Self-adjusting thermostat for floor warming control systems and other applications

• US 9,282,590 B2
• Filed: 04/12/2012
• Issued: 03/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Appleton Grp, LLC (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Appleton Grp, LLC (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Donlan, Andrew J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Huson, Gregory
• Assistant Examiner(s): Decker, Phillip E
• Application Number:
  US13/445,704
• Publication Number:
  US 20120261481A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,426 Days
• Field of Search: 237/12, 237/2.R, 237/81, 237/2.A, 700/276
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F24D 19/10 Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices only the heater being controlled F24H9/20
• CPC Class Codes: F24D 2220/2081 Floor or wall heating panels
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1917 using digital means
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 1/0275 Heating of spaces, e.g. rooms, wardrobes

Abstract

A method of controlling the temperature of an environment, including the steps of providing a thermostat and receiving a signal from an occupancy sensor indicating whether an area has been occupied for each discrete time period of a 24 hour time period, assigning a first point value to each discrete time period where occupancy has been sensed, and repeating the steps for the next two 24 hour periods, and averaging the point values for each discrete time period in the first, second, and third 24 hour periods, to obtain an average point value, and sending a first signal to a heating device adapted for heating a second area to provide a temperature-related setting for a given discrete time period when the average point value for that discrete time period is above a threshold point value.

Claims

1. A method of controlling the temperature of an environment comprising the steps of:

providing a thermostat adapted to have values in the memory of a microprocessor assigned for discrete time periods in a 24 hour time period;

receiving a signal from an occupancy sensor in an area indicating whether that area has been occupied for each discrete time period of the 24 hour time period;

assigning a first point value to each discrete time period where occupancy has been sensed during that discrete time period in a first 24 hour time period;

assigning a second point value to each discrete time period where occupancy has been sensed during that discrete time period in a second 24 hour time period that predates the first 24 hour time period;

assigning a third point value to each discrete time period where occupancy has been sensed during that discrete time period in a third 24 hour time period that predates the second time period;

averaging the point values for each discrete time period in the first, second, and third 24 hour periods, where occupancy was sensed in any of the first, second, or third 24 hour periods to obtain an average point value;

sending a first signal to a heating device adapted for heating a location to provide a temperature-related setting for a given discrete time period when the average point value for that discrete time period is above a threshold point value K.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each discrete time period is of the same length.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein each discrete time period is ten minutes in length.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein a temperature of the heating device is adjusted by an expected occupancy pattern of the area.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the temperature-related setting is a high temperature setting or an on setting.

6. The method of claim 1, further including sending a second signal to the heating device to provide a temperature-related setting for a given discrete time period when the average point value for that discrete time period is equal to or below a threshold value K.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the temperature-related setting based on the second signal is a low temperature setting or an off setting.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the thermostat includes a pre-absence memory such that when no occupancy is sensed for an extended period, the average point value within each discrete time period will fall below the threshold value and the temperature-related setting based on the second signal is a low temperature setting or an off setting, and when occupancy is resumed, the point values in each discrete time period are returned to the levels they were at prior to the extended period of no occupancy.

9. The method of claim 6, further including sending a third signal to the heating device to provide a temperature-related setting for a given discrete time period when the average point value for that discrete time period is below the threshold value but above a floor value.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the temperature-related setting based on the third signal is an intermediate temperature.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein the first, second, and third point values are between 0 and 10 points inclusive, and the value of the threshold value K is between 6.0 to 9.0 inclusive.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the threshold value K is between 7.5 and 8.5 inclusive.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the threshold value K is 8.0.

14. The method of claim 11, further including the step of assigning bonus points S to the point values for periods of occupancy in a discrete time period that repeats itself, where the value of S is between 1.0 and 4.6 inclusive.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the value of S is between 2.7 and 3.7 inclusive.

16. The method of claim 1, where values are preset by a manufacturer of the thermostat.

17. The method of claim 1, where the values are preset by an end user.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein expedited learning is provided by adopting a 5/2 lifestyle pattern.

19. The method of claim 1, further including the step of assigning bonus points S to the point values for periods of occupancy in a discrete time period that repeats itself.

20. The method of claim 19, further including the step of allowing the user to increase or decrease the sensitivity of the method by increasing or decreasing the value of the bonus points S.

21. The method of claim 1, further including the step of limiting the number of adjustments that may be made to the temperature setting to once per a given time duration.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the given time duration is one hour.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein additional 24 hour periods of time are used to calculate the point value average.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein the location is positioned in the area where occupancy is sensed.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein the location is positioned in site that is different from the area where occupancy is sensed.

26. The method of claim 1, wherein the first point value is different than the second point value and third point value, and the second point value is different than the third point value.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the first point value is greater than the second point value and the third point value, and the second point value is greater than the third point value.

