Background schedule simulations in an intelligent, network-connected thermostat
First Claim
1. A method for promoting energy efficiency in association with an HVAC system of a climate controlled enclosure, the HVAC system being controlled by a network-connected thermostat having a user interface controllable by a user, the method comprising:
- receiving a first HVAC schedule comprising a plurality of setpoints, each setpoint comprising an indication of a setpoint time and a setpoint temperature for the climate controlled enclosure;
operating, over a period of time, the HVAC system according to the first HVAC schedule;
measuring, over said period of time, an actual ambient temperature in the climate controlled enclosure;
receiving an update corresponding to at least one of;
a real-time setpoint change, a schedule change, and an occupancy profile, wherein the real-time setpoint change comprises a desired temperature for immediate implementation entered by the user using the user interface during said period of time, wherein the schedule change comprises at least one of (i) a change to the setpoint temperature or setpoint time of one or more setpoints of the first HVAC schedule, (ii) the removal of the one or more setpoints from the first HVAC schedule, and (iii) the addition of one or more new setpoints to the first HVAC schedule, and wherein the occupancy profile comprises indications over said period of time of whether one or more occupants is present in the climate controlled enclosure;
processing said received update in conjunction with the first HVAC schedule to generate a second HVAC schedule representative of what would have been generated by an automated schedule learning algorithm operating over said period of time, wherein the second HVAC schedule is generated in the background based on the first HVAC schedule, the received update, and the automated schedule learning algorithm, the second HVAC schedule and the first HVAC schedule exist simultaneously, and the second HVAC schedule is maintained distinct from the first HVAC schedule;
simulating the second HVAC schedule using a thermal model of the climate controlled enclosure;
subsequent to said period of time, generating a cost difference indicator corresponding to a cost difference between an actual cost of operating the HVAC system according to the first HVAC schedule over said period of time and a hypothetical cost of operating the HVAC system according to the second HVAC schedule over said period of time based on simulating the second HVAC schedule using the thermal model of the climate controlled enclosure; and
displaying said cost difference indicator to the user using said user interface.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The current application is directed to intelligent controllers that initially aggressively learn, and then continue, in a steady-state mode, to monitor, learn, and modify one or more control schedules that specify a desired operational behavior of a device, machine, system, or organization controlled by the intelligent controller. An intelligent controller generally acquires one or more initial control schedules through schedule-creation and schedule-modification interfaces or by accessing a default control schedule stored locally or remotely in a memory or mass-storage device. The intelligent controller then proceeds to learn, over time, a desired operational behavior for the device, machine, system, or organization controlled by the intelligent controller based on immediate-control inputs, schedule-modification inputs, and previous and current control schedules, encoding the desired operational behavior in one or more control schedules and/or sub-schedules.
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Citations
30 Claims
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1. A method for promoting energy efficiency in association with an HVAC system of a climate controlled enclosure, the HVAC system being controlled by a network-connected thermostat having a user interface controllable by a user, the method comprising:
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receiving a first HVAC schedule comprising a plurality of setpoints, each setpoint comprising an indication of a setpoint time and a setpoint temperature for the climate controlled enclosure; operating, over a period of time, the HVAC system according to the first HVAC schedule; measuring, over said period of time, an actual ambient temperature in the climate controlled enclosure; receiving an update corresponding to at least one of;
a real-time setpoint change, a schedule change, and an occupancy profile, wherein the real-time setpoint change comprises a desired temperature for immediate implementation entered by the user using the user interface during said period of time, wherein the schedule change comprises at least one of (i) a change to the setpoint temperature or setpoint time of one or more setpoints of the first HVAC schedule, (ii) the removal of the one or more setpoints from the first HVAC schedule, and (iii) the addition of one or more new setpoints to the first HVAC schedule, and wherein the occupancy profile comprises indications over said period of time of whether one or more occupants is present in the climate controlled enclosure;processing said received update in conjunction with the first HVAC schedule to generate a second HVAC schedule representative of what would have been generated by an automated schedule learning algorithm operating over said period of time, wherein the second HVAC schedule is generated in the background based on the first HVAC schedule, the received update, and the automated schedule learning algorithm, the second HVAC schedule and the first HVAC schedule exist simultaneously, and the second HVAC schedule is maintained distinct from the first HVAC schedule; simulating the second HVAC schedule using a thermal model of the climate controlled enclosure; subsequent to said period of time, generating a cost difference indicator corresponding to a cost difference between an actual cost of operating the HVAC system according to the first HVAC schedule over said period of time and a hypothetical cost of operating the HVAC system according to the second HVAC schedule over said period of time based on simulating the second HVAC schedule using the thermal model of the climate controlled enclosure; and displaying said cost difference indicator to the user using said user interface. