Systems and methods for a smart air diffuser

Abstract

Disclosed are systems and methods of a novel framework for automatically and dynamically activating and / or controlling HVAC equipment. The disclosed framework is designed to track user movements and manipulate HVAC diffusers for dynamic temperature and climate control by integrating various technologies to enhance comfort and energy efficiency. The framework employs sensors, such as motion detectors, infrared cameras, and the like, to monitor the location and activities of individuals within a space in real-time. The data collected can be processed by an intelligent control system that uses algorithms to predict occupancy patterns and adjust the HVAC settings accordingly. By directing air flow through motorized diffusers, the system can provide personalized climate control, ensuring optimal temperature and air quality in occupied areas while reducing energy consumption in unoccupied zones.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)

[0001] This application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 674,038, filed Jul. 22, 2024, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

[0002] The present disclosure is generally related to climate control mechanisms, and more particularly, to a decision intelligence (DI)-based computerized framework that automatically and dynamically activates and / or controls components of Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) equipment.SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

[0003] In typical HVAC or split systems, conditioned air enters a room via diffusers and registers or air outlets. In order for the conditioned air to efficiently disperse in a room, air outlets may have manually adjusted or motorized louvers that direct air in predetermined directions. Energy efficient homeowners frequently will cool or heat their home's rooms to comfortable levels only when it is needed. That is, for example, if there are actually persons or animals present in such rooms. When some rooms are unoccupied for an extended period of time, a room temperature and humidity levels may become uncomfortable for the time needed for the HVAC system to disperse conditioned air evenly in that room.

[0004] To that end, in order to deliver conditioned air immediately to where it is needed when a person enters a room, the disclosed systems and methods provide a novel HVAC system that uses a system of smart diffusers (registers). According to some embodiments, such smart diffusers can track a person (or persons, or pets, for example) movement and direct conditioned air via dynamically adjusted system of louvers. According to some embodiments, as discussed herein, such dynamically adjusted louvers may require and / or be based on the current room and / or other room sensors, such as, but not limited to, cameras, passive infrared (PIR) sensors and other occupancy sensors that can detect humans / animals and their actual locations in a room.

[0005] According to some embodiments, as discussed herein the operation of the disclosed framework provided by the disclosed systems and methods may have seasonal adjustments-for example, different air patterns can be utilized for summers and winters. For example, in summer a person can experience a rapid cooling effect when conditioned air with lower humidity is directed at that person. In winters, directing warm air flow at a person may not be as needed. The winter mode operations, as discussed herein, may be directed at causing ceiling accumulated heat to circulate within the room or to prevent heat from accumulating at the ceiling.

[0006] In some embodiments, for example, air humidity levels, among other climate characteristics, as discussed below, can factor into such determinations. For example, humidity levels can allow for the disclosure of smart diffusers to automatically and dynamically perform psychrometric adjustments to the air direction to optimize comfort. In some embodiments, as discussed below, the operation of the disclosed smart diffusers can function to phase out their tracking mode when room temperature (and humidity, for example) has reached room programmed levels (or threshold levels).

[0007] As discussed herein, the disclosed orchestration of multiple smart diffusers may provide greater benefits, inclusive of reduced resource usage by maintaining a comfortable environment for occupants of a location.

[0008] According to some embodiments, a method is disclosed that automatically and dynamically activates and / or controls HVAC equipment. In accordance with some embodiments, the present disclosure provides a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium for carrying out the above-mentioned technical steps of the framework's functionality. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium has tangibly stored thereon, or tangibly encoded thereon, computer readable instructions that when executed by a device cause at least one processor to perform a method that automatically and dynamically activates and / or controls HVAC equipment.

[0009] In accordance with one or more embodiments, a system is provided that includes one or more processors and / or computing devices configured to provide functionality in accordance with such embodiments. In accordance with one or more embodiments, functionality is embodied in steps of a method performed by at least one computing device. In accordance with one or more embodiments, program code (or program logic) executed by a processor(s) of a computing device to implement functionality in accordance with one or more such embodiments is embodied in, by and / or on a non-transitory computer-readable medium.DESCRIPTIONS OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] The features, and advantages of the disclosure will be apparent from the following description of embodiments as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which reference characters refer to the same parts throughout the various views. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating principles of the disclosure:

[0011] FIG. 1A is a block diagram of an example configuration within which the systems and methods disclosed herein could be implemented according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0012] FIG. 1B is a block diagram illustrating components of an exemplary system according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0013] FIG. 2 depicts a non-limiting example embodiment according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0014] FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary workflow according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0015] FIG. 4 depicts an exemplary implementation of an architecture according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0016] FIG. 5 depicts an exemplary implementation of an architecture according to some embodiments of the present disclosure; and

[0017] FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating a computing device showing an example of a client or server device used in various embodiments of the present disclosure.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0018] The present disclosure will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, and which show, by way of non-limiting illustration, certain example embodiments. Subject matter may, however, be embodied in a variety of different forms and, therefore, covered or claimed subject matter is intended to be construed as not being limited to any example embodiments set forth herein; example embodiments are provided merely to be illustrative. Likewise, a reasonably broad scope for claimed or covered subject matter is intended. Among other things, for example, subject matter may be embodied as methods, devices, components, or systems. Accordingly, embodiments may, for example, take the form of hardware, software, firmware or any combination thereof (other than software per se). The following detailed description is, therefore, not intended to be taken in a limiting sense.

