Energy reduction

• US 10,443,873 B1
• Filed: 02/02/2017
• Issued: 10/15/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alarm.com Inc. (Alarm.com Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Alarm.com Inc. (Alarm.com Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Johnson, Kyle Rankin, Anderegg, Caspar John
• Primary Examiner(s): Ortiz Rodriguez, Carlos R
• Application Number:
  US15/423,206
• Time in Patent Office: 985 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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 11/61 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 2110/10 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/10 Occupancy
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2130/10 Weather information or forecasts
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2140/50 Load
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 13/041 in which a variable is automatically adjusted to optimise the performance
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2614 HVAC, heating, ventillation, climate control

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for energy reduction are disclosed. In one aspect, a method includes the actions of receiving data from a thermostat, an HVAC system, and one or more temperature sensors associated with a property. The actions further include generating an HVAC performance model based on the received data from the thermostat, the HVAC system, and the one or more temperature sensors associated with the property. The actions further include receiving user data indicating user presence and user preferences. The actions further include identifying an energy penalty score. The actions further include receiving weather data. The actions further include creating an energy routine based on the HVAC performance model, the user data, the identified energy penalty score, and the received weather data. The actions further include transmitting an instruction including the energy routine to one or more devices.

Claims

1. A monitoring system that is configured to monitor a property, the monitoring system comprising:

a motion sensor that is configured to generate motion sensor data in response to detecting movement in a vicinity of the motion sensor;

a temperature sensor that is configured to generate temperature sensor data that reflects an ambient temperature of the temperature sensor;

an electronic device that is configured to open and close an access point to the property;

a thermostat that is configured to control an HVAC system that provides conditioned air to the property; and

a monitor control unit that is configured to;

receive, from the temperature sensor, the temperature sensor data;

receive, from the thermostat, thermostat data that indicates temperature settings of the thermostat;

receive, from the HVAC system, HVAC data that indicates past operational loads of the HVAC system and past energy consumption of the HVAC system;

based on the temperature sensor data, the thermostat data, and the HVAC data that indicates the past operational loads of the HVAC system and the past energy consumption of the HVAC system, generate an HVAC performance model that estimates HVAC performance for given temperature sensor data and given thermostat data;

receive, from the motion sensor, the motion sensor data;

receive, from a user, user preferences that reflect a temperature preference for the property;

determine an energy tariff rate for the property;

receive weather data for a location of the property;

receive, from the electronic device, access point data that indicates whether the access point is opened or closed;

based on the HVAC performance model, the motion sensor data, the user preferences, the energy tariff rate, and the weather data, generate an operating schedule of the HVAC system and an open-close schedule for the access point;

provide, to the thermostat device, the operating schedule of the HVAC system; and

provide, to the electronic device, the open-close schedule for the access point.

2. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein:

the temperature sensor is an indoor temperature sensor that is configured to generate indoor temperature sensor data that reflects an indoor temperature of the property;

the monitoring system comprises an outdoor temperature sensor that is configured to generate outdoor temperature sensor data that reflects an outdoor temperature of the property;

the monitor control unit is configured to generate the HVAC performance model that estimates HVAC performance for given temperature sensor data and given thermostat data by generating, based on the indoor temperature sensor data, the outdoor temperature sensor data, the thermostat data, and the HVAC data, the HVAC performance model that estimates HVAC performance for given indoor temperature sensor data, given outdoor temperature sensor data, and given thermostat data.

3. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the HVAC performance model is a linear model that approximates subsequent HVAC performance based on the given temperature sensor data and the given thermostat data.

4. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the monitor control unit is configured to:

determine an occupancy of the property and a location of the occupancy based on the motion sensor data and a location of the motion sensor; and

generate an operating schedule of the HVAC system and an open-close schedule for the access point by generating the operating schedule of the HVAC system and the open-close schedule for the access point based on the HVAC performance model, the occupancy of the property, the location of the occupancy of the property, the user preferences, the energy tariff rate, and the weather data.

5. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the monitor control unit is configured to:

determine occupancy prediction data and occupancy location prediction data based on historical motion sensor data and the location of the motion sensor; and

generate an operating schedule of the HVAC system and an open-close schedule for the access point by generating the operating schedule of the HVAC system and the open-close schedule for the access point based on the HVAC performance model, the occupancy prediction data of the property, the occupancy location prediction data, the user preferences, the energy tariff rate, and the weather data.

6. The monitoring system of claim 5, wherein the monitor control unit is configured to:

increase an energy efficiency of the operating schedule of the HVAC system based on the occupancy prediction data of the property indicating an increased confidence that the property will be occupied during performance of the operating schedule of the HVAC system; and

decrease an energy efficiency of the operating schedule of the HVAC system based on the occupancy prediction data of the property indicating a decreased confidence that the property will be occupied during performance of the operating schedule of the HVAC system.

7. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein:

energy tariff rate is based on an energy cost during one or more periods of time during a day; and

the monitor control unit is configured to;

generate an operating schedule of the HVAC system and an open-close schedule for the access point by generating the operating schedule of the HVAC system and the open-close schedule for the access point based on the HVAC performance model, the motion sensor data, the user preferences, the energy cost during one or more periods of time during a day, and the weather data.

8. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein:

the operating schedule of the HVAC system and the open-close schedule for the access point are configured to minimize energy costs of with HVAC operation.

9. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein:

the access point comprises a window of the property or a door of the property;

the monitor control unit is configured to;

generate an open-close schedule for the access point by generating an open-close schedule for the window of the property or the door of the property; and

provide, to the electronic device, the open-close schedule for the access point by providing, to the electronic device, the open-close schedule for the window of the property or the door of the property.

10. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving, from a temperature sensor of a monitoring system that is configured to monitor a property, the temperature sensor data;

receiving, from a thermostat of the monitoring system, thermostat data that indicates temperature settings of the thermostat;

receiving, from an HVAC system that provides conditioned air to the property, HVAC data that indicates past operational loads of the HVAC system;

based on the temperature data, the thermostat data, and the HVAC data, generating, by the monitoring system, an HVAC performance model that estimates HVAC performance for given temperature sensor data and given thermostat data;

receiving, from a motion sensor of the monitoring system, motion sensor data;

receiving, from a user and by the monitoring system, user preferences that reflect a temperature preference for the property;

determining, by the monitoring system, an energy tariff rate for the property;

receiving, by the monitoring system, weather data for the location of the property;

receiving, from an electronic device of the monitoring system, access point data that indicates whether a window or door of the property is opened or closed, wherein the electronic device is configured to open and close the window or door of the property;

based on the HVAC performance model, the motion sensor data, the user preferences, the energy tariff rate, generating, by the monitoring system, an operating schedule of the HVAC system and an open-close schedule for the window or door;

providing, to the thermostat device and by the monitoring system, the operating schedule of the HVAC system; and

providing, to the electronic device and by the monitoring system, the open-close schedule for the window or door.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein:

receiving the HVAC data that indicates the past operational loads of the HVAC system comprises receiving the HVAC data that indicates the past operational loads of the HVAC system and past energy consumption of the HVAC system; and

generating the HVAC performance model that estimates HVAC performance for given temperature sensor data and given thermostat data comprises generating, based on the temperature sensor data, the thermostat data, and the HVAC data that indicates the past operational loads of the HVAC system and the past energy consumption of the HVAC system, the HVAC performance model that estimates HVAC performance for given temperature sensor data and given thermostat data.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein:

the temperature sensor is an indoor temperature sensor that is configured to generate indoor temperature sensor data that reflects an indoor temperature of the property,

the method comprises receiving, from an outdoor temperature of the monitoring system, outdoor temperature sensor data that reflects an outdoor temperature of the property, and

generating the HVAC performance model that estimates HVAC performance for given temperature sensor data and given thermostat data comprises generating, based on the indoor temperature sensor data, the outdoor temperature sensor data, the thermostat data, and the HVAC data, the HVAC performance model that estimates HVAC performance for given indoor temperature sensor data, given outdoor temperature sensor data, and given thermostat data.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the HVAC performance model is a linear model that approximates subsequent HVAC performance based on the given temperature sensor data and the given thermostat data.

14. The method of claim 10, comprising:

determining an occupancy of the property and a location of the occupancy based on the motion sensor data and a location of the motion sensor,

wherein generating an operating schedule of the HVAC system and an open-close schedule for the window or door comprises generating the operating schedule of the HVAC system and the open-close schedule for the window or door based on the HVAC performance model, the occupancy of the property, the location of the occupancy of the property, the user preferences, the energy tariff rate, and the weather data.

15. The method of claim 10, comprising:

determining occupancy prediction data and occupancy location prediction data based on historical motion sensor data and the location of the motion sensor,

wherein generating an operating schedule of the HVAC system and an open-close schedule for the window or door comprises generating the operating schedule of the HVAC system and the open-close schedule for the window or door based on the HVAC performance model, the occupancy prediction data of the property, the occupancy location prediction data, the user preferences, the energy tariff rate, and the weather data.

16. The method of claim 15, comprising:

increasing an energy efficiency of the operating schedule of the HVAC system based on the occupancy prediction data of the property indicating an increased confidence that the property will be occupied during performance of the operating schedule of the HVAC system; and

decreasing an energy efficiency of the operating schedule of the HVAC system based on the occupancy prediction data of the property indicating a decreased confidence that the property will be occupied during performance of the operating schedule of the HVAC system.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein:

energy tariff rate is based on an energy cost during one or more periods of time during a day, and

generating an operating schedule of the HVAC system and an open-close schedule for the window or door comprises generating the operating schedule of the HVAC system and the open-close schedule for the window or door based on the HVAC performance model, the motion sensor data, the user preferences, the energy cost during one or more periods of time during a day, and the weather data.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein:

the operating schedule of the HVAC system and the open-close schedule for the window or door are configured to minimize energy costs of with HVAC operation.

19. A monitoring system that is configured to monitor a property, the monitoring system comprising:

a motion sensor that is configured to generate motion sensor data in response to detecting movement in a vicinity of the motion sensor;

a temperature sensor that is configured to generate temperature sensor data that reflects an ambient temperature of the temperature sensor;

an electronic device that is configured to open and close an access point to the property;

a thermostat that is configured to control an HVAC system that provides conditioned air to the property; and

a monitor control unit that is configured to;

receive, from the temperature sensor, the temperature sensor data;

receive, from the thermostat, thermostat data that indicates temperature settings of the thermostat;

receive, from the HVAC system, HVAC data that indicates past operational loads of the HVAC system;

based on the temperature sensor data, the thermostat data, and the HVAC data, generate an HVAC performance model that estimates HVAC performance for given temperature sensor data and given thermostat data;

receive, from the motion sensor, the motion sensor data;

receive, from a user, user preferences that reflect a temperature preference for the property;

determine an energy tariff rate for the property based on an energy cost during one or more periods of time during a day;

receive weather data for a location of the property;

receive, from the electronic device, access point data that indicates whether the access point is opened or closed;

based on the HVAC performance model, the motion sensor data, the user preferences, the energy tariff rate that is based on the energy cost during one or more periods of time during a day, and the weather data, generate an operating schedule of the HVAC system and an open-close schedule for the access point;

provide, to the thermostat device, the operating schedule of the HVAC system; and

provide, to the electronic device, the open-close schedule for the access point.