HVAC CONTROLLER WITH VENTILATION BOOST CONTROL

• US 20130211600A1
• Filed: 02/14/2012
• Published: 08/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ademco Inc. (Resideo Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Dean-Hendricks, Barbara, Hoglund, Steven, Edberg, Joshua Jacque, Nichols, Steve C.
• Granted Patent: US 9,804,611 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/278
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/0001 for ventilation F24F11/30 takes precedence
• 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 11/52 Indication arrangements, e.g. displays
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/54 using one central controller connected to several sub-controllers
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/56 Remote control
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/58 using Internet communication
• 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: G05D 23/1902 characterised by the use of a variable reference value
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1932 to control the temperature of a plurality of spaces

Abstract

An HVAC controller, such as a thermostat, is configured to receive and accept one or more requests for a temporary boost in ventilation. The requests may be received from one or more remotely located ventilation boost control units located throughout the building, and/or through a user interface of the HVAC controller itself. In some cases, the HVAC controller may be configured to coordinate multiple requests for ventilation, and adjust the ventilation time as appropriate.

Claims

1. A thermostat configured to control one or more components of an HVAC system of a building including a ventilation unit having a ventilation controller, the thermostat comprising:

a temperature sensor;

a user interface including a display;

a memory; and

an I/O block for sending and/or receiving signals to and/or from the one or more components of the HVAC system, including one or more wireless ventilation boost control units; and

a controller coupled to the temperature sensor, the user interface, the memory, and the I/O block, the controller configured to read a temperature value via the temperature sensor and to control one or more components of an HVAC system in order to maintain a desired temperature set point in the building, the controller further configured to wirelessly receive a signal indicative of a request for ventilation for a predetermined amount of time from the one or more wireless ventilation boost control units and, in response, to send one or more commands to the ventilation controller of the ventilation unit in order to ventilate the building for a ventilation time, wherein the ventilation time is based, at least in part, on the predetermined amount of time.

2. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the ventilation unit is a central forced air blower.

3. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the thermostat is configured to receive and accept a request for ventilation from a user via the user interface of the thermostat.

4. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the controller sends one or more on/off commands to the ventilation controller of the ventilation unit in order to ventilate the building for the ventilation time.

5. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to coordinate competing requests for ventilation.

6. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to override a request for ventilation received from the one or more wireless ventilation boost control units if a subsequent request for ventilation is received via the user interface of the thermostat.

7. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to cancel a request for ventilation received from the one or more wireless ventilation boost control units if a subsequent request for canceling ventilation is received via the user interface of the thermostat.

8. An HVAC controller configured to control one or more components of an HVAC system of a building including a ventilation unit having a ventilation controller, the HVAC controller comprising:

an I/O block for sending and/or receiving signals to and/or from the one or more components of the HVAC system, including one or more wireless ventilation boost control units; and

a controller coupled to the I/O block, the controller configured to wirelessly receive a signal indicative of a request for ventilation for a predetermined amount of time from the one or more wireless ventilation boost control units and, in response, to send one or more commands to the ventilation controller of the ventilation unit in order to ventilate the building for a ventilation time, wherein the ventilation time is based, at least in part, on the predetermined amount of time.

9. The HVAC controller of claim 8, further comprising:

a user interface including a display;

a memory; and

wherein the controller is coupled to the user interface and the memory.

10. The HVAC controller according to claim 9, wherein the controller is further configured to receive and accept a request for ventilation from a user via the user interface of the HVAC controller.

11. The HVAC controller according to claim 9, wherein the HVAC controller is a wall mountable thermostat that includes a temperature sensor.

12. The HVAC controller according to claim 8, wherein the I/O block includes a wireless transmitter/receiver.

13. The HVAC controller according to claim 8, wherein the controller is further configured to operate a ventilation boost timer for tracking the ventilation time.

14. The HVAC controller according to claim 13, wherein the controller uses the ventilation boost timer to track a remaining time of the predetermined amount of time.

15. The HVAC controller according to claim 8, wherein the predetermined amount of time is between zeros to three hours.

16. The HVAC controller according to claim 8, wherein the predetermined amount of time corresponds to any one of 10 minutes, 20 minutes, 40 minutes, 60 minutes, 80 minutes, 100 minutes, 120 minutes, 140 minutes, 160 minutes, or 180 minutes.

17. The HVAC controller according to claim 9, wherein the controller is further configured to display on the display of the user interface of the HVAC controller at least a first selectable option for requesting a ventilation boost corresponding to a first predetermined period of time, and a second selectable option for requesting a ventilation boost corresponding to a second predetermined period of time.

18. The HVAC controller according to claim 9, wherein the controller is further configured to display an option via the user interface of the HVAC controller for cancelling a request for ventilation received from the one or more wireless ventilation boost control units.

19. The HVAC controller according to claim 8, wherein the controller is further configured to receive a first request for ventilation for a first predetermined amount of time and a second request for ventilation for a second predetermined amount of time, wherein when the first request is active when the second request is received by the controller, the controller is configured to compare a remaining time of the first predetermined amount of time to the second predetermined amount of time, and if the controller determines that the second predetermined amount of time is greater than the remaining time of the first predetermined amount of time, the controller is configured to command the ventilation unit to ventilate according to the second predetermined amount of time.

20. The HVAC controller according to claim 8, wherein the controller is further configured to receive a first request for ventilation for a first predetermined amount of time and a second request for ventilation for a second predetermined amount of time, wherein when the first request is active when the second request is received by the controller, the controller is configured to compare a remaining amount of the first predetermined amount of time to the second predetermined amount of time, and if the controller determines that the second predetermined amount of time is less than the remaining time of the first predetermined amount of time, the controller is configured to ignore the second request for ventilation.

21. The HVAC controller according to claim 9, wherein the controller is configured to override a request for ventilation received from one or more of the wireless ventilation boost control units if a subsequent request for ventilation is received via the user interface of the HVAC controller.

22. The HVAC controller according to claim 9, wherein the controller is configured to cancel a request for ventilation received from one or more of the wireless ventilation boost control units if a subsequent request for cancelling ventilation is received via the user interface of the HVAC controller.

23. A method of increasing ventilation in a building comprising:

receiving a first request at a thermostat for ventilation for a first predetermined amount of time;

commanding a ventilation unit to ventilate for the first predetermined amount of time in response to the first request;

receiving at the thermostat a second request for ventilation for a second predetermined amount of time, the second request received at the thermostat later than the first request; and

comparing a remaining time of the first predetermined amount of time to the second predetermined amount of time to determine if, in response to the second request for ventilation, the remaining time of the first predetermined amount of time should be extended.