US20160209072A1 - Programmable smart thermostat - Google Patents

Abstract

A thermostat includes a front housing, a rear housing interoperably coupled to the front housing, at least one sensor integrated with the front housing, a display integrated with the front housing, and processing circuitry interoperably coupled to the at least one sensor and the display. The processing circuitry is configured to periodically activate the at least one sensor, receive data from the at least one sensor and determine, from the received data, whether movement has occurred. Responsive to a determination that the movement has occurred, determine whether the movement is by a human and responsive to a determination that the movement was not by the human, adjust display attributes.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
• This Application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application 62/104,900 filed on Jan. 19, 2015. U.S. Provisional Application 62/104,900 is incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND
• 1. Technical Field
• The present invention relates generally to devices configured to regulate operation of one or more of mechanical, electrical, and electronic systems in relation to temperature and, more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to programmable intelligent thermostats having an easy-to-use intuitive user interface for controlling operation of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems.
• 2. History of Related Art
• A thermostat is generally considered to be a device that regulates operation of mechanical, electrical, or electronic systems in relation to temperature. Thermostats are particularly prevalent in heating/cooling systems to deliver a set temperature result. A traditional thermostat display typically demonstrates current temperature settings, desired temperature settings, current time, and the like. However, traditional thermostats do not demonstrate additional information that users may be interested in. For example, users may have to look or step outside to get an indication of outside weather conditions. In addition, traditional thermostats lack an easy-to-use and intuitive user interface.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
• A thermostat includes a front housing, a rear housing interoperably coupled to the front housing, at least one sensor integrated with the front housing, a display integrated with the front housing, and processing circuitry interoperably coupled to the at least one sensor and the display. The processing circuitry is configured to periodically activate the at least one sensor, receive data from the at least one sensor and determine, from the received data, whether movement has occurred. Responsive to a determination that the movement has occurred, determine whether the movement is by a human and responsive to a determination that the movement was not by the human, adjust display attributes.
• A method of controlling operations of a thermostat. The method includes coupling a front housing with a rear housing, integrating at least one sensor with the front housing, integrating a display with the front housing, and interoperably coupling a processing circuitry to the at least one sensor and the display. The method further includes periodically activating, by the processing circuitry, the at least one sensor, receiving, by the processing circuitry, data from the at least one sensor, and determining, by the processing circuitry from the received data, whether movement has occurred Responsive to a determination that the movement has occurred, determining by the processing circuitry, whether the movement is by a human and responsive to a determination that the movement was not by the human, adjusting, by the processing circuitry, display attributes.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
• FIG. 1 is a schematic view illustrating a smart home environment system;
• FIG. 2A illustrates an exemplary programmable intelligent thermostat;
• FIG. 2B is a schematic view illustrating processing circuitry of the programmable intelligent thermostat;
• FIG. 3A illustrates an exemplary user interface screen to manage temperature settings of the programmable intelligent thermostat;
• FIG. 3B illustrates an exemplary user interface screen to manage temperature settings of the programmable intelligent thermostat;
• FIG. 3C illustrates an exemplary user interface screen to manage various modes of operation of the programmable intelligent thermostat;
• FIGS. 4A-4B illustrate exemplary animations on a display of the programmable intelligent thermostat;
• FIG. 4C illustrates an exemplary screen of the programmable intelligent thermostat displaying weather conditions;
• FIG. 5 illustrates the programmable intelligent thermostat housing at least one sensor;
• FIG. 6 is a flow chart illustrating a process for analyzing data from at least one sensor;
• FIG. 7A illustrates an exemplary comparison report;
• FIG. 7B is a flow chart illustrating a process for preparing comparison reports;
• FIGS. 7C-7D illustrate exemplary system performance reports;
• FIG. 7E illustrates exemplary system notifications;
• FIG. 7F illustrates an exemplary system maintenance history report; and
• FIG. 7G illustrates an exemplary interface screen for accessing information.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
• Embodiment(s) of the invention will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying Drawings. The invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiment(s) set forth herein. The invention should only be considered limited by the claims as they now exist and the equivalents thereof.
• FIG. 1 is a schematic view illustrating a smarthome environment system100. The smarthome environment system100 includes a programmableintelligent thermostat102, anetworking device104, a plurality ofcommunication devices108,110,112, and at least one server or cloud-computing system114. Thenetworking device104, the plurality ofcommunication devices108,110,112, and the at least one server or cloud-computing system114 are each communicably coupled to anetwork106. Thenetwork106 can include any number of wired and/or wireless communications networks such as, for example, public or private intranets, a wide area network (e.g., the Internet), cellular networks, satellite communication, and the like.
