IP Library Granted Patent US 11,041,712
Granted Patent B2
US 11,041,712 · App. 15/966,820 · Granted Jun 22, 2021

Mobile device building layout determination systems and methods

Inventors: Shaun B. Atchison (Wichita, KS); Jedidiah O. Bentz (Wichita, KS); John W. Uerkvitz (Valley Center, KS); Aneek M. Noor (Wichita, KS); Drew H. Carlton (Wichita, KS); Andrew M. Boyd (Wichita, KS); Brian D. Rigg (Douglass, KS); Shawn A. Hern (Park City, KS); Noel A. Grajeda-Trevizo (Newton, KS); Cody J. Kaiser (Wichita, KS); Tom R. Tasker (Andover, KS)
Assignee: JOHNSON CONTROLS TECHNOLOGY COMPANY
G01B11/005F24F11/52G01C15/002G06F3/0488G06T7/521H04W4/33G06T2207/10028
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,041,712
App. No.
15/966,820
Granted
Jun 22, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

The present disclosure includes systems and methods for determining dimensions, shapes, and locations of rooms of a building using a mobile device for controlling heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) provided to the rooms and building. A measuring device receives a shape of a room in the building and determines a dimension set of the room based on the shape of the room. The measuring device transmits the shape of the room and the dimension set to a mobile device that determines a layout of the building based on the shapes and the dimension sets corresponding to the rooms of the building. In this manner, the systems and methods provide the layout of the building more efficiently, resulting in an improved HVAC system installation and operation process.

Claims (46)

1. A system for determining building layout comprising:

a measuring device configured to:

receive a shape of a room in a building;

determine a dimension set of the room based on the shape of the room; and

transmit the shape of the room and the dimension set to a mobile device,

wherein the mobile device is configured to determine a layout of the building based on the shape of the room and the dimension set.

2. The system of claim 1 , comprising the mobile device and conditioned air equipment communicatively coupled to the mobile device, wherein the mobile device is programmed to control operation of the conditioned air equipment based on the layout of the building.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the measuring device comprises one or more sensors configured to determine the dimension set of the room based on the shape of the room.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the measuring device comprises a sensor array and a mount, wherein the sensor array comprises the one or more sensors, wherein the measuring device is configured to rotate the sensor array to determine the dimension set of the room.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the sensor array comprises:

a first sensor configured to direct a first pulse to measure distance along an x-axis per a Cartesian coordinate system;

a second sensor configured to direct a second pulse to measure distance along a y-axis per the Cartesian coordinate system; and

a third sensor configured to direct a third pulse to measure distance along a z-axis per the Cartesian coordinate system.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the sensor array comprises:

a fourth sensor configured to direct a fourth pulse in a direction opposite the first pulse to measure distance along the x-axis per the Cartesian coordinate system;

a fifth sensor configured to direct a fifth pulse in a direction opposite the second pulse to measure distance along the y-axis per the Cartesian coordinate system; and

a sixth sensor configured to direct a sixth pulse in a direction opposite the third pulse to measure distance along the z-axis per the Cartesian coordinate system.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the measuring device comprises room dimension determination logic that is configured to receive the shape of the room in the building.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein:

the measuring device comprises a user interface; and

the measuring device is configured to receive the shape of the room by enabling selection of the shape from among a plurality of predefined shapes displayed on the user interface.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein:

the measuring device comprises a user interface; and

the measuring device is configured to receive the shape of the room by enabling drawing the shape on the user interface.

10. A method for determining building layout comprising:

communicatively coupling to a measuring device disposed in a room of a plurality of rooms of a building;

receiving a respective shape of each room of the plurality of rooms;

instructing the measuring device to measure a respective set of dimensions corresponding with each room of the plurality of rooms based on the respective shape for each room;

generating a layout of the building based on each respective shape and each respective set of dimensions corresponding with each room of the plurality of rooms; and

controlling conditioned air equipment of the building based on the layout of the building.

11. The method of claim 10 , comprising receiving a respective room identity corresponding with each room of the plurality of rooms, wherein the layout of the building comprises each respective room identity.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein controlling the conditioned air equipment comprises controlling the conditioned air equipment based on each respective room identity.

13. The method of claim 10 , comprising receiving a respective room schedule, occupancy schedule, or both corresponding with each room of the plurality of rooms, wherein the layout of the building comprises each respective room schedule, occupancy schedule, or both.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein controlling the conditioned air equipment comprises controlling the conditioned air equipment based on each respective room schedule or occupancy.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein receiving the respective shape for each room of the plurality of rooms comprises enabling a selection of the respective shape from a plurality of predefined shapes.

16. The method of claim 10 , wherein receiving the respective shape for each room of the plurality of rooms comprises enabling drawing the respective shape.

17. A tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable medium, comprising instructions for determining building layout and executable by a processor of an electronic device that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

receive a respective selection of a respective shape of a respective room of a building;

receive a respective dimension of the respective room;

generate a layout of the building based on each respective shape and each respective dimension of each respective room; and

control conditioned air equipment of the building based on the layout of the building.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to receive the respective selection of the respective shape of the respective room of the building by enabling selection of the respective shape from a plurality of predefined shapes.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to receive the respective selection of the respective shape of the respective room of the building by enabling drawing of the respective shape.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to receive the respective dimension of the respective room by enabling selection of a default dimension of the respective room.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to receive the respective dimension of the respective room by enabling manual entry of the respective dimension.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to enable moving each respective room in the layout.

Assignments (4)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 30, 2025
From: JOHNSON CONTROLS TECHNOLOGY COMPANY
To: JOHNSON CONTROLS TYCO IP HOLDINGS LLP
Reel/Frame 072298/0096 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 24, 2024
From: JOHNSON CONTROLS TYCO IP HOLDINGS LLP
To: TYCO FIRE & SECURITY GMBH
Reel/Frame 067832/0947 →
NUNC PRO TUNC ASSIGNMENT Recorded Feb 4, 2022
From: JOHNSON CONTROLS TECHNOLOGY COMPANY
To: JOHNSON CONTROLS TYCO IP HOLDINGS LLP
Reel/Frame 058959/0764 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 3, 2018
From: ATCHISON, SHAUN B.; BENTZ, JEDIDIAH O.; UERKVITZ, JOHN W.; NOOR, ANEEK M.; CARLTON, DREW H.; BOYD, ANDREW M.; RIGG, BRIAN D.; HERN, SHAWN A.; GRAJEDA-TREVIZO, NOEL A.; KAISER, CODY J.; TASKER, TOM R.
To: JOHNSON CONTROLS TECHNOLOGY COMPANY
Reel/Frame 045710/0627 →