IP Library Granted Patent US 12,228,298
Granted Patent B2
US 12,228,298 · App. 18/244,489 · Granted Feb 18, 2025

System and method for humidification temperature compensation

Inventors: Nicholas J. Balazs (Madison, WI); Steven H. Jero (Madison, WI)
Assignee: Research Products Corporation
F24F11/0008F24F11/52F24F11/64F24F2110/12F24F2110/20
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,228,298
App. No.
18/244,489
Filed
Sep 11, 2023
Granted
Feb 18, 2025
Kind
B2
Art Unit
2117
USPC
700/276
Abstract

A humidity control system includes a humidification device configured to modify an indoor air humidity within a building and a humidity control device that is communicably coupled to the humidification device. The humidity control device is configured to receive a construction factor concerning a structure of the building, determine a plurality of indoor air humidity thresholds corresponding to a plurality of outdoor air temperatures based on the construction factor, receive a real-time outdoor air temperature, and control the humidification device to modify the indoor air humidity based on the plurality of indoor air humidity thresholds.

Claims (49)

1. A system, comprising:

a humidification device configured to modify an indoor air humidity within a building; and

a controller communicably coupled to the humidification device, the controller configured to:

determine a non-linear control function of indoor air humidity as a function of outdoor air temperature based on a user input;

limit a maximum allowable value of a user-defined air humidity setting based on the non-linear control function;

receive a real-time outdoor air temperature; and

control the humidification device to modify the indoor air humidity using the non-linear control function.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the user input is indicative of a humidity set point.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the user input describes a structural element of the building.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller further comprises a user interface configured to receive the user input, and wherein the determining the non-linear control function comprises:

determining a condensation resistance factor of a structural element of the building based on the user input; and

determining a curve of indoor air relative humidity as a function of the real-time outdoor air temperature at a constant value of the condensation resistance factor.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the non-linear control function is a quadratic control function.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the non-linear control function approximates a curve of indoor air relative humidity as a function of outdoor air temperature at a fixed value of a condensation resistance factor of a structural element of the building.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller comprises:

a user interface configured to present the indoor air humidity and receive the user-defined air humidity setting; and

an onboard humidity sensor configured to measure the indoor air humidity, wherein the controller is further configured to control the humidification device to modify the indoor air humidity based on the user-defined air humidity setting.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the controller is further configured to adjust an offset of the non-linear control function based on the user-defined air humidity setting.

9. The system of claim 7 , wherein the controller is further configured to receive the user-defined air humidity setting via the user interface, and wherein the control comprises controlling the humidification device to modify the indoor air humidity using the non-linear control function and the user-defined air humidity setting.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein determining the non-linear control function comprises determining coefficients for a non-linear equation corresponding to the indoor air humidity as a function of the outdoor air temperature.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the user input comprises a plurality of construction factors indicative of a building structure, and wherein the controller is further configured to determine a building resistance factor from the plurality of construction factors.

12. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a controller, via a user interface of the controller, a user input;

determining, by the controller, a non-linear control function of indoor air humidity as a function of outdoor air temperature based on the user input;

receiving, by the controller, via a network interface of the controller, a real-time outdoor air temperature;

limiting, by the controller, a maximum allowable value of a user-defined air humidity setting based on the non-linear control function; and

controlling, by the controller, a humidification device to modify a real-time indoor air humidity based on the non-linear control function.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein receiving the user input comprises receiving a humidity set point.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein receiving the user input comprises receiving a description of a structural element of a building.

15. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

receiving, via the user interface, the user-defined air humidity setting,

wherein the controlling comprises controlling, by the controller, the humidification device to modify the real-time indoor air humidity based on the non-linear control function the user-defined air humidity setting.

16. The method of claim 12 , wherein determining the non-linear control function comprise determining a quadratic control function.

17. The method of claim 12 , wherein controlling the humidification device comprises:

receiving, by the controller via an onboard humidity sensor, the real-time indoor air humidity;

determining, by the controller, an indoor air humidity from the non-linear control function based on the real-time outdoor air temperature; and

controlling the humidification device to modify the real-time indoor air humidity based on the indoor air humidity from the non-linear control function.

18. A system, comprising:

a humidification device configured to modify an indoor air humidity within a building; and

a controller communicably coupled to the humidification device, the controller configured to:

receive a user-defined input;

receive a real-time outdoor air temperature; and

determine an indoor air humidity threshold at the real-time outdoor air temperature based on (i) a non-linear control function of indoor air humidity as a function of outdoor air temperature, and (ii) the user-defined input;

limit a maximum allowable value of a user-defined air humidity setting to the indoor air humidity threshold; and

control the humidification device to modify the indoor air humidity based on the indoor air humidity threshold.

19. The system of claim 18 , wherein the non-linear control function is at least a second degree polynomial in terms of the real-time outdoor air temperature.

20. The system of claim 18 , further comprising a user interface that is communicable coupled to the controller, wherein the controller is further configured to:

receive the user-defined air humidity setting via the user interface; and

control the humidification device to modify the indoor air humidity based on the indoor air humidity threshold and the user-defined air humidity setting.

Assignments (4)
ASSIGNMENT OF PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT, RECORDED ON OCTOBER 15, 2025 AT REEL/FRAME 73109/0707 Recorded Jul 16, 2026
From: GOLDMAN SACHS BANK USA, AS EXISTING AGENT
To: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS SUCCESSOR AGENT
Reel/Frame 075998/0444 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Oct 15, 2025
From: RESEARCH PRODUCTS CORPORATION; DRI-STEEM CORPORATION; EWC CONTROLS, LLC
To: GOLDMAN SACHS BANK USA, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 073109/0707 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Oct 6, 2025
From: RESEARCH PRODUCTS CORPORATION; DRI-STEEM CORPORATION; EWC CONTROLS, LLC
To: U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
Reel/Frame 073007/0564 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 13, 2023
From: BALAZS, NICHOLAS J.; JERO, STEVEN H.
To: RESEARCH PRODUCTS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 064887/0610 →
Continuity (3)
Continuation 17532585 · Nov 22, 2021
Provisional Application 63118093 · Nov 25, 2020
Related Publication 20240077222A1 · Mar 7, 2024
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