# US 2016/0258643 A1 · Systems and methods for regulating an environmental variable within a target zone having multiple inhabitants > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2016/0258643 A1 - Document ID: US20160258643A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/638,951 - Filed: 2015-03-04 - Published: 2016-09-08 - Earliest claimed: 2015-03-04 - Assignees: Elwha LLC - 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/US20160258643A1 ## CPC - F24F 11/67: Switching between heating and cooling modes - 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 11/64: using pre-stored data - G05B 15/02: electric - F24F 2120/00: Control inputs relating to users or occupants - F24F 2120/10: Occupancy - 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, detect one or more inhabitants present within the zone, and identify an alpha person from the one or more inhabitants. Once the alpha person is identified, a measurement sensor measures a skin parameter from the identified alpha person and generates a sensor signal communicating the measured skin parameter to an environmental control system. Upon receiving the sensor signal, the environmental control system regulates an environmental variable within the zone based on the measured skin parameter from the alpha person. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system for regulating an environmental variable, the system comprising: a sensor system configured to monitor a zone, the sensor system detecting a presence of one or more inhabitants within the zone, the sensor system further configured to identify an alpha person from the one or more of the inhabitants in the zone; a measurement sensor configured to monitor the zone, the measurement sensor measuring a skin parameter from the identified alpha person and generating a sensor signal based on the measured skin parameter; and an environmental control system in operative communication with the measurement sensor, the environmental control system receiving the sensor signal from the measurement sensor and regulating an environmental variable within the zone based on the measured skin parameter. ### Claim 2 (canceled) ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2, further comprising a storage medium having stored therein a threshold setpoint relating to the skin parameter, and a processor in operative communication with the measurement sensor and the storage medium, the processor receiving the sensor signal from the measurement sensor and determining a variance between the measured skin parameter and the threshold setpoint for the identified alpha person, the processor generating an operation mode signal based on the variance. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The system of claim 3, wherein the processor is in operative communication with the environmental control system, the environmental control system receiving the operation mode signal and regulating an environmental variable with the zone based on the operation mode signal. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The system of claim 4, wherein the operation mode signal directly or indirectly activates one of a cooling mode or a heating mode of the environmental control system to heat or cool the zone. ### Claim 6 (canceled) ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor system is further configured to monitor an entrance or an exit of one or more of the inhabitants into or out of the zone, and the environmental variable is room temperature, wherein the environmental control system automatically decreases an amount of heating applied within the zone as the number of inhabitants present within the zone increases, and wherein the environmental control system automatically increases an amount of heating applied within the zone as the number of inhabitants present within the zone decreases. ### Claim 8 (canceled) ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor system is further configured to monitor an entrance or an exit of one or more of the inhabitants into or out of the zone, and the environmental variable is room temperature, wherein the environmental control system automatically increases an amount of cooling applied within the zone as the number of inhabitants present within the zone increases and wherein the environmental control system automatically decreases an amount of cooling applied within the zone as the number of inhabitants present within the zone decreases. ### Claim at position 10 10-22. (canceled) ### Claim 23 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising a monitoring system in communication with the sensor system, the monitoring system configured to monitor an entrance or an exit of one or more of the inhabitants into or out of the zone. ### Claim at position 12 24-29. (canceled) ### Claim 30 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising a door sensor configured to monitor whether a door leading into the zone is open or closed, the door sensor further configured to generate a door signal communicating whether the door is open or closed, wherein the environmental control system is in communication with the door sensor, the environmental control system receiving the door signal and regulating the environmental variable within the zone based on the door signal. ### Claim at position 14 31-32. (canceled) ### Claim 33 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the skin parameter is skin temperature and wherein the sensor system identifies the alpha person as the inhabitant having a maximum skin temperature from the measured skin temperature of each of the one or