AUTOMATED PRESENCE DETECTION AND PRESENCE-RELATED CONTROL WITHIN AN INTELLIGENT CONTROLLER
First Claim
1. A controller comprising:
- one or more processors for controlling an environmental condition within an enclosure, wherein the controller is configured to operate in an away mode that causes an operative setpoint for the environmental condition to be reduced to a more energy-efficient level;
one or more memories that store historical occupancy-event data; and
instructions stored in the one or more memories that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising;
detecting a time interval of a first duration in which no occupancy events are sensed;
determining that the time interval in which no occupancy events are sensed is indicative of an away condition for the enclosure using an algorithm that uses the historical occupancy-event data corresponding to the time interval;
causing the controller to automatically enter into the away mode based on determining that the time interval in which no occupancy events are sensed is indicative of an away condition;
receiving an input from a user while in the away mode indicative that the time interval in which no occupancy events were sensed did not indicate an away condition for the enclosure; and
modifying, based on receiving the input, the algorithm such that a future time interval corresponding to the time interval will be less likely to incorrectly determine whether a lack of occupancy events during the future time interval is indicative of an away condition for the enclosure.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The current application is directed to intelligent controllers that use sensor output and electronically stored information, including one or more of electronically stored rules, parameters, and instructions, to determine whether or not one or more types of entities are present within an area, volume, or environment monitored by the intelligent controllers. The intelligent controllers select operational modes and modify control schedules with respect to the presence and absence of the one or more entities. The intelligent controllers employ feedback information to continuously adjust the electronically stored parameters and rules in order to minimize the number of incorrect inferences with respect to the presence or absence of the one or more entities and in order to maximize the efficiency by which various types of systems controlled by the intelligent controllers carry out selected operational modes.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A controller comprising:
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one or more processors for controlling an environmental condition within an enclosure, wherein the controller is configured to operate in an away mode that causes an operative setpoint for the environmental condition to be reduced to a more energy-efficient level; one or more memories that store historical occupancy-event data; and instructions stored in the one or more memories that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising; detecting a time interval of a first duration in which no occupancy events are sensed; determining that the time interval in which no occupancy events are sensed is indicative of an away condition for the enclosure using an algorithm that uses the historical occupancy-event data corresponding to the time interval; causing the controller to automatically enter into the away mode based on determining that the time interval in which no occupancy events are sensed is indicative of an away condition; receiving an input from a user while in the away mode indicative that the time interval in which no occupancy events were sensed did not indicate an away condition for the enclosure; and modifying, based on receiving the input, the algorithm such that a future time interval corresponding to the time interval will be less likely to incorrectly determine whether a lack of occupancy events during the future time interval is indicative of an away condition for the enclosure. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method of refining entry into an away mode of a controller, the method comprising:
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controlling an environmental condition within an enclosure using the controller, wherein the controller is configured to operate in an away mode that causes an operative setpoint for the environmental condition to be reduced to a more energy-efficient level; storing, in one or more memories of the controller, historical occupancy-event data; detecting, by one or more processors of the controller, a time interval of a first duration in which no occupancy events are sensed; determining, by the one or more processors of the controller, that the time interval in which no occupancy events are sensed is indicative of an away condition for the enclosure using an algorithm that uses the historical occupancy-event data corresponding to the time interval; causing, by the one or more processors of the controller, the controller to automatically enter into the away mode based on determining that the time interval in which no occupancy events are sensed is indicative of an away condition; receiving, by the one or more processors of the controller, an input from a user while in the away mode indicative that the time interval in which no occupancy events were sensed did not indicate an away condition for the enclosure; and modifying, by the one or more processors of the controller, and based on receiving the input, the algorithm such that a future time interval corresponding to the time interval will be less likely to incorrectly determine whether a lack of occupancy events during the future time interval is indicative of an away condition for the enclosure. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification