Distributed heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system with concurrent network connections
First Claim
1. A heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system, comprising:
- a first control unit communicatively coupled to a first plurality of HVAC units and a first interactive display;
a second control unit communicatively coupled to a second plurality of HVAC units and a second interactive display;
wherein the first control unit is configured to;
connect to the second control unit using a Wi-Fi direct protocol to create an HVAC control network that is designated as a primary communications network, wherein connecting to the second control unit using the Wi-Fi direct protocol comprises establishing a first communication channel between the first control unit and the second control unit;
detect a Wi-Fi network comprising a wireless access point;
re-designate the HVAC control network as a secondary communications network in response to detecting the Wi-Fi network;
designate the Wi-Fi network as the primary communications network in response to re-designating the HVAC control network as the secondary communications network;
connect to the second control unit over the Wi-Fi network in response to designating the Wi-Fi network as the primary communications network, wherein;
connecting to the second control unit over the Wi-Fi network comprises establishing a second communications channel between the first control unit and the second control unit; and
the first control unit and the second control unit are configured to exchange data with each other using the first communication channel and the second communication channel concurrently;
receive a first temperature change request from the first interactive display; and
transmit the first temperature change request to the second control unit over the Wi-Fi network.
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Accused Products
Abstract
In one embodiment, an HVAC system includes a first control unit communicatively coupled to a first plurality of HVAC units and a first interactive display. A second control unit communicatively coupled to a second plurality of HVAC units and a second interactive display. The first control unit is operable to detect and connect to the second control unit using a Wi-Fi direct protocol to create an HVAC control network that is designated as a primary communications network. The first control unit further operable to detect a Wi-Fi network including a wireless access point. The first control unit operable to re-designate the HVAC control network as a secondary communications network and to designate the Wi-Fi network as the primary communications network. The first control unit may also detect and connect to the second control unit over the Wi-Fi network, wherein the first control unit may receive a first temperature change request from the first interactive display and transmit the first temperature change request to the second control unit over the Wi-Fi network.
16 Citations
9 Claims
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1. A heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system, comprising:
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a first control unit communicatively coupled to a first plurality of HVAC units and a first interactive display; a second control unit communicatively coupled to a second plurality of HVAC units and a second interactive display; wherein the first control unit is configured to; connect to the second control unit using a Wi-Fi direct protocol to create an HVAC control network that is designated as a primary communications network, wherein connecting to the second control unit using the Wi-Fi direct protocol comprises establishing a first communication channel between the first control unit and the second control unit; detect a Wi-Fi network comprising a wireless access point; re-designate the HVAC control network as a secondary communications network in response to detecting the Wi-Fi network; designate the Wi-Fi network as the primary communications network in response to re-designating the HVAC control network as the secondary communications network; connect to the second control unit over the Wi-Fi network in response to designating the Wi-Fi network as the primary communications network, wherein; connecting to the second control unit over the Wi-Fi network comprises establishing a second communications channel between the first control unit and the second control unit; and the first control unit and the second control unit are configured to exchange data with each other using the first communication channel and the second communication channel concurrently; receive a first temperature change request from the first interactive display; and transmit the first temperature change request to the second control unit over the Wi-Fi network. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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Specification