Updating control software on a network-connected HVAC controller

• US 8,594,850 B1
• Filed: 09/30/2012
• Issued: 11/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Nest Labs Incorporated (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Erickson, Grant M., Schultz, Richard J., Sloo, David, Gourlay, Alastair Robert, Bourne, David A., Solnit, Jonathan
• Primary Examiner(s): PATEL, RAMESH B
• Application Number:
  US13/632,133
• Time in Patent Office: 422 Days
• Field of Search: 700276-278, 700299-300, 236/1.B, 236/1.E, 236/3, 236/101.C, 165 111- 112, 165/200, 165/203, 165/270, 717/122, 717/168, 717170-174, 717177-178, 707/638, 707/695, 707/806, 715/229
• US Class Current: 700/276
• CPC Class Codes: F22B 3/00 Other methods of steam generation; Steam boilers not provided for in other groups of this subclass
• 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 11/523 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 11/63 Electronic processing
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23306 Load program from host, remote load, non volatile card to volatile, ram
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2614 HVAC, heating, ventillation, climate control
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44 Arrangements for executing specific programs
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416

Abstract

Apparatus, systems, methods, and computer program products are disclosed for providing software updates to client devices. A client device (such as a thermostat) executes software to perform one or more functionalities of the device. Upon receiving an indicating that a software update is available, the device waits to download the software update until pre-download conditions are satisfied. Once the software update is downloaded, the device then waits to install the software update until pre-install conditions are satisfied. If the software update is non-critical and received during an initial installation of the device, the software update may not be installed until after installation of the device is complete. If the device is a thermostat, the device may delay installation of the software update until a controlled HVAC system in inactive. Control of the HVAC system may be disabled during installation of the software update.

Claims

1. An intelligent network-connected thermostat for controlling an operation of an HVAC system in a smart home environment, the thermostat comprising:

a communications component for communicating with at least one server that is located remotely from the thermostat;

HVAC control circuitry operable to actuate one or more elements of the HVAC system;

a storage element for storing computer software operable to control one or more functions of the thermostat; and

a processor operable to cause the thermostat to perform operations including;

receiving a criticality indicator indicating whether a software update to the computer software stored in the storage element is critical or not;

downloading the software update from a software update server via the communications component;

determining whether an initial installation of the thermostat is currently taking place;

installing the software update prior to a completion of the initial installation of the thermostat if the criticality indicator indicates that the software update is critical; and

delaying, if the criticality indicator indicates that the software update is not critical, installation of the software update until after the initial installation of the thermostat in the physical structure is complete.

2. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the software update is critical when installation of the software update would interrupt the installation of the thermostat.

3. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the criticality indicator is received from a registration server separate from the software update server.

4. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the processor is further operable to cause the thermostat to satisfy pre-download conditions prior to downloading the software update.

5. The thermostat of claim 4, wherein the pre-download conditions include:

ensuring the thermostat is in an awake mode; and

ensuring the thermostat has sufficient battery charge if a power connection is unavailable.

6. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the processor is further operable to cause the thermostat to satisfy pre-install conditions prior to installing the software update.

7. The thermostat of claim 6, wherein the pre-install conditions include:

ensuring the thermostat is in an awake mode;

ensuring the thermostat has a sufficient battery charge if a power connection is unavailable;

ensuring a replaceable module of the thermostat is connected to a docking station of the thermostat;

ensuring a user interface of the thermostat is not displaying information; and

ensuring the HVAC system is inactive.

8. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving a criticality indicator at a thermostat, wherein the criticality indicator indicates whether a software update to computer software stored in a storage element of the thermostat is critical or not, and wherein the thermostat is coupled to an HVAC system;

receiving the software update at the thermostat;

determining whether an initial installation of the thermostat is currently taking place;

determining whether the software update to the computer software stored in the storage element of the thermostat is critical;

installing the software update when the criticality indicator indicates that the software update is critical, wherein the software update is installed before the initial installation of the thermostat is completed; and

delaying installation of the software update when the criticality indicator indicates that the software update is not critical, wherein the installation of the software update is delayed until after the initial installation of the thermostat is completed.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, further comprising:

determining whether HVAC control circuitry included in the thermostat has actuated one or more elements of the HVAC system to be in an active state; and

delaying installation of the software update when one or more elements of the HVAC system are in an active state, wherein installation is delayed until the one or more elements of the HVAC system are in an inactive state.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, further comprising:

disabling control of one or more elements of the HVAC system;

installing the software update while control of the one or more elements of the HVAC system is disabled; and

enabling control of the one or more elements of the HVAC system after installing the software update.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein:

disabling control of one or more elements of the HVAC system includes disabling at least a portion of HVAC control circuitry included in the thermostat; and

enabling control of the one or more elements of the HVAC system includes enabling at least a portion of the HVAC control circuitry included in the thermostat.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, further comprising:

determining whether one or more pre-download conditions are satisfied prior to receiving the software update.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 12, wherein the pre-download conditions include:

the thermostat is in an awake mode; and

the thermostat has a sufficient battery charge if a power connection is unavailable.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, further comprising:

determining whether one or more pre-install conditions are satisfied prior to installing the software update.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 14, wherein the pre-install conditions include:

the thermostat is in an awake mode;

the thermostat has a sufficient battery charge if a power connection is unavailable;

a replaceable module of the thermostat is connected to a docking station of the thermostat;

a user interface of the thermostat is not displaying information; and

the HVAC system is inactive.