• In a typical embodiment, thenetworking device104 serves as networking equipment that, for example, routes/forwards traffic between two or more networks or sub-networks and/or provides access to a network. For example, thenetworking device104 allows the programmableintelligent thermostat102 to communicate with the at least one server or cloud-computing system114 via thenetwork106. In a typical embodiment, thenetworking device104 can include, for example, routers, switches, bridges, hubs, wireless access points, gateways, a combination of same, and/or the like. In a typical embodiment, thenetworking device104 is further configured to communicate with home communication equipment such as, for example, home routers, wireless hubs, access points, and the like. In a typical embodiment, the at least one server or cloud-computing system114 may be associated with a manufacturer, a support entity, a service provider, and the like. The at least one server or cloud-computing system114 is configured to communicate with other entities such as, for example,maintenance contractors116,weather forecasting agencies118, and the like.
• The smarthome environment system100 allows users to contact customer support using, for example, the programmableintelligent thermostat102. Additionally, the smarthome environment system100 allows software updates to be routinely sent from the at least one server or cloud-computing system114 to at least one of the programmableintelligent thermostat102 and other HVAC system components such as, for example, outdoor-unit control board, furnace control board, and the like. Furthermore, the smarthome environment system100 allows maintenance reminders and notifications to be routinely sent from the at least one server or cloud-computing system114 to the programmableintelligent thermostat102. In addition, via the smarthome environment system100, the at least one server or cloud-computing system114 forwards current and predicted weather information to the programmableintelligent thermostat102.
• In a typical embodiment, the plurality ofcommunication devices108,110,112 operated by users are configured to control the programmableintelligent thermostat102 remotely. A webpage or application may be configured to receive information from the user operated plurality ofcommunication devices108,110,112 and control settings of, for example, the programmableintelligent thermostat102. For example, the user can view temperature settings of the programmableintelligent thermostat102 and modify the settings using the plurality ofcommunication devices108,110,112. In a typical embodiment, the plurality ofcommunication devices108,110,112 may be, for example, a personal computer (e.g., desktop or laptop), tablet computer, mobile device (e.g., personal digital assistant (PDA) or smart phone), and the like.
• FIG. 2A illustrates an exemplary programmableintelligent thermostat102. The programmableintelligent thermostat102 includes afront housing204 and arear housing206. Therear housing206 is removably attached to a wall via fasteners (not illustrated), such as, for example, screws, nuts, snaps, pins, and the like. Thefront housing204 includes adisplay208,processing circuitry209, and at least onesensor210 embedded therein. In a typical embodiment, the at least onesensor210 may be, for example, a sensor that is configured to detect presence of nearby objects. In one embodiment, a proximity sensor is incorporated in the programmableintelligent thermostat102 to detect whether the home is occupied. In another embodiment, a light sensor is incorporated in the programmableintelligent thermostat102 to detect room lighting. In yet another embodiment, a singular sensor such as, for example, a video camera is incorporated in the programmableintelligent thermostat102 to perform operations such as, for example, room lighting determination, distance determination, facial detection, voice recognition, occupancy detection, and the like.
• In a typical embodiment, thedisplay208 may be any type of visual input/output configured to display one or more characters and/or receive input corresponding to one or more characters. In addition, thedisplay208 may be configured to display, for example, diagrams, pictures, words, characters, animations, and the like. Thedisplay208 may further be configured to receive input corresponding to one or more diagrams, pictures, words, characters, and the like. In some embodiments, thedisplay208 may be, for example, a customizable color touch-screen display and may be configured to display respective representations of the keyboard (e.g., a virtual keyboard). In some embodiments, thedisplay208 may function as, for example, a user interface for receiving user inputs. For exemplary illustration, the programmableintelligent thermostat102 as illustrated inFIG. 2A is rectangular in shape; however, in other embodiments, the programmableintelligent thermostat102 may be of various shapes and sizes as needed.
• FIG. 2B is a schematic view illustratingprocessing circuitry209. For illustrative purposes, theprocessing circuitry209 will be described relative toFIGS. 1-2A. Theprocessing circuitry209 includes aprocessor240 connected to abus242. Thebus242 serves as a connection channel between theprocessor240 and various components of the programmableintelligent thermostat102. Thebus242 may include any combination of hardware, software embedded in a computer readable medium, and/or encoded logic incorporated in hardware or otherwise stored (e.g., firmware) to couple components of theprocessing circuitry209 to each other. As an example and not by way of limitation, thebus242 may include an Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP) or other graphics bus, an Enhanced Industry Standard Architecture (EISA) bus, a front-side bus (FSB), a HYPERTRANSPORT (HT) interconnect, an Industry Standard Architecture (ISA) bus, an INFINIBAND interconnect, a low-pin-count (LPC) bus, a memory bus, a Micro Channel Architecture (MCA) bus, a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus, a PCI-Express (PCI-X) bus, a serial advanced technology attachment (SATA) bus, a Video Electronics Standards Association local (VLB) bus, or any other suitable bus or a combination of two or more of these. Thebus242 may include any number, type, and/or configuration ofbuses242, where appropriate. In particular embodiments, one or more buses242 (which may each include an address bus and a data bus) may couple theprocessor240 to other components of theprocessing circuitry209.
• User input/output devices244 are coupled to theprocessor240. Examples of input/output devices244 may include, for example, touchscreens, pointing trackballs, trackpads, and a variety of other input/output devices. Programs and data are stored on amass storage device246 coupled to theprocessor240.
