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-9791839-B2
Application number	US-201414229659-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 28, 2014
Priority date	Mar 28, 2014
Publication date	Oct 17, 2017
Grant date	Oct 17, 2017

Abstract

A thermostat device may include a processing system 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 heating schedule. The processing system may also be configured to 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, then determine one or more parameters associated with the new location and establish a new heating schedule for the new location, and where zero or more of the previously measured 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 boiler-based heating systems, the control system comprising:
a boiler control device for coupling to a boiler;
a thermostat device having a processor and a memory and being in wireless communication with the boiler control device; and
a user-movable stand for holding the thermostat device, wherein:
the thermostat device is configured to learn a heating 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 heating schedule;
the thermostat includes circuitry 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 thermostat establishes a new heating schedule for the new location, and wherein zero or more of said previously measured schedule-affecting parameters are re-used based on the one or more 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 circuitry for determining whether the thermostat device has been moved to a new location comprises an accelerometer.

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

5. The control system of claim 1 wherein, prior to establishing the new heating 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 heating schedule for the new location instead of continuing to use the heating schedule.

6. The control system of claim 1 wherein the zero or more of said previously measured schedule-affecting parameters comprises at least one schedule-affecting parameter.

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

8. 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.

9. A thermostat device flexibly adapted for relocation within an enclosure, the thermostat comprising:
a communication module configured to send control signals to a boiler control device for selectively controlling the activation of a boiler-based heating system;
a user interface;
one or more environmental sensors; and
a processing system 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 heating schedule;
determine whether the thermostat has been moved to a new location;
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 heating schedule for the new location, and wherein zero or more of said previously measured schedule-affecting parameters are re-used based on the one or more parameters associated with the new location.

10. The thermostat device of claim 9 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.

11. The thermostat device of claim 9 wherein circuitry for determining whether the thermostat device has been moved to a new location comprises an accelerometer.

12. The thermostat device of claim 9 wherein circuitry for determining whether the thermostat device has been moved to a new location comprises a power sensing circuit for detecting a loss of power to the thermostat device.

13. The thermostat device of claim 9 wherein, prior to establishing the new heating 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 heating schedule for the new location instead of continuing to use the heating schedule.

14. The thermostat device of claim 9 wherein the zero or more of said previously measured schedule-affecting parameters comprises at least one schedule-affecting parameter.

15. The thermostat device of claim 9 wherein the schedule-affecting parameters comprise a thermal characterization of a room of an enclosure.

16. The thermostat device of claim 9 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.

17. A method of detecting and adapting to location changes within an enclosure by a thermostat device, the method comprising:
learning, by the thermostat device, 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 heating schedule;
sending, by the thermostat device, control signals to a boiler control device for selectively controlling the activation of a boiler-based heating system based on the heating schedule;
determining, by the thermostat device, whether the thermostat has been moved to a new location;
if it is determined that the thermostat has been moved to the new location, then determining one or more parameters associated with the new location and establish a new heating schedule for the new location, and wherein zero or more of said previously measured schedule-affecting parameters are re-used based on the one or more parameters associated with the new location; and
sending, by the thermostat device, control signals to the boiler control device for selectively controlling the activation of a boiler-based heating system based on the new heating schedule.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising receiving, by the thermostat device, an indication from a user through a user interface that the thermostat device has been moved to the new location.

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

20. The method of claim 17 wherein circuitry for determining whether the thermostat device has been moved to a new location comprises a power sensing circuit for detecting a loss of power to the thermostat device.

Assignees

• Google Inc

Inventors

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

Classifications

• F24F11/58

  using Internet communication · CPC title

• F24F11/57

  using telephone networks · CPC title

• G05B2219/2642

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

• H04L2012/285

  Generic home appliances, e.g. refrigerators · CPC title

• F24D2220/04

  Sensors · CPC title