Enhanced thermostat programmability

Abstract

The programmable thermostat supports at least one attribute, wherein each different attribute value can support different groups of thermostat settings. The programmable thermostat can be programmed based on different attribute values ​​rather than the temperature set point that is traditionally mapped to the programming time. Each group may include settings for multiple controlled equipment, and the multiple controlled equipment include heating / cooling systems, fans, ventilators, humidifiers and / or dehumidifiers. Each embodiment can support attribute values ​​associated with occupancy attributes (indicating whether people are occupying the environmental entity) and / or scene attributes (flexibly mapping different thermostat settings to different scene attribute values). The stored configuration data about the thermostat settings can be organized into a tree structure, wherein the leaves correspond to the thermostat settings. The programmable thermostat / ventilator controller can also instruct the ventilator system to run during an adjustable pre-occupancy purge duration before the environmental entity is occupied.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Aspects of the present disclosure relate to programmable thermostats / controllers for controlling environmental systems including heating / cooling systems, fans, ventilation systems, humidifiers, and dehumidifiers. Background Art

[0002] Heating and cooling losses in buildings typically increase as the temperature difference between inside and outside the building increases. A programmable thermostat is designed to support these losses by allowing for reduced temperature differences when the reduced heating or cooling is not uncomfortable. For example, during the cooling season, a programmable thermostat in a home can be set to allow the home's temperature to rise during weekdays when no one is expected to be home. It can then be set to turn on the air conditioning before occupants arrive, allowing the house to be comfortable upon arrival while still saving the energy consumed by air conditioning during peak outdoor temperatures. The reduced cooling required during the day also reduces demand on the power grid. Conversely, during the heating season, a programmable thermostat can be set to allow the home's temperature to fall during the day when no one is home and at night after all occupants have gone to bed, reheating the house before occupants return home for the evening or wake up in the morning. Since most people sleep better when their rooms are cooler, and the temperature difference between a building's interior and exterior is greatest on cold winter nights, this approach reduces energy losses.

[0003] While programmable thermostats can reduce energy consumption, if the programmable thermostat is used improperly, the average energy savings may be minimal or nonexistent. For example, it may be difficult for a user to program a programmable thermostat. Any programming enhancements to thermostats that facilitate and customize thermostat settings would be beneficial in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Programmable thermostats utilize at least one attribute, where each different attribute value can support multiple sets of thermostat settings. Instead of being programmed with traditional temperature set points mapped to programmed times, programmable thermostats can be programmed with multiple sets of thermostat settings based on different attribute values. Each thermostat group can include settings for multiple controlled equipment, including, but not limited to, heating / cooling systems, fans, ventilators, humidifiers, and / or dehumidifiers.

[0005] One aspect supports property values ​​associated with occupancy properties (indicating whether people are occupying an environmental entity) and / or scene properties (flexibly mapping different thermostat settings to different scene property values).

[0006] One aspect provides a programmable thermostat / ventilator controller that instructs a ventilator system to operate during an adjustable pre-occupancy purge duration before an ambient entity is occupied. The adjusted purge duration can be based on an amount of time the ambient entity is unoccupied.

[0007] In another aspect, a thermostat controls an environmental system associated with an environmental entity. The thermostat obtains a current time and accesses occupancy attribute information (e.g., thermostat program information) for the current time. When a current occupancy attribute value is different from a previous occupancy attribute value, the programmable thermostat sets the current thermostat setting to be equal to a first set of thermostat settings and a second set of thermostat settings corresponding to the first occupancy attribute value and the second occupancy attribute value, respectively.

[0008] On the other hand, a programmable thermostat interacts with an occupancy detector. The occupancy detector generates a signal indicating whether the environmental entity (e.g., a house) is occupied. The thermostat can extract the occupancy indicator from the signal and overwrite the current occupancy attribute value.

[0009] On the other hand, a programmable thermostat can control environmental systems including heating / cooling systems, fans, ventilator systems, humidifiers and / or dehumidifiers. The occupancy attribute information can include thermostatic configuration data for one or more of the controlled equipment based on the occupancy attribute value.

[0010] In another aspect, the ventilator controller determines a pre-occupancy purge run time and activates the controlled ventilator system for the determined duration before the next occupancy period. The pre-occupancy purge run time may depend on many factors, including the duration of the non-occupancy period.

[0011] In another aspect, a thermostat controls an environmental system associated with an environmental entity. The thermostat obtains a current time and accesses scene attribute information for the current time. When a current scene attribute value differs from a previous scene attribute value, the programmable thermostat sets the current thermostat setting to be equal to a first set of thermostat settings and a second set of thermostat settings corresponding to the first scene attribute value and the second scene attribute value, respectively.

[0012] In another aspect, the thermostat configuration data includes a current primary attribute value. When the current primary attribute value indicates a first primary attribute value, the programmable thermostat causes the current thermostat setting to be equivalent to a first set of thermostat settings. When the current primary attribute value indicates a second primary attribute value, the programmable thermostat causes the current thermostat setting to be equivalent to a second set of thermostat settings.

[0013] On the other hand, the programmable thermostat traverses the tree structure representing the thermostat configuration data. The thermostat then obtains the thermostat settings from the leaves of the tree structure.

[0014] Aspects of the present disclosure may be implemented in one or more of the following embodiments.

[0015] 1) A thermostat for controlling a ventilator system, the thermostat comprising:

[0016] a timer circuit; and

[0017] A ventilator controller, the ventilator controller comprising:

[0018] a controller output interface circuit configured to connect to the ventilator system;

[0019] a first memory device configured to store thermostat configuration data;

[0020] processor; and

[0021] a second memory device storing computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the ventilator controller to:

[0022] determining an operating mode of the ventilation system from a mode indicator;

[0023] When the determined operating mode is the purge mode and when the ventilator system is operating during an unoccupied time period:

[0024] accessing thermostat configuration data, wherein the thermostat configuration data includes a first duration of the unoccupied time period and a second duration of a next occupied time period;

[0025] determining a pre-occupancy purge run time based on the first duration of the unoccupied time period; and

[0026] When the timer circuit indicates the start of a purge time interval during the unoccupied period, the ventilation system is activated via the controller output interface circuit for the pre-occupancy purge run time.

