THERMOSTAT FACILITATING USER-FRIENDLY INSTALLATION THEREOF
First Claim
1. A thermostat for controlling the operation of an HVAC system having a plurality of wires requiring connection to the thermostat, each wire being associated with a distinct HVAC signal type, the thermostat comprising:
- a control unit including at least one processor and at least one environmental sensor;
a plurality of connection ports, each connection port being associated with a predetermined HVAC signal type, each connection port being configured to receive one of the plurality of wires, each connection port having an associated wire insertion sensing circuit that identifies to the control unit the presence or absence of an inserted wire therein; and
a user interface operatively coupled to said control unit, said user interface including at least one output device for providing output information to a user and at least one input device for receiving one or more user inputs;
wherein said control unit is configured and programmed to cause the thermostat to carry out an installation verification process, comprising;
operating said insertion sensing circuits to identify a first subset of said connection ports into which wires have been inserted, said first subset of connection ports having an associated first subset of HVAC signal types;
identifying a first candidate HVAC operating function that is consistent with said first subset of HVAC signal types;
applying a first set of control signals to the HVAC system through one or more of the first subset of connection ports, said first set of control signals being configured to instantiate operation of the HVAC system according to the first candidate HVAC operating function;
acquiring, upon said application of the first set of control signals, a first time sequence of environmental readings using said environmental sensor;
processing said first time sequence of environmental readings to automatically determine, without requiring an input from the user, whether the HVAC system has successfully operated according to said first candidate HVAC operating function; and
providing an indication of an error condition on said user display if said automatic determination is that the HVAC system has not successfully operated according to the first candidate operating function.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A thermostat for controlling an HVAC system and related systems, methods, and computer program products for facilitating user-friendly installation of the thermostat are described. For one embodiment, automated installation verification is performed by the thermostat by automatically sensing which wires have been inserted, selecting a candidate HVAC operating function (e.g., heating or cooling) that is consistent with a subset of HVAC signal types indicated by the inserted wires, applying control signals to the HVAC system to invoke that HVAC operating function, and processing a time sequence of acquired temperature readings to determine whether that HVAC operating function was successfully carried out. For one embodiment, the initial automated testing of the heating and cooling functions are only carried out at times for which such heating or cooling function would normally be invoked during normal operation of the thermostat. Automated determination of a heat pump call convention is also described.
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Citations
42 Claims
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1. A thermostat for controlling the operation of an HVAC system having a plurality of wires requiring connection to the thermostat, each wire being associated with a distinct HVAC signal type, the thermostat comprising:
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a control unit including at least one processor and at least one environmental sensor; a plurality of connection ports, each connection port being associated with a predetermined HVAC signal type, each connection port being configured to receive one of the plurality of wires, each connection port having an associated wire insertion sensing circuit that identifies to the control unit the presence or absence of an inserted wire therein; and a user interface operatively coupled to said control unit, said user interface including at least one output device for providing output information to a user and at least one input device for receiving one or more user inputs; wherein said control unit is configured and programmed to cause the thermostat to carry out an installation verification process, comprising; operating said insertion sensing circuits to identify a first subset of said connection ports into which wires have been inserted, said first subset of connection ports having an associated first subset of HVAC signal types; identifying a first candidate HVAC operating function that is consistent with said first subset of HVAC signal types; applying a first set of control signals to the HVAC system through one or more of the first subset of connection ports, said first set of control signals being configured to instantiate operation of the HVAC system according to the first candidate HVAC operating function; acquiring, upon said application of the first set of control signals, a first time sequence of environmental readings using said environmental sensor; processing said first time sequence of environmental readings to automatically determine, without requiring an input from the user, whether the HVAC system has successfully operated according to said first candidate HVAC operating function; and providing an indication of an error condition on said user display if said automatic determination is that the HVAC system has not successfully operated according to the first candidate operating function. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A thermostat for controlling the operation of an HVAC system having a plurality of wires requiring connection to the thermostat, each wire being associated with a distinct HVAC signal type, the thermostat comprising:
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a control unit including at least one processor and at least one temperature sensor; a plurality of connection ports, each connection port being associated with a predetermined HVAC signal type, each connection port being configured to receive one of the plurality of wires, each connection port having an associated wire insertion sensing circuit that identifies to the control unit the presence or absence of an inserted wire therein; and a user interface operatively coupled to said control unit, said user interface including at least one output device for providing output information to a user and at least one input device for receiving one or more user inputs; wherein said control unit is configured and programmed to cause the thermostat to carry out an installation verification process, comprising; receiving a first input from the user at said user interface indicative of a completion of insertion of a required plurality of wires into the thermostat; operating said insertion sensing circuits to identify a first subset of said connection ports into which wires have been inserted, said first subset of connection ports having an associated first subset of HVAC signal types; identifying a first candidate HVAC operating function that is consistent with said first subset of HVAC signal types, said first candidate HVAC operating function being one of a heating function and a cooling function; if said first candidate HVAC operating function is a heating function and said first subset of HVAC signal types includes a heat pump (O/B) signal type, performing a first automated test in which both (a) a heat pump heating functionality is confirmed and (b) a heat pump call convention of the HVAC system is empirically determined without requiring user input, the first automated test comprising; (i) applying a first heat pump heating call to the HVAC system according to a first heat pump call convention, operating the temperature sensor to detect an associated temperature change and, if an associated temperature rise is detected, determining that the heat pump heating functionality is confirmed and that the HVAC system