Patent · US Active

Thermostat operation method and apparatus

US7802618B2 · kind B2 · utility

262Cited by
44References
6Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJan 19, 2006
Grant dateSep 28, 2010
Priority date
Expiry dateJun 17, 2029

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC F)Mechanical Engineering; Lighting; Heating
  • CPC primaryF24F2120/10
  • WIPO fieldThermal processes and apparatus
  • WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

A thermostat may be placed in a heating mode when the sensed temperature is less than the lowest of the heating and cooling target temperatures by a first amount and may be placed in a cooling mode when the sensed temperature is greater than the highest of the heating and cooling target temperatures by a second amount. The presence or absence of a user may be monitored. If the thermostat is in a user absent mode, a cool setback amount may be added to the cooling target temperature and a heat setback amount may be subtracted from the heating target temperature to arrive at setback cooling and setback heating target temperatures, respectively. The thermostat may comprise a touch-sensitive screen having various display areas.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.