THERMOSTAT WITH OCCUPANT IDENTITY DETERMINATION FEATURES

• US 20170075510A1
• Filed: 09/08/2016
• Published: 03/16/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2015
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Johnson Controls Tyco IP Holdings LLP (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Original Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: Bentz, Jedidiah O., Rigg, Brian D., Gillette, Theresa N., Tasker, Tom R., McCune, Tyler, Uerkvitz, John W., Atchison, Shaun B., Middleton, Daniel S., Noor, Aneek Muhammad
• Application Number:
  US15/260,293
• Publication Number:
  US 20170075510A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 1/0003 characterised by a split arrangement, wherein parts of the air-conditioning system, e.g. evaporator and condenser, are in separately located units
• 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 11/38 Failure diagnosis
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/46 Improving electric energy efficiency or saving
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/523 for displaying temperature data
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/58 using Internet communication
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/64 using pre-stored data
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/84 using valves
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/88 Electrical aspects, e.g. circuits
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/10 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/00 Control inputs relating to users or occupants
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/10 Occupancy
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/042 using digital processors G05B19/05 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2642 Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0383 Remote input, i.e. interface arrangements in which the signals generated by a pointing device are transmitted to a PC at a remote location, e.g. to a PC in a LAN
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04803 Split screen, i.e. subdividing the display area or the window area into separate subareas
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 : for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 : for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 : Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 : using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 : for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 : by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 : Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 : Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/127 : Shopping or accessing services according to a time-limitation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/145 : Payments according to the detected use or quantity
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 : Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 : Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/10 : Human or animal bodies, e.g. vehicle occupants or pedestrians; Body parts, e.g. hands
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/172 : Classification, e.g. identification
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0014 : for vending, access and use of specific services not covered anywhere else in G07F17/00 meter-controlled dispensing of liquid, gas or electricity G07F15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 17/08 : Use of distortion metrics or a particular distance between probe pattern and reference templates
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/72 : for local intradevice communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2816 : Controlling appliance services of a home automation network by calling their functionalities arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station; in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom H04Q9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 : for supporting social networking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 : Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

A thermostat for a building space. The thermostat includes a user interface and a processing circuit. The user interface is configured to display information to a user and receive input from the user. The processing circuit is configured to identify the user based on the sensor data and adjust the information displayed in the user interface based on the identity of the user.

Claims

1. A thermostat for a building space, the thermostat comprising:

a user interface configured to display information to a user and receive input from the user; and

a processing circuit configured to identify the user and adjust the information displayed in the user interface based on the identity of the user.

2. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to:

determine whether the user is within a proximity of the user interface; and

change the information displayed in the user interface to a set of information corresponding to the identity of the user when the user is within the proximity of the user interface.

3. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to:

generate a profile for the user after the user is identified for a first time; and

update the profile based on interactions between the user and the thermostat after the user is first identified.

4. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the information displayed in the user interface is a combination of user interface items comprising at least one of:

a relative humidity value;

a temperature value;

a temperature setpoint;

a time and date;

a user interface background and color scheme;

a set of user interface buttons;

a time to setpoint; and

thermostat faults.

5. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to communicate with a user device via near field communication;

wherein the user device is associated with the user and the processing circuit communicates with the user device when the user device is used to check in with the thermostat via near field communication.

6. The thermostat of claim 5, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to identify the user based on an identity of the user device that is used to check in with the thermostat via near field communication.

7. The thermostat of claim 1, further comprising an occupancy sensor configured to detect the user and provide sensor data associated with the detected user, wherein the occupancy sensor comprises at least one of a camera, a microphone, and a motion detector;

wherein the processing circuit is configured to identify the user by at least one of;

performing digital image processing on an input received from the camera;

performing speaker recognition on an input received from the microphone; and

detecting motion based on an input received from the motion detector.

8. The thermostat of claim 7, wherein performing digital image processing comprises identifying the user based on a physical characteristic of the user, wherein the physical characteristic comprises at least one of a face of the user and a height of the user.

9. The thermostat of claim 7, wherein performing speaker recognition comprises at least one of:

using a text dependent voice recognition technique to identify words spoken to the thermostat and compare the spoken words to a database of words and phrases associated with the user; and

using a text independent voice recognition technique comprising pattern matching of stored voice biometrics associated with the user to identify the user.

10. The thermostat of claim 7, wherein detecting motion comprises:

registering a plurality of hand waves detected by the motion detector;

identifying a number of hand waves registered; and

identifying a user associated with the identified number of hand waves registered.

11. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to communicate with a voice-controlled smarthome controller via at least one of the Internet, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and Zigbee;

wherein the voice-controlled smarthome controller identifies the user and communicates the identity of the user to the thermostat via at least one of the Internet, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and Zigbee.

12. A near field communication enabled thermostat for a building space, the thermostat comprising:

a user interface configured to display information to a user and receive input from the user;

a near field communication module configured to communicate with a user device; and

a processing circuit configured to;

identify the user based on communications with the user device via the near field communication module; and

automatically display the custom user interface associated with the identified user.

13. The thermostat of claim 12, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to:

detect the user within the building space with an occupancy sensor comprising at least one of a motion detector, a microphone, and a camera;

receive a custom user interface and a custom heating and cooling schedule associated with the identified user; and

automatically run the custom heating and cooling schedule associated with the user when the user is identified.

14. The thermostat of claim 13, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to identify the user in response to receiving a detection signal from the occupancy sensor.

15. The thermostat of claim 14, wherein identifying the user comprises at least one of:

performing digital image processing on an input received from the camera;

performing speaker recognition on an input received from the microphone; and

detecting motion based on an input received from the motion detector.

16. The thermostat of claim 12, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to communicate with a voice-controlled smarthome controller via at least one of the Internet, Bluetooth, and Zigbee;

wherein the voice-controlled smarthome controller identifies the user and communicates an identity of the user to the thermostat.

17. A method for operating a thermostat, the method comprising:

displaying information to a user and receiving input from the user through a user interface;

detecting an identity of the user within a building space;

displaying information in the user interface, wherein the information is associated with an identity of the user.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein detecting the identity of the user within the building space is based on sensor data collected from an occupancy sensor and comprises identifying at least one physical characteristic of the user with digital image processing when the occupancy sensor is a camera.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein detecting the identity of the user within the building space is based on sensor data collected from an occupancy sensor and comprises performing a text independent voice recognition technique when the occupancy sensor is a microphone;

wherein the text independent voice recognition technique uses pattern matching to determine voice biometrics associated with the user.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein detecting the identity of the user within the building space is based on sensor data collected from an occupancy sensor and comprises:

registering a plurality of hand waves detected by the occupancy sensor when the occupancy sensor is a motion sensor;

identifying a number of hand waves registered by the motion sensor; and

identifying a user associated with the number of hand waves registered by the motion sensor.