US Patent No: 7,726,581
Number of patents in Portfolio can not be more than 2000
HVAC controller
Stats
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Jun 1, 2010
Issued date -
Jan 12, 2006
filing date -
11/306,841
serial no -
In Force
status
Importance
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Abstract
An HVAC controller may include an upper housing having a front and a back, the back including a center. A lens dial including an engagement portion may be rotatably secured relative to the upper housing. A set point operator may include a first portion that is disposed about the upper housing center as well as a second portion that is adapted to interact with the lens dial engagement portion. A mechanical movement to electrical signal converter such as a potentiometer may be disposed within the HVAC controller such that the first portion of the set point operator communicates with the potentiometer.
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First Claim
Related Publications
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International Classification(s)
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- [Patents Count]
Cited Art
| Patent Info | (Count) | # Cites | Year |
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| D254052 Room thermostat or similar article | 15 | 1977 | |
| 4,298,946 Electronically controlled programmable digital thermostat | 98 | 1978 | |
| 4,388,692 Electronically controlled programmable digital thermostat having variable threshold hysteresis with time | 90 | 1980 | |
| 4,390,859 Electric thermostat with adjusting knob | 4 | 1981 | |
| 4,350,966 Thermostat assembly | 2 | 1981 | |
| 4,442,972 Electrically controlled programmable digital thermostat and method for regulating the operation of multistage heating and cooling systems | 142 | 1981 | |
| 4,420,736 Heating and cooling thermostat with limiting action selected by a single lever changeover switching apparatus | 4 | 1981 | |
| D290235 Thermostat | 8 | 1984 | |
| 4,606,401 Programmable thermostat | 66 | 1985 | |
| 4,685,614 Analog to digital conversion employing the system clock of a microprocessor, the clock frequency varying with analog input | 21 | 1985 | |
| 4,669,654 Electronic programmable thermostat | 13 | 1986 | |
| 4,751,961 Electronic programmable thermostat | 23 | 1986 | |
| 4,837,731 System for time programming of states by communicating time data via a continuously rotatable potentiometer | 62 | 1987 | |
| 5,154,226 Automatic changeover thermostat with single bi-metal and common set lever having individual heat and cool setpoint indicators | 4 | 1989 | |
| 5,211,332 Thermostat control | 13 | 1991 | |
| 5,230,482 Electronic time thermostat with a temporary next period adjustment means | 68 | 1991 | |
| 5,303,612 Increased diameter detachable thermostat knob allowing easier thermostat use | 26 | 1992 | |
| 5,482,209 Method and means for programming a programmable electronic thermostat | 68 | 1994 | |
| 5,542,279 Method of incorporating wide tolerance set point potentiometers into devices with fixed orientation setpoint indicator scales | 9 | 1994 | |
| D390482 Thermostat housing | 18 | 1997 | |
| 5,943,917 Thermostat having a temperature setting lever with tactilely determinable position | 11 | 1997 | |
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| 4,308,991 Programmable electronic thermostat | 69 | 1980 | |
| 4,621,336 Visual display of time schedule in a programmable thermostat | 72 | 1984 | |
| 5,251,813 Indication of low battery voltage condition by altering of temperature setpoint | 42 | 1993 | |
| 5,570,837 Programmable digital thermostat with means for enabling temporary connection of a battery thereto | 51 | 1995 | |
| 6,318,639 Thermostat with temporary fan on function | 64 | 1999 | |
| 6,315,211 Hardwired or battery powered digital thermostat | 54 | 1999 | |
| 6,449,533 Thermostat and method for controlling an HVAC system with remote temperature sensor | 31 | 2000 | |
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| 5,012,973 Window air conditioning unit having a built-in programmable thermostat with remote temperature sensor | 66 | 1988 | |
| 4,881,686 Temperature recovery display device for an electronic programmable thermostat | 55 | 1988 | |
| 5,038,851 Electronic programmable thermostat for a heating and cooling system with an oscillation control mechanism | 58 | 1988 | |
| 5,329,991 Pre-programmed electronic programmable thermostat | 81 | 1992 | |
| 5,782,296 Auto-programmable electronic thermostat | 78 | 1996 | |
