Air filter condition sensing
Assignee3M Innovative Properties Company
InventorsJonathan B. Arthur, Karl W. Bloedorn, Jayant Chakravarty, Gene B. Portelli, Dennis M. Glass, Michael A. Meis, Lyle L. Luppes, Daniel W. Hennen, Douglas D. Fletcher, Eric O. Hemberg, Oscar M. Hemberg
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Abstract
An air filter includes filter media, a sensor, and circuitry coupled to the sensor, the circuitry configured to receive data from the sensor representative of the condition of the filter media and wirelessly transmit such data. The data may be received by a device with a display to use the information to present an indication of the filter media condition to a user.
Claims20
An air filter comprising:
- filter media;
- a sensor directly attached to a downstream side of the filter media;
- and
- circuitry coupled to the sensor, the circuitry configured to receive data from the sensor representative of the condition of the filter media and wirelessly transmit such data, wherein the sensor does not rely on the monitoring of airflow through a bypass through or around the filter media.
A system for determining the useful life of an air filter, the system comprising:
- filter media comprising a downstream side and an upstream side;
- a single sensor attached to the downstream side of the filter media for sensing a condition of the filter;
- and circuitry coupled to the sensor, the circuitry configured to receive data from the sensor representative of the condition of the filter media and wirelessly transmit such data;
- and
- a personal mobile device comprising a processor;
- a display coupled to the processor;
- and a memory device coupled to the processor and having a program stored thereon for execution by the processor to perform operations comprising:
- wirelessly receiving data directly or indirectly from the sensor representative of a condition of filter media;
- providing a visual indication to a user on the display representative of the condition of the filter media as a function of the received data, wherein the visual indication includes a graphical representation of a remaining period of useful life of the filter media over time, including a remaining period of useful life of the filter media, and wherein the operations further comprise wherein the visual indication is provided as a function of user profile or other information indicative of air quality.
A method for determining the useful life of a filter, the method comprising:
- wirelessly receiving pressure information representative of a downstream pressure, the information received from a sensor associated with an air filter and including time-based data points;
- processing the pressure information to determine a drop in pressure over time on the downstream side of the air filter, wherein the processing comprises;
- determining or identifying a threshold pressure difference, calculating a mean difference between received adjacent pressure data points, and identify a pressure difference in adjacent points that is greater than the threshold pressure difference;
- and
- generating one of an indication of remaining useful filter life or an to replace the air filter based on the identified pressure difference.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.