Energy management system and method

• US 9,766,645 B2
• Filed: 03/07/2016
• Issued: 09/19/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Imes, Kevin R., Hollister, James
• Primary Examiner(s): PATEL, RAMESH B
• Application Number:
  US15/063,133
• Publication Number:
  US 20160238272A1
• Time in Patent Office: 561 Days
• 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

A wireless thermostat includes a display configured to present an operating condition of the wireless thermostat and an adjustment selector to allow for manual adjustment of the operating condition. The wireless thermostat includes a communication module configured to communicate with at least one mobile device and allow for remote adjustment of the operating condition. The wireless thermostat includes a sensor for detecting a presence in proximity to the thermostat of at least one user and generating a presence signal in response to the detected user presence. The wireless thermostat includes a processor configured to implement changes in the operating condition in response to the manual adjustment at the selector and the remote adjustment at the mobile device. The processor also communicates with the sensor to receive the presence signal and transition the display between an awake state and a sleep state in response to the presence signal.

Claims

1. A wireless thermostat, comprising:

a display configured to present an operating condition of the wireless thermostat and including an adjustment selector to allow for manual adjustment of the operating condition of the wireless thermostat;

a communication module configured to communicate with at least one mobile device and allow for remote adjustment of the operating condition of the wireless thermostat and to communicate with a proximity detection module to detect a location of the at least one mobile device relative to the wireless thermostat;

a sensor for detecting a presence in proximity to the wireless thermostat of at least one user and generating a presence signal in response to the detected presence of the at least one user;

at least one memory storing instructions; and

at least one a processor that executes the instructions stored in the at least one memory to;

implement changes in the operating condition in response to at least one of the manual adjustment at the selector, the remote adjustment at the mobile device, and the detected location of the at least one mobile device,

communicate with the sensor to receive the generated presence signal, and

transition the display between an awake state and a sleep state in response to the generated presence signal to reduce energy consumption by the wireless thermostat.

2. The wireless thermostat of claim 1, wherein the sensor includes at least one of the following:

a heat sensor, a capacitive sensor or a motion sensor.

3. The wireless thermostat of claim 1, wherein the display has a backlight capable of being illuminated and dimmed and wherein the backlight is configured to illuminate when the display is operating in the awake state and configured to dim when the display is operating in the sleep state.

4. The wireless thermostat of claim 3, wherein the sensor is configured to detect the user touching the wireless thermostat and generate the presence signal in response to the detected touching and wherein the at least one processor transitions the display to the awake state in response to the presence signal generated in response to the detected touching.

5. The wireless thermostat of claim 1, wherein the display includes a weather forecast display configured to display forecasted weather conditions received from an external data source.

6. The wireless thermostat of claim 1, wherein the communication module is configured to connect to a WIFI network at a site and receive firmware updates from a remote server using the connected WIFI network.

7. The wireless thermostat of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor executes the stored instructions to implement a manually selected mode regardless of the detected location of the at least one mobile device.

8. The wireless thermostat of claim 7, wherein the implementing the manually selected mode includes implementing at least one of a vacation mode or a smart energy mode.

9. The wireless thermostat of claim 1, wherein the proximity detection module is configured to detect the location of the mobile device relative to at least one geofence associated with the wireless thermostat and initiate an altering of the operating condition based on the detected location relative to the at least one geofence.

10. The wireless thermostat of claim 9 wherein the at least one mobile device includes a first mobile device and a second mobile device and the proximity detection module is configured to:

detect a presence of the first mobile device and the second mobile device relative to the at least one geofence; and

initiate an altering of the operating condition based on the detected presence of the first mobile device and second mobile device relative to the at least one geofence.

11. The wireless thermostat of claim 10, further including:

a plurality of control actions shared by the first mobile device and the second mobile device, the plurality of shared control actions including a home setting and an away setting of the wireless thermostat; and

wherein the proximity detection module is configured to initiate the home setting based on the detected presence of either the first mobile device or the second mobile within the at least one geofence and initiate the away setting based on the detected presence of the first mobile device and the second mobile device each outside the at least one geofence.

12. The wireless thermostat of claim 1, wherein the display comprises a touch screen display.

13. The wireless thermostat of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor executes the stored instructions to implement a manually selected mode regardless of the detected location of the at least one mobile device.

14. A wireless thermostat to be disposed at a site for controlling an HVAC system, comprising:

a display configured to present an operating condition of the wireless thermostat and including an adjustment selector to allow for manual adjustment of the operating condition of the wireless thermostat;

a communication module configured to communicate with at least one mobile device associated with the site and allow for remote adjustment of the operating condition of the wireless thermostat and to communicate with a proximity detection module to detect a location of the at least one mobile device relative to the wireless thermostat;

a sensor for detecting a presence in proximity to the wireless thermostat of at least one user and generating a presence signal in response to the detected user presence;

at least one memory storing instructions; and

at least one processor that executes the instructions stored in the at least one memory to;

implement changes in the operating condition in response to at least one of the manual adjustment at the adjustment selector, the remote adjustment at the mobile device, and the detected location of the at least one mobile device.

