Patents by Inventor Allen Minich
Allen Minich has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Publication number: 20220391616Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium that validates labels associated with sensor measurements of a scene in an environment. One of the methods includes receiving data representing a sensor measurement of a scene in an environment generated by one or more sensors. The sensor measurement can be associated with one or more labels, and each label can identify a portion of the sensor measurement that has been classified as measuring an object in the environment. For each of the labels, a determination can be made as to whether the label satisfies each of the validation criteria. Each validation criterion can measure whether one or more characteristics of the label are consistent with one or more characteristics of real-world objects in the environment.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 7, 2021Publication date: December 8, 2022Inventors: Lo Po Tsui, Allen Minich, Megan Van Welie, Neil Barooah, Dragomir Anguelov
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Patent number: 10248143Abstract: A thermostat my include a stored setpoint schedule, temperature sensors providing temperature sensor measurements; and a processing system configured to control an HVAC system based at least in part on the setpoint temperature and the temperature sensor measurements. The processing system may be configured to control the HVAC system by receiving an indication of a first time interval, where energy is available to the HVAC system at a first rate during the first time interval, energy is available to the HVAC system at a second rate during a second time interval that is outside of the first time interval, and the first rate is higher than the second rate; identifying a first one or more setpoints in the plurality of setpoints of the stored setpoint schedule that occur in the first time interval; and decreasing a temperature component of at least one of the first one or more setpoints.Type: GrantFiled: June 20, 2016Date of Patent: April 2, 2019Assignee: Google LLCInventors: William Greene, Scott McGaraghan, Jonathan Crimins, Scott Ruffner, Allen Minich, Todd Hester, Amanda Sahl, Praveen Subramani
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Patent number: 10248092Abstract: A thermostat may include one or more memory devices comprising a stored setpoint schedule, one or more temperature sensors configured to provide temperature sensor measurements, and a processing system configured to be in operative communication the one or more memory devices to determine a setpoint temperature, and in still further operative communication with a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system to control the HVAC system based at least in part on the setpoint temperature and the temperature sensor measurements. The processing system may be configured to control the HVAC system by receiving an indication that a total instantaneous energy usage rate for a structure in which the thermostat is installed is projected to exceed a threshold amount; and altering the stored setpoint schedule to reduce an energy usage rate of the HVAC system.Type: GrantFiled: June 20, 2016Date of Patent: April 2, 2019Assignee: Google LLCInventors: Jonathan Crimins, Scott Ruffner, Allen Minich, Todd Hester, Amanda Sahl, Praveen Subramani
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Patent number: 10088192Abstract: A thermostat may be programmed to operate during cold-weather months by operating in a heat mode where the thermostat periodically causes the HVAC system to activate a heating function to heat an enclosure based at least in part on the stored setpoint schedule; receiving an indication from a thermostat management server of a demand response event while the thermostat is operating in the heat mode; determining whether the thermostat stores a user setting indicating that the thermostat should preheat the enclosure prior to reaching a scheduled setpoint in the stored setpoint schedule; and preheating the enclosure prior to the demand response event based on a determination that the thermostat stores the user setting indicating that the thermostat should preheat the enclosure prior to reaching the scheduled setpoint in the stored setpoint schedule.Type: GrantFiled: October 6, 2016Date of Patent: October 2, 2018Assignee: Google LLCInventors: Jonathan Crimins, Scott Ruffner, Allen Minich, Todd Hester, Amanda Sahl
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Publication number: 20180100663Abstract: A thermostat may be programmed to operate during cold-weather months by operating in a heat mode where the thermostat periodically causes the HVAC system to activate a heating function to heat an enclosure based at least in part on the stored setpoint schedule; receiving an indication from a thermostat management server of a demand response event while the thermostat is operating in the heat mode; determining whether the thermostat stores a user setting indicating that the thermostat should preheat the enclosure prior to reaching a scheduled setpoint in the stored setpoint schedule; and preheating the enclosure prior to the demand response event based on a determination that the thermostat stores the user setting indicating that the thermostat should preheat the enclosure prior to reaching the scheduled setpoint in the stored setpoint schedule.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 6, 2016Publication date: April 12, 2018Applicant: Google Inc.Inventors: Jonathan Crimins, Scott Ruffner, Allen Minich, Todd Hester, Amanda Sahl
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Patent number: 9857238Abstract: Techniques for determining and using a thermodynamic model that characterizes a thermodynamic response of an enclosure conditioned by an HVAC system are disclosed. To determine a thermodynamic model, temperature information when the HVAC system operates in a first state may first be received. A response interval may then be determined where the response interval indicates an estimated time between when the HVAC system begins operating in the first state and when the temperature within the enclosure begins to change in a direction associated with the first state. Weighting factors corresponding to basis functions may then be determined, where the weighted basis functions characterize the temperature trajectory of the enclosure in response to the HVAC system operating in the first state.Type: GrantFiled: April 18, 2014Date of Patent: January 2, 2018Assignee: Google Inc.Inventors: Kara Malhotra, Yoky Matsuoka, Mark Malhotra, Allen Minich, Joseph Ruff
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Publication number: 20170364105Abstract: A thermostat my include a stored setpoint schedule, temperature sensors providing temperature sensor measurements; and a processing system configured to control an HVAC system based at least in part on the setpoint temperature and the temperature sensor measurements. The processing system may be configured to control the HVAC system by receiving an indication of a first time interval, where energy is available to the HVAC system at a first rate during the first time interval, energy is available to the HVAC system at a second rate during a second time interval that is outside of the first time interval, and the first rate is higher than the second rate; identifying a first one or more setpoints in the plurality of setpoints of the stored setpoint schedule that occur in the first time interval; and decreasing a temperature component of at least one of the first one or more setpoints.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 20, 2016Publication date: December 21, 2017Applicant: Google Inc.Inventors: William Greene, Scott McGaraghan, Jonathan Crimins, Scott Ruffner, Allen Minich, Todd Hester, Amanda Sahl, Praveen Subramani
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Publication number: 20170363312Abstract: A thermostat may include one or more memory devices comprising a stored setpoint schedule, one or more temperature sensors configured to provide temperature sensor measurements, and a processing system configured to be in operative communication the one or more memory devices to determine a setpoint temperature, and in still further operative communication with a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system to control the HVAC system based at least in part on the setpoint temperature and the temperature sensor measurements. The processing system may be configured to control the HVAC system by receiving an indication that a total instantaneous energy usage rate for a structure in which the thermostat is installed is projected to exceed a threshold amount; and altering the stored setpoint schedule to reduce an energy usage rate of the HVAC system.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 20, 2016Publication date: December 21, 2017Applicant: Google Inc.Inventors: Jonathan Crimins, Scott Ruffner, Allen Minich, Todd Hester, Amanda Sahl, Praveen Subramani
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Publication number: 20150300892Abstract: Techniques for determining and using a thermodynamic model that characterizes a thermodynamic response of an enclosure conditioned by an HVAC system are disclosed. To determine a thermodynamic model, temperature information when the HVAC system operates in a first state may first be received. A response interval may then be determined where the response interval indicates an estimated time between when the HVAC system begins operating in the first state and when the temperature within the enclosure begins to change in a direction associated with the first state. Weighting factors corresponding to basis functions may then be determined, where the weighted basis functions characterize the temperature trajectory of the enclosure in response to the HVAC system operating in the first state.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 18, 2014Publication date: October 22, 2015Applicant: NEST LABS, INC.Inventors: Kara Malhotra, Yoky Matsuoka, Mark Malhotra, Allen Minich, Joseph Ruff