Occupant-Aware Load Control Using Mobile Sensor Feedback
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current load control systems fail to utilize information collected from occupants and their mobile devices to effectively control electrical loads, limiting their ability to be responsive and convenient.
Innovation Solution
A load control system that includes a system controller and mobile devices to gather information about occupants' physical conditions through sensors, allowing for the automatic adjustment of electrical loads such as lighting, temperature, and window treatments based on detected parameters like sleep, stress, or movement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If load control systems use traditional control devices without occupant information, then system complexity is reduced, but the system cannot respond intuitively to occupant needs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces mobile devices as intermediary components between occupants and the load control system. These mobile devices collect occupant information through sensors and communicate with control devices, enabling intuitive response to occupant conditions without requiring complex integration of multiple sensor systems throughout the environment.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs mobile devices that serve multiple functions: they act as information collection points for occupant conditions, communication interfaces between occupants and the control system, and portable control units. This multi-functionality enables adaptability without proportionally increasing system complexity.
2Measurement precision
If load control systems integrate multiple sensors and mobile devices to collect occupant information, then control precision and comfort are improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent leverages the mobile device's built-in sensors (accelerometer, gyroscope, biometric sensors) that already exist in the device, eliminating the need for separate sensing systems. The mobile device uses its own resources to collect occupant information, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining measurement precision.
Solution Approach 2:
By utilizing the mobile device's existing multi-functional capabilities (sensing, processing, communication), the system achieves precise occupant condition detection without adding separate specialized components for each function.
3Loss of energy
If the system automatically controls electrical loads based on sensed parameters, then energy efficiency is improved, but loss of information about manual override preferences increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms where the system continuously monitors both automatic control performance and manual override actions. When occupants manually adjust loads, the system learns from these actions and adapts future automatic control decisions, preventing loss of occupant preferences while maintaining energy efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the mobile device as both the control interface and the learning entity. The mobile device captures occupant preferences through interactions and feeds this information back to the control algorithm, enabling the system to self-adjust and prevent energy waste while respecting occupant choices.
Data Source
AI summary
A load control system may control an electrical load in a space of a building based on one or more parameters regarding the physical condition of an occupant. The parameters may be gathered by one or more sensing devices. The sensing devices may be included in a mobile device. A system controller may receive the parameters and may automatically control the electrical loads in response to the parameters. The system controller may control the electrical load to attempt to adjust the physical condition of the occupant in response to the sensed parameters. The system controller may control the electrical load to provide an alert, an alarm, and/or a warning in response to the sensed parameters.