Micro processor controlled sensor system for apartment house

• US 4,234,927 A
• Filed: 05/08/1978
• Issued: 11/18/1980
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/1978
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Theodore C. First
• Original Assignee: Theodore C. First
• Inventors: First, Theodore C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ruggiero, Joseph F.
• Application Number:
  US05/904,173
• Time in Patent Office: 925 Days
• Field of Search: 364/400, 364/418, 364/464, 364/506, 364/557, 364/107, 236/1 E, 236/1 C, 236/46 R, 236/46 C, 236/DIG. 8, 165/11, 165/12, 165/22, 165/32, 62/127, 340/163, 73/343.5, 73/344, 73/339 R, 73/340, 73/343 R
• US Class Current: 700/277
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1917 using digital means

Abstract

A microprocessor controlled sensor system for an apartment house periodically samples the temperature of each apartment at preselected sample intervals of time. The on/off state of a furnace calling device such as a thermostatic switch is also periodically sampled at the preselected sample intervals of time. The apartment temperature samples for each apartment are accumulated to provide an indication of the degree days. The number of times that the furnace has been called by each apartment is stored to provide an indication of the frequency of use of the furnace by each apartment. The degree days and the frequency of furnace use provide an indication of the efficiency of the apartment house heating system.

Claims

1. A microprocessor controlled sensor system for an apartment house having plural apartments and a furnace for heating said apartments, comprising:

plural temperature sensors for sensing the temperatures of said apartments and for generating a set of apartment temperature signals, each temperature sensor being located in one of said apartments,

plural on/off state calling devices for operating said furnace and for generating a set of digital signals representative of whether said furnace is being operated, each of said on/off state calling devices being located in one of said apartments and being associated with the temperature sensor located in that apartment,

temperature sensor processing means for converting said set of apartment temperature signals into a sequence of digital words, each word representing the temperature of one of said apartments,

calling device processing means for converting said set of digital signals representative of whether said furnace is being operated into a sequence of digital words, each word representing the state of one of said calling devices,

a programmed microprocessor for causing said temperature sensor processing means to convert said set of apartment temperature signals into said sequence of digital words representing the temperature of said apartments at preselected sample intervals of time and for causing said calling device processing means to convert said digital signals representative of whether said furnace is being operated into said sequence of digital words representing the states of said calling devices at said preselected sample intervals of time, and

memory means responsive to said microprocessor for accumulating for each apartment said digital words representative of apartment temperatures and for counting for each apartment the number of times that said digital signals representative of whether said furnace is being operated indicate that said furnace is being operated.

2. The microprocessor controlled sensor system according to claim 1 including a tape recorder, and a tape input/output interface connecting said tape recorder to said microprocessor for transmitting to said tape recorder said accumulated digital words representative of apartment temperatures and said count representative of the number of times that said furnace is being operated.

3. A microprocessor controlled sensor system for an apartment house having plural apartments and a furnace for heating said apartments, comprising:

plural temperature sensors for sensing the temperatures of said apartments and for generating a set of apartment temperature signals, each temperature sensor being located in one of said apartments,

plural on/off state calling devices for operating said furnace and for generating a set of digital signals representative of whether said furnace is being operated, each of said on/off state calling devices being located in one of said apartments and being associated with the temperature sensor located in that apartment,

an analog multiplexer for sampling and multiplexing said set of apartment temperature signals,

an analog to digital converter for converting said multiplexed apartment temperature signals into a sequence of digital words, each word representing the temperature of one of said apartments,

a digital multiplexer for sampling and multiplexing said set of digital signals generated by said calling devices,

a programmed microprocessor for causing said analog multiplexer to sample and multiplex said set of apartment temperature signals at preselected sample intervals of time and for causing said digital multiplexer to sample and multiplex said set of digital signals generated by said calling devices at said preselected sample intervals of time,

a random access memory responsive to said microprocessor for accumulating for each apartment said digital words representative of apartment temperatures and for counting for each apartment the number of times that said digital signals representative of whether said furnace is being operated indicate that said furnace is being operated.

4. The microprocessor controlled sensor system according to claim 3 including a tape recorder, and a tape input/output interface connecting said tape recorder to said microprocessor for transmitting said accumulated digital words representative of apartment temperatures and said counts of the number of times that said furnace is being operated to said tape recorder.

5. A method of collecting energy information for an apartment house having plural apartments, a furnace for heating said apartments and plural calling devices located in said apartments for operating said furnace, comprising:

sensing the temperatures of said apartments and generating a set of apartment temperature signals representative thereof,

sensing the states of said plural calling devices to determine whether said furnace is being operated by said calling devices,

repeating said temperature sensing and state sensing steps at preselected intervals of time,

accumulating for each apartment said apartment temperature signals, and

counting for each apartment the number of times that a calling devices located at that apartment operates said furnace.