Multiple thermostats for air conditioning system with time setting feature
First Claim
1. An air conditioning system including multiple thermostats disposed at predetermined locations throughout a building defining enclosed spaces and for controlling an air conditioning unit, said multiple thermostats each including a temperature display and switch actuators for setting a temperature setpoint, said multiple thermostats including control circuits, respectively, operably in communication with each other such that changing a temperature setpoint at any one of said multiple thermostats will change the temperature setpoint of all of said thermostats wherein each of said multiple thermostats include a Control Here switch actuator operable to effect control of said air conditioning unit to control the temperature in accordance with the temperature setpoint at the thermostat at which the Control Here switch actuator has been most recently actuated and to control the temperature in response to a temperature sensed by the thermostat at which the Control Here switch actuator has been most recently actuated.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An air conditioning (HVAC) system for a residential dwelling or other building with enclosed spaces includes multiple thermostats hard wire interconnected or communicating via radio frequency transceivers. The thermostats each include control circuits for adjusting the setpoint temperature at any one thermostat and displaying the set temperature at all thermostats, setting the time at any one thermostat and displaying the time at all thermostats, controlling the thermostat temperature setting from a selected one of the thermostats and providing a setpoint for control of the air conditioning system based on an average temperature sensed by all of the thermostats. A method for correctly setting a thermostat time display to one of Daylight Saving Time or Standard Time and displaying an icon identifying one or the other is disclosed.
129 Citations
22 Claims
- 1. An air conditioning system including multiple thermostats disposed at predetermined locations throughout a building defining enclosed spaces and for controlling an air conditioning unit, said multiple thermostats each including a temperature display and switch actuators for setting a temperature setpoint, said multiple thermostats including control circuits, respectively, operably in communication with each other such that changing a temperature setpoint at any one of said multiple thermostats will change the temperature setpoint of all of said thermostats wherein each of said multiple thermostats include a Control Here switch actuator operable to effect control of said air conditioning unit to control the temperature in accordance with the temperature setpoint at the thermostat at which the Control Here switch actuator has been most recently actuated and to control the temperature in response to a temperature sensed by the thermostat at which the Control Here switch actuator has been most recently actuated.
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10. A method for controlling operation of an air conditioning system for providing conditioned air to enclosed spaces, said system including multiple thermostats disposed in selected ones of said enclosed spaces and operably connected to said system for controlling the temperature in said enclosed spaces, respectively, said multiple thermostats each including a temperature sensor and a display for displaying the temperature sensed, a setpoint temperature and the time of day, and a Control Here switch actuator actuating a Control Here switch actuator of one of said thermostats to cause said system to satisfy a temperature setpoint of said one thermostat in response to a temperature sensed by said one thermostat and said multiple thermostats being operably connected to each other by one of electrical conductors and radio frequency signal transmission, said method including the steps of:
sensing temperatures in said enclosed spaces by respective ones of said multiple thermostats, communicating the sensed temperatures between selected ones of said multiple thermostats, providing at least one of said thermostats with a microcontroller, conducting signals corresponding to said sensed temperatures to said at least one thermostat, determining an average sensed temperatures by said microcontroller and causing said system to satisfy said average temperature as a setpoint temperature for said multiple thermostats. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13)
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14. A method for controlling operation of an air conditioning system for providing conditioned air to enclosed spaces, said system including multiple thermostats disposed in selected ones of said enclosed spaces and operably connected to said system for controlling the temperature in said enclosed spaces, respectively, said multiple thermostats each including a temperature sensor and a display for displaying the temperature sensed, a setpoint temperature and the time of day, and said multiple thermostats being operably connected to each other by one of electrical conductors and radio frequency signal transmission, at least selected ones of said thermostats including a clock, a time display and at least on clock setting switch actuator said method including the steps of:
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sensing temperatures in said enclosed spaces by respective ones of said multiple thermostats, communicating the sensed temperatures between selected ones of said multiple thermostats, providing at least one of said thermostats with a microcontroller, conducting signals corresponding to said sensed temperatures to said at least one thermostat, determining an average sensed temperatures by said microcontroller and causing said system to satisfy said average temperature as a setpoint temperature for said multiple thermostats; and setting the time at one of said thermostats and displaying the same time setting at others of said thermostats.
