The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jun. 07, 1994
Filed:
Sep. 16, 1992
Dipak J Shah, Eden Prairie, MN (US);
J Ward MacArthur, Minneapolis, MN (US);
Robert L Buchholz, Eden Prairie, MN (US);
Eric W Grald, Lyme, NH (US);
Lorne W Nelson, Bloomington, MN (US);
Honeywell Inc., Minneapolis, MN (US);
Abstract
The present invention describes an apparatus and method for controlling the temperature in a plurality of comfort zones within a house or building. The invention contemplates a series of zone control devices which are selectively opened or closed to allow heating and/or cooling to individual zones. The temperature in each zone is sensed and compared to a preferred setpoint temperature to determine a temperature error for each zone. The respective temperature error signals for each zone are used to determine the zone of greatest thermal error. The zone of greatest thermal error is used to turn the heating/cooling plant on and off. The remaining zone or zones of lesser thermal error have their zone control devices closed or opened, depending upon the temperature error signal for their respective zones. In this manner, all zones are synchronized to the zone of greatest thermal error and to the cycle of the heating/cooling plant.