HVAC Voice Feedback Control to Reduce False-Positive Occupancy Waste
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Solution Overview
Problem
HVAC systems in commercial buildings face inefficiencies due to unreliable occupancy sensors, leading to unnecessary heating or cooling of unoccupied spaces, resulting in energy waste.
Innovation Solution
Implementing voice assist devices to detect natural language statements and sentiment regarding temperature, allowing for dynamic adjustment of HVAC settings based on occupant preferences and expected occupancy, using location determination through GPS, Wi-Fi, or Bluetooth signals.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If traditional occupancy sensors are used to control HVAC systems, then automated temperature adjustment is achieved, but false-positives occur causing unnecessary heating or cooling of unoccupied zones
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces voice assist devices as intermediary sensors that detect occupancy through voice commands and natural language statements. These devices serve as mediators between occupants and the HVAC system, providing more reliable occupancy detection by analyzing sentiment and context from spoken language rather than relying on traditional motion or CO2 sensors that produce false-positives.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback by continuously monitoring utterance data from voice assist devices and adjusting HVAC operations based on detected sentiment and occupancy status. This closed-loop feedback mechanism allows the system to respond dynamically to actual occupancy conditions, correcting the reliability issues of traditional sensors.
2Ease of operation
If HVAC systems run continuously to maintain comfortable temperatures, then occupant comfort is ensured, but energy consumption increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by transitioning from static, pre-programmed HVAC schedules to dynamic, real-time temperature adjustment based on detected occupancy and sentiment. The system continuously adapts temperature setpoints according to actual occupancy conditions and occupant preferences expressed through voice feedback, ensuring comfort only when and where needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary action by predicting expected occupancy patterns from historical utterance data and proactively adjusting temperatures in advance. This allows the HVAC system to prepare comfortable environments before occupants arrive while avoiding energy waste in unoccupied zones.
3Loss of energy
If manual thermostats are used requiring human adjustment, then energy waste is reduced by matching occupancy, but operational convenience decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service by enabling the HVAC system to automatically adjust temperatures based on occupancy detection from voice assist devices and sentiment analysis of natural language statements. The system serves itself by interpreting occupant preferences from casual conversation and autonomously making temperature adjustments without requiring manual thermostat interaction.
Solution Approach 2:
Voice assist devices serve multiple functions: they act as occupancy sensors, temperature sensors through sentiment analysis, and user interfaces all in one. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate manual thermostat adjustments while maintaining energy efficiency.
Data Source
AI summary
A building management system includes one or more processors, and one or more computer-readable storage media communicably coupled to the one or more processors and having instructions stored thereon that cause the one or more processors to: receive utterance data from a voice assist device; determine a location of the voice assist device; analyze the utterance data to identify a sentiment relating to a temperature of the location; and control an HVAC system to adjust the temperature of the location based on the sentiment.