Systems and methods for wireless communication of HVAC devices

• US 10,390,284 B2
• Filed: 05/02/2017
• Issued: 08/20/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tyco Fire & Security GmbH (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Original Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: Rumler, Daniel R., Spacek, Daniel J., Krull, Isaac J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jain, Ankur
• Application Number:
  US15/584,931
• Publication Number:
  US 20170343231A1
• Time in Patent Office: 840 Days
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/30 for purposes related to the operation of the system, e.g. for safety or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/47 Responding to energy costs
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/58 using Internet communication
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/62 characterised by the type of control or by internal processing, e.g. using fuzzy logic, adaptive control or estimation of values
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/63 Electronic processing
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/77 by controlling the speed of ventilators
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/84 using valves
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/88 Electrical aspects, e.g. circuits
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/10 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 3/044 Systems in which all treatment is given in the central station, i.e. all-air systems
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2816 Controlling appliance services of a home automation network by calling their functionalities arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station; in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom H04Q9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2827 Reporting to a device within the home network; wherein the reception of the information reported automatically triggers the execution of a home appliance functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2841 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/248 Connectivity information update

Abstract

A wireless monitoring system for a Building Management System (BMS). The system includes a sensing device. The sensing device is configured to sense a value of an attribute associated with the BMS. The system further includes a wireless communication module in communication with the sensing device. The wireless communication module is configured to receive one or more sensed values transmitted from the sensing device to one or more inputs of the wireless communication module. The wireless communication module is further configured to wirelessly transmit the received sensed values at predetermined intervals via a wireless protocol. The system further includes a wireless transceiver in communication with a BMS controller. The wireless transceiver is configured to receive the transmitted values from the wireless communication module, and to communicate the received values from the wireless communication module to the BMS controller.

Claims

1. A wireless monitoring system for a Building Management System (BMS), the system comprising:

a sensing device configured to sense a value of an attribute associated with the BMS;

a wireless communication module in communication with the sensing device and configured to receive one or more sensed values from the sensing device at one or more analog inputs of the wireless communication module and receive a binary signal at one or more binary inputs of the wireless communication module; and

a wireless transceiver in communication with a BMS controller, wherein the wireless transceiver is configured to receive the sensed values from the wireless communication module, and wirelessly transmit the sensed values to the BMS controller via a wireless protocol;

wherein the wireless communication module is configured to;

transition from operating in a low power mode to operating in a standard mode in response to detecting a change in value of the binary signal at the one or more binary inputs; and

transmit the sensed values upon transitioning into the standard mode.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensing device is a static pressure sensor or a temperature sensor.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication module is configured to:

operate in the low power mode during which the sensed values are not transmitted by the wireless communication module;

operate in the standard mode during which the sensed values are transmitted by the wireless communication module via the wireless protocol.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication module comprises at least one of an analog input circuit and a binary input circuit.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless protocol is an IEEE 802.15.4 protocol.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication module is further configured to transmit an indication of the change in value of the binary signal via the wireless transceiver.

7. A system for remotely sensing a static pressure in an HVAC system, comprising:

a static pressure sensing device positioned within an air handling duct associated with the HVAC system;

a wireless communication module in electronic communication with the static pressure sensing device and configured to receive a sensed pressure value from the static pressure sensing device via an analog input of the wireless communication module, to receive a binary signal via a binary input of the wireless communication module, and to transmit the sensed pressure value via a wireless protocol; and

wherein the wireless communication module is configured to;

transition from operating in a low power mode to operating in a standard mode in response to detecting a change in value of the binary signal at the binary input; and

transmit the sensed pressure value upon transitioning into the standard mode.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the wireless communication module is further configured to transmit an indication of the change in value of the binary signal via the wireless protocol.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the binary input is configured to receive one or more binary data values from the static pressure sensing device.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the wireless communication module is further configured to output data to the static pressure sensing device via an output.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the output is one or more of a binary output and an analog output.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the wireless communication module may receive an instruction to output data to the static pressure sensing device from a BMS controller via the wireless protocol.

13. The system of claim 7, wherein the wireless communication module is further configured to:

operate in the low power mode during which the sensed pressure value is not transmitted by the wireless communication module;

operate in the standard mode during which the sensed pressure value is transmitted by the wireless communication module via the wireless protocol.

14. A wireless communication module for providing wireless communication to HVAC equipment, comprising

a wireless radio;

a power supply;

one or more analog inputs in communication with the HVAC equipment;

one or more binary inputs in communication with the HVAC equipment; and

a processing circuit comprising a processor configured to;

read one or more analog values provided by the HVAC equipment at the one or more analog inputs;

operate the wireless communication module in a low power mode;

operate the wireless communication module in a standard mode;

transition from the low power mode to the standard mode when a value change is detected at the one or more binary inputs; and

transmit the one or more analog values via the wireless radio upon transitioning into the standard mode.

15. The module of claim 14, wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive data via the wireless radio; and

transmit the received data to the HVAC device via an output of the wireless communication module coupled to an input of the HVAC device.

16. The module of claim 15, wherein the output is at least one of a digital output and an analog output.

17. The module of claim 14, wherein the low power mode is configured to reduce the amount of power drawn from the power supply by the wireless radio.

18. The module of claim 14, wherein the processor is further configured to:

operate the wireless communication module in the low power mode during which the one or more analog values are not transmitted by the wireless communication module; and

operate the wireless communication module in the standard mode during which the one or more analog values are transmitted by the wireless communication module at a predetermined interval.

19. The module of claim 18, wherein the predetermined interval is one minute.

20. The module of claim 14, wherein the processor is further configured to transmit the binary value change via the wireless radio.