55 results about "Programmable thermostat" patented technology

A control system for managing a heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) system based on occupancy of an area is provided. The occupancy may be determined by anticipated programming based on time of day zoning, and / or by actual sensed occupancy. In the later, the control system includes an occupancy sensor that communicates with a programmable thermostat. The occupancy sensor is disposed in the area and senses a state of occupancy of the area. The programmable thermostat instructs the HVAC system to adjust the temperature of the area within the structure based on the state of occupancy of that particular area to enhance occupant comfort and energy efficiency. The thermostat may also include programming modes or scripts that may be run to adjust operational control when abnormal occupancy conditions are sensed. Controllable dampers may also be used by the thermostat to achieve micro zoning control of the HVAC system.

A user-friendly programmable thermostat is described that includes a central electronic display surrounded by a ring that can be rotated and pressed inwardly to provide user input in a simple and elegant fashion. The current temperature and setpoint are graphically displayed as prominent tick marks. Different colors and intensities can be displayed to indicate currently active HVAC functions and an amount of heating or cooling required to reach a target temperature. The setpoint can be altered by user rotation of the ring. The schedule can be displayed and altered by virtue of rotations and inward pressings of the ring. Initial device set up and installation, the viewing of device operation, the editing of various settings, and the viewing of historical energy usage information are made simple and elegant by virtue of the described form factor, display modalities, and user input modalities of the device.

A programmable thermostat, with a touch screen liquid crystal display having the capability to add to or remove virtual buttons to the display depending on the items of space conditioning equipment connected with and controlled by the thermostat.

A hybrid manual / programmable thermostat for a furnace or air conditioner offers the simplicity of a manual thermostat while providing the convenience and versatility of a programmable one. Initially, the hybrid thermostat appears to function as an ordinary manual thermostat; however, it privately observes and learns a user's manual temperature setting habits and eventually programs itself accordingly. If users begin changing their preferred temperature settings due to seasonal changes or other reasons, the thermostat continues learning and will adapt to those changes as well. For ease of use, the thermostat does not require an onscreen menu as a user interface. In some embodiments, the thermostat can effectively program itself for temperature settings that are set to occur at particular times daily or just on weekends, yet the user is not required to enter the time of day or the day of the week.

A thermostat is programmable by entering input through a large-format touch-screen display. The touch-screen display displays different sets of icons depending on the mode the thermostat is in. A set of icons is displayed in one mode that allows the user to put the thermostat in a temporary operating mode. Another set of icons is displayed when programming the thermostat. Displaying several sets of icons at once allows a user to quickly and intuitively operate the thermostat, which in turn facilitates using energy-saving functions of the thermostat.

A hybrid manual / programmable thermostat for a furnace or air conditioner offers the simplicity of a manual thermostat while providing the convenience and versatility of a programmable one. Initially, the hybrid thermostat appears to function as an ordinary manual thermostat; however, it privately observes and learns a user's manual temperature setting habits and eventually programs itself accordingly. If users begin changing their preferred temperature settings due to seasonal changes or other reasons, the thermostat continues learning and will adapt to those changes as well. For ease of use, the thermostat does not require an onscreen menu as a user interface. In some embodiments, the thermostat can effectively program itself for temperature settings that are set to occur at particular times daily or just on weekends, yet the user is not required to enter the time of day or the day of the week.

A programmable thermostat having a touch screen dot matrix LCD in which the pictorial presenting information and virtual buttons on the touch screen is user configurable to be correctly oriented whether the thermostat is mounted horizontally or vertically.

The invention is directed to programmable temperature control in which a controller may be programmed to control a thermal output of said temperature-modifying device, and to operate an air circulating system independently of the temperature-modifying device. The apparatus may incorporate a user input for entering air handling information to program the air circulating system to operate at predetermined intervals. The controller may be further programmed to receive air filtration information from the user input and to generate air filtration output information. The system may also be programmed to receive information regarding a characteristic of the air circulating system from an sensor for use in calculating the air filtration output information.

A programmable thermostat, with a touch screen liquid crystal display having the capability to change from a more complex first mode display to a simple mode display for users with adaptive, learning or visual impairments that limit their ability to use the relatively complicated user interfaces of prior art programmable thermostats.

Systems and methods are described for a usage monitoring HVAC control system. A method, includes: providing a usage monitoring heating ventilation and air conditioning control system, the usage monitoring heating ventilation and air conditioning control system including a programmable digital thermostat with an on board memory, issuing personal identification numbers to each of a plurality of system users; associating each of the plurality of system users with at least one of a plurality of user types; storing the personal identification numbers in a first data structure in the on board memory; and linking each one of a plurality of entries in the first data structure by reference to at least one of a plurality of entries in a second data structure in the on board memory, the second data structure including a list of user types. A method, includes regulating user access to an interactive user interface of a programmable thermostat, each user identified by a personal identification number associated with a user type such as, for example, building owners, maintenance personnel, building tenants, and manufacturers.

