ENERGY EFFICIENCY PROMOTING SCHEDULE LEARNING ALGORITHMS FOR INTELLIGENT THERMOSTAT

• US 20130099011A1
• Filed: 10/19/2012
• Published: 04/25/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Nest Labs Incorporated (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: MATSUOKA, Yoky, ASTIER, Frank E., SHARAN, Rangoli, SLOO, David, FADELL, Anthony Michael
• Granted Patent: US 9,298,196 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 236/1.C
• 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 11/52 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 11/61 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 11/63 Electronic processing
• 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 11/70 Control systems characterised by their outputs; Constructional details thereof
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/00 Control inputs relating to air properties
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/10 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/20 Feedback from users
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 13/0265 the criterion being a learning criterion
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1904 variable in time

Abstract

A user-friendly programmable thermostat is described that includes receiving an immediate-control input to change set point temperature, controlling temperature according to the set point temperature for a predetermined time interval, and then automatically resetting the set point temperature upon the ending of the predetermined time interval such that the user is urged to make further immediate-control inputs. A schedule for the programmable thermostat is automatically generated based on the immediate-control inputs. Methods are also described for receiving user input relating to the user'"'"'s preference regarding automatically generating a schedule, and determining whether or not to automatically adopt an automatically generated schedule based on the received user input.

Claims

1. A thermostat comprising:

a housing;

a ring-shaped user-interface component configured to track a rotational input motion from a user;

a processing system disposed within the housing and coupled to the ring-shaped user interface component, the processing system being configured to be in operative communication with one or more temperature sensors for receiving ambient air temperature, the processing system further being configured to be in operative communication with an HVAC system control the HVAC system based at least in part on a comparison of the measured ambient temperature and a setpoint temperature, the processing system further being configured to identify a user'"'"'s desire to immediately control the setpoint temperature value based on the tracked rotational input, the processing system still further being configured to automatically reset the setpoint temperature to a less energy-consuming temperature upon an ending of a predetermined time interval and to generate a schedule for the thermostat based at least in part on repeated identifications of the user'"'"'s desire to immediately control the setpoint temperature; and

an electronic display coupled to the processing system and configured to display information representative of the identified setpoint temperature value.

2. A thermostat according to claim 1 wherein:

said electronic display is disposed along a front face of the thermostat housing;

said ring-shaped user interface component comprises a mechanically rotatable ring that substantially surrounds the electronic display and is further configured to be inwardly pressable by the user along a direction of an axis of rotation of the rotational input motion; and

said mechanically rotatable ring and said housing are mutually configured such that said mechanically rotatable ring moves inwardly along said direction of said axis of rotation when inwardly pressed.

3. A thermostat according to claim 2 wherein said thermostat housing is generally disk-like in shape with said front face thereof being circular, and wherein said mechanically rotatable ring is generally coincident with an outer lateral periphery of said disk-like shape.

4. A thermostat according to claim 1 wherein said thermostat is configured such that said rotational input motions and said inward pressings of the ring-shaped user-interface component represent the sole physical user inputs to said thermostat.

5. A thermostat according to claim 1 wherein the predetermined time interval is at least about 1 hour and less than about 4 hours.

6. A thermostat according to claim 5 wherein the predetermined time interval is at least 1.5 hours and less than about 3 hours.

7. A thermostat according to claim 1 wherein the electronic display is further configured to display to a user a notification relating to the generating of the schedule.

8. A thermostat according to claim 1 wherein the processing system is still further configured such that in cases where two or more immediate control setpoint temperature changes are identified within a short time interval of less than 90 minutes, the generating of the schedule is based on a latest of the two or more identifications.

9. A thermostat according to claim 1 wherein the processing system is still further configured such that the automatic resetting of the setpoint temperature is to a base setpoint temperature of lower than 68 degrees Fahrenheit at times when the HVAC system uses heating and to a base setpoint temperature of greater than 78 degrees Fahrenheit at time when the HVAC system uses cooling.

10. A thermostat according to claim 1 wherein the processing system is still further configured such that the generated schedule is automatically adopted as an active schedule for the programmable thermostat.

