Boiler control

Abstract

A method for boiler control and a monitoring system is disclosed. The present invention provides superior boiler control compared with earlier and current systems. In accordance with the illustrative embodiment of the present invention, the heating system is improved by utilizing computer and telecommunications technology to provide more accurate boiler control and to automatically identify problems in the system.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 receiving a first temperature, T 1 , from a first source;   receiving a second temperature, T 2 , from a second source;   receiving information, I 3 , from a third source; and   determining a first time, t 1 , based on the first temperature, T 1 , the second temperature, T 2 , and the information received from the third source, I 3 .   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the information received from the third source, I 3 , is a third temperature. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the information received from the third source, I 3 , is a forecast temperature. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the information received from the third source, I 3 , is an indoor temperature. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the information received from the third source, I 3 , is an average indoor temperature. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5  wherein the average indoor temperature, is a mean average. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5  wherein the average indoor temperature, is a statistically weighted average. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the average indoor temperature, is a mean average. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the first time, t 1 , is a length of time for a boiler to be activated. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the first time, t 1 , is a time in which a boiler is to be activated. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the first time, t 1 , is a time in which a boiler is to be deactivated. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the first time, t 1 , is transmitted. 
     
     
         13 . An apparatus comprising:
 receiving a first temperature, T 1 , from a first source;   receiving a second temperature, T 2 , from a second source;   receiving information, I 3 , from a third source;   determining a first time, t 1 , based on the first temperature, T 1 , the second temperature, T 2 , and the information received from the third source, I 3 ; and   transmitting a signal to a data-processing system,   wherein the signal sent to the data-processing system is based on the first time, t 1 .   
     
     
         14 . A system comprising:
 receiving at a first data-processing system, a first temperature reading, T 1 , from a first source;   receiving at the first data-processing system, a second temperature reading, T 2 , from a second source;   receiving at the first data-processing system, information, I 3 , from a third source;   determining at the first data-processing system, a first time, t 1 , based on the first temperature, T 1 , the second temperature, T 2 , and the information received from the third source, I 3 ; and   transmitting a signal from the first data-processing system to a second data-processing system,   wherein the signal sent to the second data-processing system is based on the first time, t 1 .   
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14  wherein the first time, t 1 , is a time in which a boiler is to be activated. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14  wherein the first time, t 1 , is a time in which a boiler is to be deactivated. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 14  further comprising:
 receiving at the second data-processing system, the first time, t 1 ; and 
 activating a boiler at the first time, t 1 . 
 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 14  further comprising:
 receiving at the second data-processing system, the first time, t 1 ; and 
 deactivating a boiler at the first time, t 1 . 
 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 14  further comprising:
 receiving, at the second data-processing system, the first time, t 1 ; and 
 activating a boiler for the length of the first time, t 1 . 
 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 14  wherein the first temperature reading, T 1 , the second temperature reading, T 2 , and the information, I 3 , are transmitted to the first data-processing system via the second data-processing system. 
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 14  further comprising:
 receiving, at the first data-processing system, a fourth temperature reading, T 4 , 
 wherein the fourth temperature reading, T 4 , is transmitted at a time after the first temperature reading, T 1 , the second temperature reading, T 2 , and the information, I 3 , are transmitted to the first data-processing system. 
 
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 21  further comprising:
 transmitting, from the first data-processing system, a second time, t 2 , 
 wherein the second time, t 2 , is based on the fourth temperature reading, T 4 . 
 
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 14  further comprising:
 determining, at the first data-processing system, whether the system is operating properly, based on the first temperature, T 1 , the second temperature, T 2 , and the information received from the third source, I 3 . 
 
     
     
         24 . A system comprising:
 receiving at a first data-processing system, a first temperature reading, T 1 , from a first source;   receiving at the first data-processing system, a second temperature reading, T 2 , from a second source;   receiving at the first data-processing system, information, I 3 , from a third source;   determining at the first data-processing system, a first time, t 1 , based on the first temperature, the second temperature, and the information received from the third source; and   wherein the information, I 3 , received from the third source, is received from a second data-processing system.