Intelligent controller providing time to target state

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016377308-A1
Application number	US-201615261203-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 9, 2016
Priority date	Oct 21, 2011
Publication date	Dec 29, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

The current application is directed to intelligent controllers that continuously, periodically, or intermittently calculate and display the time remaining until a control task is projected to be completed by the intelligent controller. In general, the intelligent controller employs multiple different models for the time behavior of one or more parameters or characteristics within a region or volume affected by one or more devices, systems, or other entities controlled by the intelligent controller. The intelligent controller collects data, over time, from which the models are constructed and uses the models to predict the time remaining until one or more characteristics or parameters of the region or volume reaches one or more specified values as a result of intelligent controller control of one or more devices, systems, or other entities.

First claim

1 . A method of estimating a time-to-temperature for a thermostat controlling a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system in an enclosure, the method comprising:
receiving a target temperature for the enclosure; instantiating an HVAC cycle to bring the temperature of the enclosure to the target temperature; computing a first time representing an estimated time to transition the temperature in the enclosure to target temperature by the HVAC system, wherein the first time is estimated based at least in part on a plurality of historical time and temperature values recorded from one or more previous HVAC cycles; causing the first time to be displayed on a user interface associated with the thermostat; computing, after causing the first time to be displayed, a second time based at least in part on a trajectory of time and temperature values during the HVAC cycle; and causing the user interface to be updated to display the second time before an end of the HVAC cycle.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the first time is estimated based at least in part on at least one external factor selected from a group consisting of: an outside temperature, an outside sunlight amount, an outside wind velocity, and a time of day.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein computing the second time comprises:
multiplying the first time by a first weighting factor to produce a first product; multiplying the a time based at least in part on a trajectory of time and temperature values during the HVAC cycle by a second weighting factor to produce a second product; and adding the two products to generate the second time.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein:
the sum of the first weighting factor and the second weighting factor is 1.0.

5 . The method of claim 3 , wherein:
the first weighting factor is initially set to a larger value than the second weighting factor; and the first weighting factor is incrementally decreased while the second weighting factor is correspondingly incrementally increased as the enclosure transitions to the second temperature.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:
computing the second time comprises selecting a model from among two or more preexisting models.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein selecting a model from among two or more preexisting models comprises:
first selecting a set of candidate models based on data collected during time periods with characteristics similar to characteristics of a current time interval; and selecting, from among the candidate models, a model that fits the recorded temperature-versus-time data points better than the other candidate models.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein computing the second time comprises generating a model based on the trajectory of the time and temperature values during the HVAC cycle.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the first time and the second time are computed on a server that is separate from the thermostat, and the first time and the second time are transmitted to the thermostat from the server.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the user interface associated with the thermostat is located on a smart phone.

11 . A thermostat for estimating a time-to-temperature when controlling a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system in an enclosure, the thermostat comprising:
one or more processors; one or more memory devices comprising instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
receiving a target temperature for the enclosure;
instantiating an HVAC cycle to bring the temperature of the enclosure to the target temperature;
computing or receiving a first time representing an estimated time to transition the temperature in the enclosure to target temperature by the HVAC system, wherein the first time is estimated based at least in part on a plurality of historical time and temperature values recorded from one or more previous HVAC cycles;
causing the first time to be displayed on a user interface associated with the thermostat;
computing or receiving, after causing the first time to be displayed, a second time based at least in part on a trajectory of time and temperature values during the HVAC cycle; and
causing the user interface to be updated to display the second time before an end of the HVAC cycle.

12 . The thermostat of claim 11 , wherein:
the first time is estimated based at least in part on at least one external factor selected from a group consisting of: an outside temperature, an outside sunlight amount, an outside wind velocity, and a time of day.

13 . The thermostat of claim 11 , wherein computing or receiving the second time comprises:
multiplying the first time by a first weighting factor to produce a first product; multiplying the a time based at least in part on a trajectory of time and temperature values during the HVAC cycle by a second weighting factor to produce a second product; and adding the two products to generate the second time.

14 . The thermostat of claim 13 , wherein:
the sum of the first weighting factor and the second weighting factor is 1.0.

15 . The thermostat of claim 13 , wherein:
the first weighting factor is initially set to a larger value than the second weighting factor; and the first weighting factor is incrementally decreased while the second weighting factor is correspondingly incrementally increased as the enclosure transitions to the second temperature.

16 . The thermostat of claim 11 , wherein:
computing or receiving the second time comprises selecting a model from among two or more preexisting models.

17 . The thermostat of claim 16 , wherein selecting a model from among two or more preexisting models comprises:
first selecting a set of candidate models based on data collected during time periods with characteristics similar to characteristics of a current time interval; and selecting, from among the candidate models, a model that fits the recorded temperature-versus-time data points better than the other candidate models.

18 . The thermostat of claim 18 , wherein computing or receiving the second time comprises generating a model based on the trajectory of the time and temperature values during the HVAC cycle.

19 . The thermostat of claim 11 , wherein:
the first time and the second time are computed on a server that is separate from the thermostat, and the first time and the second time are transmitted to the thermostat from the server.

20 . The thermostat of claim 11 , wherein:
the user interface associated with the thermostat is located on a smart phone.

Assignees

• Google Inc

Inventors

• Matsuoka Yoky
• Sharan Rangoli
• Stefanski Mark D
• Ruff Joseph Adam

Classifications

• F24F11/52

  Indication arrangements, e.g. displays · CPC title

• F24F11/58

  using Internet communication · CPC title

• G05B15/02

  electric · CPC title

• F24F11/64 Primary

  using pre-stored data · CPC title

• G05B17/02

  electric · CPC title