Energy Management Based on Location
AssigneeEmerson Electric Co.
InventorDavid Scott Drew
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Systems and methods of providing climate control and/or energy management in a structure having a networking thermostat. In some example embodiments the network is used to monitor a geographic location of a user device associated with a user of the structure. The monitoring may be performed to determine the location relative to a destination located apart from the structure. The network is used to control a set point of the thermostat based on the location. Additionally or alternatively, the monitoring may be performed to determine time period(s) during which the structure is unoccupied and the thermostat is set at a first set point. Energy savings that could have been realized by changing the first set point to a second set point are estimated and provided to the user.
Claims20
A system for providing climate control in a structure, the system comprising:
- a thermostat of the structure, the thermostat connected with a network;
- and
- one or more processors connected with the thermostat through the network and configured to:
- monitor a geographic location of a user device associated with a user of the structure, the monitoring performed to determine the geographic location in relation to a destination located apart from the structure;
- and
- determine a set point for the thermostat based on the geographic location.
A system-performed method of providing climate control in a structure, the method comprising:
- monitoring a geographic location of a user device associated with a user of the structure, the monitoring performed to determine the geographic location in relation to a destination located apart from the structure;
- and
- using a network through which the system is connected with a thermostat of the structure, controlling a set point of the thermostat based on the geographic location.
A system for providing energy management relative to a structure, the structure having a thermostat connected with the system in a network, the system comprising one or more processors configured to:
- using the network, monitor the thermostat and a geographic location of a user device associated with a user of the structure to determine one or more time periods during which the structure is unoccupied and during which the thermostat is set at a first set point;
- determine an estimate of energy savings that could have been realized by changing the first set point to a second set point during at least part of the one or more time periods;
- and
- provide the estimate to the user.
A system-performed method of providing energy management relative to a structure, the structure having a thermostat connected with the system through a network, the method comprising:
- monitoring the thermostat and a geographic location of a user device associated with a user of the structure to determine one or more time periods during which the structure is unoccupied and during which the thermostat is set at a first set point;
- shortening one of the time periods by a breakeven duration to obtain a time period over which energy costs could have been reduced by changing the first set point to a second set point;
- determining an estimate of an amount by which the energy costs could have been reduced;
- and
- providing the estimate to the user.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.