User-friendly, network-connected, smart-home controller and related systems and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9740385-B2
Application number	US-201514922832-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 26, 2015
Priority date	Oct 21, 2011
Publication date	Aug 22, 2017
Grant date	Aug 22, 2017

Abstract

A thermostat for controlling an HVAC system in an enclosure may include a passive infrared sensor, an active infrared sensor, and an electronic display having a first mode and a second mode. The thermostat may also include one or more processors programmed to change a setpoint temperature of the thermostat to an energy-saving temperature upon detection of a non-occupancy condition for the enclosure. The processor(s) may detect the non-occupancy condition based at least in part on readings received from the passive infrared sensor. The processor(s) may also be programmed to change the electronic display from the first mode to the second mode upon detection of a person approaching the thermostat. The processor(s) may detect a person approaching the thermostat based at least in part on readings received from the active infrared sensor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A sensing and control unit comprising:
a passive infrared sensor;
an active infrared sensor, wherein the passive infrared sensor and the active infrared sensor are positioned behind a darkened front cover of the sensing and control unit such that the darkened front cover of the sensing and control unit conceals the passive infrared sensor and the active infrared sensor from the view of a user;
an electronic display having a first mode and a second mode, wherein:
the first mode of the electronic display causes the sensing and control unit to use a first amount of power;
the second mode of the electronic display causes the sensing and control unit to use a second amount of power; and
the first amount of power is less than the second amount of power; and

one or more processors coupled to the passive infrared sensor, the active infrared sensor, and the electronic display, the one or more processors being programmed to:
change a control setting of the sensing and control unit to an energy-saving setting upon detection of a non-occupancy condition for the enclosure, wherein the one or more processors detect the non-occupancy condition based at least in part on readings received from the passive infrared sensor; and
change the electronic display from the first mode to the second mode upon detection of a person approaching the sensing and control unit, wherein the one or more processors detect a person approaching the sensing and control unit based at least in part on readings received from the active infrared sensor.

2. The sensing and control unit of claim 1 , wherein the detection of the non-occupancy condition for the enclosure comprises detecting a time interval of between 30 minutes and 150 minutes in which no readings indicative of a user presence are received by the passive infrared sensor.

3. The sensing and control unit of claim 1 , wherein:
the first mode of the electronic display indicates a non-readiness to interact with a user; and
the second mode of the electronic display indicates a readiness to interact with the user.

4. The sensing and control unit of claim 1 , wherein the active infrared sensor and/or the one or more processors are configured to detect a person approaching the sensing and control unit within a predetermined distance that indicates an intent of a user to walk up to the sensing and control unit.

5. The sensing and control unit of claim 1 , wherein the electronic display comprises a touch-sensitive display with sliding touch controls.

6. The sensing and control unit of claim 1 , further comprising a Wi-Fi module that is programmed to receive a command from a mobile computing device, wherein:
the sensing and control unit enters an energy-saving mode in response to receiving the command from the mobile computer device; and
an indication that the sensing and control unit is in the energy-saving mode is displayed on the electronic display when the electronic display is in the second mode.

7. A method for using a sensing and control unit, the method comprising:
operating a passive infrared sensor of the sensing and control unit;
operating an active infrared sensor of the sensing and control unit, wherein the passive infrared sensor and the active infrared sensor are positioned behind a darkened front cover of the sensing and control unit such that the darkened front cover of the sensing and control unit conceals the passive infrared sensor and the active infrared sensor from the view of a user;
operating an electronic display of the sensing and control unit in a first mode, wherein the first mode of the electronic display causes the sensing and control unit to use a first amount of power;
receiving, by one or more processors of the sensing and control unit, readings from the passive infrared sensor and readings from the active infrared sensor;
detecting, by the one or more processors, a non-occupancy condition for the enclosure based at least in part on readings received from the passive infrared sensor;
changing, by the one or more processors, a control setting of the sensing and control unit to an energy-saving setting upon detection of the non-occupancy condition for the enclosure;
detecting, by the one or more processors, a person approaching the sensing and control unit based at least in part on readings received from the active infrared sensor; and
changing, by the one or more processors, the electronic display from the first mode to a second mode upon detection of the person approaching the sensing and control unit, wherein the second mode of the electronic display causes the sensing and control unit to use a second amount of power, wherein and the first amount of power is less than the second amount of power.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the detection of the non-occupancy condition for the enclosure comprises detecting a time interval of between 30 minutes and 150 minutes in which no readings indicative of a user presence are received by the passive infrared sensor.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein:
the first mode of the electronic display indicates a non-readiness to interact with a user; and
the second mode of the electronic display indicates a readiness to interact with the user.

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein the active infrared sensor and/or the one or more processors are configured to detect a person approaching the sensing and control unit within a predetermined distance that indicates an intent of a user to walk up to the sensing and control unit.

11. The method of claim 7 , wherein the electronic display comprises a touch-sensitive display with sliding touch controls.

12. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
receiving, by a Wi-Fi module of the sensing and control unit, a command from a mobile computing device;
causing the sensing and control unit to enter an energy-saving mode in response to receiving the command from the mobile computer device; and
causing the electronic display to display an indication that the sensing and control unit is in the energy-saving mode when the electronic display is in the second mode.

13. A non-transitory storage medium, comprising instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
receiving readings from a passive infrared sensor;
detecting a non-occupancy condition for an enclosure based at least in part on the readings received from the passive infrared sensor;
changing a control setting of a sensing and control unit to an energy-saving setting upon detection of the non-occupancy condition for the enclosure;
receiving readings from an active infrared sensor, wherein the passive infrared sensor and the active infrared sensor are positioned behind a darkened front cover of the sensing and control unit such that the darkened front cover of the sensing and control unit conceals the passive infrared sensor and the active infrared sensor from the view of a user;
detecting, by the one or more processors, a person approaching the sensing and control unit based at least in part on readings received from the active infrared sensor; and
changing, by the one or more processors, an electronic display of the sensing and control unit from a first mode to a second mode upon detection of the person approaching the sensing and control unit, wherein:
the first mode of the electronic display causes the sensing and control unit to use a first amount of power;
the second mode of the electronic display causes the sensing and control unit to use a second amount of power; and
the first amount of power is less than the second amount of power.

Assignees

• Google Inc

Inventors

• Fadell Anthony Michael
• Rogers Matthew Lee
• Satterthwaite Jr Edwin H
• Smith Ian C
• Warren Daniel Adam
• Palmer Joseph E
• Honjo Shigefumi
• Ericson Grant M
• Dutra Jonathan Alan
• Fiennes Hugo

Classifications

• F24F11/50 Primary

  characterised by user interfaces or communication · CPC title

• G05B2219/24065

  Real time diagnostics · CPC title

• G06F1/3231

  Monitoring the presence, absence or movement of users · CPC title

• F24F2110/10

  Temperature · CPC title

• G06F3/04847 Primary

  Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials · CPC title