[0027] 2) The thermostat according to 1), wherein the second memory device stores computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the ventilator controller to perform the following operations:

[0028] determining the pre-occupancy purge operation time difference based on a difference between the occupied ventilation operation time and the unoccupied ventilation operation time; and

[0029] The pre-occupancy purge operation time difference is combined with the unoccupied ventilation operation time to obtain the pre-occupancy purge operation time.

[0030] 3) The thermostat according to 1), wherein the purge time interval occurs at the end of the unoccupied time period.

[0031] 4) The thermostat according to 1), wherein the second memory device stores computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the ventilator controller to perform the following operations:

[0032] The mode indicator is obtained from the thermostat configuration data stored in the first memory device.

[0033] 5) The thermostat according to 1), wherein the thermostat further comprises a user interface circuit, and wherein the second memory device stores computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the ventilator controller to perform the following operations:

[0034] The mode indicator is obtained by the user interface circuit.

[0035] 6) The thermostat according to 1), wherein the second memory device stores computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the ventilator controller to perform the following operations:

[0036] When the determined operating mode is the normal mode, and when the ventilator system is operating during the unoccupied time period, the ventilator system is activated for the unoccupied ventilation operating time while the controlled heating / cooling system is operating.

[0037] 7) The thermostat according to 6), wherein the second memory device stores computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the ventilator controller to perform the following operations:

[0038] When the unoccupied ventilation operating time is greater than the heating / cooling operating time, the ventilation system is activated for a remainder of the unoccupied ventilation operating time at the end of the unoccupied time period.

[0039] 8) The thermostat according to 1), wherein the second memory device stores computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the ventilator controller to perform the following operations:

[0040] When the first duration of the unoccupied time period is greater than a first predetermined duration, the determining includes making the first duration of the unoccupied time period equal to a first time constant.

[0041] 9) The thermostat according to 1), wherein the second memory device stores computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the ventilator controller to perform the following operations:

[0042] When the first duration of the unoccupied time period is less than a second predetermined duration, the determining includes making the first duration of the unoccupied time period equal to a second time constant.

[0043] 10) The thermostat according to 1), wherein the second memory device stores computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the ventilator controller to perform the following operations:

[0044] When the unoccupied time period expires, the constant temperature setting is applied for the next occupied time period.

[0045] 11) The thermostat according to 2), wherein the pre-occupancy purge operation time increases with the first duration of the unoccupied time period, and the pre-occupancy purge operation time is between the occupied ventilation operation time and the unoccupied ventilation operation time.

[0046] 12) One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing computer-readable instructions that, when executed by a computer system, cause the computer system to:

[0047] accessing thermostat configuration data, wherein the thermostat configuration data includes a first duration of an unoccupied time period;

[0048] determining a pre-occupancy purge operation time difference based on a difference between the occupied ventilation operation time and the unoccupied ventilation operation time and based on the first duration of the unoccupied time period;

[0049] combining the pre-occupancy purge operation time difference with the unoccupied ventilation operation time to obtain a pre-occupancy purge operation time; and

[0050] The ventilation system is activated at the end of the unoccupied time period for the pre-occupancy purge operating time.

[0051] 13) One or more non-transitory computer-readable media according to 12), storing computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the computer system, cause the computer system to:

[0052] increasing the pre-occupancy purge operating time with the first duration of the unoccupied time period; and

[0053] The pre-occupancy purge operation time is adjusted to be between the occupied ventilation operation time and the unoccupied ventilation operation time.

[0054] 14) One or more non-transitory computer-readable media according to 12), storing computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the computer system, cause the computer system to:

[0055] When the first duration of the unoccupied time period is greater than a first predetermined duration, the determining comprises setting the first duration of the unoccupied time period equal to a first time constant; and

[0056] When the first duration of the unoccupied time period is less than a second predetermined duration, the determining includes making the first duration of the unoccupied time period equal to a second time constant.

[0057] 15) A method for controlling a ventilator system in an environmental entity, the method comprising:

[0058] determining an operating mode of the ventilator system from a mode indicator;

[0059] When the determined operating mode is the purge mode and when the ventilation system is operating during an unoccupied time period:

[0060] accessing thermostat configuration data, wherein the thermostat configuration data includes a first duration of the unoccupied time period;

[0061] determining a pre-occupancy purge operation time difference based on a difference between the occupied ventilation operation time and the unoccupied ventilation operation time and based on the first duration of the unoccupied time period;

[0062] combining the pre-occupancy purge operation time difference with the unoccupied ventilation operation time to obtain the pre-occupancy purge operation time; and

[0063] The ventilation system is activated at the end of the unoccupied time period for the pre-occupancy purge operation time.

[0064] 16) The method according to 15), further comprising:

[0065] activating the ventilation system for the ventilation operation time while the controlled heating / cooling system is operating when not during the pre-occupancy purge operation time at the end of the unoccupied time period; and

[0066] When the ventilation operation time is greater than the heating / cooling operation time within a predetermined time period, the ventilation system is activated for a remaining time of the ventilation operation time at the end of the predetermined time period.

[0067] 17) The method according to 15), further comprising:

[0068] The mode indicator is obtained from the thermostat configuration data.

[0069] 18) The method according to 15), further comprising:

[0070] The mode indicator is obtained by inputting data via a user interface.

