Methods and systems for data interchange between a network-connected thermostat and cloud-based management server

• US 9,846,443 B2
• Filed: 07/29/2015
• Issued: 12/19/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Mucignat, Andrea, Steele, Oliver W., Supramaniam, Senthilvasan, Hardison, Osborne B., Schultz, Richard J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): POUDEL, SANTOSH RAJ
• Application Number:
  US14/812,804
• Publication Number:
  US 20160026194A1
• Time in Patent Office: 874 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1917 using digital means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/00 Details not covered by groups G06F3/00 - G06F13/00 and G06F21/00 architectures of general purpose stored program computers G06F15/76
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3209 Monitoring remote activity, e.g. over telephone lines or network connections
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/17 using an input/output type connection, e.g. channel, I/O port
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2818 from a device located outside both the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless eletrical link G08C17/00; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with remote control systems H04M11/007
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2825 Reporting to a device located outside the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with telemetering systems H04M11/002
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/285 Generic home appliances, e.g. refrigerators
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2514 between local and global IP addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2553 Binding renewal aspects, e.g. using keep-alive messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/256 NAT traversal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5014 using dynamic host configuration protocol [DHCP] or bootstrap protocol [BOOTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0261 managing power supply demand, e.g. depending on battery level
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0277 according to available power supply, e.g. switching off when a low battery condition is detected
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A thermostat may include one or more temperature sensors, a processor configured to operate in a sleep mode and a wake mode, and a Wi-Fi chip that wirelessly communicates with a thermostat management server. The Wi-Fi chip may be configured to receive data packets from the thermostat management server while the processor operates in the sleep mode, and determine a priority level of the received data packets. The priority level may include a standard priority level and a keep-alive priority level. The Wi-Fi chip may also be configured to filter the received data packets based on the determined priority level of each packet such that the keep-alive priority level packets are discarded, and forward the standard priority level packets to the processor.

Claims

1. A thermostat, comprising:

one or more thermostat sensors;

a processor configured to operate in a sleep mode and a wake mode; and

a Wi-Fi chip that wirelessly communicates with a thermostat management server, wherein the Wi-Fi chip is configured to;

establish a communication channel between the thermostat and the management server;

receive data packets through the communication channel from the thermostat management server while the processor operates in the sleep mode;

determine a priority level of the received data packets, wherein the priority level comprises a standard priority level and a keep-alive priority level, wherein the data packets with the keep-alive priority level keep the communication channel alive;

filter the received data packets based on the determined priority level of each packet such that the keep-alive priority level packets are discarded, wherein the keep-alive priority level packets are received at keep-alive intervals, wherein the period for the keep-alive intervals is based on a charge level associated with a battery of the thermostat; and

forward the standard priority level packets to the processor.

2. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the Wi-Fi chip is further configured to communicate with an access point through a plurality of ports, and the priority level of the received data packets is determined based on which of the plurality of ports the data packets are received on.

3. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to:

receive charge-level information associated with an energy-storage device; and

send at least some of the charge-level information to the thermostat management server via the Wi-Fi chip.

4. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the keep-alive priority level packets are received according to keep-alive intervals, wherein the period for the keep-alive intervals is based on a minimum time that an access point is expected to maintain an entry for the thermostat in an address translation table.

5. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the keep-alive priority level packets are received according to keep-alive intervals, wherein the period for the keep-alive intervals is between 1 minute and 5 minutes.

6. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the keep-alive priority level packets comprise TCP/IP ACK packets.

7. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the Wi-Fi chip is further configured to:

receive a keep-alive packet from the thermostat management server while the processor is in the sleep mode;

send a return acknowledgement of the keep-alive packet to the thermostat management server without causing the processor to transition out of the sleep mode.

8. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the Wi-Fi chip is further configured to:

receive data that is classified as high-priority data and low-priority data; and

filter the received data, wherein the filtering is based on whether the data is classified as high priority or low priority.

9. The thermostat of claim 8, wherein the Wi-Fi chip is further configured to:

receive the high-priority data regardless of an energy level of an energy-storage device of the thermostat; and

receive the low-priority data when the energy level of the energy-storage device of the thermostat is not low.

10. A method of communicating data between a thermostat and a thermostat management server, comprising:

receiving, by a processor of the thermostat, one or more temperature measurements from one or more temperature sensors to control an HVAC system according to a setpoint temperature and the one or more temperature measurements;

establishing a communication channel between the thermostat and the thermostat management server;

causing the processor of the thermostat to transition from a wake mode to a sleep mode;

receiving, by a Wi-Fi chip of the thermostat, data packets through the communication channel from the thermostat management server while the processor operates in the sleep mode;

determining, by the Wi-Fi chip, a priority level of the received data packets, wherein the priority level comprises a standard priority level and a keep-alive priority level, wherein the data packets with the keep-alive priority level keep the communication channel alive;

filtering, by the Wi-Fi chip, the received data packets based on the determined priority level of each packet such that the keep-alive priority level packets are discarded, wherein the keep-alive priority level packets are received at keep-alive intervals, wherein the period for the keep-alive intervals is based on a charge level associated with a battery of the thermostat; and

forwarding, by the Wi-Fi chip, the standard priority level packets to the processor.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving a keep-alive packet at the Wi-Fi chip from the thermostat management server while the processor is in the sleep mode;

sending, from the Wi-Fi chip to the thermostat management server, a return acknowledgement of the keep-alive packet without requiring the processor to transition out of the sleep mode.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving, at the Wi-Fi chip and from the thermostat management server, a request to terminate and reestablish a communication channel; and

sending, from the thermostat to the thermostat management server, a request to reestablish the communication channel between the thermostat and the thermostat management server through the access point.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein an access point stores an address translation table that translates between a network address of the thermostat on a first network to a network address of the access point on a second network, the first network being a private network that is local to the thermostat, the second network being a public network that includes the thermostat management server.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

receiving, at the Wi-Fi chip, from the thermostat management server, and via the access point, a transmission, wherein the transmission prevents the access point from removing an entry for the thermostat from the address translation table.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving, by the Wi-Fi chip, data that is classified as high-priority data and low-priority data; and

filtering, by the Wi-Fi chip, the received data, wherein the filtering is based on whether the data is classified as high priority or low priority.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving, by the Wi-Fi chip, the high-priority data regardless of an energy level of an energy-storage device of the thermostat; and

receiving, by the Wi-Fi chip, the low-priority data when the energy level of the energy-storage device of the thermostat is not low.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the keep-alive priority packets are received during a long-polling interval.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the long-polling interval is less than 100 minutes.

19. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving charge-level information associated with an energy-storage device of the thermostat; and

sending at least some of the charge-level information to the thermostat management server via the Wi-Fi chip.