Patents by Inventor Orville Buenaventura
Orville Buenaventura 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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Patent number: 10791259Abstract: The various embodiments described herein include methods, devices, and systems for repurposing IR transmitters. In one aspect, a method is performed at a first electronic device with a camera, one or more IR transmitters, one or more processors, and memory coupled to the one or more processors. The method includes operating the first electronic device in a first mode, the first mode including illuminating an environment proximate the first electronic device via at least one of the one or more IR transmitters to generate an image, via the camera, of at least a portion of the environment. The method further includes operating the first electronic device in a second mode, the second mode including communicating information to a second electronic device via at least one of the one or more IR transmitters.Type: GrantFiled: August 4, 2015Date of Patent: September 29, 2020Assignee: GOOGLE LLCInventors: Alexander Schoenen, Brian Conner, Orville Buenaventura
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Patent number: 10241526Abstract: A thermostat may include HVAC wire connectors that receive a call relay wire and a power return wire, switching elements having a first operating state in which they create a connection between the call relay wire and the power return wire and a second operating state in which the connection between the call relay wire and the power return wire is interrupted. The thermostat may also include control circuitry configured to cause the switching elements to operate in the first operating state to actuate an HVAC function; detect an anomaly associated with measurements from power monitoring circuitry; cause the switching elements to continue to operate in the first operating state until a zero-crossing is detected; and then cause the one or more switching elements to operate in the second operating state.Type: GrantFiled: November 11, 2016Date of Patent: March 26, 2019Assignee: Google LLCInventors: Eric Marschalkowski, Orville Buenaventura, Daniel Adam Warren
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Patent number: 10234879Abstract: A thermostat may include one or more processors and heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) wire connectors configured to receive HVAC wires from an HVAC system, including a call relay wire connector and a power return wire connector. The thermostat may also include an integrated circuit (IC) coupled to the one or more processors. The IC may include one or more solid-state switching elements for actuating at least one HVAC function through the call relay wire connector and the power return wire connector; a first input/output (I/O) pin coupled to the one or more solid-state switching elements; and a second I/O pin coupled to a substrate of the IC. The thermostat may further include a Schottky diode coupled between the first I/O pin and the second I/O pin, wherein the Schottky diode is external to the IC.Type: GrantFiled: October 5, 2017Date of Patent: March 19, 2019Assignee: Google LLCInventors: Eric Marschalkowski, Orville Buenaventura, Daniel Adam Warren
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Patent number: 10209688Abstract: A thermostat may include a plurality of heat-generating components; a plurality of first temperature sensors, each of the plurality of first temperature sensors being disposed next to a corresponding one of the plurality of heat-generating components; a second temperature sensor that is disposed away from the plurality of heat-generating components; and a memory device storing a coefficient matrix. The thermostat may also include one or more processors that combine a plurality of inputs to calculate an ambient temperature for an enclosure in which the thermostat is installed, the plurality of inputs including readings from the plurality of first temperature sensors, readings from the second temperature sensor, and the coefficient matrix.Type: GrantFiled: August 26, 2015Date of Patent: February 19, 2019Assignee: Google LLCInventors: John Stefanski, Vivek Goyal, Orville Buenaventura, Alexander Schoenen, Mark Stefanski
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Patent number: 10088189Abstract: A smart-home device may include wire connectors that couple to an inductive power coil and a load, one or more solid-state switching elements having a first operating state in which they create a connection between the wire connectors and a second operating state in which the connection is interrupted. The smart-home device may cause the switching element(s) to operate in the first operating state to power the load; detect an anomaly from measurements from power monitoring circuitry; cause the switching element(s) to operate in the second operating state for at least a first time interval; and after the expiration of the first time interval, cause the one or more switching elements to operate in the first operating state and determine whether the anomaly is still present.Type: GrantFiled: April 3, 2017Date of Patent: October 2, 2018Assignee: Google LLCInventors: Brian J. Conner, Daniel Adam Warren, Orville Buenaventura, Michael Ayoubi, Edwin H. Satterthwaite