[0071] 19) The method according to 15), wherein the pre-occupancy purge operation time increases with the first duration of the unoccupied time period, and the pre-occupancy purge operation time is between the occupied ventilation operation time and the unoccupied ventilation operation time.

[0072] 20) The method according to 15), further comprising:

[0073] When the first duration of the unoccupied time period is greater than a first predetermined duration, making the first duration of the unoccupied time period equal to a first time constant; and

[0074] When the first duration of the unoccupied time period is less than a second predetermined duration, the first duration of the unoccupied time period is made equal to a second time constant. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0075] The foregoing summary of the invention, as well as the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments of the invention, will be better understood when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which are included by way of illustration and not as limitations of the invention as claimed.

[0076] Figure 1 A programmable thermostat interacting with a controlled system is shown according to an embodiment.

[0077] Figure 2 A programmable thermostat according to an embodiment is shown.

[0078] Figure 3 An example of associating occupancy attributes with different programming times for a programmable thermostat is shown, according to an embodiment.

[0079] Figure 4 An example of associating thermostat settings with different occupancy attribute values ​​is shown, according to an embodiment.

[0080] Figure 5 An example of mapping occupancy attribute values ​​to different programmable times for a programmable thermostat is shown, according to an embodiment.

[0081] Figure 6 A tree structure for organizing thermostatic configuration data for a programmable thermostat is shown, according to an embodiment.

[0082] Figure 7 A tree structure for organizing thermostatic configuration data for a programmable thermostat is shown, according to an embodiment.

[0083] Figure 8A process for supporting occupancy attributes through a programmable thermostat is shown, according to an embodiment.

[0084] Figure 9 An example of expanding the capabilities of a programmable thermostat according to an embodiment is shown.

[0085] Figure 10 An example of adjusting thermostat settings based on occupancy detection is shown, according to an embodiment.

[0086] Figure 11 An example of mapping thermostat settings to occupancy levels is shown, according to an embodiment.

[0087] Figures 12 to 15 Examples of different scene attribute values ​​according to implementation are shown.

[0088] Figure 16 An example of programming a thermostat with different scene attribute values ​​at different programming times is shown, according to an embodiment.

[0089] Figure 17 A tree structure for organizing thermostat data based on scene attribute values ​​is shown, according to an embodiment.

[0090] Figure 18 A process for supporting scene attributes through a programmable thermostat is shown, according to an embodiment.

[0091] Figure 19 A process for obtaining thermostat settings from a tree structure is shown, according to an embodiment.

[0092] Figure 20 Examples of ventilation activity during unoccupied and occupied time periods are shown, according to an embodiment.

[0093] Figure 21 An exemplary relationship between the pre-occupancy purge operation time difference (Vp0) and the unoccupied time is shown, according to an embodiment.

[0094] Figure 22 A process for supporting ventilation activities according to an embodiment is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0095] According to one aspect of the embodiment, a programmable thermostat enhances and facilitates the control of environmental systems associated with an environmental entity such as a house, office building, or the like.

[0096] A programmable thermostat can automatically adjust temperature settings (set temperatures) based on one or more programs. Example settings are shown in Table 1.

[0097]

[0098] The thermostat program shown in Table 1 indicates when the programmable thermostat adjusts the set temperature to match the activities of the occupants. When people are at home, the set temperature is adjusted to a comfortable level, while when people are out at work or in bed, the set temperature is lowered to save energy.

[0099] For one aspect of the embodiment, activity in a house may be described by three occupancy attribute values ​​(types):

[0100] At home: People are at home and moving around. They want maximum comfort.

[0101] Sleeping: People are at home but not active. Lower equipment operation is preferred for energy conservation and noise level reduction.

[0102] Away: People are not at home. Equipment operation can be switched to lower settings to save energy.

[0103] Knowing occupancy status allows several other thermostat functions to be optimized to provide maximum comfort and energy savings.

[0104] Although Table 1 only shows temperature settings associated with specified times, embodiments may support other types of constant temperature settings (e.g., Figure 9 shown).

[0105] Figure 1 A programmable thermostat 101 is shown interacting with an environmental system 110, according to an embodiment. The environmental system 110 may include various components, including, but not limited to, a heating / cooling system 102, a fan 103, a ventilator system 104, a humidifier 105, and / or a dehumidifier 106. These components may be physically separate or combined in some manner. For example, the fan 103 may be physically located within the heating / cooling system 102.

[0106] In addition, the programmable thermostat 101 can interact with the timer circuit 107 to obtain the current time so that the programmable thermostat 101 can initiate an action of the environmental system 110. For example, referring to Table 1, when the room temperature is below 68°F, at 6:00 AM, the thermostat 101 can turn on the heating / cooling system 102 (e.g., furnace).

[0107] For some embodiments, the programmable thermostat 101 can interact with the user interface circuit 108 so that a user can input thermostat configuration data for configuring (programming) the thermostat 101. For example, the thermostat configuration data can represent the content shown in Table 1.

[0108] For some embodiments, the occupancy detector 109 can detect whether the ambient entity is occupied or unoccupied and, accordingly, provide a resulting signal to the programmable thermostat 101. The thermostat 101 can process the signal and, based on the signal, provide a thermostat setting to the ambient system 110. For example, the thermostat 101 can instruct the ambient system 110 to maintain a higher temperature when the house (ambient entity) is occupied than when it is unoccupied.

[0109] Figure 2 A programmable thermostat 101 is shown according to an embodiment.

[0110] The processor 201 processes the information from the environmental sensor 206 and the constant temperature configuration data from the memory 204 according to the computer readable instructions obtained from the memory device 205. For example, the computer readable instructions may reflect the following respectively: Figure 8 and Figure 18 The steps (boxes) in the flowchart 800 and / or flowchart 1800 shown, as will be discussed, are as follows. Based on the sensor information obtained from the environmental sensor 206 and the thermostat setting obtained from the memory device 204, the processor 201 controls the environmental system 110. For example, the processor 201 can obtain the room temperature from the environmental sensor 206 and instruct the heating / cooling system 102 to maintain the room according to the thermostat setting as shown in Table 1.

