Temperature control device with automatically adjustable backlighting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Temperature control devices, such as thermostats, face inaccuracies in temperature measurement due to heat generated by internal components like display screens and button backlights, which affect the HVAC system's ability to maintain a set temperature.
Innovation Solution
A temperature control device with a control circuit that adjusts the power state of internal electrical loads to minimize heat generation, featuring a temperature sensing circuit, a button backlight circuit, and an ambient light detector to optimize illumination intensity based on usage and ambient light levels, ensuring accurate temperature measurement and control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If the button backlight circuit operates at high intensity to improve visibility, then illumination intensity is improved, but heat generation increases which degrades temperature measurement accuracy
Solution Approach 1:
The control circuit implements periodic sampling of temperature measurements only during idle states when the button backlight is at low intensity or off. The system alternates between awake state (high backlight intensity for visibility) and idle state (low backlight intensity for accurate temperature sensing), using periodic temperature sampling during idle periods to compensate for the heat interference that occurs during active backlight operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs temperature sampling in advance during idle states before transitioning to awake state with high backlight intensity. By obtaining temperature measurements preliminarily when heat interference is minimal, the system prepares accurate baseline data that can be used to compensate for subsequent heat-generated readings when the backlight is actively illuminating the buttons.
2Ease of operation
If the display and button backlight operate continuously at high intensity to maintain visibility, then ease of operation is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control circuit dynamically adjusts the operational state of the button backlight circuit based on system activity. The system transitions between awake state (high intensity illumination for ease of operation) and idle state (low intensity or off to conserve energy). This dynamic state management allows the interface to provide optimal visibility when needed while minimizing energy consumption during periods of inactivity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution enables precise temperature control by reducing heat interference from internal components, improving measurement accuracy and energy efficiency, while maintaining user-friendly interface visibility.
Implementation Method 1
The internal electrical load may be, for example, a button backlight circuit configured to illuminate a button of the temperature control device
Implementation Method 2
a temperature sensing circuit configured to generate a temperature control signal indicating the present temperature in the space
Implementation Method 3
The heat given off by the display screen may throw off the measurements provided by the thermostat
Data Source
AI summary
A temperature control device (e.g., a thermostat) may be configured to control an internal heat-generating electrical load so as to accurately measure a present temperature in a space around the temperature control device. The temperature control device may comprise a temperature sensing circuit configured to generate a temperature control signal indicating the present temperature in the space, and a control circuit configured to receive the temperature control signal and to control the internal electrical load. The control circuit may be configured to energize the internal electrical load in an awake state and to cause the internal electrical load to consume less power in an idle state. The control circuit may be configured to control the internal electrical load to a first energy level (e.g., a first intensity) during the awake state and to a second energy level (e.g., second intensity) that is less than the first during the idle state.