Abstract:
The present invention controls a room temperature by controlling an environmental control unit. A total span about a setpoint temperature is adjusted in accordance with a previous total span and a multiplicative factor. The multiplicative factor is periodically updated from a desired cycle time and a previous cycle time. The room temperature may also be controlled by adjusting a duty cycle for controlling an environmental control unit. The duty cycle is adjusted based on an error associated with a previous control cycle and an attenuation factor. A new control cycle may be started by cutting the previous control cycle or a current control cycle may be extended if a predetermined condition is detected. The control mode is selected based on environmental characteristics and room characteristics. The control mode may include a span control mode and a duty cycle control mode that is selected from the cycle rate.
Abstract:
The present invention supports pairing a transmitter and a receiver that use the same power line and power module. The transmitter associates an identification number with a command message so that a receiver can ascertain that a command message is intended for the receiver. The transmitter uses the time from the power up to the first zero crossing of the AC signal to generate a matching seed for both transmitter and receiver. The transmitter generates an identification number by incrementing a counter each incremental time interval between power up and the occurrence of the first zero crossing of the AC signal and sends the generated identification number to the paired receiver after power up but before a predetermined time interval. The receiver stores the generated identification number and compares the stored identification number with a received identification number that is received in a subsequent command message.
Abstract:
A thermostatic radiator valve supports a display that is configurable to display TRV information for a desired viewing direction to facilitate reading by a user, where the TRV comprises a configurable electronic display, a configuration circuit, and a processing device. The configuration circuit is capable of detecting when the TRV has been installed, determining a desired display orientation from a plurality of orientations with respect to a designated surface via a sensor in response to the detecting, and generating a display indicator indicative of the desired display orientation. The processing device is capable of receiving the display indicator and configuring the configurable electronic display to display the TRV information in the desired display orientation.
Abstract:
A home computing cloud (HCC) supports one or more Internet of Things (IoT) devices, possibly with different connectively protocols, in a local environment. The HCC often reduces the amount of data traffic sent to a public computing cloud (PCC) by locally processing collected device data rather than by sending the device data to the PCC for processing. This approach reduces the amount of data traffic sent over the network, improves data privacy and helps to maintain a desired quality of service level. In order to do so, the HCC may download an appropriate data analytic model from the PCC, train the model, execute the trained model to obtain prediction information from collected IoT device data, and upload the trained model to the PCC. Alternatively, the HCC and PCC may execute sub-models of the analytic model and exchange the outputs of the sub-models with each other.
Abstract:
The present invention is directed to a capacitive sensor that has electrodes externally positioned on or proximate to the surface of a non-metallic container for detecting a usage level inside the container, where the contents may be liquid or granular solids. By generating an excitation signal to the electrodes and processing the resulting signal waveform, the usage level may be detected with respect to the position of the electrodes. Consequently, embodiments provide a marker that is indicative of usage conditions such as a refill condition or an empty condition in order to inform the user to purchase a refill of the contents. Embodiments may operate with an Internet of Things device so that physical goods may be automatically ordered when the contents are at or below a predetermined level. Embodiments may provide a low cost design and may be used in many applications, such as an oil diffuser.
Abstract:
A home computing cloud (HCC) supports one or more Internet of Things (IoT) devices, possibly with different connectively protocols, in a local environment. The HCC often reduces the amount of data traffic sent to a public computing cloud (PCC) by locally processing collected device data rather than by sending the device data to the PCC for processing. This approach reduces the amount of data traffic sent over the network, improves data privacy and helps to maintain a desired quality of service level. In order to do so, the HCC may download an appropriate data analytic model from the PCC, train the model, execute the trained model to obtain prediction information from collected IoT device data, and upload the trained model to the PCC. Alternatively, the HCC and PCC may execute sub-models of the analytic model and exchange the outputs of the sub-models with each other.
Abstract:
An apparatus supports smart assistant services with a plurality of smart service providers. The apparatus includes an audio device that receives a speech signal having a user utterance, captures the user utterance when the user utterance includes a user wake word, and sends the captured utterance to a backend computing device. The backend computing device replaces the user wake word with specific wake words associated with different smart service providers. The processed utterances are then sent to selected smart service providers. The backend computing device subsequently constructs feedback to the user utterance based on voice responses from the different smart service providers. The backend computing device then passes a digital representation of the feedback to the audio device, and the audio device converts the digital representation to an audio reply to the user utterance.
Abstract:
Building blocks for a smart device such as a thermostat include a user interface (UI) unit and a terminal (TML) unit. A UI unit may support one or more input data from a user and/or sensors and/or one or more control terminals. The UI unit may process each input datum or a combination of the input data, generate a control signal to one or more control terminals based on the processing, and send the control signal to one or more control terminals over a communication channel. A terminal unit, which may consist of one or more control terminals, transforms the received control signal into one or more controls to one or more associated environmental generators. One or more UI units may control one or more controlled apparatuses in conjunction with a mobile app to allow a unified user experience.
Abstract:
An underfloor heating (UFH) system limits the floor temperature of an environmental entity (for example, a room) by pulsing (pulse modulating) the flow rate through a hydronic emitter (circuit) heating the environmental entity. Once the heated water fills the circuit during time interval Ton, the flow is stopped for a fixed time Toff before allowing the cycle to repeat until a target temperature is reached. The ratio of flow/no flow (Ton/Toff) may be a proportional lower floor temperature compared to a traditional circuit supporting a constant water flow. The UFH system may heat a plurality of rooms, each having different floor temperature limitations. The floor temperatures may be limited differently by pulsing the hydronic emitters (circuits) rooms differently.
Abstract:
A system utilizes the colocation of the sensing and the control or other powered sections of the product to supplement the environmental conditions in which the energy harvesting sensors operate, thus providing a robust energy source for sensors to operate.