• As an example and not by way of limitation, themass storage device246 may include a hard disk drive (HDD), a floppy disk drive, flash memory, an optical disc, a magneto-optical disc, magnetic tape, or a Universal Serial Bus (USB) drive or a combination of two or more of these. Themass storage device246 may include removable or non-removable (or fixed) media, where appropriate. Themass storage device246 may be internal or external to the programmableintelligent thermostat102, where appropriate. In particular embodiments, themass storage device246 may be non-volatile, solid-state memory. In particular embodiments, themass storage device246 may include read-only memory (ROM). Where appropriate, this ROM may be mask-programmed ROM, programmable ROM (PROM), erasable PROM (EPROM), electrically erasable PROM (EEPROM), electrically alterable ROM (EAROM), or flash memory or a combination of two or more of these. Themass storage device246 may take any suitable physical form and may comprise any suitable number or type of storage. Themass storage device246 may include one or more storage control units facilitating communication between theprocessor240 and themass storage device246, where appropriate.
• Thedisplay208 is coupled to theprocessor240 by acontroller248. Asystem memory250 is coupled to theprocessor240 to provide theprocessor240 with fast storage to facilitate execution by theprocessor240. Thesystem memory250 may be any form of volatile or non-volatile memory including, without limitation, magnetic media, optical media, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), flash memory, removable media, or any other suitable local or remote memory component or components. In particular embodiments, thesystem memory250 may include random access memory (RAM). This RAM may be volatile memory, where appropriate. Where appropriate, this RAM may be dynamic RAM (DRAM) or static RAM (SRAM). Moreover, where appropriate, this RAM may be single-ported or multi-ported RAM, or any other suitable type of RAM or memory. Thesystem memory250 may store any suitable data or information, including software embedded in a computer readable medium, and/or encoded logic incorporated in hardware or otherwise stored (e.g., firmware). In particular embodiments, thesystem memory250 may include main memory for storing instructions for theprocessor240 to execute or data for theprocessor240 to operate on.
• The at least onesensor210 is coupled to theprocessor240 and provides information to theprocessor240. The information may include data relative to, for example, occupancy detection, temperature measurements, light measurements, proximity detection, and the like. Theprocessing circuitry209 also includes acommunications interface254. In a typical embodiment, thecommunications interface254 may include hardware, encoded software, or both providing one or more interfaces for communication (such as, for example, packet-based communication) among any networks, any network devices, and/or any other computer systems. As an example and not by way of limitation, thecommunications interface254 may include a network-interface controller (NIC) or network adapter for communicating with an Ethernet or other wire-based network and/or a wireless NIC (WNIC) or wireless adapter for communicating with a wireless network.
• Depending on the embodiment, thecommunications interface254 may be any type of interface suitable for any type of network for which the programmableintelligent thermostat102 is used. As an example and not by way of limitation, the programmableintelligent thermostat102 can include (or communicate with) an ad-hoc network, a personal area network (PAN), a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), a metropolitan area network (MAN), or one or more portions of the Internet or a combination of two or more of these. One or more portions of one or more of these networks may be wired or wireless. As an example, the programmableintelligent thermostat102 can include (or communicate with) a wireless PAN (WPAN) (such as, for example, a BLUETOOTH WPAN), a WI-FI network, a WI-MAX network, an LTE network, an LTE-A network, a cellular telephone network (such as, for example, a Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) network), or any other suitable wireless network or a combination of two or more of these. By way of further example, thecommunications interface254 can utilize communication via various other types of wireless communication such as infrared (IR) communication, radio frequency (RF) communication, communication via direct electrical connections, etc. In general, theprocessing circuitry209 may include anysuitable communications interface254 for any one or more of these networks, where appropriate.
• In a typical embodiment, theprocessor240 may be a microprocessor, controller, or any other suitable computing device, resource, or combination of hardware, software and/or encoded logic operable to execute, either alone or in conjunction with other components, (e.g., the system memory250). Such functionality may include providing various features discussed herein. In particular embodiments, theprocessor240 may include hardware for executing instructions. As an example and not by way of limitation, to execute instructions, theprocessor240 may retrieve (or fetch) instructions from an internal register, an internal cache, thesystem memory250, or themass storage device246; decode and execute them; and then write one or more results to an internal register, an internal cache, thesystem memory250, or themass storage device246.
• FIG. 3A illustrates an exemplary user-interface screen300 to manage temperature settings of the programmableintelligent thermostat102. In a typical embodiment, the user-interface screen300 is presented on thedisplay208 and may be accessible to a user by tapping on thedisplay208. The user-interface screen300 includes amenu tab302, a heat set-point control306, a cool set-point control308, anindoor temperature bar307, and atemperature scale310. In a typical embodiment, thetemperature scale310 is substantially horseshoe-shaped and is positioned towards a central region of the user-interface screen300. In other embodiments, the substantially horseshoe-shapedtemperature scale310 can be positioned at any location on the user-interface screen300. The heat set-point control306, the cool set-point control308, and theindoor temperature bar307 are positioned on thetemperature scale310.
• The user-interface screen300 further includes astatus tab312, an awaytab314, and a mode/schedule-selection tab316. The user-interface screen300 is configured to display present-day information such as, for example, outsidetemperature318,current time320, day/date/year322, and the like. For exemplary illustration, location of the present-day information such as, for example, outsidetemperature318,current time320, day/date/year322 as demonstrated in FIG.