11. A method for generating a schedule for a programmable thermostat used for control of an HVAC system, the thermostat comprising a housing, a ring-shaped user interface component, a processing system, and an electronic display, the method comprising:

accessing an ambient air temperature measured by one or more temperature sensors;

detecting and tracking rotational movements of the ring-shaped user-interface component to track at least one rotational input motion of a user;

identifying a first setpoint temperature value based on the tracked rotational input motion at a first point in time;

controlling the HVAC system based at least in part on a comparison of the measured ambient air temperature and the first setpoint temperature value for a predetermined time interval;

automatically resetting the first setpoint temperature upon the ending of the predetermined time interval;

identifying a second setpoint temperature value based on the tracked rotational input motion at a second point in time;

controlling the HVAC system based at least in part on a comparison of the measured ambient air temperature and the second setpoint temperature value for the predetermined time interval;

automatically resetting the second set point temperature upon the ending of the predetermined time interval;

generating with the processing system, a schedule for the programmable thermostat based at least in part on the first and second setpoints and the first and second points in time; and

displaying information representative of the first and second identified setpoint temperature values on the electronic display.

12. A method according to claim 11 wherein the predetermined time interval is at least about 30 minutes and less than about 6 hours.

13. A method according to claim 12 wherein the predetermined time interval is about 2 hours.

14. A method according to claim 11 wherein the resetting of the first and second set points resets the set point temperature back to a base set point temperature.

15. A method according to claim 14 further comprising determining whether the enclosure will likely use heating based at least in part on the time of year and the geographic location of the enclosure.

16. A method according to claim 15 wherein the base set point temperature is lower than 65 degrees Fahrenheit. at times when it is likely that the enclosure will use heating.

17. A method according to claim 15 wherein the base set point temperature is greater than 78 degrees Fahrenheit, at times when it is likely that the enclosure will use cooling.

18. A method according to claim 11 further comprising displaying on the electronic display a notification indicating that the schedule has been generated.

19. A method according to claim 11 wherein the resetting of the first and second setpoints resets the setpoint temperature back to a preexisting schedule.

20. A method according to claim 11 further comprising automatically adopting the generated schedule as an active schedule for the programmable thermostat.

21. A method according to claim 11 further comprising:

displaying on the electronic display a notification indicating that the schedule has been generated; and

identifying user input as to whether or not to adopt the generated schedule as an active schedule.

22. A method according to claim 11 further comprising:

displaying on a remote user interface a notification indicating that the schedule has been generated; and

identifying using the remote user interface a user'"'"'s desire whether or not to adopt the generated schedule as an active schedule.

23. A thermostat comprising:

a disk-like housing including a circular front face;

an electronic display centrally disposed on the front face;

an annular ring member disposed around the centrally disposed electronic display, said annular ring member and said housing being mutually configured such that (i) said annular ring member is rotatable around a front-to-back axis of the thermostat, and (ii) said annular ring member is inwardly pressable along a direction of the front-to back axis;

a processing system disposed within the housing and coupled to the annular ring member;

said processing system being configured and programmed to dynamically alter a setpoint temperature value based on a user rotation of the annular ring member;

said processing system being further configured to be in operative communication with one or more temperature sensors for receiving an ambient air temperature, said processing system being still further configured to be in operative communication with an HVAC system to control the HVAC system based at least in part on a comparison of the measured ambient temperature and the setpoint temperature value;

said processing system being still further configured to identify from the annular ring member user input relating to the user'"'"'s preference regarding automatically generating a schedule and to determine therefrom whether or not to automatically adopt an automatically generated schedule.

24. A thermostat according to claim 23 wherein the identified user input identifies whether or not an automatically generated schedule should be automatically adopted.

25. A thermostat according to claim 23 wherein the identified user input identifies whether or not the user prefers to receive future notifications regarding the adoption of an automatically generated schedule.

26. A thermostat according to claim 25 wherein the processing system is still further configured to based at least in part on the identified user input, determine whether or not to notify the user of an automatically generated schedule that the user may wish to adopt.

27. A thermostat according to claim 26 wherein the determination of whether or not to notify the user is based in part on an estimated of saving of cost and/or energy associated with the automatically generated schedule.

28. A thermostat according to claim 23 wherein the identified user input identifies whether or not the user prefers to manually enter a schedule for the programmable thermostat.

29. A thermostat according to claim 23, further comprising an audio output device coupled to said processing system, the thermostat being configured to output synthesized audible ticks through said audio output device in correspondence with user rotation of said mechanically rotatable ring.

30. A thermostat according to claim 23 further comprising the one or more temperature sensors, wherein said processing system is configured and programmed to send at least one control signal to the HVAC system based at least in part on the comparison of the measured ambient air temperature and the setpoint temperature value.