WIRELESS SENSOR DEVICE WITH WIRELESS REMOTE PROGRAMMING

• US 20140031988A1
• Filed: 07/24/2012
• Published: 01/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Thomas, Robert, Brisbine, Patrick, Reeder, Jeffrey M.
• Granted Patent: US 9,621,371 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 11/46 Improving electric energy efficiency or saving
• 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 11/65 for selecting an operating mode
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/66 Sleep mode
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/10 Occupancy
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/12 Position of occupants
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2140/60 Energy consumption
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2816 Controlling appliance services of a home automation network by calling their functionalities 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2841 Wireless

Abstract

The disclosure relates generally to wireless sensor devices, and more particularly, to remote programming of wireless sensor devices. A wireless sensor device wirelessly may receive messages from a remotely located device to a wireless sensor device. The wireless sensor device may be programmed via the receive messages. In one example, a building controller may be programmed to wirelessly send one or more messages to a wireless sensor device in order to change the behavior of the wireless sensor device, even while the wireless sensor device and building controller are on-line and actively controlling a building control system. In some instances, a technician or installer may use a diagnostic or setup tool to send one or more messages to a wireless sensor device to change the behavior of the wireless sensor device. These are just some examples.

Claims

1. A battery-powered wireless sensor device, comprising:

a battery for providing power to the wireless sensor device;

a sensor for sensing one or more conditions in or around the wireless sensor device;

a wireless transceiver for wirelessly sending and receiving messages to/from a remotely located device;

a memory for storing one or more parameter values;

a controller in communication with the battery, the sensor, the wireless transceiver and the memory, the controller configured to;

switch the wireless sensor device between a lower power sleep mode and a higher power awake mode, wherein in the lower power sleep mode, the wireless sensor device does not send or receive messages to/from the remotely located device via the wireless transceiver;

receive one or more messages from the remotely located device via the transceiver, wherein the one or more messages specify a sleep algorithm to be used by the controller to determine when to switch the wireless sensor device between the lower power sleep mode and the higher power awake mode; and

subsequently switch between the lower power sleep mode and the higher power awake mode in accordance with the sleep algorithm specified by the one or more messages from the remotely located device.

2. The battery-powered wireless sensor device of claim 1, wherein the sensor provides a sensor signal, and wherein the sleep algorithm uses, at least in part, the sensor signal to determine when to switch the wireless sensor device between the lower power sleep mode and the higher power awake mode.

3. The battery-powered wireless sensor device of claim 1, wherein the sleep algorithm uses a measure related to a rate of change of the sensor signal to determine when to switch the wireless sensor device between the lower power sleep mode and the higher power awake mode.

4. The battery-powered wireless sensor device of claim 1, further comprising a battery condition monitor that provides a measure related to the current condition of the battery, wherein the sleep algorithm uses, at least in part, the measure related to the current condition of the battery to determine when to switch the wireless sensor device between the lower power sleep mode and the higher power awake mode.

5. The battery-powered wireless sensor device of claim 4, wherein the sleep algorithm increases the sleep time as the condition of the battery deteriorates over time.

6. The battery-powered wireless sensor device of claim 1, wherein the controller, through the transceiver, establishes communication with a network, and wherein the sleep algorithm keeps the wireless sensor device in the higher power awake mode until the controller establishes communication with the network.

7. A battery-powered wireless sensor device, comprising:

a battery for providing power to the wireless sensor device;

a sensor for sensing one or more conditions in or around the wireless sensor device;

a wireless transceiver for wirelessly sending and receiving messages to/from a remotely located device;

a memory for storing one or more parameter values;

a controller in communication with the battery, the sensor, the wireless transceiver and the memory, the controller configured to;

switch the wireless sensor device between a lower power sleep mode and a higher power awake mode, wherein in the lower power sleep mode, the wireless sensor device does not send or receive messages to/from the remotely located device via the wireless transceiver;

receive one or more parameter setting messages from the remotely located device via the transceiver in the higher power awake mode, wherein the one or more parameter setting messages provide one or more parameter values, the one or more parameter values stored into the memory; and

determine when to switch between the lower power sleep mode and the higher power awake mode based on one or more sleep algorithms, wherein at least one of the one or more sleep algorithms is dependent upon one or more of the parameter values received from the remotely located device and stored in the memory.

8. The battery-powered wireless sensor device of claim 7, wherein at least one of the one or more sleep algorithms uses a sleep interval that corresponds to a sleep time between each of two or more successive higher power awake modes.

9. The battery-powered wireless sensor device of claim 8, wherein at least one of the parameter values corresponds to the sleep interval.

10. The battery-powered wireless sensor device of claim 9, wherein the at least one of the one or more sleep algorithms that uses a sleep interval maintains the sleep interval for a number of sleep periods, wherein at least one of the parameter values corresponds to the number of sleep periods.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the remotely located device is an HVAC controller that executes a temperature schedule, wherein the temperature schedule includes a more energy efficient set point during a scheduled unoccupied time period and a less energy efficient set point during a scheduled occupied time period, wherein the HVAC controller sends one or more first parameter setting messages to the battery-powered wireless sensor device that specify a first sleep interval in response to entering an unoccupied time period, and sends one or more second parameter setting messages that specify a second sleep interval in response to entering a subsequent occupied time period.

