Setback reporting thermostat

• US 6,264,110 B1
• Filed: 06/15/2000
• Issued: 07/24/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Carrier Corporation (Carrier Global Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Carrier Corporation (Carrier Global Corporation)
• Inventors: Proffitt, Jerry L., Archacki, Raymond J. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): WAYNER, WILLIAM E
• Application Number:
  US09/594,974
• Time in Patent Office: 404 Days
• Field of Search: 236/41, 236/46.R, 236/51, 236/94, 165/11.1
• US Class Current: 236/46.00R
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1904 variable in time

Abstract

A thermostat receives requests to enter into setback modes of operation whereby at least one set point normally used by the thermostat is changed. The thermostat is operative to compute the time that elapses during each setback mode of operation. The thermostat is also operative to maintain a running total of such computed times in order to respond to any request for the total accumulated time that has elapsed in the setback modes of operation. This includes computing, if necessary, the amount of time that has elapsed in a setback mode of operation occurring during a request for the total accumulated time. The thermostat is furthermore operative to set the total accumulated time to zero in response to a request to initialize the total accumulated time.

Claims

1. A process executable by a programmed processor within a thermostat for tracking and reporting the participation by the thermostat in requested setbacks of the setpoint control for the thermostat, said process comprising the steps of:

responding to a request to enter into a setback mode of operation whereby at least one setpoint used in a normal mode of operation is changed;

tracking the amount of time that elapses during the setback mode of operation; and

responding to a request for the total accumulated time that may have elapsed during any present and past setback modes of operation whereby the total accumulated time is transmitted to the requesting entity.

2. The process of claim 1 wherein said step of responding to a request for the total accumulated time that may have elapsed during any present and past setback modes of operation comprises:

noting a request for the total accumulated time that may have elapsed during any present and past setback modes of operation;

computing the requested total accumulated time by adding the tracked amount of time that has elapsed during any present setback mode of operation to any previously accumulated times that have elapsed during previous setback modes of operation.

3. The process of claim 1 wherein said step of tracking the amount of time that elapses during the setback mode of operation comprises the step of:

monitoring any termination of a requested setback mode of operation;

noting the time that has elapsed in a terminated setback mode of operation; and

adding the noted elapsed time in a terminated setback mode of operation to any previously accumulated times that have elapsed during previous setback modes of operation.

4. The process of claim 3 wherein said step of monitoring any termination of a requested setback mode of operation comprises the step of:

monitoring a touch sensitive button on the thermostat so as to note when the touch sensitive button has been depressed thereby indicating that an override of the requested setback of the setpoint has occurred.

5. The process of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

responding to a request to initialize the total accumulated time that may have elapsed during any present and past setback modes of operation whereby the total accumulated time is set to zero.

6. The process of claim 5 further comprising the steps of:

computing any remaining period of time that elapses in the setback mode of operation following the setting of the total accumulated amount of time equal to zero;

computing any further amounts of time that elapse prior to termination of further setback modes of operation; and

adding the computed remaining period of time and any further computed amounts of time in further setback modes of operation so as to define a new total accumulated time following the initiation of the previous total accumulated time to zero.

7. A thermostat having the capability to track and report the participation by the thermostat in requested setbacks of the setpoint control for the thermostat, said thermostat comprising:

a memory for storing information;

a processor operative to receive at least one communication requesting that the thermostat enter into a setback mode of operation whereby at least one setpoint used in a normal mode of operation is changed, said processor being operative to store information contained in the communication in said memory, said processor being operative to track the amount of time that elapses during the setback mode of operation, said processor being furthermore operative to respond to any communication requesting total accumulated time that may have elapsed during any present and past setback modes of operation whereby the total accumulated time is transmitted to the entity requesting the total accumulated time.

8. The thermostat of claim 7 wherein said processor is furthermore operative in response to a request for the total accumulated time that may have elapsed during any present and past setback modes of operation, to compute the requested total accumulated time by adding the tracked amount of time that has elapsed during any present setback mode of operation to any previously accumulated times that have elapsed during previous setback modes of operation.

9. The thermostat of claim 7 wherein said processor is furthermore operative when tracking the amount of time that elapses during the setback mode of operation to monitor any termination of a requested setback mode of operation and to note the time that has elapsed in a terminated setback mode of operation and to add the noted elapsed time in a terminated setback mode of operation to any previously accumulated times stored in the memory that have elapsed during previous setback modes of operation.

10. The thermostat of claim 7 wherein said thermostat furthermore comprises at least one touch sensitive operation which is depressed when a setback mode of operation is to be terminated and wherein said processor is operative to store an indication that such touch sensitive button has been depressed in memory as an indication that a requested setback mode of operation is to be terminated.

11. The thermostat of claim 7 wherein said processor is furthermore operative to respond to a communication requesting that the total accumulated time that may have elapsed during any present and past setback modes of operation be cleared whereby the total accumulated time is set to zero.

12. The thermostat of claim 11 wherein said processor is furthermore operative to compute any remaining period of time that elapses in the setback mode of operation occurring when the total accumulated amount of time is set equal to zero and is still furthermore operative to compute any further amounts of time that elapse prior to termination of further setback modes of operation and to add the computed remaining period of time and any further computed amount of time in further setback modes of operation so as to define a new total accumulated amount of time of zero following the initialization of the previous total accumulated time to zero.