Attributing causation for energy usage and setpoint changes with a network-connected thermostat
First Claim
1. A method of attributing a primary causative agent for HVAC system usage being above or below an average, the HVAC system being controlled by a self-programming network-connected thermostat, the method comprising:
- gathering, by the thermostat, information relating to the HVAC system usage over a plurality of days, wherein;
the HVAC system usage refers to an amount of energy used by the HVAC system on the plurality of days or an amount of time the HVAC system has operated over the plurality of days;
the thermostat comprises;
a temperature sensor, an occupancy sensor, a wireless network interface, and a processing system, andthe thermostat is in communication via one of;
(1) the wireless network interface with the HVAC system and (2) a plurality of control wires with the HVAC system;
registering, by the thermostat, the thermostat with a remote thermostat management server system;
following the thermostat being registered with the remote thermostat management server system, pairing the thermostat with a thermostat management account maintained by the remote thermostat management server system;
controlling, by the thermostat, operation of the HVAC system via the plurality of control wires or the wireless network interface using data obtained from at least the temperature sensor and the occupancy sensor;
using the thermostat, gathering information relating to one or more thermostat setpoints over the plurality of days;
calculating an average value for HVAC system usage for the plurality of days using the gathered information relating to HVAC system usage;
determining whether HVAC system usage for a candidate day, being one of the plurality of days, is above or below the calculated average value;
evaluating a first set of potential causative agents when HVAC system usage for the candidate day is below the calculated average value;
evaluating a second set of potential causative agents when HVAC system usage for the candidate day is above the calculated average value, wherein;
the first set of potential causative agents and the second set of potential causative agents differ from each other and each comprise multiple causative agents;
hierarchically evaluating the selected set of potential causative agents for the HVAC system usage for the candidate day being above or below the calculated average value;
attributing the primary causative agent for the HVAC system usage for the candidate day being above or below the calculated average value using the hierarchical evaluation of the selected set of potential causative agents;
transmitting, by the remote thermostat management server system, to a mobile device the attributed primary causative agent; and
providing, by a thermostat access client, via a touch-based user interface of the mobile device, an output indicative of the attributed primary causative agent for the HVAC system usage in response to touch-based user input, wherein the thermostat access client permits access to the thermostat management account with which the thermostat is paired.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Systems and methods are described for attributing a primary causative agent for HVAC system usage being above or below an average, the HVAC system being controlled by a self-programming network-connected thermostat. Systems and method are also described interactively and graphically displaying schedule information to a user of an HVAC system controlled by a network-connected thermostat. The displayed information can include indications of the manner in which one or more setpoints was created or last modified. Historical HVAC performance information can also be displayed that can include details of certain energy-effecting events such as setpoint changes, adaptive recovery, as well as automatic and manually set non-occupancy modes.
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Citations
12 Claims
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1. A method of attributing a primary causative agent for HVAC system usage being above or below an average, the HVAC system being controlled by a self-programming network-connected thermostat, the method comprising:
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gathering, by the thermostat, information relating to the HVAC system usage over a plurality of days, wherein; the HVAC system usage refers to an amount of energy used by the HVAC system on the plurality of days or an amount of time the HVAC system has operated over the plurality of days; the thermostat comprises;
a temperature sensor, an occupancy sensor, a wireless network interface, and a processing system, andthe thermostat is in communication via one of;
(1) the wireless network interface with the HVAC system and (2) a plurality of control wires with the HVAC system;registering, by the thermostat, the thermostat with a remote thermostat management server system; following the thermostat being registered with the remote thermostat management server system, pairing the thermostat with a thermostat management account maintained by the remote thermostat management server system; controlling, by the thermostat, operation of the HVAC system via the plurality of control wires or the wireless network interface using data obtained from at least the temperature sensor and the occupancy sensor; using the thermostat, gathering information relating to one or more thermostat setpoints over the plurality of days; calculating an average value for HVAC system usage for the plurality of days using the gathered information relating to HVAC system usage; determining whether HVAC system usage for a candidate day, being one of the plurality of days, is above or below the calculated average value; evaluating a first set of potential causative agents when HVAC system usage for the candidate day is below the calculated average value; evaluating a second set of potential causative agents when HVAC system usage for the candidate day is above the calculated average value, wherein; the first set of potential causative agents and the second set of potential causative agents differ from each other and each comprise multiple causative agents; hierarchically evaluating the selected set of potential causative agents for the HVAC system usage for the candidate day being above or below the calculated average value; attributing the primary causative agent for the HVAC system usage for the candidate day being above or below the calculated average value using the hierarchical evaluation of the selected set of potential causative agents; transmitting, by the remote thermostat management server system, to a mobile device the attributed primary causative agent; and providing, by a thermostat access client, via a touch-based user interface of the mobile device, an output indicative of the attributed primary causative agent for the HVAC system usage in response to touch-based user input, wherein the thermostat access client permits access to the thermostat management account with which the thermostat is paired. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A thermostat system for attributing a primary causative agent for HVAC system usage being above or below an average, the system comprising:
