HVAC CONTROLLER WITH PROXIMITY SENSOR

• US 20150355371A1
• Filed: 06/05/2014
• Published: 12/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ademco Inc. (Resideo Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Ableitner, Jason, Juntunen, Robert D., Lee, Robert, Terlson, Brad, Barton, Eric, Jungwirth, Matthew E. L.
• Granted Patent: US 10,107,515 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 11/523 for displaying temperature data
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/00 Control inputs relating to air properties
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/10 Occupancy
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1902 characterised by the use of a variable reference value

Abstract

An HVAC controller such as a thermostat may include a housing having an aperture formed within the housing and a proximity sensor that is disposed within the housing proximate the aperture. The proximity sensor may include a sense die that has a first IR detector and a second IR detector, and a lens element disposed in front of the sense die. The lens element may be shifted to one side to preferentially direct incident IR energy to the first IR detector at the expense of the second IR detector. An IR energy transparent element may be disposed in front of the lens element, and may include a portion that fits into and seals the aperture formed within the housing. A controller may be configured to receive an electrical signal from the proximity sensor indicating an approach of an individual towards the thermostat, and in response, wake-up a user interface.

Claims

1. A thermostat comprising:

a housing including an aperture formed within the housing;

a proximity sensor disposed within the housing proximate the aperture, the proximity sensor comprising;

a sense die including a first IR detector on the sense die and a second IR detector on the sense die;

a lens element disposed in front of the sense die, the lens element shifted to one side to preferentially direct incident IR energy to the first IR detector at the expense of the second IR detector; and

an IR energy transparent element disposed in front of the lens element and including a portion that fits into and seals the aperture formed within the housing; and

a controller that is configured to receive an electrical signal from the proximity sensor indicating an approach of an individual towards the thermostat.

2. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the lens element is configured to direct substantially all of the incident IR energy to the first IR detector.

3. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to wake up the thermostat in response to the approach of an individual towards the thermostat.

4. The thermostat of claim 3, wherein the thermostat further comprises a user interface that includes a display screen, and waking up the thermostat comprises energizing the display screen so that the approaching individual can read information displayed on the display screen without having to first interact with the user interface of the thermostat.

5. The thermostat of claim 3, wherein the controller is configured to detect the approach of the individual and wake up the thermostat when the individual is within a threshold distance from the thermostat that is 4 feet or less.

6. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the sense die and the controller are operatively coupled to a printed circuit board disposed within the housing of the thermostat.

7. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the lens element comprises a convex lens portion that is shifted toward one of the first or second IR detectors to preferentially direct incident IR energy to the first IR detector at the expense of the second IR detector.

8. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the lens element comprises a first convex lens portion and an adjacent second convex lens portion, and the lens element is shifted toward one of the first or second IR detectors to preferentially direct incident IR energy to the first IR detector at the expense of the second IR detector.

9. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the lens element comprises:

a curved surface on a first side of the lens element facing the sense die;

a substantially planar surface on a second side of the lens element adjacent the IR energy transparent element; and

a leg structure that defines a spacing between the curved surface of the lens element and the sense die.

10. The thermostat of claim 9, wherein at least part of the curved surface has a radius of curvature that ranges from about 1 millimeter to about 2 millimeters.

11. An HVAC controller, comprising:

a housing;

a proximity sensor secured relative to the housing and having a field of view suitable for viewing when an individual is moving towards the HVAC controller, the proximity sensor comprising;

a first IR detector secured relative to the housing;

a second IR detector secured relative to the housing, the second IR detector laterally spaced from the first IR detector;

a lens element disposed in front of the first IR detector and the second IR detector, the lens element preferentially directing incident IR energy to the first IR detector at the expense of the second IR detector; and

a controller operatively coupled to the proximity sensor and configured to wake up the HVAC controller in response to the proximity sensor sensing an individual moving towards the HVAC controller.

12. The HVAC controller of claim 11, wherein the lens element is configured to direct substantially all of the incident IR energy to the first IR detector.

13. The HVAC controller of claim 11, wherein the housing comprises an aperture formed in the housing proximate the proximity sensor, and the HVAC controller further comprises an IR energy transparent element disposed in the aperture and/or in front of the aperture.

14. The HVAC controller of claim 11, wherein the HVAC controller further comprises a user interface and waking up the HVAC controller comprises energizing the user interface so that the approaching individual can read information displayed on the user interface and/or enter information into the user interface.

15. The HVAC controller of claim 11, wherein the controller is configured to detect the approach of the individual and wake up the HVAC controller when the individual is within a set distance from the HVAC controller, wherein the set distance is 4 feet or less.

16. The HVAC controller of claim 11, wherein the first IR detector, the second IR detector and the controller are operatively coupled to a printed circuit board disposed within the housing.

17. A proximity detector, comprising:

a first detector for detecting an energy band;

a second detector for detecting the energy band, the second detector laterally spaced from the first detector; and

a lens element disposed in front of the first detector and the second detector, the lens element preferentially directing incident energy from the energy band to the first detector at the expense of the second detector.

18. The proximity detector of claim 17, wherein the lens element directs substantially all of the incident energy in the energy band to the first detector.

19. The proximity detector of claim 17, wherein the lens element comprises:

a curved surface on a first side facing toward the first and second detectors; and

a substantially planar surface on a second side facing away from the first and second detectors.

20. The proximity detector of claim 17, wherein the first detector and the second detector are IR detectors, and the energy band comprises the IR energy band.