Celebrity Inventors
Mark Twain (Samuel L. Clemens) received Patent No. 121,992 for "An Improvement in Adjustable and Detachable Straps for Garments." He later received two more patents: one for a self-pasting scrapbook and one for a game to help players remember important historical dates.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7992630 | System and method for pre-cooling of buildings A method for nighttime pre-cooling of a building comprising inputting one or more user settings, lowering the indoor temperature reading of the building during nighttime by operating an outside air ventilation system followed, if necessary, by a vapor compression co... | 08/09/2011 |
| 7604046 | Controller interface with multiple day programming A controller equipped with a user interface having multiple-day programming capabilities, including methods of programming such devices, are disclosed. The user interface may include one or more menus or screens that can be used to program a schedule for one or more... | 10/20/2009 |
| 7360717 | Graphical user interface system for a thermal comfort controller A graphical user interface system for a thermal comfort controller. The user interface system has a central processing unit coupled to a memory and a touch sensitive display unit. The memory stores a temperature schedule data structure and perhaps a temperature hist... | 04/22/2008 |
| 7356385 | End-user electrical load controller An end-user load controller that can be used in an electrical energy supply system for controlling electrical energy to an end-user load is disclosed. The controller periodically evaluates whether the load should be on or off based on comparisons of load-operating i... | 04/08/2008 |
| 7329308 | Air handling and chemical filtration system and method The present invention relates to systems and methods for controlling humidity and temperature in gases or air streams used in semiconductor processing systems. These systems and methods can be used in combination with systems and methods for contaminant detection an... | 02/12/2008 |
| 7270174 | Method, system and program product for automatically checking coolant loops of a cooling system for a computing environment Method, system and program product are provided for facilitating operation of a cooling system designed to provide system coolant to one or more electronics subsystems of a computing environment. The technique includes automatically checking at least one coolant loo... | 09/18/2007 |
| 7251579 | Method, system, and software for calculating a multi factor temperature index A method, system, and software for calculating a multi factor temperature index includes determining the values of at least two weather related parameters. The multi factor temperature index is calculated using the calculated values of the two weather related parame... | 07/31/2007 |
| 7240851 | Thermostat fan and boiler timer A programmable timer circuit that can be connected directly to the fan switch of any thermostat with a forced air heating and/or cooling system that includes a blower fan for circulating air throughout the home. A programmable timer circuit that can be connected dir... | 07/10/2007 |
| 7234312 | Variable speed, electronically controlled, room air conditioner A variable speed air handling system for cooling and/or heating a room including a sleep mode. The system includes a fan assembly to transport air from the system into the room, the fan assembly having a substantially continuously adjustable speed within a range of ... | 06/26/2007 |
| 7208704 | Heating device with thermostat switch A system for wiring a heating element in an electrical appliance to a conventional thermostat switch in a new manner and a new thermostat for supporting the new wiring system. The new wiring system avoids switching the full heating element current for both hot power... | 04/24/2007 |
| 7185825 | Programmable thermostat employing a fail safe real time clock A programmable thermostat for controlling space conditioning equipment receives power from the equipment. The thermostat has an interactive interface for user programming, a temperature sensor and a processor including: a central processing unit; a memory for storin... | 03/06/2007 |
| 7184860 | In-store equipment remote monitoring system A monitoring system is provided for remotely monitoring in-store equipment. A controller is provided in each store for monitoring and controlling in-store equipment. A monitoring computer is connected to the controller in each store through a communication line. The... | 02/27/2007 |
| 7158863 | Programmable controller for condition air curtains A programmable electronic controller that provides multiple command and control instruction for an air curtain being integrated therewith. The controller includes operational controls for fan speed, time adjustment duration including time delay, start time, stop tim... | 01/02/2007 |
| 7156318 | Programmable thermostat incorporating a liquid crystal display selectively presenting adaptable system menus including changeable interactive virtual buttons A programmable thermostat, with a touch screen liquid crystal display having the capability to add to or remove virtual buttons to the display depending on the items of space conditioning equipment connected with and controlled by the thermostat. ... | 01/02/2007 |
| 7152806 | Programmable thermostat incorporating a liquid crystal display and having a feature for mounting horizontally, vertically and any intermediate orientation A programmable thermostat having a touch screen dot matrix LCD in which the pictorial presenting information and virtual buttons on the touch screen is user configurable to be correctly oriented whether the thermostat is mounted horizontally or vertically. ... | 12/26/2006 |
| 7130832 | Energy service business method and system If the energy service enterprise is responsible for paying costs for applying energy-saving measures to the object facilities, measures the energy consumption after taking the energy-saving measures, calculates the amount of curtailed energy cost by comparing the me... | 10/31/2006 |
| 7114554 | Controller interface with multiple day programming A controller equipped with a user interface having multiple-day programming capabilities, including methods of programming such devices, are disclosed. The user interface may include one or more menus or screens that can be used to program a schedule for one or more... | 10/03/2006 |
| 7099748 | HVAC start-up control system and method A controller controls operation of a HVAC&R device, bringing the temperature inside a structure from a first temperature to a second temperature at a predetermined time each day. Sensors sense the temperature both inside and outside the structure. A recovery time is... | 08/29/2006 |
| 7082352 | Temperature control apparatus for a heater using an encoder switch and method thereof Disclosed is a temperature control apparatus for a heater using an encoder switch and method thereof that controls an indoor temperature by driving a burner in accordance with a change of an indoor temperature and ventilating heated air indoors. The temperature cont... | 07/25/2006 |
