# US 2016/0258641 A1 · Systems and methods for monitoring and automatically regulating an environmental variable within a target zone

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- Number: US 2016/0258641 A1
- Document ID: US20160258641A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 14/638,946
- Filed: 2015-03-04
- Published: 2016-09-08
- Earliest claimed: 2015-03-04
- Applicants: Elwha LLC
- Inventors: Jesse R. Cheatham, III; William David Duncan; Eun Young Hwang; Roderick A. Hyde; Tony S. Pan; Clarence T. Tegreene; Victoria Y.H. Wood
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20160258641A1

## CPC

- F24F 11/64: using pre-stored data
- F24F 11/30: for purposes related to the operation of the system, e.g. for safety or monitoring
- F24F 11/56: Remote control
- F24F 11/62: characterised by the type of control or by internal processing, e.g. using fuzzy logic, adaptive control or estimation of values
- F24F 11/67: Switching between heating and cooling modes
- G05B 15/02: electric
- F24F 2110/00: Control inputs relating to air properties
- F24F 2120/00: Control inputs relating to users or occupants
- G05B 2219/2614: HVAC, heating, ventillation, climate control
- 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)

## Abstract

A system and associated methods of operation for regulating an environmental variable (such as ambient room temperature) within a target zone. The system includes a sensor system configured to monitor the target zone and measure a skin parameter (such as skin temperature and/or sweat) from an inhabitant occupying the target zone. A processor in operative communication with the sensor system receives the measured skin parameter and queries a storage medium to obtain a threshold setpoint relating to measured skin parameter. The processor compares the measured skin parameter to the threshold setpoint and generates an operation mode signal based on the comparison. An environmental control system receives the operation mode signal and determines whether and how to regulate an environmental variable within the target zone based on the signal.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A system for regulating an environmental variable, the system comprising:
a sensor system configured to monitor a target zone, the sensor system measuring a skin parameter from an inhabitant occupying the target zone and generating a sensor signal communicating the measured skin parameter;
a storage medium having stored therein a threshold setpoint relating to the skin parameter;
a processor in operative communication with the sensor system and storage medium, the processor receiving the sensor signal from the sensor system and determining a variance between the measured skin parameter and the threshold setpoint, the processor generating an operation mode signal based on the determined variance; and
an environmental control system in operative communication with the processor, the environmental control system receiving the operation mode signal and regulating an environmental variable within the target zone based on the operation mode signal.

### Claim at position 2

2-4. (canceled)

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the environmental control system is a heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system having a heating mode and a cooling mode, wherein the environmental variable is an ambient temperature, wherein the skin parameter is skin temperature, wherein the threshold setpoint is a target skin temperature, wherein the processor compares the measured skin temperature to the threshold setpoint, and wherein the HVAC system regulates the temperature within the target zone based on the variance between the

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The system of claim 5, wherein when the variance is a positive variance, indicating that the measured skin parameter is higher than the threshold setpoint, the operation mode signal directly or indirectly activates the cooling mode of the HVAC system to decrease the temperature within the target zone.

### Claim 7

(canceled)

### Claim 8 (depends on 5)

The system of claim 5, wherein when the variance is a negative variance, indicating that the measured skin parameter is lower than the threshold setpoint, the operation mode signal directly or indirectly activates the heating mode of the HVAC system to increase the temperature within the target zone.

### Claim at position 7

9-12. (canceled)

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the threshold setpoint stored in the storage medium is updated based on a temperature of an external zone relative to the target zone.

### Claim at position 9

14-19. (canceled)

### Claim 20 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the storage medium further includes information regarding a time of day, and wherein the threshold setpoint stored in the storage medium is updated based on the time of day when the inhabitant is occupying the target zone.

### Claim 21 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the storage medium further includes information relating to a calendar date, and wherein the threshold setpoint stored in the storage medium is updated based on the calendar date corresponding to the calendar date when the inhabitant is occupying the target zone.

### Claim at position 12

22-27. (canceled)

### Claim 28 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, the storage medium further having stored therein a plurality of user profiles, each of the plurality of user profiles having a user-specific threshold setpoint associated therewith, wherein the processor is further configured to determine the variance based on the measured skin variable and the user-specific threshold setpoint for a target user profile.

### Claim 29 (depends on 28)

The system of claim 28, the sensor system including an imaging subsystem configured to acquire an image of the inhabitant, wherein one of the imaging subsystem or the processor determines the target user profile based on the acquired image.

