TWI637130B - Smart temperature controller - Google Patents

Abstract

A smart temperature controller for electrically connecting heaters. The smart temperature controller has a timer and control module. The control module is electrically connected to the timer. The control module is used to electrically connect the heater. The control module is configured to obtain a startup time according to the set target temperature, the ambient temperature, and the set target time. The control module is configured to cause the timer to start timing according to the difference between the start time and the correction time of the current time. The timer provides a trigger signal when the time difference is corrected. The trigger signal is used to instruct the control module to enable the heater so that the heater starts to heat up at the start-up time.

Description

Smart temperature controller

The present invention relates to a smart temperature controller, and more particularly to a smart temperature controller that can estimate the start-up time.

The climate in many areas is relatively cold, and local residents use heaters to maintain indoor temperatures. In the case of the Nordic countries, almost all households use floor heating pipes to heat up the room. When the room temperature is raised by heating, it takes a long time to reach the set temperature from the current room temperature. Generally, the heating time is as short as several tens of minutes and as long as several hours.

The heater is typically paired with a temperature controller to provide an operator interface to the user. However, in this industry, the past operators do not pay much attention to the user experience, resulting in the current temperature controller on the market is not human enough. Therefore, in real life, in order to ensure that the indoor temperature can reach the set temperature during use, the user must judge when to start the heater. In the case of human judgment, the user often turns on the heater for a long time in advance to fully preheat the indoor space to be used. That is to say, in the absence of a sufficiently user-friendly interface, the user can only estimate the heating time based on the impression, and thus tends to overestimate the heating time or deliberately overestimate the heating time, resulting in additional energy consumption.

The invention provides a smart temperature controller to avoid the user's experience in controlling the heater to cause energy consumption, and also provides a user-friendly and convenient user interface.

The invention discloses a smart temperature controller for electrically connecting a heater. The intelligent temperature controller has a timer and a control module. The control module is electrically connected to the timer. The control module is used to electrically connect the heater. The control module is configured to obtain a startup time according to the set target temperature, the ambient temperature, and the set target time. The control module is used to make the timer start The time difference between the time and the current time is started. The timer provides a trigger signal when the time difference is corrected. The trigger signal is used to instruct the control module to enable the heater so that the heater starts to heat up at the start-up time.

In summary, the present invention provides an intelligent temperature controller for obtaining a startup time according to a set target temperature, an ambient temperature, and a set target time, and enabling the heater at the startup time. The heater begins to heat the corresponding indoor space. Therefore, the user only needs to set the desired target time, and the intelligent temperature controller obtains the time of the actual enabling heater according to the target time and related information, so that the user no longer needs to rely on himself. Subjective judgment to control the heater, in addition to providing users with a user-friendly experience, and avoiding wasting energy.

The above description of the disclosure and the following description of the embodiments of the present invention are intended to illustrate and explain the spirit and principles of the invention, and to provide further explanation of the scope of the invention.

10, 10', 40, 60, 80‧‧‧ Smart Temperature Controller

120, 420, 620, 820 ‧ ‧ timer

140, 440, 640, 840‧‧‧ control modules

170, 470, 670‧‧‧ relay

460, 660, 860‧‧‧ communication modules

680, 880‧‧‧ storage modules

890‧‧‧Operator interface

20‧‧‧heater

240‧‧‧heat pipe

30‧‧‧Power supply

50‧‧‧Server

90‧‧‧Temperature Detector

T1, T2, T3‧‧‧ time points

Tmp1, tmp2, tmp3‧‧‧ indoor temperature value

FIG. 1 is a smart temperature controller according to an embodiment of the invention.

2 is a smart temperature controller according to another embodiment of the present invention.

3 is a control time axis of a smart temperature controller according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 4 is a smart temperature controller according to still another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a smart temperature controller according to still another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a smart temperature controller according to still another embodiment of the present invention.

The detailed features and advantages of the present invention are set forth in the Detailed Description of the Detailed Description of the <RTIgt; </ RTI> <RTIgt; </ RTI> </ RTI> </ RTI> <RTIgt; Anyone familiar with the relevant art can The objects and advantages associated with the present invention are readily understood. The following examples are intended to describe the present invention in further detail, but are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.

