# US 12,764,847 B2 · Energy device control apparatus and method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,764,847 B2 - Document ID: US12764847B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/795,171 - Filed: 2024-08-05 - Published: 2026-02-05 - Granted: 2026-10-13 - Earliest claimed: 2024-08-05 - Assignees: Digitectura Technologies Pvt. Ltd - Applicants: Digitectura Technologies Pvt. Ltd. - Inventors: Harish Kumar M B; Siddanth Satish - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12764847B2 ## CPC - H05B 47/183: {using digital addressable lighting interface [DALI] communication protocols} - F24F 11/56: Remote control - F24F 11/63: Electronic processing - H05B 47/11: by determining the brightness or colour temperature of ambient light - H05B 47/13: by using passive infrared detectors - F24F 2110/10: Temperature - F24F 2110/20: Humidity - H05B: ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL - 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) ## Abstract An energy device control apparatus for controlling lighting, HVAC or other energy devices of a particular area of a building is provided. The apparatus includes a presence sensor, a passive infrared sensor, a microprocessor, and a controller to control the energy device by detecting human occupancy in the area of the building. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An apparatus for controlling one or more devices for an area of a building comprising: a presence sensor, wherein the presence sensor is operative to sense the presence of at least one person in the area; a passive infrared sensor, wherein the passive infrared sensor is operative to detect motion of the at least one person in the area; a microprocessor; a controller; wherein the passive infrared sensor is operative to send motion information to the microprocessor, wherein the presence sensor is operative to send information about the presence of the at least one person in the area to the microprocessor, wherein the microprocessor is operative to determine the number of persons in the area based on the information about the presence of the at least one person in the area from the presence sensor and the motion information from the passive infrared sensor, wherein the microprocessor is operative to send information on the number of persons in the area determined by the microprocessor to the controller, wherein the controller is operative to send control commands to a control system to control the one or more devices based on the information on the number of persons in the area received from the microprocessor, wherein the presence sensor is operative to continuously operate to sense the presence of the at least one person in the area regardless of whether the passive infrared sensor detects motion of the at least one person in the area, wherein, when the passive infrared sensor does not detect motion for a predetermined interval, the controller is operative to query the microprocessor to determine whether the number of persons in the area determined by the microprocessor is greater than zero, and to maintain or turn off operation of the one or more devices based on whether the number of persons in the area determined by the microprocessor is greater than zero. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an ambient light sensor, wherein the ambient light sensor is operative to detect the light intensity of the area, wherein the one or more devices comprise one or more light sources for the area, wherein the controller comprises a microcontroller, wherein the microprocessor is operative to send the information on the number of persons in the area determined by the microprocessor to the microcontroller, wherein the microcontroller determines the desired light intensity based on the information on the number of persons in the area received from the microprocessor, wherein the ambient light sensor is operative to send the light intensity of the area to the microcontroller, and wherein the microcontroller is operative to send control commands to the control system to control the one or more light sources to adjust the light intensity of the area based on the information on the number of persons in the area received from the microprocessor and the light intensity of the area sent by the ambient light sensor. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising a stand-alone unit, wherein the stand-alone unit comprises the presence sensor, the passive infrared sensor, the microprocessor, the ambient light sensor and the microcontroller, and wherein the stand-alone unit is covered by a casing. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the microcontroller is operative to send control commands to the control system to control the one or more light sources to adjust the light intensity of the area based on a mapping of the information on the number of persons in the area received from the microprocessor, the position of the at least one person in the area, and the light intensity of the area sent by the ambient light sensor. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the presence sensor comprises a CMOS/LIDR/Radar sensor to sense the presence of the at least one person in the area. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the microprocessor comprises an artificial intelligence and machine learning trained model to help determine the number of persons in the area based on the information about the presence of the at least one person in the area from the presence sensor and the motion information from the passive infrared sensor. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a temperature and humidity sensor for sensing the temperature and humidity of the area, wherein the temperature and humidity sensor is operatively connected to the microprocessor and operative to send the sensed temperature and humidity of the area to the microprocessor, wherein the one or more devices comprise one or more Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) devices, wherein the controller comprises a cloud management server, wherein the microprocessor is operative to send the information on the number of persons in the area determined by the microprocessor to the cloud management server, wherein the microprocessor determines the humidity and temperature information of the area sensed by the temperature and humidity sensor, wherein the microprocessor sends the humidity and temperature information of the area to the cloud management server if the microprocessor determines that the at least one person is in the area and the humidity and temperature information of the area is not within a predetermined range, and wherein the cloud management server sends the control information to the one or more HVAC devices to adjust the humidity and temperature in the area to the predetermined humidity and temperature range. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the cloud management server is operative to send control commands to control the one or more HVAC devices in the area based on a mapping between the humidity and temperature information and the information about the presence of the at least one person in the area. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is operative to turn off the one or more devices when, based on information from the presence sensor provided by the microprocessor, the microprocessor determines that the number of persons in the area is not greater than zero. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is operative to maintain operation of the one or more devices when, based on information from the presence sensor provided by the microprocessor, the microprocessor determines that the number of persons in the area is greater than zero. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: an ambient light sensor, wherein the ambient light sensor is operative to detect the light intensity of the area; a temperature and humidity sensor for sensing the temperature and humidity of the area; and another controller, wherein the one or more devices comprise one or more light sources for the area, wherein the first mentioned controller comprises a microcontroller, wherein the microprocessor is operative to send the information on the number of persons in the area determined by the microprocessor to the microcontroller, wherein the microcontroller determines a desired light intensity based on the information on the number of persons in the area received from the microprocessor, wherein the ambient light sensor is operative to send the light intensity of the area to the microcontroller, wherein the microcontroller is operative to send control commands to a control system to control the one or more light sources to adjust the light intensity of the area based on the information on the number of persons in the area received from the microprocessor and the light intensity of the area sent by the ambient light sensor, wherein the one or more devices comprise one or more light sources for the area and one or more Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) devices, wherein the another controller comprises a cloud management server, wherein the temperature and humidity sensor is operatively connected to the microprocessor and operative to send the sensed temperature and humidity of the area to the microprocessor, wherein the microprocessor is operative to send the information on the number of persons in the area determined by the microprocessor to the cloud management server, wherein the microprocessor determines the humidity and temperature information of the area sensed by the temperature and humidity sensor, wherein the microprocessor sends the humidity and temperature information of the area to the cloud management server if the microprocessor determines that the at least one person is in the area and the humidity and temperature information of the area is not within the predetermined range, and wherein the cloud management server sends the control information to the one or more HVAC devices to adjust temperature and humidity in the area to a predetermined humidity and temperature range. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising a stand-alone unit, wherein the stand-alone unit comprises the presence sensor, the passive infrared sensor, the microprocessor, the ambient light sensor, the temperature and humidity sensor and the microcontroller, and wherein the stand-alone unit is covered by a casing. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the stand-alone unit comprises a push button and light emitting diode indicators, wherein the push button is operative to turn on the microcontroller upon depressing the push button, and wherein the light emitting diode indicators are operative to indicate the operational status of the apparatus. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the presence sensor comprises a CMOS/LIDR/Radar sensor to sense the presence of the at least one person in the area. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the microprocessor comprises an artificial intelligence and machine learning trained model to help determine the number of persons in the area based on the information about the presence of the at least one person in the area from the presence sensor and the motion information from the passive infrared sensor. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the microprocessor is operative to process an image of the area at predetermined intervals in response to receiving information about the presence of the at least one person in the area by the presence sensor. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the controller is operative to turn off the one or more devices when, based on information from the presence sensor provided by the microprocessor, the microprocessor determines that the number of persons in the area is not greater than zero. ### Claim 18 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the controller is operative to maintain operation of the one or more devices when, based on information from the presence sensor provided by the microprocessor, the microprocessor determines that the number of persons in the area is greater than zero.