475results about "Temperature control with auxillary non-electric power" patented technology

A thermostat system according to the invention includes: a central control device (typically a programmable thermostat with a processor having: a CPU, real time clock and a memory for storing a control program and data information), multiple rooms comprising a conditioned space, environmental control equipment, and multiple environmental sensors capable of sensing an environmental condition (such as temperature, humidity, or other condition). The sensors are associated with transmission means, which control transmission of sensor signals, and occupancy sensors. Each sensor measures a local environmental condition. Occupancy sensors comprise infrared or other motion sensors, light detection sensors, door opening sensors, and other such sensors that detect the presence of humans in a room of the conditioned space where its associated sensor is located. Space conditioning equipment is activated by comparison of a setpoint to a control value averaged from values of environmental conditions in occupied rooms.

A controller includes a programmable schedule and a user interface, adapted and configured to illustratively display at least a portion of the programmable schedule along a time axis and a current time indicator positioned to indicate the current time along the time axis. A method is also described including the steps of: operating a programmable controller having a scheduled current set point and a scheduled future set point; and providing a message indicating a time of the scheduled future set point change.

A thermostat that can display information in multiple different orientations is provided. The thermostat includes a housing, a display, and an input device. As the housing is mounted in a particular orientation, the thermostat changes the orientation of the information for properly displaying same to a user. This is accomplished by sensing the orientation of the housing in one embodiment, and through user selection of a desired orientation in another embodiment. A separate display and input device(s) are provided in one embodiment, and a combined touch screen display and input device is provided in another embodiment.

A visual display system and method for a digital thermostat having a user display screen to provide operational status information of the heating and / or cooling equipment controlled by the thermostat is provided. This visual display system utilizes animated icons to show operational status of the heating and / or cooling equipment. Static icons may also be used in one embodiment to indicate the current mode of the thermostat. Animated icons for the heating system, the cooling system, and fan operation are provided. The illusion of animation is provided by overwriting or replacing a displayed image with another image at a predetermined frequency. This predetermined frequency may be changed programmatically, and varied to provide different visual effects.

A programmable thermostat can be programmed and configured using a set up selector keys or pushbuttons to enter set up modes and to move from screen to screen on the thermostat display, and using up and down selector keys to change the time and temperature settings within each screen or mode. The thermostat can be set into a master mode be depressing two of the selector keys simultaneously, and then the programmed settings of the thermostat can be electronically transferred to each of a batch of similar thermostats using a thermostat conductor in a multi-conductor thermostat wire such as the fan conductor. The thermostat can be toggled back to a normal or target mode for thermostat operation.