Thermostat system with remote data averaging

• US RE40,437 E1
• Filed: 05/16/2007
• Issued: 07/15/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rosen Technologies LLC (IPValuation Partners, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Howard Rosen
• Inventors: Rosen, Howard
• Primary Examiner(s): KOSOWSKI, ALEXANDER J
• Application Number:
  US11/804,324
• Time in Patent Office: 426 Days
• Field of Search: 700276-278, 236/1.C, 236/51, 236/91.F, 236/91.R
• US Class Current: 700/277
• 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 2120/10 Occupancy
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1931 to control the temperature of one space

Abstract

A thermostat system according to the invention includes: a central control device (typically a programmable thermostat with a processor having: a CPU, real time clock and a memory for storing a control program and data information), multiple rooms comprising a conditioned space, environmental control equipment, and multiple environmental sensors capable of sensing an environmental condition (such as temperature, humidity, or other condition). The sensors are associated with transmission means, which control transmission of sensor signals, and occupancy sensors. Each sensor measures a local environmental condition. Occupancy sensors comprise infrared or other motion sensors, light detection sensors, door opening sensors, and other such sensors that detect the presence of humans in a room of the conditioned space where its associated sensor is located. Space conditioning equipment is activated by comparison of a setpoint to a control value averaged from values of environmental conditions in occupied rooms.

Claims

1. An occupancy response system with a central control device adapted to control space conditioning equipment affecting a conditioned space, the central control device located at a single physical location in one of multiple rooms comprising the conditioned space, where remote sensors are located in physical locations substantially apart from the central control device, the improvement comprising:

A) two or more environmental sensors adapted to measure a local environmental condition and generate signals indicating its value;

B) two or more occupancy sensors adapted to detect occupancy of space around an environmental sensor and generate signals indicating occupancy;

C) either the central control device and one or more of the remote sensors or two or more of the remote sensors each comprise an environmental sensor and an occupancy sensor;

D) a central processor for the central control device including;

1) a central processing unit;

2) a real time clock;

3) a memory coupled to said central processing unit for storing a central control program and data, said data including at least one of the values of the environmental conditions sensed by the environmental sensors; and

4) an input/output unit coupled to the central processing unit, to the space conditioning equipment for issuing control signals thereto, and to a reception interface adapted to receive signals representing environmental conditions at a remote sensor;

E) a remote processor for each of the remote sensors including a central processing unit, a real time clock, a memory coupled to said central processing unit for storing a transmission control program, and an input/output unit coupled to the central processing unit and to a transmissions interface adapted to send to the central control device signals representing environmental conditions from a coupled environmental sensor; and

F) for the central control device or remote sensors having environmental sensors and occupancy sensors, their input/output units further including a sensor input coupled to an environmental sensor and an occupancy input coupled to an occupancy sensor;

G) the control programs causing a coupled central processing unit to selectively;

1) detect occupancy or vacancy of a nearby space from signals from a coupled occupancy sensor;

2) read current signals from a coupled environmental sensor and transmit them for storage in the memory of the central control device only if occupancy is detected;

3) for the central control program, calculate an average of the received environmental sensor values and use the average result as a control value which is compared with a setpoint stored in the memory of the central control program to determine actuation of the space conditioning equipment.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein averaging of received environmental sensor values is calculated by simple averaging or a weighted averaging depending on relative spaces of occupied rooms.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein a display and a user interface are coupled with the input/output unit of the central processing device so the central control program causes a display of averaging methods for averaging received environmental sensor values.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the central control program further causes a display indicating that a user may select an averaging method through the user interface and thereafter accepting user input selecting one of the averaging methods.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the space conditioning equipment comprises zone control means so that only occupied rooms have their space affected by the space conditioning equipment.

6. An occupancy response system with a central control device adapted to control space conditioning equipment affecting a conditioned space, the central control device located at a single physical location in one of multiple rooms comprising the conditioned space, where remote sensors are located in physical locations substantially apart from the central control device, the improvement comprising:

A) one or more environmental sensors adapted to measure a local environmental condition and generate signals indicating its value;

B) one or more occupancy sensors adapted to detect occupancy of space around an environmental sensor and generate signals indicating occupancy;

C) either the central control device and one or more of the remote sensors or two or more of the remote sensors each comprise an environmental sensor and an occupancy sensor;

D) a central processor for the central control device including;

1) a central processing unit;

2) a real time clock;

3) a memory coupled to said central processing unit for storing a central control program and data, said data including at least one of the values of the environmental conditions sensed by the environmental sensors; and

4) an input/output unit coupled to the central processing unit, to the space conditioning equipment for issuing control signals thereto, and to a reception interface adapted to receive signals representing environmental conditions at a remote sensor;

E) a remote processor for each of the remote sensors including a central processing unit, a real time clock, a memory coupled to said central processing unit for storing a transmission control program, and an input/output unit coupled to the central processing unit and to a transmissions interface adapted to send to the central control device signals representing environmental conditions from a coupled environmental sensor; and

F) for the central control device or remote sensors having environmental sensors and occupancy sensors, their input/output units further including a sensor input coupled to an environmental sensor and an occupancy input coupled to an occupancy sensor;

G) the control programs causing a coupled central processing unit to selectively;

1) detect occupancy or vacancy of a nearby space from signals from a coupled occupancy sensor;

2) read current signals from a coupled environmental sensor and a coupled occupancy sensor and transmit them for storage in the memory of the central control device so that values of environmental conditions are associated with their source of occupied or unoccupied rooms;

3) for the central control program, calculate an average of the received environmental sensor values and use the average result as a control value which is compared with a setpoint stored in the memory of the central control program to determine actuation of the space conditioning equipment.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein averaging of received environmental sensor values is calculated by simple averaging or a weighted averaging where environmental condition values from occupied rooms are given substantially more value than those of vacant rooms.

8. The system of claim 6 wherein where occupancy sensors include infra-red motion detectors.

9. The system of claim 6 wherein environmental sensors include temperature sensors and humidity sensors.

10. The system of claim 7 wherein a display and a user interface are coupled with the input/output unit of the central processing device so the central control program causes a display of averaging methods for averaging received environmental sensor values.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the central control program further causes a display indicating that a user may select an averaging method through the user interface and thereafter accepting user input selecting one of the averaging methods.

12. The system of claim 6 wherein the space conditioning equipment comprises zone control means so that only occupied rooms have their space affected by the space conditioning equipment.

13. The system of claim 6 wherein a device motion sensor is coupled to the remote sensor'"'"'s input output unit so that movement of the remote sensor results in transmission of a movement signal of the device motion sensor to be received by the central control device from the remote sensor and said movement signal is associated with previously received environmental sensor signals from said remote sensor and used for said averaging.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the central control program of the central control device acts to remove data associated with said movement signal from calculations averaging environmental signals to arrive at a control value.

15. The system of claim 13 wherein the transmission control program of the remote sensor acts to stop transmission of environmental sensor signals to the central control device for a predetermined period of time after receipt of a movement signal.