• 3A is exemplary; however, in other embodiments, the present-day information such as, for example, outsidetemperature318,current time320, day/date/year322 may be at any location on the user-interface screen300.
• The user-interface screen300 is further configured to display, within the substantially horseshoe-shapedtemperature scale310, a digital numerical representation ofindoor temperature324 andindoor humidity327. The user-interface screen300 further displays temperature setpoints such as, for example, a heat-totemperature setpoint326 and a cool-totemperature setpoint328. In other embodiments, user-interface screen300 displays asingle temperature setpoint330 as illustrated inFIG. 3B. In the embodiment illustrated inFIG. 3B, only one temperature set-point control332 is positioned on thetemperature scale310 for temperature adjustment.
• For purpose of this patent application, a setpoint or temperature setpoint refers to a target temperature setting of the HVAC system as set by a user or automatically based on a pre-defined schedule. In a typical embodiment, the substantially horseshoe-shapedtemperature scale310 is adjusted by tapping or dragging the heat set-point control306, the cool set-point control308, or the temperature set-point control332 along circumferential edges of thetemperature scale310.
• By tapping on themenu tab302, the user is provided various menu items such as, for example, “SETTINGS,” “ENERGY SAVINGS” “NOTIFICATIONS,” and the like. In a typical embodiment, the MENU items may include, for example, text, icons, pictures, and the like. By selecting the menu items, the user is able to modify setting of the HVAC system based upon their needs and schedules. Themenu tab302 is further configured to display unread notifications for the user. Themenu tab302 is further configured to provide reminders and alert messages to the user relative to the HVAC system. In a typical embodiment, the reminders and alert messages may be, for example, system service reminders, system maintenance reminders, low humidity level indication, and other messages and alerts regarding system maintenance and safety. By tapping on themenu tab302, details regarding the reminders and alert messages are displayed on the user-interface screen300. The awaytab314 functions as a one-touch override button. In particular, upon selecting the awaytab314, regular programming schedule of the HVAC system is suspended and heating and cooling is automatically adjusted to save energy. The awaytab314 provides a convenient way for users to manually switch the HVAC system in an energy-saving mode via a single tap.
• Thestatus tab312 provides HVAC system status messages such as, for example, heating, cooling, or humidifying. For example, the system status messages correspond to current operation of the HVAC system.
• FIG. 3C illustrates an exemplary user-interface screen340 to manage various modes of operation of the programmableintelligent thermostat102. In a typical embodiment, the user-interface screen340 is displayed on thedisplay208 and may be accessible to a user by tapping the mode/schedule-selection tab316. The user-interface screen340 illustrates various modes of operation of the programmableintelligent thermostat102. For example, the modes of operation of the programmableintelligent thermostat102 may be, for example, heat-only mode344, heat-cool mode346, cool-only mode348, and auto heat andcool mode352. The user-interface screen340 further illustrates a power-offtab342 and aschedules tab350.
• Traditional thermostat displays typically demonstrate current temperature settings, desired temperature settings, current time, and the like. However, the traditional thermostats do not demonstrate additional information that users may be interested in. For example, the user may have to look or step outside to get an indication of outside weather conditions. In a typical embodiment, thedisplay208 of the programmableintelligent thermostat102 is configured to display an animation mimicking current weather conditions. For example, on a rainy day, the animation may reflect thunderstorms bringing down strikes of lightning and rain from a virtual sky as illustrated inFIG. 4A. On a mostly cloudy day, the animation may reflect mostly cloudy skies as illustrated inFIG. 4B. In a typical embodiment, the animations may be, for example, still images or videos mimicking current weather conditions. In short, atypical display208 of the programmableintelligent thermostat102 provides users with a visual simulation of outside weather conditions along with numeric representations of inside and outside temperature.
• FIG. 4C illustrates anexemplary screen400 of the programmableintelligent thermostat102 displaying weather conditions. In a typical embodiment, theexemplary screen400 is displayed on thedisplay208. Thedisplay208 of the programmableintelligent thermostat102 comprises a customizable color touch-screen display configured to display a representation of outside weather conditions. In a typical embodiment, theexemplary screen400 of the programmableintelligent thermostat102 displays outsideweather conditions402 along with a weather forecast for theupcoming days404. In addition, an hour-by-hour breakdown406 of outside weather conditions is also displayed. Furthermore, theexemplary screen400 displays one or more ofhumidity406, chance ofrain408,wind speed410, andair quality412. Theexemplary screen400 of the programmableintelligent thermostat102 further displays city andstate information416. For exemplary illustration, location and details relative to weather conditions as demonstrated inFIG. 4C is exemplary; however, in other embodiments, the location and details relative to the weather conditions may be altered based upon user requirements.
• FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary programmableintelligent thermostat102 housing at least onesensor210. The programmableintelligent thermostat102 includes afront housing204 and arear housing206. Therear housing206 is removably attached to a wall via fasteners (not illustrated), such as, for example, screws, nuts, snaps, pins, and the like. Thefront housing204 of the programmableintelligent thermostat102 includes adisplay208 and a substantiallycircular opening502 for housing the at least onesensor210. In one embodiment, a proximity sensor is incorporated in the programmableintelligent thermostat102 to detect whether the home is occupied. In another embodiment, a light sensor is incorporated in the programmableintelligent thermostat102 to detect room lighting. In yet another embodiment, a singular sensor such as, for example, a video camera, is incorporated in the programmableintelligent thermostat102 to perform operations such as, for example, room lighting determination, distance determination, facial detection, voice recognition, occupancy detection, and the like.