A time of day zoning control system for a heating, ventilating, and air conditioning system is provided. The system utilizes a programmable thermostat and a number of temperature sensors to control the HVAC system to regulate the temperature in a particular location within a dwelling or structure based on consumer preferences. The regulation control will utilize a temperature sensed by a particular temperature sensor at different times throughout the day to control the temperature in that zone to ensure occupant comfort. A single temperature sensor may be selected to control the HVAC system during these different periods, or multiple sensors may be utilized during the same period. When multiple sensors are used, a weighting factor may be used.

A programmable thermostat is disclosed having a continuously movable indexing mechanism, such as a rotatable wheel, that allows a user to scroll or cycle through sequential time intervals ranging over a complete week to view currently programmed time intervals and to select periods of time during the week that the user wishes to program or reprogram. Such a design allows a user to easily program different temperature settings during different time intervals during the week and allows the user to easily view the programmed settings.

A thermostat system according to the invention includes: a central control device (typically a programmable thermostat with a processor having: a CPU, real time clock and a memory for storing a control program and data information), multiple rooms comprising a conditioned space, environmental control equipment, and multiple environmental sensors capable of sensing an environmental condition (such as temperature, humidity, or other condition). The sensors are associated with transmission means, which control transmission of sensor signals, and occupancy sensors. Each sensor measures a local environmental condition. Occupancy sensors comprise infrared or other motion sensors, light detection sensors, door opening sensors, and other such sensors that detect the presence of humans in a room of the conditioned space where its associated sensor is located. Space conditioning equipment is activated by comparison of a setpoint to a control value averaged from values of environmental conditions in occupied rooms.

The present invention comprises an intuitive algorithm embodiment. In said intuitive algorithm embodiment, a programmable thermostat that operates under control of a control program incorporating an intuitive algorithm. The intuitive algorithm allows a user to change the modes and setpoints of a programmable thermostat without need to refer to a display of currently effective operational modes, setpoints, or environmental sensor inputs. While a user may prefer to observe said display, the intuitive algorithm eliminates the need to do so.

The present invention is a method for operating a backlighted dot matrix type LCD for displayed outputs from a programmable environmental control device, such as a programmable thermostat. The LCD is operated so that viewer elements of a displayed data item are non-opaque when a room where the LCD is located is darkened and the surrounding display elements are partially or completely opaque. Selected elements can also change from opaque to non-opaque to display an active condition.

A programmable thermostat is electronically interconnected to a personal computer having an installed program with a graphical user interface for selecting, on a single screen, a schedule of time and temperature pairs for four periods of each day of the week. This schedule can then be easily downloaded into one or more thermostats by the use of a single button. The interconnection between the thermostat and the computer may be made by a USB cable or the like or by way of a wireless interconnection.

Self-programmable thermostat control system and method that automatically senses, creates and suggests highly energy efficient optimized setback schedules in a controllable and predictable manner for a user in accordance with consistently updated historical occupancy patterns of a heated and / or cooled space. Through the use of this system and method, users will be able to reduce inefficiency from the setback schedules produced by other thermostats and select one of the many energy efficient setback schedules produced by the system through an easy to use display screen built into the self-programmable thermostat. With this unique system and method, the user is able to customize their energy efficiency and comfort level in their cooled and / or heated space by selecting the set-back schedule that fits best with their pocketbook and comfort level all at the turn of a knob.

Abstract of Disclosure A digital programmable thermostat comprising up and down temperature adjustment buttons, an LCD display, and a Program button, which a user can simply press once to initiate a single setback program that sets back the last user selected temperature setting during a predetermined setback time period. The thermostat can also automatically set the current time and date, to allow the user to initiate the program without having to set the current time and date.

A programmable thermostat has two way communication with a utility using a power carrier line signal across distributed low voltage power lines in a building downstream of an HVAC system transformer. The two way PLC communication includes transmission to the utility of response information regarding the response taken by the thermostat to a power “shed” command, and preferably also includes sensed temperature and / or temperature set point information. The HVAC system transformer includes an integral capacitive bypass path for PLC data transmission across the windings of the transformer. The thermostat positions its temperature sensor to avoid heat given off by the PLC receiver / transmitter and its electrical circuits as well as the thermostat microprocessor and the electrical power circuits therefore.

