THERMOSTAT WITH UTILITY MESSAGING

• US 20090001180A1
• Filed: 06/28/2007
• Published: 01/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ademco Inc. (Resideo Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Hobart, Gary J., Chandrashekar, Harsha N., Peterson, Thomas G., Siddaramanna, Lokesh T.
• Granted Patent: US 7,954,726 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 236/46.R
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00985 Control systems or circuits characterised by display or indicating devices, e.g. voice simulators characterised by the input of sound using a voice synthesizer B60H1/00757; B60H1/00978 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F24D 19/1084 for air heating systems
• 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 11/52 Indication arrangements, e.g. displays
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/89 Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/00 Control inputs relating to air properties
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1905 associated with tele control

Abstract

The present disclosure pertains generally to thermostats that are adapted to assist utilities in communicating with its customers. In particular, the present disclosure relates to a thermostat having a display, a controller and a receiver that is coupled to the controller. The receiver is adapted to receive messages from a utility, and the controller is adapted to display one or more related display messages on the display.

Claims

1. A thermostat for controlling an HVAC system of a building or other structure, the thermostat comprising:

a thermostat housing;

a controller situated in the thermostat housing, the controller implementing a control algorithm that is adapted to at least partially control one or more components of an HVAC system;

a display viewable from outside of the thermostat housing;

a receiver coupled to the controller for receiving a message either directly or indirectly from a utility; and

the controller adapted to display one or more display messages on the display that are related to the message received from the utility.

2. The thermostat of claim 1 wherein one or more of the display messages include a suggestion on how to save energy.

3. The thermostat of claim 1 wherein one or more of the display messages are weather related.

4. The thermostat of claim 1 wherein one or more of the display messages are related to utility usage.

5. The thermostat of claim 1 wherein the controller is adapted to display on the display an indication of a measure of utility usage during a first time period and an indication of a measure of utility usage during a second time period, wherein the first time period is before the second time period.

6. The thermostat of claim 5 wherein the message from the utility provides a current indication of cost for utility usage.

7. The thermostat of claim 5 wherein the measure of utility usage includes a quantity of utility usage.

8. The thermostat of claim 5 wherein the measure of utility usage includes a cost of utility usage.

9. The thermostat of claim 5 wherein the indication of the measure of utility usage that is displayed for the first time period includes an indication of the cost of utility usage during the first period of time, and the indication of the measure of utility usage that is displayed for the second time period includes an indication of the cost of utility usage during the second period of time.

10. The thermostat of claim 9 wherein the indication of the measure of utility usage that is displayed for the first time period includes an indication of the quantity of utility usage during the first period of time, and the indication of the measure of utility usage that is displayed for the second time period include an indication of the quantity of utility usage during the second period of time.

11. A method for operating a thermostat that controls at least in part an HVAC system of a building or other structure, the method comprising:

controlling the HVAC system to achieve a desired set point;

receiving a message from a utility; and

displaying on a display of the thermostat one or more display messages that are related to the message received from the utility.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the one or more display messages include an indication of a measure of utility usage during a first time period, and an indication of a measure of utility usage during a second time period, wherein the second time period is after the first time period.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the indication of the measure of utility usage that is displayed for the first time period includes an indication of the cost of utility usage during the first time period of time, and the indication of the measure of utility usage that is displayed for the second time period includes an indication of the cost of utility usage during the second period of time.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the indication of the measure of utility usage that is displayed for the first time period includes an indication of the quantity of utility usage during the first period of time, and the indication of the measure of utility usage that is displayed for the second time period include an indication of the quantity of utility usage during the second period of time.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein the indication of the measure of utility usage that is displayed for the first time period includes an indication of the quantity of utility usage during the first period of time, and the indication of the measure of utility usage that is displayed for the second time period include an indication of the quantity of utility usage during the second period of time.

16. The method of claim 11 wherein one or more of the display messages include a suggestion on how to save energy.

17. The method of claim 11 wherein one or more of the display messages are weather related.

18. The method of claim 13 wherein one or more of the display messages are related to utility usage.

19. The method of claim 11 wherein one or more of the display messages are related to a promotion.

20. A method for operating a thermostat that controls at least in part an HVAC system of a building or other structure, the method comprising:

wirelessly receiving a message, either directly or indirectly, from a utility;

displaying on a display of the thermostat a display message that is related to the message received from the utility, wherein at least part of the display message is in a text based format.

21. The method of claim 20 further comprising scrolling at least part of the display message across at least part of the display of the thermostat.

22. The method of claim 20 further comprising allowing a user of the thermostat to select a display message for display.