[0019] Throughout the specification and claims, terms may have nuanced meanings suggested or implied in context beyond an explicitly stated meaning. Likewise, the phrase “in one embodiment” as used herein does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment and the phrase “in another embodiment” as used herein does not necessarily refer to a different embodiment. It is intended, for example, that claimed subject matter include combinations of example embodiments in whole or in part.

[0020] In general, terminology may be understood at least in part from usage in context. For example, terms, such as “and”, “or”, or “and / or,” as used herein may include a variety of meanings that may depend at least in part upon the context in which such terms are used. Typically, “or” if used to associate a list, such as A, B or C, is intended to mean A, B, and C, here used in the inclusive sense, as well as A, B or C, here used in the exclusive sense. In addition, the term “one or more” as used herein, depending at least in part upon context, may be used to describe any feature, structure, or characteristic in a singular sense or may be used to describe combinations of features, structures or characteristics in a plural sense. Similarly, terms, such as “a,”“an,” or “the,” again, may be understood to convey a singular usage or to convey a plural usage, depending at least in part upon context. In addition, the term “based on” may be understood as not necessarily intended to convey an exclusive set of factors and may, instead, allow for existence of additional factors not necessarily expressly described, again, depending at least in part on context.

[0021] The present disclosure is described below with reference to block diagrams and operational illustrations of methods and devices. It is understood that each block of the block diagrams or operational illustrations, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams or operational illustrations, can be implemented by means of analog or digital hardware and computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be provided to a processor of a general purpose computer to alter its function as detailed herein, a special purpose computer, ASIC, or other programmable data processing apparatus, such that the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, implement the functions / acts specified in the block diagrams or operational block or blocks. In some alternate implementations, the functions / acts noted in the blocks can occur out of the order noted in the operational illustrations. For example, two blocks shown in succession can in fact be executed substantially concurrently or the blocks can sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon the functionality / acts involved.

[0022] For the purposes of this disclosure a non-transitory computer readable medium (or computer-readable storage medium / media) stores computer data, which data can include computer program code (or computer-executable instructions) that is executable by a computer, in machine readable form. By way of example, and not limitation, a computer readable medium may include computer readable storage media, for tangible or fixed storage of data, or communication media for transient interpretation of code-containing signals. Computer readable storage media, as used herein, refers to physical or tangible storage (as opposed to signals) and includes without limitation volatile and non-volatile, removable and non-removable media implemented in any method or technology for the tangible storage of information such as computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules or other data. Computer readable storage media includes, but is not limited to, RAM, ROM, EPROM, EEPROM, flash memory or other solid state memory technology, optical storage, cloud storage, magnetic storage devices, or any other physical or material medium which can be used to tangibly store the desired information or data or instructions and which can be accessed by a computer or processor.

[0023] For the purposes of this disclosure the term “server” should be understood to refer to a service point which provides processing, database, and communication facilities. By way of example, and not limitation, the term “server” can refer to a single, physical processor with associated communications and data storage and database facilities, or it can refer to a networked or clustered complex of processors and associated network and storage devices, as well as operating software and one or more database systems and application software that support the services provided by the server. Cloud servers are examples.

[0024] For the purposes of this disclosure a “network” should be understood to refer to a network that may couple devices so that communications may be exchanged, such as between a server and a client device or other types of devices, including between wireless devices coupled via a wireless network, for example. A network may also include mass storage, such as network attached storage (NAS), a storage area network (SAN), a content delivery network (CDN) or other forms of computer or machine-readable media, for example. A network may include the Internet, one or more local area networks (LANs), one or more wide area networks (WANs), wire-line type connections, wireless type connections, cellular or any combination thereof. Likewise, sub-networks, which may employ differing architectures or may be compliant or compatible with differing protocols, may interoperate within a larger network.

[0025] For purposes of this disclosure, a “wireless network” should be understood to couple client devices with a network. A wireless network may employ stand-alone ad-hoc networks, mesh networks, Wireless LAN (WLAN) networks, cellular networks, or the like. A wireless network may further employ a plurality of network access technologies, including Wi-Fi, Long Term Evolution (LTE), WLAN, Wireless Router mesh, or 2nd, 3rd, 4th or 5th generation (2G, 3G, 4G or 5G) cellular technology, mobile edge computing (MEC), Bluetooth, 802.11b / g / n, or the like. Network access technologies may enable wide area coverage for devices, such as client devices with varying degrees of mobility, for example.

[0026] In short, a wireless network may include virtually any type of wireless communication mechanism by which signals may be communicated between devices, such as a client device or a computing device, between or within a network, or the like.

[0027] A computing device may be capable of sending or receiving signals, such as via a wired or wireless network, or may be capable of processing or storing signals, such as in memory as physical memory states, and may, therefore, operate as a server. Thus, devices capable of operating as a server may include, as examples, dedicated rack-mounted servers, desktop computers, laptop computers, set top boxes, integrated devices combining various features, such as two or more features of the foregoing devices, or the like.

[0028] For purposes of this disclosure, a client (or user, entity, subscriber or customer) device may include a computing device capable of sending or receiving signals, such as via a wired or a wireless network. A client device may, for example, include a desktop computer or a portable device, such as a cellular telephone, a smart phone, a display pager, a radio frequency (RF) device, an infrared (IR) device a Near Field Communication (NFC) device, a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), a handheld computer, a tablet computer, a phablet, a laptop computer, a set top box, a wearable computer, smart watch, an integrated or distributed device combining various features, such as features of the forgoing devices, or the like.