15. The wireless thermostat of claim 14, wherein the sensor includes at least one of the following:

a heat sensor, a capacitive sensor or a motion sensor.

16. The wireless thermostat of claim 14 further comprising at least one geofence associated with the wireless thermostat and wherein the proximity detection module is further configured to:

detect a presence of the at least one mobile device relative to the at least one geofence; and

initiate an altering of the operating condition of the wireless thermostat in response to the at least one mobile device being detected relative to the at least one geofence.

17. The wireless thermostat of claim 16, wherein the at least one mobile device includes a first mobile device and a second mobile device, and the proximity detection module is configured to:

detect a presence of the first mobile device and the second mobile device relative to the at least one geofence; and

initiate an altering of the operating condition based on the detected presence of the first mobile device and the second mobile device relative to the at least one geofence.

18. The wireless thermostat of claim 17, further including:

a plurality of control actions shared by the first mobile device and the second mobile device, the plurality of shared control actions including a home setting and away setting of the wireless thermostat; and

wherein the proximity detection module is configured to initiate the home setting based on the detected presence of either the first mobile device or the second mobile within the at least one geofence and implement the away setting based on the detected presence of the first mobile device and the second mobile device each outside the at least one geofence.

19. The wireless thermostat of claim 14, wherein the at least one processor executes the stored instructions to implement a manually selected mode regardless of the detected location of the at least one mobile device.

20. The wireless thermostat of claim 19, wherein the implementing the manually selected mode includes implementing at least one of a vacation mode or a smart energy mode.

21. The wireless thermostat of claim 14, wherein the display has a backlight capable of being illuminated and dimmed and wherein the backlight is configured to illuminate when the display is operating in the awake state and configured to dim when the display is operating in the sleep state.

22. The wireless thermostat of claim 21, wherein the sensor is configured to detect the user touching the wireless thermostat and generate the presence signal in response to the detected touching and wherein the at least one processor executes the stored instructions to transition the display to the awake state in response to the presence signal generated in response to the detected touching.

23. The wireless thermostat of claim 14, wherein the proximity detection module is disposed on a remote server, and wherein the communication module is configured to connect to a WIFI network at a site to communicate with the proximity detection module using the WIFI network.

24. A wireless thermostat to be disposed at a site for controlling an HVAC system, comprising:

a display configured to present an operating condition of the wireless thermostat and including an adjustment selector to allow for manual adjustment of the operating condition of the wireless thermostat;

a communication module configured to communicate with at least one mobile device and allow for remote adjustment of the operating condition of the wireless thermostat and to communicate with a proximity detection module to detect a location of the at least one mobile device relative to the wireless thermostat;

a sensor for detecting a presence in proximity to the wireless thermostat of at least one user and generating a presence signal in response to the detected user presence;

at least one memory storing instructions; and

at least one processor that executes the instructions stored in the at least one memory to;

implement changes in the operating condition in response to at least one of the manual adjustment at the selector, the remote adjustment at the mobile device, and the detected location of the at least one mobile device; and

communicate with the sensor to receive the generated presence signal and transition the display between an awake state and sleep state in response to the generated presence signal to reduce energy consumption by the wireless thermostat;

the display having a backlight capable of being illuminated and dimmed; and

the backlight configured to illuminate when the display is operating in the awake state and configured to dim when the display is operating in the sleep state.

25. The wireless thermostat of claim 24, wherein the communication module is configured to connect to a WIFI network at a site to receive firmware updates from a remote cloud-based server using the WIFI network.

26. The wireless thermostat of claim 24, further including a manual energy savings mode that can manually implemented by the at least one user regardless of the detection location of the at least one mobile device, wherein the manual energy savings mode is manually selectable on one of the display or a graphical user interface of the at least one mobile device.

27. The wireless thermostat of claim 24, wherein the at least one mobile device includes a first mobile device and a second mobile device and the proximity detection module is configured to:

detect a presence of the first mobile device and the second mobile device relative to the boundary; and

initiate an altering of the operating condition based on the detected presence of the first mobile device and second mobile relative to the boundary.

28. The wireless thermostat of claim 27, further including

a plurality of control actions shared by the first mobile device and the second mobile device, the plurality of shared control actions including the away setting as well as a home setting of the wireless thermostat, and

wherein the proximity detection module is configured to initiate the home setting based on the detected presence of either the first mobile device or the second mobile device within the at least one boundary and initiate the away setting based on the detected presence of the first mobile device and the second mobile device each disposed outside the boundary.

29. The wireless thermostat of claim 24, wherein the proximity detection module is disposed on at least one of a remote cloud-based server or a controller disposed at the site.