Tamper resistant thermostat having hidden limit adjustment capabilities
First Claim
1. A circuit board comprising:
- a. a plurality of connections, said plurality of connections interacting with a temperature maintenance system having at least one of a heating system and a cooling system;
b. a switching mechanism having an operation position and a limit setting position, said switching mechanism at said limit setting position enabling an administrator user to adjust an upper temperature limit and a lower temperature limit for the at least one of said heating system and said cooling system, wherein said upper temperature limit and said lower temperature limit form an operating temperature range of selectable temperature corresponding to said operation position, wherein only temperature within said operating temperature range is selectable when said switching mechanism is at said operation position; and
c. at least one hardware component selected from the group consisting of displays, at least one hard button, at least one soft button, and a wireless communication system.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A thermostat resists tampering by including a hidden mechanism for switching from a limit setting mode to an operation mode. In some embodiments, the switching mechanism is in the form of a tamper proof switch or jumper on the thermostat'"'"'s circuit board. The switching mechanism can be hidden from a potential non-administrative user and can be located on the circuit board of the thermostat, as opposed to on the external housing. While the switching mechanism is in limit setting mode, the limits of the thermostat'"'"'s temperature range can be adjusted. Once these limits have been set, the adjuster can move the switching mechanism to operation mode, and the thermostat will now be able to maintain temperatures within the new limit settings.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A circuit board comprising:
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a. a plurality of connections, said plurality of connections interacting with a temperature maintenance system having at least one of a heating system and a cooling system; b. a switching mechanism having an operation position and a limit setting position, said switching mechanism at said limit setting position enabling an administrator user to adjust an upper temperature limit and a lower temperature limit for the at least one of said heating system and said cooling system, wherein said upper temperature limit and said lower temperature limit form an operating temperature range of selectable temperature corresponding to said operation position, wherein only temperature within said operating temperature range is selectable when said switching mechanism is at said operation position; and c. at least one hardware component selected from the group consisting of displays, at least one hard button, at least one soft button, and a wireless communication system. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method for adjusting a temperature range in a thermostat controlling a temperature maintenance system having at least one of a heating system and a cooling system comprising:
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a. accessing a switching mechanism on a temperature control circuit; b. changing said switching mechanism from an operation position to a limit setting position;
wherein said limit setting position provides access to a hidden menu system configured to provide the ability to adjust an upper temperature limit and a lower temperature limit for at least one of said heating system and said cooling system;c. navigating said hidden menu system, wherein said upper temperature limit and said lower temperature limit form an operating temperature range of selectable temperature corresponding to said operation position, wherein only temperature within said operating temperature range is selectable when said switching mechanism is at said operation position; and d. adjusting said upper temperature limit and said lower temperature for at least one of said heating system and said cooling system. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification