Alarm and diagnostics system and method for a distributed-architecture heating, ventilation and air conditioning network

• US 8,433,446 B2
• Filed: 10/21/2009
• Issued: 04/30/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lennox Industries Incorporated (Lennox International Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Lennox Industries Incorporated (Lennox International Incorporated)
• Inventors: Grohman, Wojciech, Hadzidedic, Darko, Filbeck, Amanda, Wallaert, Timothy E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Padmanabhan, Kavita
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rapp, Chad
• Application Number:
  US12/603,515
• Publication Number:
  US 20100106318A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,287 Days
• Field of Search: 700/17, 700/80, 700/83, 700/300, 700/276
• 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 11/32 Responding to malfunctions or emergencies
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/38 Failure diagnosis
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/52 Indication arrangements, e.g. displays
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/526 giving audible indications
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/54 using one central controller connected to several sub-controllers
• 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: 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 12/282 based on user interaction within the home receiver circuitry for displaying additional information being controlled by a remote control apparatus H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2823 Reporting information sensed by appliance or service execution status of appliance services in a home automation network device-related reporting H04L43/065; 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 2012/285 Generic home appliances, e.g. refrigerators
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network

Abstract

The disclosure provides an HVAC data processing and communication network and a method of manufacturing the same. In one embodiment, the HVAC data processing and communication network includes a system device, a subnet controller and a user interface. The system device is configured to receive a control message from a data bus and operate according to a control setting communicated thereby. The system device is further configured to generate an alarm message in the event that the device enters an alarm state in response to an alarm condition. The user interface is configured to receive the alarm message and display alarm information in response to the message. The subnet controller is configured to provide operational control of the system device via the control message. The operational control is decoupled from the alarm message.

Claims

1. An HVAC data processing and communication network, comprising:

a system device configured to;

receive a control message from a data bus and operate according to a control setting communicated thereby; and

generate an alarm message in the event that said device enters an alarm state in response to an alarm condition;

a user interface configured to receive said alarm message and display alarm information in response thereto;

a subnet controller configured to provide operational control of said system device via said control message, wherein said subnet controller determines said operational control from an operational status of said system device independent of said alarm message; and

a local controller, associated with said system device, configured to store a current alarm record associated with said alarm state in a memory, and to replace an oldest alarm record with said current alarm record, wherein said memory includes volatile memory and nonvolatile memory (NVM), with minor alarm records being stored in said volatile memory, and moderate and critical alarms being stored in said NVM.

2. The network as recited in claim 1, wherein said alarm message includes alarm bits configured to encode an alarm severity.

3. The network as recited in claim 1, wherein said alarm message is associated with a device status message that includes bits indicating that a service provided by said device is unavailable.

4. The network as recited in claim 1, wherein said current alarm record is associated with a minor, moderate or critical alarm.

5. The network as recited in claim 1, wherein said NVM includes an active alarms buffer that stores active alarm records, and an inactive alarm buffer that stores inactive alarm records.

6. The network as recited in claim 1, wherein said NVM is configured as a logical active critical and moderate alarm buffer, an installer log buffer, and an OEM log buffer.

7. The network as recited in claim 1, further comprising a gateway configured to filter said alarm messages according to predetermined criteria and transmit said alarm information to an alert device.

8. A method of manufacturing an HVAC data processing and communication network, comprising:

configuring a system device to receive a control message from a data bus and operate according to a control setting communicated thereby;

configuring said system device to generate an alarm message in the event that said system device enters an alarm state in response to an alarm condition;

configuring a user interface to receive said alarm message and display alarm information in response thereto;

configuring a subnet controller to control operation of said system device via said control message, wherein said subnet controller determines said operation from an operational status of said system device independent of said alarm message;

configuring a local controller, associated with said system device, to store a current alarm record associated with said alarm state in a memory, and to replace an oldest alarm record with said current alarm record; and

configuring said memory to include volatile memory and nonvolatile memory (NVM), with minor alarm records being stored in said volatile memory, and moderate and critical alarms being stored in said NVM.

9. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein said alarm message includes alarm bits configured to encode an alarm severity.

10. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein said alarm message is decoupled from said control by said subnet controller.

11. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein said alarm message is associated with a device status message that includes bits indicating that a service provided by said device is unavailable.

12. The method as recited in claim 8, further comprising configuring a local controller, associated with said system device, to store a current alarm record associated with said alarm state in a memory, and to replace an oldest alarm record with said current alarm record.

13. The method as recited in claim 8, further comprising configuring a gateway configured to filter said alarm messages according to predetermined criteria and to transmit said alarm information to an alert device.

14. The method as recited in claim 8 further comprising configuring said NVM as a logical active critical and moderate alarm buffer, an installer log buffer, and an OEM log buffer.

15. An HVAC data processing and communication network subnet controller, comprising:

a physical layer interface configured to couple to a data bus;

a local controller configured to;

provide operational control of a system device via said data bus; and

receive an alarm message from said system device via said data bus,

wherein said subnet controller determines said operational control from an operational status of said system device independent of said alarm message and said local controller is configured to store a current alarm record associated with an alarm state of said system device in a memory, and to replace an oldest alarm record with said current alarm record, wherein said memory includes volatile memory and nonvolatile memory (NVM), with minor alarm records being stored in said volatile memory, and moderate and critical alarms being stored in said NVM.

16. The subnet controller recited in claim 15, wherein said local controller is configured to publish a message via said data bus to a user interface conveying information related to said alarm message.

17. The subnet controller recited in claim 15, wherein said local controller is configured to receive a service status bit via said data bus from said system device, and to control operation of said service bit in response to said service bit but not said alarm message.

18. The subnet controller recited in claim 17, wherein said local controller is configured to receive a plurality of service status bits from a plurality of system devices, and to determine a service associated with said plurality is unavailable if any one of said plurality indicates that said service unavailable.

19. The subnet controller as recited in claim 15 wherein said NVM is configured to include a logical active critical and moderate alarm buffer, an installer log buffer, and an OEM log buffer.