SYSTEM FOR REMOTE CONTROL OF PACKAGED TERMINAL AIR CONDITIONER AND HEATERS WITH WIRELESS REMOTE CONTROL SYSTEMS

• US 20110112692A1
• Filed: 11/09/2010
• Published: 05/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Jetlun Corporation
• Original Assignee: Jetlun Corporation
• Inventors: CHAN, Tat Keung
• Application Number:
  US12/942,953
• Publication Number:
  US 20110112692A1
• 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 11/56 Remote control
• 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 11/66 Sleep mode
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/10 Occupancy
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1905 associated with tele control
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5408 using protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/546 Combination of signalling, telemetering, protection circuits for remote indication of supply or distribution network condition H02J13/00

Abstract

An air conditioning/heating apparatus. The apparatus includes a housing and an occupancy sensor coupled to the housing. The apparatus also includes a wireless module coupled to the occupancy sensor and a powerline appliance coupled to a powerline network. In a preferred embodiment, the powerline module is configured to communicate with the wireless module.

Claims

1. A method for linking a remote air conditioning/heating unit comprising:

transferring a first signal in an infrared format from a remote device to a remote air conditioning/heating unit;

transferring a second signal in a Zigbee format to an appliance module; and

processing the Zigbee format to a powerline signal format for transmission over one or more powerline networks, the one or more powerline networks being coupled to one or more gateway devices.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the first signal is selected from a start command or a stop command.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising monitoring a state of the remote air conditioning/heating unit from one or more of the gateway devices or performing a monitoring process using a timing circuit provided in the appliance module if the one or more gateway devices are unconnected.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising initiating a stop signal from the one or more gateway devices to stop operation of the remote air conditioning/heating unit.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the first signal is configured in a digital format.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the remote device is handheld.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the remote air conditioning/heating unit is configured within a building structure.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the transferring of the second signal is initiated from the first signal in the infrared format.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the transferring of the second signal is initiated from the remote device.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the appliance module comprises a wireless receiver/transmitter coupled to a powerline module, the powerline module being configured to process the second signal in the Zigbee format to the powerline signal format.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising controlling the remote air conditioning/heating unit from the one or more gateway devices, the one or more gateway devices being coupled to the remote air conditioning/heating unit through at least a world wide network of computers.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising detecting the first signal from at an infrared module coupled to the air conditioning/heating unit;

and then transferring the second signal in the Zigbee format.

13. A method for communicating with a remote air conditioning/heating unit comprising:

transferring a first signal in a first wireless format from a remote device to a remote air conditioning/heating unit;

transferring a second signal in second wireless format to an appliance module; and

processing the second signal in the second format to a transport format for transmission over one or more networks, the one or more networks being coupled to one or more gateway devices.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the first signal is a start command.

15. The method of claim 13 further comprising monitoring a state of the remote air conditioning/heating unit from one or more of the gateway devices.

16. The method of claim 13 further comprising initiating a stop signal from the one or more gateway devices to stop operation of the remote air conditioning/heating unit.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein the first signal is configured in a digital format.

18. The method of claim 13 wherein the remote device is handheld.

19. The method of claim 13 wherein the remote air conditioning/heating unit is configured within a building structure.

20. The method of claim 13 wherein the transferring of the second signal is initiated from the first signal in the infrared format.

21. The method of claim 13 wherein the transferring of the second signal is initiated from the remote device.

22. The method of claim 13 wherein the appliance module comprises a wireless receiver/transmitter coupled to a module, the module being configured to process the second signal in the first format to the transport format.

23. The method of claim 13 further comprising controlling the remote air conditioning/heating unit from the one or more gateway devices, the one or more gateway devices being coupled to the remote air conditioning/heating unit through at least a world wide network of computers.

24. A remote air conditioning/heating unit comprising:

an air conditioning/heating unit having a housing structure; and

a wireless module coupled to an exterior region of the housing structure, the wireless module being configured to communicate to one or more powerline networks.

25. A method of operating an air conditioning/heating unit comprising:

transferring a powerline signal in a first format from an external network coupled to a world wide network of computers;

transferring a first wireless signal in a Zigbee format to a module coupled to the air conditioning/heating unit;

detecting information from the first wireless signal; and

performing one of a plurality of operations selected from at least an ON or OFF of the air conditioning unit.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein the module comprises a temperature sensor.

27. The method of claim 25 wherein the module comprises a humidity sensor.

28. The method of claim 25 wherein the module comprises an infrared sensor for detecting a presence of one or more human users within a vicinity of the air conditioning unit.

29. The method of claim 25 where the module comprises a Zigbee wireless module.

30. An air conditioning/heating apparatus comprising:

a housing;

an occupancy sensor coupled to the housing;

a wireless module coupled to the occupancy sensor; and

a powerline appliance coupled to a powerline network, the powerline module being configured to communicate with the wireless module.

31. The apparatus of claim 30 wherein the occupancy sensor is at least an infrared sensor, a motion sensor, or an acoustic sensor.