US 6,718,277 Atmospheric control within a building
3 defendants · 5 suits · updated October 6, 2026
Also cited as U.S. Patent No. 6,718,277 · US6718277B2 · US 6,718,277 B2 · 6718277 · the '277 patent
Valtrus Innovations Limited has filed 5 patent-infringement suits on US 6,718,277, "Atmospheric control within a building" since August 18, 2026, 2 of them in the E.D. Tex., against 3 distinct defendants including CONTINENTAL BROADBAND, LLC, Markley Network Services LLC and Sabey Data Center Properties LLC. The patent is held by Valtrus Innovations Ltd and was granted April 6, 2004 on a priority date of April 17, 2002. Its abstract opens: "A method and system for controlling atmospheric conditions within a building." The examiner cited 4 references during prosecution.
- Assignee
- Valtrus Innovations Ltd
- Priority date
- April 17, 2002
- Granted
- April 6, 2004
- Expires
- April 17, 2022
- Status
- Expired - Lifetime
- Claims
- 24 (3 independent)
- Inventors
- Ratnesh Sharma
- Full text
- Google Patents
The suits
5 cases · E.D. Tex. (2) · W.D. Pa. (1) · D. Mass. (1) · E.D. Va. (1)
| Filed | Defendant | Plaintiff | Court | Docket |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-08-18 | CONTINENTAL BROADBAND, LLC | Valtrus Innovations Ltd. | W.D. Pa. | 2:26-cv-01736 |
| 2026-08-18 | Markley Network Services LLC | Valtrus Innovations Limited | D. Mass. | 1:26-cv-13811 |
| 2026-08-18 | Sabey Data Center Properties LLC | Valtrus Innovations Limited | E.D. Va. | 1:26-cv-02641 |
| 2026-09-08 | CONTINENTAL BROADBAND, LLC | Valtrus Innovations Ltd. | E.D. Tex. | 2:26-cv-00793 |
| 2026-09-08 | Markley Network Services LLC | Valtrus Innovations Limited | E.D. Tex. | 2:26-cv-00792 |
Docket links open the public record on CourtListener. Filing dates are the complaint's.
Independent claims
What is actually asserted, verbatim.
1. A method of controlling atmospheric conditions within a building, said method comprising the steps of: supplying a conditioned fluid inside said building; sensing at least one atmospheric parameter in a plurality of locations inside said building; generating an empirical atmospheric map from the results of said sensing step; comparing said empirical atmospheric map to a template atmospheric map; and identifying pattern differentials between said empirical and template atmospheric maps.
12. A method of cooling a data center having equipment therein, said method comprising the steps of: supplying a cooling fluid within said data center to cool said equipment within said data center; sensing temperature within said data center in a plurality of locations; generating an empirical thermal map of said data center from the results of said sensing step; comparing said empirical thermal map to a template thermal map; and identifying pattern differentials between said empirical and template thermal maps.
22. A system for controlling atmospheric conditions within a building, said system comprising: means for supplying a conditioned fluid inside said building; means for sensing at least one atmospheric parameter in a plurality of locations inside said building; means for generating an empirical atmospheric map from said means for sensing; means for comparing said empirical atmospheric map to a template atmospheric map; and means for identifying characteristics of pattern differentials between said empirical and template atmospheric maps, said characteristics comprising at least one of location, size, and intensity of said pattern differentials.
Art before the examiner
21 references of record, 4 cited by the examiner.
Everything listed here was before the Office and is what a challenge must go beyond. Art the examiner never saw is where an invalidity search starts.
Examiner-cited
- US5074137A — Programmable atmospheric stabilizer (Harris Ronald J)
- US5290200A — Detection and evacuation of atmospheric pollutants from a confined work place (Professional Supply, Inc.)
- US5769315A — Pressure dependent variable air volume control strategy (Johnson Service Co.)
- US6574104B2 — Smart cooling of data centers (Hewlett-Packard Development Company L.P.)
Applicant-cited and other (17)
- US2991405A — Transistorized motor control system responsive to temperature
- US4737917A — Method and apparatus for generating isotherms in a forehearth temperature control system
- US4823290A — Method and apparatus for monitoring the operating environment of a computer system
- US5177972A — Energy efficient air conditioning system utilizing a variable speed compressor and integrally-related expansion valves
- US5249741A — Automatic fan speed control
- US5326028A — System for detecting indoor conditions and air conditioner incorporating same
- US5331825A — Air conditioning system
- US5372426A — Thermal condition sensor system for monitoring equipment operation
- US5478276A — Air conditioner operation control apparatus and method thereof
- US5506768A — Pattern recognition adaptive controller and method used in HVAC control
- US5687079A — Method and apparatus for improved control of computer cooling fan speed
- US5709100A — Air conditioning for communications stations
- US5828572A — Processing System and semiconductor device production method using the same including air conditioning control in operational zones
- US6009939A — Distributed air conditioning system
- US6080060A — Equipment for air supply to a room
- US6283380B1 — Air conditioning system and air conditioning method
- US6296193B1 — Controller for operating a dual duct variable air volume terminal unit of an environmental control system
Classification
- F24F11/30 — Control or safety arrangements for purposes related to the operation of the system, e.g. for safety or monitoring
- F24F11/62 — Control or safety arrangements characterised by the type of control or by internal processing, e.g. using fuzzy logic, adaptive control or estimation of values
- F24F11/74 — Control systems characterised by their outputs; Constructional details thereof for controlling the supply of treated air, e.g. its pressure for controlling air flow rate or air velocity
Family
- US6718277B2 — B2 (2004)
- US20030200050A1 — A1 (2003)
- 9 foreign family members: JP4616558B2, DE60319688D1, JP2006504919A, EP1495270A1, WO2003089845A1, CN1328554C, DE60319688T2, EP1495270B1, CN1662776A
Abstract
A method and system for controlling atmospheric conditions within a building. A conditioned fluid is supplied inside of the building and one or more atmospheric parameters in various locations inside of the building are sensed. An empirical atmospheric map is then generated and compared to a template atmospheric map. Pattern differentials are identified therebetween and corrective action to reduce the pattern differentials is determined. One or more of the quantity, quality, and distribution of the conditioned fluid is varied in accord with the corrective action determination.
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This page is assembled from public records — federal court dockets and the patent's own file — and is updated as the case list changes. It states what the record shows and is not an opinion on the validity or infringement of any claim. Patent data via Google Patents; docket data via CourtListener.