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Publication number: 20180136675Abstract: A thermostat may include HVAC wire connectors that receive a call relay wire and a power return wire, switching elements having a first operating state in which they create a connection between the call relay wire and the power return wire and a second operating state in which the connection between the call relay wire and the power return wire is interrupted. The thermostat may also include control circuitry configured to cause the switching elements to operate in the first operating state to actuate an HVAC function; detect an anomaly associated with measurements from power monitoring circuitry; cause the switching elements to continue to operate in the first operating state until a zero-crossing is detected; and then cause the one or more switching elements to operate in the second operating state.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 11, 2016Publication date: May 17, 2018Applicant: Google Inc.Inventors: Eric Marschalkowski, Orville Buenaventura, Daniel Adam Warren
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Publication number: 20180136677Abstract: A thermostat may include one or more processors and heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) wire connectors configured to receive HVAC wires from an HVAC system, including a call relay wire connector and a power return wire connector. The thermostat may also include an integrated circuit (IC) coupled to the one or more processors. The IC may include one or more solid-state switching elements for actuating at least one HVAC function through the call relay wire connector and the power return wire connector; a first input/output (I/O) pin coupled to the one or more solid-state switching elements; and a second I/O pin coupled to a substrate of the IC. The thermostat may further include a Schottky diode coupled between the first I/O pin and the second I/O pin, wherein the Schottky diode is external to the IC.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 5, 2017Publication date: May 17, 2018Applicant: Google LLCInventors: Eric Marschalkowski, Orville Buenaventura, Daniel Adam Warren
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Publication number: 20170370606Abstract: A smart-home device may include wire connectors that couple to an inductive power coil and a load, one or more solid-state switching elements having a first operating state in which they create a connection between the wire connectors and a second operating state in which the connection is interrupted. The smart-home device may cause the switching element(s) to operate in the first operating state to power the load; detect an anomaly from measurements from power monitoring circuitry; cause the switching element(s) to operate in the second operating state for at least a first time interval; and after the expiration of the first time interval, cause the one or more switching elements to operate in the first operating state and determine whether the anomaly is still present.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 3, 2017Publication date: December 28, 2017Applicant: Google Inc.Inventors: Brian J. Conner, Daniel Adam Warren, Orville Buenaventura, Michael Ayoubi, Edwin H. Satterthwaite
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Patent number: 9791871Abstract: A thermostat may include first and second solid-state switching elements coupled to a call relay wire connector and a power return wire connector. The switching elements may be configured to operate in a first state to make a connection between the call relay wire connector and the power return wire connector, and a second state in which the connection is interrupted. The thermostat may also include power monitoring circuitry configured to cause the switching elements to operate in the first state to actuate an environmental control function, receive an indication that the switching elements should transition to the second state, at a first time after receiving the indication, turn off whichever of the first switching element and the second switching element receives AC current from the environmental control system at the first time; and at a second time after the first time, turn off the other of the switching elements.Type: GrantFiled: November 11, 2016Date of Patent: October 17, 2017Assignee: Google Inc.Inventors: Eric Marschalkowski, Orville Buenaventura, Daniel Adam Warren
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Patent number: 9612031Abstract: A thermostat may include HVAC wire connectors that receive a call relay wire and a power return wire, switching elements having a first operating state in which they create a connection between the call relay wire and the power return wire and a second operating state in which the connection between the call relay wire and the power return wire is interrupted. The thermostat may also include control circuitry configured to cause the switching elements to operate in the first operating state to actuate an HVAC function; detect an anomaly associated with measurements from power monitoring circuitry; cause the switching elements to operate in the second operating state for at least a first time interval; and after the expiration of the first time interval, cause the one or more switching elements to operate in the first operating state and determine whether the anomaly is still present.Type: GrantFiled: January 7, 2015Date of Patent: April 4, 2017Assignee: Google Inc.Inventors: Brian J. Conner, Daniel Adam Warren, Orville Buenaventura, Michael Ayoubi, Edwin H. Satterthwaite
