Setup routine to facilitate user setup of an HVAC controller

• US 10,563,876 B2
• Filed: 11/22/2013
• Issued: 02/18/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ademco Inc. (Resideo Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Ademco Inc. (Resideo Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Klein, Aaron J., Boll, Jeffrey, Derby, Paul, Finch, Heidi J., Murr, Dan
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Thomas C
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tang, Michael
• Application Number:
  US14/088,268
• Publication Number:
  US 20150148963A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,279 Days
• Field of Search: 700276
• 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 11/50 characterised by user interfaces or communication
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/52 Indication arrangements, e.g. displays
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/63 Electronic processing
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/65 for selecting an operating mode

Abstract

An HVAC controller may be programmed to execute a guided set up routine that may guide a user through configuring the thermostat to control a particular HVAC system configuration based, at least in part, on which wires from the HVAC system are connected to terminals of the HVAC controller. The guided set-up routine may be accessible through a user interface provided at a remote device that a user may utilize to interact with the HVAC controller from a remote location.

Claims

1. An HVAC controller configured to control one or more components of an HVAC system having a particular HVAC system configuration, the HVAC controller comprising:

a user interface including a display;

a memory;

an output block configured to provide one or more control signals to the HVAC system, the output block having a number of wiring terminals for accepting wires of the HVAC system, the wiring configuration between the wires of the HVAC system and the wiring terminals of the output block is dependent on the particular HVAC system configuration of the HVAC system;

a controller operatively coupled to the memory, the user interface and the output block, the controller configured to display one or more configuration screens used to configure the HVAC controller for controlling the particular HVAC system configuration, wherein at least one of the screens simultaneously displays a first selectable option and a second selectable option, wherein the first selectable option and the second selectable option is for at least one of a number of cooling stages, a number of heating stages, a number of heat pump compressor stages, or identifying backup heat, and wherein the controller does not detect a wire connected to the output block;

wherein the first selectable option comprises a user prompt with a first text string asking a user to identify if a first particular wire of the HVAC system is connected to the output block of the HVAC controller;

wherein the second selectable option comprises a user prompt with a second text string asking the user to identify if a second particular wire of the HVAC system is connected to the output block of the HVAC controller, the second particular wire is different from the first particular wire; and

the controller configures the HVAC controller to control the particular HVAC system configuration based at least in part on whether the first particular wire and second particular wire were identified as being present.

2. The HVAC controller of claim 1, wherein when selected, the first selectable option configures the HVAC controller to control a one stage HVAC system.

3. The HVAC controller of claim 2, wherein the first particular wire corresponds to a “

Y”

wire of the HVAC system.

4. The HVAC controller of claim 2, wherein when selected, the second selectable option configures the HVAC controller to control a two stage HVAC system.

5. The HVAC controller of claim 4, wherein the second particular wire corresponds to a “

Y2”

wire of the HVAC system.

6. The HVAC controller of claim 1, wherein:

when selected, the first selectable option configures the HVAC controller to not control a backup heat source of the HVAC system; and

when selected, the second selectable option configures the HVAC controller to control a backup heat source of the HVAC system.

7. The HVAC controller of claim 6, wherein the second particular wire corresponds to a backup heat wire of the HVAC system.

8. The HVAC controller of claim 1, comprising displaying an image or diagram of the output block in conjunction with the first selectable option and/or the second selectable option.

9. The HVAC controller of claim 1, comprising displaying a video in conjunction with the first selectable option and/or the second selectable option.

10. The HVAC controller of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first selectable option and the second selectable option relate to a backup heat source included in the particular HVAC system configuration of the HVAC system.

11. The HVAC controller of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first selectable option and the second selectable option relate to the number of cooling stages or the number of heating stages.

12. The HVAC controller of claim 1, wherein the user prompt of the first selectable option, when selected, indicates that the user confirms that the first particular wire of the HVAC system is present for connection to the output block of the HVAC controller.

13. An HVAC controller configured to control one or more components of an HVAC system having a particular HVAC system configuration, the HVAC controller comprising:

a user interface including a display;

a memory;

an output block configured to provide one or more control signals to the HVAC system, the output block having a number or wiring terminals for accepting wires of the HVAC system, the wiring configuration between the wires of the HVAC system and the wiring terminals of the output block is dependent on the particular HVAC system configuration of the HVAC system;

a controller operatively coupled to the memory, the user interface and the output block, the controller configured to display a guided-set up routine on the display comprising two or more screens that guide a user to configure the HVAC controller to control the particular HVAC system configuration of the HVAC system, wherein the guided-set up routine solicits information from a user by providing one or more user prompts, wherein the one or more user prompts include a plurality of text strings that asks the user to identify an equipment type contained in the particular HVAC system configuration as well as confirm a wiring configuration identified by the user as having been used to wire the HVAC system to the wiring terminals of the output block of the HVAC controller, wherein a first text string of a user prompt of the one or more user prompts asks the user to identify if a first wire from the HVAC system is connected to the output block of the HVAC controller and a second text string of the user prompt of the one or more user prompts asks the user to identify if a second wire from the HVAC system is connected to the output block of the HVAC controller, and wherein the controller does not detect a wire connected to the output block; and

the controller configured to use the equipment type identified by the user as being contained in the particular HVAC system configuration as well the wiring configuration identified by the user as having been used to wire the HVAC system to the wiring terminals of the output block to configure the HVAC controller to control the particular HVAC system configuration of the HVAC system.

14. The HVAC controller of claim 13, wherein the guided-set up routine simultaneously displays the first text string and the second text string on a common screen.

15. The HVAC controller of claim 13, wherein the equipment type identified by the user as being contained in the particular HVAC system configuration comprises one or more of forced air, hot water, steam, heat pump, changeover valve, compressor, backup heat, single stage, two stage, and variable fire rate.