Method and apparatus for operating a thermostat to provide an automatic changeover
First Claim
1. A method of operating a thermostat to provide an automatic changeover from a current mode to a new mode, the current mode and the new mode being alternate ones of a heating mode and a cooling mode, the method comprising the steps of:
- defining a time period following a completion of a demand for one of heating and cooling, said time period sufficient to allow a sensed room temperature measured by the thermostat to stabilize after the completion of the demand;
recording an evaluation temperature equal to the sensed room temperature measured at an end of said time period; and
determining, at a future time after the recording step, whether to allow the automatic changeover, based upon a comparison of said evaluation temperature and the sensed room temperature measured at said future time.
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Abstract
A method and apparatus defines (302) a time period Ps following a completion of a demand for one of heating and cooling the time period sufficient to allow a sensed room temperature Tr measured (309) by a thermostat (500) to stabilize after the completion of the demand; and records (310) an evaluation temperature Te equal to the sensed room temperature measured at an end of the time period. The method and apparatus determines (318, 320, 324, 326), at a future time after recording the evaluation temperature, whether to allow an automatic changeover between heating and cooling modes, based upon a comparison of the evaluation temperature and the sensed room temperature measured at the future time.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. A method of operating a thermostat to provide an automatic changeover from a current mode to a new mode, the current mode and the new mode being alternate ones of a heating mode and a cooling mode, the method comprising the steps of:
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defining a time period following a completion of a demand for one of heating and cooling, said time period sufficient to allow a sensed room temperature measured by the thermostat to stabilize after the completion of the demand;
recording an evaluation temperature equal to the sensed room temperature measured at an end of said time period; and
determining, at a future time after the recording step, whether to allow the automatic changeover, based upon a comparison of said evaluation temperature and the sensed room temperature measured at said future time. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A thermostat for providing an automatic changeover from a current mode to a new mode, the current mode and the new mode being alternate ones of a heating mode and a cooling mode, the thermostat comprising:
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a sensor for measuring a sensed room temperature;
a processor coupled to the sensor for defining a time period following a completion of a demand for one of heating and cooling, said time period sufficient to allow the sensed room temperature measured by the sensor to stabilize after the completion of the demand; and
a memory coupled to the processor for cooperating with the processor to record an evaluation temperature equal to the sensed room temperature measured at an end of said time period, wherein the processor is programmed to make a determination, at a future time after recording the evaluation temperature, of whether to allow the automatic changeover, based upon a comparison of said evaluation temperature and the sensed room temperature measured at said future time. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A module for use in a thermostat including a sensor for measuring a sensed room temperature, the module for cooperating with the sensor to provide an automatic changeover from a current mode to a new mode, the current mode and the new mode being alternate ones of a heating mode and a cooling mode, the module comprising:
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a processor for defining a time period following a completion of a demand for one of heating and cooling, said time period sufficient to allow the sensed room temperature measured by the sensor to stabilize after the completion of the demand; and
a memory coupled to the processor for cooperating with the processor to record an evaluation temperature equal to the sensed room temperature measured at an end of said time period, wherein the processor is programmed to make a determination, at a future time after recording the evaluation temperature, of whether to allow the automatic changeover, based upon a comparison of said evaluation temperature and the sensed room temperature measured at said future time. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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Specification