Locational environmental control
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional HVAC systems are not adapted to mobile communication environments, failing to provide personalized and efficient climate control as users move within a space, especially in environments with multiple occupants.
Innovation Solution
The system integrates with mobile devices to track their location using GPS and other locational schemes, retrieves user profiles for preferred settings, and directs airflow vectors to optimize heating or cooling based on user positions, implementing environmental compromises for multiple users through a central server that generates motor commands for air terminal alignment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional HVAC systems are used, then basic climate control is provided, but the system cannot adapt to user movement or provide personalized control
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the climate control function by introducing separate location detection components (GPS, accelerometers, gyroscopes in mobile devices) that independently track user position, then integrates this data with the HVAC system. This allows the HVAC system to adapt to user movement without requiring complete system redesign, resolving the contradiction between adaptability and complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses mobile devices as intermediary components between the user and the HVAC system. The mobile device detects location, processes movement data, and communicates with the HVAC controller, serving as a mediator that enables adaptive control without directly modifying the HVAC system's core architecture, thus maintaining相对较低 complexity while achieving high adaptability.
2Productivity
If location tracking and personalized control are implemented, then climate control efficiency is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent leverages the mobile device's existing multi-functional capabilities (GPS for location, accelerometers for movement detection, processor for data analysis) to handle climate control coordination. By using a universal device already present in users' pockets for multiple functions including HVAC control, the system achieves improved climate control efficiency without adding dedicated complex tracking infrastructure.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables self-service by allowing the mobile device to autonomously track its own location, process movement data, and automatically communicate position information to the HVAC system. This eliminates the need for external tracking infrastructure or manual input, improving efficiency while keeping the system architecture relatively simple through automated self-monitoring and self-reporting.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple user profiles are supported, then personalized control is achieved, but information processing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system creates and stores simplified copies of user preferences (temperature settings, humidity preferences, airflow requirements) in the HVAC controller's memory or database. Instead of processing complete user profiles each time, the system retrieves and applies these pre-processed preference copies based on detected user location, enabling personalized control while reducing real-time data processing burden.
Data Source
AI summary
Directional environmental control provides nearly immediate comfort. A location associated with a mobile device determines an air terminal that best serves the location. Conditioned air may thus be streamed from the air terminal to the location associated with the mobile device. The conditioned air may be heated or cooled according to a profile associated with a user of the mobile device.