### Claim 30

(canceled)

### Claim 31 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the skin parameter is sweat.

### Claim 32

(canceled)

### Claim 33 (depends on 31)

The system of claim 31, wherein when the presence of sweat is greater than the threshold setpoint, the operation mode signal directly or indirectly activates the cooling mode of the HVAC system to decrease the temperature within the target zone.

### Claim at position 19

34-41. (canceled)

### Claim 42 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the target zone is a room with a door, and wherein the sensor system further includes a door sensor for determining whether the door of the room is in an open or closed position, wherein the door sensor generates a door signal communicating the open or closed position of the door, and wherein the processor further generates the operation mode signal based on the door signal.

### Claim 43

(canceled)

### Claim 44 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor system measures the skin parameter at a first time point and at a subsequent second time point, and wherein the processor further determines a skin parameter trend by comparing a first skin parameter measured at the first time point and a second skin parameter measured at the second time point with a third skin parameter measured at a third time point at or subsequent the second time point, the skin parameter trend indicating whether the skin parameter has increased or decreased from the first time point to the second time point.

### Claim 45 (depends on 44)

The system of claim 44, wherein when the skin parameter trend indicates that the skin parameter has decreased, the operation mode signal directly or indirectly activates a heating mode of the environmental control system to regulate the environmental variable within the target zone.

### Claim 46 (depends on 44)

The system of claim 44, wherein when the skin parameter trend indicates that the skin parameter has increased, the operation mode signal directly or indirectly activates a cooling mode of the environmental control system to regulate the environmental variable within the target zone.

### Claim 47 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor system measures the skin parameter at a first time point and at a subsequent second time point, and wherein the processor determines a first variance between the measured skin parameter and the threshold setpoint at the first time point and a second variance between the measured skin parameter and the threshold setpoint at the second time point.

### Claim 48 (depends on 47)

The system of claim 47, wherein the processor further determines a variance trend by comparing the first and second variances at a third time point at or subsequent the second time point, the variance trend indicating whether the variance has increased or decreased from the first time point to the second time point.

### Claim 49 (depends on 48)

The system of claim 48, wherein when the variance trend indicates that the variance has decreased, the operation mode signal directly or indirectly activates a heating mode of the environmental control system to regulate the environmental variable within the target zone.

### Claim 50 (depends on 48)

The system of claim 48, wherein when the variance trend indicates that the variance has increased, the operation mode signal directly or indirectly activates a cooling mode of the environmental control system to regulate the environmental variable within the target zone.

### Claim 51 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor system measures the skin parameter at a first time point and at a subsequent second time point, wherein the processor further determines a rate of change relating to the skin parameter based on the first and second time points, and wherein the operation mode signal directly or indirectly activates the environmental control system to operate a heating or cooling mode at a heating or cooling rate corresponding to the rate of change relating to the skin parameter.

### Claim at position 30

52-71. (canceled)

### Claim 72

A method for regulating an environmental variable, the method comprising:
monitoring, via a sensor system, a target zone;
measuring, via the sensor system, a skin parameter from an inhabitant occupying the target zone;
generating, via the sensor system, a sensor signal communicating the measured skin parameter;
receiving, via a processor in operative communication with the sensor system and a storage medium, the sensor signal from the sensor system;
querying, via the processor, the storage medium to retrieve a threshold setpoint relating to the skin parameter;
determining, via the processor, a variance between the measured skin parameter and the threshold setpoint;
generating, via the processor, an operation mode signal based on the determined variance;
receiving, via an environmental control system in operative communication with the processor, the operation mode signal; and
regulating, via the environmental control system, an environmental variable within the target zone based on the operation mode signal.

### Claim at position 32

73-75. (canceled)

### Claim 76 (depends on 72)

The method of claim 72, wherein the threshold setpoint is a target skin temperature, the method further comprising:
comparing, via the processor, the measured skin temperature to the threshold setpoint; and
regulating, via the HVAC system, the temperature within the target zone based on the variance between the skin temperature of the inhabitant and the target skin temperature.

### Claim 77 (depends on 76)

The method of claim 76, further comprising activating the cooling mode of the HVAC system to decrease the temperature within the zone when the variance is a positive variance, indicating that the measured skin parameter is higher than the threshold setpoint.

