Predictive temperature scheduling for a thermostat using machine learning

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022214063-A1
Application number	US-202217655936-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 22, 2022
Priority date	Dec 31, 2019
Publication date	Jul 7, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

A heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) control device configured to receive a user input for controlling an HVAC system, to determine whether the user input indicates an energy saving occupancy setting, and to identify a first plurality of time entries that are associated with a confidence level for a predicted occupancy status that is less than a predetermined threshold value in the predicted occupancy schedule. The device is further configured to modify the predicted occupancy schedule by setting the first plurality of time entries to an away status when the user input indicates an aggressive energy saving occupancy setting. The device is further configured to modify the predicted occupancy schedule by setting the second plurality of time entries to a present status when the user input indicates a conservative energy saving occupancy setting. The device is further configured to output the modified predicted occupancy schedule.

First claim

1 . A heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) control device, comprising:
a memory operable to store a predicted occupancy schedule for a space comprising a plurality of time entries, wherein:
each time entry is associated with a day of the week and an hour of a day;
each time entry is associated with a predicted occupancy status; and
each predicted occupancy status is associated with a confidence level; and
a processor operably coupled to the memory, and configured to:
receive a user input for controlling an HVAC system, wherein the user input comprises instructions for an occupancy setting;
determine whether the user input indicates an energy saving occupancy setting;
identify a first plurality of time entries that are associated with a confidence level for a predicted occupancy status that is less than a predetermined threshold value in the predicted occupancy schedule;
modify the predicted occupancy schedule by setting the first plurality of time entries to an away status in response to determining that the user input indicates a first setting type;
modify the predicted occupancy schedule by setting the first plurality of time entries to a present status in response to determining that the user input indicates a second setting type; and
output the modified predicted occupancy schedule;
wherein: each time entry in the predicted occupancy schedule is associated with a predicted heating set point temperature; each predicted heating set point temperature is associated with a second confidence level; the user input comprises instructions for an aggressive heating set point temperature setting; and the processor is further configured to:
obtain historical set point temperature information for the space within a predetermined time period, wherein the historical set point temperature information comprises a range of set point temperatures for the space during the predetermined time period;
determine a lowest set point temperature for the space during the predetermined time period;
identify a second plurality of time entries that are associated with a second confidence level for a predicted heating set point temperature that is less than a second predetermined threshold value in the predicted occupancy table; and
modify the predicted occupancy schedule by setting the second plurality of time entries with a predicted heating set point temperature corresponding with the lowest set point temperature.

2 . The device of claim 1 , wherein outputting the modified predicted occupancy schedule comprises operating the HVAC system in accordance with the modified predicted occupancy schedule.

3 . The device of claim 1 , wherein outputting the modified predicted occupancy schedule comprises storing the modified predicted occupancy schedule in the memory.

4 . A predictive temperature scheduling method, comprising:
receiving a user input for controlling an HVAC system, wherein the user input comprises instructions for an occupancy setting; determining whether the user input indicates an energy saving occupancy settings; identifying a first plurality of time entries that are associated with a confidence level for a predicted occupancy status that is less than a predetermined threshold value in a predicted occupancy schedule, wherein the predicted occupancy schedule for a space comprises a plurality of time entries, wherein:
each time entry is associated with a day of the week and an hour of a day;
each time entry is associated with a predicted occupancy status; and
each predicted occupancy status associated with a confidence level;
modifying the predicted occupancy schedule by setting the first plurality of time entries to an away status in response to determining that the user input indicates a first setting type; modifying the predicted occupancy schedule by setting the first plurality of time entries to a present status in response to determining that the user input indicates a second setting type; and outputting the modified predicted occupancy schedule; wherein: each time entry in the predicted occupancy schedule is associated with a predicted heating set point temperature; each predicted heating set point temperature is associated with a second confidence level; the user input comprises instructions for an aggressive heating set point temperature setting; and further comprising:
obtaining historical set point temperature information for the space within a predetermined time period, wherein the historical set point temperature information comprises a range of set point temperatures for the space during the predetermined time period;
determining a lowest set point temperature for the space during the predetermined time period;
identifying a second plurality of time entries that are associated with a second confidence level for a predicted heating set point temperature that is less than a second predetermined threshold value in the predicted occupancy table; and
modifying the predicted occupancy schedule by setting the second plurality of time entries with a predicted heating set point temperature corresponding with the lowest set point temperature.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein outputting the modified predicted occupancy schedule comprises operating the HVAC system in accordance with the modified predicted occupancy schedule.

6 . The method of claim 4 , wherein outputting the modified predicted occupancy schedule comprises storing the modified predicted occupancy schedule in the memory.

7 . A computer program comprising executable instructions stored in a non-transitory computer readable medium that when executed by a processor causes the processor to:
receive a user input for controlling an HVAC system, wherein the user input comprises instructions for an occupancy setting; determine whether the user input indicates an energy saving occupancy setting; identify a first plurality of time entries that are associated with a confidence level for a predicted occupancy status that is less than a predetermined threshold value in a predicted occupancy schedule, wherein the predicted occupancy schedule for a space comprises a plurality of time entries, wherein:
each time entry is associated with a day of the week and an hour of a day;
each time entry is associated with a predicted occupancy status; and
each predicted occupancy status associated with a confidence level;
modify the predicted occupancy schedule by setting the first plurality of time entries to an away status in response to determining that the user input indicates a first setting type; modify the predicted occupancy schedule by setting the first plurality of time entries to a present status in response to determining that the user input indicates a second setting type; and output the modified predicted occupancy schedule; wherein: each time entry in the predicted occupancy schedule is associated with a predicted heating set point temperature; each predicted heating set point temperature is associated with a second confidence level; the user input comprises instructions for an aggressive heating set point temperature setting; and further comprising instructions that when executed by the processor causes the processor to:
obtain historical set point temperature information for the space within a predetermined time period, wherein the historical set point temperature information comprises a range of set point temperatures for the space during the predetermined time period;
determine a lowest set point temperature for the space during the predetermined time period;
identify a second plurality of time entries that are associated with a second confidence level for a predicted heating set point temperature that is less than a second predetermined thresho

Assignees

• Lennox Ind Inc

Inventors

• Venkatesh Sridhar
• Delgoshaei Payam
• Manohararaj Janathkumar

Classifications

• F24F2140/50

  Load · CPC title

• F24F2140/60

  Energy consumption · CPC title

• F24F2120/10

  Occupancy · CPC title

• G05B13/0265

  the criterion being a learning criterion · CPC title

• F24F11/65

  for selecting an operating mode · CPC title