ADJUSTING PROXIMITY THRESHOLDS FOR ACTIVATING A DEVICE USER INTERFACE

• US 20130103207A1
• Filed: 09/30/2012
• Published: 04/25/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nest Labs Incorporated (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Nest Labs Incorporated (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Ruff, Joseph Adam, Solnit, Jonathan P., Satterthwaite, Edwin H.
• Granted Patent: US 8,560,128 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/278
• 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 includes a user interface that is configured to operate in at least two different modes including a first mode and a second mode. The user interface may require more power when operating in the first mode than in the second mode. The thermostat also includes a plurality of sensors, including at least one sensor configured to detect a presence of a user within a proximity of the thermostat. The thermostat additionally includes a first processing function that is configured to determine a proximity profile and to cause the user interface to be in the first mode one or more sensors provides responses that match the proximity profile. The proximity profile may be computed using a history of responses from the sensors that are likely to coincide with times where users intend to view the user interface.

Claims

1. A thermostat, comprising:

a housing;

a user interface including an electronic display having an active display mode and an inactive display mode, the active display mode generally requiring substantially more electrical power than said inactive display mode;

a processing system disposed within the housing and coupled to the user interface, the processing system being configured to be in operative communication with one or more temperature sensors for determining an ambient air temperature, in operative communication with one or more input devices including said user interface for determining a setpoint temperature, and in still further operative communication with a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (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; and

at least one sensor configured to detect a physical closeness of a user to the user interface of the thermostat, the at least one sensor being in operative communication with the processing system, the processing system being configured to cause the electronic display to be in the active display mode when a closeness threshold has been exceeded;

wherein said processing system is further configured to automatically adjust said closeness threshold based at least in part on a historical plurality of physical closeness events as detected by the at least one sensor.

2. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein said closeness threshold is automatically adjusted based on a tracked number of times that the electronic display was caused to be in the active display mode responsive to physical closeness events over a predetermined time interval, the closeness threshold being made more restrictive if said tracked number of times was greater than a predetermined activity threshold, whereby excessive entry of the electronic display into the active display mode responsive to sensed physical closeness events is reduced.

3. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein said closeness threshold is automatically adjusted based at least in part on a joint processing of (i) the historical plurality of physical closeness events as detected by the at least one sensor, and (ii) a historical plurality of user interface manipulation events in which the user has actually manipulated said user interface, wherein the closeness threshold is made less restrictive if there is a higher correlation between said physical closeness events and said manipulation events, and wherein the closeness threshold is made more restrictive if there is a lesser correlation between said physical closeness events and said manipulation events.

4. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein said at least one sensor comprises a first sensor and a second sensor, wherein the first sensor is configured to detect the physical closeness of the user to the user interface within a first distance, wherein the second sensor is configured to detect the physical closeness of the user to the user interface within a second distance, and wherein the first distance is greater than the second distance.

5. The thermostat of claim 4, wherein the first sensor comprises a Passive Infrared sensor (PIR) and the second sensor comprises an active proximity sensor that is configured to emit electromagnetic radiation and to receive reflections of said electromagnetic radiation.

6. The thermostat of claim 4, wherein the second sensor comprises a near-range PIR.

7. The thermostat of claim 1 wherein the processing system comprises a first processor and a second processor, wherein the first processor is configured to detect when the closeness threshold has been exceeded and to wake said second processor from a low-power mode in response to the closeness threshold being exceeded, wherein the second processor causes the electronic display to operate in the active mode.

8. A method for optimizing the operation of a user interface of a thermostat, the method comprising:

determining automatically, by a processing system, a closeness threshold based at least in part on a historical plurality of physical closeness events as detected by at least one sensor;

the at least one sensor configured to detect a physical closeness of a user to a user interface of the thermostat, the at least one sensor being in operative communication with the processing system

detecting a physical closeness of a user to a user interface of the thermostat using the at least one sensor;

determining, by the processing system, that the closeness threshold has been exceeded, the processing system being configured to be in operative communication with one or more temperature sensors for determining an ambient air temperature, in operative communication with one or more input devices including said user interface for determining a setpoint temperature, and in still further operative communication with a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (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;

causing, by the processing system, an electronic display to be in an active display mode when the closeness threshold has been exceeded, the user interface including the electronic display having the active display mode and an inactive display mode, the active display mode generally requiring substantially more electrical power than said inactive display mode.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said closeness threshold is automatically adjusted based on a tracked number of times that the electronic display was caused to be in the active display mode responsive to physical closeness events over a predetermined time interval, the closeness threshold being made more restrictive if said tracked number of times was greater than a predetermined activity threshold, whereby excessive entry of the electronic display into the active display mode responsive to sensed physical closeness events is reduced.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein said closeness threshold is automatically adjusted based at least in part on a joint processing of (i) the historical plurality of physical closeness events as detected by the at least one sensor, and (ii) a historical plurality of user interface manipulation events in which the user has actually manipulated said user interface, wherein the closeness threshold is made less restrictive if there is a higher correlation between said physical closeness events and said manipulation events, and wherein the closeness threshold is made more restrictive if there is a lesser correlation between said physical closeness events and said manipulation events.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein said at least one sensor comprises a first sensor and a second sensor, wherein the first sensor is configured to detect the physical closeness of the user to the user interface within a first distance, wherein the second sensor is configured to detect the physical closeness of the user to the user interface within a second distance, and wherein the first distance is greater than the second distance.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the first sensor comprises a Passive Infrared sensor (PIR) and the second sensor comprises an active proximity sensor that is configured to emit electromagnetic radiation and to receive reflections of said electromagnetic radiation.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the second sensor comprises a near-range PIR.

14. The method of claim 8 wherein the processing system comprises a first processor and a second processor, wherein the first processor is configured to detect when the closeness threshold has been exceeded and to wake said second processor from a low-power mode in response to the closeness threshold being exceeded, wherein the second processor causes the electronic display to operate in the active mode.

15. A thermostat, comprising:

a user interface that is configured to operate in at least two different modes comprising;

a first mode, and

a second mode, wherein the user interface requires more power when operating in the first mode than in the second mode;

a plurality of sensors, including at least one sensor configured to detect a presence of a user within a proximity of the thermostat; and

a first processing function that is configured to determine a proximity profile and to cause the user interface to be in the first mode when one or more of the plurality of sensors provides one or more responses to the first processing function that matches the proximity profile, wherein;

the proximity profile is determined using at least a history of responses from the plurality of sensors that are likely to coincide with times where one or more users intend to view the user interface.

16. The thermostat of claim 15 further comprising a power stealing circuit configured to supply a first power level, wherein the user interface requires a second power level when operating in the first mode, and wherein the second power level is greater than the first power level.

17. The thermostat of claim 15 wherein the proximity profile is adjusted based on a power level currently being supplied by a rechargeable battery, whereby the user interface is less likely to be caused to operate in the first mode in response to a physical closeness event.

18. The thermostat of claim 15 wherein the at least one sensor comprises a first sensor and a second sensor, wherein the first sensor is configured to detect a presence of a user within a first proximity comprising first distance, wherein the second sensor is configured to detect a presence of a user within a second proximity comprising a second distance, and wherein the first distance is greater than the second distance.

19. The thermostat of claim 15 wherein the processing function comprises a first processor and a second processor, wherein the first processor is configured to determine whether the one or more responses matches the proximity profile, and wherein the second processor is configured to cause the user interface to operate in the first mode.

20. The thermostat of claim 15 wherein the processing function is further configured to detect when a number of physical closeness events within a predetermined time interval exceed a predetermined activity threshold and adjust the proximity profile in response.