# US 12,015,274 B2 · Portable controller for drying equipment and related system and method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,015,274 B2 - Document ID: US12015274B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/734,215 - Filed: 2022-05-02 - Published: 2022-11-10 - Granted: 2024-06-18 - Earliest claimed: 2021-05-04 - Assignees: Robbie Restoration Technologies Inc. - Applicants: Robbie Restoration Technologies Inc. - Inventors: Ricardo Antonio Rambal Fattori; Ricardo Alberto Rambal Santacruz - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12015274B2 ## CPC - F26B 25/22: Controlling the drying process in dependence on liquid content of solid materials or objects - H02J 3/14: by switching loads on to, or off from, the networks, e.g. progressively balanced loading - F26B 21/001: {Air generating units, e.g. movable or independent of drying enclosure} - F26B 21/33: Humidity - F26B 21/35: Temperature; Pressure - H02J 13/12: Monitoring network conditions, e.g. electrical magnitudes or operational status - H02J 13/13: characterised by the transmission of data to equipment in the power network - F26B: DRYING SOLID MATERIALS OR OBJECTS BY REMOVING LIQUID THEREFROM (drying devices for combines A01D41/133; racks for drying fruit or vegetables A01F25/12; drying foodstuffs A23; drying hair A45D20/00; body-drying implements A47K10/00; drying household articles A47L; drying gases or vapours B01D; chemical or physical processes for dewatering or like separating liquids from solids B01D43/00; centrifugal apparatus B04; drying ceramics C04B33/30; drying yarns or fabrics in association with some other form of treatment D06C; drying frames for laundry without heating or positive air circulation, domestic laundry-or spin-driers, wringing or hot pressing laundry D06F; furnaces, kilns, ovens F27) - H02J: ELECTRIC POWER NETWORKS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY ## Abstract Current technologies for restoring buildings and spaces, such as drying processes to remove water damage, are prone to technical error and operational error. A portable controller is herein provided to autonomously monitor and control restoration equipment, including drying equipment. The portable controller is in data communication with a server system, and the server system can remotely control the portable controller. The portable controller includes outlet receptacles to which the drying equipment is connectable. The portable controller includes a computer that autonomously determines when to provide electrical power and when to cut off the electrical power to the outlet receptacles, in order to respectively activate and deactivate the drying equipment. The portable controller also senses environment conditions and electrical power consumption caused by the drying equipment. This data is transmitted to the server system for storage and analysis. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system for monitoring drying of a space and controlling drying equipment in the space, the system comprising: a portable controller and a server; the portable controller for controlling the drying equipment, the portable controller comprising: a housing; a power system within the housing comprising a power supply; one or more switches within the housing, which are connected to the power supply and one or more outlet receptacles, wherein the one or more outlet receptacles are operable to provide electrical power to the drying equipment; a power sensor to measure the electrical power outputted to the one or more outlet receptacles; environmental sensors that comprise a humidity sensor and a temperature sensor; a computer within the housing, wherein the computer is data connected to the power sensor and the environmental sensors, and the computer is electrically connected to the one or more switches to control the one or more switches, which controls the electrical power at the one or more outlet receptacles; a wireless communication module configured to wirelessly communicate with the server, including at least communicating relative humidity data and power consumption data of the drying equipment to the server; the server comprising a processor module, a communication module, and a memory module, and the server configured to obtain the relative humidity data and the power consumption data of the drying equipment from the portable controller and compute a comparison of the power consumption data of the drying equipment over time and the relative humidity data over the time. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more outlet receptacles of the portable controller are positioned on the housing and accessible at an exterior surface of the housing. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the environmental sensors of the portable controller are removably connectable to one or more wire ports positioned on the housing. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the environmental sensors of the portable controller are positioned on the housing. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the portable controller further comprises an internal temperature sensor that measures the temperature within the housing. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the housing of the portable controller comprises one or more ports that are connected to the computer, and the one or more ports are configured to connect to one or more removably connectable moisture sensors. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the power supply of the portable controller is an AC power supply and the one or more outlet receptacles are AC configured outlet receptacles, and the portable controller further comprises an AC-DC converter that is connected between the AC power supply and the computer. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more switches of the portable controller are one or more solid state relays, which are controlled by the computer. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication module is configured to further communicate to the server information that identifies a current location of the portable controller. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the computer of the portable controller stores a setpoint humidity value, and continues to supply the electrical power via the one or more outlet receptacles for consumption by the drying equipment until the setpoint humidity value is achieved. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein, after detecting an increase in power consumption at the one or more outlet receptacles above a given threshold, the computer of the portable controller is configured to control the one or more switches to cut power supply to the one or more outlet receptacles. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein, after detecting an anomaly in data from at least one of the power sensor and the one or more environmental sensors, the computer of the portable controller is configured to control the one or more switches to cut power supply to the one or more outlet receptacles. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the portable controller further comprises a vent positioned on a first surface of the housing that faces a first direction, wherein the vent is configured to vent out air from an internal space defined within the housing, and the humidity sensor is positioned on a second surface of the housing that faces a second direction which is different from the first direction. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more outlet receptacles are positioned on an upper portion of the housing, and the humidity sensor that is positioned on a lower portion of the housing. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the portable controller further comprises one or more data ports on the housing, and the one or more environmental sensors comprise a moisture meter that comprises a connector that is removably connectable to the one or more data ports. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the server is configured to further compute a prediction of a total amount time to complete a drying process of the space. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the server is configured to further compute a prediction of a total power consumption of the drying equipment to complete a drying process of the space. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the server is configured to further output an initial environmental measurement of the space including a relative humidity measurement, a final environment measurement of the space after a drying process of the space is completed, a time amount to complete the drying process, and an amount of power consumed by the drying equipment to complying the drying process. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein a table for correlating power consumption with one or more types of drying equipment is stored in the memory module of the server, and the server is configured to access the table by inputting a measured power consumption to identify a potential drying device used for drying the space. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein, after detecting that a relative humidity setpoint has been reached, the portable controller is configured to automatically cut power supply to the one or more outlet receptacles to deactivate the drying equipment, and to transmit a message to the server indicating that the drying process is complete. ### Claim 21 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the comparison of the power consumption data over time and the relative humidity data over the time is displayable in a graphical user interface.