# US 2014/0156088 A1 · Energy management systems and methods

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- Number: US 2014/0156088 A1
- Document ID: US20140156088A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 13/706,228
- Filed: 2012-12-05
- Published: 2014-06-05
- Earliest claimed: 2012-12-05
- Assignees: EZ Green Inc.
- Applicants: Ez Green Inc.
- Inventors: Jiechao Li; Gayathri Raghavendra
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140156088A1

## CPC

- G05B 13/02: electric
- G05B 15/02: electric
- G05D 23/1902: {characterised by the use of a variable reference value}
- G05B 2219/2642: Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house
- 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)
- G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES

## Abstract

Provided are energy management systems which are configured to receive real-time outside temperature at the location of a building, receive initial temperature control set points for each of one or more zones inside the building and adjust the temperature control set points for each zone of the plurality, taking the outside temperature and the initial temperature control set points for the zone as parameters. The adjusted set points can then be used to guide heating and/or cooling in the respective zone. Methods of setting up and using the systems are also provided.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A system comprising memory, a processor and program code which, when executed by the processor, configures the system to:
receive real-time outside temperature at the location of a building;
receive initial temperature control set points for each of one or more zones inside the building; and
adjust the temperature control set points for each zone of the plurality, taking the outside temperature and the initial temperature control set points for the zone as parameters.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the system is further configured to send the adjusted temperature control set points to each of the zones to guide heating and/or cooling in the zone.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the system is further configured to receive the location of the building.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the real-time outside temperature is determined at the location.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The system of claim 4, wherein the real-time outside temperature is determined with a temperature sensor at the location.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the real-time outside temperature is retrieved from a weather database.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the system is further configured to determine the initial temperature control set points based on an occupancy schedule in the zone.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The system of claim 7, wherein the system is further configured to determine the occupancy schedule.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The system of claim 8, wherein the occupancy schedule is determined with an occupancy sensor.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The system of claim 8, wherein the occupancy schedule is determined with input from a user.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the system is further configured to determine the inside temperature in each of the plurality of zones.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the initial temperature control set points comprise a default heating set point (DefHSP), which indicates a need of heating when the inside temperature in a zone is below the DefHSP.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The system of claim 12, wherein the initial temperature control set points further comprise a minimum heating set point (MinHSP), which indicates that heating is required, regardless of the outside temperature, when the insider temperature in a zone is below the MinHSP.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The system of claim 13, wherein the adjustment further take a heating upper threshold (HUT) and a heating lower threshold (HLT) as parameters.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The system of claim 14, wherein the adjustment further takes one or more heating intermediate thresholds (HIT1, HIT2 . . . HITn-1 and HITn) and one or more heating adjustment increments (H-INCR1, H-INCR2 . . . H-INCRn-1 and H-INCRn) as parameters.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The system of claim 15, wherein the DefHSP is adjusted to an adjusted heating set point (AdjHSP) that is:
DefHSP, if the outside temperature is higher than HUT;
DefHSP−H-INCR1, if the outside temperature is between HUT and HIT1;
DefHSP−H-INCR2, if the outside temperature is between HIT1 and HIT2;
DefHSP−H-INCRn, if the outside temperature is between HITn-1 and HITn; or
MinHSP, if the outside temperature is lower than HLT.

### Claim 17 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the initial temperature control set points comprise a default cooling set point (DefCSP), which indicates a need of cooling when the inside temperature in a zone is above the DefCSP.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The system of claim 17, wherein the initial temperature control set points further comprise a maximum cooling set point (MaxCSP), which indicates that cooling is required, regardless of the outside temperature, when the insider temperature in a zone is above the MaxCSP.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The system of claim 18, wherein the adjustment further takes cooling lower threshold (CLT) and a cooling upper threshold (CUT) as parameters.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The system of claim 19, wherein the adjustment further takes one or more cooling intermediate thresholds (CIT1, CIT2 . . . CITn-1 and CITn) and one or more cooling adjustment increments (C-INCR1, C-INCR2 . . . C-INCRn-1 and C-INCRn) as parameters.

### Claim 21 (depends on 20)

The system of claim 20, wherein the DefCSP is adjusted to an adjusted heating set point (AdjCSP) that is:
DefCSP, if the outside temperature is lower than CLT;
DefCSP+C-INCR1, if the outside temperature is between CLT and CIT1;
DefCSP+C-INCR2, if the outside temperature is between CIT1 and CIT2;
DefCSP−C-INCRn, if the outside temperature is between CITn-1 and CITn; or
MaxCSP, if the outside temperature is higher than CUT.

### Claim 22 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the receiving and/or sending comprises wireless data transmission.

### Claim 23 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the receiving and/or sending is through wired data transmission.

### Claim 24

A method for guiding heating and/or cooling in a building, comprising:
receiving real-time outside temperature at the location of a building;
receiving initial temperature control set points for each of one or more zones inside the building; and
adjusting the temperature control set points for each zone of the plurality, taking the outside temperature and the initial temperature control set points for the zone as parameters, wherein at least one of the steps is performed by a computer.

### Claim 25

A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising program code which, when executed, configures a system to:
receive real-time outside temperature at the location of a building;
receive initial temperature control set points for each of one or more zones inside the building; and
adjust the temperature control set points for each zone of the plurality, taking the outside temperature and the initial temperature control set points for the zone as parameters.