Abstract:
An intelligent Heating, Venting, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) vent includes a room temperature sensor, a duct air flow temperature sensor, and a duct pressure sensor. Data from the sensors in compared to a temperature setting to determine an optimal vent louver position. A battery powered motor adjusts the louver position to optimal vent louver position. A remote device interface allows a user to monitor room temperature and to adjust the temperature setting from remote locations.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    The present application claims the priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/166,553 filed May 6, 2015, which application is incorporated in its entirety herein by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates Heating, Venting, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) vents and in particular to an intelligent, remotely controlled vent. 
         [0003]    HVAC vents are generally installed in each room in a building or residence to release an air flow into the room. The vents generally have louvers with a single manually adjustable position to control the air flow into the room. In some instances the optimal air flow into a particular room may change based on the time of the day, or the use of the room, and a user may not be home and able to make changes. Further, some rooms may become cooler or hotter than other rooms due to a variety of localized effects, and continuously providing the same cooling or heating to all of the rooms in a building or home may result in some rooms receiving more cooling or heating than intended. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    The present invention addresses the above and other needs by providing an intelligent Heating, Venting, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) vent which includes a room temperature sensor, a duct air flow temperature sensor, and a duct pressure sensor. Data from the sensors in compared to a temperature setting to determine a vent louver position. A battery powered motor adjusts the louver position to optimal vent louver position. A remote device interface allows a user to monitor room temperature and to adjust the vent 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING 
         [0005]    The above and other aspects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more apparent from the following more particular description thereof, presented in conjunction with the following drawings wherein: 
           [0006]      FIG. 1  is a room including an intelligent HVAC vent according to the present invention. 
           [0007]      FIG. 2  shows a front view of the intelligent HVAC vent according to the present invention mounted to a room wall. 
           [0008]      FIG. 3  shows a rear view of the intelligent HVAC vent according to the present invention. 
           [0009]      FIG. 4A  shows a detailed front view of the intelligent HVAC vent according to the present invention. 
           [0010]      FIG. 4B  shows a detailed front perspective view of the intelligent HVAC vent according to the present invention. 
           [0011]      FIG. 5A  shows a detailed left rear view of the intelligent HVAC vent according to the present invention. 
           [0012]      FIG. 5B  shows a detailed right rear view of the intelligent HVAC vent according to the present invention. 
           [0013]      FIG. 6  shows temperature and pressure sensors on the rear of the intelligent HVAC vent according to the present invention. 
           [0014]      FIG. 7A  shows perspective rear view of a gear layout the rear of the intelligent HVAC vent according to the present invention. 
           [0015]      FIG. 7B  shows side view of a gear layout the rear of the intelligent HVAC vent according to the present invention. 
           [0016]      FIG. 8  shows a control method for the intelligent HVAC vent according to the present invention. 
           [0017]      FIG. 9  shows a start remote function method for the intelligent HVAC vent according to the present invention. 
           [0018]      FIGS. 10A-10C  show a second embodiment of gears for the intelligent HVAC vent according to the present invention. 
       
    
    
       [0019]    Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding components throughout the several views of the drawings. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0020]    The following description is of the best mode presently contemplated for carrying out the invention. This description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of describing one or more preferred embodiments of the invention. The scope of the invention should be determined with reference to the claims. 
         [0021]    A room  10  including an intelligent Heating, Venting, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) vent (or register)  12  according to the present invention is shown in  FIG. 1 . The vent  12  is connected to duct  14  by a duct connection  18 . The vent receives an air flow  15  from a central HVAC system through the duct  14 . The air flow may be heated, cooled, or merely an air circulation flow. The central HVAC system is generally controlled by a single thermostat. 
         [0022]    A front view of the vent  12  mounted to a room wall  11  is shown in  FIG. 2 . The vent  12  includes fixed louvers  20   a  directing an air flow into the room. A room temperature sensor  16   a  faces into the room to measure room temperature. The sensor  16   a  may be an Infra Red (IR) sensor or a diode room temperature sensor, or a combination of an Infra Red (IR) sensor and a diode room temperature sensor. A battery pocket  22  on the front of the vent  12  allows batteries to be changed without dismounting the vent  12  from the wall  11 . 
         [0023]    A rear view of the vent  12  is shown in  FIG. 3 . A duct temperature sensor  16   b  and a duct pressure sensor  24  are shown mounted to a rear surface of the vent  12 , allowing measuring the temperature and pressure of the air flow  25 . The sensors  16   b  and  24  may also be detached from the vent and mounted inside the duct  14 , either wired or wirelessly communicating with the vent  12 . The wireless communication can be Bluetooth or wifi. 
         [0024]    A detailed front view of the vent  12  is shown in  FIG. 4A  and a detailed front perspective view of the vent  12  is shown in  FIG. 4B . The room temperature sensor  16   a  is shown below the fixed louvers  20   a  and the battery pocket  22  is shown between the fixed louvers  20   a . The fixed louvers  20   a  preferably are vertical fixed louvers. 
