System and method for occupancy detection in split thermostat

Abstract

A method of operating a heating ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system by a thermostat to control an environmental parameter of a plurality of conditioned spaces is described. The method includes detecting a first value of the environmental parameter of the first conditioned space, the first value being detected by the thermostat, controlling the HVAC system based on the first value of the environmental parameter and a first setpoint for the environmental parameter, receiving, from a first occupancy indicator, a first indication of occupancy of a second conditioned space of the plurality of conditioned spaces, the first occupancy indicator being a human actuated occupancy indicator, and controlling the HVAC system based at least in part on the received first indication of occupancy of the second conditioned space.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of operating a heating ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system by a thermostat to control an environmental parameter of a plurality of conditioned spaces, the thermostat being located in a first conditioned space of the plurality of conditioned spaces, said method comprising:
 detecting a first value of the environmental parameter of the first conditioned space, the first value being detected by the thermostat;   controlling the HVAC system based on the first value of the environmental parameter and a first setpoint for the environmental parameter:   receiving, from a first occupancy indicator, a first indication of occupancy of a second conditioned space of the plurality of conditioned spaces, the first occupancy indicator being a human actuated occupancy indicator; and   controlling the HVAC system based at least in part on the received first indication of occupancy of the second conditioned space.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:
 receiving, from the first occupancy indicator, a second value of the environmental parameter, and   wherein controlling the HVAC system based at least in part on the received first indication of occupancy of the second conditioned space comprises:   controlling the HVAC system based at least in part on the first indication of occupancy and the second value of the environmental parameter.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the method further comprises:
 receiving, from the first occupancy indicator, a second setpoint for the environmental parameter, and   wherein controlling the HVAC system based at least in part on the first indication of occupancy and the second value of the environmental parameter further comprises:   controlling the HVAC system based at least in part on the first indication of occupancy, the second value of the environmental parameter, and the second setpoint for the environmental parameter.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:
 receiving, from the first occupancy indicator, a first indication of non-occupancy of the second conditioned space, and   wherein controlling the HVAC system based at least in part on the received first indication of occupancy of the second conditioned space comprises:   controlling the HVAC system based on the first value of the environmental parameter detected by the thermostat and the first setpoint for the environmental parameter in response to the received first indication of non-occupancy.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:
 receiving, from a second occupancy indicator, a second indication of occupancy of a third conditioned space of the plurality of conditioned spaces, the second occupancy indicator being a human actuated occupancy indicator, and   wherein controlling the HVAC system based at least in part on the received first indication of occupancy of the second conditioned space comprises:   controlling the HVAC system based at least in part on the received first and second indications of occupancy of the second and third conditioned spaces.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the method further comprises:
 receiving, from the second occupancy indicator, a third value of the environmental parameter, and   wherein controlling HVAC system based at least in part on the received first and second indications of occupancy of the second and third conditioned spaces comprises:   controlling HVAC system based at least in part on the first and second indications of occupancy of the second and third conditioned spaces and the second and third values of the environmental parameter.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein controlling the environmental parameter further comprises:
 calculating an average value of the environmental parameter as an average of the second and third values of the environmental parameter of the second and third conditioned spaces, and   wherein controlling HVAC system based at least in part on the first and second indications of occupancy of the second and third conditioned spaces and the second and third values of the environmental parameter comprises:   controlling the HVAC system based at least in part on the average value of the environmental parameter.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the method further comprises:
 receiving, from the second occupancy indicator, a third setpoint for the environmental parameter, and   wherein controlling HVAC system based at least in part on the first and second indications of occupancy of the second and third conditioned spaces and the second and third values of the environmental parameter comprises:   controlling the HVAC system based at least in part on the first and second indications of occupancy, the second and third values of the environmental parameter, and the second and third setpoints for the environmental parameter.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the method further comprises:
 receiving, from the second occupancy indicator, a first indication of non-occupancy of the third conditioned space; and   wherein controlling the HVAC system based at least in part on the received first and second indications of occupancy of the second and third conditioned spaces comprises:   controlling the HVAC system based at least in part on the first indication of occupancy of the second conditioned space.   
     
