US 4,606,401 A · Programmable thermostat

Abstract

A programmable thermostat employing means for sensing the ambient temperature on the thermostat, a clock for generating digital electrical signals representative of real time, a programmable digital memory for retaining a schedule of times and temperature ranges for a particular repetitive time cycle, display means for indicating selected information including programming mode, time, and temperature conditions during the programming and operation of the device, and control means for interrogating the current temperature range in the times-temperatures schedule, determining whether the ambient temperature on the thermostat is within that range, and generating a control signal to the furnace or air conditioner when appropriate.

Claims16

Dependent claims

A thermostat for controlling the application of electrical power to temperature modifying loads comprising:

a clock operative to generate digital electrical signals having values representataive of real time;
a programmable, digital memory;
program input means for loading said memory with a plurality of separate entries each entry including a pair of digital signals representing two temperatures defining limits of a desired temperature range at a particular time over the a repetitive time cycle;
display means for displaying a particular time and said corresponding temperature range;
circuitry for applying the output of the clock to the memory to generate a digital electric signal representative of the upper and lower limits of the desired temperature range at a particular time as stored in a selected entry;
and
means for receiving an electrical signal having a characteristic which is a function of the ambient temperature and for receiving the generated output of the memory and for generating control signals for said loads.

4 more elements

A thermostat for controlling the application of electrical power to one or more temperature modifying loads, the thermostat comprising:

a clock operative to generate digital electrical signals having values representative of real time;
a programmable, digital memory;
program input means for loading said memory with a plurality of separate entries each comprising digital signals representing desired temperature ranges at particular times over a repetitive time cycle;
display means for displaying a particular time and corresponding temperature range, the display means including:
energizable indicia corresponding to indicated points on a linear temperature scale, each of the energizable indicia representing a particular temperature on the scale, the programmed temperature range being displayed by energizing the indicia corresponding to each of the upper and lower temperatures defining the range and each of the temperatures therebetween;
control means for applying the output of the clock to the memory for selecting one of said plurality of entries, to generate digital signals representative of the upper and lower limits of the desired temperature range at a particular time as stored in selected entries;
and
means for receiving the electrical signal having a characteristic which is a function of the ambient temperature and the digital signals and for generating control signals for said temperature modifying devices.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Programmable thermostat

Life of this patent

Programmable thermostat

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims16