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

• US 20100106810A1
• Filed: 10/21/2009
• Published: 04/29/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Lennox Industries Incorporated (Lennox International Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Lennox Industries Incorporated (Lennox International Incorporated)
• Inventors: Grohman, Wojciech
• Application Number:
  US12/603,566
• Publication Number:
  US 20100106810A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00735 Control systems or circuits characterised by their input, i.e. by the detection, measurement or calculation of particular conditions, e.g. signal treatment, dynamic models
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00978 Control systems or circuits characterised by failure of detection or safety means; Diagnostic methods
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1932 to control the temperature of a plurality of spaces

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 first subnet controller and a first system device. A second subnet controller is configured to archive configuration data of the first subnet controller and the system device.

Claims

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

a local controller coupled to a data bus and having an associated memory; and

a subnet controller coupled to said data bus and configured to archive, via said data bus, data stored by said memory.

2. The network of claim 1, wherein said subnet controller is configured to restore said data to said memory.

3. The network of claim 2, wherein said subnet controller is configured to restore said data to a replacement system device that replaces a first system device controlled by said local controller.

4. The network of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of system devices and subnet controllers, wherein said subnet controller is configured to archive configuration data of each of said plurality.

9. The network as recited in claim 1, wherein said subnet controller is configured to archive said data during a commissioning state of said subnet controller.

10. The network as recited in claim 1, further comprising a system device controlled by said local controller, and wherein said data includes configuration data of said system device.

11. The network as recited in claim 1, wherein said subnet controller is further configured to archive a last active, inactive or disabled state of said system device.

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

placing a subnet controller in communication with a local controller over a data bus; and

configuring said subnet controller to archive, via said data bus, data stored by a memory of said local controller.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising configuring said subnet controller to restore said configuration data to said memory.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising configuring said subnet controller to restore said data to a replacement system device that replaces a first system device controlled by said local controller.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein said placing includes placing a plurality of system devices and subnet controllers in communication over said data bus, and said subnet controller is configured to archive configuration data of each of said plurality.

12. The method as recited in claim 5, further comprising configuring said subnet controller to archive said data during a commissioning state of said subnet controller.

13. The method as recited in claim 5, wherein said data includes configuration data of a system device controlled by said local controller.

14. The method as recited in claim 5, further comprising configuring said subnet controller to archive a last active, inactive or disabled state of said system device.

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

a physical layer interface adapted to couple to a data bus of an HVAC data processing and communication network subnet; and

a first local controller configured to archive, via said data bus, data stored by a memory of a second local controller.

16. The subnet controller of claim 15, wherein said first local controller is configured to restore said data to said memory.

17. The subnet controller of claim 16, wherein said first local controller is configured to restore said data to a replacement system device that replaces a first system device controlled by said local second controller.

18. The subnet controller of claim 15 further comprising a plurality of system devices and subnet controllers, wherein said first local controller is configured to archive configuration data of each of said plurality.

19. The subnet controller as recited in claim 15, wherein said first local controller is configured to archive said data during a commissioning state of said first local controller.

20. The subnet controller as recited in claim 15, wherein said first local controller is further configured to archive a last active, inactive or disabled state of a system device.