     
         10 . A temperature control system comprising:
 a thermostat device which controls a heating ventilation and air conditioning system (HVAC) to control a temperature of a plurality of conditioned spaces, the thermostat device comprising at least one processor, at least one memory, and a system temperature sensor, the thermostat being located in a first conditioned space of the plurality of conditioned spaces; and   a first remote auxiliary device associated with a second conditioned space and communicatively coupled to the thermostat device, the first remote auxiliary device comprising:
 a first occupancy indicator operable to produce a first indication of occupancy of the second conditioned space, the occupancy indicator being human actuated; and 
 a first remote temperature sensor, 
   wherein the processor of the thermostat device is programmed to:
 detect a first value of the temperature using the system temperature sensor; 
 control the HVAC system based on the detected first value of the temperature and a first setpoint of the environmental parameter; 
 receive, from the first remote auxiliary device, a first indication of occupancy of the second conditioned space; 
 control the HVAC system based at least in part on the first indication of occupancy of the second conditioned space. 
   
     
     
         11 . The temperature control system of  claim 10 , wherein the processor of the thermostat device is further programmed to:
 receive, from the first remote auxiliary device, a second value of the temperature measured by the first remote temperature sensor; and   control the HVAC system based at least in part on the first indication of occupancy and the second value of the temperature.   
     
     
         12 . The temperature control system of  claim 11 , wherein the processor of the thermostat device is further programmed to:
 receive, from the first remote auxiliary device, a second setpoint of the temperature; and   control the HVAC system based at least in part on the first indication of occupancy, the second value of the temperature, and the second setpoint of the temperature.   
     
     
         13 . The temperature control system of  claim 10 , wherein the processor of the thermostat device is further programmed to:
 receive, from the first remote auxiliary device, a first indication of non-occupancy of the second conditioned space; and   control the HVAC system based on the first value of the temperature and the first setpoint of the temperature in response to the received first indication of non-occupancy.   
     
     
         14 . The temperature control system of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 a second auxiliary device associated with a third conditioned space communicatively coupled to the thermostat device comprising:
 a second occupancy indicator operable to produce a second indication of occupancy of the third conditioned space, the second occupancy indicator being human actuated; and 
 a second remote temperature sensor; 
   wherein the processor of the thermostat device is further programmed to:   receive, from the second remote auxiliary device, the second indication of occupancy of a third conditioned space of the plurality of spaces; and   control the HVAC system based at least in part on the received first and second indications of occupancy of the second and third conditioned spaces.   
     
     
         15 . The temperature control system of  claim 14 , wherein the processor of the thermostat device is further programmed to:
 receive, from the second remote auxiliary device, a third value of the temperature by the second remote temperature sensor; and   control the HVAC system based at least in part on the first and second indications of occupancy and the second and third values of the temperature.   
     
     
         16 . The temperature control system of  claim 15 , wherein the processor of the thermostat device is further programmed to:
 calculate an average temperature as an average of the second and third values of the temperature of the second and third conditioned spaces; and   control the HVAC system based at least in part on the average temperature.   
     
     
         17 . The temperature control system of  claim 15 , wherein the processor of the thermostat device is further programmed to:
 receive, from the second remote auxiliary device, a third setpoint for the temperature; and   controlling HVAC system based at least in part on the first and second indications of occupancy, the second and third values of the temperature, and the second and third setpoints for the environmental parameter.   
     
     
         18 . The temperature control system of  claim 14 , wherein the processor of the thermostat device is further programmed to:
 receive, from the second remote auxiliary device, a first indication of non-occupancy of the third conditioned space; and   control the HVAC system based at least in part on the first indication of occupancy of the second conditioned space.   
     
     
         19 . An occupancy sensing system comprising:
 a plurality of remote auxiliary devices, each remote auxiliary device associated with one of a plurality of conditioned spaces, wherein each auxiliary device comprises a manually activated occupancy indicator and a remote temperature sensor; and   a thermostat that controls a heating ventilation and air conditioning system (HVAC), the thermostat comprising a processor, a memory device, and an temperature sensor, the processor communicatively coupled to a memory device and the plurality of remote auxiliary devices, the thermostat being located in a first conditioned space of a plurality of conditioned spaces, the memory device comprising instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
 detect a first value of the temperature using the temperature sensor of the thermostat; 
 control the HVAC system based on the first value of the temperature and a first setpoint for the temperature; 
 receive, from a first remote auxiliary device, a first indication of occupancy of a second conditioned space of the plurality of conditioned spaces; and 
 control the HVAC system based at least in part on the first indication of occupancy of the second conditioned space. 
   
     
     
         20 . The occupancy sensing system of  claim 19 , wherein the instructions cause the processor to:
 receive, from the first remote auxiliary device, a second value of the temperature detected using the remote temperature sensor; and   control the HVAC system based at least in part on the first indication of occupancy and the second value of temperature.