Patent Description:
Many houses have heating and/or cooling systems used to regulate the temperature within the house. In order to control the heating or cooling system, a house will typically have at least one thermostat configured to sense an interior temperature of the house and to instruct the heating/cooling system accordingly. In some cases, a house or building may have multiple thermostats corresponding to different rooms or zones.

Many thermostats are configured to run on a voltage that is lower than the general wiring throughout the house (e.g., ~ <NUM>-<NUM> volts AC). As such, these thermostats are often powered by battery or by separate wiring (e.g., <NUM> V wires) routed throughout the building. This can be inconvenient as batteries require regular switching by the user, while 24V wiring will need to be specially wound through the building, which may be time-consuming and labor intensive, especially in systems with multiple thermostats.

<CIT>) describes a thermostat that may include a proximity sensor and a temperature sensor. The thermostat may also include a sensor mount assembly containing the proximity sensor, the temperature sensor, and a first alignment feature. The thermostat may additionally include a lens assembly having a first area, a second area, and a second alignment feature, where the second area includes a Fresnel lens, and the first area is thinner than the second area. The thermostat may further include a front cover where the outward-facing surface of the lens assembly is shaped to continuously conform to a curvature of the front cover. The thermostat may also include a frame member with third and fourth alignment features configured for respective matable alignment with the first and second alignment features and configured such that the proximity sensor and the temperature sensor are maintained in generally close, non-touching proximity to the lens assembly, the first area of the lens assembly being aligned with the proximity sensor, and the second area of the lens assembly being aligned with the temperature sensor.

Embodiments relate to a thermostat assembly powered by line voltage and capable of wireless communication with a heat source. In some embodiments, the thermostat assembly comprises a first portion and a second portion separated by a barrier. The first portion comprises a power circuit configured to receive power via internal housing wiring at a first voltage level, the first voltage level being a high voltage, a power conversion circuit configured to convert the power received at the first voltage level into power at a second voltage level lower than the first voltage level and being a low voltage, and a first connector. The second portion comprises a second connector configured to removably connect to the first connector and receive power from the first portion at the second voltage level, and one or more electronic components powered by the received power at the second voltage level, including at least a temperature sensor configured to measure an ambient temperature of an outside environment, and a communication chip configured to communicate wirelessly with a primary heat source. The barrier separating the first and second components is configured to inhibit dissipation of heat from the first portion to the second portion to reduce an effect of a temperature of the first portion on the temperature sensor, and to prevent a user from contacting any components that receive power at the first voltage level when the second portion is removed from the first portion.

The figures depict various embodiments of the present invention for purposes of illustration only. One skilled in the art will readily recognize from the following discussion that alternative embodiments of the structures and methods illustrated herein may be employed without departing from the scope of the invention defined in the claims.

Embodiments relate to a thermostat powered by line voltage and configured to communicate wirelessly with a heat source. Due to being powered by line voltage, the thermostat can be connected to the existing wiring within a house or building, making the thermostat easier to install. The thermostat has separate high voltage and low voltage portions. The high voltage portion converts line voltage power provided through the house wiring to lower voltage power usable by the electronic components of the low voltage portion. The high and low voltage portions are separated by a barrier that provides thermodynamic insulation between the two portions, preventing heat generated by the power conversion circuitry of the high voltage portion from adversely affecting the components of the low voltage portion. In addition, the separation of the high and low voltage portions allows for the low voltage portion to be switched out or removed without having the user exposed to high voltage (e.g., for repair or upgrade).

In contrast, many current thermostats are powered by battery (which require periodic switching) or require special lower voltage wiring (e.g., <NUM> V wiring) to be wound through the house, which can significantly raise installation costs for the thermostat. In some cases, a thermostat may be part of a resistive electric heating system that provides heating by converting the high voltage power provided by the line voltage wiring into heat using one or more resistive heating elements (e.g., heating coils). The thermostat is implemented as a switch of the resistive electric heating system to control whether power is provided to the resistive heating elements. As such, such thermostats typically must be physically connected to the heating system.

