Intelligent controller for an environmental control system

• US 9,002,526 B2
• Filed: 08/19/2013
• Issued: 04/07/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Matsuoka, Yoky, Ruff, Joseph Adam, Malhotra, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): KASENGE, CHARLES R
• Application Number:
  US13/970,164
• Publication Number:
  US 20140236360A1
• Time in Patent Office: 596 Days
• Field of Search: 700/275, 700/276, 700/278, 700/28, 700/29, 700/299, 700/300, 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 thermostat that controls the temperature within an environment by controlling one or more systems, the intelligent thermostat comprising:

a processor;

a memory that stores a control schedule, one or more types of operational characteristics of the one or more systems controlled by the intelligent thermostat, and one or more sets of operational parameters that specify control of the one or more systems, wherein the one or more types of operational characteristics comprises Δ

T/Δ

t-versus-T data that describes a rate of temperature chance;

one or more sensor inputs from one or more sensors that sense current temperature values; and

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

continuously or intermittently update one or more of the one or more types of stored operational characteristics based on time-point-associated sensor inputs;

monitor the continuously or intermittently updated operational characteristics in order to detect anomalous system conditions associated with malfunctions, deterioration, or adverse operational characteristic; and

when one or more anomalous system conditions associated with malfunctions, deterioration, or adverse operational characteristics are detected in one of the one or more systems, carrying out one or more of;

accordingly modifying control of the system, and

reporting the detected one or more anomalous system conditions.

2. The intelligent thermostat of claim 1 further comprising:

a current control schedule stored in the memory; and

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

monitor the one or more sensor inputs and employ one or more of the stored operational characteristics and operational parameters to minimize a difference between the temperature within the environment, determined from the one or more sensor inputs, and a desired temperature indicated by the stored control schedule.

3. The intelligent thermostat of claim 1 wherein the rate of temperature change is associated with one or more temperatures of the controlled environment.

4. The intelligent thermostat of claim 1 wherein the rate of temperature change is associated with one or more temperatures external to the controlled environment.

5. The intelligent thermostat of claim 1 wherein the Δ

T/Δ

t-versus-T data is continuously or intermittently updated by the intelligent thermostat during control of one or more of the one or more systems to change the temperature within the environment.

6. The intelligent thermostat of claim 4 wherein the one or more anomalous system conditions associated with malfunctions, deterioration, or adverse operational characteristics include:

accumulation of precipitation in a component of a heat-pump system, detected by outlier data points among the data points of the Δ

T/Δ

t-versus-T data.

7. The intelligent thermostat of claim 6 wherein, when the accumulation of the precipitation in the component of the heat-pump system is detected, the intelligent thermostat reverses heat-pump operation, extracting heat from the environment to melt the precipitation.

8. The intelligent thermostat of claim 4 wherein the one or more of various types of system conditions associated with malfunctions, deterioration, or adverse operational characteristics include:

a relatively high critical temperature determined from the data points of the Δ

T/Δ

t-versus-T data below which Δ

T/Δ

t has a negative sign.

9. The intelligent thermostat of claim 8 wherein, when the high critical temperature is detected, the intelligent thermostat carries out on or more of:

transferring a warning indication to a remote processor-controlled system; and

displaying a warning indication on a display component to a user.

10. The intelligent thermostat of claim 9 wherein the display component is one of:

a display component of the intelligent thermostat; and

a display component of a remote user device.

11. The intelligent thermostat of claim 2 wherein the operational parameters stored in the memory include:

an indication of a temperature below which a system is not activated; and

an indication of a temperature above which a system is not activated.

12. The intelligent thermostat of claim 11 wherein an indication of a temperature below which the system is not activated is associated with each of multiple different auto-component activation settings.

13. The intelligent thermostat of claim 11 wherein an indication of a temperature above which the system is not activated is associated with each of multiple different auto-component activation settings.

14. The intelligent thermostat of claim 2 wherein the operational parameters stored in the memory include:

an indication of a maximum response time desired when a system is activated.

15. The intelligent thermostat of claim 14 wherein a first indication of a maximum response time desired when a system is activated is associated with scheduled temperature changes and a second indication of a maximum response time is associated with immediate control inputs.

16. The intelligent thermostat of claim 2 wherein the operational parameters stored in memory include indications of combinations of systems that can be concurrently activated and that are therefore mutually compatible.

17. The intelligent thermostat of claim 2 wherein the operational parameters stored in memory include indications of combinations of systems that can be concurrently activated and that are therefore mutually compatible for each of multiple temperature ranges.

18. The intelligent thermostat of claim 2 wherein the intelligent thermostat further includes:

a connection to the Internet; and

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

monitor data provided by remote computer systems through the connection to the Internet in order to select particular operational characteristics of the one or more systems controlled by the intelligent thermostat and particular sets of operational parameters that specify control of the one or more systems for use in controlling the one or more systems.

19. The intelligent thermostat of claim 18 wherein the data provided by remote computer systems through the connection to the Internet include:

weather data;

power-system data;

day-length data;

season-related data; and

additional operational characteristics and sets of operational parameters for one or more of the one or more systems.

20. A method of detecting and responding to anomalous system conditions with an intelligent thermostat, the method comprising:

storing, in a memory of the intelligent thermostat, a control schedule, one or more types of operational characteristics of the one or more systems controlled by the intelligent thermostat, and one or more sets of operational parameters that specify control of the one or more systems, wherein the one or more types of operational characteristics comprises Δ

T/Δ

t-versus-T data that describes a rate of temperature change;

receiving, by the intelligent thermostat, one or more sensor inputs from one or more sensors that sense current temperature values;

continuously or intermittently updating, by the intelligent thermostat, one or more of the one or more types of stored operational characteristics based on time-point-associated sensor inputs;

monitoring, by the intelligent thermostat, the continuously or intermittently updated operational characteristics in order to detect anomalous system conditions associated with malfunctions, deterioration, or adverse operational characteristic; and

when one or more anomalous system conditions associated with malfunctions, deterioration, or adverse operational characteristics are detected in one of the one or more systems, carrying out, by the intelligent thermostat, one or more of;

accordingly modifying control of the system, and

reporting the detected one or more anomalous system conditions.