[0029] A client device may vary in terms of capabilities or features. Claimed subject matter is intended to cover a wide range of potential variations, such as a web-enabled client device or previously mentioned devices may include a high-resolution screen (HD or 4K for example), one or more physical or virtual keyboards, mass storage, one or more accelerometers, one or more gyroscopes, global positioning system (GPS) or other location-identifying type capability, or a display with a high degree of functionality, such as a touch-sensitive color 2D or 3D display, for example.

[0030] Certain embodiments and principles will be discussed in more detail with reference to the figures. With reference to FIG. 1A, a system is depicted for a location 100 which includes thermostat 102, user equipment (UE) 112 (e.g., a client device, as mentioned above and discussed below in relation to FIG. 10), sensors 110, network 104, cloud system 106, database 108 and diffuser engine 200. It should be understood that while system 100 is depicted as including such components, it should not be construed as limiting, as one of ordinary skill in the art would readily understand that varying numbers of smoke detectors, UEs, sensors, cloud systems, databases and networks can be utilized; however, for purposes of explanation, system 100 is discussed in relation to the example depiction in FIG. 1A.

[0031] According to some embodiments, thermostat 102 is a temperature-regulating device commonly used in heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems to maintain a desired temperature within a space. Thermostat 102 includes several key components, including, but not limited to, a temperature sensor, humidity sensor, control circuitry, user interface (UI) and the like.

[0032] According to some embodiments, a temperature sensor of thermostat 102 measures the ambient temperature of the environment, converting it into an electrical signal that is interpreted by the control circuitry. In some embodiments, such circuitry compares the measured temperature to the user-set target temperature and activates or deactivates the heating or cooling system accordingly to achieve the desired temperature.

[0033] In some embodiments, thermostat 102 can incorporate advanced features like Wi-Fi connectivity for remote control and programmability for energy efficiency. As discussed herein, thermostat 102 plays a critical role in maintaining comfort and energy efficiency in residential, commercial, and industrial settings by regulating the temperature of climate systems based on user preferences and environmental conditions.

[0034] According to some embodiments, UE 112 can be any type of device, such as, but not limited to, a mobile phone, tablet, laptop, sensor, Internet of Things (IoT) device, autonomous machine, and any other device equipped with a cellular or wireless or wired transceiver. In some embodiments, UE 112 can be a device associated with an individual (or set of individuals) for which climate control services are being provided. In some embodiments, UE 112 may correspond to a device of a climate service provider entity (e.g., a thermostat, whereby the device can be and / or can have corresponding sensors 110, as discussed herein).

[0035] In some embodiments, a peripheral device (not shown) can be connected to UE 112, and can be any type of peripheral device, such as, but not limited to, a wearable device (e.g., smart watch), printer, speaker, sensor, and the like. In some embodiments, a peripheral device can be any type of device that is connectable to UE 112 (and / or sensor 110 and / or thermostat 102) via any type of known or to be known pairing mechanism, including, but not limited to, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth™, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), NFC, and the like.

[0036] According to some embodiments, sensors 110 can correspond to sensors associated with a location of system 100. In some embodiments, the sensors 110 can be, but are not limited to, temperature sensors (e.g., thermocouples, resistance temperature detectors (RTDs), thermistors, semiconductor based integrated circuits (IC), thermometers, and the like, for example), humidity sensors, cameras, glass break detectors, motion detectors, door and window contacts, heat and smoke detectors, carbon monoxide (CO) and / or carbon dioxide (CO2) detectors, PIR sensors, time-of-flight (ToF) sensors, and the like. For example, sensor 110 can be a temperature sensor associated with and / or connected to thermostat 102.

[0037] In some embodiments, the sensors 110 can involve an IoT environment and / or be associated with devices associated with the location of system 100, such as, for example, lights, smart locks, garage doors, smart appliances (e.g., thermostat, refrigerator, television, personal assistants (e.g., Alexa®, Nest®, for example)), smart phones, smart watches or other wearables, tablets, personal computers, and the like, and some combination thereof. For example, the sensors 110 can include the sensors on UE 112 (e.g., smart phone) and / or peripheral device (e.g., a paired smart watch).

[0038] In some embodiments, network 104 can be any type of network, such as, but not limited to, a wireless network, cellular network, the Internet, and the like (as discussed above). Network 104 facilitates connectivity of the components of system 100, as illustrated in FIG. 1.

[0039] According to some embodiments, cloud system 106 may be any type of cloud operating platform and / or network based system upon which applications, operations, and / or other forms of network resources may be located. For example, system 106 may be a service provider and / or network provider from where services and / or applications may be accessed, sourced or executed from. For example, system 106 can represent the cloud-based architecture associated with a security and / or climate-control system provider, which has associated network resources hosted on the internet or private network (e.g., network 104), which enables (via engine 200) the location management discussed herein.

[0040] In some embodiments, cloud system 106 may include a server(s) and / or a database of information which is accessible over network 104. In some embodiments, a database 108 of cloud system 106 may store a dataset of data and metadata associated with local and / or network information related to a user(s) of UE 112 / thermostat 102 and the UE 112 / thermostat 102, sensors 110, and the services and applications provided by cloud system 106 and / or diffuser engine 200.

[0041] In some embodiments, for example, cloud system 106 can provide a private / proprietary management platform, whereby engine 200, discussed infra, corresponds to the novel functionality system 106 enables, hosts and provides to a network 104 and other devices / platforms operating thereon.