[0111] Memory device 204 and memory device 205 can employ a variety of different computer-readable media. Computer-readable media can be any available media that can be accessed by a computing device and includes volatile and non-volatile media, removable and non-removable media. By way of example and not limitation, computer-readable media can include a combination of computer storage media and communication media.

[0112] Computer storage media may include volatile and nonvolatile, removable and non-removable media implemented in any method or technology for storage of information such as computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules or other data. Computer storage media includes, but is not limited to, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), flash memory or other memory technology, CD-ROM, digital versatile disks (DVD) or other optical disk storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium that can be used to store the desired information and accessed by a computing device.

[0113] Communication media typically embodies computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data in a modulated data signal such as a carrier wave or other transport mechanism, and includes any information delivery media. A modulated data signal is a signal that has one or more of its characteristics set or changed in such a manner as to encode information in the signal. By way of example, and not limitation, communication media includes wired media such as a wired network or direct-wired connection, and wireless media such as acoustic, RF, infrared, and other wireless media.

[0114] For some embodiments, memory device 204 and memory device 205 may be physically implemented as a single memory device.

[0115] Once the processor 201 obtains the thermostat setting for the environmental system 110, the processor 201 may provide the thermostat setting to the thermostat output interface circuit 203 for controlling the environmental system 110. The thermostat setting may be exposed directly to the environmental system 110, or may be used by the thermostat 101 in conjunction with a signal from the environmental sensor 206 to generate a control signal for the environmental system 110.

[0116] The programmable thermostat 101 can also obtain thermostat configuration data and / or program data through the thermostat input interface circuit 202. For example, the user can configure different thermostat settings for different property values, such as Figure 4 As shown, and thus the thermostat 101 is programmed based on different property values, such as Figure 5 shown.

[0117] Figure 3 An example of associating occupancy attributes with different programming times of the programmable thermostat 101 is shown, according to an embodiment.

[0118] For some embodiments, occupancy attributes are included in the programmable information, where the occupancy attributes describe the occupancy state of the premises at the time of the program. Figure 3 Based on the occupancy status information shown, the thermostat 101 can adjust the thermostat settings to maximize comfort and energy savings.

[0119] For example, at 6:00 AM, in addition to adjusting the set temperature to 68°F, a thermostat program may provide the thermostat 101 with an occupancy type of "Home." Similarly, there may be additional occupancy types of "Away" and "Sleeping" assigned to other thermostat programs. (Embodiments may include other occupancy types, but "Home," "Sleeping," and "Away" are generally sufficient to cover common situations.)

[0120] Different settings of the thermostat 101 can be associated with occupancy states. Figure 4 As shown, the settings of fan mode 403 can be mapped to different occupancy attribute values ​​401 .

[0121] For thermostat programs with "Home" assigned to the occupancy attribute, the fan can be set to "On" for maximum ventilation. For Sleep and Away programs, the fan can be set to "Auto" to save power and reduce operating noise.

[0122] When the ventilator system 104 is deployed, the ventilator operating cycle 404 may be automatically adjusted.

[0123] When people are not at home, the ventilator system 104 can be turned to a low setting to save electricity. For some embodiments, the occupancy attribute value 401 can also be mapped to a set temperature 402. The user does not need to enter the set temperature 402 for each program because each occupancy attribute value 401 is configured for the set temperature 402, thereby facilitating the programming process. In this method, the thermostat program maps the set time 501 and the occupancy attribute value 502, such as Figure 5 shown.

[0124] The occupancy attribute can also support automatic or manual override. For automatic override, one or more occupancy detection sensors (e.g. Figure 1 The occupancy detector 109 shown can be used to detect whether someone is actually home. Figure 5 , the programmed occupancy values ​​"Home," "Sleeping," and "Away" represent people being home and active, people being home but inactive, and the house being unoccupied, respectively. If the occupancy detected by detector 109 does not match the programmed occupancy value, the thermostat 101 can make appropriate changes to the settings to save energy or improve comfort. With a manual override, the user can manually change the occupancy value from the programmed preset. With conventional methods, program overrides (holds) only interact with the set temperature. However, according to one aspect of the embodiment, the occupancy override changes several settings collectively, making automatic or manual overrides of programs more flexible and effective.

[0125] Figure 6 A tree structure 600 is shown for organizing thermostat configuration data for a programmable thermostat according to an embodiment. The tree structure 600 reflects Figure 4 There are three possible occupancy attribute values ​​associated with the occupancy attribute 601: "Home" 602, "Away" 603, and "Sleeping" 604. In addition, each occupancy attribute value 602, 603, 604 has an associated thermostat setting 605 / 606, 607 / 608, and 609 / 610, respectively. Figure 6 As shown, the settings correspond to leaves of the tree structure 600, wherein each leaf does not have any child nodes. Once the thermostat setting is determined, the thermostat 101 can provide the determined setting via the thermostat output interface circuit 203.

[0126] For some embodiments, the processor 201 accesses the tree structure from the memory device 204 and traverses the tree structure based on the selected occupancy attribute value. Figure 5 , the occupancy attribute value selected at 4:00 PM would be "Home" and the associated thermostat settings would be Fan Mode 605 ("On") and Ventilation Cycle 606 ("High").

