I 1111111111111111 1111111111 lllll lllll lllll 111111111111111 111111111111111111
`US010534382B2
`
`c12) United States Patent
`Steinberg
`
`(IO) Patent No.: US 10,534,382 B2
`(45) Date of Patent:
`*Jan. 14, 2020
`
`(54) SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR USING A
`WIRELESS DEVICE AS A SENSOR FOR AN
`ENERGY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
`
`(71) Applicant: EcoFactor, Inc., Redwood City, CA
`(US)
`
`(72)
`
`Inventor: John Douglas Steinberg, Millbrae, CA
`(US)
`
`(73) Assignee: EcoFactor, Inc., Palo Alto, CA (US)
`
`( *) Notice:
`
`Subject to any disclaimer, the term ofthis
`patent is extended or adjusted under 35
`U.S.C. 154(b) by O days.
`
`This patent is subject to a terminal dis(cid:173)
`claimer.
`
`EP
`EP
`
`(58) Field of Classification Search
`CPC .......... F24F 11/006; F24F 11/70; F24F 11/62;
`F24F 11/30; F24F 11/56; F24F 2120/12;
`(Continued)
`
`(56)
`
`References Cited
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`(Continued)
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`
`OTHER PUBLICATIONS
`
`(21) Appl. No.: 16/374,085
`
`(22) Filed:
`
`Apr. 3, 2019
`
`(65)
`
`Prior Publication Data
`
`US 2019/0227582 Al
`
`Jul. 25, 2019
`
`(63)
`
`(51)
`
`(52)
`
`Related U.S. Application Data
`
`Continuation of application No. 15/002,791, filed on
`Jan. 21, 2016, now Pat. No. 10,289,131, which is a
`(Continued)
`
`Int. Cl.
`G0SD 23100
`G0SB 1108
`
`(2006.01)
`(2006.01)
`(Continued)
`
`U.S. Cl.
`CPC .............. G0SD 23100 (2013.01); F24F 11130
`(2018.01); F24F 11162 (2018.01); F24F 11170
`(2018.01);
`
`U.S. Appl. No. 12/805,705, filed Jun. 10, 2010, Crabtree.
`(Continued)
`
`Primary Examiner - Ajay Ojha
`(74) Attorney, Agent, or Firm - Knobbe, Martens, Olson
`& Bear, LLP
`
`ABSTRACT
`(57)
`The invention comprises systems and methods for detecting
`the use of networked consumer electronics devices as indi(cid:173)
`cations of occupancy of a structure for purposes of auto(cid:173)
`matically adjusting the temperature setpoint on a thermo(cid:173)
`static HVAC control. At least one thermostat is located
`inside a structure and is used to control an HVAC system in
`the structure. At least one networked electronic device is
`used to indicate the state of occupancy of the structure. The
`state of occupancy is used to alter the setpoint on the
`thermostatic HVAC control to reduce unneeded condition(cid:173)
`ing of unoccupied spaces.
`
`(Continued)
`
`20 Claims, 8 Drawing Sheets
`
`/06b--
`
`UTIL,TY
`
`8FM~N8 Ri:Dt.:CTION
`SERVICE SERVERS
`
`GOOGLE 1001
`
`001
`
`

