System for remote control of a condition at a site

• US 8,718,826 B2
• Filed: 06/01/2011
• Issued: 05/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Copeland Comfort Control LP (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Emerson Electric Company
• Inventors: Ramachandran, Anil, Drew, David S.
• Primary Examiner(s): BARNES-BULLOCK, CRYSTAL JOY
• Application Number:
  US13/150,840
• Publication Number:
  US 20110231020A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,070 Days
• Field of Search: 700275-278, 700/299, 700/300, 700/302, 340/500, 340/531, 340/539.1, 340/539.22, 340/539.23, 455/403, 455418-420, 455/422.1, 4554561-4563
• US Class Current: 700/278
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/46 Improving electric energy efficiency or saving
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/56 Remote control
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/59 for presetting
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1905 associated with tele control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

A system is provided for remote control of at least one operating condition of a site. The system includes a proximity detection module at a residential site, which is configured to receive a communication regarding a location of a location reporting device or a mobile device. The proximity detection module is configured to alter or adjust a current temperature setting for the site based on a distance or location of the location reporting device or mobile device relative to the site.

Claims

1. A system for remote control of an operating condition of a site, the system comprising a proximity detection module including a controller having a selectively enabled proximity detection mode, wherein the proximity detection module is configured to detect a distance of a location reporting device from a site when the proximity detection mode is enabled, and wherein the proximity detection module is configured to responsively determine an adjustment to alter an operating temperature setting for the site based on the distance of the location reporting device;

the system further configured to determine an alteration of the operating temperature setting in response to an estimate of travel time to the site sent by a user, the alteration determined based on a time at which the estimate is sent and without having to enable the proximity detection mode.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the location reporting device comprises a mobile device that includes a present location or proximity detection application.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the proximity detection mode is configured to be selectively enabled by a communication from the location reporting device to the proximity detection module.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the proximity detection module is configured to initiate the determining of the adjustment of the operating temperature setting for the site in response to receiving a communication regarding a location of the location reporting device.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the proximity detection module is configured to receive data from the location reporting device that is indicative of location and/or velocity of the location reporting device and to determine the adjustment after the alteration is determined.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the proximity detection module is operable to detect a distance the location reporting device is from the site and a direction in which the location reporting device is moving.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the proximity detection module is operable for determining that a user of the location reporting device is moving away from the site when the proximity detection module detects that the distance from the site has increased from a previous location;

and/or

the proximity detection module is operable for determining that a user of the location reporting device is moving towards the site when the proximity detection module detects that the distance from the site has decreased from a previous location.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the location reporting device comprises one or more of a cellular phone, a mobile phone, a smart phone, and/or tablet.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the proximity detection module is configured to detect when the location reporting device is within a first zone, a second zone, or a third zone relative to the site, where the proximity detection module is configured to determine an adjustment to adjust a current temperature setting for the site based on whether the mobile device is within the first zone, the second zone, or the third zone.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising a thermostat coupled to the proximity detection module, the thermostat configured to adjust at least one operating condition for the site based on the adjustment determined by the proximity detection module.

11. A system for remote control of a temperature for a site, the system comprising a proximity detection module configured to detect when a location reporting device is within a first zone relative to a site, wherein the proximity detection module is configured to determine an adjustment to adjust a current temperature setting for the site based on whether the location reporting device is within the first zone;

the system further configured to determine an alteration of the temperature setting in response to an estimate of travel time to the site sent by a user, the alteration determined based on a time at which the estimate is sent and without using a location of the location reporting device.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the adjustment is based on the proximity of the location reporting device to the site.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the proximity detection module is configured to associate a mobile device with a residential site and to control a thermostat operation and/or settings based on the detected location of the mobile device for the site.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the location reporting device comprises one or more of a cellular phone, a mobile phone, a smart phone, and/or tablet.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the proximity detection module is configured to detect when the location reporting device is within the first zone, a second zone, or a third zone relative to the site, where the proximity detection module is configured to determine an adjustment to adjust a current temperature setting for the site based on whether the mobile device is within the first zone, the second zone, or the third zone.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein:

the first zone is less than one mile from the site; and

/or

the second zone is less than three miles but more than one mile from the site; and

/or

the third zone is less than five miles but more than three miles from the site.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein:

the temperature setting is altered by 2 degrees where the mobile device is within the first zone; and

/or

the temperature setting is altered by 3 degrees where the mobile device is within the second zone; and

/or

the temperature setting is altered by 5 degrees where the mobile device is within the third zone.

18. A system for remote control of an operating condition of a site, the system comprising a proximity detection module having a controller with a selectively enabled proximity detection mode, wherein the controller is configured to detect when a device is at the site based on the device establishing a local connection with a network associated with the site, and wherein the controller alters a temperature setting for the site in response to detecting, over a remote connection with the device, an estimate of time-to-arrival at the site sent by a user of the device, the altering performed using the estimate and a time the estimate is sent, and without having to enable the proximity detection mode.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein:

the controller disables the proximity detection mode when the local connection of the network is established with the device; and

/or

the controller alters the temperature setting for the site in response to detecting that the local connection of the network to the device is lost; and

/or

the controller enables the proximity detection mode in response to detecting that the local connection of the network to the device is lost.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the proximity detection module is configured to receive communication of location data for the device, and to responsively determine an adjustment to alter the temperature setting for the site based on the location of the device relative to the site when the proximity detection mode is enabled.

21. The system of claim 18, wherein the device comprises one or more of a location reporting device, a cellular phone, a mobile phone, a smart phone, and/or tablet.

22. The system of claim 18, wherein the controller is configured to detect when a device is at the site based on the device establishing a connection with a Wi-Fi network associated with the site, and wherein the controller alters the temperature setting for the site in response to detecting that the device is establishing a connection with the Wi-Fi network.

23. A system for remote control of a temperature setting of a site based on proximity of a mobile device relative to the site, the system comprising a thermostat configured to alter a current temperature setting for the site in response to a communication of an adjustment that is based on (a) a distance between the site and a mobile device where the distance is determined from location data provided by the mobile device, and (b) a user-input time-to-arrival estimate sent by the mobile device and used to determine the adjustment without having to determine a distance between the site and the mobile device.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the adjustment is determined in response to the time-to-arrival estimate and in accordance with a user-established temperature adjustment profile.