Please refer to FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is a smart temperature controller according to an embodiment of the invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the smart temperature controller 10 is used to electrically connect the heater 20. The smart temperature controller 10 has a timer 120 and a control module 140. The control module 140 is electrically connected to the timer 120. The control module 140 is used to electrically connect the heater 20 . In practice, the heater 20 is, for example, a heating tube and is laid under the floor. The smart temperature controller 10 is used to selectively enable the heater 20. When the smart temperature controller 10 enables the heater 20, the heater 20 heats the room.

Please refer to FIG. 2, which is a smart temperature controller according to another embodiment of the present invention. In contrast to the embodiment illustrated in Figure 1, in the embodiment illustrated in Figure 2, the smart temperature controller 10' further has a relay 170. The relay 170 has a first end, a second end, and a control end. The first end of the relay 170 is electrically connected to the power source 30. The second end of the relay 170 is electrically connected to the heater 20. The control end of the relay 170 is electrically connected to the control module 140. When the control module 140 receives the trigger signal, the control module 140 is configured to instruct the relay 170 to conduct the first end and the second end via the control terminal, so that the power source 30 supplies power to the heater 20 to enable the heater 20.

In another embodiment, the relay is attached to the heater 20. The heater has, for example, a relay and a heating tube. The two ends of the relay are electrically connected to the power source and the heating tube, and the relay is controlled by the control module 140 to selectively conduct the power to the heating tube.

The temperature detector 90, more specifically, the control module 140 is configured to obtain the startup time according to the set target temperature, the ambient temperature, and the set target time. And the control module 140 is configured to cause the timer 120 to start timing according to the difference between the startup time and the correction time of the current time. The timer 120 provides a trigger signal when the time difference is corrected. The control module 140 is configured to enable the heater 20 according to the trigger signal.

The set target temperature and the set target time are, for example, provided by the user to the control module 140 via the operation interface. The ambient temperature refers to, for example, the control module 140 accepting the setting. Room temperature. In this embodiment, the control module 140 obtains the ambient temperature, for example, by the temperature detector 90. In practice, the temperature detector 90 may be independent of the smart temperature controller 10 and the heater 20, or the temperature detector 90 may be attached to the smart temperature controller 10 or the heater 20. On the other hand, the set target temperature and the set target time theoretically represent that the heater 20 is set to heat the room temperature to the set target temperature at the set target time, and the start time represents the time when the heater is actually enabled. Therefore, the control module 140 is configured to obtain the startup time according to the set target temperature and the set target time, and the timer 120 is timed according to the difference between the current time and the startup time, so as to start the time-enabled heater. 20 starts heating. The timer provides a trigger signal when the time difference is corrected. The trigger signal is used to instruct the control module 140 to enable the heater 20 to cause the heater 20 to begin heating at the start-up time. The control module 140 is, for example, a micro controller unit (MCU). In practice, the timer 120 and the control module 140 may be integrated into one integrated circuit; or the timer 120 and the control module 140 may be different individual circuits.

Please refer to FIG. 3 for a more specific description of the operation mode of the control module. FIG. 3 is a control time axis of the smart temperature controller according to an embodiment of the invention. A time axis is illustrated in FIG. 3, and the time point on the time axis is later than the time point on the left side. As shown in FIG. 3, the time axis is sequentially labeled with a time point T1, a time point T2, and a time point T3. Theoretically, the time point T2 is not earlier than the time point T1, and the time point T2 is not later than the time point T3. Specifically, at the time point T1, the indoor temperature is the indoor temperature value tmp1; at the time point T2, the indoor temperature is the indoor temperature value tmp2; and at the time point T3, the indoor temperature is the indoor temperature value tmp3. In other words, the time point T1, the time point T2, and the time point T3 correspond to the indoor temperature value tmp1, the indoor temperature value tmp2, and the indoor temperature value tmp3, respectively.

In an implementation scenario, the user provides a set target time and a set target temperature to the smart temperature controller 10 at time point T1. In one embodiment, the ambient temperature is, for example, the indoor temperature value tmp1 corresponding to the time point T1, and the set target time and the set target temperature correspond to the indoor temperature value tmp3 and the time point T3, respectively. Therefore, in Figure 3 The position of the time point T3 on the time axis is indicated by a broken line to indicate whether this is an ideal situation or a desired situation. The control module 140 acquires the time point T2 according to the time point T3, the desired indoor temperature value tmp3, and the related information. In one implementation, the control module 140 is based on a heat change relationship: the heat change is equal to the mass multiplied by the heat multiplied by the temperature difference to obtain the amount of heating required to heat up to the set target temperature. The control module 140 then converts the startup time based on the obtained heating amount and the heating power of the heater. Since the indoor temperature does not change drastically in a short time, the temperature difference is, for example, a temperature difference between the set target temperature and the indoor temperature value tmp1. Those skilled in the art have the ability to replace the mass or specific heat in the heat change relationship with actual parameters according to actual needs, or to add other parameters into the heat change relationship, which is not limited herein.

Please refer to FIG. 4. FIG. 4 is a smart temperature controller according to another embodiment of the present invention. Compared with the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 or FIG. 2, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the smart temperature controller 40 further has a communication module 460. The communication module 460 is electrically connected to the control module 440, and the communication module 460 is used to communicate with the server 50. In practice, the communication module 460 supports, for example, a blue tooth communication protocol, a Zigbee communication protocol, a Zwave communication protocol or a Bluetooth Mesh communication protocol, a LoRa communication protocol, a commonly known 433 MHz communication technology, or other sub-G radio communication. in agreement, or other RF (radio frequency, RF) signal for transmission protocol, protocol circuit WIFI or ^{2G, 3G, 4G (2 nd} generation, 3 rd generation, 4 th generation) each generation protocol, But it is not limited to this. In one embodiment, the communication module 460 communicates with the server 50 via a network, for example. The server 50 is, for example, a remote server or a private server set up by the user. In one embodiment, the server 50 is an official server such as the Weather Bureau. The communication module 460 is configured to obtain reference information from the server 50. The reference information is, for example, current weather information of the location of the smart temperature controller 40 or predicted future weather information, relevant settings of the user in the past, or other users of the neighboring area for a predetermined period of time. The set value of the heater. In practice, the control module 440 can also provide the current related information to the server 50 via the communication module 460 for recording or integration analysis.

In an embodiment, the reference information has a weather temperature. The weather temperature is, for example, an outdoor temperature predicted at time T3. The control module 140 is configured to obtain a first difference according to a difference between the set target temperature and the indoor temperature value tmp1, and the control module 140 is configured to obtain a second difference according to a difference between the meteorological temperature and the set target temperature. The control module 140 is configured to obtain a startup time according to the first difference, the second difference, and the heating power of the heater. In one implementation, as described above, the control module 140 is based on a heat change relationship: the heat change is equal to the mass multiplied by the heat multiplied by the temperature difference, and further considers the temperature change caused by the indoor and outdoor temperature difference. Thus, in this embodiment, briefly, the total amount of heating is approximately equal to the mass multiplied by the heat multiplied by the first difference plus a corrected calorific value. The corrected heat value is associated with the second difference, or the corrected heat value is a function of the second difference. More specifically, the corrected calorific value is associated with heat that escapes from the interior to the outside. The calculation of the corrected calorific value is not limited here. The control module 140 then converts the start time according to the total heating amount obtained and the heating power of the heater, that is, the time point T2 on the time axis.

In the above embodiment, how to obtain the start-up time is described in terms of the heat change relationship. However, in practice, in the process of obtaining the startup time, it is not necessary to calculate the heat change relationship every time to obtain the startup time. Please refer to FIG. 5. FIG. 5 is a smart temperature controller according to still another embodiment of the present invention. Compared to the previous embodiment, the smart temperature controller 60 further has a storage module 680. The storage module 680 stores a plurality of temperature time lookup tables. Each temperature time lookup table records multiple temperature values. And each temperature time lookup table describes a heating time difference corresponding to the heating of the room temperature from one of the plurality of temperature values to the other of the plurality of temperature values. The control module 640 selects one of the temperature time lookup tables according to the ambient temperature. The control module 640 obtains at least one heating time difference from the selected temperature time lookup table according to the set target temperature and the ambient temperature, and the control module 640 obtains the startup time according to the at least one heating time difference value and the set target time.

Please refer to the lookup table 1 and lookup table 2 listed below for an example. How the control module 640 retrieves relevant information from the lookup table. The lookup table 1 is one of the plurality of lookup tables stored in the storage module 680 in an embodiment. The lookup table 2 is one of the plurality of lookup tables stored in the storage module 680 in the embodiment. another. It should be noted that the lookup table 1 and the lookup table 2 are taken as an example for description, but in fact, the number of lookup tables stored in the storage module 680 may be more or only one. Moreover, the data in the lookup table 1 and the lookup table 2 are merely exemplary and are not intended to limit the contents of the lookup table.

