REMOTE CONTROLLABLE THERMOSTAT

• US 20150045959A1
• Filed: 08/07/2013
• Published: 02/12/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hunter Fan Company
• Original Assignee: Hunter Fan Company
• Inventors: McPherson, Jason Matthew
• Granted Patent: US 9,483,064 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/276
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1905 associated with tele control
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1917 using digital means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1951 with control of the working time of a temperature controlling device

Abstract

A remote controllable thermostat has an on-board power supply with batteries, a microcontroller having a timer, a temperature sensor, a temperature set point control controller and an RF receiver. The thermostat also has HVAC state control means for generating HVAC control signals in response to sensed temperatures being outside of control set point range and for periodically connecting and disconnecting the RF receiver from the power source to conserve battery power. Where the thermostat has user mode selector switches, the microcontroller is further programmed to read their state only periodically for additional battery power conversation.

Claims

1. A remote controllable, battery operative thermostat comprising,

an on-board power supply which has at least one battery,

a microcontroller having timing means including time based set points, temperature sensing means, means for setting temperature control set points,

a radio with RF receiver means connected to the microcontroller, said RF receiver means periodically controlling said radio between a high powered, active state and a low powered, passive, quiescent state, and

HVAC state control means connected to the microcontroller for generating HVAC control signals in response to sensed temperatures being outside of control set point ranges or in response to changed control states.

2. The remote controllable, battery operative thermostat of claim 1 further comprising user operable mode selector switches connected to the microcontroller, and with the microcontroller being further programmed to read the selected HVAC operational mode periodically.

3. The remote controllable, battery operative thermostat of claim 1 wherein said quiescent state is determined by a periodic schedule.

4. The remote controllable, battery operative thermostat of claim 3 wherein said periodic schedule is changed as a result of contact being established between an external source and the thermostat.

5. The remote controllable, battery operative thermostat of claim 4 wherein the thermostat periodic schedule is temporarily changed to a shortened awake mode polling time to allow more fluid communication between the user and the thermostat.

6. The remote controllable, battery operative thermostat of claim 5 wherein after a period of non-activity is sensed by the thermostat the thermostat returns to a sleep mode polling time.

7. A remote controllable, battery operative thermostat comprising an on-hoard power supply which has at least one battery, a microcontroller having timing means, temperature sensing means, means for setting temperature control set points, a radio with RF receiver means, HVAC state control means for generating HVAC control signals in response to sensed temperatures being outside of a control set point range, and user operable HVAC mode selector switches, the microcontroller being programmed to read the selected mode on a periodic schedule.

8. The remote controllable, battery operative thermostat of claim 7 wherein said periodic schedule is changed as a result of contact being established between a user and the thermostat.

9. The remote controllable, battery operative thermostat of claim 8 wherein the thermostat periodic schedule is temporarily changed to a shortened awake mode polling time to allow more fluid communication between the user and the thermostat.

10. The remote controllable, battery operative thermostat of claim 9 wherein after a period of non-activity is sensed by the thermostat the thermostat returns to a sleep mode polling time.

11. A remote controllable, battery operative thermostat comprising,

an on-board power supply which has at least one battery,

a microcontroller having timing means, temperature sensing means, means for setting temperature control set points,

a radio with RF receiver means connected to the microcontroller for changing the power provided to the RF receiver means from said power supply according to a periodic schedule, and

HVAC state control means connected to the microcontroller for generating HVAC control signals in response to sensed temperatures being outside of control set point ranges.

12. The remote controllable, battery operative thermostat of claim 11 wherein said periodic schedule is changed as a result of contact being established between a user and the thermostat.

13. The remote controllable, battery operative thermostat of claim 12 wherein the thermostat periodic schedule is temporarily changed to a shortened awake mode polling time to allow more fluid communication between the user and the thermostat.

14. The remote controllable, battery operative thermostat of claim 13 wherein after a period of non-activity is sensed by the thermostat the thermostat returns to a sleep mode polling time.

15. A method of operating a remote controllable, battery operative thermostat comprising the steps of:

(A) providing a thermostat with an on board power supply which has at least one battery, a microcontroller having timing means, temperature sensing means, means for setting temperature control set points, a wireless communication device coupled to the microcontroller, HVAC state control means coupled to the microcontroller, and control means for controlling the operation of the wireless communication device;

(B) activating the wireless communication device according to a sleep mode polling time associated with a periodic schedule to contact a remote server and determine if a change message is waiting to be received by the thermostat from the server, and

(C) on the condition that a message is waiting to be downloaded, subsequently downloading the message from the server to the thermostat and updating the means for setting temperature control set points if the message pertains to a change in the temperature control set points.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the thermostat wireless communication device includes a RF receiver means and a gateway, and wherein step (C) the gateway is notified of the message waiting on the server message and on the subsequent activation of the wireless communication device the gateway notifies the thermostat microcontroller of the message awaiting on the server.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein step (C) on the condition that a message is waiting to be downloaded the microcontroller maintains the thermostat in an awake mode of operation for a preset period of time to avoid the thermostat from going to a sleep mode of operation according to the periodic schedule.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the thermostat periodic schedule is temporarily changed to a shortened awake mode polling time to allow more fluid communication between the user and the thermostat.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein after a period of non-activity is sensed by the thermostat the thermostat returns to a sleep mode polling time.