System and method for internet based service notification

• US 9,329,903 B2
• Filed: 05/12/2011
• Issued: 05/03/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Copeland Comfort Control LP (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Emerson Electric Company
• Inventors: Deshpande, Nikhil N., Purohit, Kaushik M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Survillo, Oleg
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Linh T
• Application Number:
  US13/106,060
• Publication Number:
  US 20110282937A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,818 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/206, 709/276, 370/200, 370/412, 370908-916, 705/8, 705/9, 705/7.13, 705/7.14, 705/7.21, 700/276
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/58 using Internet communication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5055 considering software capabilities, i.e. software resources associated or available to the machine
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/10 Services

Abstract

The present invention provides an Internet based detailed service notification system to inform the contractor of a customer in need of HVAC servicing. The thermostat has Internet connectivity provided to it. Whenever the customers need servicing or repair of their HVAC devices, they have a special menu/interface at their disposal in their thermostat which assists the customer'"'"'s service request to be registered on the thermostat company'"'"'s web server. The company'"'"'s web server having all the details of the thermostat owner, then automatically forwards these details to the preferred contractor through SMS, through email or an automatically generated call. The details include the address details, phone numbers, type of service needed e.g. servicing, repairing, new device installation, replacement and the like.

Claims

1. A method comprising the following steps:

storing on a web-based server a list of contractors for servicing climate control system devices, and associating a plurality of Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning HVAC devices with one or more of the contractors based on contractor competency to service the HVAC devices, the storing and associating performed by an Internet-based system that includes the web-based server and a HVAC system thermostat unit that controls comfort parameters for operation of the HVAC devices, where the Internet-based system is configured to provide service requests to the contractors;

receiving a service request made by a user of the thermostat unit, the thermostat unit having a unique identification number associated by the Internet-based system individually with each of the HVAC devices, the receiving performed through a user interface of the thermostat unit, the user interface communicatively connected with the HVAC devices and configured to specify a problem of a specific HVAC device determined at least in part from communication with one or more of the plurality of HVAC devices;

the thermostat unit processing the service request by assigning it with the thermostat unique identification number and a device identifier for a specific one of the HVAC devices indicated in the service request as being in need of servicing;

the thermostat unit transmitting said service request including the thermostat unique identification number and identifier of the specific HVAC device over the Internet to the web-based server;

the web-based server receiving said transmitted service request from the thermostat unit, extracting said thermostat unique identification number from said transmitted service request, identifying a contractor from the list based on the device identifier, and sending said service request and said unique identification number to the identified contractor; and

the thermostat unit closing said service request after completion of the service request.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the service request includes a request for one or more of the following:

repair, regular check-up, new device installation and device replacement.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising assigning urgency to the service request.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising displaying a status of the service request on said user interface.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein identifying a contractor from the list comprises identifying the contractor based on proximity of the contractor'"'"'s address to the device indicated in the service request as being in need of service.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the method provides a closed loop process for the service request.

7. A system for providing servicing of Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems, the system comprising:

a thermostat, in a HVAC system connected with each of a plurality of HVAC devices of the HVAC system and that regulates comfort parameters for operation of the plurality of HVAC devices of the HVAC system, the thermostat having a user interface communicatively connected with the HVAC devices and that receives user input via a menu presented for a particular one of the HVAC devices, and in response to the user input, outputs a service request for the particular one of the HVAC devices, the service request specifying a problem of the particular HVAC device determined at least in part from communication with the HVAC devices; and

a web-based server having one or more processors and memory programmed to;

receive the service request via the Internet from the thermostat;

identify the thermostat from which the service request is received and identify the particular HVAC device, the identifying based on a unique identifier of the thermostat and an identifier of the particular HVAC device included in the service request, where each of the HVAC devices has an identifier associated with the unique identifier of the thermostat on the web-based server;

based on the identifying and on a particular servicing need of the particular HVAC device, select one of one or more contractors predetermined to be technically competent to service the particular HVAC device and associated by the web-based server with the particular HVAC device; and

send the service request and said unique identifier to the selected contractor.

8. The system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the thermostat is configured to receive input from the user to close the service request.

9. The system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the web server is further configured to maintain a servicing history of the HVAC system and to send at least a portion of the history to the selected contractor in relation to the service request.

10. The system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the web server is further configured to send to the selected contractor information identifying the user of the HVAC system.

11. An Internet based system comprising:

a thermostat unit that, when installed in a Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system, controls comfort parameters for operation of a plurality of HVAC devices of the HVAC system, the thermostat unit having a unique identification number associated by an Internet-based system individually with each of the HVAC devices, where the Internet-based system is for providing service requests to a predetermined group of service contractors, the thermostat unit comprising;

a user interface configured in the thermostat unit for receiving a service request from a user requesting service as to a specific one of the HVAC devices, the user interface being communicatively connected with the HVAC devices, the service request identifying the specific HVAC device and specifying a problem of the specific HVAC device determined at least in part from communication with one or more of the plurality of HVAC devices;

a processor and memory programmed to receive and process said service request by assigning said service request with said unique identification number and with an identifier of the specific HVAC device to generate a unique service request; and

a transmitter configured in the thermostat unit for receiving said unique service request from the processor and transmitting said unique service request including said unique identification number and the identifier of the specific HVAC device over the Internet;

the Internet based system further comprising a web-based server comprising;

a memory storing a look up table in which said unique identification number of the thermostat unit is associated with (a) the HVAC devices each having identifiers in the look up table, each HVAC device identifier associating the identified HVAC device with one or more contractors predetermined to be technically competent to service the identified HVAC device, and (b) at least one contractor'"'"'s address;

one or more processors configured to receive said transmitted service request from the thermostat unit, extract said unique identification number from said transmitted service request, and select a contractor'"'"'s address from entries in the look up table for one of the one or more contractors associated with the specific HVAC device;

the web-based server communicatively connected with one or more networks wherein the web-based server sends said service request and said unique identification number to the contractor having the selected address.

12. The system as claimed in claim 11, wherein said user interface is configured in the thermostat unit to provide a service request menu navigable by a user to specify a problem with the specific one of the one or more HVAC devices.

13. The system as claimed in claim 11, wherein said user interface includes at least one interface selected from the group of interfaces consisting of a button, scroll, touch screen, switch and keypad.

14. The system as claimed in claim 11, wherein said user interface is configured in the thermostat unit to display the status of said service request.

15. The system as claimed in claim 11, wherein said user interface is configured in the thermostat unit to receive user input to close a service request.

16. The system as claimed in claim 11, wherein said service request includes at least one service selected from the group of services consisting of repair, regular check-up, new device installation and device replacement.

17. The system as claimed in claim 11, wherein said service request is assigned an urgency level.

18. The system as claimed in claim 11, wherein said web-based server sends the service request through the one or more networks via one or more of the following:

SMS, email, automatically generated call, VoIP and FAX.