Sound activated temperature control system

• US 4,223,831 A
• Filed: 02/21/1979
• Issued: 09/23/1980
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/1979
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Jay R. Szarka
• Original Assignee: Jay R. Szarka
• Inventors: Szarka, Jay R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wayner, William E.
• Application Number:
  US06/013,144
• Time in Patent Office: 580 Days
• Field of Search: 236/47 R, 236/1 R, 165/11, 165/27, 340/558
• US Class Current: 236/47
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1902 characterised by the use of a variable reference value

Abstract

The environmental temperature in an area is controlled by the detection of the presence or absence of personnel in a room. A microphone detects sound in the room and actuates a control circuit to establish a set point for a temperature system which supplies heating and cooling to the room. The presence of people in the room is accompanied by sounds which are detected by the microphone to set the set point at an appropriate temperature to provide a comfortable environment. The absence of sound permits a new set point to be used to reduce the energy consumption of the heating or cooling system. A time delay circuit is optionally incorporated to eliminate undesirable cycling.

Claims

1. A sound activated temperature control system comprising:

thermostatically operated environmental temperature in a predefined area and providing heating and cooling in that area;

thermostat means having at least first and second temperature set points for controlling said sustaining means thereby to control the temperature in said area, said thermostat means including a set of first and second temperature set points for heating and another set of first and second set points for cooling;

means in said system for selecting one of said sets of set points;

and selector means connected to said thermostat means for sensing the level of audible noise in the area and selecting the first set point of one of said sets in response to the noise level being below a predetermined level and the second set point of said set in response to the noise level exceeding said predetermined level.

2. A sound activated temperature control system comprising:

A. thermostatically operated environmental temperature sustaining means for altering the temperature in a predefined area and providing heating and cooling in that area;

B. thermostat means connected to said sustaining means for controlling said sustaining means, thereby to control the temperature in the area, in response to a set of first and second temperature set points for heating and another set of first and second set points for cooling;

C. noise sensing means for detecting a level of audible noise in the area that exceeds a predetermined threshold level.

D. Selector means connected to said thermostat means and to said sensing means for selecting the first set points of a set when the noise level is below the threshold level and the second set point when the noise level exceeds the threshold level; and

E. second selector means connected to said thermostat means for selecting one of said sets of set points.

3. The temperature control system of claim 2 wherein said second selector means comprises second thermostat means responsive to the environmental temperature for selecting the set of set points for heating use when the environmental temperature is below a preselected temperature and to select the set of set points for cooling use when the environmental temperature is above a predetermined temperature.

4. The temperature control circuit of claim 2 or claim 3 wherein said noise sensing means includes means for inhibiting the sensing of brief, transient noises thereby to minimize the operation of said selector means in response to transient conditions.