         [0025]    A detailed left rear view of the vent  12  is shown in  FIG. 5A , a detailed right rear view of the vent  12  is shown in  FIG. 5B , and a detailed view of the duct sensors in shown in  FIG. 6 . The duct temperature sensor  16   b  and the duct pressure sensor  24  are mounted above moving louvers  20   b . A sensor notch  26  in the top moving louver  20   b  provides clearance for the duct sensors when the moving louvers  20   b  are closed or nearly closed. 
         [0026]    A perspective rear view of a gear layout the rear of the vent  12  is shown in  FIG. 7A  and a side view of a gear layout the rear of the vent  12  is shown in  FIG. 7B . A motor  32  rotates a worm  34  which turns a driven worm gear  36   a . The driven worm gear  36   a  connects to additional gears  36   b  through louver gears  38  attached to the moving louvers  20   b  allowing the motor  32  to operate all of the moving louvers  20   b  simultaneously. A trimpot  42  is connected to one of the gears  36  or  38  to allow determining the position of the moving louvers  20   b . A circuit assembly  30  attached to the vent  12  automatically adjusts the moving louvers  20   b  without user intervention to control the room temperature when the HVAC is running based on user desired temperature by opening or closing the louvers  20   b . The circuit assembly  30  also receive commands  52  transmitted from a remote control or smart device  50  via Bluetooth or wifi and send data  54  to the remote control. 
         [0027]      FIG. 8  shows a control method for the vent  12 . The method includes initializing a main program at step  100 , initializing a Bluetooth/wifi module checking for a remote connection at step  103 , checking if there is a connection from a smartphone application or remote control at step  104   a , starting remote function at step  102 , if there is not a connection from a smartphone application or remote control at step  104   a , reading a potentiometer connected to gears in order to determine the vent position at step  105 , determining if the vent position has changed at step  106 , saving memory when position is charging at step  107 , reading pressure from a pressure sensor at step  111 , determining if there is air flow, and if there is air flow, opening or closing the vent based on a temperature algorithm in order to be more efficient and low power consumption at step  112 , again if there is a connection from a smartphone application or remote control at step  104   b  and if there is a connection from a smartphone application or remote control, starting remote function at step  102 , if there is not a connection from a smartphone application or remote control at step  104 , checking if auto mode is on at step  120 , if the auto mode is not on at step  120 , returning to main program initialization  101 , if the auto mode is not on at step  120 , reading TPA (the temperature of air flow from HVAC ventilation fan) from a temperature sensor, reading TPU (the temperature set by the user) for desired user temperature from memory, reading TPR (the temperature of the room read by infrared sensor) from infrared thermopile to check sensor, and checking air pressure calibration configuration at step  113 , testing if “((TPA−TPU)*(*TPU−TPR))&gt;0” at step  113 , closing the vent if ((TPA−TPU)*(TPU−TPR))&lt;0 at step  115  and writing the vent position at step  118 , opening the vent if ((TPA−TPU)*(TPU−TPR))&lt;0 at step  115  and writing the vent position at step  118 , entering sleep mode if ((TPA−TPU)*(TPU−TPR))=0 at step  119 , sending vent current position either opened or closed, temperature and air flow status to App/RC. at step  114 , and entering in sleep mode for half second at step  119 . 
         [0028]      FIG. 9  expands the start remote function step  102  of  FIG. 8 . The method includes asking application for App at step  121 , testing for a password match at step  122 , if the match fails, counting the number of failures at step  123 , asking again at step  121  if less than 3 failures, disconnecting and returning to main program initialization at step  101  of  FIG. 8  if 3 failures, If the password matched, checking for: TPA, TPR, TPU, air flow, vent battery level, and current vent position at step  125 , sending all data information to phone App at step  16 , testing for receipt of commands at step  127 , if no commands received, test for lost connection/session timeout at step  141 , if lost connection/session timeout, return to main program initialization at step  101  of  FIG. 8 , otherwise return to step  125 , if command is received at step  127 , testing for set temp command received at step  128 , if set temp command received, save new command in memory at step  129  and return to step  125 , if no set temp command received, testing for move vent command at step  130 , if move vent command received, save new command in memory at step  131  and return to step  125 , if no move vent command received, testing for new password command at step  132 , if move vent command received, save new command in memory at step  133  and return to step  125 , if no change password command received, testing for calibrate airflow command at step  134 , if calibrate airflow command received, turning on air flow and writing airflow sensor data at step  135 , turning air flow off at step  136 , and return to step  125 , if no calibrate airflow command received, testing for change auto mode command at step  137 , if change auto mode command received, writing auto mode ON or OFF in memory at step  138 , and return to step  125 , if no change auto mode command received, testing for change vent name command at step  139 , if change vent name command received, writing new vent name in memory at step  140 , and return to step  125 , if no change vent name command received, return to step  125 . 
         [0029]      FIGS. 10A-10C  shown a second embodiment of gears for the intelligent HVAC vent including a motor  32 , a pinion gear  64  driving a rack  60 , and the rack  60  drives driving louver gears  62  on the moving louvers  20  allowing the motor  32  to operate all of the moving louvers  26   b  simultaneously. A trim pot  32  is connected to the motor  42  to measure louver position. 
         [0030]    While the invention herein disclosed has been described by means of specific embodiments and applications thereof, numerous modifications and variations could be made thereto by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention set forth in the claims.