METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR DATA INTERCHANGE BETWEEN A NETWORK-CONNECTED THERMOSTAT AND CLOUD-BASED MANAGEMENT SERVER

• US 20120233478A1
• Filed: 10/17/2011
• Published: 09/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Supramaniam, Senthilvasan, Mucignat, Andrea, Steele, Oliver W., Hardison, Osborne B., Schultz, Richard J. III
• Granted Patent: US 9,098,279 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/320
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1917 using digital means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/00 Details not covered by groups G06F3/00 - G06F13/00 and G06F21/00 architectures of general purpose stored program computers G06F15/76
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3209 Monitoring remote activity, e.g. over telephone lines or network connections
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/17 using an input/output type connection, e.g. channel, I/O port
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2818 from a device located outside both the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless eletrical link G08C17/00; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with remote control systems H04M11/007
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2825 Reporting to a device located outside the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with telemetering systems H04M11/002
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/285 Generic home appliances, e.g. refrigerators
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2514 between local and global IP addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2553 Binding renewal aspects, e.g. using keep-alive messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/256 NAT traversal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5014 using dynamic host configuration protocol [DHCP] or bootstrap protocol [BOOTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0261 managing power supply demand, e.g. depending on battery level
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0277 according to available power supply, e.g. switching off when a low battery condition is detected
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Aspects of the present invention provide energy conserving communications for networked thermostats powered, in part, by batteries. A thermostat communication server stores a thermostat battery-level to determine what data should be sent to the thermostat. The thermostat communication server classifies types of data to be transmitted to the thermostat according to a data priority ranging from a low-priority to a high-priority data type. If the battery-level associated with the battery on the thermostat is at a low battery-level, the thermostat communication server may only transmit data classified under a high-priority data type. This conserves the power used by the thermostat, allows the battery on the thermostat time to recharge and perform other functions. If the battery-level of the thermostat is at a high level, the thermostat communication server may transmit a range of data to the thermostat classified from a low-priority type to a high-priority data type.

Claims

1. A thermostat communication server that conserves energy while communicating over a network with a thermostat powered by a battery, comprising:

a processor configured to execute one or more instructions;

a memory designed to hold instructions when executed on the processor, that causes the processor to perform one or more processes, including,

a battery-level collection process that stores a battery-level associated with the battery from the thermostat, wherein the battery-level is provided by the thermostat over a communication channel established over the network between the thermostat communication server and the thermostat and provides an indication of remaining energy in the battery associated with the thermostat,

a data priority process that classifies one or more types of data to be transmitted to the thermostat over the communication channel according to a data priority ranging from a low-priority data type to a high-priority data type, wherein the low-priority data type includes data of lesser importance to the operation of the thermostat management system and the thermostat and the high-priority data type includes data of higher importance to the operation of the thermostat management system and the thermostat as compared with the low-priority data type,

a power-priority transmission process that transmits data classified in a range from a low-priority data type to a high-priority data type when the battery-level associated with the thermostat is at a high battery-level and transmits data classified in the high-priority data type and not the low-priority data type when the battery-level associated with the network-attached thermostat is at a low battery-level.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the thermostat management system further comprises:

a device long-polling process that receives a request over the network from the thermostat to establish the communication channel between the thermostat management system located on a public network having a public network address registered on the Internet and the thermostat having a public network address provided through a network address translation table (NAT) table from a router on a private network, wherein the device long-polling process further configures a network communication protocol to transmit a keep-alive packet from the thermostat management system to the network-attached thermostat over the communication channel between the thermostat management system and the thermostat at a maximum time interval not to exceed a NAT time-out period of a router device.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the battery-level provided by the thermostat over the communication channel is considered at the high-battery-level when the remaining energy in the battery associated with the thermostat is at least at 80% of capacity and considered at the low battery-level when the remaining energy in the battery associated with the thermostat is at least at 30% of capacity.