28. A system for controlling the temperature of an environment comprising:

an input/output unit associated with a computer processing unit and a memory adapted to have values assigned for discrete time periods in a 24 hour time period;

an occupancy sensor in an area that sends a signal to the input/output unit indicating whether that area has been occupied for each discrete time period of a 24 hour time period;

a first point value assigned to each discrete time period where occupancy has been sensed during that discrete time period in a first 24 hour time period;

a second point value assigned to each discrete time period where occupancy has been sensed during that discrete time period in a second 24 hour time period that predates the first 24 hour time period;

a third point value assigned to each discrete time period where occupancy has been sensed during that discrete time period in a third 24 hour time period that predates the second time period;

an average of the point values for each discrete time period in the first, second, and third 24 hour periods, where occupancy was sensed in any of the first, second, or third 24 hour periods to obtain an average point value; and

a heating device that receives a signal from the input/output device adapted for heating a location to provide a temperature-related setting for a given discrete time period when the average point value for that discrete time period is above a threshold point value K.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein each discrete time period is of the same length.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein each discrete time period is ten minutes in length.

31. The system of claim 28, wherein the heating device further receives a second signal to provide a temperature-related setting for a given discrete time period when the average point value for that discrete time period is equal to or below a threshold value K.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein the temperature-related setting based on the second signal is a low temperature setting or an off setting.

33. The system of claim 28, where bonus points S are added to the point values for periods of occupancy in a discrete time period that repeats itself.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein the location is positioned in the area where occupancy is sensed.

35. The system of claim 28, wherein the location is position in a site different from where occupancy is sensed.

36. The system of claim 28, wherein the first point value is different than the second point value and third point value, and the second point value is different than the third point value.

37. The system of claim 36, wherein the first point value is greater than the second point value and the third point value, and the second point value is greater than the third point value.

38. The system of claim 28, wherein the first, second, and third point values are between 0 and 10 points inclusive, and the value of the threshold value K is between 6.0 to 9.0 inclusive.

39. The system of claim 38, wherein the threshold value K is between 7.5 and 8.5 inclusive.

40. The system of claim 38, wherein bonus points S are assigned to the point values for periods of occupancy in a discrete time period that repeats itself, where the value of S is between 1.0 and 4.6 inclusive.

41. The system of claim 40, wherein the value of S is between 2.7 and 3.7 inclusive.

42. A self-adjusting thermostat for controlling the temperature of an environment comprising:

input/output unit associated with a computer processing unit and a memory adapted to have values assigned for discrete time periods in a 24 hour time period;

wherein the input/output unit is adapted to receive a signal from an occupancy sensor in an area indicating whether that area has been occupied for each discrete time period of the 24 hour time period;

a first point value assigned to each discrete time period where occupancy has been sensed during that discrete time period in a first 24 hour time period;

a second point value assigned to each discrete time period where occupancy has been sensed during that discrete time period in a second 24 hour time period that predates the first 24 hour time period;

a third point value assigned to each discrete time period where occupancy has been sensed during that discrete time period in a third 24 hour time period that predates the second time period;

an average of the point values for each discrete time period in the first, second, and third 24 hour periods, where occupancy was sensed in any of the first, second, or third 24 hour periods to obtain an average point value;

wherein the input/output unit is adapted to send a signal to a heating element for heating a location area to provide a temperature-related setting for a given discrete time period when the average point value for that discrete time period is above a threshold point value K.

43. The thermostat of claim 42, wherein each discrete time period is of the same length.

44. The thermostat of claim 43, wherein each discrete time period is ten minutes in length.

45. The thermostat of claim 42, wherein the input/output unit is adapted to send a second signal to a heating element to provide a temperature-related setting for a given discrete time period when the average point value for that discrete time period is equal to or below a threshold value K.

46. The thermostat of claim 45, wherein the temperature-related setting based on the second signal is a low temperature setting or an off setting.

47. The thermostat of claim 42, where bonus points S are added to the point values for periods of occupancy in a discrete time period that repeats itself.

48. The thermostat of claim 42, wherein the location is positioned in the area where occupancy is sensed.

49. The thermostat of claim 42, wherein the location is in a site different from the area where occupancy is sensed.

50. The thermostat of claim 42, wherein the first point value is different than the second point value and third point value, and the second point value is different than the third point value.

51. The thermostat of claim 50, wherein the first point value is greater than the second point value and the third point value, and the second point value is greater than the third point value.

52. The thermostat of claim 42, wherein the first, second, and third point values are between 0 and 10 points inclusive, and the value of the threshold value K is between 6.0 to 9.0 inclusive.

53. The thermostat of claim 52, wherein bonus points S are assigned to the point values for periods of occupancy in a discrete time period that repeats itself, where the value of S is between 1.0 and 4.6 inclusive.

54. The thermostat of claim 53, wherein the value of S is between 2.7 and 3.7 inclusive.

55. The thermostat of claim 42, wherein the threshold value K is between 7.5 and 8.5 inclusive.