Environmental control method and apparatus
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing environmental control systems, such as HVAC systems, lack optimal control when user behavior deviates from normal patterns, leading to inefficient energy usage and unnecessary appliance activation.
Innovation Solution
A mobile device application that allows users to control environmental parameters like temperature and humidity by sending commands to the system based on geolocation thresholds and environmental conditions, with a foreground state for user interaction and a background state for notifications and command execution, minimizing resource usage and battery consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a conventional remote control application is used to control environmental control systems, then users can send control commands remotely, but the application consumes significant memory, system resources and battery power
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the essential control functionality from a full remote control application by implementing a notification system that presents pre-determined control options. Instead of requiring a complete application to be running in foreground, the system extracts only the necessary notification and selection features, thereby reducing resource consumption while maintaining core remote control capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements partial action by providing a limited set of pre-determined control options through notifications rather than full application functionality. This partial control mechanism is sufficient for common scenarios and significantly reduces the computational resources and battery power required compared to running a complete remote control application.
2Ease of operation
If the application runs in foreground state to allow user interaction, then users can control environmental parameters, but system resources and memory are continuously consumed
Solution Approach 1:
The system transitions from continuous foreground operation to periodic background notification delivery. Instead of maintaining a persistent foreground application, the system periodically delivers notifications with control options when relevant events occur (such as geofence crossings or scheduled times), thereby reducing continuous resource consumption while maintaining user interaction capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The notification system acts as an intermediary between the background application and the user interface. Rather than requiring direct foreground application execution for user interaction, the intermediary notification mechanism conveys control options and receives user responses, thereby enabling user interaction with minimal system resource usage.
3Productivity
If automatic command execution is implemented based on geolocation and environmental conditions, then control responsiveness is improved, but user verification and selection capability is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by automatically determining appropriate control commands based on geolocation and environmental conditions, then presents these pre-determined options to the user via notification. This preliminary automated analysis improves responsiveness by eliminating the need for users to manually assess conditions, while still allowing user verification and selection before execution.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback by monitoring geolocation and environmental conditions, automatically generating control recommendations, presenting them to the user, and executing commands based on user selection. This closed-loop feedback mechanism maintains user verification capability while improving responsiveness through automated condition assessment and recommendation generation.
Data Source
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AI summary
A method and apparatus for controlling from a mobile device, an environmental control system. The control system includes at least one appliance for influencing one or more environmental parameters at a premises wherein the mobile device comprises an application for sending commands to the environmental control system. The application has at least a foreground state for controlling the environmental control system based on a plurality of user-adjustable parameters for the one or more environmental parameters, and the application is arranged, using a screen of the mobile device to interact with a user, to present the user with an option to adjust one or more of the user-adjustable parameters in the foreground state; and at least one background state, wherein the application is arranged to generate user notifications in the background state. The method comprises the steps of: when the application is in a background state determining that the mobile device has crossed a predetermined geolocation threshold; determining that an environmental parameter of the premises satisfies a condition; displaying on a screen of the mobile device, a notification to a user, the notification comprising an option to initiate a command effecting control of at least one appliance; detecting that the user has selected the option to initiate the command; and sending to the environmental control system a message to effect the command.