Proximity detection module on thermostat

• US 8,571,518 B2
• Filed: 10/29/2012
• Issued: 10/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Allure Energy Incorporated
• Inventors: Imes, Kevin R., Hollister, James
• Primary Examiner(s): PATEL, RAMESH B
• Application Number:
  US13/662,663
• Publication Number:
  US 20130060387A1
• Time in Patent Office: 365 Days
• Field of Search: 700276-278, 700/286, 700/291, 700/295, 700/297, 700299-300, 455/404.02, 455/408, 455/423, 165/238, 621/61, 236/91.F, 236/91.E, 340/3.1
• US Class Current: 455/408
• 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 11/523 for displaying temperature data
• 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: F24F 11/67 Switching between heating and cooling modes
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/70 Control systems characterised by their outputs; Constructional details thereof
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/75 for maintaining constant air flow rate or air velocity
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/79 for controlling the direction of the supplied air
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/88 Electrical aspects, e.g. circuits
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/00 Control inputs relating to air properties
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/10 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2130/00 Control inputs relating to environmental factors not covered by group F24F2110/00
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2130/10 Weather information or forecasts
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/00 Control of temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1904 : variable in time
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1917 : using digital means
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/66 : Regulating electric power
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 : Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 : Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/38 : Arrangements for parallely feeding a single network by two or more generators, converters or transformers
• 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 12/2825 : Reporting to a device located outside the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with telemetering systems H04M11/002
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/285 : Generic home appliances, e.g. refrigerators
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/08 : Monitoring or testing based on specific metrics, e.g. QoS, energy consumption or environmental parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/105 : Multiple levels of security
• 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 67/141 : Setup of application sessions admission control or resource allocation in data switching networks H04L47/70
• 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: H04W 84/10 : Small scale networks; Flat hierarchical networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 10/10 : Photovoltaic [PV]
• 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: Y02D 30/70 : in wireless communication networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/56 : Power conversion systems, e.g. maximum power point trackers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/76 : Power conversion electric or electronic aspects
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 80/10 : Efficient use of energy, e.g. using compressed air or pressurized fluid as energy carrier
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/20 : End-user application control systems

Abstract

According to an aspect of the disclosure, a method of managing a site in a mobile environment, which includes detecting an availability of a thermostat wherein the thermostat has an operating condition; detecting a location of a mobile device associated with the site; providing a proximity control selector within a user interface of the mobile device to manage a proximity detection module disposed on the thermostat, wherein the proximity control selector has an enabled setting of the proximity detection module and a disabled setting of the proximity detection module; enabling the proximity detection module in response to the enabled setting of the proximity control selector to allow for the modification of the operating condition of the thermostat based on the detected location of the mobile device relative to the site; and disabling the proximity detection module in response to the disabled setting of the proximity control selector.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a thermostat disposed at a site and including a communication module capable of communicating with a mobile device associated with the site;

said thermostat including a proximity detection module disposed thereon, said proximity detection module having a home mode and an away mode;

said thermostat configured to enable the away mode;

said proximity detection module configured to;

detect a presence of a user at the site; and

alter an operating condition of the thermostat during the away mode in response to the detected presence of the user.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the thermostat includes a generally round housing.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the housing includes a control mechanism configured to rotate clockwise and counterclockwise to allow for the selection of the home mode and the away mode.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the thermostat includes an LCD display configured to indicate use of the home mode, the away mode and display a current set-point.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the LCD display has an energy savings indicator to provide a visual indication of energy savings related to the away mode.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the LCD display has an energy history section to display how much energy has been used daily by an HVAC system at the site.

7. The system of claim 4, wherein the LCD display has a schedule section to display scheduling data of the thermostat.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the thermostat is further configured to:

detect a selection of a home setting or an away setting on a user interface of the mobile device;

enable the home mode of the proximity detection module in response to the home setting; and

enable the away mode of the proximity detection module in response to the away setting.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a second thermostat disposed at a site and including a communication module capable of communicating with the mobile device, said thermostat configured to;

alter an operating condition of the second thermostat in response to detecting the change in the location e of the mobile device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the thermostat is further configured to:

communicate with a network location that stores distance information of a plurality of mobile devices including a first mobile device and a second mobile device;

detect a first distance information of the first mobile device relative to the site;

detect a second distance information of the second mobile device relative to the site;

communicate the first distance information of the first mobile device and the second distance information of the second mobile device to the network location to be compared; and

initiate the change to the operating condition of the thermostat if a change in the first distance of the first mobile device is different than a change in the second distance of the second mobile device.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the thermostat is further configured to:

initiate a reporting interval from the mobile device to a network location in response to the distance; and

initiate communication of a control of the operating mode using the reporting interval and the location.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the thermostat is further configured to:

detect an availability of a WIFI network including a device connected to the WIFI network;

access the device using the WIFI network to detect an operating condition of the device; and

initiate an altering of the operating condition of the network device using the WIFI network.