User Status- and User Behavior-Based Control System and Method for Building Technology Systems and Components

• US 20140172176A1
• Filed: 08/07/2012
• Published: 06/19/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: tado GmbH
• Original Assignee: tado GmbH
• Inventors: Deilmann, Christian, Schwarz, Johannes
• Granted Patent: US 9,804,578 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/275
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• 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: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/30 Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for improving the carbon footprint of the management of residential or tertiary loads, i.e. smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the buildings sector, including also the last stages of power distribution and the control, monitoring or operating management systems at local level
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/20 End-user application control systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/18 Network protocols supporting networked applications, e.g. including control of end-device applications over a network

Abstract

A building-installation control system comprises at least one interface unit for functional coupling to a building-installation functional unit, and a user status determination arrangement designed to determine a current building user status, wherein on the basis of the current building user status, a control specification for the building-installation function unit adapted thereto is then determined and used for controlling the operation of the building-installation function unit. The user status determination arrangement preferably comprises one or more of the following devices: a building user geodata acquisition device, an appliance usage sensing device, a radio frequency monitoring device and/or a power consumption sensing device that can be coupled to a smart meter.

Claims

1. A building technology control system comprising:

at least one interface unit configured to functionally couple to a building technology functional unit; and

a user status determination device designed to determine a current building user status, wherein, based on the determined building user status, a control specification for the building technology functional unit can be determined and used for controlling operation of the building technology functional unit.

2. The building technology control system according to claim 1, in which the user status determination device comprises one or more of (i) a building user geodata sensing device, (ii) an appliance usage sensing device, (iii) a radio frequency monitoring device, and (iv) a power consumption sensing device which can be coupled to a smart meter.

3. The building technology control system according to claim 2, further comprising one or both of (i) a statistical evaluation device and (ii) a user profile storage and management device which, from a previously determined building user status determined by the user status determination device, derive a user behavior profile which is typical for a corresponding building user and which is used exclusively or in co-ordination with a currently determined building user status for controlling the operation of the building technology functional unit.

4. The building technology control system according to claim 2, in which the building user geodata sensing device of the user status determination device is designed to determine, by comparison of a geodata set of a corresponding building and a geodata set of a corresponding building user, whether or not the building user is located within a defined geozone around the building.

5. The building technology control system according to claim 2, in which the appliance usage sensing device of the user status determination device is designed to determine, by coupling to a software application of a corresponding building user, whether a corresponding computer is being used.

6. The building technology control system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the radio frequency monitoring device of the user status determination device is designed to determine the presence of a corresponding building user in a corresponding building by monitoring radio frequency bands for specific characteristics that are typical emission characteristics of one or more of a portable mobile communication device, a WLAN/WiFi module, and a Bluetooth module.

7. The building technology control system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the power consumption sensing device of the user status determination device is designed to determine from a measured current consumption which electrical consumer unit in a corresponding building or of a corresponding building user is being used, wherein a conclusion can be drawn as to a building user status from the electrical consumer unit determined being used.

8. The building technology control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the building technology functional unit is one or more of an energy-generating system and an energy storage unit.

9. A method for controlling a building technology functional unit by a building technology control system, the method comprising:

(a) determining a current building user status; and

(b) using the determined building user status to determine a control specification for a building technology functional unit.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein step (a) comprises the determination of an electrical consumer unit currently being operated in a corresponding building by means of current consumption measured in the building, wherein the building user status is determined from the electrical consumer unit being operated.