Facilitating Scheduling of Comfort Controllers

• US 20150204569A1
• Filed: 01/20/2015
• Published: 07/23/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Copeland Comfort Control LP (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Emerson Electric Company
• Inventors: Lorenz, Thomas B., Polce, Gregory
• Granted Patent: US 10,024,565 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 11/52 Indication arrangements, e.g. displays
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/58 using Internet communication
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/59 for presetting
• 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 11/64 using pre-stored data
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2642 Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1904 variable in time

Abstract

Disclosed are exemplary embodiments of systems and methods for facilitating scheduling of comfort controllers such as thermostats. In an exemplary embodiment, a comfort controller is operable to control a configuration of a climate control system for providing climate control in a structure. The comfort controller is operable in accordance with a user-selected one of a plurality of stored schedules for operation of the configuration, where the user-selected schedule is wirelessly received by and replaceable on the comfort controller.

Claims

1. A comfort controller operable to control a configuration of a climate control system for providing climate control in a structure, the comfort controller being operable in accordance with a user-selected one of a plurality of stored schedules for operation of the configuration, where the user-selected schedule is wirelessly received by and replaceable on the comfort controller.

2. The comfort controller of claim 1, operable to receive the user-selected schedule from a computing device remote from the structure.

3. The comfort controller of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the user-selected schedule is displayable on at least the comfort controller and/or modifiable via a user interface of a computing device.

4. The comfort controller of claim 1, comprising a thermostat.

5. The comfort controller of claim 1, selectively operable to control one of the following in accordance with the user-selected one of the stored schedules:

a heating configuration, a cooling configuration, and an automatic mode including heating and cooling configurations.

6. The comfort controller of claim 1, further comprising a network interface through which the comfort controller is selectively operable to control the configuration using a first schedule user-selected for operating the configuration, where the first schedule is received by the comfort controller via the network interface;

the comfort controller further selectively operable to control the same configuration using a second schedule user-selected from the plurality of stored schedules.

7. The comfort controller of claim 6, where the second schedule is received by the comfort controller via the network interface and used in place of at least part of the first schedule.

8. An apparatus for providing climate control in a structure, the apparatus comprising:

a wireless-capable comfort controller configured to control at least a first configuration of a climate control system; and

a computing device capable of wireless communication with the comfort controller and having a user interface for receiving user specifications in relation to operation of the comfort controller to control the first configuration;

wherein the computing device is configured to store the received user specifications in relation to first and second schedules for operation of the first configuration, each schedule selectively retrievable and wirelessly transmissible to the comfort controller, whereby the comfort controller is selectively configurable to control the first configuration of the climate control system using the first and/or second schedules.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising a second comfort controller, and wherein the computing device is configured to store user specifications in relation to at least one schedule selectively transmissible to the second comfort controller whereby the second comfort controller is selectively configurable to perform climate control system control using the at least one schedule.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the comfort controller comprises a thermostat, and/or at least one of the first and second schedules is selectively retrievable and wirelessly transmissible to the comfort controller based on a distance and/or location of a location reporting device relative to the structure.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the computing device is configured to store the first and second schedules in one or more of the following:

the computing device, a remote server, the comfort controller, and a component of a network accessible in the structure.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the computing device comprises one or more of the following:

a smart phone, a laptop computer, a personal computer (PC), a tablet, and a server.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, where the user specifications include one or more of the following:

a schedule, a time setting, a set-point setting, a configuration, and a mode.

14. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the computing device is further configured to:

retrieve a previously stored schedule;

receive a user specification modifying the retrieved previously stored schedule; and

store the modified schedule as the previously stored schedule or as a third schedule.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the previously stored schedule comprises a schedule provided as a factory preset.

16. A computer-performed method of providing climate control in a structure, the method comprising:

receiving, via a user interface of a computing device, user specifications for control by a comfort controller of a climate control system of the structure;

storing first and second sets of user specifications in relation to first and second schedules for operation by the comfort controller of at least a first configuration of the climate control system; and

in response to user input, selecting one of the first and second schedules and transmitting the selected schedule to the comfort controller, whereby the comfort controller uses the selected schedule in place of at least part of a schedule currently in use by the comfort controller to control at least the first configuration.

17. The method of claim 16, performed at least in part by one or more of the following:

a smart phone, a laptop computer, a personal computer (PC), a tablet, and a server.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising retrieving and sending a schedule to the comfort controller via one or more of the following:

the Internet, a website, a server remote from the comfort controller, a component of a network accessible in the structure, and the computing device.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

receiving, via the user interface, user input associating the one or more received specifications with the first and/or second schedules; and

displaying, via the user interface, at least one or more portions of the first and/or second schedules.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein:

the comfort controller includes a thermostat; and

/or

at least one of the first and second schedules is related to a season, person, or event.