# US 11,994,303 B2 · Smart thermostat and a thermostat adapter with integrated safety interlock for installation and diagnostics of an in-floor heating system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,994,303 B2 - Document ID: US11994303B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/930,384 - Filed: 2020-05-12 - Published: 2021-11-18 - Granted: 2024-05-28 - Earliest claimed: 2020-05-12 - Assignees: Watts Regulator Co. - Applicants: Watts Regulator Co. - Inventors: Dustin Wade Allcorn; Thomas Jeffery Rudnick; Serge Seminutin; Michael William Fraser; Geoffery Paul Bisson; Brendan Koch - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11994303B2 ## CPC - F24D 19/1096: {for electric heating systems} - G05D 23/1902: {characterised by the use of a variable reference value} - F24D 13/02: solely using resistance heating, e.g. underfloor heating - Y02B 30/00: Energy efficient heating, ventilation or air conditioning [HVAC] - F24D: DOMESTIC- OR SPACE-HEATING SYSTEMS, e.g. CENTRAL HEATING SYSTEMS; DOMESTIC HOT-WATER SUPPLY SYSTEMS; ELEMENTS OR COMPONENTS THEREFOR (using steam or condensate extracted or exhausted from steam engine plants for heating purposes F01K17/02) - G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES - Y02B: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS ## Abstract An adapter device and/or a thermostat device for use during installation and testing of in-floor heating systems. The adapter device allows for temporary electrical interconnection between a mat and an AC power source, and includes at least one switch configured to actuate based on a user-supplied force (e.g., a finger press) to temporarily electrically couple the mat to an AC power source. The at least one switch is further configured to automatically de-actuate in the absence of the user-supplied force to electrically decouple the mat from the AC power source. The thermostat device includes at least one integrated power measurement circuit for testing and diagnostics of an in-floor heating system. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A thermostat for use with at least one in-floor heating element, the thermostat comprising: a housing; a heating element control circuit disposed within the housing, the heating element control circuit to cause an in-floor heating element to electrically couple to an alternating current power source; memory disposed within the housing, the memory configured to store at least one predefined AC voltage rating representing an AC voltage rating for the in-floor heating element; a first power measurement circuit disposed within the housing, the first power measurement circuit configured to detect a voltage of the alternating current power source; and a controller disposed within the housing, the controller comprising a voltage monitoring circuit configured to detect an AC voltage rating mismatch based on a comparison of the detected voltage of the alternating current power source with the predefined AC voltage rating prior to energizing the in-floor heating element. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to prevent the heating element control circuit from electrically coupling the in-floor heating element to the alternating current power source in response to the detected voltage rating mismatch. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the first power measurement circuit further includes an ammeter circuit configured to detect current drawn by the in-floor heating element from the alternating current power source. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The thermostat of claim 3, wherein the memory is configured to store at least one predefined current rating that represents a maximum current for the in-floor heating element, wherein the controller is further configured to detect an overcurrent condition based on the detected current drawn by the in-floor heating element from the alternating current power source being greater than the predefined current rating. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The thermostat of claim 4, wherein the controller is configured to electrically decouple the in-floor heating element from the alternating current power source in response to the overcurrent condition. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The thermostat of claim 1, further comprising a second power measurement circuit, the first and second power measurement circuit being configured to detect different electrical characteristics of at least one of the alternating current power source or in-floor heating element. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The thermostat of claim 1, further comprising a network interface circuit, and wherein the controller is configured to send a message to a remote computing device via the network interface circuit in response to the voltage rating mismatch. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The thermostat of claim 1, further comprising a display mounted to the housing, wherein the controller is configured to cause the display to visualize a user interface, the user interface displaying at least one operational status of the thermostat based, at least in part, on the first measured electrical characteristic. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The thermostat of claim 1, further comprising a display, and wherein the controller is configured to cause an error message to be indicated by the display, the error message indicative of the voltage rating mismatch. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to receive data from a remote sensor. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The thermostat of claim 10, wherein the remote sensor is a remote temperature sensor disposed adjacent the in-floor heating element. ### Claim 12 (depends on 3) The thermostat of claim 3, further comprising a network interface circuit, wherein the controller is configured to initiate a test mode based, at least in part, in response to receiving a request from a remote computing device via the network interface circuit. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The thermostat of claim 12, wherein the test mode is configured to detect at least one of the voltage mismatch or the overcurrent condition. ### Claim 14 A thermostat for use with at least one in-floor heating element, the thermostat comprising: a housing; a heating element control circuit disposed within the housing, the heating element control circuit to cause an in-floor heating element to electrically couple to an alternating current power source; a first power measurement circuit disposed within the housing, the first power measurement circuit configured determine if a voltage of the alternating current power source is a first predetermined voltage or a second predetermined voltage and generate an output signal representative of the determined voltage of the alternating current power source; and a controller disposed within the housing, the controller configured to: receive the output signal; and prior to energizing the in-floor heating element, compare the output signal to a predefined AC voltage rating associated with the in-floor heating element, the predefined AC voltage rating associated with the in-floor heating element being representative of an operating voltage of the in-floor heating element; wherein the controller is further configured to prevent energizing the in-floor heating element if the comparison results in a mismatch between the output signal and the predefined AC voltage rating associated with the in-floor heating element. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The thermostat of claim 14, wherein the first power measurement circuit further includes an ammeter circuit configured to detect current drawn by the in-floor heating element from the alternating current power source. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The thermostat of claim 15, the controller is further configured to detect an overcurrent condition based on the detected current drawn by the in-floor heating element from the alternating current power source being greater than a predefined current rating that represents a maximum current for the in-floor heating element. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The thermostat of claim 16, wherein the controller is configured to electrically decouple the in-floor heating element from the alternating current power source in response to the overcurrent condition. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The thermostat of claim 14, further comprising a second power measurement circuit, the first and second power measurement circuit being configured to detect different electrical characteristics of at least one of the alternating current power source or in-floor heating element. ### Claim 19 (depends on 14) The thermostat of claim 14, further comprising a network interface circuit, and wherein the controller is configured to send a message to a remote computing device via the network interface circuit in response to the voltage rating mismatch. ### Claim 20 (depends on 14) The thermostat of claim 14, further comprising a display mounted to the housing, wherein the controller is configured to cause the display to visualize a user interface, the user interface displaying at least one operational status of the thermostat based, at least in part, on the first measured electrical characteristic. ### Claim 21 (depends on 14) The thermostat of claim 14, further comprising a display, and wherein the controller is configured to cause an error message to be indicated by the display, the error message indicative of the voltage rating mismatch. ### Claim 22 (depends on 14) The thermostat of claim 14, wherein the controller is configured to receive data from a remote sensor. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The thermostat of claim 22, wherein the remote sensor is a remote temperature sensor disposed adjacent the in-floor heating element. ### Claim 24 (depends on 15) The thermostat of claim 15, further comprising a network interface circuit, wherein the controller is configured to initiate a test mode based, at least in part, in response to receiving a request from a remote computing device via the network interface circuit. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The thermostat of claim 24, wherein the test mode is configured to detect at least one of the voltage mismatch or the overcurrent condition.