| 5,937,942 Electronic programmable thermostat with temporary reset | 72 | 1998 | |
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| 6,351,693 Computerized system for controlling thermostats | 81 | 1999 | |
| 6,595,430 Graphical user interface system for a thermal comfort controller | 93 | 2000 | |
| 6,741,158 Magnetically sensed thermostat control | 9 | 2002 | |
| 7,159,789 Thermostat with mechanical user interface | 5 | 2004 | |
| 7,159,790 Thermostat with offset drive | 3 | 2004 | |
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| 4,725,001 Electronic thermostat employing adaptive cycling | 77 | 1986 | |
| 5,065,813 Interactive electronic thermostat with installation assistance | 71 | 1988 | |
| 5,161,606 Interactive electronic thermostat with minimum and maximum temperature thermal limit switches | 67 | 1991 | |
| 5,816,491 Method and apparatus for conserving peak load fuel consumption and for measuring and recording fuel consumption | 19 | 1996 | |
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| 5,107,918 Electronic thermostat | 34 | 1991 | |
| 5,873,519 Electronic thermostat with multiple program options | 80 | 1997 | |
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| 5,771,594 Angular encoder | 13 | 1996 | |
| 6,542,088 Multiturn rotary encoder with multiple code carriers coupled by a reduction gear | 19 | 2001 | |
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| 4,948,040 Air conditioning system | 63 | 1988 | |
| 4,997,029 Air conditioning apparatus | 70 | 1989 | |
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| 6,196,467 Wireless programming or programmable thermostat mobile unit for multiple separate controller or programmable fixed units and programming transmission method | 76 | 1998 | |
| 6,032,867 Flat plate thermostat and wall mounting method | 57 | 1998 | |
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| 5,573,850 Abrasion resistant quasi monofilament and sheathing composition | 16 | 1995 | |
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| 2002/0148,317 Manual input device enabling control of various electric apparatus with single knob | 5 | 2002 | |
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| 5,526,422 System and method for cleaning the display screen of a touch screen device | 60 | 1994 | |
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| 4,431,134 Digital thermostat with protection against power interruption | 63 | 1982 | |
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| 4,992,779 Information input device | 60 | 1989 | |
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| 4,646,964 Temperature control system | 63 | 1982 | |
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| 2003/0034,898 Thermostat and remote control system and method | 81 | 2001 | |
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| 4,446,913 Auto changeover thermostat with means for handling temperature entry errors | 66 | 1983 | |
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| 4,918,439 Remote control device | 91 | 1988 | |
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| 5,566,879 System for centralized controlling of a plurality of temperature regulating devices | 97 | 1993 | |
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| 4,449,832 Program input and/or time setting device | 13 | 1982 | |
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| 5,348,078 Dwelling heating and air conditioning system | 91 | 1993 | |
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| 6,208,331 Cleaning touchscreens | 56 | 1998 | |
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| 5,718,121 Icemaker | 7 | 1996 | |
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| 5,148,979 Setup-setback thermostat having a simple setup-setback visual indicator | 9 | 1991 | |
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| 4,667,068 Control mechanisms for automotive heating and air conditioning systems | 4 | 1986 | |
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| 5,005,365 Thermostat speed bar graph for variable speed temperature control system | 35 | 1988 | |
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| 6,502,758 Electronic device for regulating and controlling ambient temperatures, and relative setting method | 64 | 2001 | |
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| 5,194,842 Thermostat device | 11 | 1989 | |
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| 4,382,544 Energy management system with programmable thermostat | 72 | 1980 | |
