# US 2018/0023833 A1 · Distribution of call-home events over time to ameliorate high communications and computation peaks in intelligent control system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2018/0023833 A1 - Document ID: US20180023833A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/697,113 - Filed: 2017-09-06 - Published: 2018-01-25 - Earliest claimed: 2012-04-05 - Assignees: Google Inc. - Applicants: Google Inc. - Inventors: Yoky Matsuoka; Steven A. Hales - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20180023833A1 ## CPC - F24F 11/46: Improving electric energy efficiency or saving - F24F 11/30: for purposes related to the operation of the system, e.g. for safety or monitoring - F24F 11/523: for displaying temperature data - F24F 11/58: using Internet communication - F24F 11/62: characterised by the type of control or by internal processing, e.g. using fuzzy logic, adaptive control or estimation of values - F24F 11/67: Switching between heating and cooling modes - F24F 11/88: Electrical aspects, e.g. circuits - G05B 15/02: electric - G05D 23/1905: {associated with tele control} - H04L 12/2818: {from a device located outside both the home and the home network (access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless eletrical link G08C17/00; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with remote control systems H04M11/007)} - H04L 12/2825: {Reporting to a device located outside the home and the home network (access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with telemetering systems H04M11/002)} - H04L 67/10: in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network (software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46) - F24F: AIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING (removing dirt or fumes from areas where they are produced B08B15/00; vertical ducts for carrying away waste gases from buildings E04F17/02; tops for chimneys or ventilating shafts, terminals for flues F23L17/02) - G05B: CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS (systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; systems for regulating electric or magnetic variables G05F; control devices or systems insofar as characterised by mechanical features only G05G) - G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract The current application is directed to an intelligent control system that includes intelligent thermostats and remote servers that spread call-home events over time to avoid large peak computational and communications loads on intelligent-control-system servers. The spreading of call-home vents over time is effected by use of call-home splay values pseudorandomly generated for intelligent thermostats. ## Claims ### Claim at position 1 1-18. (canceled) ### Claim 19 A sensing and control unit comprising: a processor; an electronic memory; a time-offset value stored within the electronic memory, wherein the time-offset value is randomly or pseudo randomly generated and stored in the electronic memory during a manufacturing process; and instructions stored within the electronic memory that, when retrieved and executed by the processor, control the sensing and control unit to establish a communications connection to a remote server at a time offset from the beginning of a call-home period by the time-offset value. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The sensing and control unit of claim 19 wherein the time-offset value is randomly or pseudorandomly generated by a remote computer and downloaded to the sensing and control unit. ### Claim 21 (depends on 19) The sensing and control unit of claim 19 wherein the time-offset value is randomly or pseudorandomly generated by the sensing and control unit. ### Claim 22 (depends on 19) The sensing and control unit of claim 19 wherein the time-offset value is altered during a post-manufacturing process. ### Claim 23 (depends on 19) The sensing and control unit of claim 19 further including a first data value, stored in the electronic memory, that indicates the time of the beginning of the call-home period and a second data value, stored in the electronic memory, that indicates a communications address through which the communications connection is established. ### Claim 24 (depends on 19) The sensing and control unit of claim 19 wherein the sensing and control unit is controlled by the instructions stored within the electronic memory to establish a communications connection during each 24-hour interval to a remote server at a time offset from the beginning of a call-home period by the time-offset value. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The sensing and control unit of claim 24 wherein the sensing and control unit, following establishment of the communications connection, receives one or more of configuration-information updates and new versions of control programs that run within the sensing and control unit from the remote server. ### Claim 26 (depends on 24) The sensing and control unit of claim 24 wherein the sensing and control unit, following establishment of the communications connection, downloads to the remote server one or more of accumulated sensor data, event logs, and environment-characterization information. ### Claim 27 (depends on 24) The sensing and control unit of claim 24 wherein, by establishing a communications connection at a time offset from the beginning of a call-home period by the time-offset value, the establishment of the communications connection and subsequent data exchange is less likely to overlap, in time, with establishment of communications connections and data transfers carried out by other sensing and control units than were the sensing and control unit to attempt to establish a communications connection at the beginning of a call-home period. ### Claim 28 A method for data exchange between a number of remote sensing and control units, each having a processor and an electronic memory, and one or more servers, the method comprising: storing a randomly or pseudorandomly generated time-offset value in the electronic memory of each of the number of sensing and control units, wherein the time-offset value is randomly or pseudo randomly generated and stored in the electronic memory during a manufacturing process; and establishing, by each sensing and control unit, a communications connection to one of the one or more servers at a time offset from the beginning of a call-home period by the time-offset value stored in the electronic memory of the sensing and control unit. ### Claim 29 (depends on 28) The method of claim 28 further including: randomly or pseudorandomly generating a time-offset value by a computer for each of the number of sensing and control units; and transmitting the time-offset value for each sensing and control unit from a server to the sensing and control unit for storage in the electronic memory of the sensing and control unit. ### Claim 30 (depends on 28) The method of claim 28 further including: randomly or pseudorandomly generating a time-offset value by each of the number of sensing and control units; and storing the time-offset value in the electronic memories of the sensing and control units. ### Claim 31 (depends on 28) The method of claim 28 further including: randomly or pseudorandomly generating a time-offset value by a manufacturer for each of the number of sensing and control units; and altering the time-offset value for each sensing and control unit in the electronic memory of the sensing and control unit by the manufacturer during a post-manufacturing process. ### Claim 32 (depends on 28) The method of claim 28 further including storing, in the electronic memory of each of the number of sensing and control units, a first data value that indicates the time of the beginning of the call-home period and a second data value that indicates a communications address through which the communications connection is established. ### Claim 33 (depends on 28) The method of claim 28 wherein each of the number of sensing and control units establishes a communications connection during each 24-hour interval to a remote server at a time offset from the beginning of a call-home period by the time-offset value. ### Claim 34 (depends on 33) The method of claim 33 wherein each of the number of sensing and control units, following establishment of the communications connection, receives, from the remote server, one or more of configuration-information updates and new versions of control programs that run within the sensing and control unit. ### Claim 35 (depends on 33) The method of claim 33 wherein each of the number of sensing and control units, following establishment of the communications connection, downloads to the remote server one or more of accumulated sensor data, event logs, and environment-characterization information. ### Claim 36 (depends on 33) The method of claim 33 wherein, by establishing a communications connection at a time offset from the beginning of a call-home period by the time-offset value by each of the number of sensing and control units, the establishment of the communications connections and subsequent data exchanges by the number of sensing and control units are less likely to overlap, in time, than were the number of sensing and control units to attempt to establish communications connections at the beginning of a call-home period.