WIRELESS INTERFACE CIRCUITS FOR WIRED THERMOSTATS AND ELECTRICAL SERVICE DEMAND MANAGEMENT

• US 20090194601A1
• Filed: 02/05/2009
• Published: 08/06/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sequentric Energy Systems LLC
• Original Assignee: Sequentric Energy Systems LLC
• Inventors: Flohr, Daniel P.
• Granted Patent: US 8,220,721 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 236/51
• CPC Class Codes: F24D 19/1006 for water heating systems
• 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 11/56 Remote control
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/62 characterised by the type of control or by internal processing, e.g. using fuzzy logic, adaptive control or estimation of values
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/74 for controlling air flow rate or air velocity
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2140/60 Energy consumption
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 9/2014 using electrical energy supply

Abstract

A wireless interface circuit can include an electrical relay circuit that is configured for coupling to a separate wired thermostat circuit that is separately housed apart from the wireless interface circuit, where an input to the electrical relay circuit is configured for coupling to an electrical conductor provided between the separate wired thermostat circuit and the electrical relay circuit. A processor circuit is electrically coupled to the electrical relay circuit and is configured to control a state of the electrical relay circuit based on messages received via a wireless interface from a local system located at a location of a customer of an electrical service provider.

Claims

1. A controller for controlling electrical appliances used at a customer location, comprising:

a processor circuit configured to reduce overlapping activation time of different electrical appliances located at a single customer location of an electrical service provider during at least one time interval during a day, wherein the processor circuit is further configured to wirelessly receive and wirelessly transmit thermostat signals to/from a thermostat including a wireless transceiver.

2. A controller according to claim 1 wherein the signals received from the thermostat comprise inputs indicating environmental parameters associated with electrical appliances at the customer location.

3. A wireless interface circuit comprising:

an electrical relay circuit configured for coupling to a separate wired thermostat circuit that is separately housed apart from the wireless interface circuit, an input to the electrical relay circuit configured for coupling to an electrical conductor provided between the separate wired thermostat circuit and the electrical relay circuit; and

a processor circuit, electrically coupled to the electrical relay circuit, and configured to control a state of the electrical relay circuit based on messages received via a wireless interface from a local system located at a location of a customer of an electrical service provider.

4. A wireless interface circuit according to claim 3 wherein the electrical relay circuit comprises a first electrical relay circuit and the electrical conductor comprises a first electrical conductor, wherein the first electrical relay circuit is configured to switchably couple an input signal from the separate wired thermostat circuit provided via the first electrical conductor as an output signal to a compressor relay of an electrical appliance.

5. A wireless interface circuit according to claim 4 wherein the output signal is provided to the compressor relay via a second conductor coupled to a terminal of the separate wired thermostat circuit.

6. A wireless interface circuit according to claim 4 wherein the processor circuit is configured to energize/de-energize the electrical relay circuit to switchably couple/de-couple the input signal to a compressor relay of an electrical appliance at the customer location.

7. A wireless interface circuit according to claim 6 wherein the processor circuit is configured to switchably couple the input signal to the compressor relay responsive to a first wirelessly received message from the local system to allow the separate wired thermostat circuit to operate the electrical appliance.

8. A wireless interface circuit according to claim 6 wherein the processor circuit is configured to switchably de-couple the input signal from the compressor relay responsive to a second wirelessly received message from the local system to allow a remote server to operate the electrical appliance without intervention of the separate wired thermostat circuit.

9. A wireless interface circuit according to claim 3 wherein the electrical conductor comprises a first electrical conductor, the wireless interface circuit further comprising:

a second electrical relay circuit configured for coupling to the separate wired thermostat circuit, wherein an input to the second electrical relay circuit is configured for coupling from the first electrical conductor to a second electrical conductor via operation of the second electrical relay circuit; and

wherein the processor circuit is electrically coupled to the second electrical relay circuit, and is further configured to control a state of the second electrical relay circuit based on messages received via the wireless interface from the local system.

10. A wireless interface circuit according to claim 9 wherein the processor circuit is configured to energize/de-energize the second electrical relay circuit to switchably couple/de-couple a low voltage power supply input signal received from a first terminal of the separate wired thermostat circuit via the second electrical conductor to the compressor relay via the first electrical conductor secured to a second terminal of the separate wired thermostat circuit.

11. A wireless interface circuit according to claim 10 wherein the processor circuit is configured to switchably couple the low voltage power supply input signal to the compressor relay responsive to a first wirelessly received message from the local system to allow the local system to operate the compressor relay without intervention of the separate wired thermostat circuit.

12. A wireless interface circuit according to claim 11 wherein the processor circuit is configured to switchably de-couple the low voltage power supply input signal from the compressor relay responsive to a second wirelessly received message from the local system.

13. A wireless interface circuit according to claim 9 further comprising:

a third electrical relay circuit configured for coupling to the separate wired thermostat circuit, wherein an input to the third electrical relay circuit is configured for coupling from the second electrical conductor to a third electrical conductor wired to the separate wired thermostat circuit responsive to operation of the third electrical relay circuit; and

wherein the processor circuit is electrically coupled to the third electrical relay circuit, and is further configured to control a state of the third electrical relay circuit based on messages received via the wireless interface from the local system.

14. A wireless interface circuit according to claim 13 wherein the processor circuit is configured to energize/de-energize the third electrical relay circuit to switchably couple/de-couple the low voltage power supply input signal received from the first terminal of the separate wired thermostat circuit via the second electrical conductor to a heater relay via the third electrical conductor secured to a third terminal of the separate wired thermostat circuit.

15. A wireless interface circuit according to claim 14 wherein the processor circuit is configured to switchably couple the low voltage power supply input signal to the heater relay responsive to a third wirelessly received message from the local system to allow the local system to operate the compressor relay without intervention of the separate wired thermostat circuit.

16. A wireless interface circuit according to claim 15 wherein the processor circuit is configured to switchably de-couple the low voltage power supply input signal from the heater relay responsive to a fourth wirelessly received message from the local system.

17. A wireless interface circuit according to claim 10 wherein the processor circuit is further configured to energize/de-energize the second electrical relay circuit to switchably couple/de-couple the low voltage power supply input signal via a third electrical conductor to blower relay via electrically connected to a third terminal of the separate wired thermostat circuit.

18. A wireless interface circuit according to claim 3 wherein the electrical conductor is coupled to the processor circuit which is further configured to monitor status of the input signal from the separate wired thermostat circuit and to wirelessly transmit messages including the status to the local system.