• In a typical embodiment, the at least onesensor210 is configured to emit electromagnetic field or a beam ofelectromagnetic radiation506. The at least onesensor210 looks for changes in the field or return signal caused by movement of, for example, anoccupant508. Theoccupant508 may be, for example, a human or a pet. In other embodiments, the at least onesensor210 is configured to detect an approachingoccupant508 by infrared light reflection. In other embodiments, the at least onesensor210 is configured to perform facial recognition of theoccupant508 to distinguish between a human and a pet. In a typical embodiment, information from the at least onesensor210 is used to determine whether anoccupant508 is present. In addition, information from the at least onesensor210 is used to determine, for example, distance of theoccupant508 from the programmableintelligent thermostat102, size of theoccupant508, whether theoccupant508 is a human or pet, and the like. In some embodiments, based upon the determination, various component of the programmableintelligent thermostat102 are automatically adjusted. In other embodiments, based upon the determination, the programmableintelligent thermostat102 automatically adjusts heating or cooling operation of the HVAC system to conserve energy. In some embodiments, the HVAC system may adjust heating or cooling differently depending on whether a human or a pet has been detected.
• For example, if no movement has occurred, the programmableintelligent thermostat102 is automatically powered off. In another example, information from the at least onesensor210 is utilized to manage contents displayed on thedisplay208 of the programmableintelligent thermostat102. For example, certain elements may be displayed on thedisplay208 of the programmableintelligent thermostat102 based upon theoccupant508 being at a first distance while other elements may be displayed on thedisplay208 of the programmableintelligent thermostat102 based upon theoccupant508 being at a second distance. In another example, information from the at least onesensor210 is utilized to determine proximity of theoccupant508 in the range of, for example, one meter to allow the programmableintelligent thermostat102 to initiate “wake-up” prior to theoccupant508 touching thedisplay208 of the programmableintelligent thermostat102. In another example, information from the at least onesensor210 is utilized to adjust display attributes such as, for example, color, contrast, background, brightness levels, contents, and the like. For example, the brightness level of thedisplay208 is automatically raised or lowered based upon a distance of theoccupant508 from the programmableintelligent thermostat102.
• FIG. 6 is a flow chart illustrating aprocess600 for analyzing data from at least one sensor. For illustrative purposes, theprocess600 will be described relative toFIGS. 1-5. Theprocess600 starts atstep602. Atstep604, theprocessing circuitry209 activates the at least onesensor210. In a typical embodiment, the at least onesensor210 may be activated at routine intervals such as, for example, 10 milliseconds, 15 milliseconds, 5 seconds, 10 seconds, 1 minute, 5 minutes, 10 minutes, and the like. In a typical embodiment, the at least onesensor210 may be, for example, a sensor that is capable of detecting presence of nearby objects. In one embodiment, a proximity sensor is incorporated in the programmable intelligent thermostat to detect whether the home is occupied. In another embodiment, a light sensor is incorporated in the programmable intelligent thermostat to detect room lighting. In yet another embodiment, a singular sensor such as, for example, a video camera is incorporated in the programmableintelligent thermostat102 to perform operations such as, for example, room lighting determination, distance determination, facial detection, voice recognition, occupancy detection, and the like.
• Atstep606, sensor data is detected and passed along to theprocessing circuitry209. In a typical embodiment, the at least onesensor210 is configured to emit electromagnetic field or a beam ofelectromagnetic radiation506 and looks for changes in the field or return signal caused by movement of theoccupant508. Theoccupant508 may be, for example, a human or a pet. Atstep608, theprocessing circuitry209 analyzes the sensor data. Atstep610, theprocessing circuitry209 determines whether movement has occurred. If it is determined atstep610 that movement has occurred, theprocess600 proceeds to step612. Atstep612, theprocessing circuitry209 determines whether the movement is by a human or a pet. If it is determined atstep612 that the movement is by a human, theprocess600 proceeds to step604. However, if it is determined atstep612 that the movement was not by a human, theprocess600 proceeds to step614.
• However, if it is determined atstep610 that no movement has occurred, theprocess600 proceeds to step614. Atstep614, various components and settings of the programmableintelligent thermostat102 are automatically adjusted. For example, if no movement has occurred, the programmableintelligent thermostat102 is automatically powered off. In another example, if no movement has occurred or if the movement was not by a human, the programmableintelligent thermostat102 suspends regular programming schedule of the HVAC system and automatically adjusts heating and cooling to conserve energy. In some embodiments, the HVAC system may adjust heating or cooling differently depending on whether a human or a pet has been detected. In another example, if the movement is by a human, the programmableintelligent thermostat102 can initiate “wake-up” prior to the human touching thedisplay208 of the programmableintelligent thermostat102. In another example, the display attributes such as, for example, color, contrast, background, brightness levels, contents are adjusted. For example, the brightness level of thedisplay208 is automatically raised or lowered based upon a distance of theoccupant508 from the programmableintelligent thermostat102. Atstep616, theprocess600 ends.