`

`US 10,534,382 B2
`Page 2
`
`Related U.S. Application Data
`
`continuation of application No. 13/470,074, filed on
`May 11, 2012, now Pat. No. 9,244,470, which is a
`continuation of application No. 12/502,064, filed on
`Jul. 13, 2009, now Pat. No. 8,180,492.
`
`(60)
`
`Provisional application No. 61/134,714, filed on Jul.
`14, 2008.
`
`(51)
`
`(2006.01)
`(2006.01)
`(2006.01)
`(2018.01)
`(2018.01)
`(2018.01)
`(2018.01)
`(2018.01)
`(2018.01)
`(2018.01)
`(2018.01)
`(2018.01)
`(2018.01)
`(2018.01)
`
`Int. Cl.
`G05D 23119
`G05B 15102
`G06N 7100
`F24F 11130
`F24F 11162
`F24F 11170
`F24F 120/10
`F24F 120/12
`F24F 120/14
`F24F 140/60
`F24F 120/20
`F24F 11/63
`F24F 11/56
`F24F 11/46
`(52) U.S. Cl.
`CPC ......... G05B 15102 (2013.01); G05D 2311902
`(2013.01); G06N 71005 (2013.01); G0SB 1108
`(2013.01); F24F 11/46 (2018.01); F24F 11/56
`(2018.01); F24F 11/63 (2018.01); F24F
`2120/10 (2018.01); F24F 2120/12 (2018.01);
`F24F 2120/14 (2018.01); F24F 2120/20
`(2018.01); F24F 2140/60 (2018.01)
`(58) Field of Classification Search
`CPC ........ F24F 2120/10; F24F 11/63; F24F 11/46;
`F24F 2120/20; F24F 2140/60; F24F
`2120/14; GO5B 15/02; GO6N 7/005;
`GO5D 23/1902
`See application file for complete search history.
`
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`WO 2005/098331 Al
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`

`

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`
`* cited by examiner
`
`005
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
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`Jan.14,2020
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`U.S. Patent
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`Jan.14,2020
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`Sheet 7 of 8
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`RECEIVE MESSAGE
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`

`

`U.S. Patent
`
`Jan.14,2020
`
`Sheet 8 of 8
`
`US 10,534,382 B2
`
`START
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`TRANSMIT
`CONTENT DATA
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`F/C. 8
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`013
`
`

