Wireless thermostat and room environment control system

Apparatus for controlling the temperature in a plurality of individual rooms in a group of rooms sharing a common air supply conduit, said room having lights which may be selectively turned on and off and being supplied with air through a duct communicating with said air supply conduit, air cooling means selectively activated and deactivated for cooling the air in said supply conduit when activated, and a damper valve in said duct for opening and closing flow communication between said conduit and said room, said apparatus comprising:

• first means for determining the temperature in said room;
• second means for providing a signal representative of the temperature of said room;
• third means for sensing the presence or absence of light in said room;
• fourth means for providing a signal indicative of the presence or absence of light in said room;
• manually operable temperature selecting means for selecting a desired room temperature;
• fifth means for providing a signal representative of the desired temperature;
• motor means for selectively opening and closing said damper valve;
• and
• control means coupled to said second, fourth and fifth means and to said motor means and said air cooling means for opening and closing said damper valve selectively and for activating and deactivating said air cooling means selectively to maintain said room substantially at said desired temperature when said lights are on, and for disregarding the signal provided by said fifth means and maintaining the room substantially at a preselected temperature independent of said desired temperature when said lights are off, said control means comprising a portable manual unit and a fixed controller;
• said control unit including signal transmitting means;
• signal receiving means operatively coupled to said controller;
• said controller being further operatively coupled to said motor means and said air cooling means;
• said signal transmitting means only being operable when said fourth means provides a signal indicative of the presence of light, and said controller having means operable when no transmission signal is received by said receiving means for controlling said room at said predetermined temperature.

A method of controlling the temperature within one room of a group of rooms sharing a common air supply conduit, said room having lights which may be selectively turned on and off and being supplied with air through a duct communicating with said air supply conduit, air cooling means selectively activated and deactivated for cooling the air in said supply conduit when activated, and a damper valve in said duct for opening and closing flow communication between said conduit and said room, said method comprising:

• (a) providing a first signal for controlling the opening and closing of said damper valve and the activating and deactivating of said air cooling means to maintain said room substantially at a first preselected temperature when said lights are on;
• (b) turning off said lights to disable said first signal and to provide a second signal;
• (c) controlling the opening and closing of said damper valve and the activating and deactivating of said air cooling means to maintain said room substantially at a second preselected temperature while said lights are off in accordance with said second signal;
• and
• (d) permitting said first signal to control the opening and closing of said damper valve and the activating and deactivating of said air cooling means only while said lights are on.