<FIG> illustrates a high level diagram of a house using wireless thermostats powered by line voltage, in accordance with some embodiments. As illustrated in <FIG>, the house <NUM> may comprise multiple thermostats <NUM> (e.g., thermostats 105A, 105B, and 105C). Each of the thermostats <NUM> may correspond to a room or zone of the house <NUM>, hereinafter collectively referred to as "rooms," although it is understood that in some cases a zone of the house can correspond to more than one room. For example, the thermostat 105A may be located in a living room of the house <NUM>, while the thermostats 105B and 105C may be located within bedrooms of the house <NUM>.

Each of the thermostats <NUM> comprises a temperature sensor configured to measure a temperature of the room that the thermostat corresponds to. By comparing the measured temperature with a desired temperature (e.g., as set by a user or in accordance with a predefined schedule), the thermostat <NUM> may determine whether heating or cooling of the room is needed. Each thermostat <NUM> has a display screen configured to display information to a user of the thermostat. For example, the display screen of a thermostat <NUM> may indicate a current temperature of the room corresponding to the thermostat, the desired temperature of the room, and a current status of the thermostat (e.g., whether or not it is currently instructing a heat source to heat the room).

Each thermostat <NUM> further comprises at least one user interface element (e.g., one or more buttons, a dial, a touchscreen, or some combination thereof) allowing a user to interact with the thermostat <NUM>. For example, a user may be able to set a temperature for a room of the house <NUM> using the corresponding thermostat <NUM>, configure a heating schedule for a particular thermostat <NUM>, and/or the like. Through the use multiple thermostats corresponding to different rooms of the house, the temperature for the different rooms can be controlled independently. For example, the temperature for each room may be controlled using radiant floor heating, baseboard heating, separate heating/cooling vents, and/or the like.

The house <NUM> contains a heat source <NUM> usable to change the temperature of the interior of the house. As used herein, a heat source (e.g., the heat source <NUM>) may refer to a heating source, a cooling source, or a combination thereof. As such, the heat source <NUM> may, in some embodiments, may be used to heat or cool different areas of the house <NUM>. For ease of description, the heat source is hereinafter referred to as heating a room, although this may in some embodiments also include cooling the room.

In some embodiments, the house <NUM> has a single heat source <NUM>. Heat from the heat source <NUM> may be directed through a plurality of manifolds (not shown) corresponding to different rooms of the house, allowing for each room to be heated differently. In some embodiments, the house <NUM> may have several heat sources <NUM>, each configured to heat a subset of rooms within the house.

The heat source <NUM> is connected to a heat source controller <NUM> configured to control operations of the heat source <NUM> (e.g., turn the heat source on or off) based upon instructions received from the thermostats <NUM>. In addition, in some embodiments, the heat source controller <NUM> further functions as a manifold controller to control a plurality of manifolds to direct heat from the heat source <NUM> to different rooms of the house <NUM> corresponding to different thermostats <NUM>. As such, the heat source controller <NUM> can control the heat source <NUM> to heat each of the different rooms of the house <NUM> differently based upon instructions received from the thermostats <NUM>. In some embodiments, the heat source controller <NUM> is directly connected to the heat source <NUM>, or is connected to the heat source <NUM> via a wired connection.

The thermostats <NUM> communicate(s) wirelessly with the heat source controller <NUM>. In some embodiments, the thermostats <NUM> each communicate with the heat source controller <NUM> directly via an RF (radio frequency) signal, which may be a LoRa (Long Range) wireless signal, and/or the like. This allows for a single heat source controller <NUM> to communicate with multiple thermostats <NUM> that may be scattered over different locations within the house <NUM>. Each thermostat <NUM> may send instructions to the heat source controller <NUM> indicating whether heat should be directed to the corresponding room of the house <NUM>. In response, the heat source controller <NUM> may turn the heat source <NUM> on or off, and/or control the manifolds corresponding to each room, such that heat from the heat source <NUM> is directed to the appropriate rooms.

