Power-sensing circuit for wireless zone sensors

• US 9,639,100 B2
• Filed: 12/06/2011
• Issued: 05/02/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Trane International Inc. (Trane Technologies plc)
• Original Assignee: Trane International Inc. (Trane Technologies plc)
• Inventors: Storm, Timothy Wayne, Mitchell, Daniel J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Furdge, Larry
• Application Number:
  US13/312,487
• Publication Number:
  US 20130140016A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,974 Days
• Field of Search: 236 1 B
• 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 11/46 Improving electric energy efficiency or saving
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/52 Indication arrangements, e.g. displays
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/54 using one central controller connected to several sub-controllers
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/56 Remote control
• 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 11/66 Sleep mode
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1934 each space being provided with one sensor acting on one or more control means

Abstract

A system and method for controlling a heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) system in a dwelling is provided. The system includes a plurality of wireless thermostats disposed throughout multiple zones within the dwelling and operable to control climate conditions in the corresponding zones. The system further includes a primary power source operable to supply power to thermostats for operating in a high-power mode when operatively connected thereto. The thermostats each include a secondary power source operable to supply power to the thermostats for operating in a low-power mode when the corresponding thermostat is not powered by the primary power source. Thermostats operating in the high-powered mode are operable to receive and repeat signals originating from one or more thermostats operating in the low-power mode.

Claims

1. A heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) system for controlling climate conditions in a dwelling including a plurality of zones, the system comprising:

a plurality of wireless thermostats disposed throughout the plurality of zones within the dwelling, each thermostat being operable to control a climate condition in a corresponding zone, the corresponding zone being selected from the plurality of zones;

a master control unit communicatively linked to the plurality of wireless thermostats and operable to receive a plurality of signals therefrom, the plurality of signals being communicated through a network associated with the system; and

a primary power source linked to the master control unit and operable to supply power to each thermostat operatively connected thereto, wherein each thermostat powered by the primary power source is operable to operate in a high-power mode;

wherein each thermostat includes a corresponding secondary power source operable to supply power for operating in a low-power mode;

wherein each thermostat not powered by the primary power source in the high-power mode is powered by the corresponding secondary power source in the low-power mode;

wherein each thermostat is selectively operable between a repeating thermostat and a non-repeating thermostat;

wherein each thermostat operating in the high-power mode operates as a repeating thermostat to receive and route signals received from other thermostats operating in either the high-power mode or the low-power mode through a wireless portion of the network, the signals being selected from the plurality of signals;

wherein each thermostat operating in the low-power mode operates as a non-repeating thermostat to limitedly perform sensing functions and wirelessly transmit sensed parameters of at least one corresponding zone to an exclusion of control parameters of other non-corresponding zones;

wherein a thermostat operating in the high-power mode as a repeating thermostat automatically switches to operating in the low-power mode as a non-repeating thermostat in response to a switch from the primary power source providing power to the thermostat to the secondary power source providing power to the thermostat; and

wherein a thermostat operating in the low-power mode as a non-repeating thermostat automatically reverts to operating in the high-power mode as a repeating thermostat in response to a switch from the secondary power source providing power to the thermostat to the primary power source providing power to the thermostat.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein each thermostat includes a corresponding power sensing circuit operable to determine whether power is being supplied from the primary power source or the corresponding secondary power source, respectively.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein each thermostat operating in the low-power mode is operable to selectively communicate signals wirelessly through the wireless portion of the network to at least one thermostat operating in the high-power mode or the master control unit.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein each thermostat operating in the low-power mode ignores signals communicated by other thermostats throughout the wireless portion of the network.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein each thermostat operating in the high-power mode is operable to route received signals to one of the master control unit or an additional thermostat operating in the high-power mode.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein at least one of the received signals is a wireless signal originating from a thermostat operating in the low-power mode.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein each thermostat operating in the high-power mode is operable to route wireless signals using spread-spectrum transmissions.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein each thermostat operating in the high-power mode is operable to route wireless signals using spread-spectrum transmissions based on at least one spread-spectrum transmission scheme selected from the group consisting of:

direct-sequence spread-spectrum (DSSS);

frequency-hopping spread-spectrum (FHSS);

adaptive frequency-hopping (AFH) spread-spectrum;

time-hopping spread spectrum (THSS); and

chirp spread spectrum (CSS).

