AUXILIARY CONTROLLER, A HVAC SYSTEM, A METHOD OF MANUFACTURING A HVAC SYSTEM AND A METHOD OF STARTING THE SAME

• US 20110202180A1
• Filed: 02/17/2010
• Published: 08/18/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lennox Industries Incorporated (Lennox International Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Lennox Industries Incorporated (Lennox International Incorporated)
• Inventors: Kowald, Glenn Will, Hadzidedic, Darko
• Granted Patent: US 8,260,444 B2
• 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 11/62 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 11/64 using pre-stored data
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making

Abstract

The disclosure provides an auxiliary controller of a HVAC system, a method of manufacturing a HVAC system, a method of starting a HVAC system and a HVAC system. In one embodiment, the HVAC system includes: (1) a main system controller having a main non-volatile memory and configured to direct operation of the HVAC system and store main controller application information associated therewith on the main non-volatile memory (2) an auxiliary controller having (2A) an interface coupled to the main system controller and configured to communicate therewith, (2B) a processor, coupled to the interface and configured to direct the operation of a component of the HVAC system and (2C) an auxiliary non-volatile memory configured to receive a copy of the main controller application information via the interface and store the main controller application information thereon.

Claims

1. An auxiliary controller of a heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) system, comprising:

an interface coupled to a main system controller of said HVAC system and configured to communicate therewith, said main system controller having main controller application information stored thereon;

a processor, coupled to said interface and configured to direct the operation of an auxiliary component of said HVAC system; and

a non-volatile memory configured to receive a copy of said main controller application information via said interface and store said main controller application information thereon.

2. The controller as recited in claim 1 wherein said main controller application information includes model identification data or model specific data for said main system controller.

3. The controller as recited in claim 1 wherein said main controller application information includes application specific data for said main system controller.

4. The controller as recited in claim 1 wherein said auxiliary controller is an indoor blower motor controller for said HVAC system.

5. The controller as recited in claim 1 wherein said interface is configured to receive said main controller application information from said main system controller during manufacturing.

6. A method of starting a heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) system, comprising:

receiving an initiation signal at a main system controller of said HVAC system;

determining if main controller application information associated with said main system controller is stored thereon;

querying an auxiliary controller of said HVAC system when determining said main controller application information is not stored on said main system controller;

sending said main controller application information to said main system controller from said auxiliary controller when said auxiliary controller includes said main controller application information; and

initiating said HVAC system based on said initiation signal and employing said main controller application information sent to said main system controller from said auxiliary controller.

7. The method as recited in claim 6 wherein said auxiliary controller is a predetermined auxiliary controller of said HVAC system.

8. The method as recited in claim 6 wherein said determining, querying and sending are performed automatically.

9. The method as recited in claim 6 wherein said controller application information includes feature sets for said main system controller.

10. The method as recited in claim 6 wherein said receiving occurs after installing said main system controller as a replacement controller for said HVAC system.

11. A method of manufacturing a heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) system, comprising:

storing main controller application information for a main system controller of said HVAC system in said main system controller during manufacturing of said HVAC system; and

storing a copy of said main controller application information in an auxiliary controller of said main system controller during said manufacturing.

12. The method as recited in claim 11 wherein said auxiliary controller is designed to direct the operation of a single component of said HVAC system.

13. The method as recited in claim 11 wherein said storing said main controller application information in said main system controller and said auxiliary controller are performed substantially simultaneously.

14. The method as recited in claim 11 further comprising automatically sending a copy of said main controller application information from said main system controller to said auxiliary controller after storing said main controller application information in said main system controller.

15. The method as recited in claim 11 wherein said storing said main controller application information in said main system controller and said auxiliary controller are performed during final functional testing of said HVAC system.

16. A heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) system, comprising:

a main system controller having a main non-volatile memory and configured to direct operation of said HVAC system and store main controller application information associated therewith on said main non-volatile memory;

an auxiliary controller, including;

an interface coupled to said main system controller and configured to communicate therewith;

a processor, coupled to said interface and configured to direct the operation of a component of said HVAC system; and

an auxiliary non-volatile memory configured to receive a copy of said main controller application information via said interface and store said main controller application information thereon.

17. The HVAC system as recited in claim 16 further comprising an indoor blower motor configured to move air through said HVAC system, wherein said auxiliary controller is a blower motor controller for said blower motor.

18. The HVAC system as recited in claim 16 wherein said HVAC system includes a furnace and said main system controller is an integrated furnace controller.

19. The HVAC system as recited in claim 16 wherein said HVAC system includes a coil blower unit and said main system controller is an integrated blower controller.

20. The HVAC system as recited in claim 16 wherein said main system controller is configured to store said main controller application information thereon and automatically provide said copy of said controller application information to said auxiliary controller as back-up data.

21. An integrated controller for an HVAC system, comprising:

an interface coupled to an auxiliary controller of said HVAC system and configured to communicate therewith, said auxiliary controller having an auxiliary non-volatile memory;

a processor, coupled to said interface and configured to direct the operation of said HVAC system; and

a main non-volatile memory coupled to said processor and configured to receive a copy of main controller application information associated with said main system controller via said interface and store said main controller application information, said processor further configured to automatically send a copy of said main controller application information during manufacturing of said HVAC system to said auxiliary controller of said HVAC system to store as back-up data on said auxiliary non-volatile memory of said auxiliary controller.