Abstract: HVAC schedules may be programmed for a thermostat using a combination of pre-existing schedules or templates and automated schedule learning. For example, a pre-existing schedule may be initiated on the thermostat and the automated schedule learning may be used to update the pre-existing schedule based on users' interactions with the thermostat. The preexisting HVAC schedules may be stored on a device or received from a social networking service or another online service that includes shared HVAC schedules.

Abstract: Hazard detection systems and methods according to embodiments described herein are operative to enable a user to interface with the hazard detection system by performing a touchless gesture. The touchless gesture can be performed in a vicinity of the hazard detection system without requiring physical access to the hazard detection system. This enables the user to interact with the hazard detection system even if it is out of reach. The hazard detection system can detect gestures and perform an appropriate action responsive to the detected gesture. In one embodiment, the hazard detection system can silence its audible alarm or pre-emptively turn off its audible alarm in response to a detected gesture. Gestures can be detected by processing sensor data to determine whether periodic shapes are detected.

Abstract: This application is directed to a home monitoring and control system including a doorbell installed at a door of a home, an application executable by a monitoring device, and a remote server. The doorbell has a button configured to, upon being touched, depressed or activated, wirelessly cause an audio speaker of an electronic device to sound an audible notification or a message to be sent to the monitoring device to indicate presence of a person at the door. The doorbell also has a camera configured to capture video data within a field of view. The remote server is configured to receive from the doorbell the video data and the message, and relay them to the monitoring device. The application is configured to receive and display at least a portion of the video data captured by the camera of the doorbell.

Abstract: This application is directed to a method of home monitoring and control implemented by a doorbell installed at a door of a home, an application executable by a monitoring device, and a remote server. The doorbell has a button that, upon being touched, depressed or activated, wirelessly causes an audio speaker of an electronic device to sound an audible notification and/or a message to be sent to a monitoring device associated with an occupant of the home to indicate presence of a person at the door. The doorbell also has a camera that captures video data within a field of view. The remote server receives the video data from the doorbell and relays them to the monitoring device. The application receives and displays at least a portion of the video data captured by the camera.

Abstract: This application discloses a method implemented by an electronic device to detect a signature event (e.g., a baby cry event) associated with an audio feature (e.g., baby sound). The electronic device obtains a classifier model from a remote server. The classifier model is determined according to predetermined capabilities of the electronic device and ambient sound characteristics of the electronic device, and distinguishes the audio feature from a plurality of alternative features and ambient noises. When the electronic device obtains audio data, it splits the audio data to a plurality of sound components each associated with a respective frequency or frequency band and including a series of time windows. The electronic device further extracts a feature vector from the sound components, classifies the extracted feature vector to obtain a probability value according to the classifier model, and detects the signature event based on the probability value.

Abstract: Various arrangements for assessing an installation of a smart home device are presented. A video camera device may capture video indicative of a location of the smart home device. The video indicative of the location of the smart home device may be analyzed to determine whether the location of the smart home device prevents the smart home device from operating within specification. An indication may then be output indicative of whether the location of the smart home device prevents the smart home device from operating within specification.

Abstract: This patent specification relates to a wall switch that comprises a docking station and a user-removable wall-switch head unit. In some embodiments, the docking station is configured to receive the user-removable wall-switch head unit, and configured to be permanently connected to a wall and coupled to high-power voltage wires. In some embodiments, the user-removable wall-switch head unit is configured to be user-insertable into said docking station and user-removable therefrom such that the user is not exposed to high-voltage connections when inserting or removing. In some embodiments, the wall switch controller further comprises inputs and outputs and circuitry for switchably controlling household line current power to a household electrical fixture. In some embodiments, the wall switch controller further comprises an occupancy sensor, a temperature sensor, or a processor.

Abstract: The current application is directed to intelligent controllers that use sensor output and electronically stored information, including one or more of electronically stored rules, parameters, and instructions, to determine whether or not one or more types of entities are present within an area, volume, or environment monitored by the intelligent controllers. The intelligent controllers select operational modes and modify control schedules with respect to the presence and absence of the one or more entities. The intelligent controllers employ feedback information to continuously adjust the electronically stored parameters and rules in order to minimize the number of incorrect inferences with respect to the presence or absence of the one or more entities and in order to maximize the efficiency by which various types of systems controlled by the intelligent controllers carry out selected operational modes.

Abstract: Provided according to some embodiments is a thermostat is capable of discerning the time-of-day without external input. Should the user fail to set the time, the thermostat uses one or more sensors to determine the time-of-day through a variety of techniques. In one example, a light sensor can monitor natural light to understand the cycle of sun with respect to the installation location. From the cycle of natural light a latitude, time-of-year, time-of-day, etc. can be estimated through processing sensor information over time. Should the thermostat have its time manually set or gathered from the network, it would override the estimated time-of-day. Techniques can be used to filter input from the one or more sensors to avoid confusion from other inputs, for example, man-made lighting.

