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US 2015/0053782 A1Published application
Electronic thermostat
AssigneeRed Dot Corporation
InventorsJason Hartley, Peder Hamberg, Karl Leingang
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Provided are apparatus, including electronic thermostats, for detecting temperatures and elapsed times and, in response to those temperatures and elapsed times, controlling the opening or closing of an electric circuit.
Claims31
An electronic thermostat for use in a mobile heat transfer system, comprising:
- (a) a resistive element with a temperature dependent electrical resistance;
- and
- (b) a control circuit comprising a microprocessor;
- wherein said resistive element
- (i) is configured for monitoring a temperature at an evaporator core of said mobile heat transfer system and
- (ii) is in electrical contact with said control circuit and is configured for thermal contact with said evaporator core,
- wherein said microprocessor
- (i) is programmed to limit a frequency at which a compressor of said mobile heat transfer system cycles,
- (ii) enables a first-type event that transitions said control circuit from a first state to a second state in response to an electrical resistance of the resistive element corresponding to a predetermined temperature of the evaporator core cut in point and
- (iii) enables a second-type event that transitions said control circuit from said second state to said first state in response to an electrical resistance of the resistive element corresponding to a predetermined temperature of the evaporator core cut out point
- wherein a current first-type event does not occur until at least a first predetermined minimum time has elapsed since a prior second-type event and a first preset time delay has elapsed since the response to the electrical resistance corresponding to the predetermined temperature cut in point,
- wherein a current second-type event does not occur until at least a second predetermined minimum time has elapsed since a prior first-type event and a second preset time delay has elapsed since the response to the electrical resistance corresponding to the predetermined temperature cut out point and
- wherein said microprocessor is further programmed to enable a second-type event when the control circuit is in the second state and a source voltage connected to the control circuit is less than a predetermined voltage threshold.
10 more elements
-29. (canceled)
A method for operating a thermostat device with at least one processor device that performs actions, comprising:
- (a) determining an amount of time that the thermostat device has been in a current state, wherein the current state is one of a first state or a second state;
- (b) when the current state is the first state and the amount of time is greater than a first predetermined time threshold, determining a current temperature;
- (c) when the current state is the first state and the current temperature is greater than a first predetermined temperature threshold, transitioning the thermostat device to the second state;
- (d) when the current state is the second state and the amount of time is greater than a second predetermined time threshold, determining the current temperature;
- and
- (e) when the current state is the second state and the current temperature is less than a second predetermined temperature threshold, transitioning the thermostat device to the first state.
3 more elements
A thermostat device comprising:
- (a) a temperature sensor enabled to generate a temperature dependent signal;
- and
- (b) a processor device that performs actions and in communication with the temperature sensor, the actions comprising:
- determining a current temperature based on the temperature dependent signal;
- determining an elapsed time based on a time of a previous transition;
- inhibiting a transition from a first processor device state to a second processor device state when the current temperature is greater than a first predetermined temperature threshold and the elapsed time is less than a first predetermined time threshold;
- and
- inhibiting a transition from the second processor device state to the first processor device state when the current temperature is less than a second predetermined temperature threshold and the elapsed time is less than a second predetermined time threshold.
5 more elements
A heat transfer system comprising:
- (a) a compressor configured and arranged for an on-state and an off-state;
- (b) a condenser coupled to the compressor;
- (c) an expansion device coupled to the condenser;
- (d) an evaporator that includes an evaporator core and coupled the expansion device and the compressor, such that the compressor, the condenser, the expansion device, and the evaporator form a circuit;
- and
- (e) a control device coupled to the compressor and the evaporator and configured and arranged to perform actions comprising;
- i. determining a current temperature of the evaporator core;
- ii. determining an elapsed time based on a previous compressor state transition;
- iii. preventing a compressor transition from the off-state to the on-state when the current temperature is greater than a first predetermined temperature threshold and the elapsed time is less than a first predetermined time threshold;
- and
- iv. preventing a compressor transition from the on-state to the off-state when the current temperature is less than a second predetermined temperature threshold and the elapsed time is less than a second predetermined time threshold.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.