received by the International Bureau on 24 April 2014 (24.04.2014)

In the Claims

1. A system for providing thermal comfort in a space comprising a plurality of interconnected zones, comprising:

at least one fan positioned in each zone of the space;

a sensor for sensing a condition in at least one of the zones; and

a controller adapted for controlling the fan in the at least one zone independent of another fan based on the sensed condition in the at least one zone including the controlled fan.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the fan comprises an overhead fan mounted to a ceiling in a room including the space comprising the plurality of interconnected zones.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor comprises a sensor selected from the group consisting of a temperature sensor, an occupancy sensor, a light sensor, a humidity sensor, a physiological sensor, or any combination thereof.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller comprises a master controller for controlling each fan in the space.

5. The system of claim 1, further including an individual controller for controlling at least one of the fans.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the controller comprises a handheld device controlled by a person in the space.

7. The system of claim 1, further including an HVAC system for conditioning the space, said HVAC system controlled by the controller.

8. The system of claim 1 , further including a plurality of sensors, each for sensing a condition in at least one of the zones.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein each sensor is connected to at least one fan in the zone.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein each sensor is fixedly mounted within the zone other than to the fan.

1 1. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the fans further includes a light, and wherein the controller is adapted to control the light.

12. The system of claim 1 , further including an automated blind, and wherein the

35 controller is adapted for controlling the automated blind.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one fan includes an auxiliary component selected from the group consisting of a wireless signal booster, a camera, a speaker, a sound generator, an air purifier, a scent generator, or any combination thereof.

14. The system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor is adapted for detecting the presence of a particular individual.

15. The system of claim 1, further including a device carried by an individual and adapted for being detected by the sensor.

16. The system of claim 1 , wherein a user is allowed to control the fan in the at least one zone by transmitting a code to the controller.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is adapted to determine a control response based upon an average or a particular temperature set range and a thermal and/or occupancy condition in each individual zone.

18. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is adapted to activate or shutdown a fan in any zone depending upon a sensed thermal and/or occupancy condition.

19. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is adapted for controlling an HVAC system for supplying air to the space, and further including one or more automated dampers for automatically diverting air to occupied zones and away from unoccupied zones.

20. A system for providing thermal comfort for a person within a room comprising a plurality of interconnected zones, comprising:

at least one fan positioned in each zone of the room;

a sensor for sensing a condition in at least one of the zones; and

a controller adapted for controlling the fan in the at least one zone independent of another fan based on the sensed condition in the at least one zone including the controlled fan.

21. The system of claim 20, further including a heat load in the at least one zone.

22. The system of claim 21 , further including a cooling source in the at least one zone.

23. The system of any of claims 20-22, wherein the room includes a ceiling, and each fan comprises an overhead fan mounted to the ceiling.

24. The system of any of claims 20-22, wherein the controller is adapted for controlling a first fan in a first zone and a second fan in a second zone based upon an occupancy condition of the respective zone.

25. The system of any of claims 20-22, wherein the controller is adapted for controlling a first fan in a first zone and a second fan in a second zone based upon a temperature of the respective zone.

26. In a room comprising a plurality of interconnected zones with at least one fan positioned in each zone of the room, the improvement comprising:

a sensor for sensing a condition in at least one of the zones; and

a controller adapted for controlling the fan in the at least one zone independent of another fan based on the sensed condition in the at least one zone including the controlled fan.

27. The improvement of claim 26, wherein the at least one zone includes a heat load.

28. The improvement of claim 26, wherein the at least one zone includes a cooling source.

29. The improvement of claim 26, wherein the room includes at least four walls separating the room from an outdoor environment, and at least one of the zones includes a portal through at least one of the walls.

30. The improvement of claim 26, wherein the room includes a ceiling, and each fan comprises an overhead fan mounted to the ceiling in the room.

31. A method of creating a microclimate in a plurality of zones within a space, each zone including an independently controlled fan, comprising:

sensing a first condition in a first zone including a first fan;

controlling the first fan based on the first condition;

sensing a second condition in a second zone including a second fan; and controlling the second fan based on the sensed condition.

32. The method of claim 31 , wherein the sensing steps are performed in a single room serving as the space.

33. The method of claim 31 or claim 32, wherein the step of sensing the first condition comprises sensing a temperature in the first zone.

34. The method of any of claims 31 -33, wherein the step of sensing the first condition comprises sensing occupancy in the first zone.

35. The method of any of claims 31-34, wherein the step of sensing the second condition comprises sensing temperature, occupancy, or both.

36. The method of any of claims 31-35, wherein the sensing step comprises sensing humidity in the zone.

37. A system for controlling the thermal comfort of a person, comprising:

a sensor for sensing a physiological condition of the person; and

a fan adapted for being controlled based on the sensed physiological condition;

wherein the sensor is selected from the group consisting of a wristband, armband, belt, watch, glasses, clothing accessory, an object adapted for being ingested by or embedded in the person, and any combination thereof.

38. The system of claim 37, wherein the fan comprises an overhead fan.

39. The system of claim 37, wherein the physiological condition is selected from the group consisting of metabolic equivalent of task (MET), heart rate, pulse, blood pressure, body temperature, respiration, weight, perspiration, blood oxygen level, galvanic skin response, and combinations thereof.

40. The system of claim 37, wherein the sensor is adapted for transmitting data about the physiological condition directly to a controller or via an intermediate device.

41. The system of claim 37, wherein the controller is adapted to determine a comfort control setting based a condition selected from the group consisting of external temperature, room occupancy, and/or time of day.

42. The system of claim 37, wherein the controller includes control settings selected from the group consisting of occupied heating, unoccupied heating, occupied cooling, and unoccupied cooling.

43. The system of claim 37, wherein each control setting comprises a programmable temperature set range and/or an option to operate the fan as a part of a sequence of operations of an HVAC system in response to the temperature being outside the set range.

44. A system for controlling the thermal comfort of a person, comprising:

a sensor for sensing a light level;

a fan having a fan speed; and

a controller for regulating the fan speed based on the sensed light level.

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45. The system of claim 44, wherein the sensor is connected to the fan.

46. The system of claim 44, wherein the sensor is connected to a light switch.

47. A system for controlling the thermal comfort of a person, comprising:

a sensor for sensing a light level;

a fan for circulating air; and

a controller for actuating the fan from a stationary condition based on the sensed light level.

48. A system for controlling the climate in a space, comprising:

a fan for circulating air within the space;

a ventilator for supplying air to the space; and

a controller adapted for controlling the fan for circulating air within the space and the ventilator for supplying air to the space.

49. The apparatus of claim 48, wherein the space comprises a plurality of zones, and further including one or more automated dampers controlled by the controller for automatically diverting air from the ventilator to one zone and away from another zone.

50. The system of claim 48, wherein each zone includes a fan and an occupancy sensor, and the dampers are controlled to automatically divert air from the ventilator to an occupied zone and away from an unoccupied zone.

51. A system for controlling the climate in a space, comprising:

a fan for circulating air within the space; and

a controller adapted for actuating the fan when the space is unoccupied.

52. The system of claim 51 , further including an occupancy sensor for sensing the presence of a person in the space.

53. The system of claim 51 , wherein the controller controls the actuation of the fan based on a predicted time of occupancy.

54. A system for controlling the climate in a space, comprising:

a fan located in the space for circulating air within the space; and

a controller adapted for operating the fan based on a predicted occupancy of the space.

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55. The system of claim 54, wherein the controller is adapted for actuating the fan at a time prior to the predicted occupancy.

56. The system of claim 54, wherein the controller is adapted to operate the fan at a minimal level from the time prior to the predicted occupancy until at least occupancy being detected by an occupancy sensor.

57. The system of claim 54, wherein the controller is adapted to activate a device for cleaning air within the space prior to the predicted occupancy.

58. A system for controlling the climate in multiple zones, comprising:

a first fan for circulating air in a first zone;

a first occupancy sensor for sensing an occupancy condition of the first zone;

a second fan for circulating air in a second zone;

a second occupancy sensor for sensing occupancy in the second zone; and

a controller for controlling the first fan and the second fan based on the sensed occupancy of the first and second zones.

59. The system of claim 58, wherein the controller is adapted to control the first fan to operate when the first zone is occupied, and to control the second fan not to operate when the second zone is unoccupied.

60. The system of claim 58, wherein the controller is adapted to control the first and second fans to operate based on a time of day.

61. A system for controlling the climate in a space, comprising:

a fan for circulating air within the space;

a ventilator for supplying air to the space; and

a controller for controlling the ventilator, said controller adapted for actuating the fan prior to controlling the ventilator supplying air to the space.

62. The system of claim 61 , wherein the ventilator comprises an HVAC system connected to a sensor, the fan comprises an overhead fan positioned in the space, and the controller is adapted for communicating with the sensor to operate the fan in advance of the actuation of the HVAC system.

63. A system for controlling the climate in a space, comprising:

40 a fan for circulating air within the space;

a conditioner for conditioning air in the space; and

a controller for controlling the conditioner, the controller further adapted for actuating the fan prior to the conditioner conditioning the air.

64. The system of claim 63, wherein the conditioner comprises a heater.

65. A system for controlling the climate in a space, comprising:

a fan located in the space for circulating air within the space; and

a controller adapted for monitoring the energy consumption of the fan.

