Temperature control based on energy price

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9244445-B2
Application number	US-201213353704-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 19, 2012
Priority date	Dec 22, 2009
Publication date	Jan 26, 2016
Grant date	Jan 26, 2016

Abstract

A system is disclosed comprising memory configured to store a temperature value based on a cost of a given energy resource, wherein the cost-based temperature value differs from a temperature value based on a temperature schedule. The system also comprises a controller operatively coupled to the memory and configured to compare the cost-based temperature value to the schedule-based temperature value, and to direct one of a cooling system and a heating system to maintain a temperature of an environment at the one of the cost-based temperature value and the schedule-based temperature value that results in an energy cost savings.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
memory configured to store a temperature value based on a cost of a given energy resource, wherein the cost-based temperature value differs from a temperature value based on a temperature schedule;
a controller operatively coupled to the memory and configured to compare the cost-based temperature value to the schedule-based temperature value, and to direct one of a cooling system and a heating system to maintain a temperature of an environment at the one of the cost-based temperature value and the schedule-based temperature value that results in an energy cost savings; and
a user interface comprising
one or more input features for selecting the cost-based temperature value; and
one or more input features for opting out of the energy cost savings comparison.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the memory and the controller are part of a thermostat device.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to receive cost information from an energy provider for determining the cost of the given energy resource.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the user interface further comprises a manual entry cost schedule for determining the cost of the given energy resource.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the user interface further comprises one or more output features for presenting energy management information.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the temperature schedule comprises an Energy Star recommended temperature schedule.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the cost of the given energy resource is specified in terms of a plurality of a cost tiers.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the given energy resource comprises one of electricity, gas, and oil.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the cooling system and the heating system are part of a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system.

10. A system comprising:
at least one of a cooling system and a heating system for respectively cooling and heating a given environment; and
an energy management system coupled to the at least one of the cooling system and the heating system, the energy management system comprising:
memory configured to store a temperature value based on a cost of a given energy resource, wherein the cost-based temperature value differs from a temperature value based on a temperature schedule;
a controller operatively coupled to the memory and configured to compare the cost-based temperature value to the schedule-based temperature value, and to direct one of the cooling system and the heating system to maintain a temperature of the given environment at the one of the cost-based temperature value and the schedule-based temperature value that results in an energy cost savings; and

a user interface comprising
one or more input features for selecting the cost-based temperature value; and
one or more input features for opting out of the energy cost savings comparison.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the memory and the controller are part of a thermostat device.

12. The system of claim 10 , wherein the controller is further configured to receive cost information from an energy provider for determining the cost of the given energy resource.

13. The system of claim 10 , wherein the user interface further comprises a manual entry cost schedule for determining the cost of the given energy resource.

14. The system of claim 10 , wherein the user interface further comprises one or more output features for presenting energy management information.

15. The system of claim 10 , wherein the cost of the given energy resource is specified in terms of a plurality of a cost tiers.

16. The system of claim 10 , wherein the given energy resource comprises one of electricity, gas, and oil.

17. A system comprising:
memory configured to store a temperature value based on a cost of a given energy resource, wherein the cost-based temperature value differs from a temperature value based on a temperature schedule; and
a controller operatively coupled to the memory and configured to compare the cost-based temperature value to the schedule-based temperature value, and to direct one of a cooling system and a heating system to maintain a temperature of an environment at the one of the cost-based temperature value and the schedule-based temperature value that results in an energy cost savings;
wherein the temperature schedule comprises an Energy Star recommended temperature schedule.

Assignees

• Finch Michael F
• Warms Shelly E
• Schuhmann Matthew Paul
• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Finch Michael F
• Warms Shelly E
• Schuhmann Matthew Paul

Classifications

• F24F11/67

  Switching between heating and cooling modes · CPC title

• G05B15/02 Primary

  electric · CPC title

• G05B2219/2642

  Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house · CPC title

• F24F2011/0064

  Mechanical Engineering · mapped topic

• F24F2011/0075

  Mechanical Engineering · mapped topic