Computational load distribution in a climate control system having plural sensing microsystems

• US 8,924,027 B2
• Filed: 05/10/2013
• Issued: 12/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Fadell, Anthony Michael, Matsuoka, Yoky, Rogers, Matthew Lee, Sloo, David
• Primary Examiner(s): PATEL, RAMESH B
• Application Number:
  US13/891,335
• Publication Number:
  US 20130253710A1
• Time in Patent Office: 599 Days
• Field of Search: 700/22, 700276-278, 700/291, 700/295, 700/297, 700299-300, 165/200, 165/201, 165/205, 165/208, 236/1.B, 236/1.C, 236/91.E, 236/91.F
• US Class Current: 700/278
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 46/0086 Filter condition indicators
• 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 11/32 Responding to malfunctions or emergencies
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/39 Monitoring filter performance
• 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 11/56 Remote control
• 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 11/63 Electronic processing
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/64 using pre-stored data
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/89 Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/00 Control inputs relating to air properties
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/10 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/10 Occupancy
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/20 Feedback from users
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2130/40 Noise
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2140/00 Control inputs relating to system states
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2140/60 : Energy consumption
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 13/0265 : the criterion being a learning criterion
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 : electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/19 : characterised by the use of electric means G05D23/1393 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1902 : characterised by the use of a variable reference value
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1917 : using digital means
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 9/2416 : Means for guiding or retaining wires or cables connected to terminal blocks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 : Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 10/20 : Solar thermal
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 10/70 : Hybrid systems, e.g. uninterruptible or back-up power supplies integrating renewable energies
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 : in wireless communication networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 : Assembling or joining

Abstract

Systems, methods, and related computer program products for controlling one or more HVAC systems using a distributed arrangement of wirelessly connected sensing microsystems are described. A plurality of wirelessly communicating sensing microsystems is provided, each sensing microsystem including a temperature sensor and a processor, at least one of the sensing microsystems being coupled to an HVAC unit for control thereof. The plurality of sensing microsystems is configured to jointly carry out at least one shared computational task associated with control of the HVAC unit. Each sensing microsystem includes a power management circuit configured to determine an amount of electrical power available for dedication to the at least one shared computational task. The at least one shared computational task is apportioned among respective ones of the plurality of sensing microsystems according to the amount of electrical power determined to be available for dedication thereto at each respective sensing microsystem.

Claims

1. A climate control system, comprising:

a plurality of wirelessly communicating sensing microsystems, each said sensing microsystem including a processor, at least one of said sensing microsystems further including a temperature sensor, at least one of said sensing microsystems being coupled to an HVAC unit for control thereof, said plurality of sensing microsystems being configured to jointly carry out at least one shared computational task associated with the control of the HVAC unit; and

for each said sensing microsystem, a power management circuit configured to determine an amount of heat generated by the sensing microsystem as a result of the sensing microsystem performing one or more data computations associated with the at least one shared computational task;

wherein said at least one shared computational task is apportioned among respective ones of said plurality of sensing microsystems according to the amount of heat determined to be generated by each said respective sensing microsystem.

2. The climate control system of claim 1, wherein said at least one shared computational task is apportioned so as to avoid temperature sensing errors in the sensing microsystems caused by excessive heating of the sensing microsystems.

3. The climate control system of claim 1, wherein for at least one sensing microsystem of the plurality of wirelessly communicating sensing microsystems, the power management circuit is further configured to adjust operations performed by the sensing microsystem to avoid temperature sensing errors in the sensing microsystem caused by excessive heating of the sensing microsystem.

4. The climate control system of claim 3, wherein said adjusting operations performed by the sensing microsystem includes reducing the speed of data computations performed by the sensing microsystem.

5. The climate control system of claim 3, wherein said adjusting operations performed by the sensing microsystem includes temporarily suspending temperature sensing functionality of the sensing microsystem.

6. The climate control system of claim 3, wherein the operations are adjusted for a sensing microsystem having been assigned a larger portion of the at least one shared computational task as compared to other sensing microsystems.

7. The climate control system of claim 1, wherein the power management circuit being configured to determine an amount of heat generated by the sensing microsystem includes the power management circuit being configured to determine an amount of heat dissipated by the processor.

8. A method of operation for a plurality of wirelessly communicating sensing microsystems of a distributed climate control system, each sensing microsystem including a processor, at least one of the sensing microsystems further including a temperature sensor, at least one of the sensing microsystems being coupled to an HVAC unit for control thereof, the plurality of sensing microsystems cooperating to control the HVAC unit based at least in part on temperature readings acquired by the temperature sensor, the plurality of sensing microsystems being configured to jointly carry out at least one shared computational task associated with the control of the HVAC unit, the method comprising:

at each sensing microsystem, determining an amount of heat generated by the sensing microsystem as a result of the sensing microsystem performing one or more data computations associated with the at least one shared computational task;

allocating among the sensing microsystems respective portions of the at least one shared computational task according to the amount of heat determined to be generated by each said respective sensing microsystem; and

at each sensing microsystem, carrying out the respective portion of the at least one shared computational task allocated thereto.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising, at each sensing microsystem, determining an amount of electrical power available for dedication to the at least one shared computational task.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the amount of electrical power available for dedication to the at least one shared computational task is determined at least in part on the determined amount of heat generated by the sensing microsystem.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein said determining an amount of electrical power available for dedication to the at least one shared computational task includes:

determining a total amount of electrical power available to the sensing microsystem;

determining an amount of electrical power required for a core functionality of the sensing microsystem that is distinct from said at least one shared computational task, said core functionality including at least one temperature sensing task and at least one wireless communication task; and

determining the amount of electrical power available for dedication to said at least one shared computational task based on a difference between said total available power and said required core functionality power.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said determining the amount of electrical power available for dedication to the at least one shared computational task further includes:

estimating a maximum marginal power beyond said required core functionality power that can be consumed by said sensing microsystem without introducing unacceptable error into thermal readings acquired by said temperature sensor; and

limiting said determined amount of electrical power available for dedication to said maximum marginal power if said maximum marginal power is less than said difference between said total available power and said required core functionality power.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising, at one of the sensing microsystems allocated a larger portion of the at least one shared computation task as compared to other sensing microsystems, reducing a speed of data computations carried out by the sensing microsystem.

14. The method of claim 8, further comprising, at one of the sensing microsystems allocated a larger portion of the at least one shared computation task as compared to other sensing microsystems, temporarily suspending temperature sensing functionality of the sensing microsystem.

15. A non-transitory computer readable medium tangibly embodying one or more sequences of instructions wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions by a plurality of processors contained in a respective plurality of wirelessly communicating sensing microsystems of a distributed climate control system causes the plurality of sensing microsystems to:

cooperatively control an HVAC unit based at least in part on temperature readings acquired by at least one temperature sensor located in at least one of the plurality of sensing microsystems; and

carry out at least one shared computational task associated with said cooperative control of the HVAC unit, comprising;

at each sensing microsystem, determining an amount of heat generated by the sensing microsystem as a result of the sensing microsystem performing one or more data computations associated with the at least one shared computational task; and

allocating among the sensing microsystems respective portions of the at least one shared computational task according to the amount of heat determined to be generated by each said respective sensing microsystem.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the at least one shared computational task is more computationally complex than core operations performed by each sensing microsystem, and the plurality of sensing microsystems are caused to carry out their respective core operations in addition to an allocated portion of the at least one shared computational task.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the at least one shared computational task includes computations related to system characterization, home occupancy prediction, and/or set point optimization.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein a largest portion of the at least one shared computational task is allocated to a sensing microsystem dedicated to a purpose unrelated to climate control.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein said allocating the largest portion of the at least one shared computational task to the sensing microsystem dedicated to the purpose unrelated to climate control includes:

preparing a self-contained package of executable code and source data; and

transmitting the self-contained package to the sensing microsystem dedicated to the purpose unrelated to climate control.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein said carrying out at least one shared computational task associated with said cooperative control of the HVAC unit further comprises:

re-allocating among the sensing microsystems respective portions of the at least one shared computational task.