Method and system for determining comparative usage information at a server device

• US 10,288,309 B2
• Filed: 03/21/2017
• Issued: 05/14/2019
• 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:
  US15/464,440
• Publication Number:
  US 20170205102A1
• Time in Patent Office: 784 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, and computer readable medium are described for receiving from a thermostat device at a server device climate system usage information and settings and sending from the server device ecorank information, wherein the ecorank information is derived from a comparison of usage of climate systems controlled by the thermostat device in comparison to a comparison group, the comparison group comprising other climate systems controlled by other thermostat devices. The comparison group is determined based on profile information describing the dwelling, dwelling size, dwelling location, dwelling occupants, climate system technology, and related information. In some embodiments, the ecorank information may be one or more of a numerical score, percentage, graphic, icon, color, letter, and an audio item. In some embodiments, the energy consumed by the climate systems may be reported by an associated energy measurement device or estimated by heating and cooling usage hours.

Claims

1. A server device comprising:

a communications interface operable to;

couple the server device to a plurality of thermostat devices, wherein each thermostat device of the plurality of thermostat devices controls a climate system;

a processor and memory coupled with the communications interface and operable to;

receive usage information from the plurality of thermostat devices, the usage information comprising first usage information of a first climate system controlled by a first thermostat device of the plurality of thermostat devices and other usage information of other climate systems controlled by other thermostat devices of the plurality of thermostat devices;

determine ecorank information based on the usage information, the ecorank information comprising information reflecting a real-time comparison of the first usage information to the other usage information, the first usage information and the other usage information collected over a period of time including a current time; and

send, to the first thermostat device, the ecorank information.

2. The server device of claim 1 further comprising:

the processor and memory in determining the ecorank information further operable to;

determine actual ecorank information based on the usage information;

determine predicted ecorank information based on one or more of a pattern detected in the usage information and a climate system setting; and

determine the ecorank information based on the actual ecorank information and the predicted ecorank information.

3. The server device of claim 1 further comprising:

the processor and the memory, in sending the ecorank information, further operable to;

in response to receiving the usage information from the first thermostat device;

determine, in real-time, the ecorank information for the first thermostat device; and

send, in real-time, to the first thermostat device, the ecorank information.

4. The server device of claim 1 wherein the usage information includes energy consumption information and the ecorank information further comprises information reflecting a comparison of energy consumption of the climate system controlled by the first thermostat device in comparison to other energy consumption of other climate systems controlled by other of the plurality of thermostat devices.

5. The server device of claim 1 wherein the climate system comprises one or more climate system components, the one or more climate system components comprising one or more of a heating component, a cooling component, a fan component, a humidification component, and a dehumidification component, and the one or more climate system components are fueled by one or more of electricity, gas, oil, wood, and coal.

6. The server device of claim 1 wherein the usage information further comprises a climate system setting, the climate system setting comprising one or more of a heat setting, cool setting, fan setting, a humidifier setting, and an ecorank target setting.

7. The server device of claim 6 further comprising:

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

receive, from a first computing device associated with the first thermostat device, the climate system setting; and

send to the first thermostat device, information reflecting the climate system setting.

8. The server device of claim 1 wherein receiving usage information comprises receiving 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.

9. The server device of claim 1 wherein receiving usage information comprises receiving one or more of heating component energy consumption information, cooling component energy consumption information, fan component energy consumption information, humidification component energy consumption information, and dehumidification component energy consumption information.

10. The server device of claim 1 further comprising:

the processor and the memory capable of determining the ecorank information and further operable to;

receive profile information from the plurality of thermostat devices;

determine, based on the profile information, a comparison group for the first thermostat device;

perform a comparison of the usage information from the first thermostat device to the usage information of the comparison group; and

determine, based on the comparison, the ecorank information.

11. The server device of claim 10 wherein the comparison group is chosen from the group consisting of:

one of the plurality of thermostat devices, some of the plurality of thermostat devices and all of the plurality of thermostat devices.

12. The server device of claim 10 wherein the profile information is comprised of one or more of:

a geographical location of a dwelling associated with a one of the plurality of thermostat devices,

a size of the dwelling associated with a one of the plurality of thermostat devices,

a format of the dwelling associated with a one of the plurality of thermostat devices,

a number of floors in the dwelling associated with a one of the plurality of thermostat devices,

a number of occupants living in the dwelling associated with a one of the plurality of thermostat devices, and

a social group associated with a user of a one of the plurality of thermostat devices.

