Automatic temperature and humidity regulation – Distance-adjusted
Reexamination Certificate
1999-03-17
2001-04-10
Wayner, William (Department: 3744)
Automatic temperature and humidity regulation
Distance-adjusted
C165S205000, C236S094000, C340S870170
Reexamination Certificate
active
06213404
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to programmable thermostats having remote temperature sensing inputs from wireless temperature sensing transmitters.
The present state of the art in digital programmable thermostats presents operational flexibility unknown with prior art analog mechanical devices. As shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,449,319, a compact, low voltage programmable thermostat may have multiple operating modes available to the user. It is preferable that temperature sensing means transmit from various locations inside and outside a temperature controlled location the ambient temperature to the programmable thermostat. An important limitation in placing temperature sensing means in the several locations where they may be useful in control or providing information to the user through the programmable thermostat is that such temperature sensing means require power to sense and wirelessly transmit the temperature information. Such power is known to be adequately supplied with direct wiring to the general AC power supply available in each location. However, such direct wiring is often difficult and expensive to install in retrofit applications. The preferred locations of the temperature sensing means in a room or building exterior location may be effectively eliminated due to difficulty and/or expense of providing direct wiring.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is a system of wireless, battery operated temperature sensing devices which transmit ambient or other sensed temperature information to a programmable thermostat. The compact construction and multi-level programming of the temperature sensing devices for only periodic transmission of temperature information to the programmable thermostat permits years of operation with power supplied by small, inexpensive batteries. The temperature sensing devices are therefore easily installed at any location within about 100-200 feet from the programmable thermostat. The present invention also comprises a method of retrofit for the programmable thermostat of U.S. Pat. No. 5,449,319, whereby a compact receiver device is connected to available connections for input of remotely transmitted information and the programming of the programmable thermostat is adapted to receive, store, display and control environmental control devices according to the input temperatures received from the temperature sensing devices.
It is another aspect of the invention to provide wireless temperature sensing transmitters transmitting one of a plurality of house codes to the programmable thermostat before the transmission of a sensed temperature, such that each programmable thermostat receives and stores or otherwise acts on temperature information from temperature sensing transmitters transmitting a house code identical to that set by a user for the programmable thermostat. Thus, within transmitting reception distance of each other may be located as many programmable thermostats as there are separate house codes, such that the temperature sensing transmitters set to transmit a single house code may provide information to a single or more programmable thermostats with the same set house code. In a setting where separate temperature control is required between separate floors of a building or closely spaced structures and the transmissions of some temperature sensing transmitters are intended for only one of the two or more zones of separate temperature control, the reception of temperatures from only temperature sensing transmitters having the same house code permit the use of the invention system of temperature sensing transmitters and a programmable thermostat.
It is yet another aspect of the invention to provide wireless temperature sensing transmitters transmitting one of a plurality of unit codes to the programmable thermostat before the transmission of a sensed temperature, such that each programmable thermostat receives and stores or otherwise acts on temperature information identified as unique among the received temperature information. Thus, a received temperature may be stored only for display to a user interface screen, whereas such temperature sensing of interest may be each of the locations in which a temperature sensing transmitter is located, i.e., wine cellar, exterior or interior hot tub, kitchen, office areas, meeting rooms, high and low locations in a high ceiling room. The user viewing such information has the option of adjusting the temperature control means in response to that information, such means including changing setpoints, deadbands, mode variables and the like for the programmable thermostat and/or adjusting air flow vents to redirect heated or cooled air flow. In addition, the uniquely identified temperatures may be combined mathematically to provide control inputs to the programmable thermostat programming. In a specific example below, an embodiment of the present invention provides a retrofit receiver wherein the temperatures from non-excluded temperature sensing transmitters are averaged and that average is used as the ambient temperature against which pre-programmed set points and control algorithms are compared for response by the environmental control equipment such as fans, air conditioning, humidifying and heating equipment.
The present invention also provides battery operated temperature sensing transmitters capable of permitting the user to set variable periods of time between transmission of temperature information to the programmable thermostat. It is preferred that four delay periods be provided such that periods of test response, fast response, slow response, no response are determined by the user depending on the use of the temperature for the location in which the temperature sensing transmitter will be placed. A test response period may be only a few seconds long so that transmission reception may be easily tested at the programmable thermostat. A fast response period may be a few minutes long so that sudden changes in a location temperature may be acted upon by the programmable thermostat. A slow response period of around 4-9 minutes may be used where fast response is not needed, i.e., a typically unoccupied room. A no response period may be 10 minutes or more where a sensed temperature is transmitted only for information display, i.e., an outside temperature, garage or a room whose air flow ducts are closed for non-occupancy.
The present invention also comprises receiver means for the programmable thermostat, described below as a retrofittable receiver means, having a plurality of LED's indicating reception of information from temperature sensing transmitters with the same house code as that of the programmable thermostat. Each LED is activated (lighted) only by reception of information from a temperature sensing transmitter having a unit code set to the same unit code as that which will activate that specific LED. Thus, a temperature sensing transmitter may be set to the test response period and the effective reception of temperature information at the programmable thermostat may be confirmed by viewing the flashing of receiver means LED corresponding to the unit code set at the temperature sensing transmitter.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5224353 (1993-07-01), Nagasawa
patent: 5272477 (1993-12-01), Tashima et al.
patent: 5449319 (1995-09-01), Dushane
patent: 5927599 (1999-07-01), Kath
Bohm Grant
Dushane Steve
Staples John
Zimmerman Terry
Bracken David T.
Wayner William
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