Network enabled replacement air filter with pleated filter media advance

Abstract

The invention is directed to a direct replacement filter within an air flow channel having a housing with an at least one exposure slot. An at least one filter media storage area is within the housing having unexposed filter media stored therein. The unexposed filter media being pleated, folded, and stacked and compactly held within the at least one filter media storage area. A controller controls an at least one movement member that moves an unexposed portion of the at least one filter media into the at least one exposure slot in a pleated state and exposes the unexposed portion of the at least one filter media to the air flow channel creating a pleated, exposed portion of the at least one filter media. One or more sensors are provided and the controller communicates with these sensors. A containment area is also provided, wherein the pleated, exposed portion of the at least one filter media is collected and retained within the containment area.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A direct replacement air handler filter within an air flow channel comprising:
 a housing with an at least one exposure slot;   an at least one filter media storage area within the housing, having unexposed filter media stored therein, the unexposed filter media being pleated, folded, and stacked and held within the at least one filter media storage area;   a controller controlling an at least one movement member that moves an unexposed portion of the at least one filter media into the at least one exposure slot in a pleated state and thereby exposes the unexposed portion of the at least one filter media to the air flow channel creating a pleated, exposed portion of the at least one filter media;   an at least one sensor, the controller communicating with the at least one sensor, the at least one sensor communicating data to controller and the controller moving the exposed portion of the at least one filter media; and   a containment area, wherein the pleated, exposed portion of the at least one filter media is collected and retained within the containment area.   
     
     
         2 . The replacement air handler filter of  claim 1 , further comprising an at least one motor coupled to a power supply and communicating with the controller. 
     
     
         3 . The replacement air handler of  claim 1 , wherein the controller further comprises an at least one processing module and an at least one transceiver module, the at least one sensor communicating data to the processing module and the transceiver module transmitting data from the filter to a network or a storage device. 
     
     
         4 . The air handler filter of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one sensor measures data including at least one data point representing at least one of temperature, mold count, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), smoke, fire, noxious gases, and air particle concentrations. 
     
     
         5 . The air handler filter of  claim 3 , wherein the at least one sensor measures air flow and reports estimated energy consumption to the network or storage device. 
     
     
         6 . The air handler filter of  claim 3 , wherein the controller communicates through the transceiver module with a further network interface device. 
     
     
         7 . The air handler filter of  claim 6 , wherein the network interface device is a Wi-Fi enabled device or an internet gateway. 
     
     
         8 . The air handler filter of  claim 3 , wherein the filter communicates through the controller and transceiver module as a Wi-Fi enabled device to the network. 
     
     
         9 . The air handler filter of  claim 3 , wherein the filter communicates through the controller and transceiver module data from the at least one sensor to a network which in turn reports the data to an alert device. 
     
     
         10 . The air handler filter of  claim 9 , wherein the alert device is a cell phone, computer, or network enabled interface device. 
     
     
         11 . The air handler filter of  claim 9 , wherein the alert device is a Network Operations Center or control center. 
     
     
         12 . The air handler filter of  claim 9 , wherein the sending of an alert to an alert device sends an alert to a security responder for an emergency response. 
     
     
         13 . The air handler filter of  claim 9 , wherein controller is further adapted to monitor an amount of filter media being moved by the movement member through the at least one sensor and send a further alert when the amount of filter media remaining reaches a preset minimum. 
     
     
         14 . The air handler filter of  claim 9 , wherein the at least one sensor measures data including at least one data point representing at least one of temperature, mold count, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), smoke, fire, noxious gases, and air particle concentrations and compares the data point to a set point to determine a condition of the air in the airflow. 
     
     
         15 . The air handler filter of  claim 14 , wherein the filter communicates through the controller and transceiver module data from the at least one sensor to a network which in turn reports the data to an alert device. 
     
     
         16 . The air handler filter of  claim 15 , wherein the sending of an alert by the transceiver on the controller sends the alert to a user and communicates the status of the air filter to a user through the alert device. 
     
     
         17 . The air handler filter of  claim 16 , wherein the data from the at least one sensor measures and reports estimated energy consumption to the alert device. 
     
     
         18 . The direct replacement filter of  claim 2 , further comprising an at least one supporting member, the at least one movement member being moved by the motor and in turn moving the at least one supporting member which engages the unexposed filter media at a pleat and carries the unexposed filter media portion from the at least one filter media storage area to the at least one exposure slot and upon a signal from the controller the motor further moves the at least one supporting to move the now exposed filter media portion to the containment area. 
     
     
         19 . A method of reporting a status of an at least one air handler filter to a computer network, the method comprising:
 activating a network enabled air filter having a housing, a sensor, an at least one pleated filter media,   a controller and a transceiver and registering the network enabled air filter with a network;   starting operation of the at least one air filter within the air handler with the at least one pleated filter media being exposed to an air flow within the air handler;   monitoring the operation and performance of the at least one network enabled air filter through the controller in communication with the at least one sensor in the air filter which is adapted to send data to a controller;   processing and comparing the data sent to the controller and comparing said data against a set of parameters;   reporting when the processed data is outside the set of parameters; and   sending an alert to an alert device in communication with the network.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the at least one filter media in the network enabled filter further comprises multiple unexposed, pleated portions of filter media and the parameters are stored on the controller or communicated to the controller from the network or the parameters are configured by a user through a user guide. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein monitoring step includes monitoring an amount of filter media through the at least one sensor and the method further comprises the method step of sending a further alert when the amount of filter media remaining reaches a preset minimum. 
     
     
         23 . A method of sending a replacement air filter to a user for a network enabled air filter, comprising the method steps of:
 activating a network enabled air filter having a housing, a sensor, an at least one filter media, and a controller in communication with a network;   registering the network enabled air filter with a network and a network operations center;   starting operation of the at least one air filter within the air handler with the at least one filter media being exposed to an air flow within the air handler;   monitoring the operation and performance of the at least one network enabled air filter through the controller in communication with the at least one sensor in the air filter which is adapted to send data to a controller;   processing and comparing the data sent to the controller and comparing said data against a set of parameters;   reporting when the processed data is outside the set of parameters; and   sending an alert to a user allowing the user to send confirmation to the network operation center to mail a replacement filter to a specified address for the registered air filter.