Preconditioning controls and methods for an environmental control system

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention describe thermostats that are configured to precondition an enclosure and methods for performing the same. According to one embodiment, a method of preconditioning an enclosure includes providing a thermostat and computing a set of preconditioning criteria information (PCI) with said thermostat. The computed PCI is typically representative of time and ambient temperature conditions for which preconditioning should be performed. The PCI may be stored in memory and used to compare against a current time and current ambient temperature condition of the enclosure to determine whether to enter the thermostat into a preconditioning state. If a determination is made that the PCI criteria are satisfied, the thermostat may be entered into the preconditioning state to heat or cool the enclosure. One or more of these processes may be performed while a processor of the thermostat is in a relatively high power mode or relatively low power mode.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An HVAC control system comprising:
 a sensor that is configured to sense ambient temperature conditions within an enclosure;   a processor that is configured to receive ambient temperature information for the enclosure and to control the HVAC control system to condition the enclosure; and   a display that is configured to display information;   wherein, in operation, said HVAC control system implements:
 a first thermodynamic model that is useful in generating a historically based estimate of time to reach a target temperature, the first thermodynamic model being based on past conditioning events of the enclosure and the historically based estimate being applicable to a future conditioning event for the enclosure without being updated during said future conditioning event; and 
 a second thermodynamic model, the second thermodynamic model being a real-time thermodynamic model that is useful in generating a dynamically variable estimate of time to reach a target temperature; 
   said HVAC control system being configured to:
 receive a real-time temperature adjustment from a user; 
 display in real time to the user an estimated remaining time to reach a target temperature based on a combination of the first thermodynamic model and the second thermodynamic model; and 
 in advance of a scheduled setpoint temperature, perform preconditioning to reach the scheduled setpoint temperature in an estimated time, said preconditioning being based on said first thermodynamic model but not on the second thermodynamic model. 
   
     
     
         2 . The HVAC control system of  claim 1 , wherein the HVAC control system is configured to interface with a cloud-based system in performing one or more processing functions. 
     
     
         3 . The HVAC control system of  claim 1 , wherein during said preconditioning, the estimated time to reach the scheduled setpoint temperature is displayed, said estimated time being determined from said first thermodynamic model and said second thermodynamic model, and wherein conditioning of said enclosure is performed based solely on an estimated time of said first thermodynamic model when an estimated time of said second thermodynamic model appreciably varies from said estimated time to reach the scheduled setpoint temperature. 
     
     
         4 . The HVAC control system of  claim 1 , wherein said HVAC control system is further configured to display said estimated time to reach the scheduled setpoint temperature, wherein during a condition event of the enclosure, said estimated time to reach the scheduled setpoint temperature is transitioned from being based on said first thermodynamic model to being based on said second thermodynamic model, said transition occurring due to a determination that said second thermodynamic model is sufficiently reliable such that the estimated time to reach the scheduled setpoint temperature is not dramatically changed. 
     
     
         5 . The HVAC control system of  claim 4 , wherein subsequent to said transition, said estimated time to reach the scheduled setpoint temperature is based solely on said second thermodynamic model. 
     
     
         6 . The HVAC control system of  claim 1 , wherein the historically based estimate is based on a current set of collected data such that older data is not considered in generating the historically based estimate. 
     
     
         7 . The HVAC control system of  claim 1 , wherein said processor comprises:
 a first processor having a relatively high electrical power-consuming first mode of operation; and   a second processor having a relatively low electrical power-consuming mode of operation, wherein during said display of information, processing is performed by said first processor.   
     
     
         8 . An HVAC control system comprising:
 a sensor;   a processor; and   a display;   said HVAC control system being configured to implement a first thermodynamic model and a second thermodynamic model;   said HVAC control system being further configured to:
 receive real-time temperature adjustment from a user; 
 display in real time to the user an estimated remaining time to reach a target temperature based on a combination of the first thermodynamic model and the second thermodynamic model; and 
 in advance of a scheduled setpoint temperature, perform preconditioning to reach the scheduled setpoint temperature in an estimated time, said preconditioning being based on said first thermodynamic model but not on the second thermodynamic model. 
   