### Claim 78

(canceled)

### Claim 79 (depends on 76)

The method of claim 76, further comprising activating the heating mode of the HVAC system to increase the temperature within the zone when the variance is a negative variance, indicating that the measured skin parameter is lower than the threshold setpoint, the skin temperature of the inhabitant and the target skin temperature.

### Claim at position 37

80-83. (canceled)

### Claim 84 (depends on 72)

The method of claim 72, further comprising updating the threshold setpoint stored in the storage medium based on a temperature of an external zone relative to the target zone.

### Claim at position 39

85-90. (canceled)

### Claim 91 (depends on 72)

The method of claim 72, further comprising:
monitoring a time of day; and
updating the threshold setpoint stored in the storage medium based on the time of day when the inhabitant is occupying the target zone.

### Claim 92 (depends on 72)

The method of claim 72, further comprising:
monitoring a calendar date; and
updating the threshold setpoint stored in the storage medium based on the calendar date corresponding to the calendar date when the inhabitant is occupying the target zone.

### Claim at position 42

93-98. (canceled)

### Claim 99 (depends on 72)

The method of claim 72, further comprising:
storing, in the storage medium, a plurality of user profiles, each of the plurality of user profiles having a user-specific threshold setpoint associated therewith; and
determining, via the processor, the variance based on the measured skin variable and the user-specific threshold setpoint for a target user profile.

### Claim 100 (depends on 99)

The method of claim 99, further comprising:
acquiring, via an imaging subsystem, an image of the inhabitant; and
processing, via one of the imaging subsystem or the processor, the acquired image to identify the target user profile.

### Claim 101

(canceled)

### Claim 102 (depends on 72)

The method of claim 72, wherein the skin parameter is sweat.

### Claim 103

(canceled)

### Claim 104 (depends on 102)

The method of claim 102, further comprising activating the cooling mode of the HVAC system to decrease the temperature within the target zone, when the presence of sweat is greater than the threshold setpoint.

### Claim at position 49

105-112. (canceled)

### Claim 113 (depends on 72)

The method of claim 72, wherein the target zone is a room with a door, the method further comprising:
determining, via a door sensor, whether the door of the room is in an open or closed position;
generating, via the door sensor, a door signal communicating the open or closed position of the door; and
generating, via the processor, the operation mode signal based on the door signal.

### Claim 114

(canceled)

### Claim 115 (depends on 72)

The method of claim 72, further comprising:
measuring, via the sensor system, the skin parameter at a first time point and at a subsequent second time point; and
determining, via the processor, a first variance between the measured skin parameter and the threshold setpoint at the first time point and a second variance between the measured skin parameter and the threshold setpoint at a second time point.

### Claim 116 (depends on 72)

The method of claim 72, further comprising:
measuring, via the sensor system, the skin parameter at a first time point and at a subsequent second time point; and
determining, via the processor, a skin parameter trend by comparing the first and second skin parameters at a third time point at or subsequent the second time point, the skin parameter trend indicating whether the skin parameter has increased or decreased from the first time point to the second time point.

### Claim 117 (depends on 116)

The method of claim 116, further comprising activating, directly or indirectly, the heating mode of the environmental control system to regulate the environmental variable within the target zone when the skin parameter trend indicates that the skin parameter has decreased.

### Claim 118 (depends on 116)

The method of claim 116, further comprising activating, directly or indirectly, the cooling mode of the environmental control system to regulate the environmental variable within the target zone when the skin parameter trend indicates that the skin parameter has increased.

### Claim 119 (depends on 115)

The method of claim 115, further comprising:
comparing, via the processor, the first and second variances at a third time point at or subsequent the second time point; and
determining, via the processor, a variance trend based on the comparing step.

### Claim 120 (depends on 119)

The method of claim 119, further comprising activating a heating mode of the environmental control system to regulate the environmental variable within the target zone when the variance trend indicates that the variance has decreased.

### Claim 121 (depends on 119)

The method of claim 119, further comprising activating a cooling mode of the environmental control system to regulate the environmental variable within the target zone when the variance trend indicates that the variance has increased.

### Claim 122 (depends on 72)

The method of claim 72, further comprising:
measuring, via the sensor system, the skin parameter at a first time point and at a subsequent second time point;
determining, via the processor, a rate of change relating to the skin parameter based on the first and second time points; and
activating the environmental control system to operate a heating or cooling mode at a heating or cooling rate corresponding to the rate of change relating to the skin parameter.

### Claim at position 60

123-142. (canceled)