[0127] Figure 7 700 for organizing thermostat data for a programmable thermostat according to an embodiment is shown. For this exemplary hierarchical tree structure, additional attributes are associated under each occupancy attribute value. For example, when the occupancy attribute 701 has a value of "away" 702, the operating mode attribute 703 may have a value 705 or a value 706 corresponding to "set temperature = 64°F" 707 or "set temperature = 72°F" 708, respectively, and "ventilation cycle = medium" 704. As will be discussed further, the occupancy attribute 701 may be referred to as a primary attribute, while the operating mode attribute 703 may be referred to as a secondary attribute.

[0128] Figure 8 A process 800 for supporting occupancy attributes by a programmable thermostat 101 is shown according to an embodiment. At block 801, the thermostat 101 obtains the current time from the timer circuit 107 and determines a corresponding occupancy attribute value at block 802. For example, referring to Figure 5 , when the current time is 4:00 p.m., the occupancy attribute value changes from "Away" to "Home".

[0129] If the occupancy attribute value changes, as determined at block 802, the thermostat 101 obtains the thermostat setting for the current occupancy attribute value at block 803. For example, the thermostat 101 accesses the data structure stored in the memory device 204 at approximately 4:00 PM to obtain the thermostat setting associated with the occupancy attribute value "at home." The thermostat 101 then applies the thermostat setting to the environmental system 110 at block 804.

[0130] Figure 9 An example 900 of enhancing the capabilities of a programmable thermostat 101 according to an embodiment is shown. Traditionally, a programmable thermostat can be programmed to change the set temperature at different programmed times throughout the day to match the occupant's schedule. For example, a typical thermostat program may include four set point times, indicating that the set temperature changes four times a day.

[0131] According to one aspect of the embodiment, the programmable thermostat 101 can reduce heating or cooling when the environmental entity (e.g., house) is not occupied or at bedtime to reduce energy use. More controlled thermostat settings (items) can be added to the thermostat program to save heating / cooling costs without reducing user comfort.

[0132] refer to Figure 9 , procedure 901 is expanded to include items in addition to setting temperature values ​​903 and 904 at programming time 902. The additional items include, but are not limited to:

[0133] Fan Setting 905 - Set the fan to "On" for better air quality when the house is occupied, and to "Auto" to save energy and reduce operating noise when people are not home or in bed.

[0134] Ventilator Setting 906 - Set to "High" when the house is occupied and occupants are active. Set to "Medium" during bedtime and set to "Low" when the house is unoccupied.

[0135] Humidity Control 907 and 908 - Set to comfort settings when the house is occupied and to energy saving settings when people are away.

[0136] Figure 10 An example of adjusting thermostat settings based on occupancy detection is shown, according to an embodiment.

[0137] With traditional approaches, a thermostat's set temperature is unrelated to the environment it controls. With non-programmable thermostats, the set temperature is fixed. With programmable thermostats, it can be programmed to change the set temperature at different times of day to match the occupants' schedules. However, in either case, the thermostat is unaware of the actual environment. If the set temperature is set to a comfortable setting but people are not home, energy is wasted. Therefore, it is desirable for the thermostat to understand the actual occupancy of the house and make appropriate adjustments to the thermostat setting based on this information.

[0138] Embodiments can utilize various technologies to detect human occupancy via occupancy detectors 109 in environmental entities, such as PIR (passive infrared), Doppler radar, and computer vision. One or more of these occupancy sensors can be installed in an area of ​​interest to detect the presence of a person. The sensor returns the occupancy status of the area to the thermostat 101. Based on the detection, the occupancy status can be a simple "occupied" or "unoccupied" state or a variety of states such as "high," "medium," "low," and "zero."

[0139] For one aspect of the embodiment, energy is used when the house is not occupied. Additional attributes are added to the thermostat programs 1001a-1001d to inform the programmable thermostat 101 to adjust the set temperatures 1003a-1003d when the house is not occupied.

[0140] For program 1001a (Program 1), time 1002a (6:00 AM) is wake-up time and people are likely to be at home. Offset 1004a is set to zero to prevent false triggering.

[0141] For process 1001b (process 2), people are expected to be out of the house for work. The process lowers the set temperature to 65°F and further lowers it by 5°F (corresponding to offset 1004b) when the house is unoccupied as confirmed by occupancy detection.

[0142] For process 1001c (process 3), people are returning home from get off work. The process resets the set temperature to a comfortable 68°F. In the event that people are not currently home, occupancy detection notifies the thermostat 101 to lower the temperature slightly by 2°F, which corresponds to offset 1004c.

[0143] For program 1001d (Procedure 4), time 1002d (10:00 PM) is bedtime. Program 1001d reduces the set temperature to 64°F and further reduces it by 2°F when no activity is detected.

[0144] Figure 11 An example of mapping thermostat settings to occupancy levels is shown, according to an embodiment.

[0145] In one aspect of the embodiment, the fan mode changes based on activity in the home. Fan mode 1102 typically has two settings: "On" and "Auto." When the fan is set to "On," the fan is constantly on. When the fan is set to "Auto," the fan turns on with the equipment. Running the fan constantly can help distribute air more evenly within the room and improve air quality. Turning the fan on only with the equipment can reduce energy consumption.

[0146] For occupancy detection, a third mode called "Detection" can be added. When a large amount of human activity is detected (corresponding to an occupancy attribute value 1101 of "High" or "Medium"), fan mode 1102 is set to "On". When activity decreases (corresponding to an occupancy attribute value 1101 of "Low" or "Zero"), fan mode 1102 changes to "Auto".

[0147] Other thermostatic settings include, but are not limited to, adjusting ventilators (vent cycle 1103), humidifier operation (humidity setting 1104), and / or dehumidifier operation (dehumidification setting 1105) to achieve maximum comfort and energy savings based on activity in the environmental entity.

[0148] Figures 12 to 15 Examples of different scene attribute values ​​for scene attributes according to embodiments are shown.

[0149] Modern thermostats can control other equipment as well as the HVAC system, including fans, ventilators, humidifiers, dehumidifiers, and more.