[0042] Turning to FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, in some embodiments, the exemplary computer-based systems / platforms, the exemplary computer-based devices, and / or the exemplary computer-based components of the present disclosure may be specifically configured to operate in a cloud computing / architecture 106 such as, but not limiting to: infrastructure a service (IaaS) 510, platform as a service (PaaS) 508, and / or software as a service (SaaS) 506 using a web browser, mobile app, thin client, terminal emulator or other endpoint 504. FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 illustrate schematics of non-limiting implementations of the cloud computing / architecture(s) in which the exemplary computer-based systems for administrative customizations and control of network-hosted APIs of the present disclosure may be specifically configured to operate.

[0043] Turning back to FIG. 1A, according to some embodiments, database 108 may correspond to a data storage for a platform (e.g., a network hosted platform, such as cloud system 106, as discussed supra), a plurality of platforms, and / or thermostat 102, UE 112 and / or sensors 110. Database 108 may receive storage instructions / requests from, for example, engine 200 (and associated microservices), which may be in any type of known or to be known format, such as, for example, standard query language (SQL). According to some embodiments, database 108 may correspond to any type of known or to be known storage, for example, a memory or memory stack of a device, a distributed ledger of a distributed network (e.g., blockchain, for example), a look-up table (LUT), and / or any other type of secure data repository.

[0044] Diffuser engine 200, as discussed above and further below in more detail, can include components for the disclosed functionality. According to some embodiments, diffuser engine 200 may be a special purpose machine or processor, and can be hosted by a device on network 104, within cloud system 106, on UE 112, and / or thermostat 102 (and / or on sensors 110). In some embodiments, engine 200 may be hosted by a server and / or set of servers associated with cloud system 106.

[0045] According to some embodiments, as discussed in more detail below, diffuser engine 200 may be configured to implement and / or control a plurality of services and / or microservices, where each of the plurality of services / microservices are configured to execute a plurality of workflows associated with performing the disclosed location (e.g., climate) management. Non-limiting embodiments of such workflows are provided below.

[0046] According to some embodiments, as discussed above, diffuser engine 200 may function as an application provided by cloud system 106. In some embodiments, engine 200 may function as an application installed on a server(s), network location and / or other type of network resource associated with system 106. In some embodiments, engine 200 may function as an application installed and / or executing on UE 112 and / or thermostat 102. In some embodiments, such application may be a web-based application accessed by UE 112, thermostat 102 and / or devices associated with sensors 110 over network 104 from cloud system 106. In some embodiments, engine 200 may be configured and / or installed as an augmenting script, program or application (e.g., a plug-in or extension) to another application or program provided by cloud system 106 and / or executing on UE 112, sensors 110 and / or thermostat 102.

[0047] As illustrated in FIG. 1B, according to some embodiments, diffuser engine 200 includes identification module 202, analysis module 204, determination module 206 and control module 208. It should be understood that the engine(s) and modules discussed herein are non-exhaustive, as additional or fewer engines and / or modules (or sub-modules) may be applicable to the embodiments of the systems and methods discussed. More detail of the operations, configurations and functionalities of engine 200 and each of its modules, and their role within embodiments of the present disclosure will be discussed below.

[0048] Turning to FIG. 2, depicted is a non-limiting example embodiment of the disclosed HVAC controls.

[0049] By way of example, as in FIG. 2, as a user is depicted in “room 1”, therefore, the diffuser in that room can be activated and pointed to the user's location within the room, and the other diffusers in other rooms can be turned off or set to an operational mode (e.g., energy efficient mode) to ensure threshold temperature values are maintained.

[0050] Accordingly, as discussed herein and depicted in FIG. 2, in some embodiments, as discussed herein, the disclosed framework can operate to automatically and dynamically activate and / or control HVAC equipment at a location (e.g., home, office, building, and the like). The disclosed framework is designed to track user movements and manipulate HVAC diffusers for dynamic temperature and climate control by integrating various technologies to enhance comfort and energy efficiency. The framework employs sensors, such as motion detectors, infrared cameras, and the like, to monitor the location and activities of individuals within a space in real-time (as depicted in FIG. 1, discussed supra). The data collected can be processed by an intelligent control system that uses algorithms to predict occupancy patterns and adjust the HVAC settings accordingly (as discussed in more detail below in relation to FIG. 3, infra).

[0051] Thus, by directing air flow through motorized diffusers, the system can provide personalized climate control, ensuring optimal temperature and air quality in occupied areas while reducing energy consumption in unoccupied zones. Indeed, such disclosed approach not only enhances user comfort but also contributes to significant energy savings and a more sustainable operation of the HVAC system.

[0052] Turning to FIG. 3, Process 300 provides non-limiting example embodiments of the disclosed framework that provides features, capabilities and / or functionality for enhanced and / or improved customization and integration of HVAC and / or climate-related controls for a location (e.g., home). According to some embodiments, as discussed below, the disclosed framework can function to provide HVAC equipment and / or a thermostat, for example, with capabilities to operate certain connected devices / sensors according to controls that correlate to managing certain real-world, real-time events, which can effectuate an improved operational environment via the modified climate controls.

[0053] According to some embodiments, Steps 302-308 can be performed by identification module 202 of diffuser engine 200; Step 310 can be performed by analysis module 204; Steps 312 and 314 can be performed by determination module 206; and Steps 316 and 318 can be performed by control module 208.

