Faculty Innovations, Patents & Technology Transfers

Approved: Yes (ORD/UTIL 17/559504 dated 12/22/2021; published); currently, PCT/ International Patent System filed (PCT/US2022/070341 dated 01/25/2022) 
Licensed: Yes
Description: Systems and methods to check the building permit application file information against relevant codes, ordinances, and regulations for code conformance checking as well as perform verification reporting based on input provided from the code checking modules. The software developed uses rule-based, Artificial Intelligence/ Machine Learning, and Image Processing. Software development led by R. S. Srinivasan. 
Significance: (1) Improves the number of building code sections’ conformance reviews for building permitting; (2) reduces manual labor and related subjectivity in code checking process; (3) reduces code conformance review duration drastically; and (4) scalable to multiple states in the U.S. as well as North America and European Union countries. 

Approved: Yes (PROV 63/292113 dated 12/21/2021 and UTIL 17/848943 dated 06/24/2022) 
Licensed: Yes 
Description: Systems and methods for checking all land development code provisions and regulations per local, state, national or international requirements. The software developed uses rule-based, Artificial Intelligence/ Machine Learning, and Image Processing techniques. Software development led by N. O. Nawari. 
Significance: (1) Improves accuracy for site zoning code conformance reviews; (2) reduces manual labor and related subjectivity in code checking process; (3) reduces code conformance review duration drastically; and (4) scalable to multiple states in the U.S.

Approved: Yes (PROV 63/231078 dated 08/09/2021)
Licensed: Yes
Description: Systems and methods related to virtual building construction inspection for building permitting which includes, among others, software development to seamlessly transfer point cloud data to mesh for import into design software. Software development led by R. S. Srinivasan.
Significance: (1) Capturing inaccuracies in construction using LiDAR point-cloud capture; and (2) Seamless transfer of point-cloud data into BIM using new software developed in-house.

Approved: Yes (PROV 63/231078 dated 08/09/2021)
Licensed: Yes 
Description: Systems and methods related to virtual building construction inspection for building permitting which includes, among others, software development to seamlessly transfer point cloud data to mesh for import into design software. Software development led by R. S. Srinivasan. 
Significance: (1) Capturing inaccuracies in construction using LiDAR point-cloud capture; and (2) Seamless transfer of point-cloud data into BIM using new software developed in-house. 

https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=WO2022015937&_cid=P12-L2CM0O-74146-1
Approved: Yes (PCT/US2021/041757 dated 07/15/2021; published)
Description: The portable smart air quality multisensory system equipped carrying case for asthma inhaler comprises of (1) smart multisensory inhaler attachment device; (2) in the first-generation, a few high-resolution base-stations for auto-calibration located in a few sample spots with high degree of pollutants; later (in the second-generation), these can be integrated with attachment device charging stations with data upload/ download via mobile phones; (3) low-power WAN system to collect data transmitted from the multisensory attachment device in real-time; and (4) acquiring, mapping, and dissemination of the citizen-gathered data to third-party vendors. Uses ow-cost, low-energy sensors (O3, PM2.5, NO2, Airflow/ Anemometer Temperature, Relative Humidity, GPS). Hardware and software development led by R. S. Srinivasan.
Significance: (1) Monitors realtime, high-resolution environmental data by individual attachment devices which will, then, collectively be used to create real-time air quality data (2) Captures and disseminates real-time, high-resolution, auto-calibrated, air quality data acquisition, mapping.

https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=WO2022032097&_cid=P12-L2CM0O-74146-1
Approved: Yes (PCT/US2021/044945 dated 08/06/2021; published)
Licensed: No
Description: Embodiment of the present disclosure provide unmanned aerial vehicle-based measurement techniques for building envelope surfaces to measure the current thermal performance of the external surface of the high-rise building is determined using the external air velocity, temperature, and IR measurements.  
Significance: (1) Non-intrusive approach to determine building envelope degradation for non-operable high-rise buildings; (2) UAV enabled sensor system provides opportunity for community- or city-level mapping of envelope energy wastage. 

Approved: Yes (PCT/US2021/072286 dated 11/08/2021; published)
Licensed: No
Description: Embodiments of the present disclosure includes a computing device to acquire one or more infrared thermal aerial images of a building and one or more visible RGB aerial images of the building; identify structural components of the building based on the one or more infrared thermal aerial images of the building, wherein a floor structure of the building is identified from a color change in the one or more infrared thermal aerial images between the building and a foundation structure of the building; position a bounding box around the floor structure of the building present in the one or more infrared thermal aerial images; and estimate a lowest floor elevation of the building by calculating a lowest floor elevation value based on an amount of image pixels representing a distance between a top of the bounding box and a top of the foundation structure of the building.  
Significance: (1) Rapid determination of flood hazard classification of building structures which is critical for pre-disaster management and post-disaster mitigation; (2) In addition to estimating Lowest Floor Elevation, the disclosure provides imaging methods for acquiring structural attributes of a building including an envelope energy performance signature.

Approved: In Review (PROV 63/399042 dated 08/18/2022)
Licensed: No
Description: A Variable Air Variable Refrigerant Flow System (VAVRF) is a novel HVAC system that combines benefits of both the VAV and VRF technologies. An exemplary VAVRF system includes an air handling unit (AHU) section that is responsible for air movement, which contrasts with the VRF system in which air movement is provided by individual fans in each VRF indoor unit. An exemplary VAVRF system further includes an outdoor unit section that supplies the refrigerant to a VAVRF controller (e.g., heat recovery box/branch selector box). Unlike a traditional VRF system, a refrigerant pipe is coupled a pressure independent VAVRV indoor unit which contains airflow sensors, dampers, temperature sensors, and refrigerant coils. Both the damper actuation and the refrigerant flow using the electronic expansion valve (EEV) are controlled by the VAVRF controller. The ability of the VAVRF system to be easily packaged, and for all the airflow to be centralized, leads to savings in cost, energy savings, better air cleaning, and better control.