Patent ID: 6278909
Filing Date: 2001-08-21
Classification: G05D

Abstract:
A method for controlling an amount of power supplied to a conditioning device acting on an actual value of a predetermined physical parameter within an area in relation to a setting signal, the method comprising steps of:(a) monitoring the setting signal to detect a change thereof;(b) if the monitoring of step (a) fails to detect the change of the setting signal, controlling the amount of power supplied to the conditioning device to maintain the actual value of the predetermined physical parameter within a range of desired values determined by the setting signal, and returning to step (a); and(c) if the monitoring of step (a) detects a changed setting signal:(i) determining a time period and a uniform amount of power required by the conditioning device to cause the actual value of the predetermined physical parameter to theoretically reach a new range of desired values corresponding to the changed setting signal;(ii) establishing time-related upper and lower limit profiles HLV(t) and LLV(t) of the predetermined physical parameter for the time period determined in step (i), the upper and lower limit profiles HLV(t) and LLV(t) having respectively different starting values and converging toward the new range of desired values at an end of the time period, the actual value of the predetermined physical parameter being included in a range delimited by the starting values;(iii) supplying the uniform amount of power determined in step (i) to the conditioning device;(iv) monitoring the actual value of the predetermined physical parameter during the time period in view of the upper and lower limit profiles HLV(t) and LLV(t) to detect when the actual value of the predetermined physical parameter reaches one of the limit profiles HLV(t) and LLV(t);(v) when the actual value of the predetermined physical parameter reaches one of the limit profiles HLV(t) and LLV(t), controlling the amount of power supplied to the conditioning device to cause the actual value of the predetermined physical parameter to follow substantially the limit profile HLV(t) or LLV(t) that has been reached for a remaining portion of the time period; and(vi) monitoring time from a beginning of the time period and when the time period ends returning to step (a).