Room temperature sensor and thermostat control device

• US 5,816,492 A
• Filed: 07/19/1996
• Issued: 10/06/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Siemens Industry Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Landis & Staefa, Inc.
• Inventors: Wolfinger, Kenneth F., Charles, Donald E., Wojtowicz, Christopher
• Primary Examiner(s): Wayner, William E.
• Application Number:
  US08/684,551
• Time in Patent Office: 809 Days
• Field of Search: 236/46 R, 236/48 D, 236/1 R, 236/78 R, 374/170, 338/92, 338/133
• US Class Current: 236/78.00R
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/021 the sensing element being a non-metallic solid, e.g. elastomer, paste
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1902 characterised by the use of a variable reference value

Abstract

A thermostat control having improved user controls wherein an analog version contains a binary coded switch for selectively setting a setpoint temperature. The binary coded switch is configured to have discrete positions corresponding to a plurality of setpoint temperature settings. It contains, among other things, a resistor network configured to produce a setpoint signal indicative of the binary coded switch position and a setpoint adjust switch for setting the binary coded switch position. Also, digital version having a man-machine interface port, wherein point information from a controller can be viewed and modified with the thermostat control device controls when a hardware passkey is inserted into the man-machine interface port.

Claims

1. A thermostat control device adapted for use controlling the temperature of a space by a temperature control system, the device comprising:

means for measuring temperature in the space and generating a temperature signal indicative thereof;

a binary coded switch having discrete positions corresponding to a plurality of setpoint temperatures for selectively setting a setpoint temperature, said binary coded switch including a resistor network having a network of setpoint resistors and switches, and a setpoint adjust switch configured and arranged to be moved in a substantially linear direction to open/close said setpoint switches in a binary coded fashion indicative of a position of said binary coded switch;

means for determining the position of said binary coded switch and generating a setpoint signal responsive to said determined position; and

means for transmitting said temperature signal and said setpoint signal to the temperature control system wherein said means for transmitting said setpoint signal comprises the temperature control system reading said setpoint signal as a resistance.

2. A thermostat control device according to claim 1 wherein said means for transmitting said setpoint signal comprises the temperature control system reading said setpoint signal as a resistance.

3. A thermostat control device according to claim 2 wherein said binary coded switch further comprises an intercept resistor connected in series with said resistor network;

wherein said setpoint resistors in said resistor network are connected in series and have a value equal to 2^n-1 R where R is a reference resistance value and n is a position number of a setpoint resistor in said network with position number one being closest to said intercept resistor, and said setpoint switches are open and connected in parallel with said setpoint resistors so that every setpoint resistor has one corresponding setpoint switch connected therewith; and

wherein said setpoint adjust switch generates a resistance indicative of said binary coded switch position.

4. A thermostat control device adapted for use controlling the temperature of a space by a temperature control system, the device comprising:

means for measuring temperature in the space and generating a temperature signal indicative thereof;

a binary coded switch having discrete positions corresponding to a plurality of setpoint temperatures for selectively setting a setpoint temperature, said binary coded switch including a resistor network having a network of setpoint resistors and switches, and a setpoint adjust switch configured and arranged to be moved in a substantially linear direction to open/close said setpoint switches in a binary coded fashion indicative of a position of said binary coded switch;

means for determining the position of said binary coded switch and generating a setpoint signal responsive to said determined position; and

means for transmitting said temperature signal and said setpoint signal to the temperature control system, wherein said means for transmitting said setpoint signal comprises the temperature control system reading said setpoint signal as a current.

5. A thermostat control device according to claim 4 wherein said binary coded switch comprises an intercept resistor connected in parallel with said resistor network;

wherein said setpoint resistors in said resistor network are connected in parallel and have a value equal to 2^n-1 R where R is a reference resistance value and n is a position number of a setpoint resistor in said network with position number one being closest to said intercept resistor, and said setpoint switches are open and connected in series with said setpoint resistors so that every setpoint resistor has one corresponding setpoint switch connected therewith; and

wherein said setpoint adjust switch generates a current indicative of said binary coded switch position.

6. A thermostat control device adapted for use controlling the temperature of a space by a temperature control system, the device comprising:

means for measuring temperature in the space and generating a temperature signal indicative thereof;

a binary coded switch having discrete positions corresponding to a plurality of setpoint temperatures for selectively setting a setpoint temperature, said binary coded switch including a resistor network having a network of setpoint resistors and switches, and a setpoint adjust switch configured and arranged to be moved in a substantially linear direction to open/close said setpoint switches in a binary coded fashion indicative of a position of said binary coded switch;

means for determining the position of said binary coded switch and generating a setpoint signal responsive to said determined position; and

means for transmitting said temperature signal and said setpoint signal to the temperature control system; and

,

means for disabling transmission of setpoint signals when the temperature control system switches to a night mode of operation wherein the temperature control system controls setpoint temperature setting.

7. A thermostat control device according to claim 6 wherein the device further comprising:

means for overriding the temperature control system when the temperature control system is in night mode, so that the thermostat control device controls setpoint temperature setting.

8. A thermostat control device according to claim 6 wherein the device further comprising:

means for displaying said temperature control system mode of operation.

