Intelligent controller for an environmental control system

• US 8,554,376 B1
• Filed: 09/30/2012
• Issued: 10/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Nest Labs Incorporated (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Matsuoka, Yoky, Ruff, Joseph, Malhotra, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): KASENGE, CHARLES R
• Application Number:
  US13/632,093
• Time in Patent Office: 373 Days
• Field of Search: 700/275, 700/276, 700/278, 700/299, 700/300, 236/46.C, 236/46.R, 236/91.C, 236/91.D, 236/91.E, 236/91.F
• US Class Current: 700/276
• 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 11/48 prior to normal operation, e.g. pre-heating or pre-cooling
• 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 11/64 using pre-stored data
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1904 variable in time
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1927 using a plurality of sensors G05D23/1902, G05D23/1917, and G05D23/1919 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1931 to control the temperature of one space
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2825 Reporting to a device located outside the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with telemetering systems H04M11/002
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2834 Switching of information between an external network and a home network access arrangements H04L12/2856
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/285 Generic home appliances, e.g. refrigerators

Abstract

The current application is directed to intelligent controllers that continuously, periodically, or intermittently monitor progress towards one or more control goals under one or more constraints in order to achieve control that satisfies potentially conflicting goals. An intelligent controller may alter aspects of control, dynamically, while the control is being carried out, in order to ensure that goals are obtained and a balance is achieved between potentially conflicting goals. The intelligent controller uses various types of information to determine an initial control strategy as well as to dynamically adjust the control strategy as the control is being carried out.

Claims

1. An intelligent controller that controls an environment, the intelligent controller comprising:

a processor;

a memory that stores a control schedule and operational characteristics of systems controlled by the intelligent controller;

a current control schedule stored in the memory;

one or more sensors that sense current values of an environmental parameter;

instructions stored within the memory that, when executed by the processor, control the intelligent controller to

receive information representative of a user-selectable auto-component-activation-level indicating a user preference in a range from increased energy efficiency to increased user comfort;

assign a first value to a maximum response time when the auto-component-activation-level indicates a user preference for increased energy efficiency;

assign a second value to the maximum response time when the auto-component-activation-level indicates a user preference for increased user comfort, the second value less, in magnitude, than the first value;

determine, using the operational characteristics of systems controlled by the intelligent controller stored in memory, an initial set of one or more systems to activate following an immediate-control input or at a time near a time of a scheduled setpoint change in order to achieve a target environmental-parameter value within a maximum response time;

activate the determined set of one or more systems; and

during a response time following an immediate-control input or a scheduled setpoint change, at each of multiple points in time,

determine, using the operational characteristics of systems controlled by the intelligent controller stored in memory, whether the target environmental-parameter will be obtained within the maximum response time, and

when the target environmental-parameter will not be obtained within the maximum response time, select a next set of one or more systems to activate.

2. The intelligent controller of claim 1 wherein the operational characteristics of systems controlled by the intelligent controller include one or more of:

Δ

P/Δ

t versus P data;

Δ

E/Δ

P versus P data; and

P versus t data;

wherein P is an environmental parameter, t is time, E is energy, Δ

P/Δ

t is a change in the environmental parameter per unit of time, and Δ

E/Δ

P is the amount of energy consumed to change the environmental parameter by a unit amount.

3. The intelligent controller of claim 1 wherein the intelligent controller provides an auto-component-configuration-level selection interface that receives an auto-component-configuration-level selection specifying an auto-component-configuration mode for determining the initial set of one or more systems to activate and determining whether the target environmental-parameter will be obtained within the maximum response time.

4. The intelligent controller of claim 3 wherein, in addition to using operational characteristics for determining the initial set of one or more systems to activate and determining whether the target environmental-parameter will be obtained within the maximum response time, the intelligent controller uses electronically stored information to determine the maximum response time, the electronically stored information specifying a maximum response time for each of multiple combinations of system configurations, setpoint-change types, and selected auto-component-configuration mode.

5. The intelligent controller of claim 3 wherein, in addition to using operational characteristics for determining the initial set of one or more systems to activate and determining whether the target environmental-parameter will be obtained within the maximum response time, the intelligent controller uses electronically stored information to determine whether a candidate set of systems includes compatible systems for concurrent activation.

6. The intelligent controller of claim 3 wherein, in addition to using operational characteristics for determining the initial set of one or more systems to activate and determining whether the target environmental-parameter will be obtained within the maximum response time, the intelligent controller uses electronically stored information to determine whether current environmental conditions fall within a range of environmental conditions within which each system in a candidate set of systems can be activated associated with the selected auto-component-configuration mode.

7. An intelligent thermostat that controls an environment, the intelligent thermostat comprising:

a processor;

a memory that stores a control schedule and operational characteristics of systems controlled by the intelligent thermostat;

a current control schedule stored in the memory;

one or more sensors that sense current temperature values;

instructions stored within the memory that, when executed by the processor, control the intelligent thermostat to

receive information representative of a user-selectable auto-component-activation-level indicating a user preference in a range from increased energy efficiency to increased user comfort;

assign a first value to a maximum response time when the auto-component-activation-level indicates a user preference for increased energy efficiency;

assign a second value to the maximum response time when the auto-component-activation-level indicates a user preference for increased user comfort, the second value less, in magnitude, than the first value;

determine, using the operational characteristics of systems controlled by the intelligent thermostat stored in memory, an initial set of one or more systems to activate following an immediate-control input or at a point in time near a scheduled setpoint change in order to achieve a target temperature within a pre-heating interval and maximum response time;

activate the determined set of one or more systems; and

and

during a response time following an immediate-control input or a scheduled setpoint change, at each of multiple points in time,

determine, using the operational characteristics of systems controlled by the intelligent thermostat stored in memory, whether the target temperature will be obtained within the pre-heating interval and maximum response time, and

when the target temperature will not be obtained within the pre-heating interval and maximum response time, select a next set of one or more systems to activate.

