Richardson-based Lennox Industries, a subsidiary of Lennox International (NYSE: LII), has patented a heating, ventilation and air conditioning control device. The patent application describes a device that uses machine learning to predict when a building is occupied and adjust its schedule based on how aggressively the user wants to save energy.

The patent took 1,180 days from its application in June 2023 to grant the week of Sept. 15. Three inventors were listed on the application: Janathkumar Manohararaj of McKinney, Payam Delgoshaei of Addison and Sridhar Venkatesh of Irving.

Innovation and investment

Lennox has a long history of HVAC innovation. The company’s roots go back to 1895, when Dave Lennox built a riveted-steel furnace in Marshalltown, Iowa. For several decades, it has pioneered new technologies to improve efficiency and sustainability.

In January, Lennox announced one of its devices won Smart Thermostat of the Year in the IoT Breakthrough Awards, a program that recognizes innovations in internet of things technology across a wide range of categories. The L40 Smart Thermostat is a consumer product that uses geofencing to adjust temperature settings. It uses a homeowner’s smartphone GPS to detect when they leave or return home and then adjusts its temperature settings to match.

“Developing smart connected controls requires balancing technical complexity with everyday usability,” Chief Technology Officer Prakash Bedapudi said in a statement announcing the award.

In addition to its innovation work, the company is investing in bolstering the commercial HVAC technician workforce. In September, the company opened a division headquarters and training center in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. It also is building an 18,000-square-foot training facility near its Richardson headquarters.

Other patents the week of Sept. 15

 The Lennox Industries patent was one of 106 Dallas-Fort Worth patents issued that week. The region ranked No. 12 among 250 U.S. metros in terms of patent volume.

Texas Instruments (Dallas) received the most patents for the week, with six.

Other notable patents included:

Alcon, which has a U.S. headquarters in Fort Worth, received two patents with North Texas inventors. One covers techniques for quantitatively assessing tear-film dynamics associated with contact lenses. The other covers a visualization system for lens replacement surgery.

The Patent Well (Fort Worth) won a patent for a conduit plug that protects electrical wires from moisture and rodents.

Sierra Nevada Co. (Sparks, Nevada) received a patent for a highly maneuverable aircraft design. The aircraft sustains tight, high-G force turns using dual low-thrust engines and novel wing and fuselage designs. Two of its 10 inventors are based in North Texas.

Voyage Foods (Oakland, California) received a patent for materials and methods for producing coffee replicas. Dallas inventor Daniel Assad Saad is one of eight listed on the application.

Patent information is provided by Joe Chiarella, founder of patent analytics company Patent Index and publisher of The Inventiveness Index. For additional details on the patents granted below, search the USPTO Patent Full-Text and Image Database.