Domain Control Rules From User Patterns in Smart Thermostats

Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional smart thermostats automatically implement temperature control schedules without user approval, often resulting in undesirable settings, requiring continuous manual overrides and leading to user frustration.

Innovation Solution

A domain management resource that monitors user behavior and environmental parameters to identify repeated patterns, generates proposed control rules, and presents them for user review and approval before implementation, allowing users to provide feedback and edit settings to derive preferred control rules.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Extent of automation

If the smart thermostat automatically implements control schedules without user approval, then the extent of automation is improved, but the ease of operation deteriorates due to continuous manual overrides required

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveautomatic schedule implementationVSAvoiduser control convenience

Core Design Contradiction:

Extent of automationVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary monitoring and analysis of user manual adjustments to identify repeated patterns before automatically implementing control schedules. By preparing and presenting proposed schedules for user approval in advance, the system allows users to review and accept or reject automated controls before they take effect, reducing the need for continuous manual overrides while maintaining user convenience.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system incorporates user feedback mechanisms where users can review proposed control schedules, provide feedback on their preferences, and approve or reject automated implementations. This feedback loop enables the system to learn from user responses and improve future schedule recommendations, balancing automation with user control needs.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Productivity

If the smart thermostat implements automatic control schedules, then the productivity is improved through reduced manual intervention, but the reliability deteriorates due to undesirable temperature settings

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvereduced manual interventionVSAvoidtemperature control accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary monitoring and analysis of user manual adjustments to identify repeated patterns before automatically implementing control schedules. By preparing and presenting proposed schedules for user approval in advance, the system allows users to review and accept or reject automated controls before they take effect, reducing the need for continuous manual overrides while maintaining user convenience.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system incorporates user feedback mechanisms where users can review proposed control schedules, provide feedback on their preferences, and approve or reject automated implementations. This feedback loop enables the system to learn from user responses and improve future schedule recommendations, balancing automation with user control needs.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Adaptability or versatility

If the smart thermostat continuously monitors user behavior to generate control schedules, then the adaptability is improved, but the loss of time increases due to continuous monitoring and schedule adjustment

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveuser behavior adaptationVSAvoidmonitoring and adjustment time

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary monitoring and analysis of user manual adjustments to identify repeated patterns before automatically implementing control schedules. By preparing and presenting proposed schedules for user approval in advance, the system allows users to review and accept or reject automated controls before they take effect, reducing the need for continuous manual overrides while maintaining user convenience.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system monitors user behavior partially by focusing specifically on manual temperature adjustments rather than continuously analyzing all user activities. This selective monitoring approach identifies repeated patterns sufficient for schedule generation without requiring excessive continuous monitoring, thus reducing time loss while maintaining adaptability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentUS11789418B2Domain management and configuration settings

Publication Date: 2023.10.17 TIME WARNER CABLE ENTERPRISES LLC

AI summary

A domain management resource monitors a behavior of a user controlling multiple resources disposed in a domain of a network environment. Based on the monitored behavior, the domain management resource identifies a repeated pattern of control in which the user controls a particular resource in the domain. The domain management resource derives a proposed control rule based on the repeated pattern of control. The proposed control specifies how to control the particular resource. The domain management resource presents the control rule for review and possible editing prior to programming the domain management resource to execute the control rule.