US 10,241,484 B2 · Intelligent controller providing time to target state

Abstract

The current application is directed to intelligent controllers that continuously, periodically, or intermittently calculate and display the time remaining until a control task is projected to be completed by the intelligent controller. In general, the intelligent controller employs multiple different models for the time behavior of one or more parameters or characteristics within a region or volume affected by one or more devices, systems, or other entities controlled by the intelligent controller. The intelligent controller collects data, over time, from which the models are constructed and uses the models to predict the time remaining until one or more characteristics or parameters of the region or volume reaches one or more specified values as a result of intelligent controller control of one or more devices, systems, or other entities.

Claims36

Dependent claims

A method of estimating a time-to-temperature for a thermostat controlling a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system in an enclosure, the method comprising:

receiving a target temperature for the enclosure;
instantiating an HVAC cycle to bring the temperature of the enclosure to the target temperature;
receiving a first time representing an estimated time to transition the temperature in the enclosure to target temperature by the HVAC system, wherein the first time is estimated based at least in part on a plurality of historical time and temperature values recorded from one or more previous HVAC cycles;
causing the first time to be displayed on a user interface associated with the thermostat;
receiving, after causing the first time to be displayed, a second time based at least in part on a trajectory of time and temperature values during the HVAC cycle, wherein the first time and the second time are computed on a server that is separate from the thermostat, and the first time and the second time are transmitted to the thermostat from the server;
and
causing the user interface to be updated to display the second time before an end of the HVAC cycle.

4 more elements

A thermostat for estimating a time-to-temperature when controlling a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system in an enclosure, the thermostat comprising:

one or more processors;
one or more memory devices comprising instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
receiving a target temperature for the enclosure;
instantiating an HVAC cycle to bring the temperature of the enclosure to the target temperature;
receiving a first time representing an estimated time to transition the temperature in the enclosure to target temperature by the HVAC system, wherein the first time is estimated based at least in part on a plurality of historical time and temperature values recorded from one or more previous HVAC cycles, wherein the first time is computed on a server that is separate from the thermostat, and the first time is transmitted to the thermostat from the server;
causing the first time to be displayed on a user interface associated with the thermostat;
receiving, after causing the first time to be displayed, a second time based at least in part on a trajectory of time and temperature values during the HVAC cycle, wherein the second time is computed on the server, and the second time is transmitted to the thermostat from the server;
and
causing the user interface to be updated to display the second time before an end of the HVAC cycle.

6 more elements