Programmable thermostat

• US 10,152,067 B2
• Filed: 07/07/2014
• Issued: 12/11/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Copeland Comfort Control LP (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Emerson Electric Company
• Inventors: Drew, David Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Jules, Frantz
• Assistant Examiner(s): Comings, Daniel C
• Application Number:
  US14/325,291
• Publication Number:
  US 20140309792A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,618 Days
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/30 for purposes related to the operation of the system, e.g. for safety or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/46 Improving electric energy efficiency or saving
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/523 for displaying temperature data
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/64 using pre-stored data
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/65 for selecting an operating mode
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/74 for controlling air flow rate or air velocity
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/86 by controlling compressors within refrigeration or heat pump circuits
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/10 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/10 Occupancy
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/14 Activity of occupants
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/20 Feedback from users
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1902 characterised by the use of a variable reference value
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1904 variable in time
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1917 using digital means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1951 with control of the working time of a temperature controlling device

Abstract

A thermostat for a climate control system includes an electronic memory in which at least three occupancy settings are stored. The occupancy settings including a pre-defined unoccupied temperature set-point associated with an unoccupied state, a pre-defined occupied temperature set-point associated with an occupied-awake state and a pre-defined sleep temperature set-point associated with an occupied-asleep state. The thermostat'"'"'s microprocessor is configured to communicate with the memory, and to establish at least three time periods during the day. The microprocessor assigns to each time period one of at least three user-selectable occupancy states including an unoccupied state, an occupied-awake state and an occupied-asleep state. The microprocessor controls operation of the climate control system to maintain the unoccupied temperature set-point during any time period assigned the unoccupied state, the occupied temperature set-point during any time period assigned the occupied-awake state, and the sleep temperature set-point to any time period assigned the occupied-asleep state.

Claims

1. A thermostat for a climate control system, comprising:

a memory of the thermostat for storing a plurality of occupancy state set-points including one or more unoccupied temperature set-points, one or more awake temperature set-points, and one or more sleep temperature set-points; and

a processor of the thermostat configured to;

receive a first user input predefining, independently of any time period scheduled or schedulable for thermostat operation, one or more of the occupancy state set-points;

assign, independently of any time period scheduled or schedulable for thermostat operation, each predefined occupancy state set-point to a corresponding one of a plurality of occupancy states including an unoccupied state, an awake state, and a sleep state; and

receive a second user input specifying one or more of the occupancy states in association with one or more time periods, such that the thermostat is configured to, based the second user input, automatically associate the one or more occupancy state set-points assigned to a given specified occupancy state with a given specified time period;

the thermostat configured to control operation of the climate control system to maintain one of the pre-defined occupancy state set-points during any time period associated with the occupancy state corresponding to the one of the predefined occupancy state set-points.

2. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein one or more of the time periods is assigned to one of the occupancy states based on the second user input.

3. The thermostat of claim 1 wherein the occupancy state set-points comprise heating temperature set-points for a heating mode, and cooling temperature set-points-for a cooling mode of the climate control system;

wherein if the second user input specifies a given occupancy state in association with a given time period, the processor is thereby configured to associate heating and cooling temperature set-points assigned to the specified given occupancy state with the specified given time period.

4. The thermostat of claim 1, selectively configured to control operation of the climate control system to maintain a set-point selected only from the pre-defined occupancy state set-points.

5. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the one or more time periods are adjustable.

6. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the occupancy states are selectable for each day of the week.

7. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the one or more of the occupancy states is associated with the one or more time periods independently of the first user input.

8. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein default values are provided by a manufacturer of the thermostat for the one or more unoccupied temperature set-points, the one or more awake temperature set-points, and the one or more sleep temperature set-points.

9. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the one or more pre-defined unoccupied temperature set-points, the one or more pre-defined awake temperature set-points, and the one or more pre-defined sleep temperature set-points are user-adjustable.

10. A thermostat for a climate control system, comprising:

a memory of the thermostat in which a plurality of occupancy state temperature set-points are stored and assigned to a plurality of occupancy states including an unoccupied state, an awake state, and a sleep state, where the occupancy state temperature set-points are predefined for and assigned to the occupancy states independently of any time period scheduled or schedulable for thermostat operation; and

a processor of the thermostat configured with the memory to control operation of the climate control system, the processor configured to execute instructions to;

in response to user input, received by the thermostat, for each of a plurality of time periods in a day, associate a selected one of the unoccupied state, the awake state and the sleep state with the time period, whereby one or more pre-defined occupancy state temperature set-points assigned to the selected occupancy state are automatically associated with the time period;

the thermostat further configured to control operation of the climate control system during a given time period to maintain a pre-defined occupancy state temperature set-point that corresponds to an occupancy state associated with the given time period.

11. The thermostat of claim 10, wherein one or more of the time periods is assigned to one of the occupancy states in response to the user input.

12. The thermostat of claim 10, wherein the time periods in the day are adjustable.

13. The thermostat of claim 10, selectively configured to control operation of the climate control system to maintain a set-point selected only from the pre-defined occupancy state temperature set-points.

14. The thermostat of claim 10, wherein a pre-defined unoccupied temperature set-point, a pre-defined awake temperature set-point, and a pre-defined sleep temperature set-point replace default values stored in the memory of the thermostat.

15. The thermostat of claim 10, wherein a pre-defined unoccupied temperature set-point, a pre-defined awake temperature set-point, and a pre-defined sleep temperature set-point are adjustable by a user of the thermostat.

16. The thermostat of claim 10, wherein the occupancy states are associated with the time periods independently of defining of the occupancy state temperature set-points.

17. A method of controlling a climate control system, the method comprising:

a thermostat displaying, on a display for user selection therefrom independent of any time period scheduled or schedulable for thermostat operation, a plurality of occupancy states including an unoccupied state, an awake state, and a sleep state;

the thermostat receiving at least one user input predefining at least one temperature set-point for assignment, independent of any time period scheduled or schedulable for thermostat operation, to one of the displayed occupancy states;

storing in a memory of the thermostat one or more user-predefined temperature set-points including one or more of the following;

one or more pre-defined unoccupied temperature set-points assigned to the unoccupied state, one or more pre-defined awake temperature set-points assigned to the awake state, and one or more pre-defined sleep temperature set-points assigned to the sleep state;

the thermostat receiving a user selection of one of a plurality of time periods within a day, and receiving a user selection of one of the occupancy states for association with the user-selected time period, no temperature set-point being received in the user selections;

the thermostat automatically associating a predefined temperature setpoint assigned to the user-selected occupancy state with the user-selected time period; and

the thermostat establishing thermostat operation to maintain only an awake temperature set-point during any time period assigned the awake state, and only an unoccupied temperature set-point during any time period assigned the unoccupied state, and only a sleep temperature set-point during any time period assigned the sleep state.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising assigning one of the time periods to one of the occupancy states based on the user selections.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising associating, in accordance with the user selections, one or more of the occupancy states with one or more time periods for each day in a week.

20. The thermostat of claim 17, wherein the one or more of the occupancy states is associated with the one or more time periods independently of the pre-defining of the occupancy state temperature set-points.