Energy efficiency promoting schedule learning algorithms for intelligent thermostat

• US 9,298,196 B2
• Filed: 10/19/2012
• Issued: 03/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Matsuoka, Yoky, Astier, Frank E., Sharan, Rangoli, Sloo, David, Fadell, Anthony Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Norman, Marc
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gonzalez, Paolo
• Application Number:
  US13/656,200
• Publication Number:
  US 20130099011A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,257 Days
• Field of Search: 621/25, 621/26, 621/29, 236/1.C, 236/44.C, 236/46.R, 236/46.C, 236/94
• 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 11/523 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 11/64 using pre-stored data
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/65 for selecting an operating mode
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/70 Control systems characterised by their outputs; Constructional details thereof
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/00 Control inputs relating to air properties
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/10 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/20 Feedback from users
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 13/0265 the criterion being a learning criterion
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1904 variable in time

Abstract

A user-friendly programmable thermostat is described that includes receiving an immediate-control input to change set point temperature, controlling temperature according to the set point temperature for a predetermined time interval, and then automatically resetting the set point temperature upon the ending of the predetermined time interval such that the user is urged to make further immediate-control inputs. A schedule for the programmable thermostat is automatically generated based on the immediate-control inputs. Methods are also described for receiving user input relating to the user'"'"'s preference regarding automatically generating a schedule, and determining whether or not to automatically adopt an automatically generated schedule based on the received user input.

Claims

1. A thermostat comprising:

a housing;

a ring-shaped user-interface component configured to track a rotational input motion from a user;

a controller disposed within the housing and coupled to the ring-shaped user interface component,

the controller being configured and programmed to be in operative communication with one or more temperature sensors for receiving ambient air temperature,

the controller further being configured and programmed to be in operative communication with an HVAC system to control the HVAC system based at least in part on a comparison of the measured ambient temperature and a setpoint temperature,

the controller further being configured and programmed to identify immediate-control inputs from a user, that immediately change the setpoint temperature based on the tracked rotational input, and to form a schedule including a set of setpoint temperatures that become effective at predetermined times, based on the user'"'"'s immediate-control inputs,

the controller further being configured and programmed to identify if heating or cooling is required to maintain one or more of the set of setpoint temperatures, based on at least one of geographic location of the thermostat and time of year;

the controller still further being configured and programmed to automatically reset a setpoint temperature of the schedule to a less energy-consuming temperature, based on energy savings as determined by the thermostat, upon an ending of a predetermined time interval and to automatically generate a revised schedule for the thermostat based at least in part on repeated identifications of the user'"'"'s immediate-control inputs to immediately change the setpoint temperature; and

an electronic display coupled to the controller and configured to display information to users;

wherein said electronic display is disposed along a front face of the thermostat housing, said ring-shaped user interface component comprises a mechanically rotatable ring that substantially surrounds the electronic display and is further configured to be inwardly pressable by the user along a direction of an axis of rotation of the rotational input motion, and said mechanically rotatable ring and said housing are mutually configured such that said mechanically rotatable ring moves inwardly along said direction of said axis of rotation when inwardly pressed.

2. The thermostat according to claim 1 wherein said thermostat housing is generally disk-like in shape with said front face thereof being circular, and wherein said mechanically rotatable ring is generally coincident with an outer lateral periphery of said disk-like shape.

3. The thermostat according to claim 1 wherein said thermostat is configured such that said rotational input motions and said inward pressings of the ring-shaped user-interface component represent the sole physical user inputs to said thermostat.

4. A thermostat according to claim 1 wherein the predetermined time interval is at least about 1 hour and less than about 4 hours.

5. A thermostat according to claim 4 wherein the predetermined time interval is at least 1.5 hours and less than about 3 hours.

6. A thermostat according to claim 1 wherein the electronic display is further configured to display to a user a notification relating to the generating of the revised schedule.

7. The thermostat according to claim 1 wherein the controller is still further configured and programmed such that in cases where two or more immediate setpoint temperature changes are identified within a short time interval of less than 90 minutes, to automatically generate the revised schedule based on a latest of the two or more identifications.

8. The thermostat according to claim 1 wherein the controller is still further configured and programmed such that the automatic resetting of the setpoint temperature is reset to a base setpoint temperature of lower than 68 degrees Fahrenheit at times when the HVAC system uses heating and reset to a base setpoint temperature of greater than 78 degrees Fahrenheit at times when the HVAC system uses cooling.

9. The thermostat according to claim 1 wherein the controller is still further configured and programmed such that the automatically generated revised schedule is automatically adopted as an active schedule for the programmable thermostat.

