Programmable time varying control system and method
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A thermostat for generating control signals for a temperature modifying device comprising:
- (a) means for generating a digital electrical signal representative of the ambient temperature on the thermostat;
(b) manually accessible means for storing a plurality of time/temperature schedules in a programmable digital memory, said schedules providing a digital electrical signal representative of desired temperatures for different times within the interval defined by each schedule;
(c) means for generating a digital electrical signal representative of time;
(d) comparator means having first and second inputs with one input coupled to said ambient temperature generator means;
(e) interface means coupled to said digital time generating means and operative to selectively one of the schedules to the second input of said comparator means; and
(f) means for coupling the output of said comparator means to said temperature modifying device.
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Abstract
An electronic system and method are disclosed for controlling a measured temperature during a sequence of time intervals, in accordance with a sequence of selected reference temperatures each corresponding to one of the intervals. The values of the reference temperatures are programmable and changeable by the user. The system and method can be used to establish thermostatic control in conformity with a referenced temperature that varies throughout the day, for example, hour by hour. The system also provides for using different sequences of reference temperatures on different days.
112 Citations
54 Claims
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1. A thermostat for generating control signals for a temperature modifying device comprising:
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(a) means for generating a digital electrical signal representative of the ambient temperature on the thermostat; (b) manually accessible means for storing a plurality of time/temperature schedules in a programmable digital memory, said schedules providing a digital electrical signal representative of desired temperatures for different times within the interval defined by each schedule; (c) means for generating a digital electrical signal representative of time; (d) comparator means having first and second inputs with one input coupled to said ambient temperature generator means; (e) interface means coupled to said digital time generating means and operative to selectively one of the schedules to the second input of said comparator means; and (f) means for coupling the output of said comparator means to said temperature modifying device. - 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)
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24. A thermostat for controlling the application of electrical power to a temperature modifying load, comprising:
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(a) means for generating an electrical signal having a characteristic which varies as a function of the ambient temperature on the thermostat; (b) a clock operative to generate digital electrical signals having values representative of real time; (c) a programmable, digital memory; (d) means for loading said memory with a plurality of separate programs each comprising digital signals representing desired temperature at particular times over a repetitive time cycle; (e) means for selecting one of said plurality of programs; (f) circuitry for applying the output of the clock to the memory to generate a digital electric signal representative of the desired temperature at a particular time as stored in said selected program; (g) means for receiving the electrical signal having a characteristic which is a function of ambient temperature and the output of the memory and for generating a control signal for said temperature modifying devices as a function of their difference. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
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43. The thermostat for generating control signals for a temperature modifying device, comprising:
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(a) means for generating a digital electrical signal representative of the ambient temperature on the thermostat; (b) means for generating a digital electrical signal representative of the time within a repetitive time cycle; (c) a programmable digital memory; (d) means for loading said memory with a plurality of separate programs each comprising digital signals representing desired temperature at particular times over a repetitive time cycle; (e) means for selecting one of said plurality of programs; (f) circuit means for interrogating said memory with said digital time signal to generate a digital signal representative of the desired temperature at the existing time as stored in said selected program; and (g) a comparator operative to receive the digital signal representative of the ambient temperature on the thermostat and the digital signal representative of the desired temperature, and to provide a control signal to said temperature modifying device. - View Dependent Claims (44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51)
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52. A thermostat for generating control signals for a temperature modifying device, comprising:
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(a) means for generating a digital electrical signal representative of the ambient temperature on the thermostat; (b) means for generating a digital electrical signal representative of the time within a repetitive time cycle; (c) a digital memory for receiving and storing entries thereinto; (d) manually operable, data entry switch means for inputting a plurality of time/temperature schedules wherein each of said time/temperature schedules provides a digital representation of schedule temperature at different times in two or more intervals within each of said schedules; (e) microprocessor means responsive to the signal representative of time for periodically comparing ambient temperature represented by the digital signal from said means for generating and the scheduled temperature for the scheduled time interval for the particular schedule, said microprocessor means forming an output signal resulting from said comparison; and (f) output circuit means connected to said microprocessor means for receiving the output signal thereof forming a control signal for said temperature modifying device to control operation thereof and modify the ambient temperature at the thermostat. - View Dependent Claims (53, 54)
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Specification