Patents by Inventor Ian C. SMITH

Ian C. SMITH 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).

  • Publication number: 20130221117
    Abstract: A thermostat includes a plurality of HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) wire connectors for receiving a plurality of HVAC control wires corresponding to an HVAC system. The thermostat also includes a thermostat processing and control circuit operative to at least partially control the operation of the HVAC system and a powering circuit coupled to the HVAC wire connectors and configured to provide an electrical load power to the thermostat processing and control circuit. The thermostat includes circuitry and methods for maximizing efficiency of energy harvested from the HVAC system connected to the thermostat, and depending on which system is connected to the thermostat, different power schemes can be implemented in order to obtain power from the HVAC system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Publication date: August 29, 2013
    Applicant: Nest Labs, Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel Adam Warren, Hugo Fiennes, Jonathan Alan Dutra, David Bell, Anthony Michael Fadell, Matthew Lee Rogers, Ian C. Smith, Edwin H. Satterthwaite, JR., Grant M. Erickson, Andrea Mucignat, Joseph E. Palmer
  • Patent number: 8511577
    Abstract: A thermostat includes a plurality of HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) wire connectors including a connection to at least one call relay wire. The thermostat may also include a powering circuit, including a rechargeable battery, which is configured to provide electrical power to the thermostat by power stealing from a selected call relay wire. The power stealing may include an active power stealing mode, in which power is taken from the same selected call relay wire that is used to call for an HVAC function, and an inactive power stealing mode in which, in which no active call is being made. The powering circuit may be configured to substantially suspend (or at least reduce the level of) power stealing for at least a first time period following each transition of the thermostat from between operating states.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2013
    Assignee: Nest Labs, Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel Adam Warren, Edwin H. Satterthwaite, Jr., Ian C. Smith
  • Patent number: 8511576
    Abstract: A thermostat includes a plurality of HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) wire connectors for receiving a plurality of HVAC control wires corresponding to an HVAC system. The thermostat also includes a thermostat processing and control circuit configured to at least partially control the operation of the HVAC system and a powering circuit coupled to the HVAC wire connectors and configured to provide an electrical load power to the thermostat processing and control circuit. The powering circuit has a power extraction circuit configured to extract electrical power from one or more of the plurality of received HVAC control wires up to a first level of electrical power, a rechargeable battery, and a power control circuit. The power control circuit is configured to provide the electrical load power using power from the power extraction circuit and the rechargeable battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2013
    Assignee: Nest Labs, Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel Adam Warren, Hugo Fiennes, Jonathan Alan Dutra, David Bell, Anthony Michael Fadell, Matthew Lee Rogers, Ian C. Smith, Edwin H. Satterthwaite, Jr., Joseph E. Palmer, Grant M. Erickson, Andrea Mucignat
  • Publication number: 20120325919
    Abstract: A thermostat includes a plurality of HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) wire connectors including a connection to at least one call relay wire. The thermostat may also include a powering circuit, including a rechargeable battery, which is configured to provide electrical power to the thermostat by power stealing from a selected call relay wire. The power stealing may comprise an active power stealing mode, in which power is taken from the same selected call relay wire that is used to call for an HVAC function, and an inactive power stealing mode in which, in which no active call is being made. The powering circuit may be configured to substantially suspend (or at least reduce the level of) power stealing for at least a first time period following each transition of the thermostat from between operating states.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2012
    Publication date: December 27, 2012
    Applicant: NEST LABS, INC.
    Inventors: Daniel Adam Warren, Edwin H. Satterthwaite, JR., Ian C. Smith
  • Publication number: 20120267089
    Abstract: Provided according to one or more embodiments herein are methods, systems and related architectures for facilitating network communications between a wireless network-connected thermostat and a cloud-based management server in a manner that promotes reduced power usage and extended service life of a rechargeable battery of the thermostat, while at the same time accomplishing timely data transfer between the thermostat and the cloud-based management server for suitable and time-appropriate control of an HVAC system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2012
    Publication date: October 25, 2012
    Applicant: NEST LABS, INC.
