Thermostat Wireless Transceiver Scheduling for Longer Battery Life
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing battery-powered thermostats with wireless transceivers face short battery life due to continuous enabling, which is not feasible for systems without C wire connections or power stealing circuits, necessitating efficient power management.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a controller that sets a time schedule for enabling the wireless transceiver in battery-powered thermostats, adjusting the schedule based on battery power levels to prolong battery life, and allowing user programmability and remote display of the schedule.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the wireless transceiver is continuously enabled in a battery-powered thermostat, then communication with remote devices is always available, but battery life becomes unacceptably short
Solution Approach 1:
The wireless transceiver is enabled periodically according to a time schedule rather than continuously. The controller activates the transceiver at scheduled intervals to communicate with remote devices, then disables it to conserve battery power. This periodic operation maintains essential communication functionality while dramatically extending battery life from days to months or years.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the operational state of the wireless transceiver based on time schedules and battery power levels. The controller monitors battery status and modifies the transceiver's enablement schedule accordingly, reducing communication frequency when battery power becomes low to prolong operation until battery replacement is needed.
2Ease of operation
If the wireless transceiver is enabled frequently to maintain communication availability, then user accessibility is improved, but battery energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The transceiver operates on a scheduled basis rather than remaining continuously active. It enables communication at predetermined time intervals, allowing users to access the thermostat remotely at those intervals while consuming minimal battery energy during the intervals when the transceiver is disabled.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the operational parameters of the wireless transceiver based on battery power levels. When battery power is sufficient, the transceiver operates with a more frequent schedule. When battery power drops below thresholds, the system reduces the enablement frequency, dynamically adjusting the parameter of transceiver activation intervals to balance accessibility with energy conservation.
Data Source
AI summary
A thermostat includes a controller for controlling the thermostat, a battery supplying power for the thermostat, and a wireless transceiver for receiving control information from a remote device and for transmitting information to the remote device. The controller sets a default time schedule for enabling the wireless transceiver.