12. A method for operating a battery-powered wireless sensor device, the battery-powered wireless sensor device having a battery, a sensor, a wireless transceiver for wirelessly sending and receiving messages to/from a remotely located device, and a controller that is in communication with the battery, the sensor, and the wireless transceiver, the controller switching the wireless sensor device between a lower power sleep mode and a higher power awake mode, wherein in the lower power sleep mode, the wireless sensor device does not send or receive messages to/from the remotely located device via the wireless transceiver, the controller also determine when to switch between the lower power sleep mode and the higher power awake mode based on one or more sleep algorithms, the method comprising:

wirelessly receiving one or more first messages from the remotely located device via the transceiver, wherein the one or more first messages specify a first sleep algorithm that is used by the controller to determine when to switch the wireless sensor device between the lower power sleep mode and the higher power awake mode; and

executing the first sleep algorithm specified by the one or more first messages from the remotely located device until one or more subsequent second messages are received from the remotely located device that specify a second sleep algorithm, whereupon, the second sleep algorithm specified by the one or more subsequent second messages is executed in place of the first sleep algorithm.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

after receiving the one or more second messages, wirelessly receiving one or more third messages from the remotely located device via the transceiver, wherein the one or more third messages specify a third sleep algorithm that is used by the controller to determine when to switch the wireless sensor device between the lower power sleep mode and the higher power awake mode; and

executing the third sleep algorithm specified by the one or more third messages from the remotely located device in place of the second sleep algorithm.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the remotely located device is an HVAC controller that executes a temperature schedule, wherein the temperature schedule includes a more energy efficient set point during a scheduled unoccupied time period and a less energy efficient set point during a scheduled occupied time periods, wherein the HVAC controller sends the one or more first messages to the battery-powered wireless sensor device that specify the first sleep algorithm in response to entering an unoccupied time period and sends the one or more second messages that specify the second sleep algorithm in response to entering a subsequent occupied time period.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the first sleep algorithm allows more sleep time than the second sleep algorithm.

16. A battery-powered wireless sensor device, comprising:

a battery for providing power to the wireless sensor device;

a sensor for sensing one or more conditions in or around the wireless sensor device;

a wireless transceiver for wirelessly sending and receiving messages to/from a remotely located device;

a memory for storing one or more parameter values;

a controller in communication with the battery, the sensor, the wireless transceiver and the memory, the controller configured to;

receive one or more messages from a remotely located device via the transceiver, wherein the one or more messages specify one or more rules for operating the wireless sensor device; and

operate the wireless sensor device in accordance with the one or more rules.

17. The battery-powered wireless sensor device of claim 16, wherein the controller is further configured to:

switch the wireless sensor device between a lower power sleep mode and a higher power awake mode, wherein in the lower power sleep mode, the wireless sensor device does not send or receive messages to/from the remotely located device via the wireless transceiver; and

wherein the one or more rules define, at least in part, a sleep algorithm that is used to determine when to switch the wireless sensor device between the lower power sleep mode and the higher power awake mode.

18. The battery-powered wireless sensor device of claim 16, wherein the transceiver communicates with the remotely located device via a wireless network that includes a communication protocol that requires an acknowledgement to acknowledge a communication across the wireless network, wherein the one or more rules define how long to wait for an acknowledgement.

19. The battery-powered wireless sensor device of claim 16, wherein the controller is further configured to transmit a measure related to the one or more sensed conditions via the transceiver, wherein the one or more rules define, at least in part, how often to transmit the measure.

20. The battery-powered wireless sensor device of claim 19, further comprising a battery condition monitor that provides a measure related to the current condition of the battery, wherein the one or more rules define, at least in part, how often to transmit the measure based on the current condition of the battery.

21. A wireless building controller, comprising:

a wireless transceiver for wirelessly sending and receiving messages to/from a remotely located device;

a controller for issuing commands to one or more components of a building control system, the controller coupled to the wireless transceiver and configured to;

switch the wireless building controller between a lower power sleep mode and a higher power awake mode, wherein in the lower power sleep mode, the wireless building controller does not send or receive messages to/from the remotely located device via the wireless transceiver;

receive one or more messages from the remotely located device via the wireless transceiver, wherein the one or more messages specify a sleep algorithm to be used by the wireless building controller to determine when to switch the wireless building controller between the lower power sleep mode and the higher power awake mode; and

subsequently switch between the lower power sleep mode and the higher power awake mode in accordance with the sleep algorithm specified by the one or more messages from the remotely located device.

22. The wireless building controller of claim 21, wherein the wireless building controller is one or more of a thermostat, a zone controller, an equipment interface module, and a security system controller.

23. A wireless controller for controlling a building control actuator, comprising:

a wireless transceiver for wirelessly sending and receiving messages to/from a remotely located device;

a controller for issuing commands to one or more actuators of a building control system, the controller coupled to the wireless transceiver and configured to;

switch the wireless building controller unit between a lower power sleep mode and a higher power awake mode, wherein in the lower power sleep mode, the wireless building controller unit does not send or receive messages to/from the remotely located device via the wireless transceiver;

receive one or more messages from the remotely located device via the wireless transceiver, wherein the one or more messages specify a sleep algorithm to be used by the wireless controller to determine when to switch the wireless controller between the lower power sleep mode and the higher power awake mode; and

subsequently switch between the lower power sleep mode and the higher power awake mode in accordance with the sleep algorithm specified by the one or more messages from the remotely located device.

24. The wireless controller of claim 23, wherein the wireless controller is configured to control a damper actuator and/or a valve actuator.