Architecture for thermostat control during time-of-use intervals

• US 10,248,143 B2
• Filed: 06/20/2016
• Issued: 04/02/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Greene, William, McGaraghan, Scott, Crimins, Jonathan, Ruffner, Scott, Minich, Allen, Hester, Todd, Sahl, Amanda, Subramani, Praveen
• Primary Examiner(s): Elamin, Abdelmoniem I
• Application Number:
  US15/187,562
• Publication Number:
  US 20170364105A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,016 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 11/47 Responding to energy costs
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/523 for displaying temperature data
• 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 11/65 for selecting an operating mode
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/66 Sleep mode
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/10 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/00 Control inputs relating to users or occupants
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2140/60 Energy consumption
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1904 variable in time
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1923 using thermal energy, the cost of which varies in function of time

Abstract

A thermostat my include a stored setpoint schedule, temperature sensors providing temperature sensor measurements; and a processing system configured to control an HVAC system based at least in part on the setpoint temperature and the temperature sensor measurements. The processing system may be configured to control the HVAC system by receiving an indication of a first time interval, where energy is available to the HVAC system at a first rate during the first time interval, energy is available to the HVAC system at a second rate during a second time interval that is outside of the first time interval, and the first rate is higher than the second rate; identifying a first one or more setpoints in the plurality of setpoints of the stored setpoint schedule that occur in the first time interval; and decreasing a temperature component of at least one of the first one or more setpoints.

Claims

1. A thermostat comprising:

a housing;

one or more memory devices comprising a stored setpoint schedule, wherein the stored setpoint schedule comprises a plurality of setpoints;

one or more temperature sensors, each of the one or more temperature sensors being configured to provide temperature sensor measurements;

a processing system disposed within the housing, the processing system being configured to be in operative communication with the one or more temperature sensors to receive the temperature sensor measurements, in operative communication with the one or more memory devices to determine a setpoint temperature, and in still further operative communication with a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system to control the HVAC system based at least in part on the setpoint temperature and the temperature sensor measurements;

wherein the processing system is programmed or configured to control the HVAC system by performing operations comprising;

receiving an indication of a first time interval, wherein energy is available to the HVAC system at a first rate during the first time interval, energy is available to the HVAC system at a second rate during a second time interval that is outside of the first time interval, and the first rate is higher than the second rate;

identifying or adding one or more setpoints in the plurality of setpoints of the stored setpoint schedule that occur in, or within a threshold time of, the first time interval;

adjusting or setting the one or more setpoints to reduce energy usage during the first time interval;

receiving user changes to the operation of the thermostat during the first time interval;

executing a learning algorithm to update the stored setpoint schedule to be used in future occurrences of the first time interval by combining;

(i) the one or more setpoints that were adjusted to reduce energy usage during the first time interval; and

(ii) the user changes to the operation of the thermostat during the first time interval; and

controlling the HVAC system during the future occurrences of the first time interval using the setpoint schedule with one or more adjusted setpoints.

2. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the processing system is further programmed or configured to control the HVAC system by performing further operations comprising:

identifying a first setpoint in the plurality of setpoints of the stored setpoint schedule that occurs within a threshold time before a beginning of the first time interval; and

moving the first setpoint to the beginning of the first time interval in the stored setpoint schedule.

3. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the processing system is further programmed or configured to control the HVAC system by performing further operations comprising:

identifying a first setpoint in the plurality of setpoints of the stored setpoint schedule that occurs within a threshold time before an end of the first time interval; and

moving the first setpoint to the end of the first time interval in the stored setpoint schedule.

4. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the processing system is further programmed or configured to control the HVAC system by performing further operations comprising:

identifying a first setpoint in the plurality of setpoints of the stored setpoint schedule that occurs within a threshold time after a beginning of the first time interval; and

removing the first setpoint from the stored setpoint schedule.

5. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the processing system is further programmed or configured to control the HVAC system by performing further operations comprising:

identifying a first setpoint in the plurality of setpoints of the stored setpoint schedule that occurs within a threshold time after an end of the first time interval; and

removing the first setpoint from the stored setpoint schedule.

6. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the processing system is further programmed or configured to control the HVAC system by performing further operations comprising:

inserting a first setpoint at a beginning of the first time interval into the plurality of setpoints of the stored setpoint schedule.

7. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the processing system is further programmed or configured to control the HVAC system by performing further operations comprising:

inserting a first setpoint at an end of the first time interval into the plurality of setpoints of the stored setpoint schedule.

8. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the first time interval is regularly repeated on a daily basis.

9. The thermostat of claim 8, wherein the processing system is further programmed or configured to control the HVAC system by performing further operations comprising:

generating a version of the stored setpoint schedule that removes any changes that were automatically made in response to receiving the indication of the first time interval during a previous day; and

generating a schedule without interval adjustments by executing an algorithm that learns user behavior by analyzing setpoint adjustments to the stored setpoint schedule made by a user, wherein the algorithm is executed using the version of the stored setpoint schedule that removes any changes that were automatically made in response to receiving the indication of the first time interval during the previous day.

10. The thermostat of claim 9, wherein the processing system is further programmed or configured to control the HVAC system by performing further operations comprising:

generating a schedule with interval adjustments by appending any adjustments to the stored setpoint temperature schedule made by a user during the previous day to the stored setpoint schedule; and

combining the schedule without interval adjustments to the schedule with interval adjustments to generate a learned setpoint schedule with interval adjustments.

11. The thermostat of claim 10, wherein the processing system is further programmed or configured to control the HVAC system by performing further operations comprising:

replacing the stored setpoint schedule with learned setpoint schedule with interval adjustments for a next day following the previous day.

12. A method of operating a thermostat, the method comprising:

storing a stored setpoint schedule in one or more memory devices, wherein the stored setpoint schedule comprises a plurality of setpoints;

receiving temperature sensor measurements from one or more temperature sensors;

controlling an air conditioning (HVAC) system based at least in part on the stored setpoint schedule and the temperature sensor measurements;

receiving an indication of a first time interval, wherein energy is available to the HVAC system at a first rate during the first time interval, energy is available to the HVAC system at a second rate during a second time interval that is outside of the first time interval, and the first rate is higher than the second rate;

identifying or adding one or more setpoints in the plurality of setpoints of the stored setpoint schedule that occur in, or within a threshold time of, the first time interval;

adjusting or setting the one or more setpoints to reduce energy usage during the first time interval;

receiving user changes to the operation of the thermostat during the first time interval;

executing a learning algorithm to update the stored setpoint schedule to be used in future occurrences of the first time interval by combining;

(i) the one or more setpoints that were adjusted to reduce energy usage during the first time interval; and

(ii) the user changes to the operation of the thermostat during the first time interval; and

controlling the HVAC system during the future occurrences of the first time interval using the setpoint schedule with one or more adjusted setpoints.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the indication of the first time interval is received from a thermostat management server.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the first time interval is defined by:

a start time;

an end time;

an average price per kilowatt hour; and

a cost multiplier during the first time interval.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein:

the first time interval is received as part of a plurality of time intervals; and

the plurality of time intervals is continuous.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the plurality of time intervals is defined by a utility provider, and is transmitted to a thermostat management server via a custom application programming interface (API).

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the utility provider comprises a solar panel provider, wherein the utility provider has installed one or more solar panels at a structure in which the thermostat is installed.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising receiving, from the thermostat management server, an HVAC capacity, wherein the HVAC capacity is measured by the solar panel provider when the solar panels are installed at the structure.

19. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

identifying a first setpoint in the plurality of setpoints of the stored setpoint schedule that occurs within a threshold time before a beginning of the first time interval;

moving the first setpoint to the beginning of the first time interval in the stored setpoint schedule;

identifying a second setpoint in the plurality of setpoints of the stored setpoint schedule that occurs within a threshold time before an end of the first time interval; and

moving the second setpoint to the end of the first time interval in the stored setpoint schedule.

20. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

identifying a first setpoint in the plurality of setpoints of the stored setpoint schedule that occurs within a threshold time after a beginning of the first time interval;

removing the first setpoint from the stored setpoint schedule;

identifying a first setpoint in the plurality of setpoints of the stored setpoint schedule that occurs within a threshold time after an end of the first time interval; and

removing the first setpoint from the stored setpoint schedule.