Controlling a climate control appliance in response to a reduced operation request

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9423144-B2
Application number	US-201213471180-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 14, 2012
Priority date	Jun 20, 2005
Publication date	Aug 23, 2016
Grant date	Aug 23, 2016

Abstract

Controllers and methods for controlling operation of a climate control appliance for heating and/or cooling a space are provided. One example controller includes a memory for storing at least one temperature offset and a processor coupled to the memory. The processor is configured to receive the reduced operation request from at least one of a utility provider and a user of the controller, to receive a sensed temperature from at least one sensor disposed within the space, and to determine an artificial temperature based on the sensed temperature and the at least one temperature offset associated with the reduced operation request. The processor is configured to, in response to the reduced operation request, operate the climate control appliance based on a comparison of the set-point temperature and artificial temperature during a reduced operation interval, to thereby reduce operation of the climate control appliance in response to the reduced operation request.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A control system for controlling a climate control appliance for heating and/or cooling a space, the control system comprising:
at least one sensor configured to sense a temperature associated with the space;
a memory for storing at least one temperature offset; and
a processor coupled to the memory and in communication with the at least one sensor, the processor configured to receive a reduced operation request and to receive a sensed temperature from the at least one sensor, the processor configured to, based on whether the reduced operation request has been received within a predetermined time period, perform the following: determine an artificial temperature by applying at least one stored temperature offset associated with the reduced operation request to the sensed temperature, and, in response to the reduced operation request, to reduce operation of the climate control appliance based on a comparison of a set-point temperature and the artificial temperature during a reduced operation interval within the predetermined time period;
wherein the application of the at least one stored temperature offset is obscured by a representation of the artificial temperature as the sensed temperature during the reduced operation interval.

2. The control system of claim 1 , further comprising a display device coupled to the processor and configured to display the set-point temperature and the artificial temperature, but not the sensed temperature of the space, during the reduced operation interval.

3. The control system of claim 2 , further comprising a thermostat coupled to the climate control appliance, the thermostat including the memory, the processor, and the display device.

4. The control system of claim 2 , further comprising a portable communication device including the display device, the portable communication device in communication with the processor.

5. The control system of claim 2 , wherein the display device is further configured to display an indicator indicating the control system is operating in accordance with the reduced operation request.

6. The control system of claim 1 , wherein:
the at least one temperature offset is in the range of about 1 to about 8 degrees Fahrenheit; and/or
the at least one temperature offset value comprises a plurality of incrementally varying offsets.

7. The control system of claim 1 , wherein:
the processor is configured to operate the climate control appliance based on the artificial temperature during the reduced operation interval when the reduced operation requested was received within the predetermined time period; and
the processor is further configured to operate the climate control appliance based on a comparison of the set-point temperature and the sensed temperature after the reduced operation interval or when the reduced operation request was received outside of the predetermined time period.

8. The control system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to discontinue operation of the climate control appliance for at least a minimum off-time period after the artificial temperature has substantially reached the set-point temperature.

9. The control system of claim 1 , wherein:
the processor is configured to wirelessly communicate with the at least one sensor, when the at least one sensor is mounted remotely therefrom; and/or
the processor is configured to wirelessly transmit the artificial temperature to a display device spaced apart from the processor.

10. A control system for controlling a climate control appliance for heating and/or cooling a space, the control system comprising:
a processor configured to set an energy savings mode to an enabled setting in response to receiving a request for reduced operation from a user of the control system and/or to receive a signal from a utility provider that includes a request for reduced operation;
the processor configured to, based on one of the following: (a) the energy savings mode of the climate control appliance having been enabled in response to a request for reduced operation, or (b) the energy savings mode of the climate control appliance having been enabled before a request for reduced operation is received:
periodically receive a sensed temperature value from at least one sensor indicative of a temperature within the space, offset the sensed temperature value by at least one sensed temperature offset value when a request for reduced operation has been received, to thereby determine an artificial temperature value for the space, and obscure the offsetting of the sensed temperature value by representing the artificial temperature as the sensed temperature; and
discontinue heating or cooling operation for the space where the determined artificial temperature value has reached or is within a fraction of a degree above or below a set-point temperature.

11. The control system of claim 10 , wherein:
the processor is configured to receive a request for reduced operation from a utility provider and to receive a request for reduced operation from a user of the control system, whereby the user may initiate the request for reduced operation independent of any request for reduced operation from the utility provider; and/or
the processor further includes the at least one sensed temperature offset value in the determination of the artificial temperature value for the space for a predetermined time period after receiving the request for reduced operation.

12. A controller for controlling a climate control appliance for heating and/or cooling a space, the controller comprising:
a memory for storing at least one temperature offset; and
a processor coupled to the memory, the processor configured to receive a reduced operation request from at least one of a utility provider and a user after a reduced operation interval has begun, to receive a sensed temperature of the space from at least one sensor, and to determine an artificial temperature by applying to the sensed temperature at least one stored temperature offset associated with the reduced operation request,
wherein the processor is further configured to, in response to the reduced operation request, reduce operation of the climate control appliance based on a comparison of a set-point temperature and the artificial temperature, and conceal, in displaying the artificial temperature as the sensed temperature, the application of the at least one stored temperature offset, during the reduced operation interval.

13. The controller of claim 12 , wherein:
the memory includes at least two set-point temperatures, each of the set-point temperatures associated with different time periods of operation; and
the processor is configured to select said set-point temperatures from the at least two set-point temperatures.

14. The controller of claim 12 , further comprising a display device coupled to the processor, the display device configured to display the artificial temperature to the user.

15. A thermostat comprising the controller of claim 14 .

16. The controller of claim 12 , wherein the processor is further configured to determine the at least one temperature offset by incrementing a minimum offset by a fraction of a degree Fahrenheit for each individual time increment that a run-time exceeds a minimum threshold.

17. The controller of claim 12 , wherein the processor is further configured to calculate the at least one temperature offset based on a prior run-time of the climate control appliance and to store the at least one temperature offset in the memory.

18. A controll

Assignees

• Evans Edward B
• Mueller Carl J
• Sartain John M
• Garozzo James P
• Emerson Electric Co

Inventors

• Evans Edward B
• Mueller Carl J
• Sartain John M
• Garozzo James P

Classifications

• F24F11/64

  using pre-stored data · CPC title

• F24F11/58

  using Internet communication · CPC title

• F24F11/523

  for displaying temperature data · CPC title

• F24F11/47 Primary

  Responding to energy costs · CPC title

• F24F11/46

  Improving electric energy efficiency or saving · CPC title