4. A computer implemented method for a thermostat communication server to communicate over a network with a thermostat powered by a battery in a manner that conserves the energy of the battery, comprising:

storing a battery-level associated with the battery in a storage area accessible by the thermostat communication server, wherein the battery-level is provided by the thermostat over a communication channel established over the network and provides an indication of remaining energy in the battery associated with the thermostat;

classifying one or more types of data to be transmitted to the thermostat over the communication channel according to a data priority ranging from a low-priority data type to a high-priority data type, wherein the low-priority data type includes data of lesser importance to the operation of the thermostat management system and the thermostat and the high-priority data type includes data of higher importance to the operation of the thermostat management system and the thermostat as compared with the low-priority data type;

transmitting to the thermostat over the communication channel only data classified under a high-priority data type when the battery-level associated with the battery used by the thermostat is determined to be at a low battery-level; and

transmitting to the thermostat over the communication channel a range of data classified from a low-priority type to a high-priority data type when the battery-level associated with the battery used by the thermostat is determined to be at a high-battery-level.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 4, wherein the thermostat communication server further comprises:

classifying data to be transmitted to the thermostat over the communication channel as a medium-priority data type, wherein the medium-priority data type includes data of lesser importance to the operation of the thermostat management system and the thermostat than the high-priority data type and of higher importance to the operation of the thermostat management system and the thermostat as compared with the low-priority data type; and

transmitting only data classified under the high-priority data type and medium-priority data type when the battery-level associated with the battery used by the thermostat is determined to be at a medium-battery-level.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 4, wherein the battery-level provided by the thermostat over the communication channel is considered at the high battery-level when the remaining energy in the battery associated with the thermostat is at least at 80% of capacity, considered at the medium battery-level when the remaining energy in the battery associated with the thermostat is at least at 50% of capacity and considered at the low battery-level when the remaining energy in the battery associated with the thermostat is at least at 30% of capacity.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 4, wherein the thermostat communication server further comprises:

receiving a request over the network from the thermostat to establish the communication channel between the thermostat communication server located on a public network having a public network address registered on the Internet and the thermostat on a private network having a public network address provided through a network address translation (NAT) table generated by a router on the private network; and

configuring a long-poll interval in a network communication protocol associated with the thermostat communication server for transmitting a keep-alive packet from the thermostat communication server to the thermostat over the communication channel at a maximum time interval not to exceed a NAT time-out period of the router.

8. A computer implemented method for a thermostat communication server to communicate over a network with a thermostat powered by a battery in a manner that conserves the energy of the battery, comprising:

receive a request on a thermostat communication server from a thermostat to establish a plurality of communication channels between the thermostat communication server and the thermostat;

classifying one or more types of data to be transmitted to the thermostat over the a plurality of communication channels according to a data priority ranging from a low-priority data type to a high-priority data type, wherein the low-priority data type includes data of lesser importance to the operation of the thermostat management system and the thermostat and the high-priority data type includes data of higher importance to the operation of the thermostat management system and the thermostat as compared with the low-priority data type;

transmitting data classified in the low-priority type to the thermostat over a first network communication channel associated with low-priority data, wherein the thermostat may not further process the data received over the first network communication channel if the thermostat determines the battery-level associated with the thermostat is at a low battery-level; and

transmitting data classified as the high-priority type to the thermostat over a second network communication channel associated with high-priority data, wherein the thermostat may process the data received over the first network communication channel and the second network communication channel if the thermostat determines the battery-level associated with the thermostat is at a high-battery-level.

9. The computer implemented method of claim 8, wherein the thermostat communication server further comprises:

classifying data to be transmitted to the thermostat over the communication channel as a medium-priority data type, wherein the medium-priority data type includes data of lesser importance to the operation of the thermostat management system and the thermostat than the high-priority data type and of higher importance to the operation of the thermostat management system and the thermostat as compared with the low-priority data type; and

transmitting data classified in the medium-priority type to the thermostat over a third network communication channel associated with medium-priority data, wherein the thermostat may further process the data received over the second network communication channel and the third network communication channel if the thermostat determines the battery-level associated with the thermostat is at a medium-battery-level.

