Method and apparatus for ensuring air quality in a building, including method and apparatus for controlling a working device using a handheld unit having scanning, networking, display and input capability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Buildings requiring high air exchange rates for safety, such as laboratories, incur significant energy losses due to increased ventilation needs, and working devices often include costly on-board display screens for control.
Innovation Solution
A novel air treatment device reduces air exchange rates by filtering noxious substances, and a handheld unit with scanning, networking, and input capabilities controls devices without on-board screens, using QR codes for communication.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If high air exchange rates are used in laboratory spaces to ensure safety and comfort, then air quality and occupant safety are improved, but energy consumption increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system recovers and reuses exhaust air from laboratory spaces by filtering it through portable air treatment devices, then returning the cleaned air to the space. This eliminates the need to continuously introduce and condition fresh outdoor air, significantly reducing energy consumption while maintaining air quality safety.
Solution Approach 2:
Portable air treatment devices act as intermediaries between the laboratory space and the outdoor environment. These devices filter noxious substances from exhaust air and return cleaned air to the space, serving as a mediator that maintains air quality without requiring high-rate air exchanges with the outdoors.
2Ease of operation
If on-board display screens are included in working devices for control, then ease of operation is improved, but device cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control interface functionality is extracted from the working device itself and placed on a separate handheld device. The working device only needs minimal control elements, while the display and advanced control features reside on the user's handheld device, reducing the cost of the working device while maintaining ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
A single handheld device serves as the control interface for multiple working devices throughout the facility. The handheld device can scan QR codes on different devices and control them through a centralized system, providing universal control functionality that eliminates the need for individual display screens on each working device.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution reduces energy consumption by transforming high air exchange rates to lower rates while ensuring safety and eliminates the need for costly on-board display screens by using a handheld unit for device control.
Implementation Method 1
A novel air treatment device reduces air exchange rates by filtering noxious substances
Data Source
AI summary
A method for wirelessly controlling a working device using a handheld unit, the method including connecting the working device to a central server by a network, wherein the working device is uniquely identified on the network by an assigned network address, wherein a device-specific identification marker is linked to the assigned network address of the working device; scanning the identification marker with the handheld unit, whereby to identify the working device and the assigned network address linked to the working device; and using the handheld unit to cause the central server to communicate with and control the working device at the assigned network address, whereby to allow the user to control operation of the working device via the handheld device and/or to receive data concerning the working device from the central server.