COMMUNICATION PROTOCOL SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR A DISTRIBUTED-ARCHITECTURE HEATING, VENTILATION AND AIR CONDITIONING NETWORK

• US 20100106322A1
• 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: Grohman, Wojciech
• Granted Patent: US 8,452,906 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/276
• 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 11/32 Responding to malfunctions or emergencies
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/52 Indication arrangements, e.g. displays
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/54 using one central controller connected to several sub-controllers
• 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 11/63 Electronic processing
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2642 Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2809 indicating that an appliance service is present in a home automation network monitoring functionality H04L43/0817; discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services, H04L67/51
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/282 based on user interaction within the home receiver circuitry for displaying additional information being controlled by a remote control apparatus H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/285 Generic home appliances, e.g. refrigerators
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 80/10 Efficient use of energy, e.g. using compressed air or pressurized fluid as energy carrier

Abstract

The disclosure provides an HVAC data processing and communication network and a method of manufacturing the same. In an embodiment, the network includes a system device and a subnet controller. The system device is adapted to provide a service and publish a message including a device status vector representing an availability of the system device to provide the service. The subnet controller is adapted to receive the message from the system device including the device status vector via a data bus.

Claims

1. An HVAC data processing and communication network, comprising:

a system device adapted to provide a service and publish a message including a device status vector representing an availability of said system device to provide said service; and

a subnet controller adapted to receive said message from said system device including said device status vector via a data bus.

2. The network as recited in claim 1, wherein said system device is one instance of a plurality of system devices, and said subnet controller is further adapted to receive a plurality of device status vectors via status messages from said plurality of system devices.

3. The network as recited in claim 2, wherein said subnet controller is adapted to determine an availability of said service from said plurality of device status vectors.

4. The network as recited in claim 2, wherein said device status vector includes a plurality of bits, each bit representing one of a potential service provided by said network.

5. The network as recited in claim 4, wherein said subnet controller is adapted to perform a logical AND of each bit of each vector corresponding to a particular service to determine if that particular service is available.

6. The network as recited in claim 1, further comprising a user interface, wherein said subnet controller is adapted to generate a status message configured to display an alert on said user interface when said subnet controller determines from said device status vector that said service is unavailable.

7. The network as recited in claim 1, wherein said system device generates an alarm message in the event that said service is unavailable.

8. A method of manufacturing a HVAC data processing and communication network, comprising:

configuring a system device to provide a service and publish a message including a device status vector representing an availability of said system device to provide said service; and

configuring a subnet controller to receive said message from said system device including said device status vector via a data bus.

9. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein said system device is one instance of a plurality of system devices, and further comprising adapting said subnet controller to receive a plurality of device status vectors via status messages from said plurality of system devices.

10. The method as recited in claim 9, further comprising adapting said subnet controller to determine an availability of said service from said plurality of device status vectors.

11. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein said device status vector includes a plurality of bits, each bit representing one of a potential service provided by said network.

12. The method as recited in claim 11, further comprising configuring said subnet controller to perform a logical AND of each bit of each vector corresponding to a particular service to determine if that particular service is available.

13. The method as recited in claim 8, further comprising configuring a user interface to receive a status message generated by said subnet controller when said subnet controller determines from said device status vector that said service is unavailable, and configuring the user interface to display an alert in response to said status message.

14. The method as recited in claim 8, further comprising configuring said system device to generate an alarm message in the event that said service is unavailable.

15. A system device for use in an HVAC data processing and communication network, comprising:

a physical layer interface adapted to couple said system device to a data bus;

a demand unit configured to provide an HVAC service; and

a local controller adapted to publish a message including a device status vector representing an availability of said demand unit to provide said HVAC service.

16. The system device as recited in claim 15, wherein said device status vector includes a plurality of bits, each bit representing one of a potential service provided by said network.

17. The system device as recited in claim 15, wherein said local controller is further configured to publish an alarm message to said data bus in the event that said HVAC service is unavailable.

18. The system device as recited in claim 15, wherein said local controller is configured to modify a status bit of said device status vector when an alarm corresponding to said status bit is active.

19. The system device as recited in claim 18, wherein said alarm is cleared after the expiration of a predetermined interval.

20. The system device as recited in claim 18, wherein said alarm is cleared by a message published to said data bus.