[0054] According to some embodiments, Process 300 begins with Step 302 where engine 200 can monitor activity at / within a location. According to some embodiments, such monitoring can correspond to tracking users'(and / or animals') movements in and / or around a location. In some embodiments, such tracking may only correspond to tracking known (or resident) users, which can be performed via a variety of know mechanisms (e.g., using computer vision, for example, to perform facial recognition of the user from captured imagery, detecting the user's device being within the perimeter of the location, and the like, for example).

[0055] For purposes of the discussion of the steps of Process 300, the operations will be discussed with reference to a single human user; however, one of ordinary skill in the art would easily recognize that the disclosed mechanisms can be extended to a plurality of users and / or animals without departing from the scope of the instant disclosure.

[0056] Accordingly, in Step 302, engine 200 can monitor the location for movement and / or presence activity of a user within the location. The location, as discussed herein, can be any type of known or to be known structure for which a climate control system can be used to control how the heating, ventilation and / or air conditioning equipment and controls are applied (e.g., home, office, garage, and the like).

[0057] According to some embodiments, such monitoring can occur according to, but not limited to, periodically, continuously, a criteria, a detected event, request, and the like, or some combination thereof. In some embodiments, such criteria can correspond to, but is not limited to, measurements, a time period, date, user identity (ID), threshold values (e.g., measurements meet or satisfy a threshold-for example, a temperature is at or below a threshold, for example), mode / settings on the thermostat, movements of a user within and / or among rooms of the location, and the like, or some combination thereof.

[0058] In Step 304, engine 200 can track the activity of the user via the monitoring in Step 302. For example, engine 200 can perform such monitoring, such that upon detection of the presence of a user and / or upon detected movements (e.g. at or above a threshold level) of the user, the activity of the user can be tracked. Such tracking, as discussed herein, can involve the collection of activity (or movement) data of the user (as in Step 306) and collection of location data (as in Step 308).

[0059] According to some embodiments, the collection can be specific to sensors and / or devices at the location, which can correspond to and / or indicate data related to the sensors / devices operations, detected movements, idleness, measurements / values, modes, type, timestamps, and the like, or some combination thereof. In some embodiments, the collected data (for Steps 306 and 308) can be stored in database 108, as discussed above.

[0060] Accordingly, in some embodiments, the collected activity data in Step 306 can correspond to, but is not limited to, user ID, time stamps of movement, starting point, ending point, rate of movement, and the like. In some embodiments, the collected location data in Step 308 can correspond to, but not be limited to, an ID of the position within the location of the movement (e.g., starting point, ending point, position within the ending point (e.g., wherein the room is the user), time stamps of such movements, and the like. In some embodiments, the location data can include measurements which can be GPS coordinates, device coordinates, directions, and the like. For example, BLE signals of sensors in a room can be utilized to determine the positioning of the user and / or the user's device.

[0061] In some embodiments, the location data can further provide climate related characteristics of the position of the user (e.g., ending point of the movement, for example). Such characteristics can include information related to, but not limited to, temperature, humidity, precipitation, air quality, season, air patterns, thermostat mode (e.g., summer mode / winter mode), and the like, or some combination thereof.

[0062] Accordingly, at the conclusion of Steps 306-308, engine 200 will have performed monitoring movements of the user to determine the current position of the user within the location (e.g., in which room of a house, and where in the room, is the user currently positioned). For example, the user is sitting in their recliner chair in their living room.

[0063] According to some embodiments, the tracking and collection of data for Step 304-308 can be performed according to a threshold movement value. That is, until the user stops for at least a predetermined period of time, the user will be considered in transit, and such tracking and collection of corresponding data can continue.

[0064] In Step 310, engine 200 can analyze the activity data and the location data. Such computational analysis can be performed by engine 200 implementing / executing any type of known or to be known computational analysis technique, algorithm, mechanism or technology.

[0065] In some embodiments, engine 200 may include a specific trained artificial intelligence / machine learning model (AI / ML), a particular machine learning model architecture, a particular machine learning model type (e.g., convolutional neural network (CNN), recurrent neural network (RNN), autoencoder, support vector machine (SVM), and the like), or any other suitable definition of a machine learning model or any suitable combination thereof.

[0066] In some embodiments, engine 200 may be configured to utilize one or more AI / ML techniques chosen from, but not limited to, computer vision, feature vector analysis, decision trees, boosting, support-vector machines, neural networks, nearest neighbor algorithms, Naive Bayes, bagging, random forests, logistic regression, and the like. By way of a non-limiting example, engine 200 can implement an XGBoost algorithm for regression and / or classification to analyze the collected data, as discussed herein.

[0067] According to some embodiments and, optionally, in combination of any embodiment described above or below, a neural network technique may be one of, without limitation, feedforward neural network, radial basis function network, recurrent neural network, convolutional network (e.g., U-net) or other suitable network. In some embodiments and, optionally, in combination of any embodiment described above or below, an implementation of Neural Network may be executed as follows:

[0068] a. define Neural Network architecture / model,

[0069] b. transfer the input data to the neural network model,

[0070] c. train the model incrementally,

[0071] d. determine the accuracy for a specific number of timesteps,

[0072] e. apply the trained model to process the newly-received input data,

[0073] f. optionally and in parallel, continue to train the trained model with a predetermined periodicity.

