Smart-home device that self-qualifies for away-state functionality

• US 9,395,096 B2
• Filed: 12/13/2013
• Issued: 07/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Fisher, Evan J., Matsuoka, Yoky
• Primary Examiner(s): NORMAN, MARC E
• Application Number:
  US14/106,520
• Publication Number:
  US 20140188288A1
• Time in Patent Office: 949 Days
• Field of Search: 236/1.C, 236/46.R, 236/46.C, 236/94, 165/237, 700/276
• 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 11/62 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 11/64 using pre-stored data
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/65 for selecting an operating mode
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/10 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/10 Occupancy
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/12 Position of occupants
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2140/60 Energy consumption
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 11/01 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/042 using digital processors G05B19/05 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1904 variable in time

Abstract

A control unit for controlling the operation of at least one smart-home system may include at least one occupancy sensor and a processing system. The processing system may be configured to receive readings from the at least one occupancy sensor during a trial period; compare information derived from the readings to at least one threshold criterion to establish whether the one or more occupancy sensors reliably determined occupancy of an enclosure in which the control unit is installed during the trial period; and enable an away-state feature of the control unit if it is determined that the one or more occupancy sensors reliably determined occupancy of an enclosure during the trial period.

Claims

1. A control unit for controlling the operation of at least one smart-home system, comprising:

at least one housing;

at least one processing system disposed within the at least one housing, the at least one processing system being configured to be in operative communication with a user interface; and

at least one occupancy sensor in operative communication with the at least one processing system;

wherein the at least one processing system is further configured to automatically determine whether to activate an away-state feature for the enclosure in which the smart-home system is installed, by;

receiving readings from the at least one occupancy sensor during a trial period;

comparing information derived from the readings to at least one threshold criterion to establish whether the at least one occupancy sensor reliably determined occupancy of an enclosure in which the control unit is installed during the trial period; and

enabling the away-state feature of the control unit if it is determined that the at least one occupancy sensor reliably determined occupancy of the enclosure during the trial period.

2. The control unit of claim 1, wherein the away-state feature causes the control unit to enter into an away-state mode of operation upon a determination by the at least one processing system based on readings acquired by the at least one occupancy sensor that an away-state criterion indicative of a non-occupancy condition for the enclosure in which the control unit has been installed has been satisfied.

3. The control unit of claim 2, wherein the at least one processing system is configured to be in operative communication with one or more temperature sensors for determining an ambient air temperature, in operative communication with one or more input devices including said user interface for determining a setpoint temperature value, and in still further operative communication with a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system to control the HVAC system based at least in part on a comparison of a measured ambient temperature and the setpoint temperature value.

4. The control unit of claim 1, wherein the at least one occupancy sensor comprises a Passive Infrared (PIR) sensor.

5. The control unit of claim 1, wherein the threshold criterion is used to establish whether the control unit is placed in a location in the enclosure where occupancy information is readily sensed by the at least one occupancy sensor of the control unit.

6. The control unit of claim 1, wherein the trial period begins automatically upon installation of the control unit within the enclosure.

7. The control unit of claim 1, wherein the trial period comprises between approximately 5 and 15 days.

8. A method of qualifying a control unit for a smart-home system to activate an away-state feature, the method comprising:

receiving readings from at least one occupancy sensor during a trial period wherein the control unit comprises;

at least one housing;

at least one processing system disposed within the at least one housing and being configured to be in operative communication with a user interface; and

the least one occupancy sensor in operative communication with the at least one processing system;

comparing, using the at least one processing system of the control unit, information derived from the readings to at least one threshold criterion to establish whether the at least one occupancy sensor reliably determined occupancy of an enclosure in which the control unit is installed during the trial period; and

enabling, using the at least one processing system of the control unit, an away-state feature of the control unit if it is determined that the at least one occupancy sensor reliably determined occupancy of the enclosure during the trial period.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the away-state feature causes the control unit to enter into an away-state mode of operation upon a determination by the at least one processing system based on readings acquired by the at least one occupancy sensor that an away-state criterion indicative of a non-occupancy condition for the enclosure in which the control unit has been installed has been satisfied.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the at least one processing system is configured to be in operative communication with one or more temperature sensors for determining an ambient air temperature, in operative communication with one or more input devices including said user interface for determining a setpoint temperature value, and in still further operative communication with a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system to control the HVAC system based at least in part on a comparison of a measured ambient temperature and the setpoint temperature value.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the at least one occupancy sensor comprises a Passive Infrared (PIR) sensor.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the threshold criterion is used to establish whether the control unit is placed in a location in the enclosure where occupancy information is readily sensed by the at least one occupancy sensor of the control unit.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the trial period begins automatically upon installation of the control unit within the enclosure.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the trial period comprises between approximately 5 and 15 days.

15. A control unit for controlling the operation of at least one smart-home system, comprising:

a housing;

a processing system disposed within the housing and being configured to be in operative communication with a user interface; and

at least one occupancy sensor in operative communication with the processing system, the control unit including an away-state feature in which an away-state mode of operation is activated upon a determination by the processing system based on readings acquired by the at least one occupancy sensor that an away-state criterion indicative of a non-occupancy condition for an enclosure in which the smart-home system is installed has been satisfied;

wherein the processing system is further configured to automatically determine, without requiring user input, whether to activate said away-state feature for the enclosure in which the smart-home system is installed, said determining comprising;

receiving readings from the at least one occupancy sensor during a trial period;

comparing information derived from said trial period readings to a threshold criterion to establish whether sufficiently true indications of occupancy conditions were sensed by the at least one occupancy sensor during the trial period; and

enabling said away-state feature only if it is determined that the sufficiently true indications of occupancy conditions were sensed during the trial period.

16. The control unit of claim 15, wherein said user interface is contained within said housing.

17. The control unit of claim 15, wherein said smart-home system is an energy-consuming system, and wherein said away-state mode of operation includes at least one energy-saving mode.

18. The control unit of claim 17, wherein the control unit is a thermostat, wherein said smart-home system is an HVAC system, and wherein said energy-saving mode includes a setpoint temperature setback.

19. The control unit of claim 15, wherein said readings are stored during the trial period, and wherein comparing said information derived from said trial period readings to the threshold criterion comprises comparing a number of stored readings to a threshold number of stored readings.

20. The control unit of claim 15, further comprising receiving input through the user interface to disable the away-state feature after the processing system has previously enabled the away-state feature of the control unit.