     
     
         9 . The HVAC control system of  claim 8 , wherein said first thermodynamic model is useful in generating a historically based estimate of time to reach a target temperature, the first thermodynamic model being based on past conditioning events of an enclosure and the historically based estimate being applicable to a future conditioning event for the enclosure without being updated during said future conditioning event. 
     
     
         10 . The HVAC control system of  claim 8 , wherein said second thermodynamic model is a real-time thermodynamic model and that is useful in generating a dynamically variable estimate of time to reach a target temperature. 
     
     
         11 . The HVAC control system of  claim 8 , wherein the HVAC control system is configured to interface with a cloud-based system in performing one or more processing functions. 
     
     
         12 . The HVAC control system of  claim 8 , wherein during said preconditioning, the estimated time to reach the scheduled setpoint temperature is displayed, said estimated time being determined from said first thermodynamic model and said second thermodynamic model, and wherein conditioning of said enclosure is performed based solely on an estimated time of said first thermodynamic model when an estimated time of said second thermodynamic model appreciably varies from said estimated time to reach the scheduled setpoint temperature. 
     
     
         13 . The HVAC control system of  claim 8 , wherein said HVAC control system is further configured to display said estimated time to reach the scheduled setpoint temperature, wherein during a condition event of the enclosure, said estimated time to reach the scheduled setpoint temperature is transitioned from being based on said first thermodynamic model to being based on said second thermodynamic model, said transition occurring due to a determination that said second thermodynamic model is sufficiently reliable such that the estimated time to reach the scheduled setpoint temperature is not dramatically changed. 
     
     
         14 . The HVAC control system of  claim 13 , wherein subsequent to said transition, said estimated time to reach the scheduled setpoint temperature is based solely on said second thermodynamic model. 
     
     
         15 . The HVAC control system of  claim 8 , wherein said processor comprises:
 a first processor having a relatively high electrical power-consuming first mode of operation; and   a second processor having a relatively low electrical power-consuming mode of operation, wherein during said display of information, processing is performed by said first processor.   
     
     
         16 . An HVAC control system comprising:
 a thermostat that includes:
 a sensor that is configured to sense ambient temperature conditions within an enclosure; and 
 a display that is configured to display information; and 
   a cloud-based system that interfaces with the thermostat in performing one or more processing functions including:
 implementing a first thermodynamic model that is useful in generating a historically based estimate of time to reach a target temperature, the first thermodynamic model being based on past conditioning events of the enclosure and the historically based estimate being applicable to a future conditioning event for the enclosure without being updated during said future conditioning event; 
 implementing a second thermodynamic model that is a real-time thermodynamic model and that is useful in generating a dynamically variable estimate of time to reach a target temperature; 
 receiving real-time temperature adjustment from a user; 
 displaying in real time to the user an estimated remaining time to reach a target temperature based on a combination of the first thermodynamic model and the second thermodynamic model; and 
 in advance of a scheduled setpoint temperature, perform preconditioning to reach the scheduled setpoint temperature in an estimated time, said preconditioning being based on said first thermodynamic model but not on the second thermodynamic model. 
   
     
     
         17 . The HVAC control system of  claim 16 , wherein during said preconditioning, the estimated time to reach the scheduled setpoint temperature is displayed, said estimated time being determined from said first thermodynamic model and said second thermodynamic model, and wherein conditioning of said enclosure is performed based solely on an estimated time of said first thermodynamic model when an estimated time of said second thermodynamic model appreciably varies from said estimated time to reach the scheduled setpoint temperature. 
     
     
         18 . The HVAC control system of  claim 16 , wherein said HVAC control system is further configured to display said estimated time to reach the scheduled setpoint temperature, wherein during a condition event of the enclosure, said estimated time to reach the scheduled setpoint temperature is transitioned from being based on said first thermodynamic model to being based on said second thermodynamic model, said transition occurring due to a determination that said second thermodynamic model is sufficiently reliable such that the estimated time to reach the scheduled setpoint temperature is not dramatically changed. 
     
     
         19 . The HVAC control system of  claim 18 , wherein subsequent to said transition, said estimated time to reach the scheduled setpoint temperature is based solely on said second thermodynamic model. 
     
     
         20 . The HVAC control system of  claim 16 , wherein said processor comprises:
 a first processor having a relatively high electrical power-consuming first mode of operation; and   a second processor having a relatively low electrical power-consuming mode of operation, wherein during said display of information, processing is performed by said first processor.