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

• US 20100106333A1
• 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: Filbeck, Amanda, Grohman, Wojciech
• Granted Patent: US 8,788,100 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 11/54 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 11/65 for selecting an operating mode
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/00 Systems controlled by a computer G05B13/00, G05B19/00 take precedence; automatic controllers with particular characteristics G05B11/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2642 Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2827 Reporting to a device within the home network; wherein the reception of the information reported automatically triggers the execution of a home appliance functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• 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 HVAC data processing and communication network includes at least one environmental sensor, at least one subnet and a subnet controller. The subnet controller is configured to discover the at least one environmental sensor, the at least one subnet and at least one damper controller. The subnet controller is further configured to set up the network for zoned operation in the event that at least two of the at least one environmental sensor are discovered.

Claims

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

at least one environmental sensor and at least one subnet; and

a subnet controller configured to;

discover said at least one environmental sensor, said at least one subnet and at least one damper controller; and

set up said network for zoned operation in the event that at least two of said at least one environmental sensor are discovered.

2. The network as recited in claim 1, wherein said subnet controller is configured to set up said network for zoned operation only if said subnet controller discovers at least two subnets or at least one damper controller.

3. The network as recited in claim 1, wherein said subnet controller is configured to automatically configure said network for unzoned operation in the event that only one environmental sensor is discovered.

4. The network as recited in claim 1, wherein said subnet controller is configured to discover said at least one environmental sensor, said at least one subnet or said at least one damper controller during a system initialization state by publishing messages to a data bus.

5. The network as recited in claim 1, wherein said subnet controller configures a user interface to display a screen tailored for use with an unzoned system in the event that said subnet controller discovers only one instance of said environmental sensor.

6. The network as recited in claim 1, wherein said subnet controller configures a user interface connected to said network to display a screen tailored for use with a zoned system in the event that said subnet controller discovers more than one instance of said environmental sensor and either of more than one subnet or at least one instance of said damper controller.

7. The network as recited in claim 6, wherein said screen presents a current temperature and a temperature set point for each zone of said zoned system.

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

configuring a subnet controller to discover within said network a number of environmental sensors, a number of subnets and a number of damper controllers;

further configuring said subnet controller to set up said network for zoned operation in the event said subnet controller discovers more than one environmental sensor.

11. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein said subnet controller is configured to discover said number of environmental sensors, said number of subnets and said number of damper controllers during a system initialization state by sending a message addressed to said first demand unit.

9. The method as recited in claim 11, further comprising configuring said subnet controller to configure said network for zoned operation only if said subnet controller discovers at least two subnets or at least one damper controller.

10. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein said subnet controller is configured to set up said network for unzoned operation in the event that only one environmental sensor is discovered. number of environmental sensors, a number of subnets and a number of damper controllers

12. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein said subnet controller configures a user interface to display a screen tailored for use with an unzoned system in the event that the subnet controller discovers only one instance of said environmental sensor.

13. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein said subnet controller configures a user interface connected to said subnet to display a screen tailored for use with a zoned system in the event that said subnet controller discovers more than one instance of said environmental sensor and either of more than one subnet or at least one instance of said damper controller.

15. A subnet controller for user in an HVAC data processing and communication network, comprising:

a physical layer interface configured to interface to a data bus; and

a local controller configured to;

discover on said network at least one environmental sensor, at least one subnet and at least one damper controller; and

set up said network for zoned operation in the event that at least two of said at least one environmental sensor are discovered.

14. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein said screen presents a current temperature and a temperature set point for each zone said zoned system.

16. The subnet controller as recited in claim 15, wherein said local controller is configured to set up said network for zoned operation only if said local controller discovers at least two subnets or at least one damper controller.

17. The subnet controller as recited in claim 15, wherein said local controller is configured to automatically configure said network for unzoned operation in the event that only one environmental sensor is discovered.

18. The subnet controller as recited in claim 15, wherein said local controller is configured to discover said at least one environmental sensor, said at least one subnet or said at least one damper controller during an initialization state of said network by publishing messages to said data bus.

19. The subnet controller as recited in claim 15, wherein said local controller configures a user interface to display a screen tailored for use with an unzoned system in the event that said local controller discovers only one instance of said environmental sensor.

20. The subnet controller as recited in claim 15, wherein said local controller is configured to set up a user interface connected to said data bus to display a screen tailored for use with a zoned system in the event that said local controller discovers more than one instance of said environmental sensor and either of more than one subnet or at least one instance of said damper controller.