In some embodiments, the heat source controller <NUM> may further connect to a network <NUM> (e.g., the Internet) to communicate with a mobile device <NUM>. The connection of the heat source controller <NUM> to the network <NUM> may be via a wired connection (e.g., Ethernet connection) or a wireless connection (e.g., WiFi). The mobile device <NUM> may comprise any type of computing device, such as a mobile phone, tablet, laptop computer, or other type of computing device capable of interacting with the heat source controller <NUM> through the network <NUM>. In some embodiments, the mobile device <NUM> includes an application usable by a user of the mobile device <NUM> to interact with the heat source controller <NUM> and/or the thermostats <NUM>. For example, a user at the mobile device <NUM> may utilize an application installed on the mobile device <NUM> to send instructions to the heat source controller <NUM> or to one or more of the thermostats <NUM> via the heat source controller <NUM>.

As illustrated in <FIG>, each of the thermostats <NUM> is powered by line voltage wiring <NUM> routed within the house <NUM>. Because the thermostats <NUM> are powered by the existing line voltage wiring (e.g., <NUM> volts AC wiring) of the house <NUM>, the thermostats <NUM> require less work to install in comparison to thermostats that require special low-voltage wiring (e.g., <NUM> V wire) to be routed through the house, especially if the house is to contain multiple thermostats. As such, instead of requiring a new set of wiring throughout the house <NUM>, each thermostat <NUM> may be connected to the line wiring of the house <NUM> by extending an additional length of line wire from an existing fixture of the house, such as a power outlet or a light switch. For example, in some embodiments, a thermostat <NUM> may be installed above a light switch in a room, thus requiring only a small amount of additional wiring (e.g., corresponding to the distance between the thermostat and the light switch) to connect the thermostat to the existing line wiring of the house. In addition, in comparison to thermostats that are powered by battery, powering the thermostats <NUM> using line voltage eliminates the need for users to have to monitor a current charge level of the battery and to regularly change the battery.

While <FIG> illustrates certain configurations between the illustrated components within the environment, it is understood that in some embodiments, alternate configurations may be available. For example, in some embodiments, the house <NUM> may contain multiple heat sources <NUM>, wherein each thermostat <NUM> is in communication with a heat source controller <NUM> corresponding to one of the multiple heat sources <NUM>. In some embodiments, a thermostat <NUM> may comprise a WiFi connection module able to communicate directly with the mobile device <NUM> through the network <NUM>, instead of communications between the mobile device <NUM> and thermostat needing to be routed through the heat source controller <NUM> as illustrated in <FIG>.

Many electronic components within the thermostat, such as the display, temperature sensor, wireless communication module, etc., may be designed to run on a voltage that is lower than the line voltage of the house. For example, while the line voltage of the house may be <NUM> volts AC, the thermostat components may be configured to run on a low voltage such as <NUM> volts DC, <NUM> volts DC, or similar. As such, previous thermostats have often required the appropriate lower voltage wiring to be wound through the house to provide power to the components of the thermostat.

In accordance with the embodiments described herein, the thermostat is configured to receive line voltage power. To power the components of the thermostat, the high voltage power received through the line voltage wiring needs to be converted to the appropriate lower voltage level. However, the conversion of high power (e.g., <NUM> volts AC) to a low voltage (e.g., <NUM> volts DC) will typically generate a large amount of heat, which is why conventional thermostats are configured to operate at low voltage. In addition, low voltage is typically used for safety reasons (e.g., to prevent a user of the thermostat from receiving an electric shock when handling the thermostat). To prevent the heat generated by the power conversion circuitry from skewing readings of the temperature sensor of the thermostat and/or damaging other components within the thermostat, the thermostat has a structure that is divided into separate high voltage and low voltage portions.

<FIG> illustrate views of a line voltage powered thermostat capable of wireless communication, in accordance with some embodiments. <FIG> illustrates a perspective view of the thermostat, while <FIG> illustrates an exploded view of the thermostat, and <FIG> illustrates a side view of the high and low voltage portions of the thermostat. As illustrated in <FIG>, the thermostat <NUM> comprises a high voltage portion <NUM>, and a low voltage portion <NUM>. By separating the thermostat <NUM> into separate high voltage and low voltage portions <NUM> and <NUM>, the thermostat <NUM> can be powered by line voltage while isolating essential electronic components from the high line voltage, as well as from heat generated through the conversion of the line voltage to a lower voltage. In addition, the separate portions of the thermostat may allow a user to more easily swap out portions of the thermostat (e.g., for diagnostic, repair, or upgrade purposes).

In some embodiments, the thermostat <NUM> is mounted within the wall of a house using a junction box (J-box) <NUM> (illustrated in <FIG>). For example, the high voltage portion <NUM> may have alignment features, such as one or more mounting holes, that allow for the high voltage portion <NUM> to be aligned with and secured to the J-box <NUM>, such that the body of the high voltage portion <NUM> is within the interior of the J-box <NUM>. When mounted within the wall, the outer surface of the high voltage portion <NUM> may be positioned to substantially align with the surface of the wall (e.g., flush with the wall surface). The low voltage portion <NUM> can be placed over the high voltage portion, such that an inner surface of the low voltage portion <NUM> is substantially flush with the surface of the wall. As such, the high voltage portion <NUM> may reside within the wall of the house (e.g., inside the J-box <NUM>), with only the low voltage portion <NUM> protruding from the wall.

The low voltage portion <NUM> has a display <NUM> configured to display temperature and status information to the user. For example, the display <NUM> may display a current temperature of the room (as measured by a temperature sensor within the low voltage portion <NUM>), a current desired temperature, an indication of a status of the heat source <NUM> (e.g., whether the heat source <NUM> is currently providing heat to the room), and/or the like. In some embodiments, the display <NUM> is a touchscreen, allowing a user of the thermostat <NUM> to interact with the thermostat <NUM> and issue commands to the thermostat <NUM>. In other embodiments, the thermostat <NUM> has one or more other types of input elements (not shown), such as one or more buttons, knobs, etc..

The high voltage portion <NUM> of the thermostat <NUM> is connected to high voltage wiring <NUM>, which may correspond to the line voltage wiring of the house (e.g., <NUM> or <NUM> volts AC, or other voltage level that may be unsafe for general access by an occupant of a structure but may be utilized in the power grid of a structure). The high voltage portion <NUM> receives high voltage power provided by the high voltage wiring <NUM>, and converts the high voltage power into power of a lower voltage (e.g., <NUM> or <NUM> volts DC, or other voltage level that may be safe to be accessed by the occupants of the structure), hereinafter referred to as "low voltage power. " In addition, the high voltage portion <NUM> may convert the high voltage power from AC power to DC power. As used herein, "low voltage" or "low voltage level" may refer to a voltage level at which there is a low risk of electric shock to a human, while "high voltage" or "high voltage level" may refer to a voltage level at which there is a high risk of electric shock to a human. For example, in some embodiments, low voltage power may refer to power having a voltage level of <NUM> volts or below, while high voltage power may refer to power having a voltage level of above <NUM> volts.

The high voltage portion <NUM> transmits the converted low voltage power to the low voltage portion via a connector <NUM>. As such, the components of the low voltage portion <NUM> (e.g., the display <NUM>, a temperature sensor, a wireless communication module, etc.) can be operated using the provided low voltage power.

