Electronic thermostat with repetitive operation cycle
First Claim
1. A system for controlling the operative state of a device over a repetitive time period comprising:
- a clock operative to generate digital signals representative of the time within the repetitive time period;
a digital memory;
input means for loading digital signals of desired states of the device into the memory;
means for recording the time of entry of each state signal within the repetitive time period; and
means, controlled by the clock for generating state control signals for the device over the repetitive time period, the state control signals being generated at times which are a function of their time of entry into the memory.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An electronic multiple-setback thermostat for residential and commercial use includes an internal clock having a week-long cycle. The thermostat is programmed by the operator, usually manually actuable input devices, to control the furnace/air conditioning system to achieve a schedule of temperatures over the weekly period by simply inputting the temperature desired to be attained at the time of entry. Each temperature entry may be programmed to reoccur on a daily basis or to modify the program on a once-a-week basis. The thermostat employs an internal clock which controls memory addresses so that each memory location is representative of a short time period during the weekly cycle. A desired temperature signal is entered in a memory location determined by the clock state at the time of entry and is read out to the control system each time that time state reoccurs. The external temperature sensor employs a thermistor controlled oscillator that is used as the system clock source during failures of the primary power source.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A system for controlling the operative state of a device over a repetitive time period comprising:
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a clock operative to generate digital signals representative of the time within the repetitive time period; a digital memory; input means for loading digital signals of desired states of the device into the memory; means for recording the time of entry of each state signal within the repetitive time period; and means, controlled by the clock for generating state control signals for the device over the repetitive time period, the state control signals being generated at times which are a function of their time of entry into the memory. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. An electronic thermostat comprising:
- an electronic clock operative to generate signals representative of a repetitive, time cycle;
a memory adapted to store a temperature program for the cycle; operator actuated control means for entering desired temperature state signals into the memory; means for storing signals from the clock representative of the time of entry of a desired temperature state with each desired temperature state entered into the memory; means controlled by the output of the clock for interrogating the memory to derive signals representative of the desired temperature state at a particular time; means for generating an electricl signal representative of the actual temperature in the environment of the thermostat; and comparator means for receiving signals representative of the actual temperature and the desired temperature and for generating output control signals. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12)
- an electronic clock operative to generate signals representative of a repetitive, time cycle;
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13. In a thermostat having a clock operative to generate electrical signals representative of the time in a repetitive cycle, a memory adapted to retain a program of desired temperatures at particular times in the repetitive cycle;
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manually operable control means for entering desired temperatures into the memory; and circuitry for interrogating the memory with the output of the clock to generate signals representative of the desired temperature at a particular time, the improvement comprising; means for storing the output of the clock at the time a particular desired temperature is entered into the memory in association with the memory signals representative of the desired temperature, whereby the operator need only program the desired temperature at a particular time to allow the system to control generation of that temperature at that particular time each time it reoccurs in the repetitive time cycle. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15)
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16. In a process controller, in combination:
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a clock operative to generate signals representative of the time within a repetitive time cycle; operator control means for generating a signal representative of a set point for the process; a memory operative to record the signal representative of the set point in a manner dependent upon the status of the clock at the time of generation of the set point signal; and means controlled by the clock for generating output control signals for the process based on the recorded set points and the time of recordation of the set points. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification