IP Library Granted Patent US 11,555,749
Granted Patent B2
US 11,555,749 · App. 17/101,514 · Granted Jan 17, 2023

Proactive management of appliances

Inventor: Stephen Scott Trundle (Falls Church, VA)
Assignee: Alarm.com Incorporated
G01K13/00F24F11/30F24F11/62F24F11/70G01R22/06G01W1/10G06Q10/06F24F11/32F24F11/46F24F2110/00F24F2130/00F24F2130/10F24F2140/60
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,555,749
App. No.
17/101,514
Granted
Jan 17, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

In some implementations, a system performs proactive performance tests for an appliance before a time for an operational change in usage of the appliance. Usage data for an appliance associated with a property may be obtained. The obtained usage data indicates past activity of the appliance and present operational status of the appliance. Weather forecast data associated with a location of the property can be obtained. A time for an operational change in usage of the appliance can be predicted based at least on the obtained usage data for the appliance and the obtained weather forecast data. An operation directed to conducting one or more performance tests on the appliance can be performed before the predicted time for the operational change in usage of the appliance. One or more communications related to the one or more performance tests of the appliance can be provided to a client device.

Claims (84)

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

determining a time point during which a change to a present operational status of an HVAC system component is expected to occur;

determining a time window during which the HVAC system component is not expected to be used by a user;

determining that (i) the time window has started and (ii) the time point has not occurred;

based on determining that the time window has started and the time point has not occurred:

determining an anticipated usage activity pattern of the HVAC system component by the user at the time point;

determining a performance test to perform on the HVAC system component based on the anticipated usage activity pattern, and

providing an instruction to perform the performance test;

obtaining data indicating (i) that the performance test was executed and (ii) results of the performance test that was executed; and

providing a report indicating the results of the performance test that was executed.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

obtaining weather forecast data associated with a location of a property of the HVAC system component; and

wherein the time point is predicted based on the weather forecast data.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the change to the present operational status that is predicted at the time point indicates a change in seasonal operation of the HVAC system component.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

obtaining data indicating a maintenance operation to be performed on the HVAC system component based on the results of the performance test that was executed; and

transmitting an instruction to the HVAC system component that, when received by the HVAC system component, causes the maintenance operation to be performed on the HVAC system component before the time point.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

obtaining data associated with multiple properties within a threshold proximity to a location of the property;

identifying a subset of the data associated with the multiple properties, wherein the subset of the data associated with the multiple properties identifies (i) prior usage patterns of the HVAC system component at a particular property and (ii) the present operational status of the HVAC system component at the particular property; and

wherein the time point is predicted based on the prior usage patterns and the subset of the data associated with the multiple properties.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

determining the time point during which the change to the present operational status is expected to occur comprises predicting a particular time point during which the HVAC system component is configured to be adjusted from either (i) a cooling setting to a heating setting or (ii) a heating setting to a cooling setting.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the time point during which the change to the present operational status of the HVAC system component is expected to occur is determined based on:

temperature set point data from a thermostat associated with an HVAC system;

energy consumption data associated with the HVAC system; and

data indicating presence of multiple users in a property of the HVAC system component.

8. A system comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more storage devices storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

determining a time point during which a change to a present operational status of an HVAC system component is expected to occur;

determining a time window during which the HVAC system component is not expected to be used by a user;

determining that (i) the time window has started and (ii) the time point has not occurred;

based on determining that the time window has started and the time point has not occurred:

determining an anticipated usage activity pattern of the HVAC system component by the user at the time point;

determining a performance test to perform on the HVAC system component based on the anticipated usage activity pattern, and

providing an instruction to perform the performance test;

obtaining data indicating (i) that the performance test was executed and (ii) results of the performance test that was executed; and

providing a report indicating the results of the performance test that was executed.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the operations further comprise:

obtaining weather forecast data associated with a location of a property of the HVAC system component; and

wherein the time point is predicted based on the weather forecast data.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the change to the present operational status that is predicted at the time point indicates a change in seasonal operation of the HVAC system component.

11. The system of claim 8 , wherein the operations further comprise:

obtaining data indicating a maintenance operation to be performed on the HVAC system component based on the results of the performance test that was executed; and

transmitting an instruction to the HVAC system component that, when received by the HVAC system component, causes the maintenance operation to be performed on the HVAC system component before the time point.

12. The system of claim 8 , wherein the operations further comprise:

obtaining data associated with multiple properties within a threshold proximity to a location of the property;

identifying a subset of the data associated with the multiple properties, wherein the subset of the data associated with the multiple properties identifies (i) prior usage patterns of the HVAC system component at a particular property and (ii) the present operational status of the HVAC system component at the particular property; and

wherein the time point is predicted based on the prior usage patterns and the subset of the data associated with the multiple properties.

13. The system of claim 8 , wherein:

determining the time point during which the change to the present operational status is expected to occur comprises predicting a particular time point during which the HVAC system component is configured to be adjusted from either (i) a cooling setting to a heating setting or (ii) a heating setting to a cooling setting.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the time point during which the change to the present operational status of the HVAC system component is expected to occur is determined based on:

temperature set point data from a thermostat associated with an HVAC system;

energy consumption data associated with the HVAC system; and

data indicating presence of multiple users in a property of the HVAC system component.

15. At least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

determining a time point during which a change to a present operational status of an HVAC system component is expected to occur;

determining a time window during which the HVAC system component is not expected to be used by a user;

determining that (i) the time window has started and (ii) the time point has not occurred;

based on determining that the time window has started and the time point has not occurred:

determining an anticipated usage activity pattern of the HVAC system component by the user at the time point;

determining a performance test to perform on the HVAC system component based on the anticipated usage activity pattern, and

providing an instruction to perform the performance test;

obtaining data indicating (i) that the performance test was executed and (ii) results of the performance test that was executed; and

providing a report indicating the results of the performance test that was executed.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the operations further comprise:

obtaining weather forecast data associated with a location of a property of the HVAC system component; and

wherein the time point is predicted based on the weather forecast data.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the change to the present operational status that is predicted at the time point indicates a change in seasonal operation of the HVAC system component.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the operations further comprise:

obtaining data indicating a maintenance operation to be performed on the HVAC system component based on the results of the performance test that was executed; and

transmitting an instruction to the HVAC system component that, when received by the HVAC system component, causes the maintenance operation to be performed on the HVAC system component before the time point.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein:

determining the time point during which the change to the present operational status is expected to occur comprises predicting a particular time point during which the HVAC system component is configured to be adjusted from either (i) a cooling setting to a heating setting or (ii) a heating setting to a cooling setting.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 19 , wherein the time point during which the change to the present operational status of the HVAC system component is expected to occur is determined based on:

temperature set point data from a thermostat associated with an HVAC system;

energy consumption data associated with the HVAC system; and

data indicating presence of multiple users in a property of the HVAC system component.

21. The method of claim 1 , comprising:

obtaining usage data, wherein:

determining the time window uses the usage data; and

determining the anticipated usage activity pattern uses the usage data.

22. The system of claim 8 , wherein the one or more processors and the one or more storage devices implement: one or more mobile devices or an application server.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 24, 2020
From: TRUNDLE, STEPHEN SCOTT
To: ALARM.COM INCORPORATED
Reel/Frame 054459/0158 →