As discussed above, the conversion of high voltage power from the high voltage line wiring to the low voltage power within the high voltage portion <NUM> may create a significant amount of heat. Without thermally insulating the high voltage portion <NUM> from the low voltage portion <NUM>, this heat may adversely affect the readings of the temperature sensor within the low voltage portion <NUM>, potentially affecting the ability of the temperature sensor to accurately assess the temperature of the room in which the thermostat is installed. To prevent the heat generated through power conversion within the high voltage portion <NUM> from adversely affecting the components of the low power portion <NUM>, the electrical components of the high voltage portion <NUM> may be contained within a frame <NUM> having a barrier <NUM>, that functions dielectrically and thermally to insulate the high and low voltage portions from each other. In some embodiments, the frame <NUM> is formed from injection molded plastic.

The barrier <NUM> comprises a material suitable for dielectric and thermodynamic insulation. For example, in some embodiments, the barrier <NUM> may comprise a polymer material having good dielectric and temperature resistant (e.g., fire resistive) properties. In some embodiments, the material of the barrier <NUM> has a resistivity of <NUM><NUM> Ω·m or greater, in order to function effectively as an electrical insulator.

The barrier <NUM> may be in the form of a sheet with an opening allowing for the connector <NUM> to pass through the barrier <NUM> to connect the high voltage portion <NUM> to the low voltage portion <NUM>. The barrier <NUM> may be a separate component inserted into the frame <NUM>, or may be an integral part of the frame <NUM>.

By providing the barrier <NUM> between the high voltage portion <NUM> and low voltage portion <NUM>, heat flow from the high voltage portion <NUM> to the low voltage portion <NUM> can be greatly reduced, allowing for the temperature sensor of the low voltage portion <NUM> to more accurately measure an interior temperature of the room. Instead, the heat generated by the high voltage portion <NUM> may be dissipated through one or more venting features <NUM> of the frame <NUM> to an interior of the wall of the house. In some embodiments, the J-box <NUM>, which may enclose the high voltage portion <NUM>, may also have one or more venting features to enable dissipation of heat from the high voltage portion <NUM> into the interior of the wall.

In some embodiments, the low voltage portion <NUM> is detachable from the high voltage portion <NUM>. For example, the low voltage portion <NUM> may have one or more protrusions <NUM> that align with one or more clips <NUM> on a surface of the high voltage portion <NUM>. The protrusions and clips are aligned such that when the protrusions of the low voltage portion <NUM> are inserted into the clips of the high voltage portion <NUM>, the connector <NUM> of the low voltage portion <NUM> will be electrically connected to the connector <NUM> of the high voltage portion <NUM>. In some embodiments, the protrusions <NUM> and clips <NUM> connect with a snap-on interface, allowing for the user to manually attach and detach the low voltage portion <NUM> from the high voltage portion <NUM> via pushing or pulling, without the need for special tools or expertise. In other embodiments, the low voltage portion <NUM> may have a button or other mechanical feature that enables the low voltage portion <NUM> to be attached to or detached from the high voltage portion <NUM>. On the other hand, the high voltage portion <NUM> may be affixed to the J-box <NUM> using a screw or other mounting device that would require a tool to be removed, preventing the user from removing the barrier <NUM> from the high voltage portion, and maintaining the high voltage components of the high voltage portion <NUM> in a location that is inaccessible to the user.

Being able to detach the low voltage portion <NUM> from the high voltage portion <NUM> of the thermostat <NUM> allows for a user to be able to swap out different low voltage portions <NUM> of the thermostat <NUM>. For example, the low voltage portion <NUM> of the thermostat <NUM> may contain memory and processing elements having settings associated with a room of the house <NUM>, such as temperature schedule settings, personalization settings, and/or the like. On the other hand, the high voltage portions <NUM> of the thermostats <NUM> may all be identical in function, and are fixed to the wall of the house (e.g., within the J-box <NUM>). As such, if the wrong low voltage portion <NUM> is attached to the high voltage portion <NUM> in a particular room, the low voltage portion <NUM> can be easily removed, and the correct one swapped in. In addition, the low voltage portion <NUM> may also be removed for ease of repair or upgrading of components, or for other purposes.

Because the high voltage power provided by the line voltage wiring <NUM> is converted to low voltage power within the high voltage portion <NUM> of the thermostat <NUM>, the low voltage portion <NUM> receives only low voltage power (e.g., through the connector <NUM>). As such, the low voltage portion <NUM> can be more safely handled by a user without the need to take special precautions, due to the lack of any high voltage power in the components of the low voltage portion <NUM>. Furthermore, the presence of the barrier <NUM> between the high and low voltage portions may serve to further protect the user from coming into contact with any high voltage components of the thermostat.

<FIG> illustrates a side cross-sectional view of the high voltage portion <NUM> of the thermostat <NUM>, in accordance with some embodiments. As illustrated in <FIG>, the high voltage portion <NUM> of the thermostat <NUM> may include one or more electrical components (e.g., a power converter <NUM>) mounted on a circuit board (e.g., PCB <NUM>). The PCB <NUM> is enclosed within the frame <NUM>, which may be divided into an inner frame <NUM> and an outer frame <NUM>. For example, the PCB <NUM> may be placed within the inner frame <NUM>, whereupon the outer frame <NUM> can be attached to the inner frame <NUM> to enclose the PCB <NUM>.

As used herein, "inner" may refer to a surface or component that is further away from the outer surface of the wall that the thermostat <NUM> is installed in, while "outer" may refer to a surface or component that is closer to the outer surface of the wall. For example, the outer frame <NUM> may, when the thermostat <NUM> is assembled, may directly abut the low voltage portion <NUM> of the thermostat <NUM>.

In some embodiments, the barrier <NUM> is a separate component of dielectric and thermodynamically insulating material that is attached to the frame <NUM>. For example, as illustrated in <FIG>, an inner surface of the outer frame <NUM> may have an indentation or other alignment features, allowing for the barrier <NUM> to be placed within the outer frame <NUM>, such that when the inner and outer frames are assembled together, the barrier <NUM> will be positioned between the power converter <NUM> and PCB <NUM> of the high voltage portion <NUM> and the low voltage portion <NUM>. When the barrier <NUM> is in place, the connector <NUM> (which receives low voltage power) is the only electronic component of the high voltage portion <NUM> that is exposed through the barrier <NUM>. As such, a user, when installing or removing the low voltage portion <NUM> from the high voltage portion <NUM>, can be prevented from touching any high voltage components of the high voltage portion <NUM>.

In some embodiments, the outer frame <NUM> is shaped to define an air gap between the barrier <NUM> and the outer surface of the outer frame <NUM>. The air gap <NUM> may provide additional thermal isolation of the low voltage portion <NUM> from heat generated by the power converter <NUM> of the high voltage portion <NUM>. In addition, the air gap <NUM> may be sized to accommodate one or more alignment features (e.g., clip <NUM> for attaching the low voltage portion <NUM> to the outer frame <NUM>), as well as one or more protruding components of the low voltage portion <NUM> such as the connector <NUM> of the low voltage portion configured to mate with the connector <NUM> of the high voltage portion <NUM>, thus enabling flow of low voltage power to the low voltage portion <NUM>.

<FIG> illustrates a high level block diagram of a line voltage powered thermostat capable of wireless communication, in accordance with some embodiments. The thermostat <NUM> may correspond to the thermostat <NUM> illustrated in <FIG>.

