IP Library Granted Patent US 10,382,893
Granted Patent B1
US 10,382,893 · App. 15/686,952 · Granted Aug 13, 2019

Building system control utilizing building occupancy

Inventors: John Wootton (St. Louis, MO); Matthew Wootton (O'Fallon, MO); Justin McKinney (Wildwood, MO); Caitlin Riley (St. Louis, MO); Matthew Rush (St. Charles, MO); Boris Dieseldorff (St. Charles, MO); Achintya Kumar (St. Louis, MO); Christopher Nissman (Tucson, AZ)
Assignee: IVANI, LLC
H04W4/023G01V3/12H04B17/318H04L1/0018H04L5/006H04W4/043H04W4/80H04W64/00
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,382,893
App. No.
15/686,952
Granted
Aug 13, 2019
Kind
B1
Abstract

Systems and methods that can utilize the detection of human occupancy without fiducial elements to control an environmental, security, or other system within a structure. The systems and method can initiate communication to a human user directly, and can alter their operation based on human presence.

Claims (38)

1. A method for controlling a system based on occupancy of a structure, the method comprising:

locating a first human in a first space within a structure by detecting said first human's presence in said first space using network presence sensing (NPS), said first human's detected location not corresponding to the location of a fiducial element carried by said first human acting as a proxy for said first human;

locating a second human in said first space within a structure by detecting said second human's presence in said first space using NPS, said second human's detected location not corresponding to the location of a fiducial element carried by said second human acting as a proxy for said second human;

instructing a system to take a first action based on said first human's and said second human's location in said first space;

tracking movement of said first human from said first space to a second space within said structure, said tracking using NPS and not corresponding to tracking the location of a fiducial element carried by said first human acting as a proxy for said first human;

determining that said second human's location is still in said first space, said determining using NPS and not corresponding to locating a fiducial element carried by said second human acting as a proxy for said second human; and

altering said instruction based on said first human being in said second space and said second human being in said first space.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said controlled system is an environmental control system of said structure.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said instruction comprises instructing said environmental control system to alter an environment within said first space without instructing said environmental control system to alter an environment in said second space.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein said altering of said instruction comprises instructing said environmental control system to alter an environment within said second space without instructing said environmental control system to further alter said environment in said first space.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein upon said first human entering said second space, a voice response system issues a query audible in said second space but not in said first space.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein said altering of instruction only occurs if said first human and not said second human responds to said query.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

tracking movement of said first human from said second space to said first space within said structure said tracking using NPS and not corresponding to tracking the location of a fiducial element carried by said first human acting as a proxy for said first human;

determining that said second human's location is still in said first space, said determining using NPS and not corresponding to locating a fiducial element carried by said second human acting as a proxy for said second human; and

altering said instruction based on said first human returning to said first space and said second human remaining in said first space.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein said instruction is altered by said first human returning to said first space to said instruction before said instruction was altered by said first human being in said second space.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein said instruction is altered only after said first human has remained in said second space for a predetermined period of time.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein said controlled system comprises a security system wherein said security system indicates an intrusion into said first space or said second space by a third human different from said first human or said second human.

11. A method for controlling a system based on occupancy of a structure, the method comprising:

locating, using NPS, a first human in a first space within a structure by detecting said first human's presence in said first space, said first human's detected location not corresponding to the location of a fiducial element carried by said first human acting as a proxy for said first human;

locating, using NPS, a second human in a second space within a structure by detecting said second human's presence in said second space, said second human's detected location not corresponding to the location of a fiducial element carried by said second human acting as a proxy for said second human;

instructing a system to take a first action based on said first human's location in said first space and said second human's location in said second space;

tracking movement of said first human from said first space to said second space said tracking using NPS and not corresponding to tracking the location of a fiducial element carried by said first human acting as a proxy for said first human;

determining that said second human's location is still in said second space, said determining using NPS and not corresponding to locating a fiducial element carried by said second human acting as a proxy for said second human; and

altering said instruction based on said first human being in said second space and said second human being in said second space.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein said controlled system is an environmental control system of said structure.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein said instruction comprises instructing said environmental control system to alter an environment within said first space and instructing said environmental control system to alter an environment in said second space.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein said altering of said instruction comprises instructing said environmental control system to alter an environment within said second space and sending additionally instructing said environmental control system to alter said environment in said first space.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein upon said first human entering said second space, a voice response system issues a query audible in said second space but not in said first space.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein said altering of instruction only occurs if said second human and not said first human responds to said query.

17. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

tracking movement of said first human from said second space to said first space within said structure said tracking using NPS and not corresponding to tracking the location of a fiducial element carried by said first human acting as a proxy for said first human;

determining that said second human's location is still in said second space, said determining using NPS and not corresponding to locating a fiducial element carried by said second human acting as a proxy for said second human; and

altering said instruction based on said first human returning to said first space and said second human remaining in said second space.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein said instruction is altered by said first human returning to said first space to said instruction before said instruction was altered by said first human moving into said second space.

19. The method of claim 11 wherein said instruction is altered only after said first human has remained in said second space for a predetermined period of time.

20. The method of claim 11 wherein said controlled system comprises a security system wherein said security system indicates an intrusion into said first space or said second space by a third human different from said first human or said second human.

Assignments (4)
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Apr 2, 2026
From: IVANI, LLC
To: SORYN IP FUND II, L.P.
Reel/Frame 075331/0488 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Sep 25, 2025
From: IVANI, LLC
To: SORYN IP FUND II, L.P.; SORYN IP PARALLEL FUND II, L.P.
Reel/Frame 072734/0971 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 26, 2020
From: IVANI, LLC
To: IVANI, LLC
Reel/Frame 054169/0538 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 4, 2019
From: WOOTTON, JOHN; WOOTTON, MATTHEW; MCKINNEY, JUSTIN; RILEY, CAITLIN; RUSH, MATTHEW; DIESELDORFF, BORIS; KUMAR, ACHINTYA; NISSMAN, CHRISTOPHER
To: IVANI, LLC
Reel/Frame 047904/0646 →
Continuity (5)
Continuation In Part 15600380 · May 19, 2017
Continuation 15227717 · Aug 3, 2016
Continuation 15084002 · Mar 29, 2016
Provisional Application 62252954 · Nov 9, 2015
Provisional Application 62219457 · Sep 16, 2015
Cited By (1)
US 12,261,448