HVAC controller with wireless network based occupancy detection and control

• US 10,133,283 B2
• Filed: 07/19/2016
• Issued: 11/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ademco Inc. (Resideo Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Bergman, Gabriel A., Liu, Neo
• Primary Examiner(s): Bhatti, Hashim S
• Application Number:
  US15/214,225
• Publication Number:
  US 20160327966A1
• Time in Patent Office: 854 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 11/46 Improving electric energy efficiency or saving
• 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 11/65 for selecting an operating mode
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/66 Sleep mode
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/67 Switching between heating and cooling modes
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/10 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/20 Humidity
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/00 Control inputs relating to users or occupants
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/10 Occupancy
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/12 Position of occupants
• 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: G05B 2219/33192 Radio link, wireless
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/19 characterised by the use of electric means G05D23/1393 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1904 variable in time
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1905 associated with tele control
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1927 using a plurality of sensors G05D23/1902, G05D23/1917, and G05D23/1919 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2809 : indicating that an appliance service is present in a home automation network monitoring functionality H04L43/0817; discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services, H04L67/51
• 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 12/282 : based on user interaction within the home receiver circuitry for displaying additional information being controlled by a remote control apparatus H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2827 : Reporting to a device within the home network; wherein the reception of the information reported automatically triggers the execution of a home appliance functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 : Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

An HVAC controller that can detect if a user'"'"'s mobile wireless device is currently connected to and recognized by a building'"'"'s wireless local area network is disclosed. Depending on whether or not the user'"'"'s mobile wireless device is currently connected to and recognized by the building'"'"'s wireless local area network, the HVAC controller basis its control on unoccupied or occupied settings.

Claims

1. An HVAC controller for controlling one or more components of an HVAC system of a building, the HVAC controller comprising:

a memory;

a wireless transceiver for wirelessly sending and receiving data over a wireless local area network of the building;

a controller configured to provide control signals to the one or more components of the HVAC system;

the controller further configured to connect the HVAC controller to the wireless local area network of the building via the wireless transceiver, and once connected, determine if at least one mobile wireless device known to the HVAC controller as corresponding to a known user'"'"'s mobile device is currently wirelessly connected to the wireless local area network or not, wherein;

if at least one mobile wireless device known to the HVAC controller as corresponding to a known user'"'"'s mobile device is currently wirelessly connected to the wireless local area network, the controller is configured to operate the HVAC system in accordance with a predetermined schedule comprising an occupied time period and a sleep time period, wherein during the occupied time period the controller controls the HVAC system in accordance with an occupied temperature setpoint, and during the sleep time period the controller controls the HVAC system in accordance with a sleep temperature setpoint; and

if no mobile wireless device known to the HVAC controller as corresponding to a known user'"'"'s mobile device is currently wirelessly connected to the wireless local area network, the controller is configured to operate the HVAC system in accordance with an unoccupied temperature setpoint.

2. The HVAC controller of claim 1, wherein the wireless local area network of the building is hosted by a network host device that is separate from the HVAC controller.

3. The HVAC controller of claim 1, wherein the sleep temperature setpoint is different from the occupied temperature setpoint.

4. The HVAC controller of claim 1, wherein the occupied temperature setpoint is different from the unoccupied temperature setpoint.

5. The HVAC controller of claim 1, wherein there is one mobile wireless device known to the HVAC controller as corresponding to a known user'"'"'s mobile device.

6. The HVAC controller of claim 1, wherein there is a plurality of mobile wireless devices known to the HVAC controller as corresponding to known user'"'"'s mobile devices.

7. The HVAC controller of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to determine if no mobile wireless device known to the HVAC controller as corresponding to a known user'"'"'s mobile device has been wirelessly connected to the wireless local area network for at least a predetermined period of time, and if so, the controller is configured to operate the HVAC system in accordance with a vacation temperature setpoint.

8. The HVAC controller of claim 7, wherein the predetermined period of time is 24 hours or more.

9. The HVAC controller of claim 1, wherein at least one mobile wireless device comprises a cell phone, a smart phone or a fob.

10. The HVAC controller of claim 1, wherein the wireless local area network is a WiFi network.

11. The HVAC controller of claim 1, wherein the wireless local area network is a Bluetooth network.

12. An HVAC controller for controlling one or more components of an HVAC system of a building, the HVAC controller comprising:

a memory;

a wireless transceiver for wirelessly sending and receiving data over a wireless local area network of the building;

a controller configured to provide control signals to the one or more components of the HVAC system;

the controller further configured to determine if at least one mobile wireless device known to the HVAC controller as corresponding to a known user'"'"'s mobile device is currently wirelessly connected to a wireless local area network or not, wherein;

if at least one mobile wireless device known to the HVAC controller as corresponding to a known user'"'"'s mobile device is currently wirelessly connected to the wireless local area network, the controller is configured to operate the HVAC system in accordance with a predetermined schedule, wherein the predetermined schedule includes at least two time periods each capable of having a different programmable temperature setpoint; and

if no mobile wireless device known to the HVAC controller as corresponding to a known user'"'"'s mobile device is currently wirelessly connected to the wireless local area network, the controller is configured to operate the HVAC system in accordance with an unoccupied temperature setpoint.

13. The HVAC controller of claim 12, wherein the wireless local area network of the building is hosted by a network host device that is separate from the HVAC controller.

14. The HVAC controller of claim 12, wherein one of the at least two time periods corresponds to a sleep time period with a sleep temperature setpoint.

15. The HVAC controller of claim 12, wherein one of the at least two time periods corresponds to an occupied time period with an occupied temperature setpoint.

16. The HVAC controller of claim 12, wherein the controller is configured to determine if no mobile wireless device known to the HVAC controller as corresponding to a known user'"'"'s mobile device has been wirelessly connected to the wireless local area network for at least a predetermined period of time, and if so, the controller is configured to operate the HVAC system in accordance with a vacation temperature setpoint.

17. The HVAC controller of claim 12, wherein the wireless local area network is a WiFi network.