As shown below, the heating time required to heat from the first starting temperature to 22 degrees Celsius is described in the lookup table 1. In addition, the heating time required to heat from 22 degrees Celsius to 23 degrees Celsius, and the heating time required to heat from 23 degrees Celsius to 24 degrees Celsius is described in Table 1. The content recorded in Table 2 is deduced by analogy, but the lookup table 2 represents heating from the second starting temperature.

In this embodiment, when the control module 640 determines that the ambient temperature (such as the indoor temperature value tmp1) is the first starting temperature, or the control module 640 determines that the difference between the ambient temperature and the first starting temperature is less than a preset. When the threshold is thresholded, the control module 640 selects the lookup table and obtains the startup time accordingly. More specifically, if the set target temperature is set to 25 degrees Celsius, the control module 640 takes the heating from the look-up table 1 to the degree of 22 degrees or even according to the set target temperature. The respective heating time differences corresponding to 25 degrees Celsius, and the control module 640 sums the respective heating times (1.2 + 0.3 + 0.3 + 0.1) to obtain a total heating time difference. The control module 640 adds the current time to the total heating time difference to obtain the startup time (corresponding to the aforementioned time point T2).

Similarly, when the control module 640 determines that the ambient temperature (such as the aforementioned indoor temperature value tmp1) is the second initial temperature, or the control module 640 determines that the difference between the ambient temperature and the second starting temperature is less than a predetermined threshold At the time of the value, the control module 640 selects the lookup table 2 and obtains the start time accordingly. More specifically, assuming that the set target temperature is 25 degrees Celsius, the control module 640 obtains the heating time difference from the look-up table 2 to the heating degree of 22 degrees according to the set target temperature, and heats up by 22 degrees Celsius. Each heating time difference corresponding to 25 degrees Celsius, and the control module 640 sums the heating time (1.5 + 0.2 + 0.1 + 0.1) to obtain a total heating time difference. The control module 640 adds the current time to the total heating time difference to obtain the startup time (corresponding to the aforementioned time point T2). In this embodiment, the difference in heating time in the lookup table is obtained, for example, experimentally or empirically. For example, in practice, when heating a space, after a period of warm-up period, the temperature increase rate of the heating space is faster than the temperature increase rate during the warm-up period. Therefore, the difference in heating time in the lookup table will correspondingly decrease. The above is merely illustrative and is not intended to limit the embodiments of the invention.

On the other hand, the foregoing cache storage module 680 stores a plurality of lookup tables as an example. However, in practice, the plurality of lookup tables may also be implemented as a multi-dimensional lookup table. The dimensions of the multi-dimensional lookup table are related to the parameters considered by the designer.

In addition, as described above, the communication module 660 is used to obtain reference information from the server 50. In an embodiment, the control module 640 further updates the data in each lookup table according to the reference information. For example, the reference information includes at least one historical set temperature value and a corresponding at least one historical time difference value, where the historical set temperature value is, for example, a plurality of set target temperatures set by the user in the local machine in the past, or A plurality of set target temperatures set by other users in the vicinity in other machines. Correspondingly, the historical time difference is an ideal heating time or an actual heating time corresponding to each historical set temperature value. With these historical information, the control module 640 can increase or decrease the relevant values in the lookup table to respond to environmental changes or climate changes. The reference information includes, for example, weather information such as humidity, sunshine time, somatosensory temperature, wind speed, and trends of various parameters. For example, when the body temperature is lower than a predetermined body temperature value, the control module 640, for example, increases the heating time difference in the lookup table to further increase the room temperature. Alternatively, when the wind speed is greater than a preset wind speed value, the control module 640, for example, increases the difference in heating time in the lookup table to avoid increasing the indoor temperature from falling due to strong wind. Alternatively, when the sunshine time is greater than a predetermined sunshine time, the control module 640, for example, reduces the heating time difference in the lookup table to avoid overheating.

In addition, the lookup table can be associated with different environmental parameters, or the control module can adjust the data in the lookup table according to different environmental parameters. In one embodiment, the control module 640 further obtains the startup time according to the set indoor area or the specification of the heater. The specification of the heater includes, for example, the heating power of the heater, but is not limited thereto.