66. The system of claim 65, wherein the controller is adapted for regulating the operation of fan based on an energy price at a given time.

67. The system of claim 65, wherein the controller is adapted for providing a warning if an amount of energy consumption is exceeded.

68. A system for providing security information to a device of a user relating to a space in which the climate is controlled, comprising:

a fan for circulating air within the space; and

a security device associated with the fan and adapted for generating an indication of an event on the user's device relating to the security of the space.

69. The system of claim 68, wherein the security device comprises an occupancy sensor.

70. The system of claim 68, wherein the security device comprises a camera, and the indication comprises one or more video images of the space obtained from the camera for display on the user's device.

71 . A method for controlling the thermal comfort of a person, comprising:

sensing a light level; and

regulating the speed of a fan based on the sensed light level.

72. The method of claim 71 , wherein the regulating step comprises increasing the speed from a first speed to a second speed when the light level increases from a first level to a second level.

73. The method of claim 71 , wherein the regulating step comprises decreasing the speed from a first speed to a second speed when the light level decreases from a first level to a second level.

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74. A method for controlling the thermal comfort of a person, comprising: sensing a light level; and

actuating a fan based on the sensed light level.

75. A method for controlling the climate in a space, comprising:

circulating air within the space using a fan;

conditioning the air in the space; and

controlling both the circulation and conditioning of the air using a single controller.

76. The method of claim 75, wherein the controlling step comprises controlling one of the fan or a ventilator for supplying conditioned air to the space based on a sensed condition in the space.

77. The method of claim 75, wherein the controlling step comprises controlling one of the fan or a heater for heating air in the space based on a sensed condition in the space.

78. The method of claim 75, wherein the controlling step comprises controlling the fan to operate prior to the ventilator based on a sensed condition in the space.

79. The method of claim 75, further including the step of using the controller to open one or more dampers to control the supply of air to the space.

80. The method of claim 75, further including an occupancy sensor, and wherein the method comprises diverting air from an occupied zone to an unoccupied zone of the space.

81. A method for controlling the climate in a space, comprising:

determining whether a space is occupied; and

following a determination that the space is unoccupied, actuating a fan for circulating air in the space.

82. The method of claim 81, further including the step of actuating the fan based on a predicted time of occupancy.

83. A method or controlling the climate in a space, comprising:

actuating a fan for circulating air in the space based on a predicted time of occupancy of the space by a person.

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84. The method of claim 83, further including the step of actuating the fan at a predetermined time prior to the predicted occupancy.

85. The method of claim 83, further including the step of operating the fan at a first speed from the time prior to the predicted occupancy until at least occupancy being detected, and then operating the fan at a second, higher speed.

86. The method of any of claims 84-85, further including the step of cleaning a portion of the air prior to the predicted occupancy.

87. A method for controlling the climate in a space, comprising:

providing a fan for circulating air within the space;

providing a ventilator for supplying air to the space; and

providing a controller adapted for actuating the fan prior to actuating the ventilator for supplying air to the space.

88. A method for controlling the climate in a space, comprising:

providing a fan located in the space for circulating air within the space; monitoring the energy consumption of the fan; and

regulating the fan based on the monitored energy consumption.

89. The method of claim 88, wherein the regulating step comprises regulating the operation of fan based on an energy price at a given time.

90. The method of claim 88, further including the step of providing a warning when a pre-determined amount of energy consumption is exceeded.

91. A method for providing security information to a device of a user relating to a space in which the climate is controlled, comprising:

providing a fan for circulating air within the space;

providing a security device associated with the fan; and

generating an indication on the user's device relating to the security device.

92. The method of claim 91 , wherein the security device comprises one of an occupancy sensor or a camera, and further including the step of transmitting a signal from the security device to the user's device to provide the indication.

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93. An apparatus for use in connection with a comfort control system, comprising:

a light switch including a sensor for controlling the comfort control system, the sensor selected from the group consisting of a temperature sensor, an occupancy sensor, a humidity sensor, and combinations thereof.

94. The apparatus of claim 93, wherein the switch is adapted to communicate with the comfort control system.

95. The apparatus of claim 93, further including a wireless connection for communicating information from the sensor to the comfort control system.

96. The apparatus of claim 93, wherein the comfort control system includes at least one ceiling fan, and the switch is adapted to control the fan.

97. The apparatus of claim 93, wherein the comfort control system includes a plurality of ceiling fans, and the switch is adapted to control the plurality of fans.

98. The apparatus of claim 93, wherein the comfort control system includes an HVAC unit, and the switch is adapted to control the HVAC unit.

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