Device abstraction system and method for a distributed-architecture heating, ventilation and air conditioning system
First Claim
1. An HVAC data processing and communication network, comprising:
- an active subnet controller configured to control networked devices via a data bus and configured to be addressed over said data bus;
an environmental sensor configured to provide environmental data to said active subnet controller and configured to be addressable over said data bus independent of addressing said active subnet controller; and
a user interface configured to provide access by an operator to said network and configured to be addressable over said data bus independently of addressing said active subnet controller and said environmental sensor;
wherein said active subnet controller is located in an enclosure with at least one of said environmental sensor and said user interface, and said network further includes an inactive subnet controller, that is a different controller than said active subnet controller, configured to operate as said active subnet controller when said active subnet controller malfunctions.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The disclosure provides an HVAC data processing and communication network and a method of manufacturing the same. In various embodiments, the network includes a subnet controller configured to control networked devices via a data bus. The subnet controller is configured to be addressable over the data bus. An environmental sensor is configured to provide environmental data to the subnet controller, and is further configured to be addressable over the data bus independent of addressing the subnet controller. A user interface is configured to provide access by an operator to the network. The user interface is further configured to be addressable over the data bus independently of addressing the subnet controller and the environmental sensor.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. An HVAC data processing and communication network, comprising:
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an active subnet controller configured to control networked devices via a data bus and configured to be addressed over said data bus; an environmental sensor configured to provide environmental data to said active subnet controller and configured to be addressable over said data bus independent of addressing said active subnet controller; and a user interface configured to provide access by an operator to said network and configured to be addressable over said data bus independently of addressing said active subnet controller and said environmental sensor; wherein said active subnet controller is located in an enclosure with at least one of said environmental sensor and said user interface, and said network further includes an inactive subnet controller, that is a different controller than said active subnet controller, configured to operate as said active subnet controller when said active subnet controller malfunctions. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method of manufacturing an HVAC data processing and communication network, comprising:
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configuring an active subnet controller to control networked devices via a data bus, and to be addressed over said data bus; configuring an environmental sensor to provide environmental data to said active subnet controller and to be addressable over said data bus independently of addressing said subnet controller; and configuring a user interface to provide access by an operator to said network and to be addressable over said data bus independently of addressing said active subnet controller and said environmental sensor; wherein said active subnet controller is located in an enclosure with at least one of said environmental sensor and said user interface, said method further comprising configuring an inactive subnet controller, that is a different controller than said active subnet controller, of said network to operate as said active subnet controller when said active subnet controller malfunctions. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. An HVAC data processing and communication network subnet controller configured to control networked devices via a data bus and configured to be addressed over said data bus, comprising:
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a network interface configured to interface to said data bus of a HVAC data processing and communication network; a local controller configured to; receive a temperature message via said data bus from an environmental sensor; receive an interface message via said data bus from a user interface; and publish via said data bus a control message configured to control one of said networked devices in response to said temperature message and said interface message; wherein said network interface and said local controller are located in an enclosure with said environmental sensor and said user interface, said local controller being configured to operate as said network subnet controller of said communication network when an active subnet controller of said communication network that is acting as said network subnet controller malfunctions, said active subnet controller being a different controller than said local controller. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification