METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING TEMPERATURE

• US 20150330652A1
• Filed: 05/15/2015
• Published: 11/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: KIM, Kyung-Jae
• Granted Patent: US 10,012,406 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 11/48 prior to normal operation, e.g. pre-heating or pre-cooling
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/52 Indication arrangements, e.g. displays
• 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 11/64 using pre-stored data
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/65 for selecting an operating mode
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/10 Occupancy
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a sensor network, Machine Type Communication (MTC), Machine-to-Machine (M2M) communication, and technology for Internet of Things (IoT). The present disclosure may be applied to intelligent services based on the above technologies, such as smart home, smart building, smart city, smart car, connected car, health care, digital education, smart retail, security and safety services. A method for controlling temperature in a temperature controlling system is provided. The method includes determining occupancy or non-occupancy of a user in a space subject to setback control; when the user'"'"'s non-occupancy is determined, determining whether to start the setback control based on probability distribution of a non-occupancy period that are predetermined; when it is determined to start the setback control, determining the user'"'"'s target temperature based on previously collected data; calculating a setback temperature based on the target temperature; and performing the setback control according to the calculated setback temperature.

Claims

1. A method for controlling temperature in a temperature control system, the method comprising:

determining occupancy or non-occupancy of a user in a space subject to setback control;

when the user'"'"'s non-occupancy is determined, determining whether to start the setback control based on probability distribution of a non-occupancy period that is predetermined;

when it is determined to start the setback control, determining the user'"'"'s target temperature based on previously collected data;

calculating a setback temperature based on the target temperature; and

performing temperature control according to the calculated setback temperature.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the probability distribution is predetermined based on the previously collected data.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the setback temperature is calculated further based on a predetermined energy saving rate.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the setback temperature is calculated further based on a predetermined temperature recovery time.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the predetermined temperature recovery time is calculated based on a predetermined energy saving rate.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether to start the setback control comprises:

determining to start the setback control when a probability of the non-occupancy period in a predetermined time interval that becomes greater than a threshold time, is larger than a preset value.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the user'"'"'s target temperature is determined in consideration of at least one of a characteristic of the space, the user'"'"'s motion state, temperature control by the user, a energy saving rate, and a temperature recovery time.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

when the user'"'"'s occupancy is detected and a change of a set temperature by the user is detected, storing a difference between the user'"'"'s currently set temperature and the changed set temperature; and

updating the changed set temperature to the user'"'"'s target temperature and storing the user'"'"'s updated target temperature.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein an initial user target temperature of another room is set based on the user'"'"'s updated target temperature.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the setback temperature is determined based on a total sum of probabilities of the non-occupancy period, in which a remaining time until returning to the user'"'"'s target temperature after the user'"'"'s return is detected is less than or equal to a predetermined time, and a probability that the user is to return to the space within the predetermined time.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the previously collected data comprises user data, environment data, building data, and temperature control system data,

wherein the user data comprises at least one of data of the user'"'"'s gender and age, an intention of the user'"'"'s trip in which the space is used, a period of the user'"'"'s trip in which the space is used, a number of the user'"'"'s partners, and the age of the user'"'"'s partners,

the environment data comprises at least one of data of a date, a day of a week, and weather,

the building data comprises at least one of data of a characteristic of an area where the space is located, information on surroundings of the space, data about events around the space, and a past or current occupancy/non-occupancy pattern of the space for each user, and

the temperature control system data comprises data related to previous temperature control.

12. An apparatus for controlling temperature in a temperature control system, the apparatus comprising:

a storage unit configured to store user related information and space related information;

a temperature detection unit configured to determine occupancy or non-occupancy of a user in a space subject to setback control and to detect an inner temperature of the space; and

a temperature controller configured to determine whether to start the setback control based on probability distribution of a non-occupancy period when the user'"'"'s non-occupancy is determined, to determine the user'"'"'s target temperature based on previously collected data when it is determined to start the setback control, and to perform the setback control according to a setback temperature that is determined based on the target temperature.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the setback temperature is calculated further based on a predetermined energy saving rate.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the predetermined energy saving rate is calculated based on a predetermined temperature recovery time.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the setback temperature is calculated further based on a predetermined temperature recovery time.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the predetermined temperature recovery time is calculated based on a predetermined energy saving rate.

17. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising:

an input unit configured to receive a energy saving rate or a temperature recovery time and to store the received energy saving rate or the received temperature recovery time in the storage unit.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising:

a parameter determining unit configured to calculate the setback temperature, which correspond to the energy saving rate or the temperature recovery time, based on a pre-stored algorithm.

19. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the temperature controller is further configured to determine to start the setback control when the probability of the non-occupancy period in a predetermined time interval that becomes greater than a threshold time, is larger than a preset value.

20. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the user'"'"'s target temperature is determined in consideration of at least one of a characteristic of the space, the user'"'"'s motion state, temperature control by the user, a energy saving rate, and a temperature recovery time.

21. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein when the user'"'"'s occupancy is detected and a change of a set temperature by the user is detected, the temperature controller is further configured to store, in the storage unit, a difference between the user'"'"'s currently set temperature and the changed set temperature and to update the changed set temperature to the user'"'"'s target temperature to store the user'"'"'s updated target temperature in the storage unit.

22. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the temperature controller is further configured to set an initial user target temperature of another room based on the user'"'"'s updated target temperature.

23. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the setback temperature is determined based on a total sum of probabilities of the non-occupancy period, in which a remaining time until returning to the user'"'"'s target temperature after the user'"'"'s return is detected is less than or equal to a predetermined time, and a probability that the user is to return to the space in the predetermined time.

24. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising:

a user interface unit configured to receive a energy saving rate or a temperature recovery time,

wherein the temperature controller is configured to determine the temperature recovery time corresponding to the energy saving rate when the energy saving rate is input through the user interface unit, to determine the energy saving rate corresponding to the temperature recovery time when the temperature recovery time is input through the user interface unit, and to display the determined temperature recovery time or the determined energy saving rate through the user interface unit.