THERMOSTAT WITH USAGE HISTORY

• US 20090001181A1
• Filed: 06/28/2007
• Published: 01/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ademco Inc. (Resideo Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Hobart, Gary J., Chandrashekar, Harsha N., Peterson, Thomas G., Siddaramanna, Lokesh T.
• Granted Patent: US 8,091,794 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 236/46.R
• CPC Class Codes: F23N 2223/38 Remote control
• CPC Class Codes: F23N 2225/24 indicated in an amount of money
• CPC Class Codes: F23N 5/203 using electronic means
• 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 11/47 Responding to energy costs
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/52 Indication arrangements, e.g. displays
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/523 for displaying temperature data
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/56 Remote control
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/10 Temperature

Abstract

The present disclosure pertains to thermostats that assist users in monitoring and/or controlling their utility consumption habits and patterns. In particular, the present disclosure relates to a thermostat that includes a housing and a controller located within the housing. The controller may be adapted to implement a control algorithm that permits the controller to operate one or more components of an HVAC system. The thermostat may include a display and a receiver that is configured to receive messages from a utility. In some cases, the controller may provide, on the display, an indication of a measure of utility usage during a first time period (e.g. during a current month) and an indication of a measure of utility usage during a second time period (e.g. during the same month one year ago) that may be after the first time period.

Claims

1. A thermostat for controlling an HVAC system of a building or other structure, the thermostat comprising:

a thermostat housing;

a controller situated in the thermostat housing, the controller implementing a control algorithm that is adapted to at least partially control one or more components of an HVAC system;

a display viewable from outside of the thermostat housing;

a receiver coupled to the controller for receiving a message, either directly or indirectly, from a utility, wherein the message relates to a measure of utility usage; and

the controller adapted to receive the messages from the receiver, and further adapted to display on the display an indication of a measure of utility usage during a first time period and an indication of a measure of utility usage during a second time period, wherein the first time period is before the second time period.

2. The thermostat of claim 1 wherein the message from the utility provides a current indication of cost for the utility usage.

3. The thermostat of claim 2 wherein the measure of utility usage includes a quantity of utility usage.

4. The thermostat of claim 2 wherein the measure of utility usage includes a cost of utility usage.

5. The thermostat of claim 2 wherein the indication of the measure of utility usage that is displayed for the first time period includes an indication of the cost of utility usage during the first period of time, and the indication of the measure of utility usage that is displayed for the second time period includes an indication of the cost of utility usage during the second period of time.

6. The thermostat of claim 5 wherein the indication of the measure of utility usage that is displayed for the first time period includes an indication of the quantity of utility usage during the first period of time, and the indication of the measure of utility usage that is displayed for the second time period include an indication of the quantity of utility usage during the second period of time.

7. The thermostat of claim 1 wherein the receiver receives a message from a utility meter that provides a measure of utility usage of the building or other structure.

8. The thermostat of claim 1 wherein the first period of time and the second period of time each correspond to a week time period, and the first period of time corresponds to an immediately preceding week relative to the second period of time.

9. The thermostat of claim 1 wherein the first period of time and the second period of time each corresponds to a month time period.

10. The thermostat of claim 9, wherein the first period of time corresponds to an immediately preceding month relative to the second period of time.

11. The thermostat of claim 9, wherein the first period of time corresponds to a month that is about one year before the second period of time.

12. The thermostat of claim 1 wherein the first period of time is before the second period of time by about 1 or more months.

13. The thermostat of claim 1 wherein the first period of time is before the second period of time by about 1 or more years.

14. The thermostat of claim 1 wherein the utility is an electric utility that delivers electricity to the building or other structure.

15. The thermostat of claim 14 wherein the measure of utility usage is a measure of an amount of electricity that is delivered to the building or other structure.

16. The thermostat of claim 15 wherein the receiver receives a message from a utility meter that measures utility usage of the building or other structure.

17. The thermostat of claim 14 wherein the measure of utility usage is a measure of an amount of electricity that is consumed by the HVAC system of the building or other structure.

18. The thermostat of claim 17 wherein the controller computes the measure of utility usage that is consumed by the HVAC system of the building or other structure by monitoring the on-time of one or more electrical loads of the HVAC system.

19. The thermostat of claim 14 wherein the measure of utility usage is expressed in Kilo Watt Hours (KWH) of electricity.

20. The thermostat of claim 1 wherein the utility is a gas utility that delivers gas to the building or other structure.

21. The thermostat of claim 1 wherein the utility is a water utility that delivers water to the building or other structure.

22. The thermostat of claim 1 wherein the controller is further adapted to display one or more notes on the display provided by the utility.

23. The thermostat of claim 22 wherein one or more of the notes include a suggestion on how to save energy.

24. The thermostat of claim 22 wherein one or more of the notes are weather related.

25. A thermostat for controlling an HVAC system of a building or other structure, the thermostat comprising:

a thermostat housing;

a controller situated in the thermostat housing, the controller implementing a control algorithm that is adapted to at least partially control one or more components of an HVAC system;

a display viewable from outside of the thermostat housing;

a receiver coupled to the controller for receiving a message, either directly or indirectly, from a utility meter, wherein the message relates to a measure of utility usage; and

the controller adapted to receive the messages from the receiver, and further adapted to display on the display an indication of a measure of utility usage during a first time period and an indication of a measure of utility usage during a second time period, wherein the first time period proceeds the second time period.

26. A thermostat for controlling an HVAC system of a building or other structure, the thermostat comprising:

a thermostat housing;

a controller situated in the thermostat housing, the controller implementing a control algorithm that is adapted to at least partially control one or more components of an HVAC system;

a display viewable from outside of the thermostat housing;

a receiver coupled to the controller for receiving a message from an external message source, wherein the message relates to a measure of utility usage; and

the controller adapted to receive the messages from the receiver, and further adapted to display on the display an indication of a measure of utility usage during a first time period and an indication of a measure of utility usage during a second time period, wherein the first time period corresponds to but proceeds the second period of time.