WIRELESS CONTROLLER WITH GATEWAY

• US 20150198347A1
• Filed: 03/27/2015
• Published: 07/16/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ademco Inc. (Resideo Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Tessier, Patrick, Hartzler, Jeffrey
• Granted Patent: US 9,909,775 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 11/46 Improving electric energy efficiency or saving
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/52 Indication arrangements, e.g. displays
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/56 Remote control
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/58 using Internet communication
• 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 2110/00 Control inputs relating to air properties
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/20 Feedback from users
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2600/07 Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 13/02 electric

Abstract

Remote control of energy consumption is realized using a readily installable, flexible approach. According to an example embodiment of the present invention, a remote source communicates with a wireless controller for executing energy usage control. The remote source sends signals to the wireless controller via a gateway located near or, in one implementation, forming part of the wireless controller. In response to the signals, the wireless controller sets control settings for operating one or more of a variety of equipment types, such as a furnace, air conditioner, water heater or heat pump. With this approach, wired connections from the gateway to energy-consuming equipment do not necessarily need to be made in order to effect remote energy-consumption control. For instance, when used in connection with a controller wired to the energy-consuming equipment, the gateway need only communicate wirelessly with the controller and does not necessarily need to be coupled to the energy-consuming equipment. In addition, access to the energy-consuming equipment for establishing remote energy control is not necessary; rather, the remote energy control can be effected by accessing user-friendly locations, such as those where thermostats and other controllers are typically located.

Claims

1. A wall mountable thermostat having a housing assembly for use in controlling an HVAC system of a building or other structure, the wall mountable thermostat comprising:

a user interface including a display housed by the housing assembly for allowing a user to physically interact with the wall mountable thermostat;

a temperature sensor housed by the housing assembly for sensing a temperature in or around the wall mountable thermostat;

a wireless radio frequency (RF) interface housed by the housing assembly;

a thermostat controller housed by the housing assembly and operatively coupled to the user interface, the wireless RF interface and the temperature sensor, the thermostat controller implementing a control algorithm for controlling an HVAC system based at least in part on the temperature sensed by the temperature sensor; and

wherein the wireless RF interface is configured to wirelessly connect to a remote gateway in order to access the Internet, and to wirelessly receive user control inputs from the Internet, the wireless RF interface is further configured to provide the received user control inputs to the thermostat controller, where the thermostat controller is configured to allow a user to remotely control the HVAC system through the received user control inputs either in addition to or separate from a utility based control application.

2. The wall mountable thermostat of claim 1, wherein the wireless RF interface is not part of a local gateway of the wall mountable thermostat.

3. The wall mountable thermostat of claim 1, wherein a user can input the user control inputs using a user input device that is connectable to the Internet.

4. The wall mountable thermostat of claim 1, wherein the housing assembly includes:

a thermostat housing and a thermostat base, wherein the thermostat housing is removably coupled to the thermostat base such that when the thermostat housing is coupled to the thermostat base, one or more electrical signals can be communicated between the thermostat housing and the thermostat base; and

the thermostat base includes one or more wire connectors, wherein the one or more wire connectors are configured to accept and retain one or more control wires for the HVAC system.

5. The wall mountable thermostat of claim 1, wherein the thermostat controller is configured to provide one or more operational characteristics of the HVAC system to the wireless RF interface for transmission ultimately to a remotely located user device.

6. The wall mountable thermostat of claim 1, wherein the thermostat controller is configured to report one or more user interactions made at the user interface of the wall mountable thermostat for transmission by the wireless RF interface.

7. A wall mountable thermostat having a housing assembly for use in controlling an HVAC system of a building or other structure, the wall mountable thermostat comprising:

a user interface housed by the housing assembly for allowing a user to interact with the wall mountable thermostat;

a temperature sensor housed by the housing assembly for sensing a temperature;

a wireless interface housed by the housing assembly;

a thermostat controller housed by the housing assembly and operatively coupled to the user interface, the wireless interface and the temperature sensor, the thermostat controller having a control algorithm for controlling an HVAC system based at least in part on the temperature sensed by the temperature sensor; and

wherein the wireless interface is configured to wirelessly receive user control inputs, and to provide the received user control inputs to the thermostat controller, where the thermostat controller is configured to allow a user to remotely control the HVAC system through the received user control inputs either in addition to or separate from a utility based control application.

8. The wall mountable thermostat of claim 7, wherein the wireless interface is not part of a local gateway of the wall mountable thermostat.

9. The wall mountable thermostat of claim 8, wherein the wall mountable thermostat does not implement a local gateway.

10. The wall mountable thermostat of claim 7, wherein the wireless interface is configured to communicate with a gateway located remotely from the wall mountable thermostat.

11. The wall mountable thermostat of claim 7, wherein the housing assembly includes:

a thermostat housing and a thermostat base, wherein the thermostat housing is removably coupled to the thermostat base such that when the thermostat housing is coupled to the thermostat base, one or more electrical signals can be communicated between the thermostat housing and the thermostat base.

12. The wall mountable thermostat of claim 11, wherein the thermostat base is configured to be mounted to a wall of the building or other structure.

13. The wall mountable thermostat of claim 11, wherein the thermostat base includes one or more wire connectors, wherein the one or more wire connectors are configured to accept and retain one or more control wires for the HVAC system.

14. The wall mountable thermostat of claim 7, wherein the thermostat controller is configured to provide one or more operational characteristics of the HVAC system to the wireless interface for transmission ultimately to a remotely located user device.

15. The wall mountable thermostat of claim 7, wherein the HVAC system includes an air heating component and/or an air cooling component.

16. The wall mountable thermostat of claim 7, wherein the thermostat controller is configured to receive one or more user inputs through the wireless interface, and is further configured to output one or more corresponding responses for transmission by the wireless interface.

17. The wall mountable thermostat of claim 7, wherein the thermostat controller is configured to report one or more user interactions made at the user interface of the wall mountable thermostat for transmission by the wireless interface.

18. An HVAC controller for use in controlling an HVAC system of a building or other structure, the HVAC controller comprising:

a controller implementing a control algorithm for controlling an HVAC system;

a wired interface connectable to one or more control wires of the HVAC system, the controller operatively coupled to the wired interface and configured to provide, based on the control algorithm, one or more HVAC control signals to the wired interface for controlling the HVAC system;

a wireless interface operatively coupled to the controller, the wireless interface configured to connect to a remote gateway in order to access the Internet, the wireless interface further configured to receive user control inputs from the Internet via the gateway and provide the received user control inputs to the controller; and

wherein the controller is configured to allow a user to remotely control the control algorithm and thus the HVAC system through the received user control inputs either in addition to or separate from a utility based control application.

19. The HVAC controller of claim 18, wherein the wireless interface is not part of a local gateway of the HVAC controller.

20. The HVAC controller of claim 18, wherein the wireless interface is an RF interface.