| 7076961 | Control system with communication function and facility control system A control system with a communication function wherein: a central unit communicates 30 with a plurality of devices 11, 12, . . . , monitors and manages the operations of the devices; and each of the devices includes an input section for entering positi... | 07/18/2006 |
| 7043341 | Swimming pool and spa heater control system and method A system and method for controlling swimming pool or spa heaters is provided in the present invention. The system and method control the temperature of the pool or spa water and saves energy by heating the water therein only when future weather conditions indicate t... | 05/09/2006 |
| 6993417 | System for energy sensing analysis and feedback A system is described where the existing proliferation of standard electrical junction boxes in a typical home or building implement a form of “Bio-Feedback for Home Energy”, increasing user awareness and enabling more effective and efficient energy usage. Energ... | 01/31/2006 |
| 6973410 | Method and system for evaluating the efficiency of an air conditioning apparatus Air conditioning chiller operating efficiency is evaluated in response to chiller operating parameters input to a computing device which calculates separately the efficiencies of the condenser and evaporator components of the chiller. Additional efficiency calculati... | 12/06/2005 |
| 6960017 | Non-invasive energy meter for fixed and variable flow systems An energy metering method and apparatus for liquid flow systems comprising first and second segments of one or more conduits through which a liquid flows, comprising: attaching a first temperature sensor for connection to an outside of the first conduit segment; att... | 11/01/2005 |
| 6922558 | Integrated building control and information system with wireless networking This invention relates to an integrated building control and information system with wireless networking, including the controlling and/or monitoring of various building devices or appliances such as air conditioning, lighting, temperature, humidity, etc., including... | 07/26/2005 |
| 6814299 | Thermostat with one button programming feature A digital programmable thermostat comprising up and dowm temperature adjustment buttons, an LCD display, and a Program button, which a user can simply press once to initiate a single set-back program that sets back the last user selected temperature setting during a... | 11/09/2004 |
| 6783079 | Thermostat with one button programming feature A digital programmable thermostat comprising up and down temperature adjustment buttons, an LCD display, and a Program button, which a user can simply press once to initiate a single setback program that sets back the last user selected temperature setting during a ... | 08/31/2004 |
| 6769482 | System and method for switching-over between heating and cooling modes A heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) device (104) which includes both heating and cooling operating modes provides an easy-to-use interface (110) for selecting the operating parameters of the device (104). The interface (110... | 08/03/2004 |
| 6685098 | Setback timer of air conditioner, air conditioning system, and method of setting setback timer display A set back timer for an air conditioner is provided with a display screen (15) for the representation of information about normal and set back operations of the air conditioner, wherein a normal operation time period display (53) indicating a time period ... | 02/03/2004 |
| 6681848 | Method and apparatus for operating a thermostat to provide an automatic changeover A method and apparatus defines (302) a time period Ps following a completion of a demand for one of heating and cooling, the time period sufficient to allow a sensed room temperature Tr measured (309) by a thermostat (500) to stabilize after the completio... | 01/27/2004 |
| 6634566 | Advanced setback reporting thermostat A thermostat is operative to note the current temperature at time of entering into a setback of one or more previously established setpoints. The thermostat is also operative to note any newly defined setpoints. The thermostat also notes whether the setba... | 10/21/2003 |
| 6628997 | Method for programming a thermostat A method for programming a thermostat, comprising the steps of providing a thermostat programmed to convert programming codes into time-temperature schedules; determining a desired time-temperature schedule; developing a programming code corresponding to ... | 09/30/2003 |
| 6595430 | Graphical user interface system for a thermal comfort controller A graphical user interface system for a thermal comfort controller. The user interface system has a central processing unit coupled to a memory and a touch sensitive display unit. The memory stores a temperature schedule data structure and perhaps a tempe... | 07/22/2003 |
| 6591253 | Method and system for real time pricing of fine-grained resource purchases A method and system for controlling the purchase of fine-grained resource purchases, such as utility resources or access to limited highway lanes. Real time pricing based upon current demand and/or usage is periodically determined. Access to that real tim... | 07/08/2003 |
| 6581846 | Thermostat including a vacation mode in which electrical devices within and proximate the conditioned space are operated by the thermostat to provide an occupied appearance A thermostat system for controlling space conditioning equipment includes a temperature sensor for providing an electrical signal indicative of the temperature of a conditioned space and a processor having a central processing unit, a memory for storing p... | 06/24/2003 |
| 6549870 | Weighted setback reporting thermostat A thermostat receives requests to enter into setback modes of operation whereby at least one setpoint normally used by the thermostat is changed. The thermostat is operative to compute the integral of change in setpoint temperature over time during each s... | 04/15/2003 |
| 6540017 | Air conditioner and method for controlling the same A user enters a thermal perception level or a temperature set point in a perception level and temperature entry portion. Then, a clock portion calculates, by clocking, the time of entry to the perception level and temperature entry portion, and the entere... | 04/01/2003 |
| 6536675 | Temperature determination in a controlled space in accordance with occupancy A method is provided for managing the energy usage of an energy consuming system adapted to determine the energy of a controlled space, the energy consuming system including a plurality of operating components having on and off states and a plurality of d... | 03/25/2003 |
| 6505099 | Radiant energy control system In a radiant energy heating system having one or more types of radiant energy heating sub-systems, a control system comprising a solid state electronic control panel pre-programmed to control two or more of the types of radiant heating sub-systems, wherei... | 01/07/2003 |
| 6478084 | Energy saving thermostat with a variable deadband An apparatus for, and a method of, reducing cycling of heating and cooling systems by varying the deadband of a thermostat. The deadband is varied such that it does not impact human comfort significantly. The deadband is kept narrow (at its current normal... | 11/12/2002 |