[0074] In some embodiments and, optionally, in combination of any embodiment described above or below, the trained neural network model may specify a neural network by at least a neural network topology, a series of activation functions, and connection weights. For example, the topology of a neural network may include a configuration of nodes of the neural network and connections between such nodes. In some embodiments and, optionally, in combination of any embodiment described above or below, the trained neural network model may also be specified to include other parameters, including but not limited to, bias values / functions and / or aggregation functions. For example, an activation function of a node may be a step function, sine function, continuous or piecewise linear function, sigmoid function, hyperbolic tangent function, or other type of mathematical function that represents a threshold at which the node is activated. In some embodiments and, optionally, in combination of any embodiment described above or below, the aggregation function may be a mathematical function that combines (e.g., sum, product, and the like) input signals to the node. In some embodiments and, optionally, in combination of any embodiment described above or below, an output of the aggregation function may be used as input to the activation function. In some embodiments and, optionally, in combination of any embodiment described above or below, the bias may be a constant value or function that may be used by the aggregation function and / or the activation function to make the node more or less likely to be activated.

[0075] In Step 312, based on the analysis in Step 310, engine 200 can determine climate operations. Such climate operations can involve determining which climate operations by an HVAC system, for example, are needed to render the appropriate climate in the room and position within such room that the user currently occupies. For example, turn the air conditioning up a certain level and / or turn on a fan to a preset mode in a particular direction to cause the temperature in the room to reduce at a specified rate until a desired / predetermined (e.g., as per a specific mode) temperature is achieved.

[0076] In Step 314, engine 200 can further determine, based on the analysis in Step 310, which components can be utilized to achieve the determined climate operations. For example, which components of the HVAC (e.g., air conditioning, heating or ventilation, for example) and / or which diffusers, registers and / or air outlets are to be activated in specific configurations to cause air to point to specific directions within the room according to the climate operations (of Step 312). For example, rather than causing the air conditioning to generally be dispersed within the room, the air can be focused on the recliner chair the user is sitting in (as per the above example).

[0077] In some embodiments, as indicated via the “dashed” line from Step 312 to Step 314 in FIG. 3, engine 200 can determine the components based further on the determination in Step 312. Thus, in some embodiments, Step 314 may involve re-performing the analysis in Steep 310 based further on the information determined in Step 312 (e.g., the activity data, location data and information related to the climate operations being input into an AI / ML model, as discussed above, to determine the components of the climate system).

[0078] In Step 316, based on the determinations in Step 312 and Step 314, engine 200 can compile executable instructions for the climate system. Such instructions can be configured as a data structure that includes the information determined in Step 312 and Step 314 (and, in some embodiments, may include information related to the collections in Step 306 and 308). Such data structure can be stored in database 108; and in some embodiments, can be stored as an operation mode for a thermostat to operate.

[0079] And, in Step 318, engine 200 can execute the climate system instructions, which causes the manipulation of the components of the climate system. For example, in some embodiments, as provided via the determinations in Step 312 and Step 314, such climate system (e.g., HVAC) manipulation can cause the direction of output from the HVAC system within the current room to the current position of the user (e.g., to the recliner chair for which the user is sitting, for example).

[0080] In some embodiments, engine 200 may notify the user (e.g., the user in the location, for another administrator user, for example) to request approval to perform such climate system instructions. For example, some users may not want air conditioning or heat directed directly at them (e.g., they do want a draft); therefore, a notification can be sent to the user to request approval via an electronic message (e.g., or smart phone notification, for example). In another embodiments, the identity of the user can be leveraged to perform such determination. For example, it is known that “dad” does not like the air conditioning being blown at him, and upon detection of his presence in the room, as discussed above, such climate system instructions can be modified to direct the air flow in his direction, but at a rate and / or direction that satisfies a predetermined value (e.g., 3 feet away from the user's position).

[0081] As indicated in FIG. 3, upon performing such manipulation, Process 300 can be recursively activated so that continued monitoring is performed subsequent the manipulation so that accurate and current climate operations can be performed for the location as the user moves within, stays idle and / or exits the location.

[0082] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating a client device showing an example embodiment of a client device that may be used within the present disclosure. Client device 600 may include many more or less components than those shown in FIG. 6. However, the components shown are sufficient to disclose an illustrative embodiment for implementing the present disclosure. Client device 600 may represent, for example, UE 112 discussed above at least in relation to FIG. 1.

[0083] As shown in the figure, in some embodiments, Client device 600 includes a processing unit (CPU) 622 in communication with a mass memory 630 via a bus 624. Client device 600 also includes a power supply 626, one or more network interfaces 650, an audio interface 652, a display 654, a keypad 656, an illuminator 658, an input / output interface 660, a haptic interface 662, an optional global positioning systems (GPS) receiver 664 and a camera(s) or other optical, thermal or electromagnetic sensors 666. Device 600 can include one camera / sensor 666, or a plurality of cameras / sensors 666, as understood by those of skill in the art. Power supply 626 provides power to Client device 600.

[0084] Client device 600 may optionally communicate with a base station (not shown), or directly with another computing device. In some embodiments, network interface 650 is sometimes known as a transceiver, transceiving device, or network interface card (NIC).

[0085] Audio interface 652 is arranged to produce and receive audio signals such as the sound of a human voice in some embodiments. Display 654 may be a liquid crystal display (LCD), gas plasma, light emitting diode (LED), or any other type of display used with a computing device. Display 654 may also include a touch sensitive screen arranged to receive input from an object such as a stylus or a digit from a human hand.

