Smart vent apparatus and system

Abstract

A smart vent system is provided comprising at least one smart vent having a wireless connection to a gateway which interfaces directly with the HVAC system to control the HVAC system's operation, thereby bypassing or rendering unnecessary any thermostats that would normally control the HVAC system. The smart vent has a user device link for communicating directly with a user device. The gateway may be configured to either communicate with a smart thermostat or control the HVAC system directly. The smart vent may be embodied in either one device or two intercommunicating devices.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A smart vent system comprising a smart vent, the smart vent comprising:
 a motorized vent configured to modulate between an open position and a closed position;   a temperature sensor configured to sense the temperature in the smart vent environment and generate temperature data based on the sensed temperature;   a gateway link configured to communicate with a gateway;   a controller configured to:
 generate HVAC system control information based on the temperature data; 
 control the modulation of the motorized vent; and 
 send the HVAC system control information to the gateway via the gateway link. 
   
     
     
         2 . The smart vent system of  claim 1  wherein:
 the smart vent further comprises a user device link for communicating directly with a user device; and 
 the controller is further configured, based on the instructions stored in the memory, to:
 receive vent control information from the user device via the user device link; and 
 control the modulation of the motorized vent based at least in part on the received vent control information. 
 
 
     
     
         3 . The smart vent system of  claim 2  wherein:
 the smart vent is configured to operate in a low-power mode; and 
 the smart vent is configured to exit the low-power mode in response to receiving a communication over the user device link. 
 
     
     
         4 . The smart vent system of  claim 1 , the smart vent further comprising one or more additional sensors for sensing the smart vent environment and generating smart vent sensor data based on the sensed environment. 
     
     
         5 . The smart vent system of  claim 1 , further comprising a gateway configured to receive the HVAC system control information from the smart vent over the gateway link. 
     
     
         6 . The smart vent system of  claim 5 , the gateway comprising an HVAC interface for directly controlling an HVAC system. 
     
     
         7 . The smart vent system of  claim 5 , the gateway comprising a program server link for communicating with a program server and for sending HVAC control information to the program server. 
     
     
         8 . The smart vent system of  claim 5 , the gateway comprising:
 an HVAC interface for directly controlling an HVAC system in a first configuration; and   a program server link for communicating with a program server and for sending HVAC control information to the program server in a second configuration.   
     
     
         9 . The smart vent system of  claim 8 , the gateway further comprising a gateway user device link for communicating directly with a user device. 
     
     
         10 . The smart vent system of  claim 8 , the gateway further comprising one or more gateway sensors for sensing the gateway environment and generating gateway sensor data based on the sensed environment. 
     
     
         11 . A smart vent system comprising:
 a motorized vent device comprising a motorized vent configured to modulate between an open position and a closed position in response to received vent control information; and   a thermostat device comprising:
 a temperature sensor configured to sense the temperature in the thermostat device environment and generate temperature data based on the sensed temperature; 
 a gateway link configured to communicate with a gateway; 
 a short range link for communicating with the motorized vent device; and 
 a controller configured to:
 generate HVAC system control information based on the temperature data; 
 generate vent control information based at least in part on the temperature data; 
 send the vent control information to the motorized vent device via the short range link; and 
 send the HVAC system control information to the gateway via the gateway link. 
 
   
     
     
         12 . The smart vent system of  claim 11 , the motorized vent device further comprising one or more motorized vent device sensors for generating motorized device sensor data and being configured to send the motorized vent device sensor data to the thermostat device over the short range link. 
     
     
         13 . A gateway for managing a smart vent system, comprising a smart vent link for receiving HVAC system control information from one or more smart vents. 
     
     
         14 . The gateway of  claim 13 , further comprising an HVAC interface for directly controlling an HVAC system based on the received HVAC system control information. 
     
     
         15 . The gateway of  claim 13 , further comprising a program server link for communicating with a program server and for sending the HVAC control information to the program server. 
     
     
         16 . The gateway of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 an HVAC interface for directly controlling an HVAC system based on the received HVAC system control information in a first configuration; and   a program server link for communicating with a program server and for sending the HVAC control information to the program server in a second configuration.   
     
     
         17 . The gateway of  claim 16 , further comprising a gateway user device link for communicating directly with a user device. 
     
     
         18 . The gateway of  claim 16 , further comprising one or more sensors for sensing the gateway environment and generating gateway sensor data based on the sensed environment.