System and method for controlling appliances and thermostat for use therewith

• US 7,469,550 B2
• Filed: 04/27/2006
• Issued: 12/30/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Robertshaw Controls Company (Schneider Electric SE)
• Original Assignee: Robertshaw Controls Company (Schneider Electric SE)
• Inventors: Ashworth, Nicholas, Wallaert, Timothy E., Chapman, John Gilman Jr., Burt, Robert, Rao, Joseph P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Norman; Marc E
• Application Number:
  US11/412,399
• Publication Number:
  US 20060208099A1
• Time in Patent Office: 978 Days
• Field of Search: 621/57, 622/31, 623/31, 236/22, 236/46.C, 236/46.R, 236/51, 236/94, 236/1.C, 236/91.R, 236/91.D, 236/91.F, 700/276
• US Class Current: 62/157
• 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 11/46 Improving electric energy efficiency or saving
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/65 for selecting an operating mode
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/10 Occupancy
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1905 associated with tele control

Abstract

An energy saving control for appliances via an intelligent thermostat is provided. This intelligent thermostat provides programmatic control over the HVAC system, and provides coordinated control over the appliances. This control over the appliances is accomplished via a communications network between the intelligent thermostat and the appliances. The appliances include occupancy sensors and transmit usage and occupancy information to the intelligent thermostat. The intelligent thermostat processes this information to determine the occupancy of the dwelling. The thermostat controls the HVAC system and the appliances according to the determined occupancy of the dwelling.

Claims

1. A system for controlling operation of at least one appliance within a dwelling, comprising:

at least one appliance having an electronic controller operable to control the at least one appliance; and

an intelligent thermostat remotely located from the at least one appliance for controlling at least a dwelling'"'"'s heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) system, the intelligent thermostat operably coupled to the electronic controller for communications therewith, the intelligent thermostat adapted to control operation of the HVAC system and the at least one appliance in response to communication between the at least one appliance and the intelligent thermostat; and

wherein the at least one appliance has at least one occupancy sensor for sensing occupancy information of the dwelling, and wherein the electronic controller communicates the sensed occupancy information to the intelligent thermostat, and wherein the intelligent thermostat processes the occupancy information to determine if the occupancy state of the dwelling is one of an occupied state and an unoccupied state; and

wherein the intelligent thermostat transmits a command to the electronic controller to operate the at least one appliance in an energy saving mode when the intelligent determines that the occupancy state of the dwelling is in the unoccupied state.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the occupancy information sensed by the at least one occupancy sensor includes a user'"'"'s manipulation of at least one input control of the at least one appliance.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the at least one input control of the at least one appliance includes at least one of a button, a switch, a dial and a touch screen.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one appliance includes a plurality of appliances having at least one occupancy sensor and an electronic controller operable to control the appliance and operably coupled to the intelligent thermostat for communication therewith, and wherein the thermostat operates to control the operation of all of the plurality of appliances according to the determined occupancy state of the dwelling.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the intelligent thermostat transmits an appliance vacation mode control signal to the at least one appliance when the thermostat determines that the dwelling is in the unoccupied state to initiate an appliance vacation mode within the electronic controller.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the intelligent thermostat transmits a cancel appliance vacation mode control signal to the at least on appliance when the thermostat determines that the dwelling has returned to the occupied state.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the intelligent thermostat controls the HVAC system according to an occupied mode setting for the HVAC system when the intelligent thermostat determines the dwelling is in the occupied state.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the intelligent thermostat is operably coupled to the electronic controller of the at least one appliance for communications via a wireless communication channel.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the intelligent thermostat is operably coupled to the electronic controller of the at least one appliance for communications via a wired communications channel.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one appliance includes at least one of a door, lid, latch, lock, and handle, and wherein the occupancy information sensed by the at least one occupancy sensor includes a user'"'"'s manipulation of at least one of the at least one of a door, lid, latch, lock, and handle.

11. A system for controlling operation of at least one appliance within a dwelling, comprising:

at least one appliance having an electronic controller operable to control the at least one appliance;

an intelligent thermostat remotely located from the at least one appliance for controlling at least a dwelling'"'"'s heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) system, the intelligent thermostat operably coupled to the electronic controller for communications therewith to control operation of at least one of the HVAC system and the at least one appliance in response to communication between the at least one appliance and the intelligent thermostat; and

wherein the at least one appliance includes at least one heat producing appliance that dissipates heat energy into the dwelling, and wherein the electronic controller of the at least one heat producing appliance communicates operational information of the heat producing appliance to the intelligent thermostat, and wherein the intelligent thermostat activates the HVAC system to cool at least a localized environment of the heat producing appliance in response to the operational information despite a sensed temperature at the intelligent thermostat being below an activation set point for the HVAC system.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the operational information includes at least one of a user determined mode of operation, a user determined length of operation, a user determined temperature setting, or an appliance determined energy dissipation quantity.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the HVAC system can independently condition a plurality of localized environments of the dwelling, and the intelligent thermostat activates the HVAC system to condition only the localized environment of the at least one heat producing appliance in response to receiving the operational information.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the intelligent thermostat is configured to provide a user selectable HVAC vacation mode setting for the HVAC system, and wherein the intelligent thermostat transmits an appliance vacation mode control signal to the electronic controller of the at least one appliance when the user selectable HVAC vacation mode has been selected to initiate an appliance vacation mode.

15. A method of controlling at least one appliance and a heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) system of a dwelling, comprising the steps of:

receiving by a thermostat user input information from the at least one appliance;

processing by the thermostat the received user input information;

transmitting by the thermostat to the at least one of the HVAC system and the at least one appliance a control signal to adjust an operational mode of the at least one HVAC system and appliance; and

wherein the user input information includes appliance activation information input by the user including at least one of a mode of operation, activation of the appliance, a length of operation, or a temperature setting; and

wherein the transmitting step includes transmitting an activation control signal to the HVAC system to activate the HVAC system to cool at least a portion of he dwelling despite a sensed temperature at the thermostat being below an activation set point for the HVAC system.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of processing by the thermostat includes the step of determining the occupancy state of the dwelling including one of an occupied state and an unoccupied state.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of determining the occupancy state includes the steps of:

calculating a time from last receipt of the user input information;

determining that the dwelling is unoccupied when the time exceeds a predetermined value without further receipt of the user input information; and

determining that the dwelling is occupied when further user input information is received by the thermostat.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of transmitting includes transmitting a control signal to adjust the operational mode of at least one of the HVAC system and the at least one appliance to a vacation mode.