ENERGY EFFICIENCY PROMOTING SCHEDULE LEARNING ALOGRITHMS FOR INTELLIGENT THERMOSTAT

• US 20160169547A1
• Filed: 02/22/2016
• Published: 06/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Matsuoka, Yoky, Astier, Frank E., SHARAN, Rangoli, Sloo, David, Fadell, Anthony M.
• Granted Patent: US 11,334,034 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 11/56 Remote control
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/61 using timers
• 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 11/70 Control systems characterised by their outputs; Constructional details thereof
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/00 Control inputs relating to air properties
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/10 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/20 Feedback from users
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 13/0265 the criterion being a learning criterion
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1904 variable in time

Abstract

A user-friendly programmable thermostat is described that includes receiving an immediate-control input to change set point temperature, controlling temperature according to the set point temperature for a predetermined time interval, and then automatically resetting the set point temperature upon the ending of the predetermined time interval such that the user is urged to make further immediate-control inputs. A schedule for the programmable thermostat is automatically generated based on the immediate-control inputs. Methods are also described for receiving user input relating to the user'"'"'s preference regarding automatically generating a schedule, and determining whether or not to automatically adopt an automatically generated schedule based on the received user input.

Claims

1. A method for HVAC control schedule learning, comprising:

receiving, over a learning period of time, a population of immediate-control inputs, each immediate-control input of the population being received to change a current setpoint temperature used by a thermostat to control operation of an HVAC system;

upon receipt of each of said immediate-control input;

operating, by the thermostat, the HVAC system according to the temperature defined by that immediate-control input until an expiration of that immediate-control input after a first predetermined time interval; and

upon the expiration of the immediate-control input, performing a setback event in which the thermostat operates the HVAC system at a predetermined lower energy setpoint temperature until such time as a next immediate-control input is received, thereby producing a population of setback events over the learning period; and

after the learning period of time, generating a learned HVAC schedule by processing the population of immediate-control inputs in conjunction with the population of the setback events.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein each setback event is processed to affect the learned HVAC schedule similar to each immediate-control input unless, during the learning period, the automated setback event was overridden within a defined time period by a subsequent immediate-control input.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the defined time period is 25 minutes or less.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first predetermined time interval is within a range of 1.5 hours to 3 hours.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first predetermined time interval is within a range of 30 minutes to 6 hours.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the population of immediate-control inputs comprises a first immediate-control input and a second immediate-control input being received within a defined time period of each other during the learning period of time;

and

generating the learned HVAC schedule comprises ignoring the first immediate-control input based on less than the defined time period being present between receiving of the first immediate-control input and a second immediate-control input.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the defined time period is 30 minutes or less.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the learning period of time corresponds to one or more weekdays;

and the method further comprises;

controlling, by the thermostat, the HVAC system in accordance with the learned HVAC schedule on weekdays.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

receiving, over a weekend learning period of time, a second population of immediate-control inputs;

after the weekend learning period of time, generating a weekend learned HVAC schedule by processing the second population of immediate-control inputs; and

controlling, by the thermostat, the HVAC system in accordance with the weekend learned HVAC schedule on weekend days.

10. A thermostat that performs HVAC control schedule learning, the thermostat comprising:

one or more temperature sensors;

a user interface for receiving input from one or more users;

control circuitry electrically connected with an HVAC system, wherein the control circuitry allows the thermostat to control operation of the HVAC system;

one or more processors that communicate with the one or more temperature sensors, the user interface, and the control circuitry; and

a processor-readable medium communicatively coupled with and readable by the one or more processors and having stored therein processor-readable instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to;

receive, over a learning period of time, a population of immediate-control inputs, each immediate-control input of the population being received to change a current setpoint temperature used to control operation of the HVAC system via the control circuitry;

upon receipt of each of said immediate-control input;

operate the HVAC system according to the temperature defined by that immediate-control input until an expiration of that immediate-control input after a first predetermined time interval; and

upon the expiration of the immediate-control input, perform a setback event in which the thermostat operates the HVAC system at a predetermined setpoint temperature until such time as a next immediate-control input is received, thereby producing a population of setback events over the learning period; and

after the learning period of time, generate a learned HVAC schedule by processing the population of immediate-control inputs in conjunction with the population of the setback events.

11. The thermostat of claim 10 wherein at least a portion of the population of immediate-control inputs are received by the one or more processors from the user interface of the thermostat.

12. The thermostat of claim 10, further comprising a wireless communication system, wherein at least a portion of the population of immediate-control inputs are received by the one or more processors from a remote device via the wireless communication system.

13. The thermostat of claim 10 wherein each setback event is processed by the one or more processors of the thermostat to create the learned HVAC schedule similar to each immediate-control input unless, during the learning period, the automated setback event was overridden within a defined time period by a subsequent immediate-control input.

14. The thermostat of claim 10, wherein the first predetermined time interval is within a range of 1.5 hours to 3 hours.

15. The thermostat of claim 10, wherein the first predetermined time interval is within a range of 30 minutes to 6 hours.

16. The thermostat of claim 10, wherein:

the receiving of the population of immediate-control inputs comprises a first immediate-control input and a second immediate-control input being received by the one or more processors within a defined time period of each other during the learning period of time; and

the generating of the learned HVAC schedule comprises ignoring the first immediate-control input based on less than the defined time period being present between receiving of the first immediate-control input and a second immediate-control input.

17. The thermostat of claim 16, wherein the defined time period is 30 minutes or less.

18. The thermostat of claim 10, wherein the learning period of time corresponds to one or more weekdays;

and the method further comprises;

controlling, by the thermostat, the HVAC system in accordance with the learned HVAC schedule on weekdays.

19. The thermostat of claim 18 wherein the processor-readable instructions, when executed, further cause the one or more processors to:

receive, over a weekend learning period of time, a second population of immediate-control inputs;

after the weekend learning period of time, generate a weekend learned HVAC schedule by processing the second population of immediate-control inputs; and

control the HVAC system using the control circuitry in accordance with the weekend learned HVAC schedule on weekend days.

20. A non-transitory processor-readable medium for HVAC control schedule learning, comprising processor-readable instructions configured to cause one or more processors to:

receive, over a learning period of time, a population of immediate-control inputs, each immediate-control input of the population being received to change a current setpoint temperature used to control operation of an HVAC system;

upon receipt of each of said immediate-control input;

operating the HVAC system according to the temperature defined by that immediate-control input until an expiration of that immediate-control input after a first predetermined time interval; and

upon the expiration of the immediate-control input, performing a setback event in which the thermostat operates the HVAC system at a predetermined setpoint temperature until such time as a next immediate-control input is received, thereby producing a population of setback events over the learning period; and

after the learning period of time, generate a learned HVAC schedule by processing the population of immediate-control inputs in conjunction with the population of the setback events.