Programmable electronic real-time load controller providing for adaptation of load control in response to varying environmental conditions
First Claim
1. An electronic controller for controlling the energization states of a plurality of electrical loads, said controller comprising:
- a plurality of load control circuits, each said load control circuit being adapted to be interconnected with a load, and having a load-on state when its load is to be on, and a load-off state when its load is to be off;
clock means for determining real-time;
sensor means for sensing at least one environmental temperature at a facility at which the plurality of electrical loads are located;
event memory means storing a time schedule for real-time control of the plurality of electrical loads;
program memory means storing a set of program instructions; and
,program means responsive to said set of stored program instructions for;
obtaining said time schedule from said event memory means;
obtaining a sensed environmental temperature from said sensor means;
modifying said time schedule in accordance with said sensed environmental temperature;
obtaining real-time from said clock means; and
,placing said load control circuit for each load in said load-on and said load-off states by comparing said real-time with said modified time schedule.
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Abstract
A programmable electronic real-time load controller includes: a plurality of load control circuits, each being adapted to be interconnected with a load; a hardware clock; and a data processor for executing a set of program instructions stored in a program memory to effect real-time control of the load control circuits by comparing real-time information from the hardware clock with a time schedule stored in an event memory of the data processor. The time schedule is in the form of one or more control events and corresponding event times for each load, with each control event representing a period of time during each predetermined control interval subsequent to its corresponding event time that a load is to be on. In order to permit the controller to adapt the time schedule to varying environmental conditions, the controller is provided with additional components including a second program memory, at least one indoor temperature sensor, and an outdoor temperature sensor. Environmentally-adaptive modifications to real-time control include: an advance start modification, in which an event time associated with a load is advanced in relation to the deviation of outdoor temperature from a first reference temperature; a duty-cycle shift modification, in which the on-time of a load currently being duty-cycled in real-time is increased in relation to the deviation of indoor temperature from a second reference temperature; and, a night setback modification, in which a load is turned on whenever indoor temperature is outside predetermined high and low limits. Provision is made for effecting analog-to-digital conversion of the temperatures; for selecting any load for each of the various modifications; for grouping the loads at the facility into first and second zones, and by providing an indoor temperature sensor for each zone; for selecting the value of a zone deadband for the duty-cycle shift modification; and, for selectively displaying information related to real-time control, or, the various indoor and outdoor temperatures and an advance time computed in the advance start modification.
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Citations
46 Claims
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1. An electronic controller for controlling the energization states of a plurality of electrical loads, said controller comprising:
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a plurality of load control circuits, each said load control circuit being adapted to be interconnected with a load, and having a load-on state when its load is to be on, and a load-off state when its load is to be off; clock means for determining real-time; sensor means for sensing at least one environmental temperature at a facility at which the plurality of electrical loads are located; event memory means storing a time schedule for real-time control of the plurality of electrical loads; program memory means storing a set of program instructions; and
,program means responsive to said set of stored program instructions for; obtaining said time schedule from said event memory means; obtaining a sensed environmental temperature from said sensor means; modifying said time schedule in accordance with said sensed environmental temperature; obtaining real-time from said clock means; and
,placing said load control circuit for each load in said load-on and said load-off states by comparing said real-time with said modified time schedule. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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37. An apparatus that permits an electronic controller, adapted to provide real-time control of the energization states of a plurality of electrical loads in accordance with a time schedule, to also provide environmentally-adaptive modifications of the time schedule in accordance with temperature at a facility at which the loads are located, the controller including:
- clock means determining real-time;
an event memory storing the time schedule in the form of one or more control events and corresponding event times for each load, each control event representing a period of time during each predetermined control interval subsequent to its corresponding event time that a load is to be on;
a program memory storing a set of program instructions for real-time control; and
, a processing means for executing the set of program instructions to effect real-time control by comparing real-time from the clock means with the time schedule in the event memory, and by accordingly determining an on state or an off state for each load, and by energizing those loads in an on state and by de-energizing those loads in an off state, said apparatus comprising;a second program memory storing a set of program instructions for said environmentally-adaptive modifications to real-time control; means for developing a first analog signal representing an indoor temperature at the facility and a second analog signal representing outdoor temperature at the facility; digital-to-analog signal conversion means for converting a first digital input signal into a corresponding analog signal; a comprator for comparing either said first analog signal or said second analog signal with said analog signal from said digital-to-analog signal conversion means to provide a first digital output signal representative of the difference therebetween; selecting means for selectively supplying either said first analog signal or said second analog signal to said comparator in response to a second digital input signal; means for transferring said first digital input signal from said processing means to said digital-to-analog signal conversion means; means for transferring said second digital input signal from said processing means to said selecting means; means for transferring said first digital output signal to said processing means; said processing means being operative to execute said set of program instructions stored in said second program memory along with the set of program instructions stored in the program memory to effect said environmentally-adaptive modifications by; effecting analog-to-digital conversion of said indoor temperature and said outdoor temperature through the selective supplying of said first digital input signal to said digital-to-analog signal conversion means, the selective supplying of said second digital input signal to said selecting means, and the selective monitoring of said first digital output signal from said comparator; implementing an advance start modification through advancing at least one event time for a load, in relation to the deviation of said outdoor temperature from a first reference temperature; implementing a duty-cycle shift modification through increasing the time that a load is in said on state during each control interval in relation to the deviation of said indoor temperature from a second reference temperature; and implementing a night setback modification through determining an on state for a load whenever said indoor temperature exceeds predetermined high and low limits thereof. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46)
- clock means determining real-time;
Specification