Error based zone controller

Claim 2

A zone control apparatus comprising: a plurality of comfort zones; of zone temperature sensor means, one in each of said plurality of comfort zones for generating a first signal representing the temperature of its respective comfort zone; a plurality of zone setpoint temperature input means, one for each of said plurality of comfort zones for generating a second signal representative of a preferred temperature for its respective comfort zone; a plurality of zone control means, each for controlling one of said plurality of comfort zones; a zone controller means for determining a zone temperature error for each of said plurality of comfort zones based upon said first signal for each of said comfort zones and said second signal for each of said comfort zones, for identifying a zone of greatest thermal error distinct from zones of lesser thermal error, for determining a time for which each respective one of said zone control means should be opened, for controlling the opening and closing of said zone control means based upon said zone temperature errors or said time; and synchronizing means for synchronizing a heating/cooling plant on/off cycle to open/close said zone control means.

Claim 3

A zone control apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said zone control means includes a means for determining said zone temperature errors as the difference between said first signal and said second signal from each of said plurality of comfort zones.

Claim 4

A zone control apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said zone controller means includes an integrating means for integrating a difference between said first signal and said second signal of each of said comfort zones for determining said zone of greatest thermal error.

Claim 5

A zone control apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said heating/cooling plant is a forced air system.

Claim 6

A zone control apparatus as recited in claim 4 wherein said zone control means includes a duct damper for each of said plurality of said comfort zones.

Claim 7

A zone control apparatus as recited in claim wherein said heating/cooling plant is a hydronic system.

Claim 8

A zone control apparatus as recited in claim 6 wherein said zone control means includes a valve for each of said plurality of said comfort zones.

Claim 9

A zone control apparatus comprising: an error measurement means for determining a temperature error for each of a plurality of comfort zones; a plurality of zone control means, one for each of said plurality of comfort zones; a program means for identifying a zone of greatest thermal error based upon said temperature error distinct from zones of lesser thermal error, for opening a zone control means for said zone of greatest thermal error; and a zone controller means for opening all zone control means and for selectively closing zone control means of zones of lesser thermal error based upon said temperature error for each of their respective plurality of comfort zones.

Claim 10

A zone control apparatus comprising: an error measurement means for determining a temperature error for each of a plurality of comfort zones; a plurality of zone control means, one for each of said plurality of comfort zones; a program means for identifying a zone of greatest thermal error based upon said temperature error distinct from zones of lesser thermal error, for opening a zone control means for said zone of greatest thermal error; and a zone controller means for opening all zone control means and for selectively closing zone control means of zones of lesser thermal error based upon said temperature error for each of their respective plurality of comfort zones.

Claim 11

A zone control apparatus as recited in claim 8 wherein said error measurement means includes a zone temperature sensor means in each of said plurality of zones for generating a first signal representing the temperature in said comfort zone, a zone setpoint temperature means for generating a second signal representing a preferred temperature of each of said plurality of comfort zones and a determination means for calculating an error signal as a function of said first signal and said second signal.

Claim 12

A zone control apparatus as recite in claim 8 wherein said zone control means is a duct damper, one for each of said plurality of comfort zones for a forced air heating/cooling plant.

Claim 13

A zone control apparatus as recited in claim 8 wherein said zone control means is a valve, one for each of said plurality of comfort zones for a hydrophonic heating/cooling plant.

Claim 14

A zone control apparatus as recited in claim 9 wherein said determining means calculates the difference between said first signal and said second signal as said error signal.

Claim 15

A zone control apparatus as recited in claim 9 wherein said determining means calculates the integral of the difference of said first signal and said second signal as said error signal.