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15. A method for controlling operation of an air conditioning system for providing conditioned air to enclosed spaces, said system including multiple thermostats disposed in selected ones of said enclosed spaces and operably connected to said system for controlling the temperature in said enclosed spaces, respectively, said multiple thermostats each including a temperature sensor and a display for displaying the temperature sensed, a setpoint temperature and the time of day, and said multiple thermostats being operably connected to each other by one of electrical conductors and radio frequency signal transmission, said method including the steps of:
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sensing temperatures in said enclosed spaces by respective ones of said multiple thermostats, communicating the sensed temperatures between selected ones of said multiple thermostats, providing selected ones of said thermostats with a Daylight Saving Time switch actuator operable to advance an initial clock setting one hour and display a Daylight Saving Time icon, and correcting a discrepancy between a time shown on a display and the display or lack thereof of said icon by; actuating one of said Daylight Saving Time switch actuators a first time to advance the time displayed one hour from the initial time setting and to display said icon; actuating said Daylight Saving Time switch actuator a second time to set back the time displayed one hour from said initial time setting and extinguish said icon; and actuating said Daylight Saving Time switch actuator a third time to set the correct time and display said icon. - View Dependent Claims (16)
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17. A method for controlling operation of an air conditioning system for providing conditioned air to enclosed spaces, said system including multiple thermostats disposed in selected ones of said enclosed spaces and operably connected to said system for controlling the temperature in said enclosed spaces, respectively, said multiple thermostats each including a temperature sensor and a display for displaying the temperature sensed, a setpoint temperature and the time of day, and said multiple thermostats being operably connected to each other by one of electrical conductors and radio frequency signal transmission, said method including the steps of:
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sensing temperatures in said enclosed spaces by respective ones of said multiple thermostats, communicating the sensed temperatures between selected ones of said multiple thermostats, providing at least one of said thermostats with a microcontroller, conducting signals corresponding to said sensed temperatures to said at least one thermostat, determining an average sensed temperatures by said microcontroller, causing said system to satisfy said average temperature as a setpoint temperature for said multiple thermostats; and providing selected ones of said thermostats with a Daylight Saving Time switch actuator operable to set back an initial clock setting one hour and extinguish a Daylight Saving Time icon, and correcting a discrepancy between a time shown on a display and the display or lack thereof of said icon by; actuating one of said Daylight Saving Time switch actuators a first time to set back the time displayed one hour from an initial time setting and to extinguish said icon; actuating said Daylight Saving Time switch actuator a second time to advance the time displayed one hour from said initial time setting and display said icon; and actuating said Daylight Saving Time switch actuator a third time to set the correct time and extinguish said icon. - View Dependent Claims (18)
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19. A method for controlling operation of an air conditioning system for providing conditioned air to enclosed spaces, said system including multiple thermostats disposed in selected ones of said enclosed spaces and operably connected to said system for controlling the temperature in said enclosed spaces, respectively, said multiple thermostats each including a temperature sensor and a display for displaying the temperature sensed, a setpoint temperature and the time of day, and said multiple thermostats being operably connected to each other by one of electrical conductors and radio frequency signal transmission, said method including the steps of:
- sensing temperatures in said enclosed spaces by respective ones of said multiple thermostats and communicating the sensed temperatures between selected ones of said multiple thermostats wherein;
each of said thermostats include a Control Here switch actuator and said method includes actuating a Control Here switch actuator of one of said thermostats to cause said system to satisfy a temperature setpoint of said one thermostat.
- sensing temperatures in said enclosed spaces by respective ones of said multiple thermostats and communicating the sensed temperatures between selected ones of said multiple thermostats wherein;
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20. An air conditioning system including multiple thermostats disposed at predetermined locations throughout a building defining enclosed spaces and for controlling an air conditioning unit, said multiple thermostats each including a temperature display and switch actuators for setting a temperature setpoint, said multiple thermostats including control circuits, respectively, operably in communication with each other:
at least one of said multiple thermostats includes a time display, a Daylight Saving Time icon, and a Daylight Saving Time switch actuator for changing at least one of a time setting function and a time display of all of said thermostats in accordance with selection of Daylight Saving Time or Standard Time by actuation of said Daylight Saving Time switch actuator wherein the Daylight Saving Time switch actuator is operable to set back an initial clock setting one hour and extinguish a Daylight Saving Time icon, and to correct a discrepancy between a time shown on a display and the display or lack thereof of said icon by;
actuating one of said Daylight Saving Time switch actuators a first time to set back the time displayed one hour from an initial time setting and to extinguish said icon;
actuating said Daylight Saving Time switch actuator a second time to advance the time displayed one hour from said initial time setting and display said icon; and
actuating said Daylight Saving Time switch actuator a third time to set the correct time and extinguish said icon.- View Dependent Claims (21, 22)
Specification