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Distributed heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system with concurrent network connections

  • US 10,156,377 B2
  • Filed: 05/14/2015
  • Issued: 12/18/2018
  • Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2015
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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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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