Integrate the Room Air-Conditioner Control into a Central HVAC Room Thermostat

Abstract

A central HVAC thermostat controls a central HVAC system of a home. The thermostat further includes a control unit and remote-control device for controlling at least one room HVAC system in a room of the home. The control unit generates control data for the at least one room HVAC system. The remote-control device receives the control data from the control unit. The remote-control device converts the control data to wireless control signals. Finally, the remote-control device sends the wireless control signals to the at least one room HVAC system using a first wireless communication technology. The at least one room HVAC system can include at least one air conditioner or at least one heat pump. The first wireless communication technology can be infrared technology. The control unit further transmits the control data to the remote-control device using a second wireless communication technology.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for controlling both a central heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system of a home and at least one room HVAC system of the home, comprising:
 a central HVAC thermostat that controls a central HVAC system of a home that includes
 a control unit that generates control data for at least one room HVAC system in a room of the home and 
 a remote-control device for the at least one room HVAC system that receives the control data from the control unit, converts the control data to wireless control signals, and sends the wireless control signals to the at least one room HVAC system using a first wireless communication technology. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one room HVAC system comprises at least one air conditioner or at least one heat pump. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first wireless communication technology comprises infrared technology. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the remote-control device is part of the central HVAC thermostat. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the remote-control device is separate from the central HVAC thermostat. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the control unit further transmits the control data to the remote-control device using a second wireless communication technology. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the second wireless communication technology comprises one of WiFi, Bluetooth, or Zigbee. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the remote-control device further includes a first wireless transceiver, wherein the control unit further includes a second wireless transceiver, and wherein the second wireless communication technology comprises a first Internet channel that comprises WiFi communication between the first wireless transceiver and the Internet and a second Internet channel that comprises Wi-Fi communication between the second wireless transceiver and the Internet. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the control unit sends the control data to the Internet using the second Internet channel and the remote-control device receives the control data from the Internet using the first Internet channel. 
     
     
         10 . A method for controlling both a central heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system of a home and at least one room HVAC system of the home, comprising:
 generating control data for at least one room HVAC system in a room of a home using a control unit of a central HVAC thermostat that controls a central HVAC system of the home;   receiving the control data from the control unit using a remote-control device for the at least one room HVAC system;   converting the control data to wireless control signals using the remote-control device; and   sending the wireless control signals to the at least one room HVAC system using the remote-control device using a first wireless communication technology.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the at least one room HVAC system comprises at least one air conditioner or at least one heat pump. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the first wireless communication technology comprises infrared technology. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the control unit further includes a second wireless transmitter and further comprising transmitting the control data to the remote-control device using the second wireless transmitter using a second wireless communication technology. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the second wireless communication technology comprises one of WiFi, Bluetooth, or Zigbee. 
     
     
         15 . A system for controlling both a central heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system of a home and at least one room HVAC system of the home using an Internet-connected device, comprising:
 a central HVAC thermostat that controls a central HVAC system of a home and that receives central HVAC control data from an application running on an Internet-connected device using a second wireless Internet channel established between the central HVAC thermostat and the Internet-connected device; and   a remote-control device that controls at least one room HVAC system in a room of the home and that receives room HVAC control data for the at least one room HVAC system from the application using a first wireless Internet channel established between the remote-control device and the Internet-connected device, converts the room HVAC control data to wireless control signals, and sends the wireless control signals to the at least one room HVAC system using a first wireless communication technology.   
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the remote-control device further includes a first wireless transceiver, wherein the central HVAC thermostat further includes a second wireless transceiver, and wherein the first Internet channel comprises WiFi communication between the first wireless transceiver and the Internet and the second Internet channel comprises Wi-Fi communication between the second wireless transceiver and the Internet. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the Internet-connected device comprises one of a smartphone, a tablet, a laptop computer, or a desktop computer. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the application comprises a user interface integrating the controls of both the central HVAC and the at least one room HVAC system. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the at least one room HVAC system comprises at least one air conditioner or at least one heat pump. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the first wireless communication technology comprises infrared technology.