9. The system of claim 6, wherein each thermostat operating in the high-power mode is operable to amplify received wireless signals prior to routing the received wireless signals.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein each thermostat is communicatively linked to a corresponding sensor operable to measure a parameter associated with the corresponding zone, respectively,

wherein each thermostat is configured to receive measurement signals from the corresponding sensor, respectively, the measurement signals being indicative of sensed parameters at the corresponding zone, and

wherein the plurality of signals communicated to the master control unit are control signals based on the measurement signals received from the plurality of thermostats, respectively.

11. A zone thermostat for use in a heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) system having multiple zone thermostats, comprising:

a processor operatively coupled to at least one sensor;

a wireless communication component operable to transmit a signal indicative of a measured zone parameter measured by the at least one sensor to a master control unit associated with the HVAC system;

a primary power source operable to supply power to the thermostat;

an auxiliary power source operable to supply power to the zone thermostat in response to the thermostat not being powered by the primary power source;

a power sensing circuit configured to determine whether the zone thermostat is operatively connected to and powered by the primary power source or the auxiliary power source; and

a switching circuit communicatively linked to the power sensing circuit and configured to switch operation of the zone thermostat between a high-power mode and a low-power mode;

wherein when the power sensing circuit determines that the zone thermostat is powered by the primary power source, the processor instructs the switching circuit to configure the zone thermostat to operate in the high-power mode as a repeating thermostat;

wherein when the power sensing circuit determines that the zone thermostat is powered by the auxiliary power source, the processor instructs the switching circuit to configure the zone thermostat to operate in the low-power mode as a non-repeating thermostat;

wherein when the zone thermostat is operating as the repeating thermostat in the high-power mode, the repeating thermostat is operable to receive and route control signals received from other zone thermostats, the other zone thermostats being selected from the multiple zone thermostats; and

wherein when the zone thermostat is operating as the non-repeating thermostat in the low-power mode, the zone thermostat is limited to performing sensing functions and wirelessly transmitting sensed parameters of at least one zone corresponding to the zone thermostat to an exclusion of control parameters of other non-corresponding zones.

12. The zone thermostat of claim 11, wherein at least one of the other zone thermostats is operable to wirelessly communicate the control signals to the repeating thermostat, and wherein the repeating thermostat is operable to route received control signals to one of the master control unit or at least an additional repeating thermostat, the additional repeating thermostat being selected from the multiple zone thermostats.

13. The zone thermostat of claim 12, wherein at least one of the received control signals originated from a non-repeating zone thermostat.

14. The zone thermostat of claim 11, wherein, when the zone thermostat operates as the non-repeating thermostat in the low-power mode, the non-repeating thermostat is configured with at least one lesser sensing or wireless communication capability than when the zone thermostat operates as the repeating thermostat in the high-power mode.

15. A method for operating a zone thermostat in a heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) system having multiple zone thermostats, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a zone thermostat that is configurable between a repeating thermostat and a non-repeating thermostat in a zone conditioned by the HVAC system;

actively detecting whether a primary power source or a secondary power source is supplying power to the zone thermostat;

operating the zone thermostat in a low-power mode, using power supplied from the secondary power source, and automatically switching from operating the zone thermostat as a repeating thermostat to operating the zone thermostat as a non-repeating thermostat upon detecting that the primary power source is not supplying power to the zone thermostat; and

operating the zone thermostat in a high-power mode, using power supplied from the primary power source, and automatically switching from operating the zone thermostat as a non-repeating thermostat to operating the zone thermostat as a repeating thermostat upon detecting that the primary power source is supplying power to the zone thermostat;

wherein, when in the low-power mode;

configuring the zone thermostat as a non-repeating thermostat;

selectively measuring parameters in at least one corresponding zone; and

communicating wireless signals based on the measured parameters of the at least one corresponding zone to an exclusion of control parameters of other non-corresponding zones through a network to a master control unit;

wherein, when in the high-power mode;

configuring the zone thermostat as a repeating thermostat;

actively measuring the parameters in the at least one corresponding zone;

communicating signals based on the measured parameters of the at least one corresponding zone through the network to the master control unit; and

routing other signals received from other zone thermostats operating in each of the low-power mode as non-repeating thermostats and the high-power mode as repeating thermostats through the network, the other zone thermostats being selected from the multiple zone thermostats.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein, when in the low-power mode:

ignoring wireless signals communicated through the network from the other thermostats associated with the HVAC system.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein, when in the high-power mode, routing the other signals to one of the master control unit or an additional zone thermostat operating in the high-power mode, the additional zone thermostat being selected from the multiple zone thermostats.