Multiple thermostats for air conditioning system with time setting feature

• US 7,837,128 B2
• Filed: 09/03/2009
• Issued: 11/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Trane International Inc. (Trane Technologies plc)
• Original Assignee: Trane International Inc. (Trane Technologies plc)
• Inventors: Helt, Robert W., Hugghins, Gordon Jeffrey, Garrett, Carl L.
• Primary Examiner(s): JIANG, CHEN WEN
• Application Number:
  US12/553,485
• Publication Number:
  US 20090314846A1
• Time in Patent Office: 446 Days
• Field of Search: 236/94, 236/91.D, 236/1.C
• US Class Current: 236/94
• 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 11/523 for displaying temperature data
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/62 characterised by the type of control or by internal processing, e.g. using fuzzy logic, adaptive control or estimation of values
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/88 Electrical aspects, e.g. circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1905 associated with tele control

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.

Claims

1. A method for obtaining the correct setting of time and display of an icon on a display for a clock associated with a thermostat for an air conditioning system, said clock display being driven by a control circuit and a switch actuator for changing the clock setting and the display of said icon to identify whether the clock setting displayed is Standard Time or Daylight Saving Time, said clock setting being established after elapse of a predetermined time after a change of clock setting initiated by said switch actuator, said method comprising the steps of:

causing a first actuation of said switch actuator to one of advance said clock hour and set back said clock one hour with respect to an initial clock setting and change the status of said icon;

causing a second actuation of said switch actuator to change the clock setting in the opposite direction with respect to said initial clock setting from the first actuation and change the icon status to that opposite of that shown in response to said first actuation;

waiting a predetermined time to allow the clock setting to establish at the setting caused by one of said actuations; and

causing a third actuation of said switch actuator to change the clock setting to the correct setting of time and icon status.

2. The method set forth in claim 1 wherein:

said first actuation of said switch actuator advances the clock setting one hour from said initial setting and displays said icon and said second actuation of said switch actuator sets the clock back one hour from said initial setting and extinguishes said icon and a sequence of three presses of said switch actuator results in the correct setting of Daylight Saving Time and display of said icon.

3. The method set forth in claim 1 wherein:

said first actuation of said switch actuator sets back the clock setting one hour from said initial setting and extinguishes said icon and said second actuation of said switch actuator advances the clock setting one hour from said initial setting and displays said icon, and a sequence of three actuations of said switch actuator results in the correct setting of Standard Time and extinguishment of said icon.

4. A method of setting a time and Daylight Savings Time icon display in a thermostat, comprising:

providing a first thermostat having a time display, a selectively displayed Daylight Savings Time icon display, and a first switch actuator configured to selectively adjust the time, the time display, and the Daylight Savings Time icon display; and

actuating the first switch actuator once to advance the time by one hour, display the adjusted time using the time display, and to display the Daylight Savings Time icon.

5. The method according to claim 4, further comprising:

after a predetermined period of time has passed, actuating the first switch actuator again to advance the time by one hour, display the adjusted time using the time display, and to display the Daylight Savings Time icon.

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising:

within the predetermined period of time from the most recent actuation of the first switch actuator, actuating the first switch actuator again to decrease the time by two hours, display the adjusted time using the time display, and to cause the Daylight Savings Time Icon to not be displayed.

7. The method according to claim 4, further comprising:

within a predetermined period of time from the most recent actuation of the first switch actuator, actuating the first switch actuator again to decrease the time by two hours, display the adjusted time using the time display, and to cause the Daylight Savings Time Icon to not be displayed.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising:

within the predetermined period of time from the most recent actuation of the first switch actuator, actuating the first switch actuator again to advance the time by one hour, display the adjusted time using the time display, and to display the Daylight Savings Time icon if the Daylight Savings Time icon was being displayed immediately prior to the second most recent actuation of the first switch actuator and to not display the Daylight Savings Time icon if the Daylight Savings Time icon was not being display immediately prior to the second most recent actuation of the first switch actuator.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising:

within the predetermined period of time from the most recent actuation of the first switch actuator, actuating the first switch actuator once to advance the time by one hour, display the adjusted time using the time display, and to display the Daylight Savings Time icon;

within the predetermined period of time from the most recent actuation of the first switch actuator, actuating the first switch actuator again to decrease the time by two hours, display the adjusted time using the time display, and to cause the Daylight Savings Time Icon to not be displayed; and

within the predetermined period of time from the most recent actuation of the first switch actuator, actuating the first switch actuator again to advance the time by one hour, display the adjusted time using the time display, and to display the Daylight Savings Time icon if the Daylight Savings Time icon was not being displayed immediately prior to the second most recent actuation of the first switch actuator and to not display the Daylight Savings Time icon if the Daylight Savings Time icon was being display immediately prior to the second most recent actuation of the first switch actuator.

10. A method of setting a time and Daylight Savings Time icon display in a thermostat, comprising:

providing a first thermostat having a time display, a selectively displayed Daylight Savings Time icon display, and a first switch actuator configured to selectively adjust the time, the time display, and the Daylight Savings Time icon display; and

actuating the first switch actuator once to decrease the time by one hour, display the adjusted time using the time display, and to cause the Daylight Savings Time icon to not be displayed.

11. The method according to claim 10, further comprising:

after a predetermined period of time has passed, actuating the first switch actuator again to decrease the time by one hour, display the adjusted time using the time display, and to cause the Daylight Savings Time icon to not be displayed.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising:

within the predetermined period of time from the most recent actuation of the first switch actuator, actuating the first switch actuator again to advance the time by two hours, display the adjusted time using the time display, and to display the Daylight Savings Time icon.

13. The method according to claim 10, further comprising:

within a predetermined period of time from the most recent actuation of the first switch actuator, actuating the first switch actuator again to advance the time by two hours, display the adjusted time using the time display, and to display the Daylight Savings Time icon.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising:

within the predetermined period of time from the most recent actuation of the first switch actuator, actuating the first switch actuator again to decrease the time by one hour, display the adjusted time using the time display, and to display the Daylight Savings Time icon if the Daylight Savings Time icon was being displayed immediately prior to the second most recent actuation of the first switch actuator and to not display the Daylight Savings Time icon if the Daylight Savings Time icon was not being display immediately prior to the second most recent actuation of the first switch actuator.

15. The method according to claim 14, further comprising:

within the predetermined period of time from the most recent actuation of the first switch actuator, actuating the first switch actuator once to decrease the time by one hour, display the adjusted time using the time display, and to cause the Daylight Savings Time Icon to not be displayed;

within the predetermined period of time from the most recent actuation of the first switch actuator, actuating the first switch actuator again to advance the time by two hours, display the adjusted time using the time display, and to display the Daylight Savings Time Icon; and

within the predetermined period of time from the most recent actuation of the first switch actuator, actuating the first switch actuator again to decrease the time by one hour, display the adjusted time using the time display, and to display the Daylight Savings Time icon if the Daylight Savings Time icon was not being displayed immediately prior to the second most recent actuation of the first switch actuator and to not display the Daylight Savings Time icon if the Daylight Savings Time icon was being display immediately prior to the second most recent actuation of the first switch actuator.