Smart air duct cover

Abstract

An air duct cover provides a sensor platform that contains a rich set of sensors. In addition, the air duct cover may include an energy harvesting capability, thereby increasing efficiency in an HVAC system and sustaining the sensors on the sensor platform. The air duct cover may also integrate a smoke detection device. As power is provided by the air duct cover, maintenance requirements for the smoke detection device are substantially eliminated. The air duct cover may also serve as an air quality control device, with dust, smoke, and carbon monoxide (CO) sensors that allow it to detect the amount of dust flowing through and to serve as a smoke detector.

I claim: 
     
         1 . An air duct accessory to be located between a room and an air duct providing air flow, comprising:
 One or more sensors mounted on the accessory for sensing elements in the air flow and one or more physical conditions in the room;   a local controller for receiving sensed data from the sensor and acting on the sensed data; and   a battery for powering the controller and the sensors.   
     
     
         2 . The air duct accessory of  claim 1 , wherein the accessory comprises an air duct cover. 
     
     
         3 . The air duct accessory of  claim 1 , wherein the elements in the air flow sensed comprises one of: dust particles and specific gas molecules. 
     
     
         4 . The air duct accessory of  claim 1 , wherein the specific gas molecules comprise one of: carbon monoxide, ammonia, liquid petroleum gas and methane. 
     
     
         5 . The air duct accessory of  claim 1 , wherein the physical conditions in the room comprise one of: temperature and humidity. 
     
     
         6 . The air duct accessory of  claim 1 , further comprising one or more occupancy sensors. 
     
     
         7 . The air duct accessory of  claim 6 , wherein the occupancy sensors comprise a passive infra-red sensor. 
     
     
         8 . The air duct accessory of  claim 1 , wherein the local controller communicates with a remote controller using wireless communication. 
     
     
         9 . The air duct accessory of  claim 8 , wherein the remote controller receives sensed data from multiple air duct accessories within a zone including multiple rooms, and wherein the remote controller controls operations in the multiple air duct accessories based on the received sensed data. 
     
     
         10 . The air duct accessory of  claim 9 , wherein the multiple air duct accessories each comprise motor-driven louvers for opening and closing a vent that allow the air flow to flow into the room in which the air duct accessory is installed. 
     
     
         11 . The air duct accessory of  claim 10 , wherein the sensed data received at the remote controller comprises temperature measurements and occupancy data. 
     
     
         12 . The air duct accessory of  claim 8 , wherein the wireless communication is conducted using a light-weight protocol. 
     
     
         13 . The air duct accessory of  claim 11 , wherein the light-weight protocol comprises a MQTT protocol. 
     
     
         14 . The air duct accessory of  claim 1  further comprising motor-driven louvers for opening and closing a vent that allow the air flow to flow into the room. 
     
     
         15 . The air duct accessory of  claim 14 , wherein the local controller controls the opening and closing of the vent based on the sensed data from the sensors. 
     
     
         16 . The air duct accessory of  claim 14 , wherein the local controller controls the opening and closing of the vent based on an occupancy sensor and a temperature sensor. 
     
     
         17 . The air duct accessory of  claim 16 , wherein the local controller controls the opening and closing of the vent in accordance with a temperature threshold and wherein, when the sensed data from the occupancy data indicate that the room is unoccupied, the local controller adjusts the temperature threshold by a predetermined value to reduce energy use. 
     
     
         18 . The air duct accessory of  claim 1 , further comprises one or more fans positioned to harvest energy in the air flow, and wherein the harvested energy charges the battery.