Wireless controller with gateway

• US 9,909,775 B2
• Filed: 03/27/2015
• Issued: 03/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ademco Inc. (Resideo Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Tessier, Patrick, Hartzler, Jeffrey
• Primary Examiner(s): Bradford, Jonathan
• Application Number:
  US14/671,912
• Publication Number:
  US 20150198347A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,075 Days
• Field of Search: 236 46 C, 236 51, 236 91 D, 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 11/46 Improving electric energy efficiency or saving
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/52 Indication arrangements, e.g. displays
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/56 Remote control
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/58 using Internet communication
• 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 2110/00 Control inputs relating to air properties
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/20 Feedback from users
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2600/07 Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 13/02 electric

Abstract

Remote control of energy consumption is realized using a readily installable, flexible approach. According to an example embodiment of the present invention, a remote source communicates with a wireless controller for executing energy usage control. The remote source sends signals to the wireless controller via a gateway located near or, in one implementation, forming part of the wireless controller. In response to the signals, the wireless controller sets control settings for operating one or more of a variety of equipment types, such as a furnace, air conditioner, water heater or heat pump. With this approach, wired connections from the gateway to energy-consuming equipment do not necessarily need to be made in order to effect remote energy-consumption control. For instance, when used in connection with a controller wired to the energy-consuming equipment, the gateway need only communicate wirelessly with the controller and does not necessarily need to be coupled to the energy-consuming equipment. In addition, access to the energy-consuming equipment for establishing remote energy control is not necessary; rather, the remote energy control can be effected by accessing user-friendly locations, such as those where thermostats and other controllers are typically located.

Claims

1. A wall mountable thermostat having a housing assembly for use in generating a call signal for one or more of a furnace, a heat pump, an air conditioner, and a fan of a dwelling, the wall mountable thermostat comprising:

a user interface including a display housed by the housing assembly for allowing a user of the dwelling to physically interact with the wall mountable thermostat;

one or more wire connectors, wherein the one or more wire connectors are configured to accept and retain one or more control wires of one or more of the furnace, the heat pump, the air conditioner, and the fan;

a temperature sensor housed by the housing assembly for sensing a temperature in or around the wall mountable thermostat;

a wireless radio frequency (RF) interface housed by the housing assembly;

a thermostat controller housed by the housing assembly and operatively coupled to the user interface, the wireless RF interface and the temperature sensor, the thermostat controller implementing a control algorithm for generating the call signal for one or more of the furnace, the heat pump, the air conditioner, and the fan based at least in part on the temperature sensed by the temperature sensor and for providing the generated call signal for one or more of the furnace, the heat pump, the air conditioner, and the fan to one or more of the wire connectors;

wherein the wireless RF interface is configured to wirelessly connect to a remote gateway in order to access the Internet, and to wirelessly receive user control inputs from the Internet, the wireless RF interface is further configured to provide the received user control inputs to the thermostat controller, where the thermostat controller is configured to allow the user of the dwelling to remotely control one or more of the furnace, the heat pump, the air conditioner, and the fan through the received user control inputs provided by a remotely located user device operated by the user of the dwelling; and

wherein the thermostat controller is further configured to receive one or more user interactions made at the user interface of the wall mountable thermostat, and in response to receipt of the one or more user interactions, report a change resulting from the one or more user interactions for transmission by the wireless RF interface through the remote gateway to the Internet and to the remotely located user device of the user of the dwelling.

2. The wall mountable thermostat of claim 1, wherein the wireless RF interface is not part of a local gateway of the wall mountable thermostat.

3. The wall mountable thermostat of claim 1, wherein the user of the dwelling can input the user control inputs using the remotely located user device that is connectable to the Internet.

4. The wall mountable thermostat of claim 1, wherein the housing assembly includes:

a thermostat housing and a thermostat base, wherein the thermostat housing is removably coupled to the thermostat base such that when the thermostat housing is coupled to the thermostat base, one or more electrical signals can be communicated between the thermostat housing and the thermostat base; and

the thermostat base includes the one or more wire connectors.

5. The wall mountable thermostat of claim 1, wherein the thermostat controller is configured to provide one or more operational characteristics of one or more of the furnace, the heat pump, the air conditioner, and the fan to the wireless RF interface for transmission through the remote gateway to the Internet and ultimately to the remotely located user device.

