# US 12,222,124 B2 · HVAC system design and operational tool for building infection control > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,222,124 B2 - Document ID: US12222124B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/393,138 - Filed: 2021-08-03 - Published: 2021-11-25 - Granted: 2025-02-11 - Earliest claimed: 2019-07-12 - Assignees: Tyco Fire & Security GmbH - Applicants: Tyco Fire & Security GmbH - Inventors: Michael J. Risbeck; Kirk H. Drees; Jonathan D. Douglas - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12222124B2 ## CPC - F24F 8/20: by sterilisation - F24F 11/64: using pre-stored data - F24F 8/10: by separation, e.g. by filtering - F24F 11/47: Responding to energy costs - F24F 11/52: Indication arrangements, e.g. displays - F24F 11/70: Control systems characterised by their outputs; Constructional details thereof - G05B 19/042: using digital processors (G05B19/05 takes precedence) - F24F 8/22: using UV light - F24F 2110/10: Temperature - F24F 2110/20: Humidity - F24F 2110/50: Air quality properties - F24F 2110/65: Concentration of specific substances or contaminants - F24F 2120/20: Feedback from users - F24F 2140/60: Energy consumption - G05B 15/02: electric - G05B 19/04: Program control other than numerical control, i.e. in sequence controllers or logic controllers (G05B19/418 takes precedence) - G05B 2219/2614: HVAC, heating, ventillation, climate control - G06F 30/20: Design optimisation, verification or simulation (optimisation, verification or simulation of circuit designs G06F30/30) - 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) - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - Y02B: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS ## Abstract A heating, ventilation, or air conditioning system (HVAC) design and operational tool includes one or more processors and memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations including obtaining a dynamic temperature model and a dynamic infectious quanta model for one or more building zones, determining an infection probability, and performing a plurality of simulations for a plurality of different equipment configurations using the dynamic temperature model, the dynamic infectious quanta model, and the infection probability to generate results. The operations include generating, using the results of the plurality of simulations, at least one of design including one or more recommended design parameters data or operational data including one or more recommended operational parameters for the HVAC system and initiating an automated action using at least one of the design data or the operational data. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A heating, ventilation, or air conditioning (HVAC) system, the HVAC system comprising: one or more processors; and memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising: performing a plurality of simulations for a plurality of different equipment configurations using a temperature model, an infectious quanta model, and an infection probability to provide results; using the results of the plurality of simulations to provide (i) a user interface that indicates a tradeoff between the infection probability and at least one of energy cost or energy consumption and (ii) at least one of design data comprising one or more recommended design parameters or operational data comprising one or more recommended operational parameters for the HVAC system; and initiating an automated action using at least one of the design data or the operational data. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The HVAC system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise: determining a dynamic humidity model for one or more building zones; and performing the plurality of simulations using the dynamic humidity model to generate the results. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The HVAC system of claim 1, wherein the one or more recommended design parameters indicate whether to include disinfection lighting for disinfection in the HVAC system, whether to include an air filter for disinfection in the HVAC system, and whether to use fresh air for disinfection in the HVAC system. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The HVAC system of claim 1, wherein the one or more recommended design parameters comprise a recommended rating of an air filter for use in the HVAC system. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The HVAC system of claim 1, wherein the automated action comprises presenting at least one of the design data or the operational data to a user via a user interface. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The HVAC system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of simulations comprise at least two of: a first simulation in which the HVAC system includes disinfection lighting but does not include an air filter for disinfection; a second simulation in which the HVAC system includes the air filter but does not include the disinfection lighting for disinfection; a third simulation in which the HVAC system includes both the disinfection lighting and the air filter for disinfection; and a fourth simulation in which the HVAC system includes neither of the disinfection lighting nor the air filter for disinfection. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The HVAC system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise: generating an infectious quanta constraint based on a user input indicating a desired a level of disinfection; performing at least one of the plurality of simulations subject to the infectious quanta constraint to generate an estimated cost of operating the HVAC system; and presenting the estimated cost of operating the HVAC system via a user interface. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The HVAC system of claim 1, wherein the recommended operational parameters comprise a recommended control scheme for the HVAC system. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The HVAC system of claim 1, wherein performing the plurality of simulations comprises using the infectious quanta model to predict an infectious quanta of a corresponding zone predicted to result from the plurality of different equipment configurations. ### Claim 10 A heating, ventilation, or air conditioning (HVAC) design tool for a HVAC system for a building, the HVAC design tool comprising: one or more processors; and memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising: performing a plurality of simulations subject to an infectious quanta constraint based on a user input indicating a desired level of disinfection and for a plurality of different equipment configurations using a temperature model, an infectious quanta model, and an infection probability; and using the simulations to provide a display indicating a relationship between the infection probability and at least one of energy cost or energy consumption. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The HVAC design tool of claim 10, wherein the wherein the relationship is a tradeoff. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The HVAC design tool of claim 10, wherein the display is provided based upon pareto analysis. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The HVAC design tool of claim 10, further comprising: using results of the plurality of simulations to provide at least one of design data comprising one or more recommended design parameters or to provide operational data comprising one or more recommended operational parameters for the HVAC system; and initiating an automated action using at least one of the design data or the operational data. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The HVAC design tool of claim 13, wherein performing the simulations comprises optimizing an objective function indicating a cost of operating the HVAC system using one or more potential equipment configurations to provide the desired level of disinfection. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The HVAC design tool of claim 14, wherein the desired level of disinfection is a user-selected value. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The HVAC design tool of claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise: performing the simulations subject to the infectious quanta constraint to generate an estimated cost of operating the HVAC system; and presenting the estimated cost of operating the HVAC system via a user interface. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The HVAC design tool of claim 16, wherein the user input indicates a tradeoff between the desired level of disinfection and energy cost, the energy cost comprising at least one of an estimated energy consumption of the HVAC system or an estimated monetary cost of the energy consumption of the HVAC system. ### Claim 18 A method for providing design and operating recommendations for a heating, ventilation, or air conditioning (HVAC) system to achieve a desired level of infection control in a building, the method comprising: obtaining a temperature model and an infectious quanta model for one or more building zones; determining an infection probability based on a user input indicating the desired level of infection control; using the temperature model, the infectious quanta model, and the infection probability to provide at least one of design recommendations or operating recommendations to achieve the desired level of infection control; and operating a display to provide at least one of the design recommendations or the operating recommendations to a user. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, wherein the design recommendations or the operating recommendations comprise at least one of: a recommended equipment configuration of the HVAC system; recommended equipment specifications of the HVAC system; a recommended filter rating of a filter of the HVAC system; a recommended model of equipment of the HVAC system; or a recommended control scheme for the HVAC system. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19, wherein the display is provided based upon pareto analysis.