User-relocatable self-learning environmental control device capable of adapting previous learnings to current location in controlled environment

• US 9,791,839 B2
• Filed: 03/28/2014
• Issued: 10/17/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Matsuoka, Yoky, Warren, Daniel A., Fadell, Anthony M., Rogers, Matthew L., Vo, Helen
• Primary Examiner(s): Dao, Tuan
• Application Number:
  US14/229,659
• Publication Number:
  US 20150276238A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,299 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: F24D 19/1018 Radiator valves
• CPC Class Codes: F24D 19/1048 Counting of energy consumption
• CPC Class Codes: F24D 19/1081 counting of energy consumption
• CPC Class Codes: F24D 2220/04 Sensors
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/00 Control or safety arrangements
• 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 11/57 using telephone networks
• 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: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2614 HVAC, heating, ventillation, climate control
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2642 Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1905 associated with tele control
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1934 each space being provided with one sensor acting on one or more control means
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 20/00 Machine learning
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/04 Forecasting or optimisation specially adapted for administrative or management purposes, e.g. linear programming or "cutting stock problem" market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities G06Q30/0202
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2816 Controlling appliance services of a home automation network by calling their functionalities arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station; in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom H04Q9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/285 Generic home appliances, e.g. refrigerators
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 30/70 : Efficient control or regulation technologies, e.g. for control of refrigerant flow, motor or heating

Abstract

A thermostat device may include a processing system configured to learn a heating schedule at a first location according to an automated schedule learning algorithm that processes inputs including user inputs and occupancy sensing inputs and derives schedule-affecting parameters therefrom that are processed to compute the heating schedule. The processing system may also be configured to determine whether the thermostat has been moved to a new location, and if it is determined that the thermostat has been moved to the new location, then determine one or more parameters associated with the new location and establish a new heating schedule for the new location, and where zero or more of the previously measured schedule-affecting parameters are re-used based on the one or more parameters associated with the new location.

Claims

1. A control system flexibly adapted for retrofit use with multiple types of pre-existing boiler-based heating systems, the control system comprising:

a boiler control device for coupling to a boiler;

a thermostat device having a processor and a memory and being in wireless communication with the boiler control device; and

a user-movable stand for holding the thermostat device, wherein;

the thermostat device is configured to learn a heating schedule according to an automated schedule learning algorithm that processes inputs including user inputs and occupancy sensing inputs and derives schedule-affecting parameters therefrom that are processed to compute the heating schedule;

the thermostat includes circuitry for determining whether the thermostat has been moved to a new location and for determining one or more parameters associated with the new location; and

the thermostat establishes a new heating schedule for the new location, and wherein zero or more of said previously measured schedule-affecting parameters are re-used based on the one or more parameters associated with the new location.

2. The control system of claim 1 wherein the thermostat device receives an indication from a user through a user interface that the thermostat device has been moved to the new location.

3. The control system of claim 1 wherein the circuitry for determining whether the thermostat device has been moved to a new location comprises an accelerometer.

4. The control system of claim 1 wherein the circuitry for determining whether the thermostat device has been moved to a new location comprises a power sensing circuit for detecting a loss of power to the thermostat device.

5. The control system of claim 1 wherein, prior to establishing the new heating schedule for the new location, the thermostat device receives an indication from a user through a user interface directing the thermostat device to establish the new heating schedule for the new location instead of continuing to use the heating schedule.

6. The control system of claim 1 wherein the zero or more of said previously measured schedule-affecting parameters comprises at least one schedule-affecting parameter.

7. The control system of claim 1 wherein the schedule-affecting parameters comprise a thermal characterization of a room of an enclosure.

8. The control system of claim 1 wherein the schedule-affecting parameters are used by the thermostat device to determine a time-to-temperature estimate between a measured ambient temperature and a received setpoint temperature.

9. A thermostat device flexibly adapted for relocation within an enclosure, the thermostat comprising:

a communication module configured to send control signals to a boiler control device for selectively controlling the activation of a boiler-based heating system;

a user interface;

one or more environmental sensors; and

a processing system configured to;

learn a heating schedule at a first location according to an automated schedule learning algorithm that processes inputs including user inputs and occupancy sensing inputs and derives schedule-affecting parameters therefrom that are processed to compute the heating schedule;

determine whether the thermostat has been moved to a new location;

if it is determined that the thermostat has been moved to the new location, then determine one or more parameters associated with the new location and establish a new heating schedule for the new location, and wherein zero or more of said previously measured schedule-affecting parameters are re-used based on the one or more parameters associated with the new location.

10. The thermostat device of claim 9 wherein the thermostat device receives an indication from a user through a user interface that the thermostat device has been moved to the new location.

11. The thermostat device of claim 9 wherein circuitry for determining whether the thermostat device has been moved to a new location comprises an accelerometer.

12. The thermostat device of claim 9 wherein circuitry for determining whether the thermostat device has been moved to a new location comprises a power sensing circuit for detecting a loss of power to the thermostat device.

13. The thermostat device of claim 9 wherein, prior to establishing the new heating schedule for the new location, the thermostat device receives an indication from a user through a user interface directing the thermostat device to establish the new heating schedule for the new location instead of continuing to use the heating schedule.

14. The thermostat device of claim 9 wherein the zero or more of said previously measured schedule-affecting parameters comprises at least one schedule-affecting parameter.

15. The thermostat device of claim 9 wherein the schedule-affecting parameters comprise a thermal characterization of a room of an enclosure.

16. The thermostat device of claim 9 wherein the schedule-affecting parameters are used by the thermostat device to determine a time-to-temperature estimate between a measured ambient temperature and a received setpoint temperature.

17. A method of detecting and adapting to location changes within an enclosure by a thermostat device, the method comprising:

learning, by the thermostat device, a heating schedule at a first location according to an automated schedule learning algorithm that processes inputs including user inputs and occupancy sensing inputs and derives schedule-affecting parameters therefrom that are processed to compute the heating schedule;

sending, by the thermostat device, control signals to a boiler control device for selectively controlling the activation of a boiler-based heating system based on the heating schedule;

determining, by the thermostat device, whether the thermostat has been moved to a new location;

if it is determined that the thermostat has been moved to the new location, then determining one or more parameters associated with the new location and establish a new heating schedule for the new location, and wherein zero or more of said previously measured schedule-affecting parameters are re-used based on the one or more parameters associated with the new location; and

sending, by the thermostat device, control signals to the boiler control device for selectively controlling the activation of a boiler-based heating system based on the new heating schedule.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising receiving, by the thermostat device, an indication from a user through a user interface that the thermostat device has been moved to the new location.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein circuitry for determining whether the thermostat device has been moved to a new location comprises an accelerometer.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein circuitry for determining whether the thermostat device has been moved to a new location comprises a power sensing circuit for detecting a loss of power to the thermostat device.