Please refer to FIG. 6. FIG. 6 is a smart temperature controller according to still another embodiment of the present invention. Compared to the previous embodiment, in this embodiment, the smart temperature control device has an operation interface 890. The operation interface 890 is electrically connected to the control module 840. The operation interface 890 is configured to provide a setting signal to the control module 840 according to the user's instruction. The setting signal is used to indicate a set target temperature and a set target time. That is to say, the user can set the target temperature and set the target time via the operation interface. In one embodiment, the set signal can also be used to indicate the set indoor area as previously described. In another embodiment, the operation interface 890 can also be used to adjust the set target temperature and the set target time. The operation interface 890 is, for example, a meter having a button or a button, or the operation interface 890 is, for example, a touch panel, which is not limited herein.

In practice, the smart temperature controller can also be operated with an application (app). The application is for example executed on a smart device, a computer or any device with computing power. More specifically, the user executes the corresponding application program, for example, by the smart mobile device, and the user adjusts the relevant settings of the smart temperature controller through the operation interface of the application.

In summary, the present invention provides an intelligent temperature controller for obtaining a startup time according to reference information, setting a target temperature, an ambient temperature, and a set target time, and enabling heating at the startup time. The heater starts heating the corresponding indoor space. Thereby, the user only needs to set the desired target time, and the intelligent temperature controller obtains the time of actually enabling the heater according to the target time and related information. In addition, in an embodiment, the smart temperature controller can obtain historical information, weather information or regional information from the server via the network, and adjust the startup time accordingly, so that the startup time is better and more accurate. With the intelligent temperature controller, the user no longer needs to control the heater according to his own subjective judgment. Therefore, the intelligent temperature controller provided by the present invention not only provides a user-friendly experience but also avoids waste. Additional energy.

Although the present invention has been disclosed above in the foregoing embodiments, it is not intended to limit the invention. It is within the scope of the invention to be modified and modified without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Please refer to the attached patent application for the scope of protection defined by the present invention.

Claims (10)

A smart temperature controller for electrically connecting a heater, the smart temperature controller comprising: a timer; and a control module electrically connected to the timer, the control module being electrically connected The control module is configured to obtain a startup time according to at least a set target temperature, an ambient temperature, and a set target time, wherein the control module is configured to cause the timer to be between the start time and a current time. The timing of the correction is started. The timer provides a trigger signal when the correction time difference is reached. The control module is configured to enable the heater according to the trigger signal. The smart temperature controller of claim 1, further comprising a communication module electrically connected to the control module, wherein the communication module is configured to obtain a reference information from a server, the control module being used to at least The startup time is obtained based on the reference information, the set target temperature, the ambient temperature, and the set target time. The smart temperature controller of claim 2, wherein the reference information comprises a weather temperature, the weather temperature is an outdoor temperature at the set target time, and the control module is configured to use the set target temperature and the environment The difference between the temperatures obtains a first difference, and the control module is configured to obtain a second difference according to the difference between the set target temperature and the meteorological temperature, and the control module is configured to use the first difference according to the first difference The start value is obtained by the value, the second difference, and the heating power of the heater. The smart temperature controller of claim 2, wherein the reference information comprises at least one historical set temperature value in the past and a corresponding at least one historical time difference. The smart temperature controller of claim 2, wherein the communication module is configured to communicate with the server via at least a network. The smart temperature controller of claim 1, further comprising a storage module, wherein the storage module stores a plurality of temperature time lookup tables, each of the temperature time lookup tables recording a plurality of temperature values, and each The temperature time lookup table describes a heating time difference corresponding to another one of the temperature values heated by the heater to the temperature value, and the control module is based on the environment. Selecting one of the temperature time lookup tables, and the control module obtains at least one of the heating time difference values according to the set target temperature and the ambient temperature. The module obtains the startup time according to the obtained at least one heating time difference value and the set target time. The smart temperature controller of claim 1 further includes an operation interface electrically connected to the control module, wherein the operation interface is configured to provide a setting signal to the control module according to the user's instruction, the setting signal It is used to indicate the set target temperature and the set target time. The smart temperature controller of claim 1, wherein the control module obtains the startup time according to a set indoor area. The smart temperature controller of claim 1, wherein the control module obtains the startup time according to the specification of the heater. The smart temperature controller of claim 1, further comprising a relay having a first end, a second end and a control end, wherein the first end is electrically connected to a power source, and the second end is electrically connected Connected to the heater, the control terminal is electrically connected to the control module. When the control module receives the trigger signal, the control module is configured to instruct the relay to conduct the first end and the first The two ends are such that the power is supplied to the heater to enable the heater.