Two line switch and power sharing for programmable means

• US 20020074865A1
• Filed: 12/14/2000
• Published: 06/20/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Venstar Incorporated (Daikin Industries Ltd)
• Original Assignee: Venstar Incorporated (Daikin Industries Ltd)
• Inventors: Zimmerman, Terry, Bohm, Grant, Dushane, Steve
• Granted Patent: US 6,566,768 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/125
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/0006 Arrangements for supplying an adequate voltage to the control circuit of converters
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 5/2573 with control circuit

Abstract

The present invention comprises means and methods for power sharing for a lower voltage programmable means for operating a switch which operates at a substantially higher voltage. The present invention is preferably applied to two power line thermostat control of HVAC equipment. Although a programmable thermostat is described in the specific description of the invention as the programmable means, it is intended that the present invention be applicable to other such devices where power is stored by capacitance or in rechargeable batteries for use by lower voltage programmable means while at the same time permitting sufficient current flow through a substantially higher power switch to operate directly or indirectly electrical power equipment.

Claims

1. A process for sharing power to a lower voltage programmable means for controlling a substantially higher voltage switch means for turning on and off electrical equipment comprising:

(a) two power lines connected with an alternating current source at the substantially higher voltage such that, upon completion of a power circuit between the two power lines, the electrical equipment operates;

(b) a bridge rectifier connected between the two power lines at two AC connections of the rectifier, the bridge rectifier further connected at one of its DC terminals to a common ground;

(c) a field effect transistor connected at its drain to the second of the DC connections of the rectifier, a source of the field effect transistor connected to a common ground and a gate of the field effect transistor connected to a programmable means adapted to activate and deactivate the field effect transistor to respectively complete or break the power circuit;

(d) power storage means for storing power from the alternating current source and supplying temporarily the power needs of the programmable means;

(e) voltage regulation means connected with the programmable means for reducing the substantially higher voltage to the lower voltage for use by the programmable means, the voltage regulation means further connected with the power storage means such that power is directed from the power storage means to the programmable means;

(f) the programmable means sensing a change making desirable operating of the electrical equipment, the programmable means then activating the field effect transistor to complete the power circuit and turn on the electrical equipment;

(g) deactivating and then reactivating the field effect transistor during which time charge is stored in the power storage means from the alternating current source but the electrical equipment continues to operate.

2. The process of claim 1 wherein programmable means comprises means for sensing alternating current across the rectifier, whereby programmable means selects the