Thermostat including a vacation mode in which electrical devices within and proximate the conditioned space are operated by the thermostat to provide an occupied appearance

• US 6,581,846 B1
• Filed: 03/06/2002
• Issued: 06/24/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Rosen Technologies LLC (IPValuation Partners, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Howard B Rosen
• Inventors: Rosen, Howard B.
• Primary Examiner(s): WAYNER, WILLIAM E
• Application Number:
  US10/091,757
• Time in Patent Office: 475 Days
• Field of Search: 236/46.R, 236/94, 236/47, 165/238, 165/11.1, 700/276, 116/7, 315/129
• US Class Current: 236/46.00R
• CPC Class Codes: F23N 2225/12 room temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F23N 2241/02 Space-heating
• CPC Class Codes: F23N 5/203 using electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/56 Remote control
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1902 characterised by the use of a variable reference value

Abstract

A thermostat system for controlling space conditioning equipment includes a temperature sensor for providing an electrical signal indicative of the temperature of a conditioned space and a processor having a central processing unit, a memory for storing program and data information and an input/output unit. The input/output unit has a temperature sensor input, a control output sending control signals to the space conditioning equipment and also an electrical device interface adapted to establish communications between the processor and a plurality of addressable electrical devices. In operation, when the system is in a vacation mode the processor issues a pattern of commands to the devices to provide the illusion of ongoing occupancy. In one preferred embodiment, communications between the processor and the devices takes place over the local line power system. In another preferred embodiment, the processor sends commands via infrared to an electrical device controller which resends the commands over the local line power system to the devices.

Claims

1. A thermostat system for controlling space conditioning equipment comprising:

A) a temperature sensor for providing an electrical signal indicative of the temperature of a conditioned space in which the temperature sensor is situated;

B) a processor, said processor including;

1) a central processing unit;

2) a memory coupled to said central processing unit for storing program and data information; and

3) an input/output unit including;

a) a sensor input coupled to said temperature sensor for receiving said electrical signal therefrom;

b) a control output coupled to the space conditioning equipment for issuing control signals thereto; and

c) an electrical device interface adapted to establish communications between said processor and a plurality of addressable electrical devices for selective actuation and deactuation thereof;

said addressable electrical devices being situated within and proximate said conditioned space; and

C) a program stored in said memory for causing said central processing unit to selectively;

1) place said thermostat system into a “

vacation”

mode; and

2) if said thermostat system is in said “

vacation”

mode, periodically actuate and deactuate predetermined ones of said addressable electrical devices in a predetermined pattern.

2. The thermostat system of claim 1 which further includes manual-input means and display means for interactive interface with a user and in which said program, in a programming mode:

A) selectively shows, on said display, choices to a user for setting up said predetermined pattern by touching said manual-input means in a predetermined sequence; and

B) reads the predetermined sequence of touches on said manual input means in order to establish said predetermined pattern.

3. The thermostat system of claim 1 in which said electrical device interface and said electrical devices are coupled to the local line power system of said conditioned space such that said local line power system transfers control signals therebetween.

4. The thermostat system of claim 2 in which said electrical device interface and said electrical devices are coupled to the local line power system of said conditioned space such that said local line power system transfers control signals therebetween.

5. The thermostat system of claim 3 in which said electrical device interface and said electrical devices communicate over said local line power system employing the X10 protocol.

6. The thermostat system of claim 4 in which said electrical device interface and said electrical devices communicate over said local line power system employing the X10 protocol.

7. The thermostat of claim 1 in which said electrical devices are a wireless control type and said electrical device interface communicates wirelessly therewith.

8. The thermostat of claim 2 in which said electrical devices are a wireless control type and said electrical device interface communicates wirelessly therewith.

9. The thermostat system of claim 7 in which said electrical device interface and said electrical devices communicate wirelessly employing the X10 protocol.

10. The thermostat system of claim 8 in which said electrical device interface and said electrical devices communicate wirelessly employing the X10 protocol.

11. The thermostat system of claim 1 in which said electrical device interface and said electrical devices are coupled via at least one modality selected from the group which includes:

A) the localline power system of said conditioned space;

B) wireless; and

C) infrared.

12. The thermostat system of claim 2 in which said electrical device interface and said electrical devices are coupled via at least one modality selected from the group which includes:

A) the local line power system of said conditioned space;

B) wireless; and

C) infrared.

13. The thermostat system of claim 11 in which said electrical device interface and said electrical devices communicate employing the X10 protocol.

14. The thermostat system of claim 12 in which said electrical device interface and said electrical devices communicate employing the X10 protocol.

15. A thermostat system for supervising space conditioning equipment for a conditioned space, said thermostat system having a vacation mode of operation in which the appearance of the conditioned space is periodically changed to provide the illusion of ongoing occupancy, said thermostat system comprising:

A) a temperature sensor for providing an electrical signal indicative of the temperature of a conditioned space in which the temperature sensor is situated;

B) a plurality of addressable electrical devices situated about the conditioned space, said electrical devices being coupled to the local line power system of the conditioned space for receiving digital commands placed on the local line power system;

C) an infrared electrical device controller coupled to the local line power system of the conditioned space for selectively placing digital electrical device commands thereon, said infrared electrical device controller being adapted to receive digital electrical device commands transmitted in infrared and resend the commands via the local line power system of the conditioned space to said addressable electrical devices;

D) a processor, said processor including;

1) a central processing unit;

2) a memory coupled to said central processing unit for storing program and data information; and

3) an input/output unit including;

a) a sensor input coupled to said temperature sensor for receiving said electrical signal therefrom;

b) a control output coupled to the space conditioning equipment for issuing control signals thereto; and

c) an infrared electrical device interface adapted to, under control of said central processing unit, selectively transmit electrical device commands to said infrared controller via infrared for selective actuation and deactuation of said addressable electrical devices; and

E) a program stored in said memory for causing said central processing unit to selectively;

1) place said thermostat system into a “

vacation”

mode; and

2) if said thermostat system is in said “

vacation”

mode, periodically actuate and deactuate predetermined ones of said addressable electrical devices in a predetermined pattern.