BUILDING CONTROL SYSTEM WITH REMOTE CONTROL UNIT AND METHODS OF OPERATION

• US 20090140060A1
• Filed: 11/30/2007
• Published: 06/04/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ademco Inc. (Resideo Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Schultz, David A., Stoner, Marcus D., Leen, Cary, Schnell, Robert J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,276,829 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 236/51
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1934 each space being provided with one sensor acting on one or more control means

Abstract

A building controller for controlling the comfort level in a building is described. The building controller may include a thermostat and wireless remote controller for communicating with the thermostat from a remote location. The thermostat may have access to a first temperature sensor for sensing a first temperature, sometimes at or near the thermostat. The remote controller may likewise have a second temperature sensor for sensing a second temperature, sometimes at or near the remote controller. Under some conditions, the thermostat may use the second temperature sensed by the remote controller to control the comfort level in a building unless or until a predetermined condition is detected, after which the thermostat may use a different temperature, such as the first temperature at or near the thermostat, to control the comfort level in a building.

Claims

1. A comfort control system for controlling one or more HVAC components of a building or other structure, the comfort control system comprising:

a first controller having access to a first temperature sensor for sensing a first temperature, a wireless interface, and a control module for controlling the comfort level of at least a portion of the building or other structure by activating and deactivating the one or more HVAC components of the building or other structure;

a second controller having a second temperature sensor for sensing a second temperature, and a wireless interface, the wireless interface of the second controller and the wireless interface of the first controller providing a communication path whereby the second temperature can be communicated from the second controller to the first controller;

the control module of the first controller selectively controlling the comfort level of at least the portion of the building or other structure based at least primarily on the first temperature or the second temperature; and

wherein, when the control module of the first controller is controlling the comfort level of at least the portion of a building or other structure based at least primarily on the second temperature, the control module automatically switches to controlling the comfort level based at least primarily on the first temperature when a predetermined condition is detected.

2. The comfort control system of claim 1 wherein the first controller is a wall mountable thermostat.

3. The comfort control system of claim 2 wherein the second controller is a portable remote control unit for remotely controlling the first controller.

4. The comfort control system of claim 1 wherein the predetermined condition includes the first temperature and the second temperature deviating by more than a threshold amount.

5. The comfort control system of claim 1 wherein the predetermined condition includes the expiration of a period of time.

6. The comfort control system of claim 1 wherein the predetermined condition includes the second temperature exceeding a temperature limit.

7. The comfort control system of claim 1 wherein the predetermined condition includes a rate of change of the first temperature and a rate of change of the second temperature deviating by more than a threshold amount.

8. The comfort control system of claim 1 wherein the predetermined condition includes a rate of change of the second temperature exceeding a threshold limit.

9. The comfort control system of claim 1 wherein the predetermined condition includes a direction of change of the first temperature and a direction of change of the second temperature being different.

10. The comfort control system of claim 1 wherein the second temperature has an expected response direction when one or more HVAC components are activated by the control module, and the predetermined condition includes a detected response direction of the second temperature that is different from the expected response direction.

11. The comfort control system of claim 1 wherein the first temperature and the second temperature each have a response time in response to activation of one or more HVAC components by the control module, and the predetermined condition includes the response time of the first temperature and the response time of the second temperature deviating by more than a threshold amount.

12. The comfort control system of claim 1 wherein the predetermined condition includes the second temperature having at least one temperature swing that exceed a predefined limit.

13. The comfort control system of claim 1 wherein the control module of the first controller cycles the one or more HVAC components at a cycling rate when controlling the comfort level of at least the portion of the building or other structure, and wherein the predetermined condition includes a cycling rate of the one or more HVAC components that deviates from an expected cycling rate by a threshold amount.

14. A building system controller comprising:

a thermostat having access to a first temperature sensor for sensing a first temperature;

a portable remote controller for remotely controlling the thermostat, the portable remote controller having a second temperature sensor for sensing a second temperature;

a wireless interface adapted to communicate the second temperature from the portable remote controller to the thermostat; and

the thermostat having a control module that controls the comfort level of at least a portion of a building by activating and/or deactivating one or more HVAC components, wherein when desired, the control module controls the comfort level based on the second temperature, and if a predetermined condition is subsequently detected, controls the comfort level based on a temperature different from the second temperature.

15. The building system controller of claim 14 wherein the different temperature is the first temperature.

16. The building system controller of claim 14 wherein the different temperature is an arithmetic combination of the first temperature and the second temperature.

17. The building system controller of claim 16 wherein the different temperature is an average of the first temperature and the second temperature.

18. The building system controller of claim 17 wherein the different temperature is a weighted average of the first temperature and the second temperature.

19. A method for controlling the comfort level in at least a portion of a building using a thermostat having access to a first temperature sensor for sensing a first temperature, and a remote controller for remotely controlling the thermostat having a second temperature sensor for sensing a second temperature, the method comprising:

controlling the comfort level in at least the portion of the building based at least primarily on the second temperature;

determining if one or more predetermined conditions exist; and

controlling the comfort level in at least the portion of the building based at least primarily on a different temperature than the second temperature if one or more of the predetermined conditions is determined to exist.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the different temperature is the first temperature.

21. The method of claim 19 wherein the different temperature is an arithmetic combination of the first temperature and the second temperature.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the different temperature is an average of the first temperature and the second temperature.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the different temperature is a weighted average of the first temperature and the second temperature.

24. The method of claim 19 further comprising the step of receiving the second temperature at the thermostat from the remote controller via a wireless communication link.

25. The method of claim 19 wherein the one or more predetermined conditions include one or more of an expiration of a period of time, a difference between the first and second temperatures exceeding a threshold, the second temperature exceeding a threshold limit;

the second temperature exceeding a threshold rate of change;

a programmed schedule time boundary being a passed, and a direction of change of the second temperature sensor being different from an expected direction of change.