    Inventors: ANDREA MUCIGNAT, Oliver Steele, Senthil Supramaniam, Osborne Hardison, Richard J. Schultz, Daniel A. Warren, Hugo Fiennes, Jonathan A. Dutra, David Bell, Anthony M. Fadell, Matthew L. Rodgers, Ian C. Smith, Grant M. Erickson, Edwin H. Satterthwaite, JR., Joseph E. Palmer
  • Publication number: 20120261109
    Abstract: A thermostat includes a plurality of HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) wire connectors for receiving a plurality of HVAC control wires corresponding to an HVAC system. The thermostat also includes a thermostat processing and control circuit configured to at least partially control the operation of the HVAC system and a powering circuit coupled to the HVAC wire connectors and configured to provide an electrical load power to the thermostat processing and control circuit. The powering circuit has a power extraction circuit configured to extract electrical power from one or more of the plurality of received HVAC control wires up to a first level of electrical power, a rechargeable battery, and a power control circuit. The power control circuit is configured to provide the electrical load power using power from the power extraction circuit and the rechargeable battery.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2012
    Publication date: October 18, 2012
    Applicant: Nest Labs, Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel Adam Warren, Hugo Fiennes, Jonathan Alan Dutra, David Bell, Anthony Michael Fadell, Matthew Lee Rogers, Ian C. Smith, Edwin H. Satterthwaite, JR., Joseph E. Palmer, Grant M. Erickson, Andrea Mucignat
  • Publication number: 20120256009
    Abstract: Provided according to one or more embodiments herein are methods, systems and related architectures for facilitating network communications between a wireless network-connected thermostat and a cloud-based management server in a manner that promotes reduced power usage and extended service life of a rechargeable battery of the thermostat, while at the same time accomplishing timely data transfer between the thermostat and the cloud-based management server for suitable and time-appropriate control of an HVAC system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 8, 2012
    Publication date: October 11, 2012
    Applicant: NEST LABS, INC.
    Inventors: Andrea Mucignat, Oliver Steele, Senthil Supramaniam, Osborne Hardison, Richard J. Schultz, Daniel A. Warren, Hugo Fiennes, Jonathan A. Dutra, David Bell, Anthony M. Fadell, Matthew L. Rogers, Ian C. Smith, Grant M. Erickson, Edwin H. Satterthwaite, JR., Joseph E. Palmer
  • Publication number: 20120248210
    Abstract: A thermostat includes a plurality of HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) wire connectors for receiving a plurality of HVAC control wires corresponding to an HVAC system. The thermostat also includes a thermostat processing and control circuit configured to at least partially control the operation of the HVAC system and a powering circuit coupled to the HVAC wire connectors and configured to provide an electrical load power to the thermostat processing and control circuit. The powering circuit has a power extraction circuit configured to extract electrical power from one or more of the plurality of received HVAC control wires up to a first level of electrical power, a rechargeable battery, and a power control circuit coupled to the power extraction circuit, the rechargeable battery, and the thermostat processing and control circuit. The power control circuit is configured to provide the electrical load power using power from the power extraction circuit and the rechargeable battery.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 8, 2012
    Publication date: October 4, 2012
    Applicant: NEST LABS, INC.
    Inventors: DANIEL ADAM WARREN, Hugo Fiennes, Jonathan Alan Dutra, David Bell, Anthony Michael Fadell, Matthew Lee Rogers, Ian C. Smith, Edwin H. Satterthwaite, JR., Joseph E. Palmer, Grant M. Erickson, Andrea Mucignat
  • Publication number: 20120199660
    Abstract: An electronic thermostat and associated methods are disclosed for power stealing from an HVAC triggering circuit. The methods include making voltage measurements while controlling the amount of current drawn by the power stealing circuitry so as to determine a relationship that can be used to select how much current to draw during power stealing. Through the use of the described methods, the likelihood of inadvertent switching of the HVAC function (on or off) can be significantly reduced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 6, 2011
    Publication date: August 9, 2012
    Applicant: NEST LABS, INC.
    Inventors: Daniel Adam WARREN, Ian C. SMITH, Edwin H. SATTERTHWAITE, JR., Joseph E. PALMER