Geo-fencing with advanced intelligent recovery

• US 10,802,459 B2
• Filed: 04/27/2015
• Issued: 10/13/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ademco Inc. (Resideo Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Ademco Inc. (Resideo Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Frenz, Jonathan P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Connolly, Mark A
• Application Number:
  US14/696,725
• Publication Number:
  US 20160313749A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,996 Days
• 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 11/62 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 11/64 using pre-stored data
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/00 Control inputs relating to users or occupants
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 13/023 being a random or a self-induced perturbation
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/106 for selecting a programme, variable or parameter
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2614 HVAC, heating, ventillation, climate control
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1905 associated with tele control
• 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 12/2823 Reporting information sensed by appliance or service execution status of appliance services in a home automation network device-related reporting H04L43/065; 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: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/33 for indoor environments, e.g. buildings
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A building temperature may be allowed to deviate from a comfort temperature set point to an energy saving temperature when a user is outside the geo-fence. Crossing information indicating when a user crosses into the geo-fence may be received. The crossing information may be stored over time to develop a history of when the user crosses into the geo-fence. A probability function that operates on at least part of the stored crossing information may be used to predict a time range of when the user is expected to next arrive at the building, the time range having a starting time and an ending time. The HVAC system may be instructed to drive the building temperature to an intermediate temperature at the starting time of the time range, wherein the intermediate temperature is between the energy saving temperature and the comfort temperature set point.

Claims

1. A method of implementing advanced intelligent recovery in an HVAC system for a building, the HVAC system implementing geo-fencing using a geo-fence that is defined for the building or a user of the building, the method comprising:

allowing a building temperature to deviate from a comfort temperature set point to an energy saving temperature when the user is outside the geo-fence as indicated by an outbound geo-fence crossing;

receiving inbound geo-fence crossing information indicating when the user crosses into the geo-fence as indicated by one or more inbound geo-fence crossings;

storing the inbound geofence crossing information over time resulting in historical inbound geo-fence crossing data that indicates historically when the user has crossed into the geo-fence;

processing, for a particular day of a week, the historical inbound geo-fence crossing data for only one or more specific days of the week associated with the particular day of the week to predict a next inbound geo-fence crossing time representative of when the user is expected to next cross into the geo-fence for the particular day of the week, wherein processing the historical inbound geo-fence crossing data that indicates historically when the user has crossed into the geo-fence comprises determining a probability function of a next inbound geo-fence crossing for the user and for the particular day of the week, wherein the probability function indicates, for the user and for each time of a time range of the particular day of the week, a probability that the user will cross into the geo-fence; and

instructing the HVAC system to drive the building temperature towards the comfort temperature set point based on the predicted next inbound geo-fence crossing time.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the predicted next inbound geo-fence crossing time is based, at least in part, on one or more of an average, a median or a mode of at least some of the historical inbound geo-fence crossing data.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the HVAC system is instructed to drive the building temperature to reach the comfort temperature set point by a comfort time that is based at least in part on the predicted next inbound geo-fence crossing time.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the time range has a starting time and an ending time, the comfort time at or between the starting time and ending time.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein instructing the HVAC system to drive the building temperature towards the comfort temperature set point based on the comfort time comprises instructing the HVAC system to drive the building temperature to an intermediate temperature at the starting time of the time range, wherein the intermediate temperature is between the energy saving temperature and the comfort temperature set point.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

instructing the HVAC system to drive the building temperature to the comfort temperature set point by at least the ending time of the time range.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising permitting the user to select a balance between comfort and energy savings, the intermediate temperature being determined at least in part based upon the selected balance between comfort and energy savings.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein if the user selects a balance weighted towards comfort, the intermediate temperature is closer to the comfort temperature set point than if the user selects a balance weighted towards energy savings.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising, upon identifying that the user has crossed out of the geo-fence, informing the user that the HVAC system will allow the building temperature to deviate from the comfort temperature set point in order to save energy.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein, when the user has crossed out of the geo-fence, querying the user if the user would like the HVAC system to allow the building temperature to deviate from the comfort temperature set point in order to save energy.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising allowing the user to instruct the HVAC system to modify or cancel a recovery towards the comfort temperature set point.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

allowing the building temperature to deviate from the comfort temperature set point to the energy saving temperature when all of a plurality of users are outside the geo-fence as indicated by outboard geo-fence crossings for each of the plurality of users;

receiving inbound geo-fence crossing information indicating when each of the plurality of users crosses into the geo-fence;

storing the inbound geo-fence crossing information over time for each of the plurality of users resulting in historical inbound geo-fence crossing data for each of the plurality of users, where the historical inbound geo-fence crossing data for each of the plurality of users indicates when each of the plurality of users has crossed into the geo-fence over time;

processing at least some of the historical inbound geo-fence crossing data to predict a next inbound geo-fence crossing time representative of when any of the plurality of users is expected to next cross into the geo-fence; and

instructing the HVAC system to drive the building temperature towards the comfort temperature set point based on the predicted next inbound geo-fence crossing time.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the probability function comprises determining the probability function to vary from another probability function of the next inbound geo-fence crossing for the user and for another day of the week that is different than the particular day.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the particular day is Tuesday and wherein processing the historical inbound geo-fence crossing data comprises processing the historical inbound geo-fence crossing data only for one or more Tuesdays to predict the next inbound geo-fence crossing time representative of when the user is expected to next cross into the geo-fence for the particular day of the week.

