# US 10,767,879 B1 · Controlling and monitoring indoor air quality (IAQ) devices

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- Number: US 10,767,879 B1
- Document ID: US10767879B1
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B1
- Application number: 15/456,555
- Filed: 2017-03-12
- Granted: 2020-09-08
- Earliest claimed: 2014-02-13
- Applicants: Gregg W Burnett
- Inventors: Gregg W Burnett
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10767879B1

## CPC

- F24F 11/30: for purposes related to the operation of the system, e.g. for safety or monitoring
- F24F 3/14: by humidification; by dehumidification
- G05B 19/048: Monitoring; Safety
- G05B 23/0283: {Predictive maintenance, e.g. involving the monitoring of a system and, based on the monitoring results, taking decisions on the maintenance schedule of the monitored system; Estimating remaining useful life [RUL] (preventive maintenance, i.e. planning maintenance according to the available resources without monitoring the system G06Q10/06)}
- F24F 8/22: using UV light
- F24F 8/30: by ionisation
- F24F 11/39: Monitoring filter performance
- F24F 11/52: Indication arrangements, e.g. displays
- F24F 11/63: Electronic processing
- F24F 2110/50: Air quality properties
- F24F 2140/50: Load
- G05B 2219/2614: HVAC, heating, ventillation, climate control
- Y02B 30/70: Efficient control or regulation technologies, e.g. for control of refrigerant flow, motor or heating
- 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)
- 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)
- Y02B: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS

## Abstract

An intelligent digital assistant device receives an indication of an installation status of a consumable component of an Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) component. The IAQ component configured to alter the quality of air entering, leaving, or circulating within a building via an HVAC system, wherein the installation status of the consumable component is determined by a component sensor coupled to the IAQ component and transmitted to the wireless user device via a wireless transmitter integrated in the IAQ component. The intelligent digital assistant device receives information regarding properties of the consumable component, wherein the properties of the consumable component are determined by the component sensor and transmitted to the intelligent digital assistant device via the wireless transmitter of the IAQ component. The intelligent digital assistant device monitors the properties of the consumable component, and notifies a user when the consumable component requires maintenance or replacement.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A system, comprising:
an Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) component configured to alter the quality of air entering, leaving, or circulating within a building via an HVAC (Heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning) system, wherein the IAQ component comprises a UV (ultraviolet) light source;
a component sensor configured to determine properties of the IAQ component, wherein the properties comprise at least one of a voltage and a current drawn by the UV light source;
a first wireless transmitter coupled to the component sensor, wherein the first transmitter is configured to transmit the properties of the IAQ component;
an airflow sensor configured to determine airflow properties at a location in the vicinity of the IAQ component;
a second wireless transmitter coupled to the airflow sensor, wherein the second transmitter is configured to transmit the airflow properties;
a gateway located within the building and configured to receive the IAQ component properties transmitted by the first wireless transmitter and the airflow properties transmitted by the second wireless transmitter; and
a personal wireless device configured to receive the IAQ component properties and the airflow properties via the gateway, the personal wireless device comprising a user interface by which the properties of the IAQ component and the airflow properties are reported, wherein the IAQ component properties reported by the user interface comprise expected remaining lifespan information of the UV light source determined based on at least one of the voltage and the current drawn by the UV light source.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the IAQ component sensor comprises at least one of a voltage detector coupled to a ballast of the UV light source and a current detector coupled to the ballast of the UV light source.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the airflow sensor is configured to measure airborne components.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The system of claim 3, wherein the measured airborne components in the vicinity of the IAQ component are reported via the user interface of the personal wireless device.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the airflow sensor is configured to measure air pressure in the vicinity of the IAQ.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the IAQ component further comprises at least one media air filter.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, further comprising a WiFi network, wherein the IAQ component properties are transmitted to the gateway by the first wireless transmitter via the WiFi network and the airflow properties are transmitted by the second wireless transmitter to the gateway via the WiFi network.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The system of claim 7, wherein the personal wireless device receives the reported information via the WiFi network.

### Claim 9 (depends on 5)

The system of claim 5, wherein a lifespan of the IAQ component is determined based on the measured air pressure, and wherein the lifespan of the IAQ component determined based on measured air pressures is reported via the user interface of the personal wireless device.

### Claim 10

A personal wireless device, comprising:
a processor; and
a memory coupled to the processor, the memory having program instructions stored thereon that, upon execution by the processor, cause the personal wireless device to:
receive status information from a gateway configured to receive IAQ (Indoor Air Quality) component properties transmitted by a first wireless transmitter and the airflow properties transmitted by a second wireless transmitter, wherein the component properties comprise at least one of a voltage and a current drawn by the IAQ component comprising a UV (ultraviolet) light source;
report, via a user interface, the received status information, wherein the information reported via the user interface comprises airflow properties transmitted by the second wireless transmitter and further comprises properties of the IAQ component transmitted by the first wireless transmitter, wherein the IAQ component properties reported by the user interface comprise expected remaining lifespan information of the UV light source determined based on at least one of the voltage and the current drawn by the UV light source.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The personal wireless device of claim 10, wherein the IAQ component properties are determined by at least one of a voltage detector coupled to a ballast of the UV light source and a current detector coupled to the ballast of the UV light source.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The personal wireless device of claim 10, wherein the airflow sensor is configured to measure airborne components.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The personal wireless device of claim 12, wherein the measured airborne components in the vicinity of the IAQ component are reported via the user interface of the personal wireless device.

### Claim 14 (depends on 10)

The personal wireless device of claim 10, wherein the airflow sensor is configured to measure air pressure in the vicinity of the IAQ component.

### Claim 15 (depends on 10)

The personal wireless device of claim 10, wherein the IAQ component further comprises at least one media air filter.

### Claim 16 (depends on 10)

The personal wireless device of claim 10, wherein the personal wireless device receives the reported information via a WiFi network.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The personal wireless device of claim 16, wherein the IAQ component properties are transmitted to the gateway by the first wireless transmitter via the WiFi network and the airflow properties are transmitted by the second wireless transmitter to the gateway via the WiFi network.

### Claim 18 (depends on 14)

The personal wireless device of claim 14, wherein a lifespan of the IAQ component is determined based on the measured air pressure, and wherein the lifespan of the IAQ component determined based on measured air pressures is reported via the user interface of the personal wireless device.

### Claim 19

A method for altering the quality of air entering, leaving, or circulating within a building via an HVAC (Heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning) system, the method comprising:
determining properties of an IAQ (Indoor Air Quality) component by a component sensor, wherein the IAQ component comprises a UV (ultraviolet) light source, and wherein the properties comprise at least one of a voltage and a current drawn by the UV light source;
transmitting the properties of the IAQ component to a gateway located within the building;
determining airflow properties at a location in the vicinity of the IAQ component by an airflow sensor;
transmitting the airflow properties to the gateway;
providing, by the gateway, the IAQ component properties and the airflow properties to a personal wireless device; and
reporting, via a user interface of the personal wireless device, the IAQ component properties and the airflow properties, wherein the IAQ component properties reported by the user interface comprise expected remaining lifespan information of the UV light source determined based on at least one of the voltage and the current drawn by the UV light source.