16. A tangible non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including instructions that, when executed by a computer processor, cause the computer processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving a criticality indicator at a thermostat, wherein the criticality indicator indicates whether a software update to computer software stored in a storage element of the thermostat is critical or not, and wherein the thermostat is coupled to an HVAC system;

receiving the software update at the thermostat;

determining whether an initial installation of the thermostat is currently taking place;

determining whether the software update to the computer software stored in the storage element of the thermostat is critical;

installing the software update when the criticality indicator indicates that the software update is critical, wherein the software update is installed before the initial installation of the thermostat is completed; and

delaying installation of the software update when the criticality indicator indicates that the software update is not critical, wherein the installation of the software update is delayed until after the initial installation of the thermostat is completed.

17. The storage medium of claim 16, wherein the software update is critical when installation of the software update would interrupt installation of the thermostat.

18. The storage medium of claim 16, wherein the criticality indicator is received from a registration server separate from a software update server that provided the software update to the thermostat.

19. The storage medium of claim 16, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the computer processor, cause the computer processor to perform operations comprising:

determining whether HVAC control circuitry included in the thermostat has actuated one or more elements of the HVAC system to be in an active state; and

delaying installation of the software update when one or more elements of the HVAC system are in an active state, wherein installation is delayed until the one or more elements of the HVAC system are in an inactive state.

20. The storage medium of claim 16, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the computer processor, cause the computer processor to perform operations comprising:

determining whether the thermostat is in an awake mode; and

delaying installation of the software update until the thermostat is in a non-awake mode.

21. The storage medium of claim 16, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the computer processor, cause the computer processor to perform operations comprising:

determining whether the thermostat has a battery charge sufficient to install the software update; and

delaying installation of the software update until the thermostat has a battery charge sufficient to install the software update.

22. The storage medium of claim 16, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the computer processor, cause the computer processor to perform operations comprising:

determining whether a replaceable module of the thermostat is connected to a docking station of the thermostat; and

delaying installation of the software update until the replaceable module is connected to the docking station.

23. The storage medium of claim 16, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the computer processor, cause the computer processor to perform operations comprising:

determining whether a display of the thermostat is active; and

delaying installation of the software update until the display of the thermostat is inactive.

24. A computer-implemented system, comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage mediums containing instructions configured to cause the one or more processors to perform operations including;

receiving a criticality indicator at a thermostat indicating whether a software update to computer software stored in a storage element is critical or not;

receiving the software update from a remote server via a communications component;

determining whether an initial installation of the thermostat is currently taking place;

determining whether the software update to the computer software stored in the storage element is critical;

installing the software update when the criticality indicator indicates that the software update is critical, wherein the software update is installed before the initial installation of the thermostat is completed; and

delaying installation of the software update when the criticality indicator indicates that the software update is not critical, wherein the installation of the software update is delayed until after the initial installation of the thermostat is completed.

25. The system of claim 24, further comprising instructions configured to cause the one or more processors to perform operations including:

disabling control of one or more elements of an HVAC system coupled to the thermostat;

installing the software update while control of the one or more elements of the HVAC system is disabled; and

enabling control of the one or more elements of the HVAC system after installing the software update.

26. The system of claim 24, wherein the storage element includes a primary partition and a secondary partition, and software operable to control one or more functions of the thermostat is provided on the primary partition.

27. The system of claim 26, further comprising instructions configured to cause the one or more processors to perform operations including:

copying the software update to the secondary partition;

rebooting the thermostat from the secondary partition; and

determining whether the reboot is successful.

28. The system of claim 27, further comprising instructions configured to cause the one or more processors to perform operations including:

determining that the reboot is successful;

copying the software update to the primary partition; and

rebooting the thermostat from the primary partition such that the thermostat is rebooted to incorporate the software update.

29. The system of claim 27, further comprising instructions configured to cause the one or more processors to perform operations including:

determining that the reboot is unsuccessful; and

rebooting the thermostat from the primary partition such that the thermostat is rebooted without incorporating the software update.

30. The system of claim 27, further comprising instructions configured to cause the one or more processors to perform operations including:

determining that the reboot is unsuccessful; and

communicating an error message to the user indicating that installation of the software update was unsuccessful.