Thermostat switching circuitry with overcurrent protection
US10234879B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 5, 2017 |
| Grant date | Mar 19, 2019 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 5, 2037 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH02H3/20
- WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A thermostat may include one or more processors and heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) wire connectors configured to receive HVAC wires from an HVAC system, including a call relay wire connector and a power return wire connector. The thermostat may also include an integrated circuit (IC) coupled to the one or more processors. The IC may include one or more solid-state switching elements for actuating at least one HVAC function through the call relay wire connector and the power return wire connector; a first input/output (I/O) pin coupled to the one or more solid-state switching elements; and a second I/O pin coupled to a substrate of the IC. The thermostat may further include a Schottky diode coupled between the first I/O pin and the second I/O pin, wherein the Schottky diode is external to the IC.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.