Method and environment controller for validating a predictive model of a neural network through interactions with the environment controller

A non-transitory computer program product comprising instructions executable by a processing unit of an environment controller, the execution of the instructions by the processing unit providing for validating a predictive model of a neural network through interactions with the environment controller by:

• receiving at least one environmental characteristic value via a communication interface of the environment controller;
• determining by the processing unit of the environment controller a plurality of input variables, at least one of the plurality of input variables being based on one among the at least one environmental characteristic value;
• executing by the processing unit a legacy environment control software module for calculating at least one output variable based on the plurality of input variables, the legacy environment control software module not implementing a neural network;
• transmitting by the processing unit via the communication interface the plurality of input variables to a training server executing a neural network training engine using the predictive model;
• receiving by the processing unit via the communication interface at least one inferred output variable from the training server, each inferred output variable corresponding to one of the at least one output variable calculated by the legacy environment control software module;
• and
• validating by the processing unit the predictive model used by the neural network inference engine executed by the training server by transmitting by the processing unit a feedback to the training server via the communication interface, the feedback comprising for each of the least one inferred output variable received from the training server the corresponding output variable calculated by the legacy environment control software module.

An environment controller, comprising:

• a communication interface;
• and
• a processing unit for:
• receiving at least one environmental characteristic value via the communication interface;
• determining a plurality of input variables, at least one of the plurality of input variables being based on one among the at least one environmental characteristic value;
• calculating by a legacy environment control software module at least one output variable based on the plurality of input variables, the legacy environment control software module not implementing a neural network;
• transmitting via the communication interface the plurality of input variables to a training server executing a neural network training engine;
• receiving via the communication interface at least one inferred output variable from the training server, each inferred output variable corresponding to one of the at least one output variable calculated by the legacy environment control software module;
• and
• validating a predictive model used by the neural network inference engine executed by the training server by transmitting a feedback to the training server via the communication interface, the feedback comprising for each of the least one inferred output variable received from the training server the corresponding output variable calculated by the legacy environment control software module.