more inhabitants. ### Claim 34 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the skin parameter is skin temperature and wherein the sensor system identifies the alpha person as the inhabitant with a minimum skin temperature from the measured skin temperature of each of the one or more inhabitants. ### Claim 35 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the skin parameter is skin temperature and wherein the sensor system identifies the alpha person as the inhabitant with a median skin temperature from the measured skin temperature of each of the one or more inhabitants. ### Claim at position 18 36-38. (canceled) ### Claim 39 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor system receives input from a user to identify the alpha person. ### Claim 40 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising a database having stored therein an image of the alpha person, and wherein the sensor system includes a facial recognition system configured to capture an image of each of the one or more inhabitants in the zone, and compare the captured image with the stored image in the database to identify the alpha person. ### Claim 41 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor system includes a tag and a tag reader, the tag carried by the alpha person, wherein the tag reader is configured to capture data from the tag to identify the alpha person in the zone. ### Claim 42 (depends on 41) The system of claim 41, wherein the tag is carried by an article of clothing worn by the alpha person. ### Claim 43 (depends on 41) The system of claim 41, wherein the tag is an RFID tag and the tag reader is an RFID reader. ### Claim at position 24 44-48. (canceled) ### Claim 49 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor system is further configured to determine a number of inhabitants present within the zone, the sensor system further generating an occupancy signal communicating the number of inhabitants present within the zone, and wherein the environmental control system regulates the environmental variable based further on the occupancy signal. ### Claim 50 (depends on 49) The system of claim 49, wherein the environmental variable is room temperature, wherein the environmental control system automatically decreases an amount of heating applied within the zone as the number of inhabitants present within the zone increases, and wherein the environmental variable is room temperature, and wherein the environmental control system automatically increases an amount of heating applied within the zone as the number of inhabitants present within the zone decreases. ### Claim 51 (canceled) ### Claim 52 (depends on 49) The system of claim 49, wherein the environmental variable is room temperature, wherein the environmental control system automatically increases an amount of cooling applied within the zone as the number of inhabitants present within the zone increases, and wherein the environmental variable is room temperature, and wherein the environmental control system automatically decreases an amount of cooling applied within the zone as the number of inhabitants present within the zone decreases. ### Claim at position 29 53-55. (canceled) ### Claim 56 A method for regulating an environmental variable, the method comprising: monitoring, via a sensor system a zone; detecting, via the sensor system, a presence of one or more inhabitants within the zone; identifying, via the sensor system, an alpha person from the one or more of the inhabitants in the zone; monitoring, via a measurement sensor, the zone; measuring, via the measurement sensor, a skin parameter from the identified alpha person; generating, via the measurement sensor, a sensor signal based on the measured skin parameter; receiving, via an environmental control system in operative communication with the measurement sensor, the sensor signal from the measurement sensor; and regulating, via the environmental control system, an environmental variable within the zone based on the measured skin parameter. ### Claim 57 (canceled) ### Claim 58 (depends on 56) The method of claim 56, further comprising a storage medium having stored therein a threshold setpoint relating to the skin parameter and a processor in operative communication with the measurement sensor and the storage medium, the method further comprising: receiving, via the processor, the sensor signal from the measurement sensor; determining, via the processor, a variance between the measured skin parameter and the threshold setpoint for the identified alpha person; and generating, via the processor, an operation mode signal based on the variance. ### Claim 59 (depends on 58) The method of claim 58, wherein the processor is in operative communication with the environmental control system, the method further comprising: receiving, via the environmental control system, the operation mode signal; and regulating, via the environmental control system, an environmental variable with the zone based on the operation mode signal. ### Claim 60 (depends on 59) The method of claim 59, wherein the operation mode signal directly or indirectly activates one of a cooling mode or a heating mode of the environmental control system to heat or cool the zone. ### Claim 61 (canceled) ### Claim 62 (depends on 56) The method of claim 56, wherein the environmental variable is room temperature, the method further comprising: monitoring, via the sensor system, an entrance or an exit of one or more of the inhabitants into or out of the zone; automatically decreasing, via the environmental control system, an amount of heating applied within the zone as the number of inhabitants present within the zone increases; and automatically increasing, via the environmental control system, an amount of heating applied within the zone as the number of inhabitants present within the zone decreases. ### Claim 63 (canceled) ### Claim 64 (depends on 56) The method of claim 56, wherein the environmental variable is room temperature, the method further comprising: monitoring, via the sensor system, an entrance or an exit of one or more of the inhabitants into or out of the zone; automatically increasing, via the environmental control system, an amount of cooling applied within the zone as the number of inhabitants present within the zone increases; and automatically decreasing, via the environmental control system, an amount of cooling applied within the zone as the number of inhabitants present within the zone decreases. ### Claim at position 39 65-77. (canceled) ### Claim 78 (depends on 56) The method of claim 56, further comprising: monitoring, via a monitoring system in communication with the sensor system, an entrance or an exit of one or more of the inhabitants into or out of the zone. ### Claim at position 41 79-84. (canceled) ### Claim 85 (depends on 56) The method of claim 56, wherein the environmental control system is in communication with the door sensor, the method further comprising: monitoring, via a door sensor, whether a door leading into the zone is open or closed; generating, via the door sensor, a door signal communicating whether the door is open or closed; receiving, via the environmental control system, the door signal; and regulating, via the environmental control system, the environmental variable within the zone based on the door signal. ### Claim at position 43 86-87. (canceled) ### Claim 88 (depends on 56) The method of claim 56, wherein the skin parameter is skin temperature, the method further comprising: measuring, via the sensor system, the skin temperature from each of the one or more inhabitants occupying the zone; and identifying, via the sensor system, the alpha person as the inhabitant having a maximum skin temperature from the measured skin temperature of each of the one or more inhabitants. ### Claim 89 (depends on 56) The method of claim 56, further comprising: measuring, via the sensor system, the skin parameter from each of the one or more inhabitants occupying the zone; and identifying, via the sensor system, the alpha person as the inhabitant having a minimum skin temperature from the measured skin temperature of each of the one or more inhabitants. ### Claim 90 (depends on 56) The method of claim 56, further comprising: measuring, via the sensor system, the skin parameter from each of the one or more inhabitants occupying the zone; and identifying, via the sensor system, the alpha person as the inhabitant having a median skin temperature from the measured skin temperature of each of the one or more inhabitants. ### Claim at position 47 91-93. (canceled) ### Claim 94 (depends on 56) The method of claim 56, further comprising receiving, via the sensor system, input from a user to identify the alpha person. ### Claim 95 (depends on 56) The method of claim 56, further comprising a database having stored therein an image of the alpha person, and wherein the sensor system includes a facial recognition system, the method further comprising: capturing, via the facial recognition system, an image of each of the one or more inhabitants in the zone; and comparing, via the facial recognition system, the captured image with the stored image in the database to identify the alpha person. ### Claim 96 (depends on 56) The method of claim 56, wherein the sensor system includes a tag and a tag reader, the tag carried by the alpha person, the method further comprising capturing, via the tag reader, data from the tag to identify the alpha person in the zone. ### Claim 97 (depends on 96) The method of claim 96, wherein the tag is carried by an article of clothing worn by the alpha person. ### Claim 98 (depends on 96) The method of claim 96, wherein the tag is an RFID tag and the tag reader is an RFID reader. ### Claim at position 53 99-103. (canceled) ### Claim 104 (depends on 56) The method of claim 56, further comprising: determining, via the sensor system, a number of inhabitants present within the zone; generating, via the sensor system, an occupancy signal communicating the number of inhabitants present within the zone; and regulating, via the environmental control system, the environmental variable based further on the occupancy signal. ### Claim 105 (depends on 56) The method of claim 56, wherein the environmental variable is room temperature, the method further comprising automatically decreasing, via the environmental control system, an amount of heating applied within the zone as the number of inhabitants present within the zone increases; and automatically increasing, via the environmental control system, an amount of heating applied within the zone as the number of inhabitants present within the zone decreases. ### Claim 106 (canceled) ### Claim 107 (depends on 56) The method of claim 56, wherein the environmental variable is room temperature, the method further comprising automatically increasing, via the environmental control system, an amount of cooling applied within the zone as the number of inhabitants present within the zone increases; and automatically decreasing, via the environmental control system, an amount of cooling applied within the zone as the number of inhabitants present within the zone decreases. ### Claim at position 58 108-110. (canceled)