[0150] With traditional methods, constant temperature programs usually only support set temperatures and do not support constant temperature settings for other equipment.

[0151] For one aspect of the embodiment, in addition to setting the temperature, a manual override may also be adjusted.

[0152] In one aspect of the embodiment, a scene attribute value is a collection of thermostat settings. Different scene attribute values ​​can be defined for the programmable thermostat 101, wherein a thermostat program can directly reference one or more of the different scene attribute values. Users can also override specific scene attribute values. Thus, scene attribute values ​​can replace the set temperature used by traditional programmable thermostats.

[0153] For example, reference Figure 12 , the scene attribute value 1200 named "evening" is configured as a comfortable evening when people return home.

[0154] refer to Figure 13 , another scene attribute value 1300 named "Nighttime" is configured for lower equipment operation to achieve quieter operation and energy conservation during bedtime.

[0155] You can set other scene property values ​​as needed.

[0156] For one aspect of the embodiment, a user can initiate a specified scene property value in a manual override to change several equipment settings in one step. For example, referring to Figure 14 , a scene attribute value 1400 called "party" is configured for an occasion such as a family gathering. The temperature is set to comfortable, and the ventilation is set to maximum.

[0157] By selecting the "Party" scene attribute value 1400 in a manual override operation, the user can change several settings simultaneously to prepare the house for a family gathering.

[0158] refer to Figure 15 The "Vacation" scene attribute value of 1500 sets all devices to low operating settings. This set of settings for one operation prevents users from forgetting that a device is running in high mode when no one is home.

[0159] In one aspect of the embodiment, a thermostat program can involve different scene attribute values. When different scene attribute values ​​are defined (e.g., via a data structure stored in the memory device 204), thermostat programming is facilitated. A user need only assign a scene attribute value at a specified time in the thermostat program. By utilizing a thermostat program, the programmable thermostat 101 is configured to configure all equipment defined for the specified scene attribute value at the specified time. Figure 16An example of programming a thermostat with different scene attribute values ​​at different programming times is shown, according to an embodiment.

[0160] Figure 17 A tree structure 1700 is shown for organizing thermostat configuration data based on scene attribute values ​​(types) according to an embodiment. For example, the configuration data represented as a tree structure can be stored in a memory device (e.g., memory device 204). The programmable thermostat 101 then retrieves the configuration data as needed.

[0161] The tree structure 1700 represents Figures 12 to 15 , where scene attribute 1701 may have one of four scene attributes: "evening" 1702, "nighttime" 1703, "party" 1704, and "vacation" 1705 (these may be referred to as primary attribute values). Attribute values ​​that appear lower in the tree hierarchy (e.g., occupancy attribute value 1710) may be referred to as secondary attribute values.

[0162] The tree structure 1700 shows a further branch for night 1702, as previously described in Figure 12 "Night" 1702 can be expanded to include an occupancy attribute 1706, an operation mode attribute 1707, a ventilation = long cycle 1708 (which can be referred to as a leaf), and a humidity mode attribute 1709. Because node 1708 can be referred to as a leaf, the node provides setting data presented to the environmental system 110.

[0163] The further node layers extend to nodes 1710 to 1722 , of which nodes 1712 to 1715 , 1717 to 1718 , and 1721 to 1722 are leaves and thus correspond to settings when the scene attribute value is determined to be “night” 1702 .

[0164] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the tree data structure provides a flexible method for presenting thermostat settings that apply to environmental systems, such as the environmental system 110. For example, primary attribute nodes can be expanded into secondary attribute nodes and leaf nodes from which a programmable thermostat can apply thermostat settings to a controlled system.

[0165] Figure 18 A process 1800 is shown for supporting scene attributes 1701 by programmable thermostat 101, according to an embodiment. Thermostat 101 obtains thermostat configuration data (eg, from memory device 204) and applies the appropriate settings to the controlled system (eg, environmental system 110).

[0166] The process 1800 supports scene attributes through the programmable thermostat 101. At block 1801, the thermostat 101 obtains the current time from the timer circuit 107, and

[0167] At block 1802, the corresponding scene attribute value is determined. For example, referring to Figure 16 , when the current time is 4:00 p.m., the scene attribute value changes from "outside" to "evening".

[0168] If the scene attribute value changes, as determined at block 1802, the thermostat 101 obtains the thermostat setting for the current occupancy attribute value at block 1803. For example, the thermostat 101 accesses the data structure stored in the memory device 204 at approximately 4:00 PM to obtain the thermostat setting associated with the scene attribute value "evening." The thermostat 101 then applies the thermostat setting to the environmental system 110 at block 1804.

[0169] For some embodiments, the thermostat configuration data may be represented as a tree data structure (e.g., Figure 17 shown). Figure 19 A process 1900 for obtaining thermostat settings from a tree structure is shown, according to an embodiment.

[0170] As with process 1800 , the thermostat 101 obtains the current time from the timer circuit 107 at block 1901 and determines a corresponding primary attribute value (eg, a scene attribute value) at block 1902 .

[0171] If the primary property value changes, as determined at block 1902 , the thermostat 101 obtains the thermostat setting for the current primary property value by traversing the associated branches of the tree structure at block 1903 .

[0172] Thermostat 101 then applies the thermostat setting to environmental system 110 at block 1905 based on the thermostat setting information extracted from the leaf node obtained at block 1904 .

[0173] Figure 20 Examples of ventilation activity during unoccupied time periods 2001 and 2003 and occupied time periods 2002 and 2004 are shown, according to an embodiment.

[0174] Ventilator system 104 (e.g. Figure 1 shown) can be programmed to run sparsely or even shut down to save energy when the house is unoccupied, and resume normal operation for good air quality when people are home.

