating system of claim 10, further comprising a housing housing the heat source and one or more additional heating subsystems.

15. A method for providing personalized heating to a target, the method comprising: By processor: receiving sensor data from one or more sensors; Processing the sensor data to identify a target person in an environment and a first target area of ​​the target person; causing one or more actuators to direct heat emitted by a movable heat source toward the first target area; causing the heat source to generate heat; collimating the heat into a heat beam; as well as The thermal beam is directed toward the first target area.

16. The method according to claim 15, further comprising: Through the processor: processing the sensor data to determine whether the target person is moving or has moved in the environment; In response to determining that the target person is moving or has moved: identifying a second target area, and The one or more actuators are caused to move the heat source to direct the heat beam toward the second target area.

17. The method according to claim 15, further comprising: Through the processor: accessing a profile of the target person from a data store; using preference data in the profile to determine an intensity level; as well as When the heat source is caused to generate the heat, the heat source is caused to generate the heat at the determined intensity level.

18. The method according to claim 15, further comprising: Through the processor: accessing a profile of the target person from a data store; using the profile, and determining from the movement pattern in the profile an expected time at which the target person is expected to move to a second target area; as well as At or within a threshold time period before the expected time, the one or more actuators are caused to move the heat source to direct the heat beam toward the second target area.

19. The method according to claim 15, further comprising: In response to identifying a plurality of potential targets, by the processor: using a target prioritization system to rank the potential targets, and The potential target with the highest rank is selected as the target.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising: In response to identifying a plurality of potential targets, by the processor: categorizing the potential targets using a target prioritization system, and A potential target having a specified category is selected as the target.

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