Thermostat control based on activity within property
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional HVAC system control methods often fail to maintain optimal environmental conditions across different zones of a property, leading to discomfort and inefficiency, as they rely on single-point temperature and humidity measurements rather than considering occupancy and varying conditions across multiple locations.
Innovation Solution
A disaggregated thermostat system that utilizes sensors to detect environmental conditions and occupancy across various zones, allowing for intelligent control of HVAC systems to maintain target temperatures and humidity levels based on the location of users, even if it means adjusting temperatures in one zone at the expense of others.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a single-point temperature and humidity measurement method is used to control HVAC systems, then the control system is simple and energy consumption is reduced, but the environmental conditions cannot be optimized across different zones leading to user discomfort
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the property into multiple zones with separate environmental sensors and control capabilities. Each zone has its own temperature and humidity sensors that independently monitor conditions, allowing the HVAC system to be segmented into zone-specific control units rather than a single centralized control point.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements local environmental control by adjusting HVAC operations based on conditions in specific occupied zones rather than treating the entire property uniformly. The disaggregated thermostat modifies temperatures and humidity levels in occupied areas while allowing unoccupied zones to operate independently, providing locally optimized comfort.
2Loss of energy
If HVAC systems control environmental conditions uniformly across all zones, then the control logic is simple, but energy efficiency decreases due to conditioning unoccupied areas
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses occupancy sensors and user location data to predict which zones will be occupied and pre-conditions those specific areas before arrival. The disaggregated thermostat receives location information from mobile devices and proactively adjusts environmental settings in anticipated occupied zones, avoiding energy waste in areas that remain unoccupied.
Solution Approach 2:
The HVAC system applies environmental control only to the extent necessary for occupied zones rather than uniformly across the entire property. The disaggregated thermostat selectively conditions specific areas based on real-time occupancy detection, applying partial control action only where needed rather than excessive uniform control throughout.
3Measurement precision
If the thermostat monitors environmental conditions at multiple locations, then zone-specific comfort can be achieved, but the system complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs multi-functional sensor units that simultaneously detect temperature, humidity, and occupancy status within each zone. These universal sensors serve multiple purposes: environmental monitoring, presence detection, and trigger generation for HVAC control, reducing the need for separate specialized devices for each function.
Solution Approach 2:
The disaggregated thermostat acts as an intermediary device that aggregates data from multiple distributed sensors and translates them into coordinated HVAC control signals. Rather than requiring direct complex communication between all sensors and the central HVAC system, the thermostat serves as a mediating intelligence that simplifies the overall system architecture.
4Productivity
If the HVAC system adjusts temperatures based on user location, then energy efficiency improves by avoiding conditioning unoccupied zones, but the system requires complex location tracking and zone management
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously receives feedback from occupancy sensors, user mobile devices, and environmental sensors to dynamically adjust HVAC operations. The disaggregated thermostat monitors real-time location data and occupancy status, using this feedback loop to automatically modify temperature and humidity settings in occupied zones while maintaining energy efficiency through responsive, data-driven control decisions.
Data Source
AI summary
Controller technology, in which data specifying a user preference relating to an environmental parameter for a property is received. Based on data collected by a monitoring system, a location of one or more users within the property is identified. Environmental condition data for the property is accessed, the environmental condition data including environmental condition data for the location of the users within the property and other unoccupied locations within the property. The environmental condition data for the property is analyzed with respect to the preference relating to the environmental parameter for the property. Based on the analysis of the environmental condition data for the property with respect to the preference relating to the environmental parameter for the property, a setting for at least one component of an HVAC system is determined. The at least one component of the HVAC system is controlled according to the determined setting.