Connected thermostat for controlling a climate system based on a desired usage profile in comparison to other connected thermostats controlling other climate systems

• US 9,702,582 B2
• Filed: 07/18/2016
• Issued: 07/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ikorongo Technology, LLC (Concert Technology Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Ikorongo Technology, LLC (Concert Technology Corporation)
• Inventors: Svendsen, Hugh Blake
• Primary Examiner(s): Masinick, Michael D
• Application Number:
  US15/212,417
• Publication Number:
  US 20160327294A1
• Time in Patent Office: 358 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 25/16 Control of watering
• 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 11/52 Indication arrangements, e.g. displays
• 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 11/63 Electronic processing
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/00 Control inputs relating to air properties
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/10 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2140/60 Energy consumption
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/048 Monitoring; Safety
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2614 HVAC, heating, ventillation, climate control
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/00 Control of temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1902 characterised by the use of a variable reference value

Abstract

Methods, devices, computer readable medium, and systems are described for sending from a thermostat device to a server device a target ecorank setting, and receiving from the server a climate system setting wherein the climate system setting is derived from a comparison of energy consumed by the climate system controlled by the thermostat device in comparison to energy consumed by a comparison group, the comparison group comprising other climate systems controlled by other thermostat devices. The comparison group is determined based on profile information comprising information describing the dwelling, dwelling size, dwelling location, occupants, and climate system technology. The climate system setting is determined based on an energy savings needed to match or better the ecorank target setting based on a comparison group and comparison time period. The energy consumed by the climate systems may be reported by an associated energy measurement device or inferred by heating and cooling hours.

Claims

1. A unitary thermostat device comprising:

a housing;

a signaling interface attached to the housing and operable to;

control a climate system comprising one or more climate system components, wherein the one or more climate system components are comprised of one or more of a heating component, a cooling component, a fan component, a humidification component, and a dehumidification component; and

a communications interface attached to the housing and;

a processor and memory located within the housing and associated with the communications interface and the signaling interface and operable to;

send, to a server device, an ecorank target setting, the ecorank target setting reflecting a desired usage of the climate system controlled by the unitary thermostat device in comparison to other usages of other climate systems controlled by other unitary thermostat devices, the comparison made over a temporal comparison period including a current time;

receive, from the server device, a climate system setting determined by the server device based on the ecorank target setting; and

control the climate system based on the climate system setting; and

a display attached to the housing and operable to;

present the climate system setting.

2. The unitary thermostat device of claim 1 wherein the one or more climate system components are fueled by one or more of electricity, gas, oil, wood, and coal.

3. The unitary thermostat device of claim 1 further comprising:

the processor and memory further operable to;

send, to the server device, usage information indicating usage of the one or more climate system components and including one or more of heating component usage information, cooling component usage information, fan component usage information, humidification component usage information, and dehumidification component usage information;

receive, from the server device, ecorank information; and

the display further operable to;

present the ecorank information.

4. The unitary thermostat device of claim 3 wherein sending usage information further includes sending the climate system setting.

5. The unitary thermostat device of claim 1 further comprising:

the processor and memory further operable to;

receive, from an other device, the ecorank target setting; and

apply the the ecorank target setting.

6. The unitary thermostat device of claim 1 wherein the climate system setting comprises one or more of a heat setting, cool setting, fan setting, a humidifier setting, and dehumidifier setting.

7. The unitary thermostat device of claim 1 further comprising:

the processor and memory further operable to;

receive an updated ecorank target setting;

send, to the server device, the updated ecorank target setting;

receive, from the server device, an updated climate system setting;

apply the updated climate system setting to the unitary thermostat device; and

the display further operable to;

present the updated climate system setting,

wherein the unitary thermostat device is a first thermostat device associated with a first dwelling and the updated climate system setting is received in response to the server device receiving updated information from an other unitary thermostat device associated with an other dwelling.

8. The unitary thermostat device of claim 1 further comprising:

the processor and memory further operable to;

receive, at the unitary thermostat device, user input identifying the ecorank target setting; and

send, to the server device, the ecorank target setting.

9. The unitary thermostat device of claim 1 further comprising:

the processor and memory further operable to;

receive an updated climate system setting; and

the display further operable to;

present the updated climate system setting, wherein the unitary thermostat device is a first thermostat device associated with a first dwelling and the updated climate system setting is received in response to the server device receiving updated information from an other unitary thermostat device associated with an other dwelling.

10. The unitary thermostat device of claim 1 further comprising:

the processor and memory further operable to;

receive a climate priority mode setting;

apply the climate priority mode setting to the unitary thermostat device;

send climate system usage information to the server device;

receive updated ecorank information from the server device; and

the display further operable to;

present a visual indicator of the climate priority mode.

11. The unitary thermostat device of claim 1 further comprising:

the processor and memory, capable of receiving the ecorank target setting and sending the climate system setting, and further operable to;

receive information identifying a user providing the ecorank target setting; and

send the information identifying the user providing the ecorank target setting with the ecorank target setting.

12. The unitary thermostat device of claim 1 wherein the unitary thermostat device is one of and coupled to a plurality of unitary thermostat devices associated with a dwelling.

13. The unitary thermostat device of claim 12 wherein the plurality of unitary thermostat devices operate independently from one another, and the ecorank target setting applied to one of the plurality of unitary thermostat devices, is applied to only the one of the plurality of unitary thermostat devices.

