Load management thermostat

• US 7,775,454 B2
• Filed: 05/11/2007
• Issued: 08/17/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Copeland Comfort Control LP (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Emerson Electric Company
• Inventors: Mueller, Carl J., Garozzo, James P., Sartain, John M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tyler; Cheryl J
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gonzalez; Paolo
• Application Number:
  US11/801,855
• Publication Number:
  US 20080277487A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,194 Days
• Field of Search: 236/1.C, 236/46.R, 236/51, 236/94, 700/276
• US Class Current: 236/51
• 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 11/47 Responding to energy costs
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/523 for displaying temperature data
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/63 Electronic processing
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/10 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1902 characterised by the use of a variable reference value
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1923 using thermal energy, the cost of which varies in function of time

Abstract

A thermostat is provided that is capable of reliably reducing the operation of an air conditioner and other systems to provide energy cost savings to the consumer and load reduction to a utility provider. The thermostat includes at least one sensor configured to communicate information indicative of the temperature within the space, and a memory for storing at least one temperature offset value associated with a request for reduced heating or reduced cooling operation. The thermostat further includes a controller in communication with the at least one sensor, which is configured to periodically determine a temperature value for the space and to control heating or cooling of the space until the determined temperature value has substantially reached the set-point temperature. The periodically determined temperature value is in part based on information received from the at least one sensor, and may include at least one temperature offset value when a request for reduced operation has been received by the thermostat.

Claims

1. A thermostat for controlling a heating and/or cooling appliance for a space to maintain a set-point temperature, the thermostat comprising:

at least one sensor configured to communicate information indicative of the temperature within the space;

a memory for storing at least one sensed temperature offset value associated with a request for reduced heating or reduced cooling operation received via a signal from a utility provider; and

a controller in communication with the memory and the at least one sensor, being configured to receive a signal from a utility provider that includes a request for reduced operation, and to periodically receive a sensed temperature value from the at least one sensor, where the controller offsets the sensed temperature value by the at least one sensed temperature offset value associated with a request for reduced operation, when a request for reduced operation from a utility provider has been received, to thereby determine an artificial temperature value for the space, the controller being configured to discontinue cooling operation for the space where the determined artificial temperature value is below the set-point temperature; and

a display device in communication with the controller that displays the determined artificial temperature value for the space instead of the actual sensed temperature of the space, and also displays the user selected set point temperature without alteration, such that the alteration of the sensed temperature for the space is transparent to the user and the user would be less likely to over-ride a request for reduced cooling operation by changing the user'"'"'s setpoint temperature.

2. The thermostat of claim 1 where upon receiving a request for reduced heating or cooling operation, the controller is configured to include at least one temperature offset value in the determination of the artificial temperature value for the space for a predetermined time period after receiving the request for reduced heating or cooling operation.

3. The thermostat of claim 2 where the controller is configured to periodically determine an artificial temperature value for the space absent any temperature offset value where the controller has not received a request for reduced operation within the predetermined time period, such that reduced operation is discontinued after expiration of the predetermined timed period.

4. The thermostat of claim 1 further comprising a display device that displays to the user the set-point temperature and the periodically determined artificial temperature value for the space, without any indication that the displayed artificial temperature value for the space includes a temperature offset value.

5. The thermostat of claim 1 wherein the set-point temperature is a temperature setting selected by the user that the thermostat uses and controls cooling operation to hold the temperature in the space.

6. The thermostat of claim 1 wherein the thermostat is programmable to include at least two programmed set point temperature settings associated with specific time periods of operation.

7. The thermostat of claim 2 wherein the offset value is in the range of 1 to 8 degrees.

8. The thermostat of claim 1 wherein the at least one temperature offset value comprises a plurality of incrementally varying offset values.

9. The thermostat of claim 1 wherein during the predetermined time period, the controller is further configured to discontinue heating or cooling operation for at least a minimum off-time period after the determined artificial temperature value has substantially reached the set-point temperature.

10. A thermostat for controlling at least a cooling system for conditioning a space, the thermostat comprising:

at least one sensor configured to communicate information indicative of the temperature within the space;

a memory for storing at least one sensed temperature offset value associated with a request for reduced cooling operation received via a signal from a utility provider; and

a controller in communication with the memory and the at least one sensor, being configured to periodically receive a sensed temperature value from the at least one sensor and to receive a signal from a utility provider that includes a request for reduced operation, where the controller offsets the sensed temperature value by at least one sensed temperature offset value associated with a request for reduced operation, when a request for reduced operation from a utility provider has been received, to thereby determine an artificial temperature value for the space, the controller being configured to discontinue cooling operation for the space where the determined artificial temperature value is below the set-point temperature; and

a display device in communication with the controller that displays the determined artificial temperature value for the space instead of the actual sensed temperature of the space, and also displays the user selected set point temperature without alteration, such that the alteration of the sensed temperature for the space is transparent to the user and the user would be less likely to over-ride a request for reduced cooling operation by changing the user'"'"'s setpoint temperature.

11. The thermostat of claim 10 where upon receiving a request for reduced heating or cooling operation, the controller is configured to include at least one temperature offset value in the determination of the artificial temperature value for the space for a predetermined time period after receiving the request for reduced heating or cooling operation.

12. The thermostat of claim 11 where the controller is configured to periodically determine an artificial temperature value for the space absent any temperature offset value where the controller has not received a request for reduced operation within the predetermined time period, such that reduced operation is discontinued after expiration of the predetermined timed period.

13. The thermostat of claim 10 further comprising a display device that displays to the user the set-point temperature and the periodically determined artificial temperature value for the space, without any indication that the periodically determined temperature value for the space includes a temperature offset value.

14. The thermostat of claim 10 wherein the offset value is in the range of 1 to 8 degrees.

15. The thermostat of claim 10 wherein the offset is incremented by a predetermined temperature value corresponding to an incremental time period of operation beyond a minimum threshold time period of operation.

16. The thermostat of claim 15, wherein the offset is incremented at least 1/16 of a degree Fahrenheit for each individual time increment beyond a minimum threshold period of at least 15 minutes of operation.

17. The thermostat of claim 10 wherein the thermostat is programmable to include at least two programmed set point temperature settings associated with specific time periods of operation.

18. The thermostat of claim 11 wherein during the predetermined time period, the controller is further configured to discontinue heating or cooling operation for at least a minimum off-time period after the determined artificial temperature value has substantially reached the set-point temperature.

19. A method for controlling the operation of a thermostat capable of receiving a request for reduced operation of a heating or cooling system for a space, comprising:

storing in a memory at least one temperature offset value associated with a request for reduced cooling operation received via a signal from a utility provider;

receiving the communication of information indicative of the sensed temperature within a space from at least one sensor; and

periodically determining an artificial temperature value for the space, wherein the artificial temperature value is determined based on sensed temperature value information received from the at least one sensor, which is offset by at least one sensed temperature offset value associated with a request for reduced operation, when a request for reduced operation has been received from a utility provider within a predetermined time period; and

controlling operation of the heating or cooling system for the space to discontinue cooling operation when the determined artificial temperature value is below the set-point temperature; and

displaying on a display device the determined artificial temperature value for the space instead of the actual sensed temperature of the space, and further displaying the user selected set point temperature without any alteration, such that the alteration of the sensed temperature for the space is transparent to the user and the user would be less likely to over-ride a request for reduced cooling operation by changing the user'"'"'s selected setpoint temperature.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the at least one temperature offset value is added to the sensed temperature value in the determination of an artificial temperature value for the space for a predetermined time period after a request for reduced heating or cooling operation has been received.