PROGRAMMING AND CONFIGURATION IN A HEATING, VENTILATION AND AIR CONDITIONING NETWORK

• US 20100106925A1
• 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, Grohman, Wojciech
• Granted Patent: US 8,762,666 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 711/162
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2823 Reporting information sensed by appliance or service execution status of appliance services in a home automation network device-related reporting H04L43/065; arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom H04Q9/00

Abstract

The disclosure provides an a system and method of backing up operating control data about a device connected to a controller in a network. In an embodiment, the network includes a storage system for the data about the device is in the controller; a first subsystem for determining that the data should be transferred to the device; and a second subsystem for transferring the data to the device for use.

Claims

1. A system for backing up operating control data about a device connected to a controller in a network, comprising:

a storage system for the data about the device in the controller;

a first subsystem for determining that the data should be transferred to the device; and

a second subsystem for transferring the data to the device for use.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is a subnet controller.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the controller is an active subnet controller.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising an inactive subnet controller coupled to the subsystem.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the storage subsystem for the data about the device in the controller is a first storage subsystem, and wherein the inactive subnet controller has a second storage subsystem for the data about the device.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the second subsystem interconnects a user interface and the device.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the second subsystem interconnects the controller and the device.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the storage subsystem includes non-volatile memory.

20. The subnet controller of claim 1, wherein said subnet controller can be:

a) an active subnet controller;

or

b) an inactive subnet controller.

9. A method for backing up operating control data for a device connected to a controller in a network, comprising the steps of:

transferring the data from the device to the controller;

storing the data in the controller;

determining that the data should be transferred back to the device for use; and

transferring the data from the controller to the device for use.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the method is performed with a user interface or gateway.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the method is performed with an active subnet controller.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the controller is a subnet controller.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the controller has non-volatile memory, and wherein the storing of data is storing the data in the non-volatile memory.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of not terminating any process until the data is stored in the non-volatile memory.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the process is a commissioning process.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the commissioning process involves network configuration.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the commissioning process involves network verification.

18. The method of claim 9, further comprising an inactive subnet controller;

and

storing the data in the inactive subnet controller.

19. A subnet controller configured to store back-up information for a device of subnet of an HVAC system, comprising:

a device memory storage configured to store said back-up information for said device coupled to said subnet of said HVAC system; and

a memory selector configured to;

a) select at least a subset of said back-up information; and

b) convey said at least of subset of back-up information to said at least one HVAC device.