DISTRIBUTION OF CALL-HOME EVENTS OVER TIME TO AMELIORATE HIGH COMMUNICATIONS AND COMPUTATION PEAKS IN INTELLIGENT CONTROL SYSTEM
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Abstract
The current application is directed to an intelligent control system that includes intelligent thermostats and remote servers that spread call-home events over time to avoid large peak computational and communications loads on intelligent-control-system servers. The spreading of call-home vents over time is effected by use of call-home splay values pseudorandomly generated for intelligent thermostats.
42 Citations
38 Claims
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1-18. -18. (canceled)
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19. An intelligent thermostat within an intelligent control system, the intelligent thermostat comprising:
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one or more processors; one or more memory devices; a first time stored in the one or more memory devices, the first time also being stored in a plurality of other intelligent thermostats; a time-offset stored in the one or more memory devices, wherein the time-offset is unique in relation to time-offsets stored in the plurality of other intelligent thermostats; and instructions stored within the one or more memory devices that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the intelligent thermostat to; detect the beginning of a call-home interval beginning at the first time, the call-home interval being the same for each of the plurality of other intelligent thermostats; wait, after the beginning of the call-home interval, for a delay defined by the time-offset; and establish a communications connection to a remote server of the intelligent control system after the delay, such that each of the plurality of other intelligent thermostats establishes communications connections with the remote server at different times within the call-home interval. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A method for data exchange between an intelligent thermostat and remote server within an intelligent control system, the method comprising:
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storing a first time in one or more memory devices of the intelligent thermostat, the first time also being stored in a plurality of other intelligent thermostats; storing a time-offset stored in the one or more memory devices of the intelligent thermostat, wherein the time-offset is unique in relation to time-offsets stored in the plurality of other intelligent thermostats; detecting, by one or more processors of the intelligent thermostat, the beginning of a call-home interval beginning at the first time, the call-home interval being the same for each of the plurality of other intelligent thermostats; waiting, by the one or more processors of the intelligent thermostat, and after the beginning of the call-home interval, for a delay defined by the time-offset; and establishing, by the intelligent thermostat, a communications connection to a remote server of the intelligent control system after the delay, such that each of the plurality of other intelligent thermostats establishes communications connections with the remote server at different times within the call-home interval. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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Specification