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Patent number: 9606552Abstract: A thermostat may include a proximity sensor and a temperature sensor. The thermostat may also include a sensor mount assembly containing the proximity sensor, the temperature sensor, and a first alignment feature. The thermostat may additionally include a lens assembly having a first area, a second area, and a second alignment feature, where the second area includes a Fresnel lens, and the first area is thinner than the second area. The thermostat may further include a front cover where the outward-facing surface of the lens assembly is shaped to continuously conform to a curvature of the front cover.Type: GrantFiled: August 26, 2015Date of Patent: March 28, 2017Assignee: Google Inc.Inventors: John Stefanski, Marcus Albonico, Orville Buenaventura, Vivek Goyal, Alexander Schoenen, Giancarlo Giustina, Anurag Gupta
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Publication number: 20170059190Abstract: A thermostat may include a plurality of heat-generating components; a plurality of first temperature sensors, each of the plurality of first temperature sensors being disposed next to a corresponding one of the plurality of heat-generating components; a second temperature sensor that is disposed away from the plurality of heat-generating components; and a memory device storing a coefficient matrix. The thermostat may also include one or more processors that combine a plurality of inputs to calculate an ambient temperature for an enclosure in which the thermostat is installed, the plurality of inputs including readings from the plurality of first temperature sensors, readings from the second temperature sensor, and the coefficient matrix.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 26, 2015Publication date: March 2, 2017Applicant: Google Inc.Inventors: John Stefanski, Vivek Goyal, Orville Buenaventura, Alexander Schoenen, Mark Stefanski
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Publication number: 20170060150Abstract: A thermostat may include a proximity sensor and a temperature sensor. The thermostat may also include a sensor mount assembly containing the proximity sensor, the temperature sensor, and a first alignment feature. The thermostat may additionally include a lens assembly having a first area, a second area, and a second alignment feature, where the second area includes a Fresnel lens, and the first area is thinner than the second area. The thermostat may further include a front cover where the outward-facing surface of the lens assembly is shaped to continuously conform to a curvature of the front cover.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 26, 2015Publication date: March 2, 2017Applicant: GOOGLE INC.Inventors: John Stefanski, Marcus Albonico, Orville Buenaventura, Vivek Goyal, Alexander Schoenen, Giancarlo Giustina, Anurag Gupta
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Publication number: 20170041524Abstract: The various embodiments described herein include methods, devices, and systems for repurposing IR transmitters. In one aspect, a method is performed at a first electronic device with a camera, one or more IR transmitters, one or more processors, and memory coupled to the one or more processors. The method includes operating the first electronic device in a first mode, the first mode including illuminating an environment proximate the first electronic device via at least one of the one or more IR transmitters to generate an image, via the camera, of at least a portion of the environment. The method further includes operating the first electronic device in a second mode, the second mode including communicating information to a second electronic device via at least one of the one or more IR transmitters.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 4, 2015Publication date: February 9, 2017Inventors: Alexander Schoenen, Brian Conner, Orville Buenaventura
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Publication number: 20160195294Abstract: A thermostat may include HVAC wire connectors that receive a call relay wire and a power return wire, switching elements having a first operating state in which they create a connection between the call relay wire and the power return wire and a second operating state in which the connection between the call relay wire and the power return wire is interrupted. The thermostat may also include control circuitry configured to cause the switching elements to operate in the first operating state to actuate an HVAC function; detect an anomaly associated with measurements from power monitoring circuitry; cause the switching elements to operate in the second operating state for at least a first time interval; and after the expiration of the first time interval, cause the one or more switching elements to operate in the first operating state and determine whether the anomaly is still present.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 7, 2015Publication date: July 7, 2016Applicant: GOOGLE INC.Inventors: Brian J. Conner, Daniel Adam Warren, Orville Buenaventura, Michael Ayoubi, Edwin H. Satterthwaite