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. 25, 2002
Filed:
May. 18, 2000
David L. Gilvar, Weston, MA (US);
Steven G. Landry, Brookline, NH (US);
Steven P. Harter, Merrimack, NH (US);
Microtherm LLC, Wellesley, MA (US);
Abstract
A self optimizing device for controlling a heating unit in a manner so as to improve the energy efficiency of the heating unit using an autocalibration processor. The heating unit employs a heating medium that is heated by the heating unit and which transfers the heat into an ambient atmosphere outside of the heating unit. The heating unit has an on-state initiated when a characteristic of the heating medium representative of the heating capacity of the medium decreases below a minimum level, and an off-state initiated when the characteristic of the heating medium reaches a maximum level. The controller includes an input element, an output element, a time-measuring element, and a processor. The input element receives a signal from a sensor, the signal indicating the heating medium characteristic representative of the heating capacity of the heating medium. The output element signals the heating unit to begin its on-state. The time-measuring element measures an off-time, the off-time being the length of time from initiation of the off-state of the heating unit until the characteristic of the heating medium decreases below the minimum level. The processor determines a delay time and for signaling the heating unit to delay initiation of the on-state by the delay time amount, the extension of the off-time resulting in an energy savings over an undelayed initiation. The processor further comprising an autocalibration processor for determining a delay time that results in optimum energy savings.