Devices and methods for interacting with an HVAC controller

• US 10,054,327 B2
• Filed: 08/20/2014
• Issued: 08/21/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ademco Inc. (Resideo Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Nelson, Jay, Bures, David, Kasparik, Petr, Kolavennu, Soumitri, Konecny, Roman, Kulkarni, Amit, Becvar, Daniel, Adamek, Martin, Buno, Juraj, Hoglund, Steven, Horky, Libor, Malek, Jan, Nemcek, Adam, Skala, Martin, Losak, Tomas, Novotny, Josef, Gessner, Thomas, Gilmer, Preston, Ix, Thiruvengada, Hari, Goh, Christopher, Juntunen, Robert D., Mulhouse, David, Leen, Cary, Finch, Heidi
• Primary Examiner(s): Ciric, Ljiljana
• Assistant Examiner(s): COX, ALEXIS K
• Application Number:
  US14/463,714
• Publication Number:
  US 20150053781A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,462 Days
• 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 11/52 Indication arrangements, e.g. displays
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/56 Remote control
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/58 using Internet communication
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/00 Control inputs relating to air properties
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2130/40 Noise
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1902 characterised by the use of a variable reference value
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/22 Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 10/40 Geothermal heat-pumps

Abstract

An HVAC controller may be controlled in response to a natural language audio message that is not recognizable by the HVAC controller as a command, where the natural language audio message is translated into a command recognizable by the HVAC controller. The HVAC controller may be a thermostat including a housing that houses a temperature sensor, a microphone, and a controller. The controller may identify a trigger phrase in an audio stream provided by the microphone. In response to identifying the trigger phrase, the controller initiates processing of the audio stream to identify a command following the trigger phrase and to generate a command understandable by the thermostat that instructs the controller to perform the identified command. The controller then executes the generated command understandable by the thermostat. A user may communicate with the thermostat via the microphone of the thermostat and/or a remote device having a microphone.

Claims

1. A thermostat configured to control one or more HVAC components of an HVAC system, the thermostat comprising:

a housing, the housing configured to house;

a temperature sensor;

a microphone;

a controller;

wherein the controller is configured to;

receive via the microphone a distinct audio stream that includes a predefined trigger phrase followed by a voice command;

identify the predefined trigger phrase included in the distinct audio stream;

send at least part of the distinct audio stream, including the part that includes the voice command, to a remote web service via a port of the thermostat in response to identifying the predefined trigger phrase in order to;

identify the voice command following the predefined trigger phrase in the at least part of the distinct audio stream that is sent to the remote web service, the voice command not understandable by the controller of the thermostat; and

generate a thermostat command that is understandable by the controller of the thermostat and that instructs the controller to perform the function indicated by the voice command identified in the at least part of the distinct audio stream that is sent to the remote web service;

receive the generated thermostat command from the remote web service via the port, the generated thermostat command is based on the sent at least part of the distinct audio stream; and

wherein the controller is configured to execute the generated thermostat command.

2. The thermostat of claim 1, further comprising a speaker, wherein the controller is configured to receive a response audio clip via the port and to play the received response audio clip over the speaker.

3. The thermostat of claim 2, wherein the received audio clip is generated by the remote web service.

4. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the controller includes a speech recognition module for identifying the predefined trigger phrase in the distinct audio stream.

5. The thermostat of claim 1, further comprising:

a display;

wherein the controller is configured to display a message on the display in response to identifying the predefined trigger phrase.

6. The thermostat of claim 1 further comprising a speaker, wherein the controller is configured to play an audio clip over the speaker after the predefined trigger phrase is identified.

7. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein when the identified voice command following the predefined trigger phrase is a voice command to change a set point temperature to a requested set point value, then:

when the requested set point value is within a predetermined range, the controller changes the set point temperature to the set point value in response to the generated thermostat command; and

when the requested set point value is outside of the predetermined range, the controller changes the set point temperature to a set point value that is within the predetermined range in response to the generated thermostat command.

8. The thermostat of claim 7, wherein

when the requested set point value is within the predetermined range, the controller plays an audio clip over a speaker of the thermostat that annunciates the requested set point value;

when the requested set point value is outside of the predetermined range, the controller plays an audio clip over the speaker of the thermostat that annunciates a reason for rejecting the requested set point value.

9. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to receive feedback from a user when the controller incorrectly identifies the predefined trigger phrase, and in response, the controller adjusts a trigger phrase sensitivity factor that is used by the controller in identifying the predefined trigger phrase.

10. A thermostat configured to control one or more HVAC components of an HVAC system, the thermostat comprising:

a housing, the housing configured to house;

a temperature sensor;

a microphone;

a controller;

wherein the controller is configured to;

enter a sleep mode;

receive via the microphone a distinct audio stream that includes a predefined trigger phrase followed by a voice command;

identify the predefined trigger phrase included in the distinct audio stream when in the sleep mode;

send at least part of the distinct audio stream, including the part that includes the voice command, to a remote web service via a port of the thermostat in response to identifying the predefined trigger phrase in order to;

identify the voice command following the predefined trigger phrase in the at least part of the distinct audio stream that is sent to the remote web service, the voice command not understandable by the controller of the thermostat; and

generate a thermostat command that is understandable by the controller and that instructs the controller to perform the a function indicated by the voice command identified in the at least part of the distinct audio stream that is sent to the remote web service; and

receive the generated thermostat command from the remote web service via the port, the generated thermostat command is based on the sent at least part of the distinct audio stream; and

wherein the controller is configured to execute the generated thermostat command.

11. The thermostat of claim 10, wherein the controller is configured to enter a wake mode upon recognizing the predefined trigger phrase.

12. The thermostat of claim 11, further comprising:

a display having a backlight; and

wherein the backlight is dimmed when the controller is in the sleep mode and is less dimmed when the controller is in the wake mode.

13. The thermostat of claim 11, further comprising:

a display having a backlight; and

wherein the backlight is turned off when the controller is in the sleep mode and is turned on when the controller is in the wake mode.