BUILDING AUTOMATION SYSTEM SETUP USING A REMOTE CONTROL DEVICE

• US 20150159899A1
• Filed: 12/09/2014
• Published: 06/11/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ademco Inc. (Resideo Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Quam, David, Stuart, Jeffrey, Amundson, John, Schwendinger, Paul, Weirich, Kevin, Bruce, Michael, Kolavennu, Soumitri, Bergman, Gabriel, Nichols, Steven
• Granted Patent: US 10,436,977 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/005 the substrate is supporting also the light source
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2113/13 comprising an assembly of point-like light sources
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• 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 11/523 for displaying temperature data
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/526 giving audible indications
• 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: F24F 11/64 using pre-stored data
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/65 for selecting an operating mode
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0096 the lights guides being of the hollow type
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2614 HVAC, heating, ventillation, climate control
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 5/36 using visible light sources
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/10 for surface mounting on a wall
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2818 from a device located outside both the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless eletrical link G08C17/00; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with remote control systems H04M11/007
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/08 specially adapted for terminal emulation, e.g. Telnet
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/12 : Resilient or clamping means for holding component to structure

Abstract

An HVAC controller may be programmed using a mobile device having a touch screen display, a wireless port and a controller that is in operative communication with the touch screen display and the wireless port. The controller may establish communication with and download an application program code from the remote download server. The controller may establish a direct wireless connection between the wireless port of the mobile device and the wireless interface of the HVAC controller and execute the application program code, which provides one or more configuration screens on the touch screen display of the mobile device to enable the user to configure the HVAC controller via one or more configuration parameters, and then upload the one or more configuration parameters to the HVAC controller via the direct wireless connection between the wireless port of the mobile device and the wireless interface of the HVAC controller.

Claims

1. A mobile device for programming an HVAC controller having a wireless interface, the mobile device comprising:

a touch screen display configured to display information and to permit a user to enter information;

a wireless port;

a controller in operative communication with the touch screen display and the wireless port, the controller configured to establish communication to a remote download server via the wireless port and to download an application program code from the remote download server;

a memory for storing the application program code once downloaded;

the controller further configured to establish a direct wireless connection between the wireless port of the mobile device and the wireless interface of the HVAC controller, with the HVAC controller functioning as an access point;

the controller configured to execute the application program code, which provides one or more configuration screens on the touch screen display of the mobile device to enable the user to configure the HVAC controller via one or more configuration parameters; and

the controller further configured to upload the one or more configuration parameters to the HVAC controller via the direct wireless connection between the wireless port of the mobile device and the wireless interface of the HVAC controller.

2. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the mobile device comprises one of a smart phone and a tablet.

3. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein after the controller uploads the one or more configuration parameters to the HVAC controller via the direct wireless connection between the wireless port of the mobile device and the wireless interface of the HVAC controller, the mobile device is configured to drop the direct wireless connection between the wireless port of the mobile device and the wireless interface of the HVAC controller.

4. The mobile device of claim 3, wherein after the mobile device drops the direct wireless connection between the wireless port of the mobile device and the wireless interface of the HVAC controller, the mobile device establishes communication with a remote monitoring server, and wherein the HVAC controller also establishes communication with the remote monitoring server.

5. The mobile device of claim 4, wherein the remote download server is the same server as the remote monitoring server.

6. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the application program code is also configured to display one or more install screens, wherein the one or more install screens include information on removing an old thermostat as part of a process to install the HVAC controller.

7. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the application program code is configured to also display one or more install screens, wherein the one or more install screens include information on wiring the HVAC controller as part of a process to install the HVAC controller.

8. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the one or more configuration screens includes a screen soliciting the user to input information regarding equipment configuration.

9. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the one or more configuration screens include a screen soliciting the user to input information regarding comfort preferences.

10. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the one or more configuration screens include a screen instructing the user to configure a wireless connection between the HVAC controller and a home wireless network.

11. An HVAC controller comprising:

a user interface configured to display information to be viewed by a user and to accept inputs from the user;

a controller operably coupled to the user interface;

an on board wireless interface operably coupled to the controller, the controller configured to establish the on board wireless interface as an access point for creating a direct communication path with a wireless mobile device for initially configuring the HVAC controller, including for initially configuring the HVAC controller for communication with a wireless gateway; and

the controller further configured to accept configuration information from the mobile device via the direct communication path established between the on board wireless source and the wireless mobile device.

12. The HVAC controller of claim 11, wherein the mobile device is one of a smart phone and a tablet.

13. The HVAC controller of claim 11, wherein the user interface comprises a touch screen.

14. The HVAC controller of claim 11, wherein the controller is configured to display, via the user interface, a screen instructing a user that the HVAC controller is wirelessly coupled to the mobile device, and to utilize the mobile device to configure the HVAC controller.

15. The HVAC controller of claim 14, wherein the controller is further configured to display, via the user interface, a screen instructing a user to utilize the mobile device to initially configuring the HVAC controller for communication with a wireless gateway.

16. The HVAC controller of claim 11, wherein the HVAC controller receives a type of HVAC equipment as configuration information from the wireless mobile device via the direct communication path.

17. The HVAC controller of claim 11, wherein the HVAC controller receives a type of HVAC equipment as configuration information from the wireless mobile device via the direct communication path.

18. The HVAC controller of claim 11, wherein the HVAC controller receives comfort settings as configuration information from the wireless mobile device via the direct communication path.

19. A computer readable medium containing program instructions for facilitating a user of a wireless mobile device in configuring a wireless HVAC controller, wherein execution of the program instructions by one or more processors of the wireless mobile device causes the wireless mobile device to carry out the steps of:

providing one or more screens on a display of the wireless mobile device to accept configuration information from the user;

accepting configuration information from the user of the wireless mobile device;

establishing a direct communication path between the wireless mobile device and the HVAC controller with the wireless HVAC controller or the wireless mobile device functioning as an access point;

transmitting the accepted configuration information from the wireless mobile device to the HVAC controller via the direct communication path between the wireless mobile device and the HVAC controller; and

terminating the direct communication path between the wireless mobile device and the HVAC controller.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein the accepted configuration information includes configuration information for configuring communication between the wireless HVAC controller and a wireless gateway.

21. The computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein the accepted configuration information includes HVAC equipment configuration and/or comfort settings.