HVAC remote control unit and methods of operation

• US 7,900,849 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2007
• Issued: 03/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ademco Inc. (Resideo Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Tinsley, Timothy M., Young, Gregory W., Kidder, Kenneth B., Barton, Eric J., Fultz, John S.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, GEORGE BINH MINH
• Application Number:
  US11/948,966
• Publication Number:
  US 20090140059A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,194 Days
• Field of Search: 236/51, 165/11.2, 165/237, 700/276, 341/176, 340/825.69, 340/825.72, 340/870.17, 340/589, 340/501, 374/120, 374/129, 374/141
• US Class Current: 236/51
• 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 11/526 giving audible indications
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/56 Remote control
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/10 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/00 Control inputs relating to users or occupants
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1905 associated with tele control

Abstract

A comfort control system for controlling the comfort level in a building includes a comfort control unit and a remote control unit. The remote control unit communicates with the comfort control unit from a remote location. In one illustrative embodiment, the remote control unit includes a temperature sensor for sensing an ambient air temperature near the remote control unit, and a measure related to the sensed temperature may be communicated to the comfort control unit. A detection block may be included in the remote control unit for detecting when the ambient air temperature sensed by the temperature sensor in the remote control unit is likely to be influenced by a user or other undesirable condition. The comfort control unit may take this into account when controlling the comfort control system of the building.

Claims

1. A remote control unit for use with a comfort control system of a building or other structure, wherein the remote control unit is configured to be carried around the building or other structure by a user and to report out one or more sensed ambient conditions to the comfort control system, the remote control unit comprising:

a housing;

a temperature sensor situated in the housing for sensing a current sensed ambient temperature at the remote control unit;

a wireless interface for wirelessly communicating a measure related to the current sensed ambient temperature sensed by the temperature sensor to the comfort control system; and

a detection block for detecting when the current sensed ambient temperature sensed by the temperature sensor may be influenced by a thermal source located outside of the housing of the remote control unit, wherein the thermal source is separate from the comfort control system of the building or other structure.

2. The remote control unit of claim 1 further comprising:

a control unit for producing the measure that is related to the current sensed ambient temperature sensed by the temperature sensor, and for causing the wireless interface to wirelessly communicate the measure related to the current sensed ambient temperature sensed by the temperature sensor to the comfort control system.

3. The remote control unit of claim 2 wherein the control unit causes the wireless interface to wirelessly communicate the measure related to the current sensed ambient temperature sensed by the temperature sensor to the comfort control system less often when the detection block detects that the current sensed ambient temperature sensed by the temperature sensor may be influenced by a thermal source located outside of the housing of the remote control unit.

4. The remote control unit of claim 2 wherein the control unit causes the wireless interface to suspend wirelessly communicating the measure related to the current sensed ambient temperature sensed by the temperature sensor to the comfort control system when the detection block detects that the current sensed ambient temperature sensed by the temperature sensor may be influenced by a thermal source located outside of the housing of the remote control unit.

5. The remote control unit of claim 2 wherein the control unit causes the wireless interface to wirelessly communicate a signal to the comfort control system that indicates that the detection block detects that the current sensed ambient temperature sensed by the temperature sensor may be influenced by a thermal source located outside of the housing of the remote control unit.

6. The remote control unit of claim 2 wherein the control unit is part of the detection block.

7. The remote control unit of claim 2 wherein the control unit is separate from the detection block.

8. The remote control unit of claim 1 further comprising:

a user interface; and

wherein the detection block detects that the current sensed ambient temperature sensed by the temperature sensor likely to be influenced by a thermal source located outside of the housing when a user is detected interacting with the user interface.

9. The remote control unit of claim 8 wherein the user interface includes one or more buttons, and wherein the detection block detects that the current sensed ambient temperature sensed by the temperature sensor may be influenced by a thermal source located outside of the housing when a user is detected interacting with one or more of the buttons.

10. The remote control unit of claim 1 wherein the detection block includes a motion sensor, and wherein the detection block detects that the current sensed ambient temperature sensed by the temperature sensor may be influenced by a thermal source located outside of the housing when the motion sensor detects motion of the remote control unit.

11. The remote control unit of claim 10 wherein the motion sensor is a roller ball switch.

12. The remote control unit of claim 10 wherein the motion sensor is an accelerometer.

13. The remote control unit of claim 10 wherein the detection block is configured to filter out high frequency vibrations detected by the motion sensor.

