# US 11,898,766 B2 · Optimizing building HVAC efficiency and occupant comfort

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- Number: US 11,898,766 B2
- Document ID: US11898766B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/994,354
- Filed: 2022-11-27
- Published: 2023-04-20
- Granted: 2024-02-13
- Earliest claimed: 2020-02-13
- Applicants: Thomas Hartman
- Inventors: Thomas Hartman
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11898766B2

## CPC

- F24F 11/56: Remote control
- F24F 11/46: Improving electric energy efficiency or saving
- F24F 11/47: Responding to energy costs
- F24F 11/54: using one central controller connected to several sub-controllers
- F24F 11/65: for selecting an operating mode
- F24F 11/74: for controlling air flow rate or air velocity
- H04L 67/125: involving control of end-device applications over a network
- H05B 47/10: Controlling the light source
- F24F 2120/20: Feedback from users
- 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)
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)
- H05B: ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL

## Abstract

In a commercial building, individual occupant thermal comfort is achieved with optimal cost and energy efficiency through the integration of a variety of local thermal comfort components into a communication network that employs emerging optimization principles to meet individual preferences for the thermal environment on a workstation basis while reducing building energy use and operating in accordance with any constraints on the energy grids that serve the buildings. These multiple objectives are met in part through a robust communication network that employs distributing processing to achieve preferred thermal conditions with optimal control of all components at subzone, zone, system, central plant, and energy grid levels.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for improving user comfort and optimizing building energy efficiency in a commercial building served by an HVAC system, comprising:
identifying a zone of a building that is served by a zone-wide primary comfort component, the zone-wide primary comfort component operated by a zone controller;
designating plural subzones within the zone, each subzone arranged to receive thermal comfort conditioning from the primary comfort component;
in each designated subzone, providing a local subzone controller associated with the corresponding subzone, thereby defining a one-to-one relationship between each local subzone controller and the corresponding subzone;
in each local subzone controller, identifying at least one auxiliary thermal comfort control component that is local to the subzone and operated by the subzone controller;
in each local subzone controller, determining current occupancy status, current thermal comfort conditions and current comfort settings of the subzone;
in each local subzone controller, calculating a comfort factor adjustment to satisfy the current subzone comfort settings based on the current occupancy status and the current thermal comfort conditions;
determining a least-cost or most energy efficient combination of adjustments (a) to the zone-wide primary comfort component and (b) to operation of the subzone auxiliary thermal comfort component(s) to achieve the calculated comfort factor adjustment;
communicating the determined primary comfort component adjustment as a request to the zone controller;
determining and executing an immediate adjustment to operation of the identified subzone auxiliary thermal comfort component(s) to achieve the calculated comfort factor adjustment with the current state of the zone wide thermal comfort component so as to accelerate achieving the desired subzone thermal comfort setting; and
periodically readjusting the operation of the subzone auxiliary comfort component(s) as the zone-wide comfort component is adjusted by the zone controller, thereby to increase overall efficiency of the conditioning system and meet the current desired thermal comfort setting at all subzones.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 including:
in the zone controller, aggregating all subzone adjustment requests and determining an adjustment of the primary zone-wide comfort component that best satisfies all subzone adjustment requests; and
applying the determined adjustment to operation of the primary zone-wide comfort component.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 including:
receiving an action request input from a local user interface associated subzone, the requested action to modify a thermal comfort value of the subzone away from a predetermined default thermal comfort value;
estimating energy cost or environmental consequences of the requested action;
communicating via the local user interface to inform of the energy or environmental consequences of the requested action;
receiving a reply from the local user interface to modify the requested action or continue with the requested action;
responsive to the reply indicating continue with the requested action, executing the requested action; and
responsive to the reply indicating a modification of the requested action, modifying the requested action to form a modified request and executing the modified request.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 including:
receiving data in the subzone controller regarding external energy cost or availability constraints;
calculating zone and subzone thermal comfort adjustment necessary to accommodate the constraint;
communicating the proposed adjustment in a message to the local user interface of the sub zone;
receiving a reply from the local user interface to modify the proposed action or continue with the proposed action;
responsive to the reply indicating continue with the proposed action, executing the proposed action; and
responsive to the reply indicating a modification of the proposed action, modifying the proposed action to form a modified action and executing the modified action.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 including:
communicating in a message to the local user interface a cost and or environmental impact of a requested user subzone thermal comfort adjustment;
receiving a user response to uphold, modify, or abandon the initially requested adjustment; and
responsive to the users response, executing the selected option to uphold, modify or abandon the requested subzone thermal comfort adjustment.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 including:
receiving control signal inputs based predetermined thermal comfort preference data as well as constraints resulting from differing thermal comfort preferences at adjacent subzones and/or external energy cost or availability constraints; and
adjusting operation of at least some of the subzone comfort control components responsive to the control signal inputs, wherein the adjusting step balances the costs and effectiveness of local (zone and subzone) comfort control component adjustments versus the costs or availability of the HVAC system supply adjustments to arrive at an optimal combination of comfort factor adjustments in terms of both energy efficiency and system constraints or limitations to achieve each subzone's corresponding default comfort values.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 including:
receiving lighting control inputs via user interfaces of the subzones; and
adjusting the lighting conditions in each subzone based on the control signal inputs and the stored occupant preferences as well as constraints resulting from differing preferences at adjacent workstations and/or external energy cost or availability constraints.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the adjustment is first subject to approval from an occupant(s) either directly or by setup limits established by the occupant(s) of the subzone before being implemented and if not approved is subject to an alternate adjustment that achieves a desired comfort level in a manner that is approved by the occupant(s).

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein a user interface is implemented by an application program executable on a smartphone device.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the subzone controller is incorporated into a user interface associated with the subzone.