US4021615A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Apparatus for conserving energy in a building
Assignee: RCA Corp
•
Filing: 1975-07-30
•
Granted: 1977-05-03
•
Expires: 1995-07-30
Abstract
Abstract Apparatus for turning off power-consuming appliances in rooms of a building having a private automatic branch exchange telephone system includes computer-controlled means at the exchange central periodically to apply short bursts of audio-frequency oscillations to telephone lines going to rooms in which power can be conserved. Detecting means in each room connected to the room telephone line provide an output on receipt of a burst which operates a line relay in the room, disconnecting power from the appliance in the room, for a predetermined time period greater than the time period between the periodic application of bursts at the exchange central.
Inventors
- 👤 Emrys Craig James
- 👤 Gerald Henry Fairfax
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 16:23
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04M; H04M11/00; H04M11/007; F; F24; F24F; F24F11/00; F24F11/30; F24F11/46; F24F11/88; F24F11/50; F24F11/56; F24F11/57; F24F2110/00; F24F2110/10
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 6
Claim 1
Independent Claim
155 words
Apparatus for turning off power-consuming appliances in rooms of a building having a private automatic branch exchange telephone system, comprising means at the exchange central periodically to apply a short burst of audio-frequency oscillations having a predetermined frequency and having a predetermined duration to telephone lines going to rooms in which power can be conserved, detecting means in each room connected to the room telephone line to provide an output on receipt of a burst having said predetermined frequency and duration, line relays in each room each having operating means and having contacts normally connecting power to the appliance in the room, and time-out devices in each room each responsive to an output from the detecting means in the room to operate the line relay in the room, disconnecting power from the appliance in the room for a predetermined time period greater than the time period between the application of bursts at the exchange central.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
155 words
Apparatus for turning off power-consuming appliances in rooms of a building having a private automatic branch exchange telephone system, comprising means at the exchange central periodically to apply a short burst of audio-frequency oscillations having a predetermined frequency and having a predetermined duration to telephone lines going to rooms in which power can be conserved, detecting means in each room connected to the room telephone line to provide an output on receipt of a burst having said predetermined frequency and duration, line relays in each room each having operating means and having contacts normally connecting power to the appliance in the room, and time-out devices in each room each responsive to an output from the detecting means in the room to operate the line relay in the room, disconnecting power from the appliance in the room for a predetermined time period greater than the time period between the application of bursts at the exchange central.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
30 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said detecting means includes means to sense an off-hook condition of the room telephone and disable the detecting means from providing an output.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
56 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said means to apply short bursts includes a register for storing manifestations of the desired conditions of appliances in each room, and gates enabled from outputs of said register to apply said bursts of audio-frequency oscillations to ones of said telephone lines determined by the contents of said register.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
135 words
Apparatus utilizing a telephone line to turn off a power-consuming appliance in a room, comprising means at a central location under control of a computer to selectively and periodically apply a short burst of audio-frequency oscillations of predetermined frequency and predetermined duration to the telephone line to the room, detecting means in the room connected to the telephone line to provide an output on receipt of a burst having said predetermined frequency of oscillations and duration. a line relay in the room having operating means and having contacts normally connecting power to the appliance, and a time-out device responsive to an output from said detecting means to operate said relay, disconnecting the power from the appliance, for a predetermined time period greater than the time period between the application of bursts at the central location.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
135 words
Apparatus utilizing a telephone line to turn off a power-consuming appliance in a room, comprising means at a central location under control of a computer to selectively and periodically apply a short burst of audio-frequency oscillations of predetermined frequency and predetermined duration to the telephone line to the room, detecting means in the room connected to the telephone line to provide an output on receipt of a burst having said predetermined frequency of oscillations and duration. a line relay in the room having operating means and having contacts normally connecting power to the appliance, and a time-out device responsive to an output from said detecting means to operate said relay, disconnecting the power from the appliance, for a predetermined time period greater than the time period between the application of bursts at the central location.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US2516361A
Cited
US3308239A
Cited
US3553376A
Cited
US3588357A
Cited
US3842218A
Cited
US3859462A
Cited
US3912882A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1980-05-02 | 1980-11-01 | 1981-05-03 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1984-05-02 | 1984-11-01 | 1985-05-03 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1988-05-02 | 1988-11-01 | 1989-05-03 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |