Patent ID: 8237094

Claim:
A pulse modulation heating system for connection to a main heating controller for an existing step heating system for a discrete space in a building, the step heating system having a heat sensor for detecting a level of heat in the space, a plurality of step heating elements, and a plurality of corresponding mechanical relays, one said corresponding mechanical relay connected to each step heating element, the main heating controller being connected to the heat sensor and configured for connection to the corresponding mechanical relays for, based on the level of heat, providing to the corresponding mechanical relays in a predefined sequence respective signals for each corresponding relay for activating and deactivating the corresponding mechanical relays in the predefined sequence until a required quantity of the corresponding mechanical relays and the heating elements is activated to generate a required amount of heat, the system comprising: a pulse heating element, said pulse heating element having a total pulse heating capacity when activated over a predefined heating cycle generally equal to a total step heating capacity of all of the step heating elements when activated over said predefined heating cycle; and a pulse heating controller connected to said pulse heating element and having inputs connectable to said main heating controller, one respective input of said inputs for each corresponding mechanical relay for receiving said respective signals instead of the corresponding mechanical relay and for activating said pulse heating element, based on said respective signals, for a pulse portion of said predefined heating cycle, said pulse portion corresponding generally proportionally to the required quantity of the respective inputs receiving said respective signals for activating the corresponding mechanical relays and connected pulse heating elements relative a total quantity of the respective inputs connected to the main heating controller, to generate a pulse amount of heat generally equal to the required amount of heat.