has said first heat pump call convention; and (ii) if an associated temperature decrease is instead detected upon said applying the first heat pump heating call, applying a second heat pump heating call to the HVAC system according to a second heat pump call convention, operating the temperature sensor to detect the associated temperature change, determining that the heat pump heating functionality is confirmed and that the HVAC system has said second heat pump call convention if an associated temperature rise is detected, and providing an indication of an error condition on said user display if the associated temperature rise is not detected; and if said first candidate HVAC operating function is a cooling function and said first subset of HVAC signal types includes a heat pump (O/B) signal type, performing a second automated test in which both (a) a heat pump cooling functionality is confirmed and (b) the heat pump call convention of the HVAC system is empirically determined without requiring user input, the second automated test comprising; (i) applying a first heat pump cooling call to the HVAC system according to one of said first and second heat pump call conventions, operating the temperature sensor to detect an associated temperature change and, if an associated temperature decrease is detected, determining that the heat pump cooling functionality is confirmed and that the HVAC system has said one of said first and second heat pump call conventions; and (ii) if an associated temperature rise is instead detected upon said applying the first heat pump cooling call, applying a second heat pump cooling call to the HVAC system according to another of said first and second heat pump call conventions, operating the temperature sensor to detect the associated temperature change, determining that the heat pump cooling functionality is confirmed and that the HVAC system has said other of said first and second heat pump call conventions if an associated temperature decrease is detected, and providing an indication of an error condition on said user display if the associated temperature decrease is not detected. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21)
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22. A method of operation in a thermostat for facilitating user-friendly installation thereof, the thermostat for controlling the operation of an HVAC system having a plurality of wires requiring connection to the thermostat, each wire being associated with a distinct HVAC signal type, the thermostat comprising at least one environmental sensor and a population of connection ports, each connection port being associated with a predetermined HVAC signal type, the method comprising:
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receiving the plurality of wires at a respective plurality of the population of connection ports; identifying, by automated sensing, a first subset of the population of connection ports into which wires have been inserted, the first subset of connection ports having an associated first subset of HVAC signal types; identifying a first candidate HVAC operating function that is consistent with the first subset of HVAC signal types; applying a first set of control signals to the HVAC system through one or more of the first subset of connection ports, said first set of control signals being configured to instantiate operation of the HVAC system according to the first candidate HVAC operating function; acquiring, upon said application of the first set of control signals, a first time sequence of environmental readings using the at least one environmental sensor; processing the first time sequence of environmental readings to automatically determine, without requiring an input from a user, whether the HVAC system has successfully operated according to said first candidate HVAC operating function; and providing an indication of an error condition on a user interface if the automatic determination is that the HVAC system has not successfully operated according to the first candidate operating function. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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39. A method of operation in a thermostat for facilitating user-friendly installation thereof, the thermostat for controlling the operation of an HVAC system having a plurality of wires requiring connection to the thermostat, each wire being associated with a distinct HVAC signal type, the thermostat comprising at least one environmental sensor and a population of connection ports, each connection port being associated with a predetermined HVAC signal type, the method comprising:
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receiving the plurality of wires at a respective plurality of the population of connection ports; identifying, by automated sensing, a first subset of the population of connection ports into which wires have been inserted, the first subset of connection ports having an associated first subset of HVAC signal types; identifying a first candidate HVAC operating function that is consistent with the first subset of HVAC signal types, said first candidate HVAC operating function being one of a heating function and a cooling function; if said first candidate HVAC operating function is a heating function and said first subset of HVAC signal types includes a heat pump (O/B) signal type, performing a first automated test in which both (a) a heat pump heating functionality is confirmed and (b) a heat pump call convention of the HVAC system is empirically determined without requiring user input, the first automated test comprising; (i) applying a first heat pump heating call to the HVAC system according to a first heat pump call convention, operating the temperature sensor to detect an associated temperature change and, if an associated temperature rise is detected, determining that the heat pump heating functionality is confirmed and that the HVAC system has said first heat pump call convention; and (ii) if an associated temperature decrease is instead detected upon said applying the first heat pump heating call, applying a second heat pump heating call to the HVAC system according to a second heat pump call convention, operating the temperature sensor to detect the associated temperature change, determining that the heat pump heating functionality is confirmed and that the HVAC system has said second heat pump call convention if an associated temperature rise is detected, and providing an indication of an error condition on said user display if the associated temperature rise is not detected; and if said first candidate HVAC operating function is a cooling function and said first subset of HVAC signal types includes a heat pump (O/B) signal type, performing a second automated test in which both (a) a heat pump cooling functionality is confirmed and (b) the heat pump call convention of the HVAC system is empirically determined without requiring user input, the second automated test comprising; (i) applying a first heat pump cooling call to the HVAC system according to one of said first and second heat pump call conventions, operating the temperature sensor to detect an associated temperature change and, if an associated temperature decrease is detected, determining that the heat pump cooling functionality is confirmed and that the HVAC system has said one of said first and second heat pump call conventions; and (ii) if an associated temperature rise is instead detected upon said applying the first heat pump cooling call, applying a second heat pump cooling call to the HVAC system according to an other of said first and second heat pump call conventions, operating the temperature sensor to detect the associated temperature change, determining that the heat pump cooling functionality is confirmed and that the HVAC system has said other of said first and second heat pump call conventions if an associated temperature decrease is detected, and providing an indication of an error condition on said user display if the associated temperature decrease is not detected. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42)
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Specification