Lennox International has been granted a patent for a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) control device. The device is designed to receive user input for controlling an HVAC system and determine if it indicates an energy-saving occupancy setting. It can modify the predicted occupancy schedule based on the user input and output the modified schedule. The device aims to optimize energy efficiency in HVAC systems. GlobalData’s report on Lennox International gives a 360-degree view of the company including its patenting strategy. Buy the report here.
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According to GlobalData, Lennox International's grant share as of September 2023 was 64%. Grant share is based on the ratio of number of grants to total number of patents.
Patent granted for hvac control device with energy-saving occupancy settings
A recently granted patent (Publication Number: US11774129B2) describes a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) control device that utilizes a predicted occupancy schedule to optimize energy usage. The device includes a memory that stores a schedule with time entries associated with days of the week, hours of the day, predicted occupancy status, and confidence levels. A processor is coupled to the memory and receives user input for controlling the HVAC system.
The processor determines if the user input indicates an energy-saving occupancy setting and identifies time entries with confidence levels below a predetermined threshold in the predicted occupancy schedule. Based on the user input, the processor modifies the predicted occupancy schedule by setting these time entries to either an "away" status or a "present" status. The modified predicted occupancy schedule is then outputted.
In addition to modifying the predicted occupancy schedule, the patent also mentions that the device can operate the HVAC system in accordance with the modified schedule or store the modified schedule in the memory.
The patent also describes a predictive temperature scheduling method that follows a similar process. It involves receiving user input for controlling the HVAC system, determining if the input indicates an energy-saving occupancy setting, identifying time entries with low confidence levels in the predicted occupancy schedule, modifying the schedule based on the user input, and outputting the modified schedule.
Furthermore, the patent includes a non-transitory computer-readable medium that stores instructions for a processor to perform the aforementioned steps. This medium allows the processor to receive user input, determine the occupancy setting, identify time entries with low confidence levels, modify the predicted occupancy schedule, and output the modified schedule.
Overall, this patent presents a control device and method that optimize energy usage in HVAC systems by adjusting the predicted occupancy schedule based on user input. By setting time entries to "away" or "present" statuses, the device aims to improve energy efficiency and provide personalized comfort settings.
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GlobalData Patent Analytics tracks bibliographic data, legal events data, point in time patent ownerships, and backward and forward citations from global patenting offices. Textual analysis and official patent classifications are used to group patents into key thematic areas and link them to specific companies across the world’s largest industries.
