Occupancy-based operating state determinations for sensing or control systems

• US 10,678,416 B2
• Filed: 08/18/2017
• Issued: 06/09/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Fadell, Anthony, Rogers, Matthew, Satterthwaite, Edwin, Smith, Ian, Warren, Daniel, Palmer, Joseph, Honjo, Shigefumi, Erickson, Grant, Dutra, Jonathan, Fiennes, Hugo
• Primary Examiner(s): Karim, Ziaul
• Application Number:
  US15/680,922
• Publication Number:
  US 20170344243A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,026 Days
• Field of Search: 700276-286
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/00 Control or safety arrangements
• 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 11/50 characterised by user interfaces or communication
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/52 Indication arrangements, e.g. displays
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/523 for displaying temperature data
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/56 Remote control
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/58 using Internet communication
• 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 11/63 Electronic processing
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/70 Control systems characterised by their outputs; Constructional details thereof
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/89 Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/00 Control inputs relating to air properties
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/10 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/10 Occupancy
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/12 Position of occupants
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/14 Activity of occupants
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2140/60 Energy consumption
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/0025 Living bodies ear thermometers G01J5/0011; detecting, measuring or recording for diagnostic purposes A61B5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/041 : Mountings in enclosures or in a particular environment
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 1/02 : Means for indicating or recording specially adapted for thermometers
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/26 : Testing of individual semiconductor devices testing or measuring during manufacture or treatment H01L22/00; testing of photovoltaic devices H02S50/10
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 : electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/19 : characterised by the use of electric means G05D23/1393 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1902 : characterised by the use of a variable reference value
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1919 : characterised by the type of controller
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1932 : to control the temperature of a plurality of spaces
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/24 : the sensing element having a resistance varying with temperature, e.g. a thermistor
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/2454 : using photoelectric elements
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/27 : with sensing element responsive to radiation
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/275 : with sensing element expanding, contracting, or fusing in response to changes of temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3231 : Monitoring the presence, absence or movement of users
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3265 : Power saving in display device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3287 : by switching off individual functional units in the computer system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 : Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 : Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/02 : Input arrangements using manually operated switches, e.g. using keyboards or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0202 : Constructional details or processes of manufacture of the input device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0304 : Detection arrangements using opto-electronic means constructional details of pointing devices not related to the detection arrangement using opto-electronic means G06F3/033; optical digitisers G06F3/042
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0362 : with detection of 1D translations or rotations of an operating part of the device, e.g. scroll wheels, sliders, knobs, rollers or belts
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/042 : by opto-electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 : Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 : Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 : Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0487 : using specific features provided by the input device, e.g. functions controlled by the rotation of a mouse with dual sensing arrangements, or of the nature of the input device, e.g. tap gestures based on pressure sensed by a digitiser
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 : Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 20/00 : Machine learning
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 25/06 : Operating part movable both angularly and rectilinearly, the rectilinear movement being along the axis of angular movement
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 : in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/30 : Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for improving the carbon footprint of the management of residential or tertiary loads, i.e. smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the buildings sector, including also the last stages of power distribution and the control, monitoring or operating management systems at local level
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/50 : in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 : in wireless communication networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/88 : Optimized components or subsystems, e.g. lighting, actively controlled glasses
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/20 : End-user application control systems

Abstract

A thermostat for controlling an HVAC system in an enclosure may include a passive infrared sensor, an active infrared sensor, and an electronic display having a first mode and a second mode. The thermostat may also include one or more processors programmed to change a setpoint temperature of the thermostat to an energy-saving temperature upon detection of a non-occupancy condition for the enclosure. The processor(s) may detect the non-occupancy condition based at least in part on readings received from the passive infrared sensor. The processor(s) may also be programmed to change the electronic display from the first mode to the second mode upon detection of a person approaching the thermostat. The processor(s) may detect a person approaching the thermostat based at least in part on readings received from the active infrared sensor.

Claims

1. A system for sensing or control, the system comprising:

at least one infrared sensor that is configured to detect a person within a range of least a portion of the system;

an energy-consuming lighted screen;

one or more memory devices;

one or more processors that are programmed to perform operations comprising;

storing, in the one or more memory devices, indications of occupancy detected by the at least one infrared sensor in time buckets, wherein each of the time buckets represent at least 1 minute; and

causing the system to operate in one of a plurality of states, wherein the plurality of states comprises;

an away state that is entered after away-state criteria are met based at least in part on the indications of occupancy detected by the at least one infrared sensor;

an arrival state that is entered from the away state when at least two of the time buckets that are time-wise adjacent are populated with at least some of the indications of occupancy; and

a wake-on-approach state in which the lighted screen is activated when at least one of the indications of occupancy is detected by the at least one infrared sensor.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the away-state criteria comprise an away-state confidence window (ASCW) representing a time interval of determined non-occupancy.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the system comprises a controller device installed in an enclosure, and the controller device includes the at least one infrared sensor and the lighted screen.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the time buckets are uniform in length.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the time buckets are 5 minutes in length.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the lighted screen is configured to operate in a plurality of modes comprising:

a first mode that indicates a non-readiness to interact with a user; and

a second mode that indicates a readiness to interact with the user.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the wake-on-approach state is characterized in that the lighted screen is activated when the at least one of the indications of occupancy detected by the at least one infrared sensor is indicative of an intent of a user to walk up to at least a portion of the system.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the lighted screen comprises a touch-sensitive display with sliding touch controls.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the system further comprises a Wi-Fi module that is programmed to receive a command from a mobile computing device, wherein:

the system enters an energy-saving mode in response to receiving the command from the mobile computer device; and

an indication that the system is in the energy-saving mode is displayed on the lighted screen when the lighted screen is activated.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is configured to cause less energy to be used when in the away state than is used in the wake-on-approach state.

11. A method for using a system for sensing or control, the method comprising:

operating at least one infrared sensor of the system that is configured to detect a person within a range of least a portion of the system;

operating an energy-consuming lighted screen of the system;

storing, in one or more memory devices of the system, indications of occupancy detected by the at least one infrared sensor in time buckets, wherein each of the time buckets represent at least 1 minute;

causing, by one or more processors of the system, the system to operate in one of a plurality of states, wherein the plurality of states comprises;

an away state that is entered after away-state criteria are met based at least in part on the indications of occupancy detected by the at least one infrared sensor;

an arrival state that is entered from the away state when at least two of the time buckets that are time-wise adjacent are populated with at least some of the indications of occupancy; and

a wake-on-approach state in which the lighted screen is activated when at least one of the indications of occupancy is detected by the at least one infrared sensor.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the away-state criteria comprise an away-state confidence window (ASCW) representing a time interval of determined non-occupancy.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the system comprises a controller device installed in an enclosure, and the controller device includes the at least one infrared sensor and the lighted screen.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the time buckets are uniform in length.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the time buckets are 5 minutes in length.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the lighted screen is configured to operate in a plurality of modes comprising:

a first mode that indicates a non-readiness to interact with a user; and

a second mode that indicates a readiness to interact with the user.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the wake-on-approach state is characterized in that the lighted screen is activated when the at least one of the indications of occupancy detected by the at least one infrared sensor is indicative of an intent of a user to walk up to at least a portion of the system.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the lighted screen comprises a touch-sensitive display with sliding touch controls.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the system further comprises a Wi-Fi module that is programmed to receive a command from a mobile computing device, wherein:

the system enters an energy-saving mode in response to receiving the command from the mobile computer device; and

an indication that the system is in the energy-saving mode is displayed on the lighted screen when the lighted screen is activated.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the system is configured to cause less energy to be used when in the away state than is used in the wake-on-approach state.