Abstract: Systems and methods are described for interactively, graphically displaying and reporting performance information to a user of an HVAC system controlled by a self-programming network-connected thermostat. The information is made on a remote display device such as a smartphone, tablet computer or other computer, and includes a graphical daily or monthly summary each of several days or months respectively. In response to a user selection of a day, detailed performance information is graphically displayed that can include an indication of HVAC activity on a timeline, the number of hours of HVAC activity, as well as one or more symbols on a timeline indicating setpoint changes, and when a setpoint was changed due to non-occupancy.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention describe thermostats that use model predictive controls and related methods. A method of controlling a thermostat using a model predictive control may involve determining a parameterized model. The parameterized model may be used to predicted ambient temperature values for an enclosure. A set of radiant heating system control strategies may be selected for evaluation to determine an optimal control strategy from the set of control strategies. To determine the optimal control strategy, a predictive algorithm may be executed, in which each control strategy is applied to the parameterized model to predict an ambient temperature trajectory and each ambient temperature trajectory is processed in view of a predetermined assessment function. Processing the ambient temperature trajectory in this manner may involve minimizing a cost value associated with the ambient temperature trajectory.

Abstract: The current application is directed to intelligent controllers that initially aggressively learn, and then continue, in a steady-state mode, to monitor, learn, and modify one or more control schedules that specify a desired operational behavior of a device, machine, system, or organization controlled by the intelligent controller. An intelligent controller generally acquires one or more initial control schedules through schedule-creation and schedule-modification interfaces or by accessing a default control schedule stored locally or remotely in a memory or mass-storage device. The intelligent controller then proceeds to learn, over time, a desired operational behavior for the device, machine, system, or organization controlled by the intelligent controller based on immediate-control inputs, schedule-modification inputs, and previous and current control schedules, encoding the desired operational behavior in one or more control schedules and/or sub-schedules.

Abstract: Apparatus, systems, methods, and related computer program products for generating and implementing thermodynamic models of a structure. Thermostats disclosed herein are operable to control an HVAC system. In controlling the HVAC system, a need to determine an expected indoor temperature profile for a particular schedule of setpoint temperatures may arise. To make such a determination, a thermodynamic model of the structure may be used. The thermodynamic model may be generated by fitting weighting factors of a set of basis functions to a variety of historical data including time information, temperature information, and HVAC actuation state information. The set of basis functions characterize an indoor temperature trajectory of the structure in response to a change in HVAC actuation state, and include an inertial carryover component that characterizes a carryover of a rate of indoor temperature change that was occurring immediately prior to the change in actuation state.

Abstract: Computational methods and systems that collect operational data from an intelligent controller to identify information, or correct information, about a device and system controlled by the intelligent controller are disclosed. Computational methods and systems use a set of operational data and information known about other devices and systems controlled by similar intelligent controllers to process the operational data and generate information, or correct information, about the device and system.

Abstract: Computational methods and systems that collect operational data from an intelligent controller to identify information, or correct information, about a device and system controlled by the intelligent controller are disclosed. Computational methods and systems use a set of operational data and information known about other devices and systems controlled by similar intelligent controllers to process the operational data and generate information, or correct information, about the device and system.

Abstract: Various arrangements for installing or configuring an electronic device are presented. The device may determine which wire connectors of a set of one or more wire connectors have a wire attached. A user inquiry may be output based on the electronic device identifying the wire connector with which the wire has been connected. The electronic device may be operated based on the response to the user inquiry and the electronic device identifying the wire connector with which the wire has been connected.

Abstract: Embodiments provided herein relate to implementing a household policy within a household environment. In one example, a method includes: receiving, at a processor, the household policy; interpreting the household policy to extract one or more conditional events associated with the household policy; monitoring, via at least one sensing smart device in the household environment, for satisfaction of the one or more conditional events; and when the one or more events is satisfied, implement one or more controls on at least one conditionally controlled smart device in the household environment, the at least one smart device affecting the household environment.

Abstract: A particular smart hazard detector may itself function as a guide during a process of installation of the same at an installation location. Additionally, the installation location of the particular smart hazard detector may play a central role in how various settings of the smart hazard detector are defined and adjusted over time.

Abstract: Arrangements for controlling a climate control system are provided. A hazard detector of a group of smart devices may detect a carbon monoxide (CO) alarm condition at the hazard detector. The hazard detector may transmit, via a relatively low-power mesh communication network, an indication of the CO alarm condition to one or more other smart devices. A spokesman node of the relatively low-power wireless communication network may translate the indication of the CO alarm condition from a first wireless communication protocol to a second wireless communication protocol. The spokesman node may transmit the indication of the CO alarm condition to a system controller via a relatively high-power wireless communication network and the second wireless communication protocol. A system controller of the climate control system may transmit a signal to turn off at least part of the climate control system.

Abstract: This patent specification relates to apparatus, systems, methods, and related computer program products for providing home security/smart home objectives. More particularly, this patent specification relates to a plurality of devices, including intelligent, multi-sensing, network-connected devices, that communicate with each other and/or with a central server or a cloud-computing system to provide any of a variety of useful home security/smart home objectives.