6. A wall mountable thermostat having a housing assembly for use in controlling one or more of a furnace, a heat pump, an air conditioner, and a fan of a building, the wall mountable thermostat comprising:

a user interface housed by the housing assembly for allowing a user of the building to interact with the wall mountable thermostat;

one or more wire connectors, wherein the one or more wire connectors are configured to accept and retain one or more control wires of one or more of the furnace, the heat pump, the air conditioner, and the fan;

a temperature sensor housed by the housing assembly for sensing a temperature;

a wireless interface housed by the housing assembly;

a thermostat controller housed by the housing assembly and operatively coupled to the user interface, the wireless interface and the temperature sensor, the thermostat controller having a control algorithm for controlling one or more of the furnace, the heat pump, the air conditioner, and the fan based at least in part on the temperature sensed by the temperature sensor;

wherein the wireless interface is configured to wirelessly communicate with a gateway located remotely from the wall mountable thermostat in order to access the Internet, the wireless interface further configured to wirelessly receive a user setpoint from the Internet via the gateway, and to provide the received user setpoint to the thermostat controller, where the thermostat controller is configured to allow the user of the building to remotely control one or more of the furnace, the heat pump, the air conditioner, and the fan through the received user setpoint provided by a remotely located user device operated by the user; and

wherein the thermostat controller is further configured to receive a user setpoint change made at the user interface of the wall mountable thermostat, and in response to receipt of the user setpoint changes, report the user setpoint change for transmission by the wireless interface through the gateway to the Internet and to the remotely located user device.

7. The wall mountable thermostat of claim 6, wherein the wireless interface is not part of a local gateway of the wall mountable thermostat.

8. The wall mountable thermostat of claim 7, wherein the wall mountable thermostat does not implement a local gateway.

9. The wall mountable thermostat of claim 6, wherein the housing assembly includes:

a thermostat housing and a thermostat base, wherein the thermostat housing is removably coupled to the thermostat base such that when the thermostat housing is coupled to the thermostat base, one or more electrical signals can be communicated between the thermostat housing and the thermostat base.

10. The wall mountable thermostat of claim 9, wherein the thermostat base is configured to be mounted to a wall of the building.

11. The wall mountable thermostat of claim 9, wherein the thermostat base includes the one or more wire connectors.

12. The wall mountable thermostat of claim 6, wherein the thermostat controller is configured to provide one or more operational characteristics of one or more of the furnace, the heat pump, the air conditioner, and the fan to the wireless interface for transmission by the wireless interface through the gateway to the Internet and ultimately to the remotely located user device.

13. The wall mountable thermostat of claim 6, wherein the thermostat controller is configured to receive one or more user setpoints through the wireless interface, and is further configured to output one or more corresponding responses for transmission by the wireless interface.

14. An HVAC controller for use in generating a call signal for one or more of a furnace, a heat pump, an air conditioner, and a fan of an HVAC system of a building, the HVAC controller comprising:

a user interface;

a controller implementing a control algorithm for controlling an HVAC system;

a wired interface connectable to one or more control wires of the HVAC system, the controller operatively coupled to the wired interface and configured to provide, based on the control algorithm, the call for one or more of the furnace, the heat pump, the air conditioner, and the fan to the wired interface for controlling one or more of the furnace, the heat pump, the air conditioner, and the fan;

a wireless interface operatively coupled to the controller, the wireless interface configured to connect to a remote gateway in order to access the Internet, the wireless interface further configured to receive a user setpoint from the Internet via the gateway provided by a remotely located user device operated by the user, and to provide the received user setpoint to the controller;

wherein the controller is configured to allow a user of the building to remotely control, via the remotely located user device, the control algorithm and thus the generation of the call signal for one or more of a furnace, a heat pump, an air conditioner, and a fan of the HVAC system through the received user setpoint; and

wherein the controller is further configured to receive a user setpoint change physically made at the user interface of the HVAC controller, and in response to receipt of the user setpoint change, report the user setpoint change for transmission by the wireless interface through the remote gateway to the Internet and to the remotely located user device.

15. The HVAC controller of claim 14, wherein the wireless interface is not part of a local gateway of the HVAC controller.

16. The HVAC controller of claim 14, wherein the wireless interface is an RF interface.

17. A method for controlling an HVAC system of a building, the method comprising:

a user of the building entering setpoint changes via a remotely located user device, and once entered, the remotely located user device sending control signals to a gateway of the building via the Internet;

sending wireless information based on the control signals from the gateway to a wireless thermostat in the building;

generating a call signal for one or more of a furnace, a heat pump, an air conditioner, and a fan using the wireless thermostat in accordance with the control signals;

delivering the call signal for one or more of a furnace, a heat pump, an air conditioner, and a fan to the one or more of the furnace, the heat pump, the air conditioner, and the fan via a wired interface;

receiving a setpoint change at a user interface of the wireless thermostat of the building;

generating a call signal for one or more of the furnace, the heat pump, the air conditioner, and the fan in accordance with the setpoint change received at the user interface of the wireless thermostat; and

in response to receiving the setpoint change at the user interface of the wireless thermostat, reporting the setpoint change to the remotely located device via the gateway for display by the remotely located device.