Continuous intelligent-control-system update using information requests directed to user devices

• US 9,098,096 B2
• Filed: 04/05/2012
• Issued: 08/04/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Matsuoka, Yoky
• Primary Examiner(s): JARRETT, RYAN A
• Application Number:
  US13/440,910
• Publication Number:
  US 20130268125A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,216 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 11/56 Remote control
• 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 11/67 Switching between heating and cooling modes
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/88 Electrical aspects, e.g. circuits
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/10 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1905 associated with tele control
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1917 using digital means

Abstract

An intelligent control system includes intelligent thermostats and controls an environment, such as a residential living space, commercial building, or another environment. The intelligent control system obtains information related to the controlled environment by collecting sensor data, obtaining data from users during interactive information-exchange sessions, and by directing information queries to users on one or more user devices.

Claims

1. An intelligent control system comprising:

one or more intelligent thermostats, located in an environment controlled by the intelligent control system, the one or more intelligent thermostats being configured to;

employ sensor-based monitoring of the environment controlled by the intelligent control system; and

a centralized intelligent-control-system data center configured to;

maintain a list of one or more devices through which information queries may be sent to one or more users;

maintain personal contact information comprising times associated with the one or more devices during which the information queries may be sent to one or more users;

send the information queries, according to the times, to the one or more devices; and

maintain, in one or more electronic memories, a computational model of the environment controlled by the intelligent control system, wherein maintaining the computational model is based at least in part on;

the sensor-based monitoring of the environment; and

responses to the information queries directed to the one or more users.

2. The intelligent control system of claim 1 wherein the devices include one or more of:

intelligent thermostats;

mobile phones;

personal computers; and

phones connected to a public switched telephone network.

3. The intelligent control system of claim 1 wherein the personal contact information includes indications of user activities associated with the devices that can be interrupted by the information queries.

4. The intelligent control system of claim 1 wherein the personal contact information includes indications of types of the information queries that the one or more users are willing to respond to.

5. The intelligent control system of claim 1 wherein the personal contact information includes indications of types of information that the one or more users are willing to furnish to the intelligent control system in response to the information queries.

6. The intelligent control system of claim 1 wherein the intelligent control system, as part of continuous event handling:

determines whether additional information unavailable from sensor data and the already-stored computational model of the environment is needed; and

when the additional information is determined to be needed,

uses the personal contact information to select a user and a device through which the user can receive information queries,

uses the personal contact information to select a type of information query that corresponds to the user'"'"'s preferences for information queries and that is compatible with the selected device, and

transmits an information query of the selected type to the selected user through the selected device for the additional information.

7. The intelligent control system of claim 6 wherein the intelligent control system selects the user by:

when information about only one user is stored in the personal contact information, selecting the one user; and

when information about multiple users is stored in the personal contact information, selecting a user, from among the multiple users, determined to be most likely to respond to an information query.

8. The intelligent control system of claim 6 wherein the intelligent control system selects the device by:

determining a device from among the devices characterized by the personal contact information that is likely to be accessible to the selected user at a time when the information query is transmitted.

9. The intelligent control system of claim 6 wherein, by selecting the user, device, and type of information query based on the personal contact information, the intelligent control system optimizes, over time, the percentage of information queries transmitted to users for which responses from users are received.

10. A method of using an intelligent control system, the method comprising:

employing, by one or more intelligent thermostats located in an environment controlled by the intelligent control system, sensor-based monitoring of an environment controlled by the intelligent control system;

maintaining, by a centralized intelligent-control-system data center, a list of one or more devices through which information queries may be sent to one or more users;

maintaining, by the centralized intelligent-control-system data center, personal contact information comprising times associated with the one or more devices during which the information queries may be sent to one or more users;

sending, by the centralized intelligent-control-system data center, the information queries, according to the times, to the one or more devices; and

maintaining, by the centralized intelligent-control-system data center, and in one or more electronic memories, a computational model of the environment controlled by the intelligent control system, wherein maintaining the computational model is based at least in part on;

the sensor-based monitoring of the environment; and

responses to the information queries directed to the one or more users.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the devices include one or more of:

intelligent thermostats;

mobile phones;

personal computers; and

phones connected to a public switched telephone network.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the personal contact information includes indications of user activities associated with the devices that can be interrupted by the information queries.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the personal contact information includes indications of types of the information queries that the one or more users are willing to respond to.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the personal contact information includes indications of types of information that the one or more users are willing to furnish to the intelligent control system in response to the information queries.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

determining, by the centralized intelligent-control-system data center, whether additional information unavailable from sensor data and the already-stored computational model of the environment is needed; and

when the additional information is determined to be needed,

using, by the centralized intelligent-control-system data center, the personal contact information to select a user and a device through which the user can receive information queries,

using, by the centralized intelligent-control-system data center, the personal contact information to select a type of information query that corresponds to the user'"'"'s preferences for information queries and that is compatible with the selected device, and

transmitting, by the centralized intelligent-control-system data center, an information query of the selected type to the selected user through the selected device for the additional information.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein selecting the user comprises:

when information about only one user is stored in the personal contact information, selecting, by the centralized intelligent-control-system data center, the one user; and

when information about multiple users is stored in the personal contact information, selecting, by the centralized intelligent-control-system data center, a user, from among the multiple users, determined to be most likely to respond to an information query.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein selecting the device comprises:

determining, by the centralized intelligent-control-system data center, a device from among the devices characterized by the personal contact information that is likely to be accessible to the selected user at a time when the information query is transmitted.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising optimizing, over time by the centralized intelligent-control-system data center, a percentage of information queries transmitted to users for which responses from users are received by selecting the user, device, and type of information query based on the personal contact information.