[0086] Keypad 656 may include any input device arranged to receive input from a user. Illuminator 658 may provide a status indication and / or provide light.

[0087] Client device 600 also includes input / output interface 660 for communicating with external. Input / output interface 660 can utilize one or more communication technologies, such as USB, infrared, Bluetooth™, or the like in some embodiments. Haptic interface 662 is arranged to provide tactile feedback to a user of the client device.

[0088] Optional GPS transceiver 664 can determine the physical coordinates of Client device 600 on the surface of the Earth, which typically outputs a location as latitude and longitude values. GPS transceiver 664 can also employ other geo-positioning mechanisms, including, but not limited to, triangulation, assisted GPS (AGPS), E-OTD, CI, SAI, ETA, BSS or the like, to further determine the physical location of client device 600 on the surface of the Earth. In one embodiment, however, Client device 600 may through other components, provide other information that may be employed to determine a physical location of the device, including for example, a MAC address, Internet Protocol (IP) address, or the like.

[0089] Mass memory 630 includes a RAM 632, a ROM 634, and other storage means. Mass memory 630 illustrates another example of computer storage media for storage of information such as computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules or other data. Mass memory 630 stores a basic input / output system (“BIOS”) 640 for controlling low-level operation of Client device 600. The mass memory also stores an operating system 641 for controlling the operation of Client device 600.

[0090] Memory 630 further includes one or more data stores, which can be utilized by Client device 600 to store, among other things, applications 642 and / or other information or data. For example, data stores may be employed to store information that describes various capabilities of Client device 600. The information may then be provided to another device based on any of a variety of events, including being sent as part of a header (e.g., index file of the HLS stream) during a communication, sent upon request, or the like. At least a portion of the capability information may also be stored on a disk drive or other storage medium (not shown) within Client device 600.

[0091] Applications 642 may include computer executable instructions which, when executed by Client device 600, transmit, receive, and / or otherwise process audio, video, images, and enable telecommunication with a server and / or another user of another client device. Applications 642 may further include a client that is configured to send, to receive, and / or to otherwise process gaming, goods / services and / or other forms of data, messages and content hosted and provided by the platform associated with engine 200 and its affiliates.

[0092] As used herein, the terms “computer engine” and “engine” identify at least one software component and / or a combination of at least one software component and at least one hardware component which are designed / programmed / configured to manage / control other software and / or hardware components (such as the libraries, software development kits (SDKs), objects, and the like).

[0093] Examples of hardware elements may include processors, microprocessors, circuits, circuit elements (e.g., transistors, resistors, capacitors, inductors, and so forth), integrated circuits, application specific integrated circuits (ASIC), programmable logic devices (PLD), digital signal processors (DSP), field programmable gate array (FPGA), logic gates, registers, semiconductor device, chips, microchips, chip sets, and so forth. In some embodiments, the one or more processors may be implemented as a Complex Instruction Set Computer (CISC) or Reduced Instruction Set Computer (RISC) processors; x86 instruction set compatible processors, multi-core, or any other microprocessor or central processing unit (CPU). In various implementations, the one or more processors may be dual-core processor(s), dual-core mobile processor(s), and so forth.

[0094] Computer-related systems, computer systems, and systems, as used herein, include any combination of hardware and software. Examples of software may include software components, programs, applications, operating system software, middleware, firmware, software modules, routines, subroutines, functions, methods, procedures, software interfaces, application program interfaces (API), instruction sets, computer code, computer code segments, words, values, symbols, or any combination thereof. Determining whether an embodiment is implemented using hardware elements and / or software elements may vary in accordance with any number of factors, such as desired computational rate, power levels, heat tolerances, processing cycle budget, input data rates, output data rates, memory resources, data bus speeds and other design or performance constraints.

[0095] For the purposes of this disclosure a module is a software, hardware, or firmware (or combinations thereof) system, process or functionality, or component thereof, that performs or facilitates the processes, features, and / or functions described herein (with or without human interaction or augmentation). A module can include sub-modules. Software components of a module may be stored on a computer readable medium for execution by a processor. Modules may be integral to one or more servers, or be loaded and executed by one or more servers. One or more modules may be grouped into an engine or an application.

[0096] One or more aspects of at least one embodiment may be implemented by representative instructions stored on a machine-readable medium which represents various logic within the processor, which when read by a machine causes the machine to fabricate logic to perform the techniques described herein. Such representations, known as “IP cores,” may be stored on a tangible, machine readable medium and supplied to various customers or manufacturing facilities to load into the fabrication machines that make the logic or processor. Of note, various embodiments described herein may, of course, be implemented using any appropriate hardware and / or computing software languages (e.g., C++, Objective-C, Swift, Java, JavaScript, Python, Perl, QT, and the like).

[0097] For example, exemplary software specifically programmed in accordance with one or more principles of the present disclosure may be downloadable from a network, for example, a website, as a stand-alone product or as an add-in package for installation in an existing software application. For example, exemplary software specifically programmed in accordance with one or more principles of the present disclosure may also be available as a client-server software application, or as a web-enabled software application. For example, exemplary software specifically programmed in accordance with one or more principles of the present disclosure may also be embodied as a software package installed on a hardware device.

