Gesture control of building automation system components during installation and/or maintenance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Technicians face difficulties in configuring and maintaining building automation system components, such as HVAC systems, especially when they are located in hard-to-reach areas, as they need to operate laptops or similar devices to control these systems during installation and maintenance.
Innovation Solution
A wearable device, like a smartwatch, is used to detect gestures that are then communicated to a mobile device, which corresponds these gestures to specific commands for the HVAC system, allowing hands-free control and configuration of the system components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a technician uses a laptop computer to control and configure building automation system components, then the technician can communicate with and control the configurable component, but the technician must physically operate the laptop which becomes difficult when the technician is on a ladder or in hard-to-reach locations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical/physical operation of a laptop computer with a gesture-based control system. The wearable device detects gestures through motion sensors and translates them into control commands, substituting the need for manual laptop operation with automatic gesture recognition and command execution.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a wearable device as an intermediary between the technician's gestures and the building automation system. This wearable device acts as a mediator that captures gestures, processes them through gesture interpretation logic, and transmits the corresponding commands to the configurable component, eliminating the need for direct laptop operation.
2Productivity
If a technician manually operates a laptop while working on a ladder or in difficult-to-reach locations, then the technician can configure the component, but the technician's ability to make manual adjustments is significantly reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables the technician to perform configuration tasks independently through gesture commands without needing to return to a workstation or manually operate a laptop. The wearable device and building automation system work together to automatically interpret gestures and execute configuration commands, allowing the technician to self-service the configuration process while maintaining hands-free operation.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a laptop computer is used to control building automation components during installation and maintenance, then communication with the component is possible, but the technician requires two hands to operate the device which is impractical when working in confined or elevated spaces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a dynamic control system where the wearable device adapts to the technician's movement and position. The gesture recognition system dynamically interprets motions regardless of the technician's location or posture, allowing control of the building automation system from any position including ladders, ceilings, or behind walls, thereby providing adaptability to different work positions.
Data Source
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AI summary
An HVAC component may be configured using a wearable device and a mobile device that is operatively coupled to the wearable device. The wearable device may be configured to capture one or more gestures that correspond to a particular HVAC component command, and to communicate the captured gestures to the mobile device. In response, the mobile device may carry out the HVAC component command that corresponds to the captured gesture. In this way, an installer may configure the HVAC component while lessening the need to directly enter commands into the mobile device and/or some other device.