10. The computer implemented method of claim 9, wherein the thermostat determines the battery-level of the battery associated with thermostat as a high battery-level when the remaining energy in the battery associated with the thermostat is at least at 80% of capacity, considered at the medium battery-level when the remaining energy in the battery associated with the thermostat is at least at 50% of capacity and considered at the low battery-level when the remaining energy in the battery associated with the thermostat is at least at 30% of capacity.

11. The computer implemented method of claim 8, wherein establishing a plurality of communication channels further comprises:

determining that the a plurality of communication channels were established between the thermostat communication server having a public network address on a public network and the thermostat having a plurality of private network addresses on a private network, wherein the public network address used by the TCS is registered on the Internet and a plurality of private network addresses for the thermostat are mapped to a plurality of public network through a network address translation (NAT) table generated by a router on the private network where the thermostat is located; and

configuring a long-poll interval in a network communication protocol associated with the thermostat communication server for transmitting a keep-alive packet from the thermostat communication server to the thermostat over each of the a plurality of communication channels between the thermostat communication server and the thermostat at a maximum time interval not to exceed a NAT time-out period of the router.

12. A computer implemented method for a thermostat powered by a battery to communicate over a network with a thermostat communication server in a manner that conserves the energy of the battery, comprising:

requesting from the thermostat to a thermostat communication server establishment of a plurality of communication channels between the thermostat and thermostat communication server;

reserving a first communication channel on the thermostat for receiving data classified as a low-priority data type from the thermostat communication server;

reserving a second communication channel on the thermostat for receiving data classified as a high-priority data type from the thermostat communication server;

processing data received from the thermostat communication server over the first communication channel and the second communication channel;

determining whether a battery-level of the battery associated with the thermostat is at or below a low battery-level;

discarding subsequently received data over the first communication channel classified as a low-priority data type and enabling a processing of subsequently received data over the second communication channel classified as a high-priority data type, when the determination indicates the battery-level is at or below the low battery-level and discarding the subsequently received data over the first communication channel operates to conserve energy use from the battery; and

enabling a processing of subsequently received data over the first communication channel classified as a low-priority data type and enabling a processing of subsequently received data over the second communication channel classified as a high-priority data type, wherein the determination indicates the battery-level is above the low battery-level and sufficient to support a subsequent processing of data received over both the first communication channel and the second communication channel.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein enabling the processing of subsequently received data over the first communication channel includes using a wake-on-LAN feature from a Wifi module of the thermostat and wherein discarding the subsequently received data over the first communication channel includes ignoring the wake-on-LAN feature from the Wifi module.

14. The computer implemented method of claim 12, wherein the low-priority data type includes data of lesser importance to the operation of the thermostat and the thermostat communication system as compared with data classified as a high-priority data type which has data of higher importance to the operation of the thermostat and the thermostat communication system.

15. A method for thermostats to collect thermostat events in an event log and store on a central server, comprising:

creating a thermostat reporting group from a plurality of thermostats powered by batteries on a network with each thermostat recording events in a log corresponding to the operation of each thermostat;

selecting a proxy reporting thermostat from the thermostat reporting group that has a highest battery-level as compared with other battery powered thermostats in the thermostat reporting group;

gathering the events recorded by each of the thermostats in the thermostat reporting group on a storage area associated with the proxy reporting thermostat, wherein a thermostat identifier associated with each event provides an indication on which thermostat each event occurred;

determining when the storage area associated with the proxy reporting thermostat is full and needs to be uploaded to a central server;

establishing a communication channel between the proxy reporting thermostat and the central server when the determination indicates the storage area is full; and

uploading the events gathered on the storage area associated with the proxy reporting thermostat over the communication channel and onto a server storage area associated with the central server.