User-relocatable self-learning environmental control device capable of adapting previous learnings to current location in controlled environment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10678200-B2
Application number	US-201715725739-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 5, 2017
Priority date	Mar 28, 2014
Publication date	Jun 9, 2020
Grant date	Jun 9, 2020

Abstract

A control system may be configured to learn a heating schedule at a first location according to an automated schedule learning algorithm that processes inputs including user inputs and occupancy sensing inputs and derives schedule-affecting parameters therefrom that are processed to compute the control schedule. The control system may also be configured to determine whether a thermostat has been moved to a new location, and if it is determined that the thermostat has been moved to the new location, then determine one or more parameters associated with the new location and establish a new control schedule for the new location, where zero or more of the schedule-affecting parameters are re-used based on the one or more parameters associated with the new location.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A control system flexibly adapted for retrofit use with multiple types of pre-existing environmental systems, the control system comprising:
a control device for coupling to an environmental system;
a thermostat having a processor and a memory and being in wireless communication with the control device; and
a user-movable stand for holding the thermostat, wherein:
the control system is configured to learn a control schedule according to an automated schedule learning algorithm that processes inputs including user inputs and occupancy sensing inputs and derives schedule-affecting parameters therefrom that are processed to compute the control schedule;
the control system includes components for determining whether the thermostat has been moved to a new location and for determining one or more parameters associated with the new location; and
the control system:
determines whether each of the schedule-affecting parameters are location-dependent;
invalidates any of the schedule-affecting parameters that are location dependent;
processes new user inputs or new occupancy sensing inputs to derive new schedule-affecting parameters associated with the new location to replace any of the schedule-affecting parameters that were invalidated; and
establishes a new control schedule for the new location by re-using one or more of the schedule-affecting parameters that are not location-dependent in combination with one or more of the new schedule-affecting parameters associated with the new location.

2. The control system of claim 1 wherein the thermostat device receives an indication from a user through a user interface that the thermostat device has been moved to the new location.

3. The control system of claim 1 wherein the components for determining whether the thermostat device has been moved to the new location comprise an accelerometer.

4. The control system of claim 1 wherein the components for determining whether the thermostat device has been moved to the new location comprise a power sensing circuit for detecting a loss of power to the thermostat device.

5. The control system of claim 1 further comprising a server, wherein the at least a portion of operations performed by the control system are performed by the server.

6. The control system of claim 1 wherein the schedule-affecting parameters comprise a thermal characterization of a room or an enclosure.

7. The control system of claim 1 wherein the schedule-affecting parameters are used by the thermostat device to determine a time-to-temperature estimate between a measured ambient temperature and a received setpoint temperature.

8. A thermostat device flexibly adapted for relocation within an enclosure, the thermostat comprising:
a communication module configured to send control signals to a control device for selectively controlling an environmental system;
a user interface;
one or more environmental sensors; and
a processing system configured to:
learn a control schedule at a first location according to an automated schedule learning algorithm that processes inputs including user inputs and occupancy sensing inputs and derives schedule-affecting parameters therefrom that are processed to compute the control schedule;
determine whether the thermostat has been moved to a new location; and
if it is determined that the thermostat has been moved to the new location:
determine whether each of the schedule-affecting parameters are location-dependent;
invalidate any of the schedule-affecting parameters that are location dependent;
process new user inputs or new occupancy sensing inputs to derive new schedule-affecting parameters associated with the new location to replace any of the schedule-affecting parameters that were invalidated; and
establish a new control schedule for the new location by re-using one or more of the schedule-affecting parameters that are not location-dependent in combination with one or more of the new schedule-affecting parameters associated with the new location.

9. The thermostat device of claim 8 wherein the thermostat device receives an indication from a user through a user interface that the thermostat device has been moved to the new location.

10. The thermostat device of claim 8 wherein the thermostat further comprises components for determining whether the thermostat device has been moved to the new location comprising an accelerometer.

11. The thermostat device of claim 8 wherein the thermostat further comprises components for determining whether the thermostat device has been moved to the new location comprising a power sensing circuit for detecting a loss of power to the thermostat device.

12. The thermostat device of claim 8 wherein, prior to establishing the new control schedule for the new location, the thermostat device receives an indication from a user through a user interface directing the thermostat device to establish the new control schedule for the new location instead of continuing to use the control schedule.

13. The thermostat device of claim 8 wherein the schedule-affecting parameters comprise a thermal characterization of a room of the enclosure.

14. The thermostat device of claim 8 wherein the schedule-affecting parameters are used by the thermostat device to determine a time-to-temperature estimate between a measured ambient temperature and a received setpoint temperature.

15. A method of detecting and adapting to location changes within an enclosure by a control system, the method comprising:
learning, by the control system, a control schedule at a first location according to an automated schedule learning algorithm that processes inputs including user inputs and occupancy sensing inputs and derives schedule-affecting parameters therefrom that are processed to compute the control schedule;
sending, by a thermostat of the control system to a control device of the control system, signals for selectively controlling an environmental system based on the control schedule;
determining, by the control system, whether the thermostat has been moved to a new location;
if it is determined that the thermostat has been moved to the new location:
determining whether each of the schedule-affecting parameters are location-dependent;
invalidating any of the schedule-affecting parameters that are location dependent;
processing new user inputs or new occupancy sensing inputs to derive new schedule-affecting parameters associated with the new location to replace any of the schedule-affecting parameters that were invalidated;
establishing a new control schedule for the new location by re-using one or more of the schedule-affecting parameters that are not location-dependent in combination with one or more of the new schedule-affecting parameters associated with the new location; and
receiving signals at the control device for selectively controlling the activation of the environmental system based on the new control schedule.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising receiving, by the control system, an indication from a user through a user interface that the thermostat has been moved to the new location.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein components for determining whether the thermostat has been moved to a new location comprises an accelerometer.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein the control system comprises the thermostat, the control device, and a server.

19. The method of claim 15 wherein the one or more of the schedule-affecting parameters are re-used based on how similar the one o

Assignees

• Google Llc

Inventors

• Matsuoka Yoky
• Warren Daniel A
• Fadell Anthony M
• Rogers Matthew L
• Vo Helen

Classifications

• F24D19/1081

  counting of energy consumption · CPC title

• G05B2219/2642

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

• G06Q10/04

  Forecasting or optimisation specially adapted for administrative or management purposes, e.g. linear programming or "cutting stock problem" (market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities G06Q30/0202) · CPC title

• F24F11/62

  characterised by the type of control or by internal processing, e.g. using fuzzy logic, adaptive control or estimation of values · CPC title

• F24F11/58

  using Internet communication · CPC title