# US 10,372,092 B2 · System and method for controlling HVAC equipment so as to obtain a desired range of a sound pressure level and/or sound power level > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,372,092 B2 - Document ID: US10372092B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/693,501 - Filed: 2015-04-22 - Published: 2015-10-22 - Granted: 2019-08-06 - Earliest claimed: 2014-04-22 - Assignees: Trane International Inc. - Applicants: Trane International Inc. - Inventors: Robert Lee Coleman; David Edward Edmonds; Stephen John Lind; Dustin Eric Jason Meredith - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10372092B2 ## CPC - G05B 15/02: electric - F24F 13/24: Means for preventing or suppressing noise - F24F 2120/20: Feedback from users - F25B 49/02: for compression type machines, plants or systems - F25B 2500/12: Sound - F25B 2700/172: of the condenser fan - F25B 2700/173: of the evaporator fan - G05B: CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS (systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; systems for regulating electric or magnetic variables G05F; control devices or systems insofar as characterised by mechanical features only G05G) - F24F: AIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING (removing dirt or fumes from areas where they are produced B08B15/00; vertical ducts for carrying away waste gases from buildings E04F17/02; tops for chimneys or ventilating shafts, terminals for flues F23L17/02) - F25B: REFRIGERATION MACHINES, PLANTS OR SYSTEMS; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS ## Abstract A system and method for controlling the operation of heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) equipment so as to achieve a desired range of a sound pressure level and/or a sound power level is described. The system and method can lead to a desired range of a sound pressure level and/or a sound power level for a zone using equipment that is typically included in HVAC systems. Such control of equipment can be important for privacy and comfort requirements. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method, comprising receiving feedback using a device, wherein the device includes one or more of a microphone, a thermometer, an accelerometer, a motion sensor, and an amplifier, the device being disposed in a ductwork providing conditioned air to a zone of a building conditioned by a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system, the ductwork being in fluid communication with the zone, but physically outside of the zone; and obtaining one or more of a range of a sound pressure level and a range of a sound power level in the zone by controlling an operation of equipment in the HVAC system based on the feedback received from the device, the controlling the operation of equipment in the HVAC system is based on an occupancy schedule, in an occupied state, the controlling the operation of equipment in the HVAC system prioritizes maintaining one or more of the sound pressure level and the sound power level in the zone within the range of the sound pressure level and the range of the sound power level over maintaining a space condition, and in an unoccupied state, the controlling the operation of equipment in the HVAC system prioritizes maintaining the space condition over maintaining the one or more of the sound pressure level and the sound power level in the zone within the range of the sound pressure level and the range of the sound power level. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving feedback from a user, the method further including controlling the operation of the HVAC system based on the feedback obtained from the user. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the device is capable of emitting, detecting, and/or measuring a signal. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising measuring a signal using the device, and controlling the operation of the HVAC system based on the measured signal. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the equipment that is controlled includes one or more of a fan, a damper, and a cooling coil. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the occupancy schedule is based on feedback obtained from a user or feedback obtained using a controller. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the operation of the equipment is controlled based on a signal to noise ratio. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein the signal to noise ratio can be adjusted based on the feedback. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising obtaining a selected energy efficiency by controlling the operation of equipment in the HVAC system, wherein the HVAC system is configured to selectively execute the obtaining a selected energy efficiency by controlling the operation of equipment in the HVAC system or the obtaining one or more of a range of a sound pressure level and a range of a sound power level in the zone by controlling an operation of equipment in the HVAC system based on the feedback received from the device. ### Claim 10 A heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) system, comprising: a device disposed in a ductwork providing conditioned air to a zone of a building conditioned by the HVAC system, the device including one or more of a microphone, a thermometer, an accelerometer, a motion sensor, and an amplifier, the ductwork being in fluid communication with the zone, but physically outside of the zone; and a controller that: receives feedback from the device; obtains one or more of a range a sound pressure level and a range of a sound power level by operating equipment in the HVAC system; controls an operating state of at least one of a supply fan, a return fan, an exhaust fan, a damper, and a cooling coil to achieve the desired range of sound pressure level and/or the sound power level when in an occupied state, wherein the controller prioritizes maintaining the desired range of sound pressure level and/or the sound power level over maintaining a space condition, and in an unoccupied state, controls the operating state of at least one of the supply fan, the return fan, the exhaust fan, the damper, and the cooling coil to achieve the space condition, wherein the controller prioritizes maintaining the space condition over maintaining the desired range of sound pressure level and/or the sound power level. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the device is capable of emitting, detecting, and/or measuring a signal. ### Claim 12 A method, comprising: operating a single-zone variable air volume (VAV) system of a building, the operating including: monitoring a sound level of a supply air fan for the single-zone VAV system using a microphone disposed in a ductwork providing conditioned air to a controlled space of the single-zone VAV system, the ductwork being in fluid communication with the controlled space, but physically outside of the controlled space; in an occupied state, controlling a sound level from the supply air fan by controlling a speed of the supply air fan, the supply air fan being disposed within the ductwork; and modulating a cooling capacity of a cooling coil using a thermostat associated with the controlled space of the single-zone VAV system, thereby controlling a temperature of supply air entering the controlled space, wherein maintaining the sound level is prioritized over controlling the temperature of the supply air entering the controlled space; and in an unoccupied state, modulating the cooling capacity of the cooling coil using the thermostat associated with the controlled space of the single-zone VAV system, thereby controlling the temperature of supply air entering the controlled space, wherein controlling the temperature of the supply air entering the controlled space is prioritized over maintaining the sound level. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining one or more of a range of a sound pressure level and a range of a sound power level in the zone by controlling an operation of equipment in the HVAC system based on the feedback received from the device includes controlling a damper to bypass air into a silencer to reduce the one or more of the range of sound pressure level and the range of the sound power level.