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a thermostat management server system; and a thermostat in communication with the HVAC system via a plurality of control wires through which the thermostat actuates operation of the HVAC system, the thermostat comprising;
a temperature sensor, an occupancy sensor, a wireless network interface for communication with the thermostat management server system, and a processing system, the processing system being configured to;register the thermostat with a remote thermostat management server system; control operation of the HVAC system via the plurality of control wires using data obtained from at least the temperature sensor and the occupancy sensor; gather information relating to HVAC system usage over a plurality of days, wherein the HVAC system usage refers to an amount of energy used by the HVAC system of the plurality of days or an amount of time the HVAC system has operated over the plurality of days; wherein the thermostat system is configured to; following the thermostat being registered with the remote thermostat management server system, pair the thermostat with a thermostat management account maintained by the remote thermostat management server; gather information relating to one or more thermostat setpoints over the plurality of days; calculate an average value for HVAC system usage for the plurality of days using the gathered information relating to HVAC system usage; determine whether HVAC system usage for a candidate day, being one of the plurality of days, is above or below the calculated average value; evaluate a first set of potential causative agents in response to the HVAC system usage for the candidate day being below the calculated average value; evaluate a second set of potential causative agents in response to the HVAC system usage for the candidate day being above the calculated average value, wherein; the first set of causative agents and the second set of causative agents differ from each other and each comprise multiple causative agents; hierarchically evaluating the selected set of potential causative agents for the HVAC system usage for the candidate day being above or below the calculated average value; attribute the primary causative agent for the HVAC system usage for the candidate day being above or below average using the hierarchical evaluation of the selected set of potential causative agents; and transmitting, to the thermostat management server system, the attributed primary causative agent, wherein the thermostat management system transmits, to a thermostat access client executed by a mobile device, an indication of the attributed primary causative agent for the HVAC system usage, the thermostat access client being linked with the thermostat via the thermostat management account.
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12. A non-transitory processor-readable medium for a thermostat management server system, comprising processor-readable instructions that cause one or more processors to:
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register a thermostat with the thermostat management server system; following the thermostat being registered with the thermostat management server system, pair the thermostat with a thermostat management account maintained by the thermostat management server system; gather information relating to HVAC system usage over a plurality of days from the thermostat, wherein; the HVAC system usage refers to an amount of energy used by the HVAC system on the plurality of days or an amount of time the HVAC system has operated over the plurality of days; the thermostat is in communication via a plurality of control wires with the HVAC system, the thermostat controls operation of the HVAC system using data obtained from at least a temperature sensor of the thermostat and an occupancy sensor of the thermostat; and the thermostat actuates operation of the HVAC system via the plurality of control wires; gather information relating to one or more thermostat setpoints over the plurality of days; calculate an average value for HVAC system usage for the plurality of days using the gathered information relating to HVAC system usage; determine whether HVAC system usage for a candidate day, being one of the plurality of days, is above or below the calculated average value; evaluate a first set of potential causative agents in response to the HVAC system usage for the candidate day being below the calculated average value; evaluate a second set of potential causative agents in response to the HVAC system usage for the candidate day being above the calculated average value, wherein; the first set and the second set differ from each other and each comprise multiple causative agents; hierarchically evaluate the selected set of potential causative agents for the HVAC system usage for the candidate day being above or below the calculated average value; attribute a primary causative agent for the HVAC system usage for the candidate day being above or below the calculated average value using the hierarchical evaluation of the selected set of potential causative agents; and transmit, to a mobile device, the attributed primary causative agent, wherein the mobile device is determined to be linked to the thermostat management account linked with the thermostat and the mobile device executes a thermostat access client that output the attributed primary causative agent in response to touch-based user input.
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Specification