METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CONFIGURING A COMMUNICATING ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONING NETWORK

• US 20100004787A1
• Filed: 09/14/2009
• Published: 01/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lennox Industries Incorporated (Lennox International Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Lennox Industries Incorporated (Lennox International Incorporated)
• Inventors: Grohman, Wojciech
• Granted Patent: US 7,840,311 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/276
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 13/02 electric

Abstract

A method for configuring a communicating environmental conditioning network, an apparatus for such configuring and a method for configuring a communicating air conditioning network are disclosed. In one embodiment, the method for configuring a communicating environmental conditioning network includes: (1) establishing baseline data indicating conditioned outputs of selected space interactive units of the plurality of space interactive units, (2) activating a respective environmental interactive unit of the plurality of environmental interactive units and (3) assigning to the respective environmental interactive unit a respective selected space interactive unit associated with the largest change in a conditioned output.

Claims

1. A method for configuring a communicating environmental conditioning network;

said network including a plurality of environmental interactive units communicatingly coupled with a plurality of space interactive units;

each respective space interactive unit of said plurality of space interactive units presenting a conditioned output when engaged with a particular environmental interactive unit of said plurality of environmental interactive units;

the method comprising;

(a) establishing baseline data indicating conditioned outputs of selected space interactive units of said plurality of space interactive units;

(b) activating a respective environmental interactive unit of said plurality of environmental interactive units; and

(c) assigning to said respective environmental interactive unit a respective selected space interactive unit associated with the largest change in a conditioned output.

2. A method for configuring a communication environmental conditioning network as recited in claim 1 further comprising waiting a predetermined time interval after activating said respective environmental interactive unit before said assigning.

3. A method for configuring a communicating environmental conditioning network as recited in claim 1 further comprising repeating said activating and said assigning for each of said plurality of environmental interactive units.

4. A method for configuring a communicating environmental conditioning network as recited in claim 1 wherein said plurality of space interactive units includes a plurality of HVAC indoor units.

5. A method for configuring a communicating environmental conditioning network as recited in claim 1 wherein said plurality of environmental interactive units is a plurality of HVAC outdoor units.

6. A method for configuring a communicating environmental conditioning network as recited in claim 1 wherein said plurality of environmental interactive units is a plurality of HVAC accessory units.

7. A method for configuring a communicating environmental conditioning network as recited in claim 1 wherein each of said plurality of environmental interactive units includes an associated delivery element.

8. A method for configuring a communicating air conditioning network;

said network including a plurality of outdoor units interacting with an environment outside at least one conditioned space and coupled with a plurality of indoor units interacting with said at least one conditioned space;

each respective indoor unit of said plurality of indoor units employing a respective fan element for presenting a conditioned output when engaged with a particular outdoor unit of said plurality of outdoor units;

the method comprising;

a. establishing a baseline data set indicating conditioned outputs of said selected indoor units;

b. activating a respective outdoor unit of said plurality of outdoor units; and

c. assigning to said respective outdoor unit said selected indoor unit associated with the largest change in said conditioned output.

9. A method for configuring a communicating air conditioning network as recited in claim 8 wherein the method further comprises waiting a predetermined time interval after activating said respective outdoor unit before said assigning.

10. A method for configuring a communicating air conditioning network as recited in claim 8 further comprising repeating said activating and said assigning for each of said plurality of outdoor units.

11. An apparatus for configuring a communicating environmental conditioning network;

said network including a plurality of environmental interactive units communicatingly coupled with a plurality of space interactive units and a network control unit;

each respective space interactive unit of said plurality of space interactive units presenting a conditioned output when engaged with a particular environmental interactive unit of said plurality of environmental interactive units;

the apparatus comprising;

a data collecting unit coupled with said network control unit for establishing baseline data indicating conditioned outputs of said selected space interactive units;

an engaging unit coupled with said network control unit for engaging at least one respective space interactive unit of said selected space interactive units with a respective environmental interactive unit of said plurality of environmental interactive units; and

a selecting unit coupled with said network control unit for selecting the respective said selected space interactive unit associated with the largest change in said conditioned output for assigning to said respective environmental interactive unit.

12. An apparatus for configuring a communicating environmental conditioning network as recited in claim 11 wherein the apparatus further comprises an empowering unit coupled with said network control unit for turning on selected delivery elements associated with selected space interactive units of said plurality of space interactive units.

13. An apparatus for configuring a communicating environmental conditioning network as recited in claim 11 wherein the apparatus further comprises a timer unit coupled with said network control unit for measuring a predetermined time interval for waiting.

14. An apparatus for configuring a communicating environmental conditioning network as recited in claim 13 wherein the apparatus further comprises a measuring unit coupled with said network control unit for, after said predetermined time interval, measuring a conditioned output associated with each of said plurality of space interactive units.

15. An apparatus for configuring a communicating environmental conditioning network as recited in claim 11 wherein the apparatus further comprises a monitoring unit coupled with said network control unit for ascertaining whether all respective environmental interactive units of said plurality of environmental interactive units have been assigned,

said engaging unit engaging a next respective at least one said space interactive unit with another respective environmental interactive unit if not all respective environmental interactive units of said plurality of environmental interactive units have been assigned;

said monitoring unit and said engaging unit cooperating to repeat effecting said engaging and said selecting until all respective environmental interactive units have been assigned.

16. An apparatus for configuring a communicating environmental conditioning network as recited in claim 11 wherein said plurality of space interactive units includes a plurality of HVAC indoor units.

17. An apparatus for configuring a communicating environmental conditioning network as recited in claim 11 wherein said plurality of environmental interactive units is a plurality of HVAC outdoor units.

18. An apparatus for configuring a communicating environmental conditioning network as recited in claim 11 wherein said plurality of environmental interactive units is a plurality of HVAC accessory units.