[0175] During the unoccupied time period 2001, the ventilator system 104 operates at a low rate, so the air quality may be poor. According to one aspect of the embodiment, in order to remove the stale air before people return home, the thermostat / ventilator controller 101 may support a pre-occupancy purge feature.

[0176] This activates the ventilator system 104 for a longer period of time (corresponding to the pre-occupancy purge run time 2005) at the end of the unoccupied period 2003. For one aspect of the embodiment, a process (such as Figure 22 The process 2200 shown in FIG. 2005 determines the pre-occupancy purge time 2005 based on the following factors:

[0177] The longer the house is unoccupied, the longer the unoccupied purge time will be.

[0178] The unoccupied purge period is between the ventilation operation time for occupied and unoccupied conditions.

[0179] express:

[0180] Tu = unoccupied time period (hours)

[0181] Vo = ventilation operation time when occupied (minutes)

[0182] Vu = ventilation operation time when unoccupied (minutes)

[0183] Vp0 = purge operation time difference before occupation

[0184] Vp = purge time (minutes)

[0185] And assume

[0186] 1. If Tu>8, then Tu=8

[0187] 2. If Tu<4, then Tu=4

[0188] 3.d=Vo-Vu

[0189] 4. If d<0, d=0

[0190] 5.Vp0=d×Tu / 8

[0191] 6.Vp=Vu+Vp0

[0192] The above set of relationships is merely an example of determining the purge time. Embodiments may utilize other relationships consistent with the above conditions.

[0193] For the above example, 8 hours and 4 hours in (1), (2) and (5) are typical values. Other values ​​can be used for the above method.

[0194] According to one aspect of the embodiment, operation during unoccupied time period 2001 (without pre-occupancy purge and referred to as normal mode) can differ from operation during unoccupied time period 2003 (with pre-occupancy purge and referred to as purge mode), for example, during the last hour and / or at different points in time between time periods 2001 and 2003 (i.e., pre-occupancy purge time period 2005). For time periods 2001 and 2003 other than pre-occupancy purge time period 2005, ventilator controller 101 can activate ventilator system 104 only when heating / cooling system (HVAC) 102 is on. In this way, since the fans are typically on when HVAC 102 is on, additional fan operation is avoided. For example, within a particular hour, if the HVAC runtime is longer than the desired ventilation runtime (Vo or Vu), ventilator system 104 will be activated within the HVAC duty cycle. If the HVAC runtime is shorter than the desired ventilation runtime, ventilator controller 101 will compensate for the desired runtime at the end of the hour by operating only ventilator system 104.

[0195] However, during the pre-occupancy purge period of duration 2005, all ventilator run time for the last hour of operation is at the end of the unoccupied period 2003, regardless of HVAC operation. For example, if Vp is 40 minutes, then during the last hour of the unoccupied period 2003, the ventilator will not operate for the first 20 minutes, but will only operate continuously for the last 40 minutes (corresponding to the pre-occupancy purge time 2005).

[0196] While embodiments may activate the purge during the last hour of operation as described above, some embodiments may activate the purge during a different operating time interval, such as typically 15 minutes or 2 hours at the end of the pre-occupancy period.

[0197] Figure 21 An exemplary relationship between the pre-occupancy purge operation time difference (Vp0) 2102 and the unoccupied time 2101 is shown according to an embodiment. Figure 21 , relationships 2151 to 2156 (corresponding to d=0, d=10, d=20, d=30, d=40, d=50, and d=60, respectively) show Vp0 for different values ​​of Tu and d. As described above, Tu is the unoccupied time, and d is the difference in ventilation operation time between the occupied period and the unoccupied period, which can be two factors in determining the unoccupied purge time.

[0198] Figure 22 A process 2200 for supporting ventilation activities is shown, according to an embodiment.

[0199] At block 2201, the thermostat / ventilator controller 101 determines whether the ventilator system 104 is operating in a purge mode rather than a normal mode (non-purge mode). For some embodiments, if possible, the ventilator system 104 is activated for the desired ventilation run time (Vu) throughout the unoccupied time period 2001 while the heating / cooling system 102 is operating. When in purge mode, the ventilator system 104 is activated for an additional time (designated Vp0 and referred to as Vp0) during the purge interval. Figure 21 For example, if Figure 20 As shown, the purge time interval occurs during interval 2005 of duration Vu+Vp0 at the end of the unoccupied time period 2003. However, while not explicitly shown, the purge time interval may occur at a different point in time (eg, not exactly at the end).

[0200] For some embodiments, thermostat / ventilator controller 101 may determine whether ventilator system 104 is operating in normal mode or purge mode based on thermostat configuration data obtained from memory device 204 or based on input data obtained through user interface circuitry 108 .

[0201] Return Reference Figure 22 If the thermostat / ventilator controller 101 determines that the ventilator system 104 is operating in normal mode, the process 2200 continues at block 2202. Otherwise, the process 2200 continues at block 2203, where the thermostat / ventilator controller 101 obtains Tu, Vo, and Vu, and determines Vp0 based on the above relationship at block 2204.

[0202] At block 2205, the thermostat / ventilator controller 101 operates at a specified purge interval (e.g., Figure 20 Ventilation is activated during the pre-occupancy purge time 2005 shown.

[0203] Once the unoccupied time period expires, the thermostat / ventilator controller 101 applies the constant temperature setting for the occupied time period 2202 or 2004 at block 2206 .

[0204] As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, a computer system with an associated computer-readable medium containing instructions for controlling the computer system can be used to implement the exemplary embodiments disclosed herein. The computer system can include at least one computer, such as a microprocessor, a digital signal processor, and associated peripheral electronic circuits.

