Method and system to control thermostat using biofeedback

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10067516-B2
Application number	US-201313792877-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 11, 2013
Priority date	Jan 22, 2013
Publication date	Sep 4, 2018
Grant date	Sep 4, 2018

Abstract

Illustrative embodiments of the present invention are directed to methods and systems for receiving physiological data of occupants of a building and using the information to control or regulate a controllable setpoint of a climate-control system for the building. The system may operatively interface with biofeedback sensors including wearable sensors and mountable sensors placed within a controlled space within the building. The system may adjust the controllable setpoint of the climate-control system based on a comfort metric associated with at least one of the occupant of the building, the comfort metric derived from the biofeedback data.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A thermostat comprising:
a communication port configured to interface with a climate-control system of a building; and
a controller configured to establish, via the communication port, at least one control setpoint of the climate-control system, the control setpoint associated with controlling at least one of temperature, humidity, and ventilation of a controlled space in the building,
the controller further configured to, in response to receiving biofeedback data from a sensor associated with an occupant in the controlled space, determine an activity state of the occupant based on at least the biofeedback data;
wherein determining the activity state includes:
(i) determining that the occupant is sleeping and in response, setting the control setpoint to a first setting;
(ii) determining that the occupant is exercising and in response, setting the control setpoint to a second setting; and
(iii) determining that the controlled space is unoccupied and in response, setting the control setpoint to a third setting;

wherein the biofeedback data comprises at least one of a breathing rate, or a body temperature of the occupant;
the controller further configured to, during a learning period for at least a selected activity state included in the activity states:
(i) vary the control setpoint to a plurality of different energy usage states according to a set of pre-determined routines that define a plurality of operational states of the climate-control system to be established during the selected activity state,
(ii) monitor physiological responses or activities of the occupant for each of the different energy usage states during the selected activity state to identify a discomfort threshold of the occupant in the selected activity state, wherein the discomfort threshold is identified from the biofeedback data received from the sensor during the learning period, and
(iii) reset the control setpoint to a setting specific to the selected activity state based on an energy usage state corresponding to the discomfort threshold of the occupant identified during the selected activity state;

wherein after resetting the control setpoint, the controller being configured to control the climate-control system to operate based on at least the reset control setpoint to change at least one of the temperature, the humidity, or the ventilation of the controlled space when the occupant subsequently engages in the selected activity state after the learning period.

2. The thermostat according to claim 1 , wherein the reset control setpoint is established at a lower energy usage state for the climate-control system, wherein the lower energy usage state does not affect the activity state of the occupant.

3. The thermostat according to claim 1 , wherein the reset control setpoint is established at a higher energy usage state for the climate-control system in a manner to improve an activity state of the occupant.

4. The thermostat according to claim 1 , wherein the thermostat further comprises:
a memory to store the set of pre-determined routines.

5. The thermostat according to claim 1 , wherein the learning period occurs during a sleeping period of the occupant.

6. The thermostat according to claim 1 , wherein the learning period is initiated by at least one of:
(i) the thermostat receiving a manual input from the occupant indicating an on-set of a sleeping period, and
(ii) the controller determining the occupant is in a sleep state based on a physiological state of the occupant derived from the biofeedback data.

7. The thermostat according to claim 1 , wherein
the communication port is further configured to interface with an external database, and the controller is configured to receive, from the external database, biofeedback data of a plurality of biofeedback sensors, including at least one of a wearable biofeedback sensor worn by an occupant of the building and a mountable biofeedback sensor mounted within the controlled space.

8. The thermostat according to claim 1 , wherein the controlled space includes at least one of a room associated with sleeping and a room associated with exercising.

9. The thermostat according to claim 1 , wherein the sensor is a wearable biofeedback sensor including at least one of an accelerometer, a pedometer, an electromyograph, an electrodermograph, an electroencephalograph, a photoplethysmograph, an electrocardiograph, a pneumograph, a capnometer, a pheoencephalograph, or a hemoencephalograph.

10. The thermostat according to claim 1 , wherein the sensor is a mountable biofeedback sensor including at least one of a motion sensor, a proximity sensor, or a microphone.

11. The thermostat according to claim 1 , wherein the biofeedback data includes information associated with movements of the occupant.

12. The thermostat according to claim 1 , wherein the biofeedback data includes information associated with a quality of sleep of the occupant.

13. The thermostat according to claim 12 , wherein the controller is further configured to vary the control setpoint during the learning period based upon a determined stage of sleep derived from the biofeedback data.

14. The thermostat according to claim 12 , wherein the controller is configured to, after determining that the occupant is sleeping, set the control setpoint such that a quality of sleep of the occupant remains unchanged.

15. The thermostat according to claim 12 , wherein the biofeedback data includes datasets from a plurality of nights.

16. The thermostat according to claim 1 , wherein the controller adjusts the control setpoint by lowering a temperature setpoint associated with the controlled space when the occupant therein is exercising, the control setpoint being lowered such that the body temperature of the occupant remains generally constant.

17. The thermostat according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to determine and set the control setpoint using information of the occupant associated with body-mass-index, weight, and percent body fat.

18. The thermostat according to claim 1 , wherein the control setpoint is determined from the biofeedback data by balancing energy usage of the climate-control system and a comfort metric derived from the biofeedback data.

19. A method of controlling a climate-control system in a building, the climate-control system having a control setpoint associated with at least one of temperature, humidity, and ventilation of a controlled space in the building, the method comprising:
receiving, by a controller, biofeedback data from a plurality of biofeedback sensors that monitor data from at least one occupant, at least one of the plurality of biofeedback sensors including at least one of a wearable biofeedback sensor worn by the at least one occupant of the building and a mountable biofeedback sensor mounted within the controlled space;
determining, via a processor of the controller, an activity state of the occupant based on at least the biofeedback data;
wherein determining the activity state includes:
(i) determining that the occupant is sleeping and in response, setting the control setpoint to a first setting;
(ii) determining that the occupant is exercising and in response, setting the control setpoint to a second setting; and
(iii) determining that the controlled space is unoccupied and in response, setting the control setpoint to a third setting;

wherein the biofeedback data comprises at least one of a breathing rate, or a body temperature of the occupant;
via the processor of the con

Assignees

• Opower Inc

Inventors

• Ramagem Daniel Bloomfield
• Yeshua Oren Benjamin
• Hsiung Crystal
• Spradlin Justin
• Lin Wayne

Classifications

• G05B15/02

  electric · CPC title

• G05B2219/2642

  Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house · CPC title

• G05D23/1902 Primary

  characterised by the use of a variable reference value · CPC title