Power management in energy buffered building control unit

• US 8,511,576 B2
• Filed: 06/22/2012
• Issued: 08/20/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Nest Labs Incorporated (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Warren, Daniel Adam, Fiennes, Hugo, Dutra, Jonathan Alan, Bell, David, Fadell, Anthony Michael, Rogers, Matthew Lee, Smith, Ian C., Satterthwaite, Edwin H. Jr., Palmer, Joseph E., Erickson, Grant M., Mucignat, Andrea
• Primary Examiner(s): Jules, Frantz
• Assistant Examiner(s): CRENSHAW, HENRY T
• Application Number:
  US13/531,474
• Publication Number:
  US 20120261109A1
• Time in Patent Office: 424 Days
• Field of Search: 236/1.C, 236/94, 307/44, 307/48, 307/59, 307/80, 307/86, 307/87, 307/125, 700/276, 700/277
• US Class Current: 236/1.C
• 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 11/66 Sleep mode
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/88 Electrical aspects, e.g. circuits
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/10 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/00 Control inputs relating to users or occupants
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/14 Activity of occupants
• 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: G05D 23/19 characterised by the use of electric means G05D23/1393 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1902 characterised by the use of a variable reference value

Abstract

A thermostat includes a plurality of HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) wire connectors for receiving a plurality of HVAC control wires corresponding to an HVAC system. The thermostat also includes a thermostat processing and control circuit configured to at least partially control the operation of the HVAC system and a powering circuit coupled to the HVAC wire connectors and configured to provide an electrical load power to the thermostat processing and control circuit. The powering circuit has a power extraction circuit configured to extract electrical power from one or more of the plurality of received HVAC control wires up to a first level of electrical power, a rechargeable battery, and a power control circuit. The power control circuit is configured to provide the electrical load power using power from the power extraction circuit and the rechargeable battery.

Claims

1. A thermostat, comprising:

a plurality of HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) wire connectors configured to receive a plurality of HVAC control wires corresponding to an HVAC system of a building enclosure;

a display;

a thermostat processing and control circuit configured to at least partially control the operation of the HVAC system of the building enclosure, the thermostat processing and control circuit comprising a main processor having a low-power usage state and a high-power usage state, wherein;

the thermostat processing and control circuit is configured to poll sensors on an ongoing basis, while allowing the main processor to operate in the low-power usage state; and

the main processor and display are selectively operated such that a long-term average power used by the thermostat is less than a first level of electrical power; and

a powering circuit coupled to the HVAC wire connectors and configured to provide an electrical load power to the thermostat processing and control circuit, the powering circuit comprising;

a power extraction circuit configured to extract electrical power from one or more of the plurality of received HVAC control wires up to the first level of electrical power;

a rechargeable battery; and

a power control circuit coupled to the power extraction circuit, the rechargeable battery, and the thermostat processing and control circuit, wherein the power control circuit is configured such that;

(i) during a first time period in which the electrical load power required by the thermostat processing and control circuit is less than said first level of electrical power, the power control circuit supplies the required electrical load power to the thermostat processing and control circuit and charges the rechargeable battery, if needed, using power from the power extraction circuit; and

(ii) during a second time period in which the electrical load power required by the thermostat processing and control circuit is greater than said first level of electrical power, the power control circuit discharges the rechargeable battery and supplies the required electrical load power to the thermostat processing and control circuit using a combination of (a) power from the power extraction circuit, and (b) power from the discharging rechargeable battery.

2. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the first level of power is determined according to a selection of HVAC control wire from which the power extraction circuit is extracting electrical power.

3. The thermostat of claim 2, wherein the selected HVAC control wire is either a call relay wire or a common wire, wherein the first level of power associated with the common wire is higher than the first level of power associated with the call relay wire.

4. The thermostat of claim 2, wherein the HVAC control wire from which power is extracted is automatically selected based on an automatic identification of the HVAC control wires that are inserted into the thermostat.

5. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the thermostat further includes a backplate processor configured to operate in a low-power state, wherein the backplate processor is configured to poll the sensors in the system on the ongoing basis, while allowing the main processor to operate in the low-power usage state.

6. The thermostat of claim 5, wherein the backplate processor is configured to cause the main processor to move from the low-power usage state to the high-power usage state.

7. A method of controlling an HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) system of a building enclosure, the method comprising:

connecting one or more HVAC control wires to corresponding HVAC wire connectors in a thermostat, which includes a rechargeable battery and is configured to at least partially control the operation of the HVAC system of the building enclosure;

extracting electrical power from the one or more received HVAC control wires up to a first level of electrical power;

during a first time period in which the electrical load power required by the thermostat is less than said first level of electrical power, supplying the required electrical load power to the thermostat and charging the rechargeable battery, if needed, using the extracted power;

during a second time period in which the electrical load power required by the thermostat is greater than said first level of electrical power, discharging the rechargeable battery and supplying the required electrical load power to the thermostat using a combination of the extracted power and power from the discharging rechargeable battery;

wherein;

the thermostat includes a main processor and a display, each having a low-power usage state and a high-power usage state, the main processor and display being selectively operated such that a long-term average power used by the thermostat is less than a first level of electrical power, and the thermostat is configured to poll sensors on an ongoing basis while allowing the main processor to operate in the low-power usage state.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising determining the first level of power according to a selection of HVAC control wire from which the power extraction circuit is extracting electrical power.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising setting the first level of power at a higher level if the selected HVAC control wire is a call relay wire than if the selected HVAC control wire is a common wire.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising automatically selecting the HVAC control wire from which power is extracted based on an automatic identification of the HVAC control wires that are inserted into the thermostat.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the thermostat further includes a backplate processor, wherein the method further comprises operating the backplate processor in a low-power state, and causing the backplate processor to poll the sensors in the system on the ongoing basis, while allowing the main processor to operate in the low-power usage state.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising causing the backplate processor to wake up the main processor to move from the low-power usage state to the high-power usage state.

13. A thermostat, comprising:

a plurality of HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) wire connectors configured to receive a plurality of HVAC control wires corresponding to an HVAC system of a building enclosure;

a thermostat processing and control circuit configured to at least partially control the operation of the HVAC system of the building enclosure;

a main processor and a display, each having a low-power usage state and a high-power usage state, wherein the processor and display are selectively operated such that a long-term average power used by the thermostat is less than a first level of electrical power, wherein the thermostat is configured to poll sensors on an ongoing basis while allowing the main processor to operate in the low-power usage state; and

a powering circuit coupled to the HVAC wire connectors and configured to provide an electrical load power to the thermostat processing and control circuit using electrical power extracted from one or more of the plurality of received HVAC control wires and electrical power from a rechargeable battery, wherein the powering circuit comprises;

a power extraction circuit configured to extract electrical power from one or more of the plurality of received HVAC control wires U_P to a first level of electrical power;

the rechargeable battery; and

a power control circuit coupled to the power extraction circuit, the rechargeable battery, and the thermostat processing and control circuit, wherein the power control circuit is configured such that;

(i) during a first time period in which the electrical load power required by the thermostat processing and control circuit is less than said first level of electrical power, the power control circuit supplies the required electrical load power to the thermostat processing and control circuit and charges the rechargeable battery, if needed, using power from the power extraction circuit; and

(ii) during a second time period in which the electrical load power required by the thermostat processing and control circuit is greater than said first level of electrical power, the power control circuit discharges the rechargeable battery and supplies the required electrical load power to the thermostat processing and control circuit using a combination of (a) power from the power extraction circuit, and (b) power from the discharging rechargeable battery.

14. The thermostat of claim 13, wherein the first level of power is determined according to a selection of HVAC control wire from which the power extraction circuit is extracting electrical power.

15. The thermostat of claim 14, wherein the selected HVAC control wire is either a call relay wire or a common wire, wherein the first level of power associated with the common wire is higher than the first level of power associated with the call relay wire.

16. The thermostat of claim 13, wherein the HVAC control wire from which power is extracted is automatically selected based on an automatic identification of the HVAC control wires that are inserted into the thermostat.