• In order for the HVAC systems to operate at peak efficiency, home owners are often advised by HVAC system manufacturers to schedule regular system maintenance. Normally, a maintenance call requires, for example, changing air filters, recharging coolant levels, cleaning coils, cleaning heat-transfer surfaces, and ensuring that all air flow is dirt free. In certain instances when maintenance/repair work has been performed on several occasions, a contractor is typically aware of only the most recent maintenance/repair work performed. On many occasions, the maintenance/repair work performed is never updated. On other occasions, the maintenance/repair work performed is documented internally but never exposed to end users. In particular, there is often no up-to-date report of all the maintenance/repair work performed. A diligent contractor may download and keep a copy of the up-to-date report; however, considerable time and effort may be required to determine, for example, differences between the maintenance/repair work performed in the past.
• In a typical embodiment, the smart home environment system100 (illustrated inFIG. 1) is configured to maintain up-to-date report of the entire maintenance/repair record of the HVAC system. For example, every time a maintenance/repair work is performed on a component of the HVAC system, information relative to the component that required maintenance/repair along with details of the work performed is recorded. The information may include, for example, component serial number, component model number, hardware updates, software updates, factory settings, install settings, user settings, location information relative to the component, temperature and humidity data, settings of the programmableintelligent thermostat102, maintenance performed, repairs performed, system-performance reports, maintenance reports, and the like. The information may also include, for example, comparison reports.
• FIG. 7A illustrates anexemplary comparison report702. For illustrative purposes, thecomparison report702 will be described relative toFIGS. 1-5. In a typical embodiment, thecomparison report702 is displayed on thedisplay208 of the programmableintelligent thermostat102. Thecomparison report702 indicatesdifferences704 between various maintenance/repair records. In a typical embodiment, the comparison report indicateschanges704 between various maintenance/repair records by, for example, colored highlighting, differing font characteristics, block insertion, and the like. In a typical embodiment, thecomparison report702 may be in the form of, for example, text, graphs, pictures, charts, and any combination thereof. In a typical embodiment, thecomparison report702 is generated by the at least one server or cloud-computing system114. In some embodiments, the comparison report may be forwarded to thecontractor116 prior to thecontractor116 initiating the maintenance/repair work. In other embodiments, the comparison report may be forwarded to the programmableintelligent thermostat102 for viewing on thedisplay208.
• FIG. 7B is a flow chart illustrating aprocess710 for preparing comparison reports. For illustrative purposes, theprocess710 will be described relative toFIGS. 1-7A. Theprocess710 starts atstep712. At step714 a maintenance/repair work is performed on, for example, a component of the HVAC system. Atstep716, information relative to the component that required maintenance/repair along with detail of the work performed is recorded at the at least one server or cloud-computing system114. The information may include, for example, component serial number, component model number, hardware updates, software updates, factory settings, install settings, user settings, location information relative to the component, temperature and humidity data, settings of the programmableintelligent thermostat102, maintenance performed, repairs performed, and the like. Atstep718, a report is generated and stored at the at least one server or cloud-computing system114. The report details the maintenance/repair work performed.
• Atstep720, subsequent maintenance/repair work is performed on, for example, a component of the HVAC system. Atstep722, information relative to the component that required maintenance/repair along with detail of the subsequent work performed is recorded at the at least one server or cloud-computing system114. Atstep724, a subsequent report is generated and stored at the at least one server or cloud-computing system114. The subsequent report details the subsequent maintenance/repair work performed. Atstep726, the at least one server or cloud-computing system114 performs a comparison between the two reports and generates a comparison report. Thecomparison report702 indicates differences between various maintenance/repair records. In a typical embodiment, the comparison report indicates changes between various maintenance/repair records by, for example, colored highlighting, differing font characteristics, block insertion, and the like. In a typical embodiment, thecomparison report702 may be in the form of, for example, text, graphs, pictures, charts, and any combination thereof. Atstep728, the at least one server or cloud-computing system114 forwards the comparison report. In some embodiments, the comparison report may be forwarded to thecontractor116 prior to thecontractor116 initiating the maintenance/repair work. In other embodiments, the comparison report may be forwarded to the programmableintelligent thermostat102 for viewing on thedisplay208. Atstep730, theprocess710 ends.
• FIGS. 7C-7D illustrate exemplary system reports750,760. For illustrative purposes, the system reports750,760 will be described relative toFIGS. 1-5. The system reports750,760 may be displayed on thedisplay208 of the programmableintelligent thermostat102. In a typical embodiment, the system reports750,760 may be in the form of, for example, text, graphs, pictures, charts, and any combination thereof. In a typical embodiment, the system reports750,760 are generated by the at least one server or cloud-computing system114 and forwarded to the programmableintelligent thermostat102 for presentation on thedisplay208. The system reports750,760 provide information about the performance of the HVAC system.
• FIG. 7E illustratesexemplary system notifications780. For illustrative purposes, thesystem notifications780 will be described relative toFIGS. 1-5. Thesystem notifications780 may be displayed on thedisplay208 of the programmableintelligent thermostat102. In a typical embodiment, thesystem notifications780 may be in the form of, for example, text, graphs, pictures, charts, and any combination thereof. In a typical embodiment, thesystem notifications780 are generated by the at least one server or cloud-computing system114 and forwarded to the programmableintelligent thermostat102 for presentation on thedisplay208.
