INTELLIGENT CONFIGURATION OF A SMART ENVIRONMENT BASED ON ARRIVAL TIME

• US 20150370272A1
• Filed: 11/03/2014
• Published: 12/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2014
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Malhotra, Mark, Fisher, Evan Jarman, McBride, Mark Andrew, Matsuoka, Yoky, Reddy, Prashant Papiahgari, Hester, Todd
• Application Number:
  US14/531,805
• Publication Number:
  US 20150370272A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 11/48 prior to normal operation, e.g. pre-heating or pre-cooling
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/523 for displaying temperature data
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/58 using Internet communication
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/61 using timers
• 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 2120/00 Control inputs relating to users or occupants
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 13/04 involving the use of models or simulators
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 17/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2642 Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1904 variable in time
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1917 using digital means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/54 Interprogram communication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/541 via adapters, e.g. between incompatible applications
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/546 Message passing systems or structures, e.g. queues
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 17/10 Actuation by presence of smoke or gases , e.g. automatic alarm devices for analysing flowing fluid materials by the use of optical means
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• 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 12/2818 : from a device located outside both the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless eletrical link G08C17/00; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with remote control systems H04M11/007
• 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 12/2829 : involving user profiles according to which the execution of a home appliance functionality is automatically triggered
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2841 : Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/285 : Generic home appliances, e.g. refrigerators
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 : for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/00 : Network arrangements or protocols for supporting network services or applications user-to-user messaging H04L51/00; network arrangements, protocols or services for supporting real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 : Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 : for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 : specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/30 : Profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 : Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72415 : for remote control of appliances
• 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 4/60 : Subscription-based services using application servers or record carriers, e.g. SIM application toolkits
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 : Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/105 : in response to determined parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 : via wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 : Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

A method includes receiving an estimated time of arrival (ETA) relating to an arrival to an environment, an arrival of an event, arrival of an activity, or a combination thereof; and controlling, configuring, or controlling and configuring a smart device based upon the ETA.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, at an electronic device, an estimated time of arrival (ETA) relating to an arrival to an environment, an arrival of an event, arrival of an activity, or a combination thereof; and

controlling, configuring, or controlling and configuring, via the electronic device, a smart device based upon the ETA;

wherein the ETA is calculated by a third-party separate from the electronic device and the smart device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the smart device comprises a thermostat.

3. The method of claim 2, comprising:

validating the ETA based at least upon validation criteria of the electronic device, the smart device, or both; and

controlling, configuring, or controlling and configuring the smart device based upon the ETA only when the ETA is validated.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein validating the ETA comprises:

validating the ETA by associating the ETA with a particular trip, event, or activity; and

analyzing a set of ETAs associated with the particular trip, event, or activity, to determine if the validation criteria is met.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein validating the ETA comprises:

validating the ETA by determining if the set of ETAs including the ETA is greater than or equal to a minimum number of consistent ETA samples provided in the validation criteria.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein validating the ETA comprises:

validating the ETA by determining if the ETA was received at an interval of at least a minimum time interval between ETA samples from a previously-received ETA, as provided by the validation criteria.

7. The method of claim 1, comprising:

if the ETA is time-based;

determining a pre-conditioning window extending in time from the ETA to a time prior to the ETA;

or

if the ETA is duration-based;

determining a pre-conditioning window that is a duration less than or equal to the ETA; and

controlling, configuring, or controlling and configuring the smart device during the pre-conditioning window.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein determining the pre-conditioning window comprises defining the time prior to the ETA by a static early arrival window, wherein the static early arrival window comprises a static amount of time to begin pre-conditioning prior to the ETA.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein determining the pre-conditioning window comprises defining the time prior to the ETA based upon a dynamic pre-conditioning estimate for the environment, wherein the dynamic pre-conditioning window comprises a dynamic amount of time to begin pre-conditioning prior to the ETA, based upon a pre-conditioning estimate specific to the environment.

10. An electronic device, comprising:

a processor configured to;

receive an estimated time of arrival (ETA) relating to an arrival to a conditioned environment, an arrival of an event, arrival of an activity, or a combination thereof; and

provide data to a smart device based upon the ETA, the data triggering control, configuration changes, or control and configuration changes of the smart device;

wherein the ETA is calculated by a third-party separate from the electronic device and the smart device.

11. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the electronic device and the smart device are the same device.

12. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the smart device comprises a thermostat.

13. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein the data is configured to change, add, or change and add a set point of the thermostat.

14. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein the data is configured to change a mode of the thermostat from an away mode to a home mode.

15. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the data is configured to trigger pre-conditioning of an environment, such that the environment is conditioned to a programmed temperature at or near the ETA.

16. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the processor is configured to determine a pre-conditioning window based upon a static early arrival window, wherein the static early arrival window comprises a static amount of time to begin pre-conditioning prior to the ETA.

17. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the processor is configured to determine a pre-conditioning window based upon a custom pre-conditioning estimate for the environment, wherein the dynamic pre-conditioning window comprises a dynamic amount of time to begin pre-conditioning prior to the ETA, based upon a pre-conditioning estimate specific to the environment.

18. A tangible, non-transitory, machine-readable medium, comprising machine-readable instructions to:

receive an estimated time of arrival (ETA) relating to an arrival to a conditioned environment, an arrival of an event, arrival of an activity, or a combination thereof; and

provide data to a smart device based upon the ETA, the data triggering control, configuration changes, or control and configuration changes of the smart device;

wherein the ETA is calculated by a third-party separate from the smart device and a machine implementing the machine-readable instructions.

19. The tangible, non-transitory, machine-readable medium of claim 18, comprising machine-readable instructions to:

receive a plurality of ETAs;

observe a pattern of inaccuracies between the provided plurality of ETAs and corresponding actual time of arrivals;

derive a modified ETA for a subsequently received ETA based upon the pattern of inaccuracies; and

trigger control, configuration changes, or control and configuration changes based upon the modified ETA for the subsequently received ETA.

20. The tangible, non-transitory, machine-readable medium of claim 18, comprising machine-readable instructions to:

receive a plurality of ETAs relating to different arrival to the condition environment, arrivals of an activity, or both;

determine whether the plurality of ETAs result in mutually exclusive ETA-based control events, configuration change events, or both;

prioritizing one of the plurality of ETAs when the plurality of ETAs result in mutually exclusive ETA-based control events, configuration change events, or both; and

optionally dynamically modify prioritization of the one of the plurality of ETAs when one or more of the plurality of ETAs changes.