ARCHITECTURE FOR THERMOSTAT CONTROL DURING PEAK INTERVALS

• US 20170363312A1
• Filed: 06/20/2016
• Published: 12/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Crimins, Jonathan, Ruffner, Scott, Minich, Allen, Hester, Todd, Sahl, Amanda, Subramani, Praveen
• Granted Patent: US 10,248,092 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 11/46 Improving electric energy efficiency or saving
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/47 Responding to energy costs
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/52 Indication arrangements, e.g. displays
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/523 for displaying temperature data
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/58 using Internet communication
• 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 11/66 Sleep mode
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/00 Control inputs relating to users or occupants
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2140/50 Load
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2140/60 Energy consumption
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/042 using digital processors G05B19/05 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2614 HVAC, heating, ventillation, climate control

Abstract

A thermostat may include one or more memory devices comprising a stored setpoint schedule, one or more temperature sensors configured to provide temperature sensor measurements, and a processing system configured to be in operative communication the one or more memory devices to determine a setpoint temperature, and in still further operative communication with a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system to control the HVAC system based at least in part on the setpoint temperature and the temperature sensor measurements. The processing system may be configured to control the HVAC system by receiving an indication that a total instantaneous energy usage rate for a structure in which the thermostat is installed is projected to exceed a threshold amount; and altering the stored setpoint schedule to reduce an energy usage rate of the HVAC system.

Claims

1. A thermostat comprising:

a housing;

one or more memory devices comprising a stored setpoint schedule, wherein the stored setpoint schedule comprises a plurality of setpoints;

one or more temperature sensors, each of the one or more temperature sensors being configured to provide temperature sensor measurements;

a processing system disposed within the housing, the processing system being configured to be in operative communication with the one or more temperature sensors to receive the temperature sensor measurements, in operative communication with the one or more memory devices to determine a setpoint temperature, and in still further operative communication with a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system to control the HVAC system based at least in part on the setpoint temperature and the temperature sensor measurements;

wherein the processing system is programmed or configured to control the HVAC system by performing operations comprising;

receiving an indication that a total instantaneous energy usage rate for a structure in which the thermostat is installed is projected to exceed a threshold amount; and

altering the stored setpoint schedule to reduce an energy usage rate of the HVAC system in response to receiving the indication that the total instantaneous energy usage rate for the structure in which the thermostat is installed is projected to exceed the threshold amount.

2. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the indication that the total instantaneous energy usage rate for the structure in which the thermostat is installed is projected to exceed the threshold amount comprises a time interval defined by a start time and an end time during which the total instantaneous energy usage rate is projected to exceed the threshold amount.

3. The thermostat of claim 2, wherein the processing system is further programmed or configured to control the HVAC system by performing further operations comprising:

receiving a request to reduce the total instantaneous energy usage rate for the structure by a specified amount during the time interval.

4. The thermostat of claim 3, wherein the processing system is further programmed or configured to control the HVAC system by performing further operations comprising:

determining whether the thermostat can reduce the total instantaneous energy usage rate for the structure by the specified amount during the time interval by multiplying an HVAC capacity by an amount of time during the time interval that the HVAC system can be turned off; and

sending a response indicating whether the thermostat can reduce the total instantaneous energy usage rate for the structure by the specified amount during the time interval.

5. The thermostat of claim 4, wherein the response indicating whether the thermostat can reduce the total instantaneous energy usage rate for the structure comprises an indication that the thermostat can reduce the total instantaneous energy usage rate for the structure without affecting user comfort.

6. The thermostat of claim 4, wherein the response indicating whether the thermostat can reduce the total instantaneous energy usage rate for the structure comprises an indication that the thermostat can reduce the total instantaneous energy usage rate for the structure but only while affecting user comfort.

7. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the processing system is further programmed or configured to control the HVAC system by performing further operations comprising:

minimizing a cost equation comprising a plurality of cost factors to determine whether the thermostat can reduce the total instantaneous energy usage rate for the structure by the specified amount during the time interval.

8. The thermostat of claim 7, wherein one of the plurality of cost factors comprises a user comfort factor that is stored locally at the thermostat, and received through a user interface of the thermostat.

9. The thermostat of claim 7, wherein one of the plurality of cost factors comprises an additional cost that is incurred for exceeding the threshold amount.

10. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the processing system is further programmed or configured to control the HVAC system by performing further operations comprising:

receiving input from a user that increases the instantaneous energy usage of the HVAC system; and

removing any alterations made to the stored setpoint schedule in response to receiving the indication that the total instantaneous energy usage rate for the structure in which the thermostat is installed is projected to exceed the threshold amount.

11. A method of using a thermostat to control an HVAC system, the method comprising:

storing a stored setpoint schedule in one or more memory devices, wherein the stored setpoint schedule comprises a plurality of setpoints;

receiving temperature sensor measurements from one or more temperature sensors;

controlling an air conditioning (HVAC) system based at least in part on the stored setpoint schedule and the temperature sensor measurements;

receiving an indication that a total instantaneous energy usage rate for a structure in which the thermostat is installed is projected to exceed a threshold amount; and

altering the stored setpoint schedule to reduce an energy usage rate of the HVAC system in response to receiving the indication that the total instantaneous energy usage rate for the structure in which the thermostat is installed is projected to exceed the threshold amount.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the indication that the total instantaneous energy usage rate for the structure in which the thermostat is installed is projected to exceed a threshold amount is received from a thermostat management server.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the indication that the total instantaneous energy usage rate for the structure in which the thermostat is installed is projected to exceed a threshold amount originates with a utility provider, and is transmitted to a thermostat management server via a custom application programming interface (API).

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the utility provider comprises a solar panel provider, wherein the utility provider has installed one or more solar panels at a structure in which the thermostat is installed.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising receiving, from the thermostat management server, an HVAC capacity, wherein the HVAC capacity is measured by the solar panel provider when the solar panels are installed at the structure.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the total instantaneous energy usage rate for a structure is measured by a meter coupled to the solar panels.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising displaying a first graphic on a user interface of the thermostat indicating that a thermostat feature is available to prevent the total instantaneous energy usage rate for the structure from exceeding the threshold amount.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising displaying a second graphic on the user interface of the thermostat indicating that the thermostat feature is currently active to prevent the total instantaneous energy usage rate for the structure from exceeding the threshold amount.

19. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving a request to reduce the total instantaneous energy usage rate for the structure by a specified amount during a time interval;

determining whether the thermostat can reduce the total instantaneous energy usage rate for the structure by the specified amount during the time interval by multiplying an HVAC capacity by an amount of time during the time interval that the HVAC system can be turned off; and

sending a response indicating whether the thermostat can reduce the total instantaneous energy usage rate for the structure by the specified amount during the time interval.

20. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

minimizing a cost equation comprising a plurality of cost factors to determine whether the thermostat can reduce the total instantaneous energy usage rate for the structure by the specified amount during the time interval, wherein;

one of the plurality of cost factors comprises a user comfort factor that is stored locally at the thermostat, and received through a user interface of the thermostat; and

one of the plurality of cost factors comprises an additional cost that is incurred for exceeding the threshold amount.