System for determining ambient temperature

A thermostat for controlling temperature control equipment, comprising:

• a housing;
• one or more heat generating elements within the housing, the one or more heat generating elements causing a first region within the housing to be at a different temperature than a second region within the housing;
• a first temperature sensor within the housing for reporting a measure that is related to the temperature in the first region;
• a second temperature sensor within the housing for reporting a measure that is related to the temperature in the second region;
• a controller for receiving the measure related to the temperature in the first region and the measure related to the temperature in the second region, and for determining a measure related to an ambient temperature outside of the housing based, at least in part, on the measure related to the temperature in the first region, the measure that is related to the temperature in the second region, a first constant and a second constant;
• and
• the controller reporting the measure related to the ambient temperature to a thermostat control algorithm.

A method for controlling temperature control equipment, including determining a measure related to an ambient temperature outside of a housing by using temperature sensors within the housing, wherein the housing includes one or more heat generating elements within the housing, the method comprising:

• obtaining a measure related to the temperature in a first region within the housing using a first temperature sensor;
• obtaining a measure related to the temperature in a second region within the housing using a second temperature sensor, wherein the first region is at a different temperature than the second region;
• determining the measure related to the ambient temperature outside of the housing based on:
• the obtained measure related to the temperature in the first region;
• the obtained measure related to the temperature in the second region;
• and
• a relationship between the measure related to the ambient temperature outside of the housing and the obtained measure related to the temperature in the first region, the obtained measure related to the temperature in the second region, a first constant and a second constant, wherein the relationship is defined at least in part by the first constant and the second constant;
• and
• providing one or more control signals for controlling the temperature control equipment, which control signals are based at least in part on the indication of ambient temperature outside of the housing.

A method for determining a measure related to an ambient temperature outside of a housing of a device by using two or more temperature sensors within the housing, wherein the housing includes one or more heat generating elements within the housing, the method comprising:

• obtaining measures related to the temperatures in each of two or more regions within the housing using two or more temperature sensors, wherein the heat generating elements within the housing cause each of the two or more regions to be at a different temperature;
• and
• determining the measure related to the ambient temperature outside of the housing based, at least in part, on:
• the obtained measures related to the temperatures in each of two or more regions within the housing;
• a relationship between the measure related to the ambient temperature outside of the housing, the obtained measures related to the temperature in each of two or more regions within the housing, and two or more constants, wherein the relationship is defined at least in part by the two or more constants;
• and
• reporting the measure related to the ambient temperature to a control algorithm that is used to control temperature control equipment.

A device for use in a thermostat application, comprising:

• a first temperature sensor situated at a first location in a housing;
• a second temperature sensor situated at a second location in the housing;
• a controller receiving a first temperature from the first temperature sensor and a second temperature from the second temperature sensor;
• wherein the controller determines an indication of ambient temperature outside of the housing based, at least in part, on:
• the first temperature, the second temperature, and a predetermined relationship between the ambient temperature, the first temperature, the second temperature, and two or more constants, wherein the predetermined relationship is defined at least in part by the two or more constants;
• and
• the controller provides one or more control signals for controlling temperature control equipment, which control signals are based at least in part on the indication of ambient temperature outside of the housing.

A device for use in a thermostat application, comprising:

• a first temperature sensor situated at a first location in a housing for measuring a first temperature at the first location;
• a second temperature sensor situated at a second location in the housing for measuring a second temperature at the second location;
• a third temperature sensor situated at a third location in the housing for measuring a third temperature at the third location;
• wherein the first temperature, the second temperature and the third temperature are at different temperatures during operation of the device;
• a controller receiving the first temperature from the first temperature sensor, the second temperature from the second temperature sensor, and the third temperature from the third temperature sensor;
• wherein the controller determines an indication of ambient temperature outside of the housing based, at least in part, on:
• the first temperature, the second temperature, the third temperature, and a predetermined relationship between the ambient temperature and each of the first temperature, the second temperature and the third temperature;
• and
• wherein the controller provides one or more control signals for controlling temperature control equipment, which control signals are base at least in part on the indication of ambient temperature outside of the housing.