THERMOSTAT WITH REMOTE ACCESS FEATURE

• US 20130087628A1
• Filed: 10/07/2011
• Published: 04/11/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Dalsin, Nicholas, Anand, Shilpa, Nelson, Jay, Anderson, Amy L.
• Granted Patent: US 9,939,824 B2
• 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 11/61 using timers
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/63 Electronic processing
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/72 for controlling the supply of treated air, e.g. its pressure
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/10 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1905 associated with tele control
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1934 each space being provided with one sensor acting on one or more control means

Abstract

A local thermostat for controlling an HVAC unit may include a controller programmed to execute a remote access function for remotely accessing and communicating with at least one remote thermostat over a communication channel. The remote access application may be configured to display at least one thermostat setting of at least one of the remote thermostats on the display of the user interface of the local thermostat. In some cases, the remote access application may allow a user to change one or more thermostat settings of at least one remote thermostat using the user interface of the local thermostat.

Claims

1. A thermostat for controlling one or more components of an HVAC unit, the thermostat comprising:

at least one temperature sensor;

a user interface including a display;

a communication port for communicating with at least a second thermostat over a communication channel; and

a controller programmed to execute a remote access application for remotely accessing and communicating with at least the second thermostat via the communication port, wherein the remote access application is configured to display at least one thermostat setting of at least the second thermostat on the display of the user interface, and to facilitate making a change to at least one thermostat setting of at least the second thermostat using the user interface.

2. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the at least one thermostat setting comprises a temperature set point.

3. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the at least one thermostat setting is a scheduling parameter.

4. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the at least one thermostat setting is an installer configuration setting.

5. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the communication port of the thermostat includes a transmitter/receiver for sending and/or receiving information to and/or from the second thermostat.

6. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to display a first screen comprising at least one thermostat parameter of the thermostat on the display, and at least a second screen comprising at least one thermostat parameter of the at least second thermostat on the display.

7. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to display a thermostat identifier identifying the thermostat from which the thermostat settings are currently being displayed on the display.

8. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to display an icon on the display identifying a location of the thermostat from which the thermostat settings are currently being displayed on the display.

9. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to display a list of available thermostats on the display of the thermostat.

10. A thermostat for controlling one or more components of an HVAC unit, the thermostat comprising:

at least one temperature sensor;

a user interface including a display;

a communication port for communicating with at least a second thermostat over a communication channel; and

a controller, wherein the thermostat is configured to display at least one thermostat setting from at least the second thermostat on the display such that the at least one thermostat setting of at least the second thermostat may be remotely manipulated through the user interface by a user.

11. The thermostat according to claim 10, wherein the controller is programmed to include a remote access function for remotely accessing and communicating with at least the second thermostat, wherein the remote access function is configured to display at least one thermostat setting from at least the second thermostat on the display of the user interface, and to facilitate making a change to the at least one thermostat setting of at least the second thermostat via the user interface.

12. The thermostat of claim 11, wherein the at least one thermostat setting comprises an installer configuration setting.

13. The thermostat of claim 11, wherein the at least one thermostat setting comprises a temperature set point.

14. The thermostat of claim 11, wherein the at least one thermostat setting is a scheduling parameter.

15. A system for controlling one or more components of a plurality of HVAC units situated in different locations within a building structure, the system comprising:

a plurality of thermostats, the thermostats in communication with one another over a communication network, at least one of the thermostats configured to remotely access and communicate with at least another thermostat over the communication network, the at least one thermostat comprising;

at least one temperature sensor;

a user interface including a display;

a communication port for communicating with the at least another thermostat over the communication network; and

a controller programmed to execute a remote access application for remotely accessing and communicating with the at least another thermostat over the communication network via the communication port, wherein the remote access application is configured to display at least one thermostat setting of the at least another thermostat on the display of the user interface, and to facilitate making a change to at least one thermostat setting of the at least another thermostat using the user interface.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein each thermostat comprises a transmitter/receiver for sending and/or receiving information to and from at least one other thermostat.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the at least one thermostat setting comprises a temperature set point.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the at least one thermostat setting is a scheduling parameter.

19. The thermostat of claim 15, wherein the at least one thermostat setting is an installer configuration setting.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the controller is configured to display a first screen comprising at least one thermostat setting of a first thermostat on the display and at least a second screen comprising at least one thermostat setting of the at least second thermostat on the display.