Power management in single circuit HVAC systems and in multiple circuit HVAC systems
First Claim
1. A method for controlling a HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) system, the method implemented in a thermostat, the method comprising:
- determining one of a plurality of different HVAC wiring schemes for the thermostat, the HVAC wiring schemes comprising a single circuit system having no common wire, a multiple circuit system having no common wire, or a common wire system; and
implementing a power scheme based on the determined HVAC wiring scheme, wherein;
if the determined HVAC wiring scheme is the single circuit system, the power scheme uses active and inactive power stealing on the single circuit system;
if the determined HVAC wiring scheme is the multiple circuit system, the power scheme only uses inactive power stealing on a non-enabled circuit within the multiple circuit system;
orif the determined HVAC wiring scheme is the common wire system, the power scheme uses neither active power stealing nor inactive power stealing.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A thermostat includes a plurality of HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) wire connectors for receiving a plurality of HVAC control wires corresponding to an HVAC system. The thermostat also includes a thermostat processing and control circuit operative to at least partially control the operation of the HVAC system and a powering circuit coupled to the HVAC wire connectors and configured to provide an electrical load power to the thermostat processing and control circuit. The thermostat includes circuitry and methods for maximizing efficiency of energy harvested from the HVAC system connected to the thermostat, and depending on which system is connected to the thermostat, different power schemes can be implemented in order to obtain power from the HVAC system.
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Citations
24 Claims
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1. A method for controlling a HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) system, the method implemented in a thermostat, the method comprising:
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determining one of a plurality of different HVAC wiring schemes for the thermostat, the HVAC wiring schemes comprising a single circuit system having no common wire, a multiple circuit system having no common wire, or a common wire system; and implementing a power scheme based on the determined HVAC wiring scheme, wherein; if the determined HVAC wiring scheme is the single circuit system, the power scheme uses active and inactive power stealing on the single circuit system; if the determined HVAC wiring scheme is the multiple circuit system, the power scheme only uses inactive power stealing on a non-enabled circuit within the multiple circuit system;
orif the determined HVAC wiring scheme is the common wire system, the power scheme uses neither active power stealing nor inactive power stealing. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A thermostat, comprising:
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a plurality of HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) wire connectors operative to receive a plurality of HVAC wires corresponding to an HVAC system; control circuitry operative to at least partially control the operation of the HVAC system; power wire selection circuitry connected to the HVAC wire connectors and to the control circuitry, the power wire selection circuitry operative to select which wire connector is electrically coupled to a power node; powering circuitry operative to receive power from the power wire selection circuitry via the power wire selection circuitry; wherein the control circuitry is further operative to; determine an HVAC wiring scheme based on which wire connectors have received HVAC wires; cause the power circuitry to operate according to a selected one of a plurality of power schemes based on the determined HVAC wiring scheme; and instruct the power wire selection circuitry to selectively couple a predetermined one of the wire connectors to the power node based on the determined HVAC wiring scheme and the selected power scheme. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A thermostat, comprising:
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a plurality of wiring connectors operative to connect to a plurality of HVAC wires; insertion sensing circuitry operative to provide insertion sensing signals indicative of which wiring connectors have an HVAC wire connected thereto; power wire selection circuitry comprising an output node, a control node, and at least two input nodes, each input node is electrically coupled to a different one of at least two wiring connectors, the power wire selection circuitry operative to selectively couple any input node to the output node based on a signal received at the control node; a microcontroller operative to receive the insertion sensing signals and process HVAC call signals, the HVAC call signals including at least two different types of calls, the microcontroller further operative to; determine an HVAC wiring scheme based on the received insertion sensing signals; implement a power scheme based on the determined HVAC wiring scheme; provide a selection signal to the control node based on the determined HVAC wiring scheme, the HVAC call signal, and the implemented power scheme. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24)
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Specification