Wireless thermostat

• US 20070114295A1
• Filed: 11/22/2005
• Published: 05/24/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Robertshaw Controls Company (Schneider Electric SE)
• Original Assignee: Robertshaw Controls Company (Schneider Electric SE)
• Inventors: Jenkins, Patrick
• Application Number:
  US11/287,116
• Publication Number:
  US 20070114295A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 236/51
• 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 11/523 for displaying temperature data
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/56 Remote control
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/58 using Internet communication
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/63 Electronic processing
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/10 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1905 associated with tele control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2818 from a device located outside both the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless eletrical link G08C17/00; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with remote control systems H04M11/007

Abstract

A system for remotely controlling an ambient temperature in a building is provided. The system comprises a thermostat, a computing device, and a thin client. The thermostat has one or more settings and is equipped for wireless communication. The computing device is equipped for wireless communication with the thermostat. The thin client device is remotely located from the thermostat and operatively coupled to the computing device through a wide area network. The thin client device permits manipulation of the one or more settings which are wirelessly communicated from the computing device to the thermostat such that the ambient temperature of the building is remotely controlled.

Claims

1. A system for remotely controlling an ambient temperature in a structure, the system comprising:

a thermostat having one or more settings, the thermostat equipped for wireless communication;

a computing device equipped for wireless communication with the thenmostat; and

a thin client device remotely located from the thermostat and operatively coupled to the computing device through a wide area network (WAN), the thin client device permitting manipulation of the one or more settings which are wirelessly communicated from the computing device to the thenmostat such that the ambient temperature of the building is remotely controlled.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the thermostat wirelessly transmits information to the computing device, and wherein the computing device relays the information to the thin client device via the WAN.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the computing device is one of a personal computer and a local area network (LAN) including a web server.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the thenmostat includes one or more of a wireless transmitter, a wireless receiver, and a wireless transceiver to facilitate the wireless communication.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the computing device includes one or more of a wireless transmitter, a wireless receiver, and a wireless transceiver to facilitate the wireless communication.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a web server operatively coupled to the WAN, and wherein the thin client displays a user interface hosted from the web server to allow manipulation of the one or more settings.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the user interface is a graphic user interface to facilitate the permitting manipulation of the one more settings.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the computing device wirelessly transmits weather related information from the WAN to the thermostat, and wherein the thermostat displays the weather related information.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the thermostat wirelessly transmits alerts to the computing device, and wherein the computing device transmits the alerts to the thin client via the WAN.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the computing device displays a user interface permitting manipulation of the one or more settings, the computing device wirelessly communicating the one or more settings to the thermostat such that the ambient temperature of the building is controlled remotely from the thermostat.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the system further comprises a wireless temperature sensor positioned to monitor a temperature remotely from the thermostat, the sensor wirelessly transmitting information relating to the temperature to the thermostat.

12. A system for remotely controlling an ambient temperature in a residential dwelling, the system comprising:

a computing device establishing a wireless local area network (LAN) within the residential dwelling;

a thermostat having one or more settings for controlling a temperature adjustment device, the thermostat equipped for wireless communication via the wireless LAN with at least the computing device; and

wherein the computing device displays a user interface to allow manipulation of the one or more settings; and

wherein the computing device communicates the one or more settings to the thermostat via the wireless LAN.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising a thin client device remotely located from the thermostat and operatively coupled to the computing device through a wide area network (WAN), the thin client device displaying a user interface to allow manipulation of the one or more settings, wherein the thin client device transmits the at least one or more settings to the computing device via the WAN, and wherein the computing device communicates the one or more settings to the thermostat via the wireless LAN such that the ambient temperature in the residential dwelling is remotely controlled from the thin client device.

14. The system of claim 13, further comprising a web server operatively coupled to the WAN, and wherein the user interface is hosted from the web server.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the thin client device transmits the at least one or more settings to the web server via the WAN, and wherein the web server transmits the at least one or more settings to the computing device via the WAN, and wherein the computing device communicates the one or more settings to the thermostat via the wireless LAN such that the ambient temperature in the residential dwelling is remotely controlled from the thin client device.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the computing device is operatively coupled to a wide area network (WAN), and further comprising a web server operatively coupled to the WAN, and wherein the user interface is hosted from the web server.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the system further comprises a battery-powered sensor adapted to monitor a temperature remote from the thermostat, the battery-powered sensor equipped for wireless communication with the thermostat via the LAN.

18. A system for remotely controlling an ambient temperature in a structure, the system comprising:

a digital thermostat having one or more settings for controlling a temperature adjustment device, the digital thermostat equipped for wireless communication;

a wireless local area network (LAN) including a computing device accessible thereon; and

wherein the digital thermostat wirelessly communicates with the computing device via the wireless LAN to allow configuration of the one or more settings from the computing device.

19. The system of claim 18, further comprising a wide area network accessible via the computing device, the WAN including a web server hosting a thin client interface to allow remote configuration of the one or more settings.

20. The system of claim 19, further comprising a thin client computing device remotely located from the digital thermostat and operatively coupled to the web server through the WAN, the thin client device displaying a user interface permitting manipulation of the one or more settings of the thermostat such that the ambient temperature in the residential dwelling is remotely controlled.