Methods and systems for data interchange between a network-connected thermostat and cloud-based management server

• US 9,098,279 B2
• Filed: 10/17/2011
• Issued: 08/04/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Mucignat, Andrea, Steele, Oliver W., Supramaniam, Senthilvasan, Hardison, Osborne B., Schultz, Richard J. III
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): POUDEL, SANTOSH RAJ
• Application Number:
  US13/275,307
• Publication Number:
  US 20120233478A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,387 Days
• Field of Search: 713/320, 713/1, 713/323, 236/51
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1917 using digital means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/00 Details not covered by groups G06F3/00 - G06F13/00 and G06F21/00 architectures of general purpose stored program computers G06F15/76
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3209 Monitoring remote activity, e.g. over telephone lines or network connections
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/17 using an input/output type connection, e.g. channel, I/O port
• 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 61/2514 between local and global IP addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2553 Binding renewal aspects, e.g. using keep-alive messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/256 NAT traversal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5014 using dynamic host configuration protocol [DHCP] or bootstrap protocol [BOOTP]
• 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 52/0261 managing power supply demand, e.g. depending on battery level
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0277 according to available power supply, e.g. switching off when a low battery condition is detected
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Aspects of the present invention provide energy conserving communications for networked thermostats powered, in part, by batteries. A thermostat communication server stores a thermostat battery-level to determine what data should be sent to the thermostat. The thermostat communication server classifies types of data to be transmitted to the thermostat according to a data priority ranging from a low-priority to a high-priority data type. If the battery-level associated with the battery on the thermostat is at a low battery-level, the thermostat communication server may only transmit data classified under a high-priority data type. This conserves the power used by the thermostat, allows the battery on the thermostat time to recharge and perform other functions. If the battery-level of the thermostat is at a high level, the thermostat communication server may transmit a range of data to the thermostat classified from a low-priority type to a high-priority data type.

Claims

1. A thermostat, comprising:

a battery configured to provide operational power for the thermostat;

a processor coupled to the battery and configured to operate in a sleep mode and a wake mode; and

a Wi-Fi chip coupled to the processor and configured to wirelessly communicate with a thermostat management server via an access point, wherein;

the processor is further configured to, while operating in the wake mode, send to the thermostat management server via the Wi-Fi chip a request to establish a communication channel between the thermostat and the thermostat management server;

the processor is further configured to, after sending the request to establish a communication channel between the thermostat and the thermostat management server, change its mode of operation from the wake mode to the sleep mode; and

the Wi-Fi chip is further configured to;

receive data packets from the thermostat management server while the processor operates in the sleep mode;

determine a priority level of the received data packets, wherein the priority level comprises a standard priority level and a keep-alive priority level;

filter the received data packets based on the determined priority level of each packet such that the keep-alive priority level packets are discarded; and

forward the standard priority level packets to the processor.

2. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the Wi-Fi chip is further configured to communicate with the access point through a plurality of ports, and the priority level of the received data packets is determined based on which of the plurality of ports the data packets are received on.

3. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive charge-level information associated with the battery; and

send at least some of the charge-level information to the thermostat management server via the Wi-Fi chip.

4. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the keep-alive priority level packets are received according to keep-alive intervals, wherein the period for the keep-alive intervals is based on a minimum time that the access point is expected to maintain an entry for the thermostat in an address translation table.

5. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the keep-alive priority level packets are received at keep-alive intervals, wherein the period for the keep-alive intervals is based on a charge level associated with a battery of the thermostat.

6. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the keep-alive priority level packets are received according to keep-alive intervals, wherein the period for the keep-alive intervals is between approximately 1 minute to approximately 5 minutes.

7. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the keep-alive priority level packets comprise TCP/IP ACK packets.

8. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the Wi-Fi chip is further configured to:

receive a keep-alive packet from the thermostat management server while the processor is in the sleep mode;

send a return acknowledgement of the keep-alive packet to the thermostat management server while the processor is in the sleep mode.

9. A method of communicating data between a thermostat and a thermostat management server, comprising:

operating a processor of a thermostat in a wake mode, the wake mode being selected from a plurality of modes of operation of the thermostat including the wake mode and a sleep mode;

sending, from the thermostat to the thermostat management server, while the processor is operating in the wake mode, and via a Wi-Fi chip included in the thermostat and coupled to the processor, a request to establish a communication channel between the thermostat and the thermostat management server through an access point;

changing, at the thermostat and after sending the request to establish a communication channel between the thermostat and the thermostat management server, the mode of operation of the thermostat from the wake mode to the sleep mode;

receiving, by the Wi-Fi chip, data packets from the thermostat management server while the processor operates in the sleep mode;

determining, by the Wi-Fi chip, a priority level of the received data packets, wherein the priority level comprises a standard priority level and a keep-alive priority level;

filtering, by the Wi-Fi chip, the received data packets based on the determined priority level of each packet such that the keep-alive priority level packets are discarded; and

forwarding, by the Wi-Fi chip, the standard priority level packets to the processor.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving a keep-alive packet at the Wi-Fi chip from the thermostat management server while the processor is in the sleep mode;

sending, from the Wi-Fi chip to the thermostat management server, a return acknowledgement of the keep-alive packet while the processor is in the sleep mode.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving, at the Wi-Fi chip and from the thermostat management server, a request to terminate and reestablish the communication channel; and

sending, from the thermostat to the thermostat management server, a request to reestablish the communication channel between the thermostat and the thermostat management server through the access point.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the access point stores an address translation table that translates between a network address of the thermostat on a first network to a network address of the access point on a second network, the first network being a private network that is local to the thermostat, the second network being a public network that includes the thermostat management server.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

receiving, at the Wi-Fi chip, from the thermostat management server, and via the access point, a transmission, wherein the transmission prevents the access point from removing an entry for the thermostat from the address translation table.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving, by the Wi-Fi chip, data that is classified as high-priority data and low-priority data; and

filtering, by the Wi-Fi chip, the received data, wherein the filtering is based on whether the data is classified as high priority or low priority.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

receiving, by the Wi-Fi chip, the high-priority data regardless of the battery level of the thermostat and receiving the low-priority data when the battery level of the thermostat is not low.

16. The method of claim 9,

wherein the keep-alive priority packets are received during a long-polling interval.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the long-polling interval is approximately 100 minutes.

18. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving charge-level information associated with the battery; and

sending at least some of the charge-level information to the thermostat management server via the Wi-Fi chip.