Zone thermostat for zone heating and cooling

• US 7,156,316 B2
• Filed: 10/06/2004
• Issued: 01/02/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Lawrence Kates
• Inventors: Kates, Lawrence
• Primary Examiner(s): NORMAN, MARC E
• Application Number:
  US10/959,494
• Publication Number:
  US 20060071089A1
• Time in Patent Office: 818 Days
• Field of Search: 236/1.B, 165/205, 165/208, 165/209, 165/212
• US Class Current: 236/1.00B
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/30 for purposes related to the operation of the system, e.g. for safety or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/38 Failure diagnosis
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/46 Improving electric energy efficiency or saving
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/523 for displaying temperature data
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/54 using one central controller connected to several sub-controllers
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/56 Remote control
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/65 for selecting an operating mode
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/74 for controlling air flow rate or air velocity
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/79 for controlling the direction of the supplied air
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/10 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/20 Humidity
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/40 Pressure, e.g. wind pressure
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/10 Occupancy
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1934 each space being provided with one sensor acting on one or more control means

Abstract

A zone thermostat for use in connection with an Electronically-Controlled Register vent (ECRV) that can be easily installed by a homeowner or general handyman is disclosed. The ECRV can be used to convert a non-zoned HVAC system into a zoned system. The ECRV can also be used in connection with a conventional zoned HVAC system to provide additional control and additional zones not provided by the conventional zoned HVAC system. In one embodiment, the ECRV is configured have a size and form-factor that conforms to a standard manually-controlled register vent. In one embodiment, the zone thermostat is configured to provide thermostat information to the ECRV. In one embodiment, the zone thermostat communicates with a central monitoring system that coordinates operation of the heating and cooling zones.

Claims

1. A zone thermostat, comprising:

a controller;

a temperature sensor provided to said controller, said temperature sensor configured to measure a temperature of air in a first zone;

a display;

at least one user input device; and

a communication system provided to said controller;

said controller configured to communicate temperature readings to a central system in response to a first query from said central system, said at least one user input device configured to allow a user to specify a zone setpoint temperature and a zone priority, said controller configured to communicate said zone setpoint temperature and said zone priority to said central system in response to a second query from said central system.

2. The zone Thermostat of claim 1, said controller further configured to relay communications between said central system and one or more electronically-controlled register vents configured to provide air to said first zone.

3. The zone thermostat of claim 1, wherein said controller is configured to transmit sensor data according to a threshold test.

4. The zone thermostat of claim 3, wherein said threshold test comprises a high threshold level.

5. The zone thermostat of claim 3, wherein said threshold test comprises a low threshold level.

6. The zone thermostat of claim 3, wherein said threshold test comprises an inner threshold range.

7. The zone thermostat of claim 3, wherein said threshold test comprises an outer threshold range.

8. The zone thermostat of claim 1, wherein controller is configured to receive an instruction to change a status reporting interval.

9. The zone thermostat of claim 1, wherein controller is configured to receive an instruction to change a sensor data reporting interval.

10. The zone thermostat of claim 1, wherein said zone thermostat is configured to monitor a status of one or more electronically-controlled register vents.

11. The zone thermostat of claim 1, wherein said communication system comprises a wireless communication system.

12. The zone thermostat of claim 11, wherein said wireless communication system comprises an infrared communication system.

13. The zone thermostat of claim 11, wherein said wireless communication system comprises an ultrasonic communication system.

14. The zone thermostat of claim 11, wherein said wireless communication comprises a radio-frequency communication system.

15. The zone thermostat of claim 1, wherein said communication system comprises a frequency-hopping system.

16. The zone thermostat of claim 1, wherein said communication system communicates using a 900 megahertz band.

17. The zone thermostat of claim 1, further comprising a visual indicator to indicate a low-power condition.

18. The zone thermostat of claim 1, said controller configured to use a predictive model to compute a control program for an electronically-controlled register vent.

19. The zone thermostat of claim 18, said control program configured to reduce power consumption by said electronically-controlled register vent.

20. The zone thermostat of claim 18, said control program configured to reduce movement of at least one actuator in said electronically-controlled register vent.

21. The zone thermostat of claim 18, said zone thermostat configured to use a predictive model to compute a control program for said electronically-controlled register vent.

22. The zone Thermostat of claim 1, said controller configured to send data to an electronically-controlled register vent.

23. The zone thermostat of claim 1, said zone thermostat configured to send setpoint data to said controller.

24. The zone thermostat of claim 1, said zone thermostat configured to send humidity data to said controller.

25. The zone thermostat of claim 1, said zone thermostat configured to send zone temperature slope data to said controller.

26. The zone thermostat of claim 1, further comprising a remote control interface.

27. The zone thermostat of claim 1, said zone thermostat further comprising an occupant sensor.

28. The zone thermostat of claim 1, said zone thermostat further comprising a light switch, said zone thermostat and said light switch configured to be installed in a standard electrical wall switch enclosure.

29. A zone thermostat, comprising:

a controller;

a temperature sensor provided to said controller, said temperature sensor configured to measure a temperature of air in a first zone;

a display;

at least one user input device; and

a communication system provided to said controller;

said controller configured to communicate temperature readings to a zone control system in response to a first query from said zone control system, said at least one user input device configured to allow a user to specify a zone setpoint temperature and a zone priority, said controller configured to communicate said zone setpoint temperature and said zone priority to said zone control system in response to a second query from said zone control system.

30. The zone thermostat of claim 29, wherein said zone control system comprises a central system.

31. The zone thermostat of claim 29, said wherein said zone control system comprises a distributed system.

32. The zone thermostat of claim 29, said wherein said zone control system comprises a distributed system of zone thermostats.

33. The zone thermostat of claim 29, said wherein said zone control system comprises a distributed system of zone thermostats and electronically-controlled register vents.

34. The zone thermostat of claim 29, wherein controller is configured to receive an instruction to change a status reporting interval.

35. The zone thermostat of claim 29, wherein controller is configured to receive an instruction to change a sensor data reporting interval.

36. The zone thermostat of claim 29, wherein said zone thermostat is configured to monitor a status of one or more electronically-controlled register vents.

37. The zone thermostat of claim 29, wherein said communication system comprises a wireless communication system.

38. The zone thermostat of claim 29, wherein said communication system communicates comprises an infrared communication system.

39. The zone thermostat of claim 29, wherein said communication system comprises an ultrasonic communication system.

40. The zone thermostat of claim 29, wherein said communication comprises a radio-frequency communication system.

41. The zone thermostat of claim 29, wherein said communication system comprises a frequency-hopping system.

42. The zone thermostat of claim 29 wherein said communication system communicates using a 900 megahertz band.

43. The zone thermostat of claim 29, further comprising a visual indicator to indicate a low-power condition.

44. The zone thermostat of claim 29, said controller configured to use a predictive model to compute a control program for an electronically-controlled register vent.

45. The zone thermostat of claim 29, said control program configured to reduce power consumption by said electronically-controlled register vent.

46. The zone thermostat of claim 29, said control program configured to reduce movement of at least one actuator in said electronically-controlled register vent.

47. The zone thermostat of claim 29, said zone thermostat configured to use a predictive model to compute a control program for said electronically-controlled register vent.

48. The zone thermostat of claim 29, said controller configured to send data to an electronically-controlled register vent.

49. The zone thermostat of claim 29, said zone thermostat configured to send setpoint data to said controller.

50. The zone thermostat of claim 29, said zone thermostat configured to send humidity data to said controller.

51. The zone thermostat of claim 29, said zone thermostat configured to send zone temperature slope data to said controller.

52. The zone thermostat of claim 29, further comprising a remote control interface.

53. The zone thermostat of claim 29, said zone thermostat further comprising an occupant sensor.

54. The zone thermostat of claim 29, said zone thermostat further comprising a light switch, said zone thermostat and said light switch configured to be installed in a standard electrical wall switch enclosure.