Mark S Stefanski

US Patent:

8630740, Jan 14, 2014

Filed:

Sep 30, 2012

Appl. No.:

13/632041

Inventors:

Eric A. Lee - Sunnyvale CA, US
Steven A. Hales - Palo Alto CA, US
Mark D. Stefanski - Palo Alto CA, US
Rangoli Sharan - Sunnyvale CA, US

Assignee:

Nest Labs, Inc. - Palo Alto CA

International Classification:

G06F 19/00

US Classification:

700276, 700 12

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.

US Patent:

8630741, Jan 14, 2014

Filed:

Sep 30, 2012

Appl. No.:

13/632070

Inventors:

Evan J. Fisher - Palo Alto CA, US
Mark Malhotra - San Mateo CA, US
Mark D. Stefanski - Palo Alto CA, US
Rangoli Sharan - Sunnyvale CA, US
Frank E. Astier - Mountain View CA, US

Assignee:

Nest Labs, Inc. - Palo Alto CA

International Classification:

G06F 19/00

US Classification:

700276, 700 12, 706 52

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.

US Patent:

20130103621, Apr 25, 2013

Filed:

Sep 30, 2012

Appl. No.:

13/632028

Inventors:

NEST LABS, INC. - Palo Alto CA, US
Rangoli Sharan - Sunnyvale CA, US
Mark D. Stefanski - Palo Alto CA, US
Joseph Adam Ruff - San Jose CA, US

Assignee:

NEST LABS, INC. - Palo Alto CA

International Classification:

G06F 15/18

US Classification:

706 12

Abstract:

The current application is directed to intelligent controllers that continuously, periodically, or intermittently calculate and display the time remaining until a control task is projected to be completed by the intelligent controller. In general, the intelligent controller employs multiple different models for the time behavior of one or more parameters or characteristics within a region or volume affected by one or more devices, systems, or other entities controlled by the intelligent controller. The intelligent controller collects data, over time, from which the models are constructed and uses the models to predict the time remaining until one or more characteristics or parameters of the region or volume reaches one or more specified values as a result of intelligent controller control of one or more devices, systems, or other entities.

US Patent:

20130204440, Aug 8, 2013

Filed:

Mar 14, 2013

Appl. No.:

13/831152

Inventors:

NEST LABS, Inc. - Palo Alto CA, US
Matthew Lee ROGERS - Los Gatos CA, US
David SLOO - Menlo Park CA, US
Mark D. STEFANSKI - Palo Alto CA, US
Yoky MATSUOKA - Palo Alto CA, US

Assignee:

NEST LABS, INC. - Palo Alto CA

International Classification:

G05D 23/19

US Classification:

700276

Abstract:

A thermostat includes a housing, a user interface, and a processing system configured to control an HVAC system using setpoint temperature values. The thermostat may also include a plurality of HVAC connectors configured to receive corresponding HVAC control wires, and a connection sensing module configured to determine the identities of HVAC connectors into which corresponding wires have been inserted. The processing system is further configured to select and display one or more user inquiries using the user interface based on which connectors have wires inserted, thereby enhancing and streamlining the user installation procedure.

US Patent:

20130255297, Oct 3, 2013

Filed:

Mar 29, 2012

Appl. No.:

13/434573

Inventors:

Yoky MATSUOKA - Palo Alto CA, US
Mark D. STEFANSKI - Palo Alto CA, US
David SLOO - Menlo Park CA, US

Assignee:

NEST LABS, INC. - Palo Alto CA

International Classification:

G05D 23/19
F24F 11/08

US Classification:

62180, 165267, 62 98, 62182

Abstract:

Systems and methods are described for controlling fan-only cooling duration following normal air conditioning operation. Following normal AC cooling, economical fan cooling is used. The duration of the fan cooling period is adjusted based on temperature measurements made during the previous cooling cycle that ended with fan cooling. An expected temperature drop to be provided by fan cooling as well as an expected time to achieve that drop is calculated based on prior measurements. The expected values are then used improve fan cooling for subsequent cooling cycles. In some cases, fan cooling is not initiated unless: (1) a time limit has an elapsed, such that sufficient condensation is allowed to form on the evaporator coil during the first phase, and (2) indoor relative humidity is below a predetermined threshold.

US Patent:

20140058567, Feb 27, 2014

Filed:

Mar 15, 2013

Appl. No.:

13/842048

Inventors:

Anthony M. Fadell - Portola Valley CA, US
Matthew L. Rogers - Los Gatos CA, US
David Sloo - Menlo Park CA, US
Eric A. Lee - Sunnyvale CA, US
Steven A. Hales - Palo Alto CA, US
Mark D. Stefanski - Palo Alto CA, US
Rangoli Sharan - Sunnyvale CA, US

Assignee:

Nest Labs, Inc. - Palo Alto CA

International Classification:

G05D 23/19

US Classification:

700276

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.

US Patent:

20210158097, May 27, 2021

Filed:

Jan 28, 2021

Appl. No.:

17/161437

Inventors:

- San Francisco CA, US
Shandy Brown - San Francisco CA, US
Mark Stefanski - San Francisco CA, US
Matthew Duncan - San Francisco CA, US

International Classification:

G06K 9/62
G06K 9/00
G06T 7/00

Abstract:

A method for fill level determination, which can include receiving a set training set, training a neural network, selecting reference images, and/or determining a container fill level. A system for fill level determination, which can include a computing system, one or more containers, and/or one or more content sensors.

US Patent:

20200318844, Oct 8, 2020

Filed:

Jun 22, 2020

Appl. No.:

16/907922

Inventors:

- Mountain View CA, US
Evan J. Fisher - Palo Alto CA, US
Mark Malhotra - San Mateo CA, US
Mark D. Stefanski - Palo Alto CA, US
Rangoli Sharan - Sunnyvale CA, US
Frank E. Astier - Mountain View CA, US

Assignee:

Google LLC - Mountain View CA

International Classification:

F24F 11/62
G06N 20/00
H04Q 9/00
G05D 23/19
G05B 15/02
H04L 12/28
F24F 11/30

Abstract:

A method includes a system that operates according to a control schedule; detects events that indicate occupancy; stores a record of the events that indicate occupancy in one or more memory devices; and enters an auto-away state. A determination to enter the auto-away state may be based at least in part on a length of a time interval during which no events that indicate occupancy were detected and the stored record of the events that indicate occupancy. The system may also detect a pattern of instances where the auto-away state is entered over a plurality of days and adjusts the control schedule based at least in part on the pattern of instances where the auto-away state is entered.