9. A thermostat control device adapted for use controlling the temperature of a space by a temperature control system, the device comprising:

means for measuring temperature in the space and generating a temperature signal indicative thereof;

a binary coded switch having discrete positions corresponding to a plurality of setpoint temperatures for selectively setting a setpoint temperature, said binary coded switch including a resistor network having a network of setpoint resistors and switches, and a setpoint adjust switch configured and arranged to be moved in a substantially linear direction to open/close said setpoint switches in a binary coded fashion indicative of a position of said binary coded switch;

means for determining the position of said binary coded switch and generating a setpoint signal responsive to said determined position; and

means for transmitting said temperature signal and said setpoint signal to the temperature control system; and

,

means for displaying said measured temperature and/or said setpoint temperature in metric or standard engineering units.

10. A thermostat control device adapted for use controlling the temperature of a space by a temperature control system, the device comprising:

means for measuring temperature in the space and generating a temperature signal indicative thereof;

a binary coded switch having discrete positions corresponding to a plurality of setpoint temperatures for selectively setting a setpoint temperature, said binary coded switch including a resistor network having a network of setpoint resistors and switches, and a setpoint adjust switch configured and arranged to be moved in a substantially linear direction to open/close said setpoint switches in a binary coded fashion indicative of a position of said binary coded switch;

means for determining the position of said binary coded switch and generating a setpoint signal responsive to said determined position; and

means for transmitting said temperature signal and said setpoint signal to the temperature control system; and

a man-machine interface port for connecting a man-machine interface computer to said temperature control system so that said man-machine interface computer may communicate with said temperature control system.

11. A thermostat control device adapted for use in controlling the temperature in a space by a temperature control system, the device comprising:

means for measuring the temperature in the space and generating a temperature signal indicative thereof;

a binary coded switch having discrete positions corresponding to a plurality of setpoint temperatures for selectively setting a setpoint temperature and containing an intercept resistor, a series resistor network connected in series with said intercept resistor and comprising a network of setpoint resistors and switches, said setpoint resistors being connected in series and having a value equal to 2^n-1 R where R is a reference resistance value and n is a position number of a setpoint resistor in said network with position number one being closest to said intercept resistor, and said switches being open and connected in parallel with said setpoint resistors so that every setpoint resistor has one corresponding switch connected therewith and a setpoint adjust switch configured to open/close said switches in a binary coded fashion generating a resistance value indicative of said binary coded switch position;

means for generating a setpoint signal responsive to said resistance value;

means for transmitting said temperature signal and said setpoint signal to the temperature control system; and

means for displaying said measured temperature and/or said setpoint temperature in metric or standard engineering units.

12. A thermostat control device according to claim 11 wherein the device further comprising:

means for disabling transmission of setpoint signals when the temperature control system switches to a night mode of operation wherein the temperature control system controls setpoint temperature setting.

13. A thermostat control device according to claim 12 wherein the device further comprising:

means for overriding the temperature control system when the temperature control system is in night mode, so that the thermostat control device controls setpoint temperature setting.

14. A thermostat control device according to claim 12 wherein said means for displaying is also configured to display said mode of operation.

15. A thermostat control device according to claim 11 wherein the device further comprising:

a man-machine interface port for connecting a man-machine interface computer to said temperature control system so that said man-machine interface computer may communicate with said temperature control system.

16. A thermostat control device adapted for use in controlling the temperature of a space by a temperature control system, the device comprising:

means for measuring the temperature in the space and generating a temperature signal indicative thereof;

a binary coded switch having discrete positions corresponding to a plurality of setpoint temperatures for selectively setting a setpoint temperature and containing an intercept resistor, a parallel resistor network connected in parallel with said intercept resistor and comprising a network of setpoint resistors and switches, said setpoint resistors being connected in parallel and having values equal to 2^n-1 R where R is a reference resistance value and n is a position number of a setpoint resistor in said network with position number one being closest to said intercept resistor, and said switches being open and connected in series with said setpoint resistors so that every setpoint resistor has one corresponding switch connected therewith and a setpoint adjust switch configured to open/close said switches in a binary coded fashion generating a current value indicative of said binary coded switch position;

means for generating a set point signal responsive to current value;

means for comparing said temperature signal and said setpoint signal and generating a control signal for transmission to the temperature control system when said temperature signal does not equal said setpoint signal; and

means for displaying said measured temperature and/or said setpoint temperature in metric or standard engineering units.

17. A thermostat control device according to claim 16 wherein the device further comprising:

means for disabling transmission of setpoint signals when the temperature control system switches to a night mode of operation wherein the temperature control system controls setpoint temperature setting.

18. A thermostat control device according to claim 17 wherein the device further comprising:

means for overriding the temperature control system when the temperature control system is in night mode, so that the thermostat control device controls setpoint temperature setting.

19. A thermostat control device according to claim 17 wherein said means for displaying is also configured to display said mode of operation.

20. A thermostat control device according to claim 16 wherein the device further comprising:

a man-machine interface port for connecting a man-machine interface computer to said temperature control system so that said man-machine interface computer may communicate with said temperature control system.