IP Library Granted Patent US 10,310,477
Granted Patent B2
US 10,310,477 · App. 15/336,793 · Granted Jun 4, 2019

Multi-function thermostat with occupant tracking features

Inventors: Sudhi Sinha (Milwaukee, WI); Joseph R. Ribbich (Waukesha, WI); Michael L. Ribbich (Oconomowoc, WI); Charles J. Gaidish (South Milwaukee, WI); John P. Cipolla (Inverness, IL)
Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
G05B19/048A61B5/02055A61B5/681A61M5/1723F24F11/30F24F11/62G06F3/167G06Q20/10G06Q20/382G06Q20/383G06Q20/405G06Q50/12G06Q50/30G07F17/0057G07G5/00G08B7/066G08B21/0453H04L67/12H04W64/003A61B5/02405A61B5/02438A61B5/117A61B5/1113A61M5/14A61M2209/088F24F11/52F24F11/63F24F2110/10F24F2120/10F24F2120/12F24F2120/14F24F2120/20G05B2219/15117G05B2219/2614G05B2219/2642G06F3/04883G06F16/24575G08B19/00G08B27/00H04W64/00H05B37/0218H05B37/0227
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,310,477
App. No.
15/336,793
Granted
Jun 4, 2019
Kind
B2
Abstract

A multi-function thermostat for a building includes a communications interface and a processing circuit. The communications interface is configured to communicate with building equipment and receive data from one or more sensors. The processing circuit is configured to control the building equipment to affect an environmental condition within a first zone of the building when an occupant is detected within the first zone based on the data received from the sensors. The processing circuit is further configured to detect movement of the occupant from the first zone of the building to a second zone of the building based on the data received from the sensors. The processing circuit is further configured to control the building equipment to affect an environmental condition within the second zone of the building when the occupant is detected within the second zone based on the data received from the sensors.

Claims (67)

1. A multi-function thermostat for a building, the thermostat comprising:

a user interface configured to receive user input adjusting settings of the thermostat;

a communications interface configured to communicate with building equipment and receive data from one or more sensors; and

a processing circuit configured to:

control the building equipment to affect an environmental condition within a first zone of the building when a first occupant is detected by the processing circuit within the first zone based on the data received from the sensors;

detect whether a second occupant associated with no permission to adjust the settings is within a predefined distance from the thermostat based on the data received from the sensors;

disable adjustment of the settings via the user interface in response to a detection that the second occupant is within the predefined distance from the thermostat;

detect movement of the first occupant from the first zone of the building to a second zone of the building based on the data received from the sensors; and

control the building equipment to affect an environmental condition within the second zone of the building when the first occupant is detected within the second zone based on the data received from the sensors.

2. The thermostat of claim 1 , wherein the sensors are located in the first zone and the second zone of the building, wherein the sensors comprise at least one of a microphone and a camera.

3. The thermostat of claim 1 , wherein the communications interface is further configured to receive permissions associated with the first occupant and the second occupant from a building management system, wherein the permissions define which of the settings of the thermostat the first occupant and the second occupant are allowed to adjust.

4. The thermostat of claim 3 , wherein the processing circuit is further configured to allow the first occupant to adjust the settings of the thermostat based on the permissions via the user interface.

5. The thermostat of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuit is further configured to:

cause the building equipment to activate lighting in the first zone of the building when the first occupant is detected within the first zone based on the data received from the sensors;

cause the building equipment to deactivate lighting in the first zone of the building when the first occupant is detected in the second zone of the building based on the data received from the sensors; and

cause the building equipment to activate lighting in the second zone of the building when the first occupant is detected in the second zone of the building based on the data received from the sensors.

6. The thermostat of claim 1 , wherein the communications interface is further configured to receive signal strength data indicating a wireless signal strength between a user device associated with the first occupant and one or more routers;

wherein the processing circuit is further configured to determine a location of the first occupant based on the signal strength data and the locations of the routers.

7. The thermostat of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuit is further configured to determine a location of the first occupant based on audio data received from the sensors by:

determining one or more voice biometrics of the first occupant based on the audio data; and

matching the determined voice biometrics to voice biometrics linked to the first occupant.

8. The thermostat of claim 1 , wherein the communications interface is further configured to communicate with a user device associated with the first occupant;

wherein the processing circuit is further configured to:

receive a unique device identifier from the user device via the communications interface;

identify the first occupant associated with the user device based on the unique device identifier; and

identify preferred settings associated with the first occupant.

9. The thermostat of claim 8 , wherein the processing circuit is further configured to:

control the environmental condition within the first zone based on the preferred settings when the first occupant is detected in the first zone; and

control the environmental condition within the second zone based on the preferred settings when the first occupant is detected in the second zone.

10. The thermostat of claim 1 , wherein the communications interface is further configured to receive signal strength data for a wireless connection between a user device associated with the first occupant and one or more emitters;

wherein the processing circuit is further configured to determine a location of the user device based on the signal strength data.

