Automated presence detection and presence-related control within an intelligent controller

• US 8,630,741 B1
• Filed: 09/30/2012
• Issued: 01/14/2014
• 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, Fisher, Evan J., Malhotra, Mark, Stefanski, Mark D., Sharan, Rangoli, Astier, Frank E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bahta, Kidest
• Application Number:
  US13/632,070
• Time in Patent Office: 471 Days
• Field of Search: 700/12, 700/276, 700/299, 700/278, 700/277, 706/52, 709/223, 709/250, 707/809
• 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 11/46 Improving electric energy efficiency or saving
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/58 using Internet communication
• 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 11/66 Sleep mode
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/88 Electrical aspects, e.g. circuits
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/00 Control inputs relating to users or occupants
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2642 Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1902 characterised by the use of a variable reference value
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 20/00 Machine learning
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2829 involving user profiles according to which the execution of a home appliance functionality is automatically triggered
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/10 using a centralized architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 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

Abstract

The current application is directed to intelligent controllers that use sensor output and electronically stored information, including one or more of electronically stored rules, parameters, and instructions, to determine whether or not one or more types of entities are present within an area, volume, or environment monitored by the intelligent controllers. The intelligent controllers select operational modes and modify control schedules with respect to the presence and absence of the one or more entities. The intelligent controllers employ feedback information to continuously adjust the electronically stored parameters and rules in order to minimize the number of incorrect inferences with respect to the presence or absence of the one or more entities and in order to maximize the efficiency by which various types of systems controlled by the intelligent controllers carry out selected operational modes.

Claims

1. An intelligent controller comprising:

a processor;

a memory that stores a control schedule and an indication of a presence state,

one or more sensors; and

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

record output from the one or more sensors in memory, and

at intervals,

determine a probability of presence of one or more entities within a region of a controlled environment using the recorded sensor output in memory,

update the indication of the presence state, and

upon a change of the indication of the presence state, accordingly adjust the control schedule;

wherein determining a probability of presence of one or more entities within a region further includes determining, for one or more regions and volumes within the controlled environment, one or more of

one or more presence-probability maps, and

one or more presence-probability scalar values; and

wherein the intelligent controller determines the probability of presence of one or more entities within one or more regions and volumes within the controlled environment by

for each of the one or more regions and volumes,

determining a cumulative presence-probability scalar or cumulative presence-probability-map values from a presence-probability scalar or from presence-probability-map values determined from output of each of the one or more sensors, and

applying rules to the cumulative presence-probability scalar or cumulative presence-probability-map values in order to adjust the cumulative presence-probability scalar or cumulative presence-probability-map values for one or more additional considerations based on the additional electronically accessible information.

2. An intelligent controller comprising:

a processor;

a memory that stores a control schedule and an indication of a presence state,

one or more sensors; and

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

record output from the one or more sensors in memory, and

at intervals,

determine a probability of presence of one or more entities within a region of a controlled environment using the recorded sensor output in memory,

update the indication of the presence state, and

upon a change of the indication of the presence state, accordingly adjust the control schedule;

wherein the intelligent controller updates the indication of the presence state by

when a probability of presence for a region rises above a first threshold, setting the indication of the presence state for the region to indicate the presence of an entity in the region, and

when a probability of presence for a region falls below a second threshold, setting the indication of the presence state for the region to indicate the absence of an entity in the region.

3. An intelligent thermostat comprising:

a processor;

a memory that stores a control schedule and an indication of a presence state,

one or more sensors; and

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

record output from the one or more sensors in memory, and

at intervals,

determine a probability of presence of one or more people within a region of a controlled environment using the recorded sensor output in memory,

update the indication of the presence state, and

upon a change of the indication of the presence state, accordingly adjust the control schedule;

wherein the indication of a presence state indicates one of

a home state,

an away-normal state,

an away-vacation state, and

a sleep state; and

wherein the intelligent thermostat determines the probability of presence of one or more people within one or more regions and volumes within the controlled environment by

for each of the one or more regions and volumes,

determining a cumulative presence-probability value, and

applying rules to the cumulative presence-probability value in order to adjust the cumulative presence-probability value for one or more additional considerations based on the additional electronically accessible information.

4. The intelligent thermostat of claim 3 wherein the intelligent thermostat updates the indication of the presence state by:

when a probability of presence for a region rises above a first threshold, setting the indication of the presence state for the region to indicate the presence of an entity in the region; and

when a probability of presence for a region falls below a second threshold, setting the indication of the presence state for the region to indicate the absence of an entity in the region.