10. A method for generating a schedule for a programmable thermostat used for control of an HVAC system, the thermostat comprising a housing, a ring-shaped user interface component, a controller, and an electronic display, the method comprising:

accessing an ambient air temperature measured by one or more temperature sensors;

detecting and tracking rotational movements of the ring-shaped user-interface component to track at least one rotational input motion of a user;

identifying a first setpoint temperature value based on the tracked rotational input motion at a first point in time;

controlling the HVAC system using a control circuit based at least in part on a comparison of the measured ambient air temperature and the first setpoint temperature value for a predetermined time interval;

automatically resetting the first setpoint temperature upon the ending of the predetermined time interval;

identifying a second setpoint temperature value based on the tracked rotational input motion at a second point in time;

controlling the HVAC system using a control circuit based at least in part on a comparison of the measured ambient air temperature and the second setpoint temperature value for the predetermined time interval;

automatically resetting the second set point temperature upon the ending of the predetermined time interval;

automatically generating with the controller, a first schedule for the programmable thermostat based at least in part on the first and second setpoints and the first and second points in time;

automatically identifying with the controller, whether heating or cooling is required to maintain at least one of the first setpoint temperature and the second setpoint temperature, based on at least one of geographic location of the thermostat and time of year;

automatically generating with the controller, a second schedule for the programmable thermostat that includes at least one modified setpoint, relative to the first and second setpoints, that saves energy by reducing the identified heating or cooling; and

displaying information representative of the first and second identified setpoint temperature values on the electronic display;

wherein said electronic display is disposed along a front face of the thermostat housing, said ring-shaped user interface component comprises a mechanically rotatable ring that substantially surrounds the electronic display and is further configured to be inwardly pressable by the user along a direction of an axis of rotation of rotational input motion, and said mechanically rotatable ring and said housing are mutually configured such that said mechanically rotatable ring moves inwardly along said direction of said axis of rotation when inwardly pressed.

11. A method according to claim 10 wherein the predetermined time interval is at least about 30 minutes and less than about 6 hours.

12. A method according to claim 11 wherein the predetermined time interval is about 2 hours.

13. A method according to claim 10 wherein the resetting of the first and second set points resets the set point temperature back to a base set point temperature.

14. A method according to claim 13 wherein the base set point temperature is lower than 65 degrees Fahrenheit, at times when the controller identifies that heating is required.

15. A method according to claim 13 wherein the base set point temperature is greater than 78 degrees Fahrenheit, at times when the controller identifies that cooling is required.

16. A method according to claim 10 further comprising displaying on the electronic display a notification indicating that the second schedule has been generated.

17. A method according to claim 10 wherein the resetting of the first and second setpoints resets the setpoint temperature back to setpoint temperature of a preexisting schedule.

18. A method according to claim 10 further comprising automatically adopting the second schedule as an active schedule for the programmable thermostat.

19. A method according to claim 10 further comprising:

displaying on the electronic display a notification indicating that the second schedule has been automatically generated; and

identifying user input as to whether or not to adopt the generated schedule as an active schedule.

20. A method according to claim 10 further comprising:

displaying on a remote user interface a notification indicating that the second schedule has been generated; and

identifying using the remote user interface a user'"'"'s desire whether or not to adopt the second schedule as an active schedule.

21. A thermostat comprising:

a disk-like housing including a circular front face;

an electronic display centrally disposed on the front face;

an annular ring member disposed around the centrally disposed electronic display, said annular ring member and said housing being mutually configured such that (i) said annular ring member is rotatable around a front-to-back axis of the thermostat, and (ii) said annular ring member is inwardly pressable along a direction of the front-to back axis;

a controller disposed within the housing and coupled to the annular ring member;

said controller being configured and programmed to immediately change a setpoint temperature value based on a user rotation of the annular ring member;

said controller being further configured and programmed to be in operative communication with one or more temperature sensors for receiving an ambient air temperature, said controller being still further configured and programmed to be in operative communication with an HVAC system to control the HVAC system based at least in part on a comparison of the measured ambient temperature and the setpoint temperature value;

said controller being further configured and programmed to automatically reset the setpoint temperature to a less energy-consuming temperature upon an ending of a predetermined time interval after the setpoint temperature has been immediately changed based on a user rotation of the annular ring member; and

said controller being still further configured and programmed to identify from the annular ring member user input relating to a user'"'"'s preference regarding automatically generating a schedule and to determine therefrom whether or not to automatically adopt an automatically generated schedule.

22. A thermostat according to claim 21 wherein the identified user input identifies a user'"'"'preference whether or not an automatically generated schedule should be automatically adopted.

23. A thermostat according to claim 21 wherein the identified user input identifies whether or not the user prefers to receive future notifications regarding the adoption of an automatically generated schedule.

24. The thermostat according to claim 23 wherein the controller is still further configured and programmed to based at least in part on the identified user input, determine whether or not to notify the user of the automatically generated schedule that the user may wish to adopt.

25. The thermostat according to claim 24 wherein the determination of whether or not to notify the user is based in part on an estimated of saving of cost and/or energy associated with the automatically generated schedule.

26. The thermostat according to claim 21 wherein the identified user input identifies whether or not the user prefers to manually enter a schedule for the programmable thermostat.

27. The thermostat according to claim 21 further comprising the one or more temperature sensors, wherein said controller is configured and programmed to send at least one control signal to the HVAC system based at least in part on the comparison of the measured ambient air temperature and the setpoint temperature value.