Wireless actuator service

• US 10,684,030 B2
• Filed: 03/05/2015
• Issued: 06/16/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Waseen, Daniel, Bellos, Sophia, Penttila, Carl, McCarthy, Timothy, Sibilski, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Lu, Zhiyu
• Application Number:
  US14/639,923
• Publication Number:
  US 20160258638A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,930 Days
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/0001 for ventilation F24F11/30 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/56 Remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

A wireless actuator assembly for use in a building control system includes an actuated component such as a damper or a valve and an actuator that is configured to move the actuated component between a first position and a second position. The assembly includes a short range wireless communication module having a nominal communication range of less than 60 feet and an actuator controller that is operably coupled to the actuator and the short range wireless communication module. The actuator controller may be configured to receive one or more actuator commands from a portable handheld device via the short range wireless communication module and to send information to the portable handheld device via the short range wireless communication module.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a portable handheld device;

a plurality of wireless actuator assemblies, each of the plurality of wireless actuator assemblies including;

an actuated component;

an actuator configured to move the actuated component between a first position and a second position;

a short range wireless communication module having a nominal communication range of less than 60 feet; and

an actuator controller operably coupled to the actuator and the short range wireless communication module, the actuator controller configured to receive one or more actuator commands from the portable handheld device via the short range wireless communication module and to send information to the portable handheld device via the short range wireless communication module;

wherein the portable handheld device is configured to determine an indication of a location of a particular wireless actuator assembly out of the plurality of wireless actuator assemblies relative to a location of the portable handheld device so that a user of the portable handheld device can identify and then test and/or troubleshoot the particular wireless actuator assembly, the particular wireless actuator assembly installed at a location that is behind a wall, a ceiling or other physical structure and hidden from view of the user of the portable handheld device, the portable handheld device determining the relative location of the particular wireless actuator assembly using a signal strength of one or more wireless signals received from the short range wireless communication module of the particular wireless actuator assembly; and

wherein the portable handheld device is configured to display a measure of the signal strength on a display of the portable handheld device to provide the indication of the location of the particular wireless actuator assembly relative to the location of the portable handheld device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the actuator controller of the particular wireless actuator assembly is configured to receive one or more test and/or troubleshooting commands from the portable handheld device via the short range wireless communication module of the particular wireless actuator assembly and to execute the one or more test and/or troubleshooting commands.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the one or more test and/or troubleshooting commands, when executed, tests a functionality of the actuator of the particular wireless actuator assembly.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the actuated component of the particular wireless actuator assembly includes a damper.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the actuated component of the particular wireless actuator assembly includes a valve.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the short range wireless communication module of the particular wireless actuator assembly is compatible with Bluetooth.

7. A method of managing a building automation system that includes a plurality of wireless actuator assemblies, each of the plurality of wireless actuator assemblies comprising a short range wireless communication module having a nominal communication range of less than 60 feet, the method comprising:

using a portable handheld device to establish wireless communications with the short range wireless communication module of one or more of the plurality of wireless actuator assemblies;

obtaining a signal strength from each of the one or more of the plurality of wireless actuator assemblies;

determining a relative location of each of the one or more of the plurality of wireless actuator assemblies relative to a current location of the portable handheld device, when at least one of the one or more of the plurality of wireless actuator assemblies are installed at a location that is behind a wall, a ceiling or other physical structure and hidden from view of a user of the portable handheld device, the portable handheld device determining the relative location of each of the one or more wireless actuator assemblies using the signal strength from each of the one or more of the plurality of wireless actuator assemblies;

displaying on a display of the portable handheld device a measure of the obtained signal strength from at least one of the plurality of wireless actuator assemblies to provide an indication to the user of the relative location of the at least one of the plurality of wireless actuator assemblies relative to the location of the portable handheld device;

allowing the user to select a particular one of the at least one of the plurality of wireless actuator assemblies using the portable handheld device; and

displaying a screen on the display of the portable handheld device that enables a user to test and/or troubleshoot the selected wireless actuator assembly.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising sending an instruction from the portable handheld device to the selected wireless actuator assembly via the short range wireless communication module of the selected wireless actuator assembly instructing the selected wireless actuator assembly to emit an audible signal to provide an audible indication of the location of the selected wireless actuator assembly.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising initiating a trouble-shooting operation from the displayed screen of the portable handheld device and displaying trouble-shooting results on the display of the portable handheld device.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising communicating replacement information from the selected wireless actuator assembly to the portable handheld device via the short range wireless communication module of the selected wireless actuator assembly and displaying the replacement information on the display of the portable handheld device if a determination is made that replacement is appropriate.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising testing operation of the selected wireless actuator assembly from the displayed screen on the portable handheld device, and displaying test results on the display of the portable handheld device.

12. A portable handheld device for use in combination with a plurality of wireless actuator assemblies in a building control system, each of the plurality of wireless actuator assemblies including an actuator configured to actuate an actuated component, a short range wireless communication module and a controller configured to receive commands and transmit information via the short range wireless communication module, the portable handheld device comprising:

a display configured to display information received from one or more of the plurality of wireless actuator assemblies;

the portable handheld device configured to utilize relative signal strength of wireless communication between the portable handheld device and the short range wireless communication module of a particular wireless actuator assembly of the plurality of wireless actuator assemblies to ascertain a relative position of the particular wireless actuator assembly relative to a current position of the portable handheld device, the particular wireless actuator assembly installed at a location that is behind a wall, a ceiling or other physical structure and hidden from view of a user of the portable handheld device;

the portable handheld device configured to display a measure of the relative signal strength that corresponds to the particular wireless actuator assembly;

the portable handheld device configured to enable a user to select the particular wireless actuator assembly; and

wherein in response to the user selecting the particular wireless actuator assembly, the portable handheld device is configured to display on the display of the portable handheld device one or more screens enabling the user to test and/or troubleshoot the particular wireless actuator assembly.

13. The portable handheld device of claim 12, wherein the portable handheld device is configured to send an instruction to the particular wireless actuator assembly, instructing the particular wireless actuator assembly to emit an audible signal to provide an audible indication of the location of the particular wireless actuator assembly.

14. The portable handheld device of claim 12, wherein the portable handheld device is configured to superimpose error messages received from the particular wireless actuator assembly onto one or more of the displayed trouble shooting and/or test screens.

15. The portable handheld device of claim 12, wherein the portable handheld device is configured to:

display one or more screens enabling the user to troubleshoot the particular wireless actuator assembly;

communicate one or more troubleshooting commands to the particular wireless actuator assembly; and

display on the display of the portable handheld device information pertaining to how the particular wireless actuator assembly responded to the communicated troubleshooting commands.

16. The portable handheld device of claim 12, wherein the portable handheld device is configured to:

display one or more screens enabling the user to test the particular wireless actuator assembly;

communicate one or more test commands to the particular wireless actuator assembly; and

display on the display of the portable handheld device information pertaining to how the particular wireless actuator assembly responded to the communicated test commands.