14. The remote control unit of claim 1 wherein the detection block includes a attitude sensor, and wherein the detection block detects that the current sensed ambient temperature sensed by the temperature sensor may be influenced by a thermal source located outside of the housing when the attitude sensor detects an attitude of the remote control unit that corresponds to a predefined attitude condition.

15. The remote control unit of claim 14 wherein the attitude sensor is a tilt sensor.

16. The remote control unit of claim 14 wherein the attitude sensor is a base switch.

17. The remote control unit of claim 16 wherein the base switch is a spring actuated foot.

18. The remote control unit of claim 14 further comprising:

a control unit for producing the measure that is related to the current sensed ambient temperature sensed by the temperature sensor, and for causing the wireless interface to wirelessly communicate the measure related to the current sensed ambient temperature sensed by the temperature sensor to the comfort control system; and

wherein the control unit causes the wireless interface to wirelessly communicate the measure related to the current sensed ambient temperature sensed by the temperature sensor to the comfort control system less often when the attitude sensor detects an attitude of the remote control unit that corresponds to the predefined attitude condition.

19. The remote control unit of claim 14 further comprising:

a control unit for producing the measure that is related to the current sensed ambient temperature sensed by the temperature sensor, and for causing the wireless interface to wirelessly communicate the measure related to the current sensed ambient temperature sensed by the temperature sensor to the comfort control system; and

wherein the control unit causes the wireless interface to suspend wirelessly communicating the measure related to the current sensed ambient temperature sensed by the temperature sensor to the comfort control system when the attitude sensor detects an attitude of the remote control unit that corresponds to the predefined attitude condition.

20. The remote control unit of claim 14 further comprising:

a control unit for producing the measure that is related to the current sensed ambient temperature sensed by the temperature sensor, and for causing the wireless interface to wirelessly communicate the measure related to the current sensed ambient temperature sensed by the temperature sensor to the comfort control system; and

wherein the control unit causes the wireless interface to wirelessly communicate a signal to the comfort control system that indicates the detection of the predefined attitude condition.

21. The remote control unit of claim 1 further comprising an outer housing, wherein the detection block includes an outer housing temperature sensor that is more thermally coupled to the outer housing than the temperature sensor that is for sensing the current sensed ambient temperature at the remote control unit.

22. The remote control unit of claim 21 further comprising a control unit for producing the measure that is related to the current sensed ambient temperature sensed by the temperature sensor, and for causing the wireless interface to wirelessly communicate the measure related to the current sensed ambient temperature sensed by the temperature sensor to the comfort control system.

23. The remote control unit of claim 22 wherein the measure that is related to the current sensed ambient temperature sensed by the temperature sensor produced by the control unit is also related to a temperature sensed by the outer housing temperature sensor.

24. The remote control unit of claim 23 wherein the control unit produces the measure that is related to the current sensed ambient temperature sensed by the temperature sensor by arithmetically combining the current sensed ambient temperature sensed by the temperature sensor and the temperature sensed by the outer housing temperature sensor.

25. The remote control unit of claim 23 wherein the control unit produces the measure that is related to the current sensed ambient temperature sensed by the temperature sensor by logically combining the current sensed ambient temperature sensed by the temperature sensor and the temperature sensed by the outer housing temperature sensor.

26. The remote control unit of claim 23 wherein the control unit produces the measure that is related to the current sensed ambient temperature sensed by the temperature sensor by temporally combining the current sensed ambient temperature sensed by the temperature sensor and the temperature sensed by the outer housing temperature sensor.

27. The remote control unit of claim 23 wherein the control unit limits a change in the measure that is related to the current sensed ambient temperature sensed by the temperature sensor in a direction that corresponds to a direction of change in the temperature sensed by the outer housing temperature sensor.

28. A remote control unit for use with a comfort control system of a building or other structure, the remote control unit comprising:

a temperature sensor for sensing an ambient temperature at the remote control unit;

a wireless interface for wirelessly communicating a measure related to the ambient temperature sensed by the temperature sensor to the comfort control system;

an attitude sensor for detecting an attitude of the remote control unit;

a control unit for producing the measure that is related to the ambient temperature sensed by the temperature sensor, and for causing the wireless interface to wirelessly communicate the measure related to the ambient temperature sensed by the temperature sensor to the comfort control system; and

wherein the control unit causes the wireless interface to suspend wirelessly communicating the measure related to the ambient temperature sensed by the temperature sensor to the comfort control system when the attitude sensor detects an attitude of the remote control unit that corresponds to one or more predefined attitude conditions.