Claim 16

A zone control apparatus to supply conditioned air to a plurality of comfort zones comprising: a plurality of comfort zones; an air temperature conditioning means for modifying the temperature of circulating air; a distribution means for proportioning said air from said air temperature conditioning means to each of said plurality of comfort zones; means for circulating said air to cause air to flow through said distribution means to said plurality of comfort zones; a plurality of dampers, one for each of said plurality of comfort zones, for closing off the flow of air to each of said plurality of comfort zones; a temperature setting means in each of said plurality of comfort zones for setting a preferred temperature for each of said plurality of comfort zones; a temperature measuring means in each of said plurality of comfort zones for measuring the actual temperature in each of said plurality of comfort zones; means for calculating an error determining error signal for each of said plurality of comfort zones, each of said error signals being a function of the difference between said preferred temperature and said actual temperature for each of said plurality of comfort zones; a time calculation means for determining a duct damper open time for each of said plurality of comfort zones; an error selection means for selecting a comfort zone having the greatest error signal and designating said one of said plurality of comfort zones as a zone of greatest thermal error (ZGTE) and for designating all remaining comfort zones as zones of lesser thermal error (ZLTE); a first duct damper opening means for opening said plurality of duct dampers when said air temperature conditioning means is turned on; a second duct damper opening means for maintaining said duct damper of said zone of greatest thermal error open at all times; a first duct damper closing means for selectively closing each of said plurality of duct dampers of the zones of lesser thermal error when the error signal of said zone of lesser error is zero or when the duct damper open time for the zone of lesser thermal error has been exceeded and for maintaining said duct damper closed until said air temperature conditioning means has been turned off and again turned on; a first plant switching means for turning off the air temperature conditioning means when the error signal for the zone of greatest thermal error equals zero; and a second plant switching means for turning on the air temperature conditioning means when the error signal of the zone of greatest thermal error exceeds a predetermined differential switching error.

Claim 17

A zone control apparatus to supply conditioned air to a plurality of comfort zones comprising: a plurality of comfort zones; an air temperature conditioning means for modifying the temperature of circulating air; a distribution means for proportioning said air from said air temperature conditioning means to each of said plurality of comfort zones; means for circulating said air to cause air to flow through said distribution means to said plurality of comfort zones; a plurality of dampers, one for each of said plurality of comfort zones, for closing off the flow of air to each of said plurality of comfort zones; a temperature setting means in each of said plurality of comfort zones for setting a preferred temperature for each of said plurality of comfort zones; a temperature measuring means in each of said plurality of comfort zones for measuring the actual temperature in each of said plurality of comfort zones; means for calculating an error determining error signal for each of said plurality of comfort zones, each of said error signals being a function of the difference between said preferred temperature and said actual temperature for each of said plurality of comfort zones; a time calculation means for determining a duct damper open time for each of said plurality of comfort zones; an error selection means for selecting a comfort zone having the greatest error signal and designating said one of said plurality of comfort zones as a zone of greatest thermal error (ZGTE) and for designating all remaining comfort zones as zones of lesser thermal error (ZLTE); a first duct damper opening means for opening said plurality of duct dampers when said air temperature conditioning means is turned on; a second duct damper opening means for maintaining said duct damper of said zone of greatest thermal error open at all times; a first duct damper closing means for selectively closing each of said plurality of duct dampers of the zones of lesser thermal error when the error signal of said zone of lesser error is zero or when the duct damper open time for the zone of lesser thermal error has been exceeded and for maintaining said duct damper closed until said air temperature conditioning means has been turned off and again turned on; a first plant switching means for turning off the air temperature conditioning means when the error signal for the zone of greatest thermal error equals zero; and a second plant switching means for turning on the air temperature conditioning means when the error signal of the zone of greatest thermal error exceeds a predetermined differential switching error.

Claim 20

A method of controlling the temperature in a plurality of comfort zones as recited in claim 15, wherein the step of generating an error signal includes determining the difference between a preferred setpoint temperature and a measured temperature.

Claim 21

A method of controlling the temperature in plurality of comfort zones as recited in claim 15, wherein the step of generating an error signal includes integrating the difference between a preferred setpoint temperature and a measured temperature.

Claim 24

A method of controlling the temperature in a plurality of comfort zones as recited in claim 18, wherein said step of determining a zone temperature error includes integrating the difference between the zone temperature sensor and said temperature input means to determine a temperature error for each of said plurality of comfort zones.

Claim 27

A method for controlling the temperature in a plurality of comfort zones as recited in claim 20, wherein the step of determining the zone of greatest thermal error is sequentially determined by polling each of the zones of lesser thermal error, closing their respective dampers as required, eliminating zones of lesser thermal error whose duct dampers have been closed and recalculating a zone of greatest thermal error from those zones whose duct dampers are open.