15. An HVAC control system for controlling operation of HVAC equipment within a building, the HVAC control system configured to be in operative communication with a mobile device running an executable program providing geo-fence functionality, the HVAC control system comprising:

an input for receiving inbound crossing information indicating when the mobile device crosses into a geo-fence that is defined for the building;

a memory for storing the inbound crossing information over time resulting in historical inbound geo-fence crossing data that indicates when the mobile device has crossed into the geo-fence;

a controller operatively coupled to the input and the memory, the controller configured to control the HVAC equipment and allow a building temperature in the building to deviate from a comfort temperature set point to an energy saving temperature when the mobile device is outside the geo-fence;

the controller is further configured to determine, for a particular day of a week, a probability function of a next inbound geo-fence crossing for the mobile device and for the particular day of the week based on the stored historical inbound geo-fence crossing data for only one or more specific days of the week associated with the particular day of the week, wherein the probability function indicates, for the mobile device and for each time of a time range of the particular day of the week, a probability that the mobile device will cross into the geo-fence, the time range having a starting time and an ending time; and

the controller is further configured to control the HVAC equipment to drive the building temperature to an intermediate temperature at the starting time of the time range, wherein the intermediate temperature is between the energy saving temperature and the comfort temperature set point.

16. The HVAC control system of claim 15, wherein the controller is further configured to control the HVAC equipment to drive the building temperature to the comfort temperature set point by at least the ending time of the time range.

17. The HVAC control system of claim 15, wherein the energy saving temperature is an energy saving temperature set point.

18. The HVAC control system of claim 15, wherein:

the input is for receiving inbound geo-fence crossing information indicating when each of a plurality of mobile devices cross into the geo-fence;

the memory for storing the inbound geo-fence crossing information over time resulting in historical inbound geo-fence crossing data for each of the plurality of mobile devices;

the controller is configured to control the HVAC equipment and allow the building temperature to deviate from the comfort temperature set point to the energy saving temperature when all of the plurality of mobile devices are outside the geo-fence;

the controller is further configured to use a respective probability function of a next inbound geo-fence crossing for each mobile device of the plurality of mobile devices and for a particular day of a week and that operates on the stored historical inbound geo-fence crossing data to predict a time range of when each of the plurality of mobile devices is expected to next arrive at the building, each time range having a starting time and an ending time; and

the controller is further configured to control the HVAC equipment to drive the building temperature to an intermediate temperature at the starting time of the time range that corresponds to the mobile device of the plurality of mobile devices that is expected to arrive first at the building.

19. An HVAC controller configured to operate HVAC equipment within a building, a user of the building having a mobile device with location services, the HVAC controller comprising:

a memory for storing at least two targets, one of the at least two targets including a starting time point and an intermediate temperature set point, and another of the at least two targets including an ending time point and a comfort temperature set point;

a communications module for receiving the at least two targets from a remote server, the starting time point and the ending time point based at least in part on a probability of an expected return time of the user to the building, wherein the at least two targets received from the remote server are calculated by the remote server based, at least in part, upon a probability function of a next inbound geo-fence crossing for the user and for a particular day of a week and that references, for the particular day of the week, historical inbound geo-fence crossing data for only one or more specific days of the week associated with the particular day of the week, wherein the probability function indicates, for the user and for each time of a time range of the particular day of the week, a probability that the user will cross into the geo-fence;

an equipment interface for providing control signals to the HVAC equipment;

a controller operably coupled to the memory, the communications module and the equipment interface;

the controller configured to operate the HVAC equipment, via the equipment interface, in accordance with at least two targets received via the communications module and stored in the memory; and

the controller further configured to calculate one or more heating or cooling ramps based upon the at least two targets such that the building will attain the intermediate temperature set point at a time corresponding to the starting time point where the starting time point is earlier than an average or mean expected return time, and the building will attain the comfort temperature set point at or before the ending time point.

20. The HVAC controller of claim 19, further comprising a user interface, and wherein the controller is configured to permit the user to select, using the user interface, a balance setting between comfort and energy savings, the selected balance setting being uploaded to the remote server for use in calculating at least one of the at least two targets.