[0098] For the purposes of this disclosure the term “user”, “subscriber”“consumer” or “customer” should be understood to refer to a user of an application or applications as described herein and / or a consumer of data supplied by a data provider. By way of example, and not limitation, the term “user” or “subscriber” can refer to a person who receives data provided by the data or service provider over the Internet in a browser session, or can refer to an automated software application which receives the data and stores or processes the data. Those skilled in the art will recognize that the methods and systems of the present disclosure may be implemented in many manners and as such are not to be limited by the foregoing exemplary embodiments and examples. In other words, functional elements being performed by single or multiple components, in various combinations of hardware and software or firmware, and individual functions, may be distributed among software applications at either the client level or server level or both. In this regard, any number of the features of the different embodiments described herein may be combined into single or multiple embodiments, and alternate embodiments having fewer than, or more than, all of the features described herein are possible.

[0099] Functionality may also be, in whole or in part, distributed among multiple components, in manners now known or to become known. Thus, myriad software / hardware / firmware combinations are possible in achieving the functions, features, interfaces and preferences described herein. Moreover, the scope of the present disclosure covers conventionally known manners for carrying out the described features and functions and interfaces, as well as those variations and modifications that may be made to the hardware or software or firmware components described herein as would be understood by those skilled in the art now and hereafter.

[0100] Furthermore, the embodiments of methods presented and described as flowcharts in this disclosure are provided by way of example in order to provide a more complete understanding of the technology. The disclosed methods are not limited to the operations and logical flow presented herein. Alternative embodiments are contemplated in which the order of the various operations is altered and in which sub-operations described as being part of a larger operation are performed independently.

[0101] While various embodiments have been described for purposes of this disclosure, such embodiments should not be deemed to limit the teaching of this disclosure to those embodiments. Various changes and modifications may be made to the elements and operations described above to obtain a result that remains within the scope of the systems and processes described in this disclosure.

Claims

1. A method comprising:monitoring, at a location, movement by a user within the location, the monitoring performed by tracking, via sensors at the location, a current position of the user within the location;determining, by the location, a current room of the user within the location based on the current position of the user, the determination further comprising determining a current position of the user within the current room; andmanipulating, based on the current room and current position determination, components of a heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system, the manipulation of the components comprising directing an output from the HVAC system within the current room based on the current position of the user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the components of the HVAC system comprise at least one of a diffuser, register and air outlet.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:determining characteristics of a climate related to the location, wherein the characteristics comprise information related to at least one of temperature, humidity, precipitation, air quality, season and air patterns.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:performing manipulation of the components of the HVAC system based further on the determined characteristics of the climate related to the location.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:collecting, based on the tracking of the user, activity data of the user and location data related to the activity data;determining, based on analysis of the collected activity data and location data, the user has ended the movement for at least a threshold period of time; anddetermining the current room of the user based further on the threshold based determination.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the collected activity data and location data are stored in a database, wherein the stored data is utilized to train a computer model that performs the analysis of the collected activity data and location data.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein a thermostat associated with the HVAC system controls the manipulation.

8. A heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system comprising:a processor configured to:monitor, at a location, movement by a user within the location, the monitoring performed by tracking, via sensors at the location, a current position of the user within the location;determine, by the location, a current room of the user within the location based on the current position of the user, the determination further comprising determining a current position of the user within the current room; andmanipulate, based on the current room and current position determination, components of the HVAC system, the manipulation of the components comprising directing an output from the HVAC system within the current room based on the current position of the user.

9. The HVAC system of claim 8, wherein the components of the HVAC system comprise at least one of a diffuser, register and air outlet.

10. The HVAC system of claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to:determine characteristics of a climate related to the location, wherein the characteristics comprise information related to at least one of temperature, humidity, precipitation, air quality, season and air patterns.

11. The HVAC system of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to:perform manipulation of the components of the HVAC system based further on the determined characteristics of the climate related to the location.

12. The HVAC system of claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to:collect, based on the tracking of the user, activity data of the user and location data related to the activity data;determine, based on analysis of the collected activity data and location data, the user has ended the movement for at least a threshold period of time; anddetermine the current room of the user based further on the threshold based determination.

13. The HVAC system of claim 12, wherein the collected activity data and location data are stored in a database, wherein the stored data is utilized to train a computer model that performs the analysis of the collected activity data and location data.

14. The HVAC system of claim 8, wherein a thermostat associated with the HVAC system controls the manipulation.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium tangibly encoded with computer-executable instructions that when executed by a processor, perform a method comprising:monitoring, at a location, movement by a user within the location, the monitoring performed by tracking, via sensors at the location, a current position of the user within the location;determining, by the location, a current room of the user within the location based on the current position of the user, the determination further comprising determining a current position of the user within the current room; andmanipulating, based on the current room and current position determination, components of a heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system, the manipulation of the components comprising directing an output from the HVAC system within the current room based on the current position of the user.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the components of the HVAC system comprise at least one of a diffuser, register and air outlet.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, further comprising:determining characteristics of a climate related to the location, wherein the characteristics comprise information related to at least one of temperature, humidity, precipitation, air quality, season and air patterns; andperforming manipulation of the components of the HVAC system based further on the determined characteristics of the climate related to the location.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, further comprising:collecting, based on the tracking of the user, activity data of the user and location data related to the activity data;determining, based on analysis of the collected activity data and location data, the user has ended the movement for at least a threshold period of time; anddetermining the current room of the user based further on the threshold based determination.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the collected activity data and location data are stored in a database, wherein the stored data is utilized to train a computer model that performs the analysis of the collected activity data and location data.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein a thermostat associated with the HVAC system controls the manipulation.

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