HVAC system and an HVAC controller configured to generate master service alarms

• US 10,475,324 B2
• Filed: 01/23/2019
• Issued: 11/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lennox Industries Incorporated (Lennox International Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Lennox Industries Incorporated (Lennox International Incorporated)
• Inventors: Gokhale, Umesh, Douglas, Jon
• Primary Examiner(s): Foxx, Chico A
• Application Number:
  US16/254,668
• Publication Number:
  US 20190156649A1
• Time in Patent Office: 293 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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 11/32 Responding to malfunctions or emergencies
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/38 Failure diagnosis
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/41 Defrosting; Preventing freezing
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/52 Indication arrangements, e.g. displays
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/56 Remote control
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/57 using telephone networks
• 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 11/64 using pre-stored data
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/10 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/12 of the outside air
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2614 HVAC, heating, ventillation, climate control
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2642 Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31437 Monitoring, global and local alarms
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/182 Level alarms, e.g. alarms responsive to variables exceeding a threshold
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/08 using communication transmission lines G08B13/19658, G08B21/0286, G08B25/016 take precedence

Abstract

A method of generating an alarm based on temperature conditions within an enclosed space. The method includes receiving, by a processor of a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system, operating-condition information of the HVAC system, determining, by the processor from the received operating-condition information, whether temperature within the enclosed space is approaching a setpoint temperature. Responsive to a determination that the temperature within the enclosed space has failed to approach the setpoint temperature, determining by the processor, whether anomaly conditions exist and responsive to a determination that the anomaly conditions do not exist, generating the alarm.

Claims

1. A method of generating a master service alarm based on temperature conditions within an enclosed space conditioned by a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system, the method comprising:

receiving, by a processor of the HVAC system, information for operating the HVAC system in at least one of a cooling mode and a heating mode;

determining, by the processor of the HVAC system from the received information, whether air temperature within the enclosed space is approaching a target temperature of the HVAC system indicative of an existing or future comfort violation of a user desired temperature setting;

responsive to a determination that the air temperature within the enclosed space has failed to approach the target temperature, determining by the processor of the HVAC system, whether anomaly conditions exist;

responsive to a determination that the anomaly conditions do not exist, generating, by the processor, the master service alarm indicating that the HVAC system is in need of service, wherein the master service alarm is used by the processor of the HVAC system to provide a prognosis of the HVAC system, wherein the prognosis of the HVAC system is based on historical outdoor temperature conditions and current conditioning operating conditions; and

responsive to a determination that the anomaly conditions exist, no alarm is generated.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to a determination that the air temperature within the enclosed space is approaching the target temperature, no alarm is generated.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

forwarding the generated master service alarm to at least one communication device that is distinct from the HVAC system, wherein the at least one communication device is a non-HVAC device that is configured to interact with the HVAC system.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the at least one communication device is a remote monitoring device associated with at least one of a manufacturer, a support entity, and a service provider.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the anomaly conditions comprise the HVAC system entering a defrost cycle.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the processor of the HVAC system, historical data relative to operation of the HVAC system; and

determining, by the processor of the HVAC system, a prognosis of the HVAC system utilizing at least one of the historical data of the HVAC system and present information of the HVAC system.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the processor of the HVAC system comprises a communications interface for communicating with at least one server via a wireless network.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the at least one server is associated with at least one of a manufacturer, a support entity, and a service provider.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to the generated master service alarm, forwarding, by the processor of the HVAC system, a message to a user interface; and

wherein the message comprises at least one of a text message, a multimedia messaging service (MMS), and an electronic mail (E-mail) message.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the user interface comprises a thermostat.

11. A system comprising:

a processor of a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system;

at least one server configured to communicate with the processor of the HVAC system via a wireless network;

wherein the processor of the HVAC system is configured to;

receive information for operating the HVAC system in at least one of a cooling mode and a heating mode;

determine whether air temperature within an enclosed space is approaching a target temperature of the HVAC system indicative of an existing or future comfort violation of a user desired temperature setting;

responsive to a determination that the air temperature within the enclosed space has failed to approach the target temperature, determine whether anomaly conditions exist;

responsive to a determination that the anomaly conditions do not exist, generate a master service alarm indicating that the HVAC system is in need of service, wherein the master service alarm is used by the processor of the HVAC system to provide a prognosis of the HVAC system, wherein the prognosis of the HVAC system is based on historical outdoor temperature conditions and current conditioning operating conditions; and

responsive to a determination that the anomaly conditions exist, no alarm is generated.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein responsive to a determination that the air temperature within the enclosed space has approached the target temperature, no alarm is generated.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor of the HVAC system is further configured to:

forward the generated master service alarm to at least one communication device that is distinct from the HVAC system, wherein the at least one communication device is a non-HVAC device that is configured to interact with the HVAC system; and

wherein the at least one communication device is a remote monitoring device associated with at least one of a manufacturer, a support entity, and a service provider.

14. The system of claim 13, comprising:

a networking device;

wherein the networking device, the at least one communication device, and the at least one server are each communicably coupled to the wireless network; and

wherein the networking device allows the processor of the HVAC system to communicate with the at least one server.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor of the HVAC system is further configured to:

receive historical data relative to operation of the HVAC system; and

determine a prognosis of the HVAC system utilizing at least one of the historical data of the HVAC system and present information of the HVAC system.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein:

in response to the generated master service alarm, the processor of the HVAC system is configured to forward a message to a user interface; and

wherein the message comprises at least one of a text message, a multimedia messaging service (MMS), and an electronic mail (E-mail) message.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the anomaly conditions comprise the HVAC system entering a defrost cycle.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein:

the processor of the HVAC system comprises a communications interface for communicating with the at least one server via the wireless network; and

the at least one server is associated with at least one of a manufacturer, a support entity, and a service provider.