System and method for controlling face velocity of a fume hood

1 . A system for controlling a ventilation device of a fume hood, the system comprising:

one or more sensors configured to detect one or more users in front of the fume hood;

a controller operatively coupled to the one or more sensors, the controller configured to:

determine a current activity of each of one or more users detected by the one or more sensors based on a current detection of a respective user and one or more past detections of the respective user;

determine a user activity profile based on the current activity of the each of the one or more users detected by the one or more sensors;

determine a desired ventilation airflow rate for the fume hood based on the one or more users detected by the one or more sensors, a sash position of a sash of the fume hood, and the user activity profile, wherein the desired ventilation airflow rate corresponds to one of three or more available ventilation airflow rates; and

provide a control signal to the ventilation device, wherein the control signal corresponds to the desired ventilation airflow rate.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to:

determine a distance that each of one or more users detected by the one or more sensors from the fume hood; and

determine the desired ventilation airflow rate for the fume hood based at least in part on the distance that the each of the one or more users detected by the one or more sensors are from the fume hood.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the current activity of the respective user corresponds to one of:

walking past the fume hood at a first distance from the fume hood;

walking past the fume hood at a second distance from the fume hood, wherein the second distance is larger than the first distance;

walking toward the fume hood;

standing a first distance from the fume hood; and

standing a second distance from the fume hood, wherein the second distance is larger than the first distance.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the current activity of the each of the one or more users detected by the one or more sensors include activity parameters including at least one of:

a current distance of the respective user from the fume hood;

a current position of the respective user relative to the fume hood;

a current speed of the respective user relative to the fume hood;

a current direction of travel of the respective user relative to the fume hood; and

a current direction that the respective user is facing relative to the fume hood.

5 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the controller is configured to combine, in response to the activity parameters including two or more activity parameters, the two or more activity parameters for the each of the one or more users to determine the desired ventilation airflow rate.

6 . The system of claim 5 , wherein the controller includes an Artificial Intelligence (AI) engine that combines two or more of the activity parameters for the each of the one or more users to determine the desired ventilation airflow rate.

7 . The system of claim 6 , wherein the AI engine is at least partially trained after the fume hood is installed at an installation site.

8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to predict a future activity of the each of the one or more users based at least in part on the one or more past detections of the respective user.

9 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more sensors comprises one or more of a Thermal MOS (TMOS) presence and motion sensor, a Time of Flight (TOF) multi-zone ranging sensor, and a mmWave radar sensor.

10 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the one or more sensors further comprises one or more of a video camera, a PIR sensor, an ambient light sensor, and a gas sensor.

11 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more sensors include one or more of a Thermal MOS (TMOS) presence and motion sensor, a Time of Flight (TOF) multi-zone ranging sensor, a mmWave radar sensor, a video camera, a PIR sensor, an ambient light sensor, and a gas sensor, and the controller is configured to:

determine a current activity of each of the one or more users detected by the two or more sensors;

use sensor fusion to merge data from the two or more sensors to increase a confidence level in the determined current activity; and

determine the desired ventilation airflow rate for the fume hood based at least in part on the determined current activity.

12 . A system for controlling a ventilation device of a fume hood, the system comprising:

one or more sensors configured to detect one or more users in front of the fume hood;

a controller operatively coupled to the one or more sensors, the controller configured to:

determine a current activity of each of the one or more users detected by the one or more sensors based on a current detection of the respective user and one or more past detections of the respective user;

determine a user activity profile based on the current activity of the each of the one or more users detected by the one or more sensors;

determine a desired ventilation airflow rate for the fume hood based on the current activity of the respective user detected by the one or more sensors, a sash position of a sash of the fume hood, and the user activity profile; and

provide a control signal to the ventilation device, wherein the control signal corresponds to the desired ventilation airflow rate.

13 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the current activity of the respective user corresponds to one of:

walking past the fume hood at a first distance from the fume hood;

walking past the fume hood at a second distance from the fume hood, wherein the second distance is larger than the first distance;

walking toward the fume hood;

standing a first distance from the fume hood; and

standing a second distance from the fume hood, wherein the second distance is larger than the first distance.

14 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the one or more sensors include one or more of a Thermal MOS (TMOS) presence and motion sensor, a Time of Flight (TOF) multi-zone ranging sensor, a mmWave radar sensor, a video camera, a PIR sensor, an ambient light sensor, and a gas sensor, and the controller is configured to:

determine a current activity of each of the one or more users detected by the two or more sensors;

use sensor fusion to merge data from the two or more sensors to increase a confidence level in the determined current activity; and

determine the desired ventilation airflow rate for the fume hood based at least in part on the determined current activity.

15 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the desired ventilation airflow rate corresponds to one of three or more available ventilation airflow rates.

16 . A system for controlling a ventilation device of a fume hood, the system comprising:

two or more sensors configured to detect one or more users in front of the fume hood;

a controller operatively coupled to the two or more sensors, the controller configured to:

apply sensor fusion to merge data from the two or more sensors to increase a confidence level in a detection of the one or more users;

determine a current activity of each of the one or more users detected by the one or more sensors based on a current detection of a respective user and one or more past detections of the respective user;

determine a user activity profile based on the current activity of the each of the one or more users detected by the one or more sensors;

determine a desired ventilation airflow rate for the fume hood based on the one or more users detected by the two or more sensors, a sash position of a sash of the fume hood, and the user activity profile; and

provide a control signal to the ventilation device, wherein the control signal corresponds to the desired ventilation airflow rate.

17 . The system of claim 16 , wherein the two or more sensors including one or more of a Thermal MOS (TMOS) presence and motion sensor, a Time of Flight (TOF) multi-zone ranging sensor, a mmWave radar sensor, a video camera, a PIR sensor, an ambient light sensor, and a gas sensor, and the controller is configured to:

determine a current activity of each of the one or more users detected by the two or more sensors;

apply sensor fusion to merge data from the two or more sensors to increase a confidence level in the determined current activity; and

determine the desired ventilation airflow rate for the fume hood based at least in part on the determined current activity.

18 . The system of claim 16 , wherein the controller is configured to repeatedly adjust the desired ventilation airflow rate between three or more available ventilation airflow rates based on detected changes in the current activity over time.