Energy conservation system for inns, hotels, and motels
First Claim
1. A system for reducing the unproductive consumption of energy by equipment primarily intended to be operated during the presence of a person or thing in the area of operation of said equipment and for preventing the recycling of said equipment in the event a person or thing is absent from the area of operation for a short period of time, said system comprising:
- first input means responsive to the entrance of said area of operation being closed for providing a first input signal when said entrance is closed;
second input means responsive to a person or thing passing at least one point within the area of operation for providing a second input signal when said at least one point is passed;
first latch means responsive to said first and second input means for providing a presence-detected signal upon both of said first and second input signals being applied to said first latch means and maintaining said presence-detected signal for so long as said first input signal is applied to said first latch means, said first latch means providing an absence-detected signal upon said first input signal being removed and maintaining said absence-detected signal until both of said first and second input signals are applied to said first latch means;
first output means for providng an enabling signal and a disabling signal, said first output means being coupled to said first latch means; and
first delay means for providing a first delay signal for a first predetermined time period starting when said first latch begins providing said absence-detected signal, said first delay means being coupled to said first latch means and said first output means;
said first output means providing said enabling signal when any of said presence-detected signal and said first delay signal is present and providing said disabling signal when none of said presence-detected signal and said first delay signal is present, said system being coupled to said equipment, said equipment being operable when said enabling signal is present and being inoperable when said disabling signal is present.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention provides a system for reducing the unproductive consumption of energy by equipment primarily intended to be operated during the presence of a person or thing in the area of operation of the equipment. The system renders the equipment operable during the time a person or thing is present within the area of operation and for a short period of time immediately thereafter. Except for the short period of time immediately after the person or thing exits the area of operation, the system renders the equipment inoperable during the time the person or thing is absent from the area of operation. Maintaining the equipment operable during the short period of time after the person or thing exits the area of operation reduces deleterious recycling which would otherwise occur in the event the area of operation were reentered within the short period of time. The system comprises detecting means for providing a presence-detected signal when a person or thing is present within the area of operation and an absence-detected signal otherwise. The system also comprises delay means responsive to said detecting means for providing a delay signal for a short period of time after the detecting means starts providing the absence-detected signal. The detecting means and delay means are coupled to output means which provides an enabling signal when any of the presence-detected signal and the delay signal are present and a disabling signal otherwise.
25 Citations
35 Claims
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1. A system for reducing the unproductive consumption of energy by equipment primarily intended to be operated during the presence of a person or thing in the area of operation of said equipment and for preventing the recycling of said equipment in the event a person or thing is absent from the area of operation for a short period of time, said system comprising:
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first input means responsive to the entrance of said area of operation being closed for providing a first input signal when said entrance is closed; second input means responsive to a person or thing passing at least one point within the area of operation for providing a second input signal when said at least one point is passed; first latch means responsive to said first and second input means for providing a presence-detected signal upon both of said first and second input signals being applied to said first latch means and maintaining said presence-detected signal for so long as said first input signal is applied to said first latch means, said first latch means providing an absence-detected signal upon said first input signal being removed and maintaining said absence-detected signal until both of said first and second input signals are applied to said first latch means; first output means for providng an enabling signal and a disabling signal, said first output means being coupled to said first latch means; and first delay means for providing a first delay signal for a first predetermined time period starting when said first latch begins providing said absence-detected signal, said first delay means being coupled to said first latch means and said first output means; said first output means providing said enabling signal when any of said presence-detected signal and said first delay signal is present and providing said disabling signal when none of said presence-detected signal and said first delay signal is present, said system being coupled to said equipment, said equipment being operable when said enabling signal is present and being inoperable when said disabling signal is present. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A system for reducing the unproductive consumption of energy by equipment primarily intended to be operated during the presence of a person or thing within the area of operation of the equipment, said system comprising:
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detection means for detecting the entering of the person or thing into the area of operation and for detecting the exiting of the person or thing from the area of operation; first delay means responsive to said detection means for providing a first delay signal when said detection means detects the exiting of the person or thing from the area of operation; and first output means responsive to said detection means and said delay means for providing an enabling signal during the time between said detection means'"'"' detecting the entering and exiting, respectively, of the person or thing into the area of operation and during the time said first delay means provides said first delay signal, and for providing a disabling signal otherwise; said system being coupled to said equipment, said equipment being operable when said enabling signal is provided by said first output means and being inoperable when said disabling signal is provided by said first output means, whereby said equipment is inoperable during a substantial part of the time the person or thing is absent from the area of operation and whereby recycling of said equipment is prevented in the event the person or thing exits the area of operation and within a short period of time thereafter the area of operation is reentered by the same or another person or thing. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. A system for reducing the unproductive consumption of energy by equipment primarily intended to be operated during the presence of a person or thing within the area of operation of said equipment and for preventing the recycling of said equipment in the event a person or thing is absent from said area of operation for a short period of time, said system comprising switching means for making said equipment operable and inoperable and control means for receiving first and second input signals and for providing an enabling signal when the person or thing is present and during a first predetermined period of time thereafter and a disabling signal at other times, said first and second input signals being indicative of the presence of a person or thing within said area of operation, said control means being coupled to said switching means, said switching means making said equipment operable when said enabling signal is present and inoperable when said disabling signal is present, said control means having:
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first latch means for receiving said first and second signals; first delay means responsive to said first latch means for providing a presence-assumed signal upon both of said first and second input signals being present and maintaining said presence-assumed signal for so long as said first input signal remains present and for said first predetermined period of time thereafter, for providing an absence-assumed signal said first predetermined period of time after said first input signal is removed and maintaining said absence-assumed signal until both first and second input signals become present again, and for maintaining said presence-assumed signal in the event said first input signal is removed and then both of said first and second input signals become present again within said first predetermined period of time; and first output means responsive to said first delay means for providing said enabling signal when said presence-assumed signal is present and for providing said disabling signal when said absence-assumed signal is present. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35)
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Specification