• Oftentimes, homeowners have a hard remembering when to change, for example, a furnace filter, ultraviolet (UV) bulb, humidifier pad, and the like. In order for the HVAC system to operate at peak efficiency, it is important to regularly replace these. The system notifications are reminder messages for homeowners with details regarding system maintenance. For example, the system notifications may contain prognostic messages relative to critical errors and alerts in the HVAC system. In a typical embodiment, the users are typically promoted with a dialog window when a notification occurs. In some embodiments, the dialog windows are color coded based upon importance.
• FIG. 7F illustrate exemplary systemmaintenance history report785. For illustrative purposes, the systemmaintenance history report785 wi11 be described relative toFIGS. 1-5. The systemmaintenance history report785 may be displayed on thedisplay208 of the programmableintelligent thermostat102. In a typical embodiment, the systemmaintenance history report785 may be in the form of, for example, text, graphs, pictures, charts, and any combination thereof. In a typical embodiment, the systemmaintenance history report785 is generated by the at least one server or cloud-computing system114 and forwarded to the programmableintelligent thermostat102 for presentation on thedisplay208. The systemmaintenance history report785 provides information about the maintenance work performed on the HVAC system.
• FIG. 7G illustrates anexemplary interface screen790 through which thecomparison report702, the exemplary system reports750,760, and thesystem notifications780 can be accessed via thedisplay208 of the programmableintelligent thermostat102.
• For purposes of this patent application, the term computer-readable storage medium encompasses one or more tangible computer-readable storage media possessing structures. As an example and not by way of limitation, a computer-readable storage medium may include a semiconductor-based or other integrated circuit (IC) (such as, for example, a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) or an application-specific IC (ASIC)), a hard disk, an HDD, a hybrid hard drive (HHD), an optical disc, an optical disc drive (ODD), a magneto-optical disc, a magneto-optical drive, a floppy disk, a floppy disk drive (FDD), magnetic tape, a holographic storage medium, a solid-state drive (SSD), a RAM-drive, a SECURE DIGITAL card, a SECURE DIGITAL drive, a flash memory card, a flash memory drive, or any other suitable tangible computer-readable storage medium or a combination of two or more of these, where appropriate.
• Particular embodiments may include one or more computer-readable storage media implementing any suitable storage. In particular embodiments, a computer-readable storage medium implements one or more portions of theprocessor240, one or more portions of thesystem memory250, one or more portions of themass storage device246, or a combination of these, where appropriate. In particular embodiments, a computer-readable storage medium implements RAM or ROM. In particular embodiments, a computer-readable storage medium implements volatile or persistent memory. In particular embodiments, one or more computer-readable storage media embody encoded software.
• In this patent application, reference to encoded software may encompass one or more applications, bytecode, one or more computer programs, one or more executables, one or more instructions, logic, machine code, one or more scripts, or source code, and vice versa, where appropriate, that have been stored or encoded in a computer-readable storage medium. In particular embodiments, encoded software includes one or more application programming interfaces (APIs) stored or encoded in a computer-readable storage medium. Particular embodiments may use any suitable encoded software written or otherwise expressed in any suitable programming language or combination of programming languages stored or encoded in any suitable type or number of computer-readable storage media. In particular embodiments, encoded software may be expressed as source code or object code. In particular embodiments, encoded software is expressed in a higher-level programming language, such as, for example, C, Python, Java, or a suitable extension thereof. In particular embodiments, encoded software is expressed in a lower-level programming language, such as assembly language (or machine code). In particular embodiments, encoded software is expressed in JAVA. In particular embodiments, encoded software is expressed in Hyper Text Markup Language (HTML), Extensible Markup Language (XML), or other suitable markup language.
• Depending on the embodiment, certain acts, events, or functions of any of the algorithms described herein can be performed in a different sequence, can be added, merged, or left out altogether (e.g., not all described acts or events are necessary for the practice of the algorithms). Moreover, in certain embodiments, acts or events can be performed concurrently, e.g., through multi-threaded processing, interrupt processing, or multiple processors or processor cores or on other parallel architectures, rather than sequentially. Although certain computer-implemented tasks are described as being performed by a particular entity, other embodiments are possible in which these tasks are performed by a different entity.
• Conditional language used herein, such as, among others, “can,” “might,” “may,” “e.g.,” and the like, unless specifically stated otherwise, or otherwise understood within the context as used, is generally intended to convey that certain embodiments include, while other embodiments do not include, certain features, elements and/or states. Thus, such conditional language is not generally intended to imply that features, elements and/or states are in any way required for one or more embodiments or that one or more embodiments necessarily include logic for deciding, with or without author input or prompting, whether these features, elements and/or states are included or are to be performed in any particular embodiment.
• While the above detailed description has shown, described, and pointed out novel features as applied to various embodiments, it will be understood that various omissions, substitutions, and changes in the form and details of the devices or algorithms illustrated can be made without departing from the spirit of the disclosure. As will be recognized, the processes described herein can be embodied within a form that does not provide all of the features and benefits set forth herein, as some features can be used or practiced separately from others. The scope of protection is defined by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description. All changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope.