A thermostat (10) includes a housing (11) having a control panel (13) with a plurality of manually selectable input elements or input keys (15) and a display panel (17) for displaying various functions of the programmable thermostat. The programmable thermostat also includes a temperature sensor (18), a microprocessor (19) having memory for storing a default program set of default temperature and time values and a desired program set of desired temperature and time values. The thermostat also includes a “SAVE AWAY” feature or mode of operation. The SAVE AWAY mode is intended to be used so that the HVAC system operates as if the user is away from the house through the manual operation of the SAVE AWAY input key, even though the normal schedule program indicates that the user should be “home”. In use, the SAVE AWAY mode of operation overrides the program set associated with a normal schedule. The SAVE AWAY mode typically operates the cooling system of the HVAC system at an inputted desired temperature which is higher than that associated with the normal “schedule”, and operates the heating system of the HVAC system at an inputted desired temperature which is lower than that associated with the normal “schedule”. The overriding of the normal schedule results in the operation of the HVAC system at a more efficient level for a select period of time.

A programmable thermostat with a heat-cool switch, a temperature value input, and a fan switch with on, auto, and recirculating positions, and a microprocessor that superimposes a fan recirculating mode or cycle on the heat-cool or off modes or cycles by determining when the heat-cool or off cycles have been off for a user selectable time period; 2 hours, for example, and if so initiating a fan cycle for a predetermined time; 12 minutes for example, to provide a more uniform room temperature by mixing hotter and cooler air and cleaner air by running more space air through the heating and cooling system filter assembly.

A system and method of using a set-back or programmable thermostat for heating or cooling systems to also controlling a fast-recovery water heater such as a power-vented fossil fuel powered water heater such that the water heater is disabled during a set-back mode of the thermostat. The system sends a control signal to a relay module adjacent to the water heater, into which the water heater electrical power cord can be plugged into. The interlock mechanism of the water heater prevents operation of the water heater when power to the water heater is interrupted.

A programmable thermostat time / temperature display has a continuous loop timeline with a plurality of temperature transition points along the timeline to define a plurality of timeline segments. Temperature and time IDs are displayable on the display and are associated with at least some of the timeline segments and temperature transition points. A thermostat can be programmed by touching a position on a touchscreen associated with a temperature transition point on a continuous loop timeline on the touchscreen. The touching step may be carried out by moving the first temperature transition point from a first position along the timeline to a second position along the timeline so to change the first timeline segment. An updated time ID may be selected for the first temperature transition point.

A programmable thermostat can be programmed and configured using a set up selector keys or pushbuttons to enter set up modes and to move from screen to screen on the thermostat display, and using up and down selector keys to change the time and temperature settings within each screen or mode. The thermostat can be set into a master mode be depressing two of the selector keys simultaneously, and then the programmed settings of the thermostat can be electronically transferred to each of a batch of similar thermostats using a thermostat conductor in a multi-conductor thermostat wire such as the fan conductor. The thermostat can be toggled back to a normal or target mode for thermostat operation.

A thermostat (10) includes a housing (11) having a control panel (13) with a plurality of manually selectable input elements or input keys (15) and a display panel (17) for displaying various functions of the programmable thermostat. The programmable thermostat also includes a temperature sensor (18), a microprocessor (19) having memory for storing a schedule program set which includes a number of schedule time periods. Each schedule time period includes a start time, end time and temperature. The manual programming of select schedule time periods may automatically set the start and end times of another schedule time period.

Systems and methods are described for a usage monitoring HVAC control system. A method, includes: providing a usage monitoring heating ventilation and air conditioning control system, the usage monitoring heating ventilation and air conditioning control system including a programmable digital thermostat with an on board memory; issuing personal identification numbers to each of a plurality of system users; associating each of the plurality of system users with at least one of a plurality of user types; storing the personal identification numbers in a first data structure in the on board memory; and linking each one of a plurality of entries in the first data structure by reference to at least one of a plurality of entries in a second data structure in the on board memory, the second data structure including a list of user types. A method, includes: receiving a request for an additional period of heating ventilation and air conditioning system services from a requesting system user, the requesting system user composing a plurality of system users; maintaining a data structure in an on board memory of a programmable thermostat, the data structure including a list of time entries, each time entry associated with one of the plurality of system users; and updating the data structure by adding a duration in units of time to the time associated with the requesting system user. An apparatus, includes: a microcontroller; a digital temperature sensor coupled to the microcontroller; a liquid crystal display coupled to the microcontroller; a set of cursor buttons coupled to the microcontroller; an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory coupled to the microcontroller; an upload capable connector coupled to the electronically erasable programmable read-only memory; a real time clock coupled to the microcontroller; and a back up power supply coupled to the real time clock. A method, includes regulating user access to an interactive user interface of a programmable thermostat, each user identified by a personal identification number associated with a user type selected from the group consisting of building owners, maintenance personnel, building tenants, and manufacturers.

A system and method for programming a thermostat is described. One embodiment includes a method for communicating a thermostat operation schedule to a media device that then communicates the thermostat operation schedule to a thermostat. An additional embodiment includes a computer readable medium encoded with executable instructions for establishing computer-readable code that effects operation of a thermostat. In yet another embodiment, a thermostat is included that operates upon computer-readable code to execute an operation schedule.