MEMORY RECOVERY SCHEME AND DATA STRUCTURE IN A HEATING, VENTILATION AND AIR CONDITIONING NETWORK

• US 20100106321A1
• Filed: 10/21/2009
• Published: 04/29/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lennox Industries Incorporated (Lennox International Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Lennox Industries Incorporated (Lennox International Incorporated)
• Inventors: Hadzidedic, Darko
• Granted Patent: US 8,295,981 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/276
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0426 Programming the control sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25076 Configure connected module only if allowed, registered module
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25101 Detect connected module, load corresponding parameters, variables into module
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2614 HVAC, heating, ventillation, climate control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks

Abstract

The disclosure provides various systems and methods for conveying information between a communicating first device and a second coupled device of a HVAC network. In various embodiments, a checking of a subnet of the HVAC network for both communicating device and a non-communicating device by the communicating first device occurs. It is determined whether the second coupled device in a non-communicating device. An installer is allowed to set parameters of the non-communicating device through employment of a manifest list of features used by the non-communicating device that is accessible by the communicating device.

Claims

1. A method for commissioning a first device that can communicate with a second device in a HVAC network, comprising:

entering a commissioning process by said first device of a subnet of said HVAC network;

reading an outdoor feature manifest by said first device;

setting a parameter validity, as determined by said outdoor feature manifest, by said first device;

setting an internal parameter value by said device as determined by said outdoor feature manifest; and

informing an installer on validity and value of said parameter.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining if there is a second device on said subnet of said HVAC;

setting internal parameters having a value regarding said second device by said first device; and

conveying said value to said second device from said first device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said method occurs without an involvement of an active subnet controller in any of said steps of:

i) determining,

ii) setting, and

iii) conveying.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein a validity of said internal parameter is determined by whether said internal parameter is enabled or disabled.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said first device is not commissioned in the event said feature manifest is outside a permitted configuration set.

6. An HVAC system, comprising:

a first device of said HVAC system;

a second device of said HVAC system;

a subnet of said HVAC system coupled to said first device and said second device;

an outdoor feature manifest readable by said first device after said first device enters a commissioning process;

a parameter validity indicia as determined by said outdoor feature manifest by said first device;

an internal parameter value of said device; and

an output employable to convey to an installer;

a) said parameter validity indicia, and

b) said value of said internal parameter.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein said first device is further configured to:

determine if there is a second device on said subnet of said HVAC;

set internal parameters having a value regarding said second device by said first device; and

convey said value to said second device from said first device.

8. The system of claim 6, further comprising an active subnet controller coupled to said first devices, wherein said first device:

i) determines,

ii) sets, and

iii) conveys

without an involvement of said active subnet controller.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein a validity of said internal parameter is determined by whether said internal parameter is enabled or disabled.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein said value to be conveyed to said installer is a default value.

11. The system of claim 6, further comprising:

a first communicating device; and

a second device coupled to said first communicating device,

wherein said first device can determine if said second device is a communicating device, and

wherein said first device can allow an installer to set internal parameters for said non-communicating device.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein said non-communicating device is a device that communicates through said first communicating device during an installation instead of directly with an installer.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein said first communicating device can conveys said parameters to said second non-communicating device after said installer sets said internal parameters into said first communicating device.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein said first communicating device and said second device are coupled to a subnetwork of said HVAC, said subnet controlled by an active subnet controller.

15. An HVAC system, comprising:

a first device;

an interface, coupled to said first device, that can send to said first device;

a) a parameter value change message, and

b) a new value of an installer parameter,

wherein said first device can;

a) store said parameter in a memory of said first device if said parameter update is within an allowed range, and

b) send said parameter to said interface device; and

an active subnet controller, coupled to said interface, that can receive said updated parameter,

wherein said parameter value change message is received over an Internet.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein said interface is at least one of:

a user interface; and

a gateway.

17. The system of claim 15 wherein said device can determine whether a parameter definition is a changed parameter definition.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein, if said definition is said changed parameter definition:

said device can send a device definition parameter message to said interface, and

said device can send a device parameter value for each parameter in a same group of parameters affected by said change of definition.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein said same group consists of one selected from the group consisting of:

a non-communicating scan, and

a parameter scan.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein said interface can acknowledge all changed parameters to said active network controller.