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| 4,717,333 Burner ignition system | 53 | 1986 | |
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| 6,927,348 Rotary control switch assembly | 10 | 2004 | |
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| 5,673,850 Programmable thermostat with rotary dial program setting | 53 | 1996 | |
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| 4,252,270 Thermostat | 10 | 1978 | |
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| 6,353,429 Detented optical encoder | 35 | 1999 | |
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| 5,901,183 Signal correlation technique for a receiver of a spread spectrum signal including a pseudo-random noise code that reduces errors when a multipath signal is present | 66 | 1996 | |
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| 4,386,649 Programmable thermostatic control device | 101 | 1980 | |
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| 6,518,957 Communications device with touch sensitive screen | 89 | 2000 | |
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| 5,181,653 Residential heating and air conditioning control system | 93 | 1992 | |
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| 2002/0063,680 Encoder module for use in input device of graphic user interface | 4 | 2001 | |
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| 4,206,872 Electronic thermostat | 114 | 1977 | |
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| 5,246,649 Method of coating composite material parts with a refractory and/or metallic product | 4 | 1991 | |
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| 4,912,939 Making ice in a refrigerator | 9 | 1989 | |
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| 4,223,291 Convertible set-back selector clip | 7 | 1978 | |
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| 4,653,708 Twist-in mounting for a thermostat | 36 | 1985 | |
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| 5,537,106 Remote controller | 71 | 1993 | |
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| 4,730,110 Shaft position encoder | 17 | 1986 | |
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| 6,518,682 System monitor for a linear/rotary actuator | 5 | 2000 | |
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| 5,259,445 Control for dual heating system including a heat pump and furnace | 63 | 1992 | |
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| 4,264,034 Digital thermostat | 78 | 1979 | |
| 4,337,822 Digital thermostat | 52 | 1980 | |
| 4,414,520 Thermostat | 12 | 1982 | |
| 4,479,604 Zoned control system | 71 | 1982 | |
| D276731 Thermostat magnifier | 16 | 1983 | |
| D288670 Combined thermostat and magnifier therefor | 10 | 1984 | |
| 4,910,503 Multi-function input device and system | 28 | 1987 | |
| 4,846,400 Method of and apparatus for automatic damper control | 15 | 1988 | |
| 5,088,645 Self-programmable temperature control system for a heating and cooling system | 63 | 1991 | |
| D347584 Aquarium water temperature monitor and alarm | 17 | 1993 | |
| 5,902,183 Process and apparatus for energy conservation in buildings using a computer controlled ventilation system | 57 | 1997 | |
| 2003/0034,897 Thermostat and remote control apparatus | 56 | 2001 | |
| D471825 Thermostat | 8 | 2002 | |
| 6,581,846 Thermostat including a vacation mode in which electrical devices within and proximate the conditioned space are operated by the thermostat to provide an occupied appearance | 60 | 2002 | |
| 6,525,675 Position encoder for determining the angle or position and the total angle on distance moved | 5 | 2002 | |
Patent Citation Ranking
Maintenance Fees
| Fee | Large entity fee | small entity fee | micro entity fee | due date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Year Payment | $1600.00 | $800.00 | $400.00 | Dec 1, 2013 |
| 7.5 Year Payment | $3600.00 | $1800.00 | $900.00 | Dec 1, 2017 |
| 11.5 Year Payment | $7400.00 | $3700.00 | $1850.00 | Dec 1, 2021 |
| Fee | Large entity fee | small entity fee | micro entity fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Surcharge - 3.5 year - Late payment within 6 months | $160.00 | $80.00 | $40.00 |
| Surcharge - 7.5 year - Late payment within 6 months | $160.00 | $80.00 | $40.00 |
| Surcharge - 11.5 year - Late payment within 6 months | $160.00 | $80.00 | $40.00 |
| Surcharge after expiration - Late payment is unavoidable | $700.00 | $350.00 | $175.00 |
| Surcharge after expiration - Late payment is unintentional | $1,640.00 | $820.00 | $410.00 |