METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CONFIGURING AN HVAC CONTROLLER

• US 20090143918A1
• Filed: 11/25/2008
• Published: 06/04/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ademco Inc. (Resideo Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Amundson, John B., Juntunen, Robert D.
• Granted Patent: US 8,032,254 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/278
• 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 11/52 Indication arrangements, e.g. displays
• 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 11/65 for selecting an operating mode
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 13/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1902 characterised by the use of a variable reference value
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1917 using digital means

Abstract

An HVAC controller is described that is configured to be more intuitive and user friendly to program and operate than convention HVAC controllers. In some instances, the HVAC controller may include a touch screen interface that provides greater flexibility in displaying information to the user and/or soliciting information from the user.

Claims

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

a display;

a data port configured to interact with an external memory device;

a controller in communication with the display and the data port, the controller configured to operate an algorithm that at least partially controls the one or more components of the HVAC system, the algorithm being configurable; and

wherein the controller is configured to read the external memory device via the data port, and to display on the display of the HVAC controller a display element for each of one or more configurations stored on the external memory device.

2. The HVAC controller of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to display a display element for only those stored configurations that are compatible with the HVAC controller.

3. The HVAC controller of claim 1, wherein the HVAC controller further includes a memory that is in communication with the controller, wherein the controller is configured to allow a user to select a particular one of the displayed configurations, and to load the selected configuration into the memory for use by the algorithm of the controller during operation.

4. The HVAC controller of claim 3, wherein the controller is further configured to allow a user to preview a selected configuration before deciding if the selected configuration should be loaded into the memory and used by the algorithm of the controller during operation.

5. The HVAC controller of claim 4, wherein the controller is configured to allow the user to preview on the display a number of operating parameters of the selected configuration.

6. The HVAC controller of claim 5, wherein the number of operating parameters are organized in a hierarchical manner, and can be previewed through a hierarchical menu structure.

7. The HVAC controller of claim 5, wherein the controller is configured to display a display element for only those stored configurations that are compatible with the HVAC controller.

8. The HVAC controller of claim 3, wherein the controller is configured to allow a user to save a current configuration of the controller to the external memory device.

9. The HVAC controller of claim 8, wherein the controller is configured to allow a user to name the current configuration before saving the current configuration to the external memory device.

10. The HVAC controller of claim 9, wherein the current configuration is saved as a file on the external memory device, and the name of the current configuration is used as the file name.

11. The HVAC controller of claim 1, wherein each display element of the one or more configurations stored in the external memory device includes a unique configuration name.

12. The HVAC controller of claim 11, wherein each of the one or more configurations is stored as a file on the external memory device, and the unique configuration name corresponds to the name of the file.

13. The HVAC controller of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to display the display elements for the one or more configurations stored on the external memory device in a display window with scroll bars.

14. The HVAC controller of claim 1, wherein the HVAC controller is a thermostat.

15. The HVAC controller of claim 1, wherein the HVAC controller is a thermostat having a temperature sensor in communication with the controller.

16. The HVAC controller of claim 1, wherein the data port is a wireless data port.

17. The HVAC controller of claim 1, wherein the data port is a USB compatible data port.

18. The HVAC controller of claim 1, wherein the data port is an Ethernet compatible data port.

19. The HVAC controller of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to load a logo from the external memory device via the data port, and to display the loaded logo on the display.

20. An HVAC controller configured to control one or more components of an HVAC system, the HVAC controller comprising:

a display;

a data port configured to interact with an external memory device;

a controller in communication with the display and the data port, the controller configured to operate an algorithm that at least partially controls the one or more components of the HVAC system, the algorithm being configurable;

wherein the controller is configured to read the external memory device via the data port, and to display on the display of the HVAC controller a display element for each of one or more compatible configurations stored on the external memory device; and

the controller further configured to allow a user to preview on the display a number of operating parameters of a selected configuration before deciding if the selected configuration should be loaded into the memory and used by the algorithm of the controller during operation.

21. The HVAC controller of claim 20, wherein the number of operating parameters are organized in a hierarchical manner, and can be previewed through a hierarchical menu structure.

22. A method for configuring a HVAC controller having a data port and a user interface including display, comprising:

reading a memory device via the data port;

displaying on the display of the HVAC controller a display element for each of one or more configurations stored on the memory device;

selecting a particular one of the displayed configurations via the user interface; and

loading the selected configuration into the HVAC controller for use by the HVAC controller during operation.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the displaying step only displays display elements for those configurations stored on the memory device that are compatible with the HVAC controller.

24. The method of claim 22 further comprising:

previewing a selected configuration before deciding if the selected configuration should be loaded and used by the HVAC controller during operation.

25. The method of claim 22 further comprising:

loading a logo from the memory device via the data port; and

displaying the loaded logo on the display of the HVAC controller.

26. A thermostat configured to control one or more components of an HVAC system, the thermostat comprising:

a controller configured to operate an algorithm that at least partially controls the one or more components of the HVAC system in accordance with a predetermined configuration, the predetermined configuration including a plurality of operating parameters;

a touch screen LCD display;

a data port configured to receive a portable memory device storing two or more configurations; and

wherein when the portable memory device is inserted into the data port, the controller only displays one or more of the configurations that are suitable for the thermostat.

27. The thermostat of claim 26, wherein the portable memory device stores one or more configurations that are not suitable for the thermostat, and the thermostat does not display the one or more configurations that are not suitable.

28. A method of configuring a programmable thermostat, the programmable thermostat including a controller and a data port, the method comprising steps of:

inserting a portable memory device into the data port, the portable memory device storing two or more configurations, one or more of the stored configurations being suitable for the programmable thermostat;

displaying the one or more of the stored configurations that are suitable for the programmable thermostat;

selecting a stored configuration; and

transferring the stored configuration into the controller.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising a step of naming the stored configuration for subsequent identification and retrieval.

30. The method of claim 28 further comprising:

loading a logo from the portable memory device via the data port; and

displaying the loaded logo.