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method for promoting energy efficiency in association with an HVAC system of a climate controlled enclosure, the HVAC system being controlled by a network-connected thermostat having a user interface controllable by a user, the method comprising:
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measuring an actual ambient temperature in the climate controlled enclosure over a period of time; generating a plurality of control signals over said period of time according to at least one of a first HVAC schedule and an update, wherein the first HVAC schedule comprises a plurality of setpoints, each setpoint comprising an indication of a setpoint time and a desired setpoint temperature for the climate controlled enclosure, wherein the update comprises at least one of a real-time setpoint change, a schedule change, and an occupancy profile, and wherein the control signals direct the operation of the HVAC system; determining the actual energy consumed by operating the HVAC system according to the plurality of control signals over said period of time; receiving outside temperature data indicative of an ambient temperature of an area outside the climate controlled enclosure; processing said actual ambient temperature in the climate controlled enclosure over said period of time in conjunction with the outside temperature data over said period of time and said control signals to generate a thermal model of the climate controlled enclosure; generating a hypothetical runtime profile from the first HVAC schedule, said period of time, said update, said thermal model of the climate controlled enclosure, the actual ambient temperature in the climate controlled enclosure, an automated schedule learning algorithm, and the outside temperature data, wherein the hypothetical runtime profile and the first HVAC schedule exist simultaneously, and the hypothetical runtime profile is maintained distinct from the first HVAC schedule; calculating the hypothetical energy consumed by the HVAC system as a result of said hypothetical runtime profile being simulated for said period of time; generating an indicator of the difference between the hypothetical energy consumed by the HVAC system in accordance with the hypothetical runtime profile and the actual energy consumed by the HVAC system as controlled according to the first HVAC schedule for said period of time; providing the indicator of the difference to the user. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A system for promoting energy efficiency in association with an HVAC system of a climate controlled enclosure, the HVAC system being controlled by a network-connected thermostat having a user interface controllable by a user, the system comprising:
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a sensor configured to measure ambient temperature in the climate controlled enclosure; and a processor configured to; request measurement of an actual ambient temperature in the climate controlled enclosure over a period of time; generate a plurality of control signals over said period of time according to at least one of a first HVAC schedule and an update, wherein the first HVAC schedule comprises a plurality of setpoints, each setpoint comprising an indication of a setpoint time and a desired setpoint temperature for the climate controlled enclosure, wherein the update comprises at least one of a real-time setpoint change, a schedule change, and an occupancy profile, and wherein the control signals direct the operation of the HVAC system; determine the actual energy consumed by operating the HVAC system according to the plurality of control signals over said period of time; receive outside temperature data indicative of the ambient temperature of an area outside the climate controlled enclosure; process said actual ambient temperature in the climate controlled enclosure over said period of time in conjunction with the outside temperature data over said period of time and said control signals to generate a thermal model of the climate controlled enclosure; generate a hypothetical runtime profile from the first HVAC schedule, said period of time, said update, said thermal model of the climate controlled enclosure, the actual ambient temperature in the climate controlled enclosure, and the outside temperature data, wherein; the hypothetical runtime profile is generated in the background based on the first HVAC schedule and the hypothetical runtime profile is maintained distinct from the first HVAC schedule; calculate the hypothetical energy consumed by the HVAC system as a result of said hypothetical runtime profile during said period of time; generate an indicator of the difference between the hypothetical energy consumed by the HVAC system according to the hypothetical runtime profile and the actual energy consumed by the HVAC system for said period of time as controlled according to the first HVAC schedule; and provide the indicator of the difference to the user. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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Specification