Energy management based on location

• US 9,618,227 B2
• Filed: 03/07/2014
• Issued: 04/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Copeland Comfort Control LP (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Emerson Electric Company
• Inventors: Drew, David Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Adam
• Application Number:
  US14/201,458
• Publication Number:
  US 20140277762A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,131 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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 11/47 Responding to energy costs
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/58 using Internet communication
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/63 Electronic processing
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/10 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1904 variable in time
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1905 associated with tele control

Abstract

Systems and methods of providing climate control and/or energy management in a structure having a networking thermostat. In some example embodiments the network is used to monitor a geographic location of a user device associated with a user of the structure. The monitoring may be performed to determine the location relative to a destination located apart from the structure. The network is used to control a set point of the thermostat based on the location. Additionally or alternatively, the monitoring may be performed to determine time period(s) during which the structure is unoccupied and the thermostat is set at a first set point. Energy savings that could have been realized by changing the first set point to a second set point are estimated and provided to the user.

Claims

1. A system for providing climate control in a structure, the system comprising:

a thermostat of the structure, the thermostat connected with a network; and

one or more processors connected with the thermostat through the network and configured to;

monitor a geographic location of a user device associated by the system with a user of the structure, the monitoring performed to determine the geographic location in relation to a destination located apart from the structure and previously identified as a destination visited by the user; and

determine a set point for the thermostat based on the geographic location and a breakeven duration, wherein the breakeven duration represents a time period during which no net gain of energy savings would have been obtained and is based on one or more thermal properties of the structure, an outdoor temperature, and a setback temperature for the structure; and

control the thermostat via the network, based on the determined set point.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are configured to:

store a historical average duration of visits by the user device to the destination; and

use the historical average duration and a distance between the structure and the destination to determine a setback temperature at which to set the thermostat set point for a future visit to the destination.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are configured to set the thermostat to a predetermined setback temperature via the network when the user device is determined to be arriving at the destination.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are configured to determine the set point based on the breakeven duration, the breakeven duration further based on a type of climate control equipment in the structure.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are configured to determine the set point for the thermostat based on the geographic location of the user device relative to one or more of the following:

a setback ring between the structure and the destination, a traffic pattern, and a sub-destination associated by the system with the destination.

6. A system-performed method of providing climate control in a structure, the method comprising:

monitoring a geographic location of a user device associated by the system with a user of the structure, the monitoring performed to determine the geographic location in relation to a destination located apart from the structure and previously identified as a destination visited by the user;

determining a set point for a thermostat of the structure based on the geographic location and a breakeven duration, wherein the breakeven duration represents a time period during which no net gain of energy savings would have been obtained and is based on one or more thermal properties of the structure, an outdoor temperature, and a setback temperature for the structure; and

using a network through which the system is connected with the thermostat of the structure, controlling the thermostat based on the determined set point.

7. The method of claim 6, comprising:

storing a historical average duration of visits by the user device to the destination; and

determining a setback temperature at which to set the thermostat set point for a future visit to the destination, the determining performed using the historical average duration and a distance between the structure and the destination.

8. The method of claim 6, comprising setting the thermostat to a predetermined setback temperature via the network when the user device is determined to be arriving at the destination.

9. The method of claim 6, comprising:

determining the breakeven duration further based on a type of climate control equipment in the structure; and

determining the thermostat set point based on the breakeven duration.

10. The method of claim 6, further comprising determining the set point of the thermostat based on the geographic location of the user device relative to one or more of the following:

a setback ring between the structure and the destination, a traffic pattern, and a sub-destination of the destination.

11. A system for providing energy management for a structure, the structure having a thermostat connected with the system in a network, the system comprising one or more processors configured to:

use the network to monitor the thermostat and a geographic location of a user device associated by the system with a user of the structure to determine one or more time periods during which the structure is unoccupied and during which the thermostat is set at a first set point;

shorten at least one of the one or more time periods by a determined breakeven duration to obtain at least part of the one or more time periods, wherein the breakeven duration represents a time period during which no net gain of energy savings would have been obtained and is based on one or more thermal properties of the structure, an outdoor temperature, and a setback temperature for the structure;

determine an estimate of energy savings that could have been realized by changing the first set point to a second set point during the at least part of the one or more time periods;

provide the estimate to the user and receive user input in response to the estimate; and

change the first set point of the thermostat based on the user input.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the determined breakeven duration is further based on a type of climate control equipment in the structure.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the first set point comprises a comfort set point and the second set point comprises a setback set point.

14. A system-performed method of providing energy management for a structure, the structure having a thermostat connected with the system through a network, the method comprising:

monitoring the thermostat and a geographic location of a user device associated by the system with a user of the structure to determine one or more time periods during which the structure is unoccupied and during which the thermostat is set at a first set point;

shortening at least one of the one or more time periods by a determined breakeven duration to obtain at least part of the one or more time periods, wherein the breakeven duration represents a time period during which no net gain of energy savings would have been obtained and is based on one or more thermal properties of the structure, an outdoor temperature, and a setback temperature for the structure;

determining an estimate of an amount by which energy costs could have been reduced by changing the first set point to a second set point during the at least part of the one or more time periods;

providing the estimate to the user and receiving user input in response to the estimate; and

changing the first set point of the thermostat based on the user input.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the determined breakeven duration is further based on a type of climate control equipment in the structure.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the first set point comprises a comfort set point and the second set point comprises a setback set point.