Claims

1. A thermostat for controlling a ventilator system, the thermostat comprising: Timer circuit; as well as A ventilator controller, the ventilator controller comprising: a memory configured to store thermostatic configuration data comprising a first duration for an unoccupied time period and a second duration for a next occupied time period, wherein the ventilator controller is programmed to: determining an operating mode of the ventilator system from a mode indicator, the operating mode comprising a purge mode; determining that the ventilator system is operating during an unoccupied time period; accessing the thermostat configuration data including the first duration of the unoccupied time period and the second duration of the next occupied time period; determining a pre-occupancy purge operation time based on a difference between the occupied ventilation operation time and the unoccupied ventilation operation time and based on the first duration of the unoccupied time period; and The ventilator system is activated via the controller output interface circuit for the pre-occupancy purge run time when the timer circuit indicates the start of a purge time interval during the unoccupied time period.

2. The thermostat according to claim 1 , wherein the ventilator controller is configured to: determining a pre-occupancy purge operation time difference based on a difference between the occupied ventilation operation time and the unoccupied ventilation operation time; and The pre-occupancy purge operation time difference is combined with the unoccupied ventilation operation time to obtain the pre-occupancy purge operation time.

3. The thermostat of claim 1 , wherein the purge time interval occurs at the end of the unoccupied time period.

4. The thermostat of claim 1 , wherein the ventilator controller is configured to: The mode indicator is obtained from the thermostat configuration data stored in the memory.

5. The thermostat of claim 1 , further comprising a user interface circuit, wherein the ventilator controller is programmed to: The mode indicator is obtained by the user interface circuit.

6. The thermostat of claim 1 , wherein the ventilator controller is programmed to: When the determined operating mode is the normal mode, and when the ventilator system is operating during the unoccupied time period, the ventilator system is activated for the unoccupied ventilation operating time while the controlled heating / cooling system is operating.

7. The thermostatic device according to claim 6, wherein the ventilator controller is configured to: When the unoccupied ventilation operating time is greater than the heating / cooling operating time, the ventilator system is activated at the end of the unoccupied time period for the remainder of the unoccupied ventilation operating time.

8. The thermostat of claim 1 , wherein the ventilator controller is programmed to: When the first duration of the unoccupied time period is greater than a first predetermined duration, determining the pre-occupied purge operation time includes setting the first duration of the unoccupied time period equal to a first time constant.

9. The thermostat of claim 1 , wherein the ventilator controller is programmed to: When the first duration of the unoccupied time period is less than a second predetermined duration, determining the pre-occupied purge operation time includes setting the first duration of the unoccupied time period equal to a second time constant.

10. The thermostat of claim 1 , wherein the ventilator controller is programmed to: When the unoccupied time period expires, the constant temperature setting is applied for the next occupied time period. 11 . The thermostat according to claim 2 , wherein the pre-occupancy purge operation time increases with the first duration of the unoccupied time period, and the pre-occupancy purge operation time is between the occupied ventilation operation time and the unoccupied ventilation operation time.

12. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing computer-readable instructions that, when executed by a computer system, cause the computer system to: accessing thermostat configuration data, wherein the thermostat configuration data includes a first duration of an unoccupied time period; determining a pre-occupancy purge operation time difference based on a difference between the occupied ventilation operation time and the unoccupied ventilation operation time and based on the first duration of the unoccupied time period; combining the pre-occupancy purge operation time difference with the unoccupied ventilation operation time to obtain a pre-occupancy purge operation time; as well as At the end of the unoccupied time period, the ventilator system is activated for the pre-occupancy purge operating time.

13. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 12, storing computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the computer system, cause the computer system to: increasing the pre-occupancy purge operating time with the first duration of the unoccupied time period; and The pre-occupancy purge operation time is adjusted to be between the occupied ventilation operation time and the unoccupied ventilation operation time.

14. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 12, storing computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the computer system, cause the computer system to: When the first duration of the unoccupied time period is greater than a first predetermined duration, determining the pre-occupancy purge operation time includes setting the first duration of the unoccupied time period equal to a first time constant; and When the first duration of the unoccupied time period is less than a second predetermined duration, determining the pre-occupied purge operation time includes setting the first duration of the unoccupied time period equal to a second time constant.

15. A method for controlling a ventilator system in an environmental entity, the method comprising: determining an operating mode of the ventilator system from a mode indicator; When the determined operating mode is the purge mode and when the ventilator system is operating during an unoccupied time period: accessing thermostat configuration data, wherein the thermostat configuration data includes a first duration of the unoccupied time period; determining a pre-occupancy purge operation time difference based on a difference between the occupied ventilation operation time and the unoccupied ventilation operation time and based on the first duration of the unoccupied time period; combining the pre-occupancy purge operation time difference with the unoccupied ventilation operation time to obtain a pre-occupancy purge operation time; as well as The ventilator system is activated at the end of the unoccupied time period for the pre-occupancy purge operating time.

16. The method according to claim 15, further comprising: activating the ventilator system for a continuous ventilation operation time while the controlled heating / cooling system is operating when the pre-occupancy purge operation time is not during the unoccupied time period at the end of the unoccupied time period; as well as When the ventilation operation time is greater than the heating / cooling operation time within a predetermined time period, the ventilator system is activated for a remaining time of the ventilation operation time at the end of the predetermined time period.

17. The method according to claim 15, further comprising: The mode indicator is obtained from the thermostat configuration data.

18. The method according to claim 15, further comprising: The mode indicator is obtained by inputting data via a user interface. 19 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the pre-occupancy purge operation time increases with the first duration of the unoccupied time period, and the pre-occupancy purge operation time is between the occupied ventilation operation time and the unoccupied ventilation operation time.

20. The method according to claim 15, further comprising: when the first duration of the unoccupied time period is greater than a first predetermined duration, making the first duration of the unoccupied time period equal to a first time constant; as well as When the first duration of the unoccupied time period is less than a second predetermined duration, the first duration of the unoccupied time period is made equal to a second time constant.

Images