Systems and Methods for Energy-Efficient Control of an Energy-Consuming System

• US 20140316581A1
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Published: 10/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Nest Labs Incorporated (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Fadell, Anthony Michael, Matsuoka, Yoky, Sloo, David, Plitkins, Michael, Matas, Michael James, Rogers, Matthew Lee, Fisher, Evan J., Lee, Eric A., Hales, Steven A. IV, Stefanski, Mark D., Sharan, Rangoli
• Granted Patent: US 9,459,018 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 11/46 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 11/64 using pre-stored data
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2221/32 preventing human errors during the installation, use or maintenance, e.g. goofy proof
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1904 variable in time
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/02 Monitoring continuously signalling or alarm systems

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for efficiently controlling energy-consuming systems, such as heating, ventilation, or air conditioning (HVAC) systems. For example, an electronic device used to control an HVAC system may encourage a user to select energy-efficient temperature setpoints. Based on the selected temperature setpoints, the electronic device may generate or modify a schedule of temperature setpoints to control the HVAC system.

Claims

1. A method for efficiently controlling a heating, ventilation, or air conditioning (HVAC) system, the method comprising:

via one or more electronic devices configured to effect control over the system;

encouraging a user to select a first, more energy-efficient, temperature setpoint over a second, less energy-efficient, temperature setpoint;

receiving a user selection of the first temperature setpoint; and

generating or modifying a schedule of temperature setpoints used to control the system based at least in part on the first temperature setpoint.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein encouraging the user comprises displaying an energy-savings-encouragement indicator on an electronic display of at least one of the one or more electronic devices.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the energy-savings-encouragement indicator is displayed concurrently with the first temperature setpoint when the first temperature setpoint is immediately selectable but not concurrently with the second temperature setpoint when the second temperature setpoint is immediately selectable.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the energy-savings-encouragement indicator is displayed more visibly concurrently with the first temperature setpoint when the first temperature setpoint is immediately selectable and displayed less visibly or not displayed concurrently with the second temperature setpoint when the second temperature setpoint is immediately selectable.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein encouraging the user comprises displaying a first color when the first temperature setpoint is selected and displaying a second color different from the first color when the second temperature setpoint is selected, wherein the first color provides immediate feedback relating to energy consequences of setting the HVAC system to the first temperature setpoint and wherein the second color provides immediate feedback relating to energy consequences of setting the HVAC system to the second temperature setpoint.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the second color is more intense than the first color to indicate that more energy would be consumed by the system to reach the second temperature setpoint than would be consumed by the system to reach the first temperature setpoint.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the encouragement is provided to the user when the first temperature setpoint is different from the second temperature setpoint by more than a threshold and wherein the second temperature setpoint is a current temperature setpoint.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the encouragement is provided to the user when the first temperature setpoint is different from the second temperature setpoint by more than a threshold, wherein the second temperature setpoint is a future temperature setpoint in the schedule of temperature setpoints being adjusted by the user.

9. One or more tangible, non-transitory machine-readable media comprising instructions configured to be carried out on an electronic device that at least partially controls an energy-consuming system, the instructions configured to:

cause an energy-savings-encouragement indicator to be displayed on an electronic display, wherein the energy-savings-encouragement indicator is configured to prompt a user to select more-energy-efficient rather than less-energy-efficient system control setpoints used to control the energy-consuming system; and

automatically generate or modify a schedule of system control setpoints based at least partly on the more-energy-efficient system control setpoints when the more-energy-efficient system control setpoints are selected by the user.

10. The one or more machine-readable media of claim 9, wherein the energy-consuming system comprises a heating, ventilation, or air conditioning (HVAC) system, the electronic device comprises a thermostat configured to control the HVAC system, and the electronic display comprises an electronic display of the thermostat.

11. The one or more machine-readable media of claim 9, wherein the energy-consuming system comprises a heating, ventilation, or air conditioning (HVAC) system, the electronic device comprises a remote server configured to communicate with a thermostat that directly controls the HVAC system and with a personal electronic device, and the electronic display comprises an electronic display of the personal electronic device.

12. The one or more machine-readable media of claim 9, wherein the energy-savings-encouragement indicator comprises an icon evocative of environmental responsibility and wherein the energy-savings-encouragement icon is displayed when the user selects more-energy-efficient rather than less-energy-efficient system control setpoints.

13. The one or more machine-readable media of claim 12, wherein the icon comprises a leaf.

14. The one or more machine-readable media of claim 9, wherein the energy-savings-encouragement indicator comprises an icon evocative of environmental harm and wherein the energy-savings-encouragement icon is displayed when the user selects less-energy-efficient rather than more-energy-efficient system control setpoints.

15. The one or more machine-readable media of claim 14, wherein the energy-savings-encouragement indicator comprises a smoke stack.

16. A method comprising:

on an electronic device configured to effect control over a heating, ventilation, or air conditioning (HVAC) system;

receiving, via a user input interface of the electronic device, a user indication of a desired temperature setpoint of the system; and

displaying, on an electronic display of the electronic device, a non-verbal indication configured to encourage user selections of energy-efficient desired temperature setpoints, wherein the non-verbal indication provides immediate feedback in relation to energy consequences of the desired temperature setpoint.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the non-verbal indication comprises a color, an intensity, a hue, a saturation, a visibility, an opacity, a transparency, a visible loudness, a shape or form, or any combination thereof, that varies depending on the energy consequences of the desired temperature setpoint.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the non-verbal indication is configured to have a visual appeal corresponding to a desirability of energy consequences of the desired temperature setpoint.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the non-verbal indication is visually stronger when the desired temperature setpoint is a first temperature than when the desired temperature setpoint is a second temperature, wherein the first temperature is more different from a current ambient temperature than the second temperature.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the non-verbal indication comprises a warm color that varies depending on an amount of energy to be consumed by a heating device to reach the desired temperature setpoint.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein the non-verbal indication comprises a cool color that varies depending on an amount of energy to be consumed by a cooling device to reach the desired temperature setpoint.

22. An electronic device for effecting control over a heating, ventilation, or air conditioning (HVAC) system, the electronic device comprising:

a user input interface configured to receive an indication of a user selection of, or a user navigation to, a user-selectable temperature setpoint;

an electronic display; and

a processor configured to cause the electronic display to variably display an indication configured to encourage the user to select energy-efficient temperature setpoints, wherein the indication is variably displayed based at least in part on energy consequences of the temperature setpoint.

23. The electronic device of claim 22, wherein the electronic display comprises a liquid crystal display, an organic light emitting diode display, an e-ink display, an electronic paper display, or any combination thereof.

24. The electronic device of claim 22, wherein the processor is configured to cause the electronic display to display the indication as an icon having a shape or color, or both, that varies depending on an energy-efficiency of the temperature setpoint.

25. The electronic device of claim 22, wherein the processor is configured to cause the electronic display to display the indication as a background color on the electronic display, wherein the background color is configured to be more intense when more energy would be consumed by the temperature setpoint and less intense when less energy would be consumed by the temperature setpoint.

26. The electronic device of claim 22, wherein the temperature setpoint comprises a scheduled future temperature setpoint displayed on a scheduling screen on the electronic display.

27. The electronic device of claim 22, wherein the temperature setpoint comprises an immediate temperature setpoint.

28. The electronic device of claim 22, wherein the electronic device comprises a thermostat configured to control the system.

29. The electronic device of claim 22, wherein the electronic device comprises an electronic device configured to remotely control a thermostat configured to control the system.