Energy saving method for room level heating and cooling system

Abstract

A heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) system includes a thermostat, a temperature sensor, a plurality of occupancy sensors in a plurality of zones in a room in a building, a plurality of airflow vents in the plurality of zones in the room, and a motor coupled to each of the plurality of airflow vents. The system receives temperature set point data from the thermostat, receives temperature data from the temperature sensor, receives occupancy data from the occupancy sensors, turns on a heating unit or a cooling unit as a function of the temperature set point data from the thermostat and the temperature data from the temperature sensor, and controls the flow of heated air or cooled air into the zones in the room by transmitting a signal to one or more of the motors so as to adjust the plurality of airflow vents in the room.

1 . A process comprising:
 receiving into a computer processor temperature set point data from a thermostat in a building;   receiving into the computer processor temperature data from a temperature sensor in the building;   receiving into the computer processor occupancy data from a plurality of occupancy sensors in a plurality of virtual zones in a room in the building;   turning on a heating unit or a cooling unit as a function of the temperature set point data from the thermostat and the temperature data from the temperature sensor; and   controlling the flow of heated air or cooled air into the plurality of virtual zones in the room in the building by adjusting a plurality of airflow vents in the plurality of virtual zones in the room in the building as a function of the data received from the occupancy sensors.   
     
     
         2 . The process of  claim 1 , comprising:
 receiving temperature set point data from a plurality of thermostats in the plurality of virtual zones in the room in the building; and   turning on the heating unit or the cooling unit as a function of the temperature set point data from the plurality of thermostats in the plurality of virtual zones in the room in the building and the temperature data from the temperature sensor.   
     
     
         3 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of occupancy sensors comprises one or more of an infrared sensor, a video sensor, a motion sensor, and a pressure sensor. 
     
     
         4 . The process of  claim 1 , comprising placing a first airflow vent at a first edge of a first virtual zone in the room in the building and placing a second airflow vent at an opposite second edge of the first virtual zone in the room in the building. 
     
     
         5 . The process of  claim 1 , comprising turning on the heating unit or the cooling unit as a function of the temperature set point data and the temperature data in a single virtual zone in the room in the building. 
     
     
         6 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the thermostat comprises a personal thermostat. 
     
     
         7 . The process of  claim 6 , wherein the personal thermostat comprises a smart phone. 
     
     
         8 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of virtual zones in the room in the building is defined by an output airflow vent and an input airflow vent. 
     
     
         9 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of virtual zones in the room in the building is defined by an output airflow vent, and input airflow vent, and computer processor logic. 
     
     
         10 . A heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) system comprising:
 a computer processor;   a thermostat coupled to the computer processor;   a temperature sensor coupled to the computer processor;   a plurality of occupancy sensors coupled to the computer processor, the plurality of occupancy sensors located in a plurality of virtual zones in a room in a building;   a plurality of airflow vents; and   a motor coupled to each of the plurality of airflow vents and to the computer processor;   wherein the computer processor is operable to:
 receive temperature set point data from the thermostat; 
 receive temperature data from the temperature sensor; 
 receive occupancy data from the plurality of occupancy sensors in the plurality of virtual zones in the room in the building; 
 turn on a heating unit or a cooling unit as a function of the temperature set point data from the thermostat and the temperature data from the temperature sensor; and 
 control the flow of heated air or cooled air into the plurality of virtual zones in the room in the building by transmitting a signal to one or more of the motors coupled to each of the plurality of airflow vents so as to adjust the plurality of airflow vents in the plurality of virtual zones in the room in the building as a function of the data received from the occupancy sensors. 
   
     
     
         11 . The HVAC system of  claim 10 , comprising a plurality of thermostats in the plurality of virtual zones in the room in the building. 
     
     
         12 . The HVAC system of  claim 10 , wherein the occupancy sensor comprises one or more of an infrared sensor, a video sensor, a motion sensor, and a pressure sensor. 
     
     
         13 . The HVAC system of  claim 10 , comprising a first airflow vent at a first edge of a first virtual zone in the room in the building and a second airflow vent at an opposite second edge of the first virtual zone in the room in the building. 
     
     
         14 . The HVAC system of  claim 10 , wherein the computer processor is operable to turn on the heating unit or the cooling unit as a function of the temperature set point data and the temperature data in a single virtual zone in the room in the building. 
     
     
         15 . The HVAC system of  claim 10 , wherein the thermostat comprises a personal thermostat. 
     
     
         16 . The HVAC system of  claim 15 , wherein the personal thermostat comprises a smart phone. 
     
     
         17 . The HVAC system of  claim 10 , wherein the plurality of virtual zones in the room in the building is defined by an output airflow vent and an input airflow vent. 
     
     
         18 . The HVAC system of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of virtual zones in the room in the building is defined by an output airflow vent, and input airflow vent, and computer processor logic. 
     
     
         19 . A computer readable storage device comprising instructions that when executed by a processor executes a process comprising:
 receiving temperature set point data from a thermostat in a building;   receiving temperature data from a temperature sensor in the building;   receiving occupancy data from a plurality of occupancy sensors in a plurality of virtual zones in a room in the building;   turning on a heating unit or a cooling unit as a function of the temperature set point data from the thermostat and the temperature data from the temperature sensor; and   controlling the flow of heated air or cooled air into the plurality of virtual zones in the room in the building by adjusting a plurality of airflow vents in the plurality of virtual zones in the room in the building as a function of the data received from the occupancy sensors.   
     
     
         20 . The computer readable storage device of  claim 19 , comprising instructions for:
 receiving temperature set point data from a plurality of thermostats in the plurality of virtual zones in the room in the building; and   turning on the heating unit or the cooling unit as a function of the temperature set point data from the plurality of thermostats in the plurality of virtual zones in the room in the building and the temperature data from the temperature sensor.