DEVICES AND METHODS FOR INTERACTING WITH AN HVAC CONTROLLER

• US 20130297078A1
• Filed: 05/01/2013
• Published: 11/07/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ademco Inc. (Resideo Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Kolavennu, Soumitri
• Granted Patent: US 10,088,853 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/276
• 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 11/52 Indication arrangements, e.g. displays
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/58 using Internet communication
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/00 Control inputs relating to air properties
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/20 Feedback from users
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1917 using digital means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3344 using natural language analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services

Abstract

An HVAC controller may be controlled in response to a natural language message that is not recognizable by the HVAC controller as a command, where the natural language message is translated into a command recognizable by the HVAC controller. Voice recognition software may be used to create a natural language text based message from a recorded voice message, where the natural language text based message is translated into the command recognizable by the HVAC controller. In response to the command, the HVAC controller may perform an action and/or respond with a natural language text based message. Where the HVAC controller responds to the natural language text based message, the HVAC controller may send a natural language text based message back to the user. In some cases, a user may communicate with the thermostat via an on-line social network.

Claims

1. A method of controlling an HVAC system, the method comprising:

receiving a message from an online social network via a network;

translating the received message into a command for an HVAC controller of the HVAC system using translation software stored in non-transitory computer readable medium; and

using the HVAC controller to control the HVAC system in accordance with the command.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending a return message to the online social network in response to receiving the message from the online social network.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising associating the HVAC controller with an online account of the online social network.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the translation software is executed by the HVAC controller.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the message is received by a server and the translation software is executed by the server to produce the command, and wherein the server provides the command to the HVAC controller via a network connection.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the server is an HVAC web services server, and the HVAC controller communicates with the HVAC web services server through an HVAC web services interface protocol.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the HVAC web services interface protocol is a web services application programming interface (API).

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the message is received by the cloud and the translation software is executed by the cloud to produce the command, and wherein the cloud provides the command to the HVAC controller.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the network includes the Internet.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the HVAC controller is a thermostat.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the message is a natural language message that is not recognizable by the HVAC Controller as a command, and wherein the natural language message is translated into a command that is recognizable by the HVAC Controller for controlling the HVAC system.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a voice message from a user;

translating the voice message to a text based message via voice recognition software; and

posting the text based message as the message to the online social network.

13. A method of interfacing with a thermostat, the method comprising:

recording a voice message, where the voice message is a natural language message that is not recognizable by the thermostat as a command;

using voice recognition software to create a text based message of the recorded voice message; and

translating the text based message of the recorded voice message to a thermostat command that is recognizable by the thermostat for controlling the HVAC system using translation software stored in a computer readable medium.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the translation software is configured to translate two or more different text based messages that are not recognizable by the thermostat as a command into the same thermostat command.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the voice message is recorded at a device, and wherein:

the device is a user device separate from the thermostat, and the voice recognition software is stored on the user device; and

the text based message of the recorded voice message is translated to the thermostat command using translation software stored in a computer readable medium of the thermostat.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the voice message is recorded at a user device that is separate from the thermostat, and the recorded voice message further includes a command for controlling the user device.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

directing the text based message to the thermostat in response to the command for controlling the user device.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

interfacing with an online social network to post the text based message in response to the command for controlling the user device; and

sending the posted text based message from the online social network to the translation software.

19. A thermostat configured to communicate with and control one or more HVAC components of an HVAC system, the thermostat comprising:

a temperature sensor;

a memory;

a controller, the controller configured to;

translate a natural language text based message from a user that is not recognizable by the thermostat as a command into a thermostat command;

perform an action in response to the thermostat command; and

respond to the natural language text based message with a natural language text based message.

20. The thermostat of claim 19, wherein the thermostat responds to the natural language text based message by sending a text based message to an online social network.