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

• US 20100106809A1
• 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 8,548,630 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00642 Control systems or circuits; Control members or indication devices for heating, cooling or ventilating devices B60H1/3201 - B60H1/3208, B60H1/3225 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/0073 Control systems or circuits characterised by particular algorithms or computational models, e.g. fuzzy logic or dynamic models
• 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 11/38 Failure diagnosis
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/52 Indication arrangements, e.g. displays
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0428 Safety, monitoring G05B19/0423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/24048 Remote test, monitoring, diagnostic
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/24058 Remote testing, monitoring independent from normal control by pc
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/24123 Alarm filtering, level and direct precursor, required action, blocking condition
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25056 Automatic configuration of monitoring, control system as function of operator input, events
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25083 For each subsystem a configuration
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25199 Router brouter broadcast configuration data periodically to update control units
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25232 DCS, distributed control system, decentralised control unit
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2614 HVAC, heating, ventillation, climate control
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1902 characterised by the use of a variable reference value
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 80/10 Efficient use of energy, e.g. using compressed air or pressurized fluid as energy carrier

Abstract

The disclosure includes an HVAC data processing and communication network and a method of manufacturing the same. In one embodiment, the HVAC data processing and communication network includes a first system device and a second system device. The first system device is configured to send and receive messages over a data bus. The second system device is configured to send configuration data associated with a configuration of the second system device to the first system device. The first system device is further configured to receive and persistently store the configuration data.

Claims

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

configuring a first system device to send and receive messages over a data bus;

configuring a second system device to send configuration data associated with a configuration of said second system device to said first system device; and

configuring said first system device to receive and persistently store said configuration data.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising configuring a subnet controller to publish a message to said data bus directing said first device to store said configuration data.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising configuring a subnet controller to publish restore messages to said data bus directing said first system device to publish said configuration data to said data bus, and directing said second system device to recover said configuration by receiving said configuration data.

4. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein said subnet controller is configured to send said restore messages if configuration data stored by said first system device differs from configuration data stored by said second system device.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said configuration data includes operating parameters related to operation of said second device.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said configuration data includes error codes related to operation of said second device.

7. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein said subnet controller is configured to command an interface device to provide notification to an operator that said configuration data stored by said first system device differs from said configuration data stored by said second system device.

8. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein said notification is selected from the group consisting of:

a user interface display;

an email;

a cellular telephone message;

a personal digital assistant message; and

a television display.

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

a first system device configured to send and receive messages over a data bus;

a second system device configured to send configuration data associated with a configuration of said second system device to said first system device; and

wherein said first system device is further configured to receive and persistently store said configuration data.

10. The network as recited in claim 9, further comprising a subnet controller configured to publish a message to said data bus directing said first device to store said configuration data.

11. The network as recited in claim 9, further comprising a subnet controller configured to publish restore messages to said data bus directing said first system device to publish said configuration data to said data bus, and directing said second system device to recover said configuration by receiving said configuration data.

12. The network as recited in claim 11, wherein said subnet controller is further configured to send said restore messages if configuration data stored by said first system device differs from configuration data stored by said second system device.

13. The network as recited in claim 9, wherein said configuration data includes operating parameters related to operation of said second device.

14. The network as recited in claim 9, wherein said configuration data includes error codes related to operation of said second device.

15. The network as recited in claim 11, wherein said subnet controller is further configured to command an interface device to provide notification to an operator that said configuration data stored by said first system device differs from said configuration data stored by said second system device.

16. The network as recited in claim 15, wherein said notification is selected from the group consisting of:

a user interface display;

an email;

a cellular telephone message;

a personal digital assistant message; and

a television display.

17. An HVAC data processing and communication network subnet controller, comprising:

a physical layer interface configured to interface to a data bus of an HVAC data processing and communication network;

a local controller configured to cooperate with said physical layer interface to publish a message via said data bus directing a first system device to publish configuration data associated with a configuration of said first system device to said data bus.

18. The subnet control of claim 17, wherein said local controller is further configured to publish restore messages to said data bus directing a second system device to publish said configuration data to said data bus, and directing said first system device to recover said configuration by receiving said configuration data.

19. The subnet control of claim 18, wherein said local controller is further configured to send said restore messages if configuration data stored by said second system device differs from configuration data stored by said first system device.

20. The subnet control of claim 18, wherein said local controller is further configured to publish a message to said data bus commanding an interface device to provide notification to an operator that said configuration data stored by said first system device differs from said configuration data stored by said second system device.