11. A thermostat controller for a building, the thermostat controller comprising:

a user interface configured to receive user input adjusting settings of the thermostat controller;

a communications interface configured to:

communicate with building equipment and receive data from one or more sensors; and

receive preferences of a first occupant from a building management system; and

a processing circuit configured to:

control the building equipment to affect an environmental condition within a first zone of the building based on the preferences of the occupant when the first occupant is detected by the processing circuit within the first zone based on the data received from the sensors;

detect whether a second occupant associated with no permission to adjust the settings is within a predefined distance from the thermostat controller based on the data received from the sensors;

disable adjustment of the settings via the user interface in response to a detection that the second occupant is within the predefined distance from the thermostat controller;

detect movement of the first occupant from the first zone of the building to a second zone of the building based on the data received from the sensors; and

control the building equipment to affect an environmental condition within a second zone of the building based on the preferences of the first occupant when the occupant is detected within the second zone based on the data received from the sensors.

12. The thermostat controller of claim 11 , wherein the communications interface is further configured to receive permissions associated with the first occupant and the second occupant from the building management system, wherein the permissions define which of the settings of the thermostat controller the first occupant and the second occupant are allowed to adjust.

13. The thermostat controller of claim 12 , wherein the processing circuit is further configured to allow the first occupant to adjust the settings of the thermostat controller based on the permissions via the user interface.

14. The thermostat controller of claim 11 , wherein the communications interface is further configured to communicate with a user device associated with the first occupant;

wherein the processing circuit is further configured to:

receive a unique device identifier from the user device via the network communications interface;

identify the first occupant associated with the user device based on the unique device identifier; and

identify the preferred settings associated with the first occupant.

15. The thermostat controller of claim 11 , wherein the processing circuit is further configured to determine a location of the first occupant based on audio data received from the sensors by:

determining one or more voice biometrics of the first occupant based on the audio data; and

matching the determined voice biometrics to voice biometrics linked to the first occupant.

16. The thermostat controller of claim 11 , wherein the communications interface is configured to receive signal strength data indicating a wireless signal strength between a user device associated with the first occupant and one or more routers;

wherein the processing circuit is further configured to determine a location of the first occupant based on the signal strength data and the locations of the routers.

17. A method for controlling building equipment with a multi-function thermostat for a building, the method comprising:

receiving, by the thermostat, user input adjusting settings of the thermostat via a user interface of the thermostat;

operating, by the thermostat, the building equipment to affect an environmental condition within a first zone of the building when a first occupant is detected by the thermostat within the first zone based on occupancy data;

detecting, by the thermostat, whether a second occupant associated with no permission to adjust the settings is within a predefined distance from the thermostat based on the occupancy data;

disabling, by the thermostat, adjustment of the settings via the user interface in response to a detection that the second occupant is within the predefined distance from the thermostat;

detecting, by the thermostat, movement of the first occupant from the first zone of the building to a second zone of the building based on the occupancy data; and

operating, by the thermostat, the building equipment to affect an environmental condition within the second zone of the building when the first occupant is detected within the second zone based on the occupancy data.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the method further comprises receiving, by the thermostat, the occupancy data from one or more occupancy sensors located in the first zone and the second zone of the building, wherein the sensors comprise at least one of a microphone and a camera.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein the method further comprises receiving, by the thermostat, permissions associated with the occupant from the building management system, wherein the permissions define which of the settings of the thermostat the first occupant and the second occupant are allowed to adjust.

20. The method of claim 17 , wherein the method further comprises:

activating, by the thermostat, lighting in the first zone of the building when the first occupant is detected within the first zone based on the occupancy data;

deactivating, by the thermostat, lighting in the first zone of the building when the first occupant is detected in the second zone of the building based on the occupancy data; and

activating, by the thermostat, lighting in the second zone of the building when the first occupant is detected in the second zone of the building based on the occupancy data.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 18, 2019
From: RIBBICH, JOSEPH R.; RIBBICH, MICHAEL L.; GAIDISH, CHARLES J.; CIPOLLA, JOHN P.
To: JOHNSON CONTROLS TECHNOLOGY COMPANY
Reel/Frame 048927/0964 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 1, 2018
From: SINHA, SUDHI
To: JOHNSON CONTROLS TECHNOLOGY COMPANY
Reel/Frame 045681/0753 →
Continuity (7)
Provisional Application 62247672 · Oct 28, 2015
Provisional Application 62274750 · Jan 4, 2016
Provisional Application 62275204 · Jan 5, 2016
Provisional Application 62275202 · Jan 5, 2016
Provisional Application 62276199 · Jan 5, 2016
Provisional Application 62275711 · Jan 6, 2016
Related Publication 20170122613A1 · May 4, 2017
Cited By (2)
US 1,120,006 US 12,265,366