The high voltage portion <NUM> of the thermostat <NUM> comprises a high voltage receiver <NUM>, a power converter <NUM>, and a low voltage transmitter <NUM>. The high voltage receiver <NUM> is connected to the line voltage wiring <NUM> of the house, from which high voltage power (e.g., <NUM> volts AC) is received. The power converter <NUM> is configured to receive the voltage power from the high voltage receiver <NUM>, and to convert the high voltage power into power of the lower voltage (e.g., <NUM> volts DC). In addition, the power converter <NUM> may convert the received power from AC power to DC power. The low voltage transmitter <NUM> receives the converted low voltage power from the power converter <NUM>, and transmits the low voltage power to the low voltage portion <NUM>. In some embodiments, the low power transmitter <NUM> is implemented as part of a connector (e.g., the connector <NUM> illustrated in <FIG>) that passes through an opening in the barrier <NUM> and is configured to interface with a corresponding connector (e.g., the connector <NUM> illustrated in <FIG>) of the low voltage portion <NUM>, allowing for low voltage power to be transmitted from the low power transmitter <NUM> of the high voltage portion <NUM> to the low voltage receiver <NUM> of the low voltage portion <NUM>.

The barrier <NUM> comprises a sheet of dielectrically and thermally insulating material, such as fire resistive polymer, situated between the high voltage portion <NUM> and the low voltage portion <NUM>. As such, dissipation of heat generated by the power converter <NUM> of the high voltage portion <NUM> to the components of the low voltage portion <NUM> is inhibited, and prevented from adversely affecting the components of the low voltage portion <NUM>, such as the temperature sensor <NUM>. The barrier <NUM> comprises an opening configured to allow a connector to pass through the barrier <NUM> to enable transmission of low voltage power between the high voltage portion <NUM> and the low voltage portion <NUM>.

The low voltage portion <NUM> comprises electronic components that may include a display <NUM>, an input interface module <NUM>, a temperature sensor <NUM>, a wireless communication module <NUM>, a controller <NUM>, and memory <NUM>. The components of the low voltage portion <NUM> may be powered by low voltage power received from the high voltage portion <NUM> via the low voltage receiver <NUM>. For example, the low voltage receiver <NUM> may be implemented as part of a connector configured to connect with a corresponding connector of the high voltage portion <NUM>.

The display <NUM> may correspond to a display screen (e.g., a flat panel display such as an LED display) for displaying information to a user of the thermostat <NUM>. The displayed information may comprise a current sensed temperature of the room (as determined by the temperature sensor), a desired set temperature (e.g., as set by a user, or in accordance with one or more settings), and an operational status of the thermostat <NUM> (e.g., whether the thermostat is currently instructing the heat source controller to turn the heat source on or off). In some embodiments, the display <NUM> may further display a current time, one or more messages or notifications, content or images associated with the thermostat (e.g., corresponding to the room the thermostat is in, a user associated with the thermostat, etc.).

The input interface module <NUM> is configured to receive and process one or more user inputs received through one or more interface elements. The interface elements may comprise a touchscreen (e.g., implemented as part of the display <NUM>), one or more buttons or dials, etc. In some embodiments, the user may use the interface elements to control how information is displayed on the display <NUM>, set a desired temperature, create or edit a heating schedule, and/or the like.

The temperature sensor <NUM> is configured to measure a temperature of the local area around the thermostat. In some embodiments, the temperature sensor <NUM> is exposed to the air in the room via one or more vents formed on the low voltage portion <NUM>, allowing the temperature sensor <NUM> to accurately measure a temperature of the room in which the thermostat is installed. Because the barrier <NUM> inhibits heat produced by power converter <NUM> in the high voltage portion <NUM> from reaching the low voltage portion <NUM>, the ability of the temperature sensor to accurately measure the local area temperature is improved, due to not being adversely affected by generated heat.

The wireless communication module <NUM> is configured to communicate wirelessly with a heat source controller (e.g., the heat source controller <NUM> illustrated in <FIG>). In some embodiments, the wireless communication module <NUM> communicates with the heat source controller directly using RF signals, LoRa signal, and/or the like. For example, the wireless communication module <NUM> may be used to send instructions to the heat source controller indicating whether or not to heat the room that the thermostat is located in (e.g., turning on the heat source and directing the heat through one or more manifolds to reach the room). In some embodiments, the wireless communication module <NUM> may also receive instructions from the heat source controller (e.g., instructions from a user at a mobile device, which are routed to the thermostat via the heat source controller). For example, a user at a mobile device may install an application for controlling the thermostat, allowing the user to issue instructions to the thermostat (e.g., change a temperature setting or schedule, display a message or media content, update a current status, etc.) through the heat source controller. In some embodiments, the wireless communication module <NUM> may be further configured to connect wirelessly to the Internet (e.g., using Wi-Fi), from which it may receive instructions from the mobile device directly instead of through the heat source controller.

The controller <NUM> comprises one or more processors used to control operations of the thermostat <NUM>. For example, the controller <NUM> may receive user inputs via the input interface module <NUM> or from the wireless communication module <NUM> (e.g., from a user at a mobile device), such as instructions from a user to change a temperature setting or schedule of the thermostat. In response, the controller may modify one or more thermostat settings (e.g., stored in the memory <NUM>), cause the display <NUM> to display the updated settings, and/or issue appropriate instructions to the heat source controller via the wireless communication module <NUM>.

The controller <NUM> receives temperature readings from the temperature sensor <NUM>, and issues instructions to the heat source controller via the wireless communication module <NUM> based upon the received temperature readings. For example, the controller <NUM> may compare the received temperature reading with a current desired temperature, and instruct the heat source controller to control the heat source based upon a result of the comparison.

The memory <NUM> is configured to store data associated with the operation of the thermostat, and may correspond to any type of data source device, such as flash memory, SSD memory, RAM, or some combination thereof. For example, the memory <NUM> may store a current desired temperature, a temperature setting schedule, one or more display settings for the display <NUM> (e.g., color settings, background image, etc.), one or more messages (e.g., messages or notifications that can be displayed on the display <NUM>), one or more media files (e.g., corresponding to content that can be displayed on the display <NUM>), and/or the like.

As discussed above, the components of the low voltage portion <NUM> are all powered by low voltage power. As such, there will be no high voltage power flowing through the low voltage portion <NUM>, making the low voltage portion <NUM> safer for a user to detach and handle. In addition, the low voltage portion <NUM> is thermally shielded by the barrier <NUM> from the high voltage portion <NUM>, such that heat produced by the power converter <NUM> of the high voltage portion <NUM> when converting line voltage power to low voltage power does not adversely affect operation of the components of the low voltage portion <NUM>. As such, the thermostat <NUM> can be powered by line voltage, making it easier to install, while also containing components powered by low voltage and being capable of wireless communication with a centralized heat source.

Reference in the specification to "one embodiment" or to "an embodiment" means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiments is included in at least one embodiment. The appearances of the phrase "in one embodiment" or "an embodiment" in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment.

Claim 1:
A thermostat assembly (<NUM>, <NUM>), comprising:
a first portion (<NUM>, <NUM>) comprising:
a power circuit (<NUM>, <NUM>) configured to receive power via internal housing line voltage wiring (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>);
a power conversion circuit (<NUM>, <NUM>) configured to convert the power received via the line voltage wiring into power at a second voltage level lower than the line voltage;
a first connector (<NUM>); and
a second portion (<NUM>, <NUM>), comprising:
a second connector (<NUM>) configured to removably connect to the first connector and receive power from the first portion at the second voltage level;
a temperature sensor (<NUM>) configured to measure an ambient temperature of an outside environment;
a communication chip (<NUM>) configured to communicate wirelessly with a primary heat source (<NUM>);
the thermostat assembly characterised in that the first and second portions are separated by a barrier (<NUM>, <NUM>) located in a frame (<NUM>) of the first portion;
the barrier comprises a dielectric and thermodynamic insulator that inhibits dissipation of heat from the first portion to the second portion to reduce an effect of a temperature of the first portion on the temperature sensor; and
the barrier is positioned to prevent a human user from touching any electrical components of the first portion that receive power at the line voltage when the second portion is removed from the first portion.