14. The unitary thermostat device of claim 12 wherein the plurality of unitary thermostat devices operate dependently with one another, and the ecorank target setting applied to one of the plurality of unitary thermostat devices, is applied to all of the plurality of unitary thermostat devices.

15. The unitary thermostat device of claim 1 wherein the ecorank target setting is one or more of a numerical score, percentage, graphic, icon, color, letter, ecorank trend indicator, an audio item, and a video item.

16. The unitary thermostat device of claim 1 wherein the climate system setting received is determined at the server device based on needed energy savings, the needed energy savings determined by comparing energy consumed by the climate system controlled by the unitary thermostat device to a comparison group, the comparison group including other climate systems associated with a plurality of other thermostat devices, the comparison made over the temporal comparison period based on climate system usage information provided by the unitary thermostat device and other the climate system usage information provided by the plurality of other thermostat devices comprising the comparison group.

17. The unitary thermostat device of claim 16 wherein the comparison group is determined based on profile information.

18. The unitary thermostat device of claim 17 wherein the profile information is comprised of one or more of:

a geographical location of a dwelling associated with the unitary thermostat device,

a volume of the dwelling associated with the unitary thermostat device,

a construction year of the dwelling associated with the unitary thermostat device,

a foundation type of the dwelling associated with the unitary thermostat device,

an elevation of the dwelling associated with the unitary thermostat device,

a size of the dwelling associated with the unitary thermostat device,

a format of the dwelling associated with the unitary thermostat device,

a number of floors in the dwelling associated with the unitary thermostat device,

a number of occupants associated with the dwelling associated with the unitary thermostat device, and

a social group associated with a user of the unitary thermostat device.

19. The unitary thermostat device of claim 17 wherein the comparison group is one of a symmetric group and an asymmetric group, wherein the symmetric group is defined as a group where if entity A is in entity B'"'"'s group, then entity B is in entity A'"'"'s group, and wherein the asymmetric group is defined as a group where entity A is in entity B'"'"'s group, but entity B is not in entity A'"'"'s group.

20. The unitary thermostat device of claim 1 further comprising:

the processor and memory, capable of receiving the climate system setting and further operable to;

request, by the unitary thermostat device, the climate system setting; and

receive, in real-time, the climate system setting in response to the request and in temporal proximity to the request.

21. The unitary thermostat device of claim 1 further comprising:

the processor and memory, wherein to receive the climate system setting, further operable to;

receive the climate system setting at a time designated by the server device.

22. The unitary thermostat device of claim 21 wherein the climate system setting is determined based on the temporal comparison period, the temporal comparison period being N days in length and being repositioned by the server device on a daily basis.

23. The unitary thermostat device of claim 21 wherein the climate system setting is determined based on the temporal comparison period, the temporal comparison period being N days in length and being moved by the server device at an end of the N days.

24. The unitary thermostat device of claim 1 further comprising:

the processor and memory further operable to;

determine a privacy mode setting; and

the display further operable to;

present, based on the privacy mode setting, the ecorank target setting.

25. The unitary thermostat device of claim 1 wherein the unitary thermostat device communicates with the server device through a hub device.

26. The unitary thermostat device of claim 25 wherein the unitary thermostat device and the hub device communicate using a first communication protocol and the hub device and the server device communicate using a second different communication protocol.

27. A method of operating a unitary thermostat device comprising:

sending, to a server device, an ecorank target setting, the ecorank target setting reflecting a desired usage of a climate system controlled by the unitary thermostat device in comparison to other usages of other climate systems controlled by other unitary thermostat devices, the comparison made over a temporal comparison period including a current time;

receiving, from the server device, a climate system setting determined by the server device based on the ecorank target setting;

controlling, through a signaling interface, according to the climate system setting, the climate system comprising one or more climate system components, wherein the one or more climate system components are comprised of one or more of a heating component, a cooling component, a fan component, a humidification component, and a dehumidification component; and

presenting, on a display of the unitary thermostat device, the climate system setting.

28. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing program codes that when executed instruct a processor in a unitary thermostat device to:

send, to a server device, an ecorank target setting, the ecorank target setting reflecting a desired usage of a climate system controlled by the unitary thermostat device in comparison to other usages of other climate systems controlled by other unitary thermostat devices, the comparison made over a temporal comparison period including a current time;

receive, from the server device, a climate system setting determined by the server device based on the ecorank target setting;

control, through a signaling interface, according to the climate system setting, the climate system comprising one or more climate system components, wherein the one or more climate system components are comprised of one or more of a heating component, a cooling component, a fan component, a humidification component, and a dehumidification component; and

present, on a display of the unitary thermostat device, the climate system setting.

29. A system comprising:

a unitary thermostat device comprising;

a housing;

a signaling interface attached to the housing and operable to;

control a climate system comprising one or more climate system components; and

a first communications interface attached to the housing;

a first processor and a first memory within to the housing and associated with the first communications interface and operable to;

send, to a server device, an ecorank target setting, the ecorank target setting reflecting a desired usage of the climate system controlled by the unitary thermostat device in comparison to other usages of other climate systems controlled by other unitary thermostat devices, the comparison made over a temporal comparison period including a current time;

receive, from the server device, a climate system setting determined by the server device based on the ecorank target setting; and

a display attached to the housing and operable to;

present the climate system setting; and

the server device comprising;

a second communications interface;

a second processor and a second memory associated with the second communications interface and operable to;

receive, from the unitary thermostat device, the ecorank target setting;

determine the climate system setting based on the ecorank target setting; and

send, to the unitary thermostat device, the climate system setting.