8. The intelligent thermostat of claim 7 wherein the operational characteristics of systems controlled by the intelligent thermostat include one or more of:

Δ

T/Δ

t versus T data;

Δ

E/Δ

T versus T data; and

T versus t data;

wherein T is temperature, t is time, E is energy, Δ

T/Δ

t is a change in the temperature per unit of time, and Δ

E/Δ

T is the amount of energy consumed to change the temperature by a unit temperature.

9. The intelligent thermostat of claim 7 wherein the intelligent thermostat provides an auto-component-configuration-level selection interface that receives an auto-component-configuration-level selection specifying an auto-component-configuration mode for determining the initial set of one or more systems to activate and determining whether the target temperature will be obtained within the pre-heating interval and maximum response time.

10. The intelligent thermostat of claim 9 wherein, in addition to using operational characteristics for determining the initial set of one or more systems to activate and determining whether the target temperature will be obtained within the pre-heating interval and maximum response time, the intelligent thermostat uses electronically stored information to determine the pre-heating interval and maximum response time, the electronically stored information specifying a pre-heating interval and maximum response time for each of multiple combinations of system configurations, setpoint-change types, and specified auto-component-configuration mode.

11. The intelligent thermostat of claim 9 wherein, in addition to using operational characteristics for determining the initial set of one or more systems to activate and determining whether the target temperature will be obtained within the pre-heating interval and maximum response time, the intelligent thermostat uses electronically stored information to determine whether a candidate set of systems includes compatible systems for concurrent activation.

12. The intelligent thermostat of claim 9 wherein, in addition to using operational characteristics for determining the initial set of one or more systems to activate and determining whether the target environmental-parameter will be obtained within the pre-heating interval and maximum response time, the intelligent thermostat uses electronically stored information to determine whether current temperature fall within a range of temperatures within which each system in a candidate set of systems can be activated with respect to the specified auto-component-configuration mode.

13. The intelligent thermostat of claim 7 wherein the intelligent thermostat determines the initial set of one or more systems to activate and select the next set of one or more systems to activate from among two or more systems that include:

a heat pump; and

an AUX heating unit.

14. The intelligent thermostat of claim 13 wherein the intelligent thermostat determines the initial set of one or more systems to activate and select the next set of one or more systems to activate from among two or more systems that provide an energy-efficient strategy for controlling the heat pump and AUX to achieve the target temperature within the pre-heating interval and maximum response time, a cost-efficient strategy for controlling the heat pump and AUX to achieve the target temperature within the pre-heating interval and maximum response time, or an energy-efficient strategy and cost-efficient strategy for controlling the heat pump and AUX to achieve the target temperature within the pre-heating interval and maximum response time.

15. A method, incorporated in an intelligent thermostat that includes a processor, a memory that stores a control schedule and operational characteristics of systems controlled by the intelligent controller, a current control schedule stored in the memory, and one or more temperature sensors, the method comprising:

receiving information representative of a user-selectable auto-component-activation-level indicating a user preference in a range from increased energy efficiency to increased user comfort;

assigning a first value to a maximum response time when the auto-component-activation-level indicates a user preference for increased energy efficiency;

assigning a second value to the maximum response time when the auto-component-activation-level indicates a user preference for increased user comfort, the second value less, in magnitude, than the first value;

determining, using the operational characteristics of a heat pump and an AUX controlled by the intelligent controller stored in memory, whether to activate the heat pump only, the AUX only, or both the heat pump and the AUX, following an immediate-control input or at a point in time near a scheduled setpoint change in order to achieve a target temperature within a pre-heating interval and maximum response time; and

during a response time following activation of the heat pump only, the AUX only, or both the heat pump and the AUX,

determining, using the operational characteristics of the heat pump and the AUX controlled by the intelligent controller stored in memory, whether the target temperature will be obtained within the pre-heating interval and maximum response time, and

when the target temperature will not be obtained within the pre-heating interval and the maximum response time, activating the heat pump and the AUX together or the AUX only.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the operational characteristics of the heat pump and AUX include one or more of:

Δ

T/Δ

t versus T data;

Δ

E/Δ

T versus T data; and

T versus t data;

wherein T is temperature, t is time E is energy, Δ

T/Δ

t is a change in the temperature per unit of time, and Δ

E/Δ

T is the amount of energy consumed to change the temperature by a unit temperature.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising providing an auto-component-configuration-level selection interface that receives an auto-component-configuration-level selection specifying an auto-component-configuration mode for determining whether to activate the heat pump only, the AUX only, or both the heat pump and the AUX and determining whether the target temperature will be obtained within the pre-heating interval and the maximum response time.

18. The method of claim 16 further comprising activating the heat pump only, the AUX only, or both the heat pump and the AUX in order to obtain the target temperature in an energy-efficient manner by using as little energy as possible.

19. The method of claim 16 further comprising activating the heat pump only, the AUX only, or both the heat pump and the AUX in order to obtain the target temperature in a cost-effective manner by incurring as low a cost as possible.