13. The server device of claim 10 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.

14. The server device of claim 10 further comprising:

the processor and the memory further operable to;

receive updated profile information from one of the plurality of thermostat devices;

determine an updated comparison group based on the updated profile information;

perform an updated comparison of the usage information for the updated comparison group;

determine an updated ecorank based on the updated comparison; and

send, to the first thermostat device, updated ecorank information.

15. The server device of claim 1 further comprising:

the processor and the memory, wherein to send the ecorank information, further operable to;

receive energy consumption information from an energy measurement device associated with a climate system component controlled by the first thermostat device; and

determining the ecorank information based on the energy consumption information.

16. The server device of claim 1 wherein the usage information comprises one or more of a cooling component on event, a cooling component off event, a heating component on event, a heating component off event, a fan component on event, a fan component off event, a humidification component off event, and a humidification component off event.

17. The server device of claim 1 wherein the ecorank information is one or more of a numerical score, percentage, graphic, icon, color, letter, ecorank trend indicator, audio item, and a video item.

18. The server device of claim 1 further comprising:

the processor and the memory associated with the communications interface and further operable to;

receive updated usage information from one or more of the plurality of thermostat devices;

perform an updated comparison of the updated usage information;

determine updated ecorank information based on the updated comparison; and

send, to the first thermostat device, the updated ecorank information.

19. The server device of claim 1 further comprising:

the processor and the memory, capable of sending the ecorank information, further operable to;

receive a request for the ecorank information from the first thermostat device; and

send, to the first thermostat device, the ecorank.

20. The server device of claim 1 further comprising:

the processor and the memory, capable of sending the ecorank information, further operable to;

send, to the first thermostat device at a time designated by the server device, the ecorank information.

21. The server device of claim 1 wherein the ecorank information is determined based on a temporal comparison window, the temporal comparison window being N days in length and being repositioned by the server device on a daily basis.

22. The server device of claim 1 wherein the ecorank information is determined based on a temporal comparison window, the temporal comparison window being N days in length and being moved by the server device at an end of the N days.

23. The server device of claim 1 further comprising:

the processor and the memory further operable to;

provide access to the ecorank information to a social network server operating a social network associated with a first user of the first thermostat device.

24. The server device of claim 1 further comprising:

the processor and the memory further operable to;

receive a ecorank target setting from the first thermostat device; and

send updated climate system settings to the first thermostat device.

25. The server device of claim 24 further comprising:

the processor and the memory further operable to;

receive a priority mode setting indicating eco priority mode; and

modify the priority mode of the first thermostat device based on the priority mode setting.

26. The server device of claim 24 further comprising:

the processor and the memory, capable of determining the updated climate system settings, further operable to;

determine a target position in a comparison group based on the ecorank target setting;

determine an energy savings needed to achieve the target position;

determine information reflecting a time period over which the target position is to be achieved; and

determine climate system settings based on the information reflecting the time period and the energy savings needed.

27. The server device of claim 1 further comprising:

the processor and the memory, capable of receiving the usage information, further operable to;

receive first usage information from the first thermostat device from a hub device.

28. The server device of claim 27 wherein the first usage information is received at the hub device from the first thermostat device over a first communication protocol and the first usage information is received at the server device from the hub device over a second, different communication protocol.

29. The server device of claim 1 further comprising:

the processor and the memory capable of sending the ecorank information and further operable to;

send, to a computing device of a first user associated with the first thermostat device, the ecorank information.

30. A computer implemented method of operating a server device comprising:

receiving usage information from a plurality of thermostat devices, the usage information comprising first usage information of a first climate system controlled by a first thermostat device of the plurality of thermostat devices and other usage information of other climate systems controlled by other thermostat devices of the plurality of thermostat devices;

determining ecorank information based on the usage information, the ecorank information comprising information reflecting a real-time comparison of the first usage information to the other usage information, the first usage information and the other usage information collected over a period of time including a current time; and

sending, to first thermostat device, the ecorank information.

31. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing program codes that when executed instruct a microprocessor of a server device to:

receive usage information from a plurality of thermostat devices, the usage information comprising first usage information of a first climate system controlled by a first thermostat device of the plurality of thermostat devices and other usage information of other climate systems controlled by other thermostat devices of the plurality of thermostat devices;

determine ecorank information based on the usage information, the ecorank information comprising information reflecting a real-time comparison of the first usage information to the other usage information, the first usage information and the other usage information collected over a period of time including a current time; and

send, to first thermostat device, the ecorank information.