Thermostat setback recovery method and apparatus

Claim 1

In association with a thermal conditioning system for a space, the thermal conditioning system including a variable speed heat pump, wherein the thermal conditioning system operates between a first normal operations mode, and a second thermal conditioning setback mode, a method for the recovery of the thermal conditioning of the space from a setback period, the method comprising the steps of: a) turning off or setting back the thermal conditioning system at a time t1a at the beginning of the first cycle of setback and recovery; b) recording a normal setpoint temperature T1a when the thermal conditioning system is turned off or set back at the beginning of the first cycle of setback and recovery; c) permitting the space temperature to drift, towards a predetermined beginning setback setpoint temperature T2a; d) restarting the thermal conditioning system, at a time t2a, once a first predetermined condition has been achieved, toward maintaining the beginning setback setpoint temperature; e) adjusting the operation of the thermal conditioning system, at a time t3a, toward recovery of the thermal conditioning of the space to normal operation during the first cycle of setback and recovery; f) recording the ending setback setpoint temperature, T3a, when the thermal conditioning system is adjusted for setback recovery during the first cycle of setback and recovery; g) adjusting the thermal conditioning system toward returning the thermal conditioning system to normal operation; h) ending recovery by maintaining normal operation once a second predetermined condition has been attained; i) recording the time t4a when setback recovery was ended during the first cycle of setback and recovery; j) recording the ending normal setpoint temperature T4a when setback recovery was ended during the first cycle of setback and recovery; k) turning off or setting back the thermal conditioning system at the time t1b at the beginning of a subsequent cycle of setback and recovery; l) recording the normal setpoint temperature T1b when the thermal conditioning system is turned off or set back at the beginning of the subsequent cycle of setback and recovery; m) permitting the space temperature to drift, towards a predetermined beginning setback setpoint temperature T2b; n) turning on the thermal conditioning system at time t2b, once a predetermined third condition has been achieved, to maintain the desired setback thermal conditioning during the subsequent cycle of setback and recovery; o) selecting the ending setback setpoint temperature T3b when thermal conditioning system is to be started for setback recovery during a subsequent cycle of setback and recovery; p) selecting an ending normal setpoint temperature T4b at which point the setback recovery is to be ended during the current cycle of setback and recovery; q) selecting a time t4b at which point the setback recovery is to be ended during the current cycle of setback and recovery; r) determining the ending setback setpoint time t3b at which point the thermal conditioning system is to be started for setback recovery during the current cycle of setback and recovery; and s) restarting the thermal conditioning system at the determined ending setback setpoint time.