`

`US 10,534,382 B2
`
`5
`
`1
`SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR USING A
`WIRELESS DEVICE AS A SENSOR FOR AN
`ENERGY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
`
`RELATED APPLICATIONS
`
`Any and all applications for which a foreign or domestic
`priority claim is identified in the Application Data Sheet, or
`any correction thereto, are hereby incorporated by reference
`into this application under 37 CFR 1.57.
`
`BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
`
`Field of the Invention
`
`10
`
`15
`
`2
`Because most thermostats control HVAC systems that do
`not offer infinitely variable output, traditional thermostats
`are designed to permit the temperature as seen by the
`thermostat to vary above and below the setpoint to prevent
`the HVAC system from constantly and rapidly cycling on
`and off, which is inefficient and harmful to the HVAC
`system. The temperature range in which the thermostat
`allows the controlled environment to drift is known as both
`the dead zone and, more formally, the hysteresis zone. The
`hysteresis zone is frequently set at +/-1 degree Fahrenheit.
`Thus if the setpoint is 68 degrees, in the heating context the
`thermostat will allow the inside temperature to fall to 67
`degrees before turning the heating system on, and will allow
`it to rise to 69 degrees before turning it off again.
`As energy prices rise, more attention is being paid to ways
`of reducing energy consumption. Because energy consump(cid:173)
`tion is directly proportional to setpoint-that is, the further
`a given setpoint diverges from the balance point (the inside
`temperature assuming no HVAC activity) in a given house
`20 under given conditions, the higher energy consumption will
`be to maintain temperature at that setpoint), energy will be
`saved by virtually any strategy that over a given time frame
`lowers the average heating setpoint or raises the cooling
`setpoint. Conventional programmable thermostats allow
`25 homeowners to save money and energy by pre-programming
`setpoint changes based upon comfort or schedule. For
`example, in the summer, allowing the setpoint to rise by
`several degrees (or even shutting off the air conditioner)
`when the home is unoccupied will generally save signifi-
`30 cantly on energy. But such thermostats have proven to be
`only minimally effective in practice. Because they have such
`primitive user interfaces, they are difficult to program, and
`so many users never bother at all, or set them up once and
`do not alter the programming even if their schedules change.
`In the hotel industry, the heating and cooling decisions
`made in hundred or even thousands of individual rooms with
`independently controlled HVAC systems are aggregated into
`a single energy bill, so hotel owners and managers are
`sensitive to energy consumption by those systems. Hotel
`40 guests often tum the air conditioner to a low temperature
`setting and then leave the room for hours at a time, thereby
`wasting considerable energy. An approach commonly used
`outside of the United States to combat this problem is to use
`a keycard to control the HVAC system, such that guests
`45 place the keycard into a slot mounted on the wall near the
`door of the room which then triggers the lights and HVAC
`system to power up, and tum them off when the guest
`removes the card upon leaving the room. However, because
`most hotels give each guest two cards, it is easy to simply
`50 leave the extra card in the slot, thus defeating the purpose of
`the system. Recently, systems have been introduced in
`which a motion sensor is connected to the control circuitry
`for the HVAC system. Ifno motion is detected in the room
`for some predetermined interval, the system concludes that
`55 the room is unoccupied, and turns off or alters the setpoint
`of the HVAC system to a more economical level. When the
`motion sensor detects motion (which is assumed to coincide
`with the return of the guest), the HVAC system resets to the
`guest's chosen setting.
`Adding occupancy detection capability to residential
`HVAC systems could also add considerable value in the
`form of energy savings without significant tradeoff in terms
`of comfort. But the systems used in hotels do not easily
`transfer to the single-family residential context. Hotel rooms
`65 tend to be small enough that a single motion sensor is
`sufficient to determine with a high degree of accuracy
`whether or not the room is occupied. A single motion sensor
`
`This invention relates to the use of thermostatic HVAC
`and other energy management controls that are connected to
`a computer network. More specifically, the present invention
`pertains to the use of user interactions with an interface such
`as a personal computer or an Internet-enabled television as
`signal related to occupancy to inform an energy manage(cid:173)
`ment system.
`Heating and cooling systems for buildings (heating, ven(cid:173)
`tilation and cooling, or HVAC systems) have been controlled
`for decades by thermostats. At the most basic level, a
`thermostat includes a means to allow a user to set a desired
`temperature, a means to sense actual temperature, and a
`means to signal the heating and/or cooling devices to tum on
`or off in order to try to change the actual temperature to
`equal the desired temperature. The most basic versions of
`thermostats use components such as a coiled bi-metallic
`spring to measure actual temperature and a mercury switch
`that opens or completes a circuit when the spring coils or
`uncoils with temperature changes. More recently, electronic 35
`digital thermostats have become prevalent. These thermo(cid:173)
`stats use solid-state devices such as thermistors or thermal
`diodes to measure temperature, and microprocessor-based
`circuitry to control the switch and to store and operate based
`upon user-determined protocols for temperature vs. time.
`These progranimable thermostats generally offer a very
`restrictive user interface, limited by the cost of the devices,
`the limited real estate of the small wall-mounted boxes, and
`the inability to take into account more than two variables:
`the desired temperature set by the user, and the ambient
`temperature sensed by the thermostat. Users can generally
`only set one series of commands per day, and in order to
`change one parameter (e.g., to change the late-night tem(cid:173)
`perature) the user often has to cycle through several other
`parameters by repeatedly pressing one or two buttons.
`Because the interface of programmable thermostats is so
`poor, the significant theoretical savings that are possible
`with them (sometimes cited as 25% of heating and cooling
`costs) are rarely realized. In practice, studies have found that
`more than 50% of users never program their thermostats at
`all. Significant percentages of the thermostats that are pro(cid:173)
`grammed are programmed sub-optimally, in part because,
`once programmed, people tend to not to re-invest the time
`needed to change the settings very often.
`A second problem with standard programmable thermo- 60
`stats is that they represent only a small evolutionary step
`beyond the first, purely mechanical thermostats. Like the
`first thermostats, they only have two input signals-ambient
`temperature and the preset desired temperature. The entire
`advance with programmable thermostats is that they can
`shift between multiple present temperatures at different
`times without real-time involvement of a human being.
`
`014
`
`

`

`US 10,534,382 B2
`
`3
`in the average home today would have limited value because
`there are likely to be many places one or more people could
`be home and active yet invisible to the motion sensor. The
`most economical way to include a motion sensor in a
`traditional programmable thermostat would be to build it 5
`into the thermostat itself. But thermostats are generally
`located in hallways, and thus are unlikely to be exposed to
`the areas where people tend to spend their time. Wiring a
`home with multiple motion sensors in order to maximize the
`chances of detecting occupants would involve considerable
`expense, both for the sensors themselves and for the con- 10
`siderable cost of installation, especially in the retrofit mar(cid:173)
`ket. Yet