METHOD TO CONTROL A COMMUNICATION RATE BETWEEN A THERMOSTAT AND A CLOUD BASED SERVER

• US 20170089602A1
• Filed: 12/08/2016
• Published: 03/30/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ademco Inc. (Resideo Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Lemire, Patrick R., Juntunen, Robert D., Robideau, Kurt
• Granted Patent: US 10,018,372 B2
• 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 11/52 Indication arrangements, e.g. displays
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/56 Remote control
• 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 11/63 Electronic processing
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/048 Monitoring; Safety
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25011 Domotique, I-O bus, home automation, building automation
• 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: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• 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: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel

Abstract

A communication rate between a cloud-based server and an HVAC controller located within a building may be controlled based on the amount of power available at the HVAC controller. The cloud-based server may notify a user if the amount of power available at the HVAC controller is determined to be low.

Claims

1. A building controller, comprising:

an input/output block configured to send one or more control signals to control one or more building components;

a communications port configured to send and/or receive messages via a communications network;

an energy storage device for powering at least part of the building controller;

a controller operatively coupled to the input/output block, the communications port, and the energy storage device;

the controller is configured to determine an available amount of power stored in the energy storage device, and is further configured to;

communicate at a plurality of communication times with a remote device via the communications port, wherein there is a delay between each of the plurality of communication times, and wherein the delay is based, at least in part, on the determined amount of available power stored in the energy storage device; and

execute a plurality of functions, wherein the controller selectively prohibits certain of the plurality of functions based, at least in part, on the determined amount of available power stored in the energy storage device, wherein the plurality of functions comprise two or more of performing temperature set point changes, performing humidity set point changes, performing window frost protection setting changes, and performing operating mode changes.

2. The building controller of claim 1, wherein when the determined amount of available power stored in the energy storage device falls below a first threshold, the controller is configured to allow execution of a first predetermined set of functions and a second predetermined set of functions, and prohibit execution of a third predetermined set of functions.

3. The building controller of claim 2, wherein when the determined amount of available power stored in the energy storage device falls below a second threshold, the controller is configured to allow execution of the first predetermined set of functions, delay execution of the second predetermined set of functions, and prohibit execution of the third predetermined set of functions.

4. The building controller of claim 3, wherein when the determined amount of available power stored in the energy storage device falls below a third threshold, the controller is configured to allow execution of the first predetermined set of functions, and prohibit execution of the second and third predetermined sets of functions.

5. The building controller of claim 1, wherein when the determined amount of available power stored in the energy storage device falls below a first threshold, the controller is configured to allow execution of a first predetermined set of functions, delay execution of a second predetermined set of functions, and prohibit execution of a third predetermined set of functions.

6. The building controller of claim 1, wherein when the determined amount of available power stored in the energy storage device falls below a first threshold, the controller is configured to allow execution of a first predetermined set of functions, and prohibit execution of a second predetermined set of functions.

7. The building controller of claim 1, wherein the plurality of functions comprise performing temperature set point changes, performing operating mode changes, and performing firmware and/or software updates, and wherein the function of performing firmware and/or software updates is prohibited when the determined amount of available power stored in the energy storage device falls below a threshold value, and the functions of performing temperature set point changes and performing operating mode changes are not prohibited.

8. The building controller of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to communicate a message via the communications port during a first communication time of the plurality of communication times, wherein the message is indicative of the delay until the next communication time of the plurality of communication times.

9. The building controller of claim 8, wherein the remote device, upon receiving the message, determines a measure related to the amount of available power stored in the energy storage device from the message.

10. The building controller of claim 9, wherein the remote device determines the measure related to the amount of available power stored in the energy storage device from the delay specified in the message.

11. The building controller of claim 9, wherein the remote device determines the measure related to the amount of available power stored in the energy storage device from a power status indicator in the message.

12. The building controller of claim 9, wherein the remote device communicates a user message to a user indicative of the amount of available power stored in the energy storage device.

13. The building controller of claim 9, wherein the remote device communicates a user message to a user prompting the user to take an action to address the amount of available power stored in the energy storage device.

14. The building controller of claim 1, wherein the building controller does not include a local user interface.

15. The building controller of claim 1, wherein the input/output block is configured to be connected to one or more wires of the one or more building components, and wherein the building controller is further comprises a power stealing block operatively coupled to the input/output block for stealing power from one or more of the wires connected to the input/output block.

16. A system comprising a building controller in communication with a server over a network, the system comprising:

a building controller located within a building comprising;

a command module for sending one or more control signals to one or more building components;

a communications module for sending and/or receiving messages over the network;

a power module for powering at least part of the building controller;

a controller operatively coupled to the command module, the communications module, and the power module, the controller is configured to determine an available amount of power stored in the power module and is further configured to communicate, via the communications module, one or more messages that is related to the determined available amount of power stored in the power module; and

a server in communication with the building controller over the network, the server configured to receive the one or more messages that is related to the determined available amount of power stored in the power module of the building controller, the server further configured to transmit information to a user device via the network, wherein the information notifies the user as to the power state of the building controller and prompts the user to take a specified action to address the available amount of power stored in the power module.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the information further includes an expected delay time before messages will again be communicated between the server and the building controller.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the delay time is based, at least in part on the determined amount of available power stored by the power module.

19. A method of operating a building control system, wherein a building controller of the building control system includes an energy storage device for powering at least part of the building controller, and a communications port for sending and/or receiving messages to an external server via a network at successive communication times separated by a delay, the method comprising:

determining an available amount of power stored in the energy storage device of the building controller;

determining if the available amount of power is below a first predetermined threshold and is indicative of a reduced power state of the energy storage device, and if so, increasing the delay between successive communication times relative to when the available amount of power is above the first predetermined threshold;

reducing the functionality of the building controller if the available amount of power is below a second predetermined threshold;

sending a message to the external service that indicates a measure of the available amount of power stored in the energy storage device; and

sending a message from the external service to a user that prompts the user to take a specified action to address the available amount of power stored in the energy storage device if the available amount of power is indicative of a reduced power state of the energy storage device.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the first predetermined threshold is different from the second predetermined threshold.