Claims (22)

What is claimed is:

1. A thermostat comprising:

a front housing;

a rear housing interoperably coupled to the front housing;

at least one sensor integrated with the front housing;

a display integrated with the front housing;

processing circuitry interoperably coupled to the at least one sensor and the display and configured to:

periodically activate the at least one sensor;

receive data from the at least one sensor;

determine, from the received data, whether movement has occurred;

responsive to a determination that the movement has occurred, determine whether the movement is by a human; and

responsive to a determination that the movement was not by the human, adjust display attributes.

2. The thermostat ofclaim 1, wherein, responsive to a determination that the movement was not by the human, the processing circuitry is configured to lower display brightness.

3. The thermostat ofclaim 1, wherein, responsive to a determination that the movement was not by the human, the processing circuitry is configured to power off the display.

4. The thermostat ofclaim 1, wherein the at least one sensor is configured to perform at least one of room lighting determination, distance determination, facial detection, voice recognition, and occupancy detection.

5. The thermostat ofclaim 1, the at least one sensor comprises a video camera that is configured to perform facial recognition.

6. The thermostat ofclaim 1, wherein, responsive to a determination that no movement has occurred, the processing circuitry is configured to adjust the display attributes.

7. The thermostat ofclaim 1, wherein, responsive to a determination that the movement was by the human, the display attributes remain unchanged.

8. The thermostat ofclaim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:

determine, from the received data, if an occupant is in close proximity to the thermostat; and

responsive to a determination that the occupant is in close proximity to the thermostat, initiate “wake-up” of the display prior to the occupant touching the display.

9. The thermostat ofclaim 8, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to manage display contents based on proximity of the occupant to the thermostat.

10. The thermostat ofclaim 1, wherein the display is a touch-screen display configured to display at least one of indoor temperature, temperature-adjustment scale, current date, current time, indoor humidity, and location.

11. The thermostat ofclaim 1, wherein the display is a touch-screen display that is configured to operate as a user interface.

12. The thermostat ofclaim 1, wherein the display is configured to demonstrate, in addition to numeric representations of indoor and outdoor temperature, an animation mimicking current outside weather conditions.

13. The thermostat ofclaim 1, wherein, responsive to a determination that the movement was not by the human, the processing circuitry is configured to control settings of the thermostat.

14. The thermostat ofclaim 1, wherein, responsive to a determination that the movement was not by the human, the processing circuitry is configured to automatically power off the thermostat.

15. The thermostat ofclaim 1, wherein, responsive to a determination that the movement was not by the human, the processing circuitry is configured to automatically adjust at least one of heating and cooling.

16. The thermostat ofclaim 1, wherein the display attributes comprise at least one of a color level, a contrast level, a saturation level, a hue level, and a brightness level of the display.

17. A method of controlling operations of a thermostat, the method comprising:

coupling a front housing with a rear housing;

integrating at least one sensor with the front housing;

integrating a display with the front housing;

interoperably coupling a processing circuitry to the at least one sensor and the display;

periodically activating, by the processing circuitry, the at least one sensor;

receiving, by the processing circuitry, data from the at least one sensor;

determining, by the processing circuitry from the received data, whether movement has occurred;

responsive to a determination that the movement has occurred, determining by the processing circuitry, whether the movement is by a human; and

responsive to a determination that the movement was not by the human, adjusting, by the processing circuitry, display attributes.

18. The method ofclaim 17, further comprising:

responsive to a determination that the movement was not due to a human, lowering, by the processing circuitry, display brightness.

19. The method ofclaim 17, further comprising:

responsive to a determination that the movement was not by the human, powering off, by the processing circuitry, the display.

20. The method ofclaim 17, comprising:

performing, by the at least one sensor, at least one of room lighting determination, distance determination, facial detection, voice recognition, and occupancy detection.

21. The method ofclaim 17, wherein the display attributes comprise at least one of a color level, a contrast level, a saturation level, a hue level, and a brightness level of the display.

22. The method ofclaim 17, further comprising:

determining via the processing circuitry, from the received data, if an occupant is in close proximity to the thermostat; and

responsive to a determination that the occupant is in close proximity to the thermostat, initiating, via the processing circuitry, a “wake-up” of the display prior to the occupant touching the display.

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