Automated presence detection and presence-related control within an intelligent controller

• US 10,030,880 B2
• Filed: 10/08/2015
• Issued: 07/24/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Matsuoka, Yoky, Fisher, Evan Jarman, Malhotra, Mark Rajan, Stefanski, Mark, Sharan, Rangoli, Astier, Frank
• Primary Examiner(s): Bahta, Kidest
• Application Number:
  US14/878,869
• Publication Number:
  US 20160025367A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,020 Days
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/30 for purposes related to the operation of the system, e.g. for safety or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/46 Improving electric energy efficiency or saving
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/58 using Internet communication
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/61 using timers
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/62 characterised by the type of control or by internal processing, e.g. using fuzzy logic, adaptive control or estimation of values
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/64 using pre-stored data
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/66 Sleep mode
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/88 Electrical aspects, e.g. circuits
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/00 Control inputs relating to users or occupants
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2642 Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1902 characterised by the use of a variable reference value
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 20/00 Machine learning
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2829 involving user profiles according to which the execution of a home appliance functionality is automatically triggered
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/10 using a centralized architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom

Abstract

The current application is directed to intelligent controllers that use sensor output and electronically stored information, including one or more of electronically stored rules, parameters, and instructions, to determine whether or not one or more types of entities are present within an area, volume, or environment monitored by the intelligent controllers. The intelligent controllers select operational modes and modify control schedules with respect to the presence and absence of the one or more entities. The intelligent controllers employ feedback information to continuously adjust the electronically stored parameters and rules in order to minimize the number of incorrect inferences with respect to the presence or absence of the one or more entities and in order to maximize the efficiency by which various types of systems controlled by the intelligent controllers carry out selected operational modes.

Claims

1. A controller comprising:

one or more processors for controlling an environmental condition within an enclosure, wherein the controller is configured to operate in an away mode that causes an operative setpoint for the environmental condition to be reduced to a more energy-efficient level;

one or more memories that store historical occupancy-event data; and

instructions stored in the one or more memories that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to;

detect a time interval of a first duration in which no occupancy events are sensed;

determine that the time interval in which no occupancy events are sensed is indicative of an away condition for the enclosure using an algorithm that uses the historical occupancy-event data corresponding to the time interval;

cause the controller to automatically enter into the away mode based on determining that the time interval in which no occupancy events are sensed is indicative of the away condition;

receive an input from a user while in the away mode indicative that the time interval in which no occupancy events were sensed did not indicate an away condition for the enclosure; and

modify, based on receiving the input, the historical occupancy-event data such that, for a future time interval corresponding to the time interval, a probability that the algorithm will incorrectly determine whether a lack of occupancy events during the future time interval is indicative of an away condition for the enclosure is reduced.

2. The controller of claim 1, wherein the input from the user comprises a change to the operative setpoint for the environmental condition.

3. The controller of claim 1, wherein the input from the user is received at an on-device user interface of the controller.

4. The controller of claim 1, wherein the input from the user comprises an explicit command to exit the away mode.

5. The controller of claim 1, wherein the input from the user comprises an input received from a wireless computing device.

6. The controller of claim 1, wherein the user input is received within a predetermined time after the controller automatically enters the away mode.

7. The controller of claim 1, wherein modifying the algorithm comprises increasing numerical values in the historical occupancy-event data that correspond to the time interval.

8. The controller of claim 1, wherein the controller further comprises one or more occupancy sensors that sense occupancy events.

9. The controller of claim 1, wherein the historical occupancy-event data comprises a plurality of memory locations each associated with a corresponding time interval representing a portion of a 24 hour day.

10. The controller of claim 9, wherein the value in the memory locations is incremented each time an occupancy event is sensed during the corresponding time interval.

11. A method of refining entry into an away mode of a controller, the method comprising:

controlling an environmental condition within an enclosure using the controller, wherein the controller is configured to operate in an away mode that causes an operative setpoint for the environmental condition to be reduced to a more energy-efficient level;

storing, in one or more memories of the controller, historical occupancy-event data;

detecting, by one or more processors of the controller, a time interval of a first duration in which no occupancy events are sensed;

determining, by the one or more processors of the controller, that the time interval in which no occupancy events are sensed is indicative of an away condition for the enclosure using an algorithm that uses the historical occupancy-event data corresponding to the time interval;

causing, by the one or more processors of the controller, the controller to automatically enter into the away mode based on determining that the time interval in which no occupancy events are sensed is indicative of the away condition;

receiving, by the one or more processors of the controller, an input from a user while in the away mode indicative that the time interval in which no occupancy events were sensed did not indicate an away condition for the enclosure; and

modifying, by the one or more processors of the controller, and based on receiving the input, the historical occupancy-event data such that, for a future time interval corresponding to the time interval, a probability that the algorithm will incorrectly determine whether a lack of occupancy events during the future time interval is indicative of an away condition for the enclosure is reduced.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the input from the user comprises a change to the operative setpoint for the environmental condition.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the input from the user is received at an on-device user interface of the controller.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the input from the user comprises an explicit command to exit the away mode.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the input from the user comprises an input received from a wireless computing device.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the user input is received within a predetermined time after the controller automatically enters the away mode.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein modifying the algorithm comprises increasing numerical values in the historical occupancy-event data that correspond to the time interval.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the controller further comprises one or more occupancy sensors that sense occupancy events.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the historical occupancy-event data comprises a plurality of memory locations each associated with a corresponding time interval representing a portion of a 24 hour day.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the value in the memory locations is incremented each time an occupancy event is sensed during the corresponding time interval.