Method and device for controlling the temperature inside an enclosed space

Claim 1

A method of controlling the temperature inside an enclosed space, for example, a building with the aid of a controllable heating unit, a tem-perature measuring member and a clock for supplying time signals comprising the steps of measuring an equivalent outdoor temperature by determining the rate at which the temperature inside the enclosed space changes, storing the resultant measured information in a memory, determining a switching instant for the controllable heating unit with respect to an instant determined by the clock on the basis of the measured information, including in said memory the price per fuel unit and the maximum permissible heating cost for a preselected heating period and controlling the controllable heating unit on the basis of the information in said memory so that the maximum permissible heating cost is not exceeded during the preselected heating period and the temperature in said enclosed space is as desired at the instant determined by the clock.

Claim 2

A method of controlling the temperature inside an enclosed space, for example, a building with the aid of a controllable heating unit, a tem-perature measuring member and a clock for supplying time signals comprising the steps of measuring an equivalent outdoor temperature by determining the rate at which the temperature inside the enclosed space changes, storing the resultant measured information in a memory, determining a switching instant for the controllable heating unit with respect to an instant determined by the clock on the basis of the measured information, including in said memory the price per fuel unit and the maximum permissible heating cost for a preselected heating period and controlling the controllable heating unit on the basis of the information in said memory so that the maximum permissible heating cost is not exceeded during the preselected heating period and the temperature in said enclosed space is as desired at the instant determined by the clock.

Claim 3

A method of controlling the temperature inside an enclosed space with the aid of a controllable heating unit, a temperature measuring member and a clock for supplying time signals, comprising the steps of measuring the heat supplied to the enclosed space during a pre-selected period, and storing this measured information in a memory, determining a switching instant for the controllable heating unit with respect to an instant determined by the clock on the basis of the measured information, inclu-ding in said memory the price per fuel unit and the maximum permissible heating cost for a preselected heating period and controlling the control-lable heating unit on the basis of the information in said memory so that the maximum permissible heating cost is not exceeded during the preselected heating period and the temperature in said enclosed space is as desired at the instant determined by the clock.

Claim 4

A method of controlling the temperature inside an enclosed space with the aid of a controllable heating unit, a temperature measuring member and a clock for supplying time signals, comprising the steps of measuring the heat supplied to the enclosed space during a pre-selected period, and storing this measured information in a memory, determining a switching instant for the controllable heating unit with respect to an instant determined by the clock on the basis of the measured information, inclu-ding in said memory the price per fuel unit and the maximum permissible heating cost for a preselected heating period and controlling the control-lable heating unit on the basis of the information in said memory so that the maximum permissible heating cost is not exceeded during the preselected heating period and the temperature in said enclosed space is as desired at the instant determined by the clock.

Claim 8

A method of controlling the temperature inside an enclosed space with the aid of a controllable heating unit, a temperature measuring member and a clock for supplying time signals, comprising the steps of measuring the temperature difference in said enclosed space between two instants limiting a predetermined period thereby deriving the equivalent outdoor temperature and storing said information in a memory, determining a switching instant for the controllable heating unit with respect to an instant deter-mined by the clock on the basis of the measured information, including in said memory the price per fuel unit and the maximum permissible heating cost for a pre-selected heating period and controlling the controllable heating unit on the basis of the information in said memory so that the maximum permissible heating cost is not exceeded during the pre-selected heating period and the temperature in said enclosed space is as desired at the instant determined by the clock.

Claim 9

A method of controlling the temperature inside an enclosed space with the aid of a controllable heating unit, a temperature measuring member and a clock for supplying time signals, comprising the steps of measuring the temperature difference in said enclosed space between two instants limiting a predetermined period thereby deriving the equivalent outdoor temperature and storing said information in a memory, determining a switching instant for the controllable heating unit with respect to an instant deter-mined by the clock on the basis of the measured information, including in said memory the price per fuel unit and the maximum permissible heating cost for a pre-selected heating period and controlling the controllable heating unit on the basis of the information in said memory so that the maximum permissible heating cost is not exceeded during the pre-selected heating period and the temperature in said enclosed space is as desired at the instant determined by the clock.

Claim 12

A method of controlling the temperature inside an enclosed space with the aid of a controllable heating unit, a temperature measuring member and a clock for supplying time signals, comprising the steps of measuring the time elapsing between two measured temperature values in said enclosed space and storing such information in a memory, determining a switching instant for the controllable heating unit with respect to an instant determined by the clock on the basis of the measured information, including in said memory price per fuel unit and the maximum permissible heating cost for a pre-selected heating period; and controlling the controllable heating unit on the basis of the information in said memory so that the maximum permissible heating cost is not exceeded during the pre-selected heating period and the temperature in said enclosed space is as desired at the instant determined by the clock.

Claim 13

A method of controlling the temperature inside an enclosed space with the aid of a controllable heating unit, a temperature measuring member and a clock for supplying time signals, comprising the steps of measuring the time elapsing between two measured temperature values in said enclosed space and storing such information in a memory, determining a switching instant for the controllable heating unit with respect to an instant determined by the clock on the basis of the measured information, including in said memory price per fuel unit and the maximum permissible heating cost for a pre-selected heating period; and controlling the controllable heating unit on the basis of the information in said memory so that the maximum permissible heating cost is not exceeded during the pre-selected heating period and the temperature in said enclosed space is as desired at the instant determined by the clock.

Claim 16

A device for controlling the temperature inside an enclosed space so that a predetermined maximum heating cost during a pre-selected heating period is not exceeded and the temperature in said enclosed space is as desired at a predetermined instant, which comprises: a controllable heating unit; a temperature measuring member; means for measuring the heat supplied to the enclosed space during a pre-selected period and storing such infor-mation in a memory; input means including the price per fuel unit and the maximum permissible heating cost for a pre-selected heating period; a clock for supplying time signals; and a control circuit, one input of which is connected to said measuring means, another input receives said cost input means, another input is connected to said clock, a further input is con-nected to said temperature measuring member and the output of which is con-nected to said controllable heating unit.

Claim 17

A device for controlling the temperature inside an enclosed space so that a predetermined maximum heating cost during a pre-selected heating period is not exceeded and the temperature in said enclosed space is as desired at a predetermined instant, which comprises: a controllable heating unit; a temperature measuring member; means for measuring the heat supplied to the enclosed space during a pre-selected period and storing such infor-mation in a memory; input means including the price per fuel unit and the maximum permissible heating cost for a pre-selected heating period; a clock for supplying time signals; and a control circuit, one input of which is connected to said measuring means, another input receives said cost input means, another input is connected to said clock, a further input is con-nected to said temperature measuring member and the output of which is con-nected to said controllable heating unit.