HVAC CONTROL WITH COMFORT/ECONOMY MANAGEMENT

• US 20140039692A1
• Filed: 10/08/2013
• Published: 02/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ademco Inc. (Resideo Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Leen, Cary, Schnell, Robert J., Zywicki, Stan III
• Granted Patent: US 9,645,589 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/278
• 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 11/62 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 11/65 for selecting an operating mode
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 29/00 Combined heating and refrigeration systems, e.g. operating alternately or simultaneously
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 19/02 characterised by the use of electric means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1904 variable in time
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1917 using digital means

Abstract

A programmable thermostat may be configured to control one or more pieces of HVAC equipment in accordance with a programmable schedule. The HVAC equipment may be capable of modifying a temperature of an inside space with at least a primary stage and an auxiliary stage. The programmable thermostat may include a memory for storing operating parameters of the programmable thermostat, a user interface configured to accept modification of operating parameters, including one or more droop values, and a controller coupled to the memory and the user interface. The controller attempts to control the temperature of the inside space with the primary stage of the HVAC equipment, but if the temperature of the inside space deviates from a desired setpoint temperature value by more than or equal to a programmed droop value, the controller may activate the auxiliary stage. In some instances, the user interface of the programmable thermostat may be configured to allow a user to selectively override one or more of the applicable droop values. In some instances, the droop value that is used may depend on the current operation condition of the controller.

Claims

1. An HVAC controller configured to control one or more pieces of HVAC equipment of an HVAC system, the HVAC equipment capable of modifying a temperature of an inside space with at least a primary stage and an auxiliary stage, the HVAC controller comprising:

a user interface configured to present two or more different qualitatively expressed comfort versus economy settings to a user, and to allow a user to make a selection; and

a controller operatively coupled to the user interface, the controller is configured to attempt to control the temperature of the inside space with the primary stage of the HVAC equipment, and to activate the auxiliary stage if the primary stage is deemed to not be providing a desired level of comfort in the inside space, wherein the desired level of comfort is dependent on the selected qualitatively expressed comfort versus economy setting selected by the user.

2. The HVAC controller of claim 1, wherein the user interface includes a display.

3. The HVAC controller of claim 2, wherein the user interface includes one or more buttons, and wherein the controller is configured to display on the display a currently selected qualitatively expressed comfort versus economy setting and to receive input from the one or more buttons to change the current qualitatively expressed comfort versus economy setting.

4. The HVAC controller of claim 2, wherein the user interface includes a slider, and wherein the controller is configured to display on the display a currently selected qualitatively expressed comfort versus economy setting and to receive input from the slider to change the current qualitatively expressed comfort versus economy setting.

5. The HVAC controller of claim 2, wherein the controller is configured to simultaneously display on the display a currently selected qualitatively expressed comfort versus economy setting and one or more of the other qualitatively expressed comfort versus economy setting for selection by the user.

6. The HVAC controller of claim 1, wherein the qualitatively expressed comfort versus economy setting is related to a droop value.

7. The HVAC controller of claim 1, wherein the auxiliary stage is less economical than the primary stage.

8. The HVAC controller of claim 1, wherein the HVAC controller is configured to control the one or more pieces of HVAC equipment of the HVAC system under at least three conditions including a steady state condition, a programmed recovery condition, and a manual setpoint change condition, and wherein the user interface is configured to accept a designated qualitatively expressed comfort versus economy setting for each of the at least three conditions, and wherein for each of the at least three conditions, the controller is configured to attempt to control the temperature of the inside space with the primary stage of the HVAC equipment, and to activate the auxiliary stage if the primary stage is deemed to not be providing a desired level of comfort in the inside space, wherein the desired level of comfort is dependent on the designated qualitatively expressed comfort versus economy setting for the corresponding one of the at least three conditions.

9. An HVAC controller configured to control one or more pieces of HVAC equipment of an HVAC system, the HVAC equipment capable of modifying a temperature of an inside space with at least a first stage and a second stage, the HVAC controller comprising:

a memory for storing a comfort versus economy setting, wherein the comfort versus economy setting is one of two or more different qualitatively expressed comfort versus economy settings that are available for selection by a user, wherein each of the two or more different qualitatively expressed comfort versus economy settings is associated with a different droop value; and

a controller operatively coupled to the memory, the controller is configured to attempt to control the temperature of the inside space with the first stage of the HVAC equipment, and to activate the second stage if the primary stage is deemed to not be providing a desired level of comfort in the inside space, wherein the desired level of comfort is dependent on the qualitatively expressed comfort versus economy setting set by the user.

10. The HVAC controller of claim 9, further comprising a user interface configured to accept the qualitatively expressed comfort versus economy setting from the user.

11. The HVAC controller of claim 10, wherein the user interface comprises a display.

12. The HVAC controller of claim 11, wherein the user interface includes one or more buttons, and wherein the controller is configured to display on the display a current qualitatively expressed comfort versus economy setting and to receive input from the one or more buttons to change the current qualitatively expressed comfort versus economy setting.

13. The HVAC controller of claim 11, wherein the user interface includes a slider, and wherein the controller is configured to display on the display a current qualitatively expressed comfort versus economy setting and to receive input from the slider to change the current qualitatively expressed comfort versus economy setting.

14. The HVAC controller of claim 11, wherein the controller is configured to simultaneously display on the display a current qualitatively expressed comfort versus economy setting and one or more alternative qualitatively expressed comfort versus economy setting for selection by the user.

15. The HVAC controller of claim 9, wherein the qualitatively expressed comfort versus economy setting is one of three or more different qualitatively expressed comfort versus economy settings that are available for selection by a user.

16. The HVAC controller of claim 9, wherein the first stage is a primary stage and the second stage is an auxiliary stage of the HVAC system.

17. The HVAC controller of claim 16, wherein the auxiliary stage is less economical to operate than the primary stage.

18. The HVAC controller of claim 9, wherein the HVAC controller is configured to control the one or more pieces of HVAC equipment of the HVAC system under at least two conditions including a steady state condition and a manual setpoint change condition, and wherein the memory stores a designated qualitatively expressed comfort versus economy setting for each of the at least two conditions, and wherein for each of the at least two conditions, the controller is configured to attempt to control the temperature of the inside space with the first stage of the HVAC equipment, and to activate the second stage if the first stage is deemed to not be providing a desired level of comfort in the inside space, wherein the desired level of comfort is dependent on the designated qualitatively expressed comfort versus economy setting for the corresponding one of the at least two conditions.

19. A computer readable medium having stored thereon in a non-transitory state a program code for execution by a device having a controller in communication one or more pieces of HVAC equipment of an HVAC system, the HVAC equipment capable of modifying a temperature of an inside space with at least a first stage and a second stage, the program code causing the device to execute a method comprising:

receiving a qualitative comfort versus economy setting from a user, wherein the qualitative comfort versus economy setting is one of two or more different qualitative comfort versus economy settings that are available for selection by a user, and wherein each of the two or more different qualitative comfort versus economy settings is associated with a different droop value;

attempting to control the temperature of the inside space with the first stage of the HVAC equipment;

determining if the primary stage is not providing a desired level of comfort in the inside space, wherein the desired level of comfort is dependent on the droop value associated with the qualitative comfort versus economy setting received from the user; and

activating the second stage if it is determined that the primary stage is not providing the desired level of comfort in the inside space.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 19, further comprising displaying the two or more different qualitative comfort versus economy settings on a display, and allowing a user to select one of the two or more different qualitative comfort versus economy settings via a user interface.