Systems and methods for HVAC and irrigation control

• US 9,890,967 B2
• Filed: 08/28/2013
• Issued: 02/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Trane International Inc. (Trane Technologies plc)
• Original Assignee: Trane International Inc. (Trane Technologies plc)
• Inventors: Buduri, Arun Kumar
• Primary Examiner(s): Ali, Mohammad
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rao, Sheela S
• Application Number:
  US14/012,761
• Publication Number:
  US 20150066215A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,630 Days
• Field of Search: 700276, 454229, 47 211, 239723
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 25/16 Control of watering
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 9/246 Air-conditioning systems
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 9/247 Watering arrangements
• 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 11/47 Responding to energy costs
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/65 for selecting an operating mode
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/89 Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2642 Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 40/25 Greenhouse technology, e.g. cooling systems therefor

Abstract

A heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) system has an irrigation subsystem and an HVAC system controller configured to selectively implement a drought related irrigation subsystem control scheme.

Claims

1. A heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) system, comprising:

an irrigation subsystem; and

an HVAC system controller both co-located with and coupled to the irrigation subsystem, wherein the HVAC system controller is configured to;

determine whether a drought condition is occurring at a location of the irrigation subsystem;

transmit a first message to a remote system that indicates occurrence of the drought condition at the location of the irrigation subsystem, wherein the remote system is remotely located from the irrigation subsystem;

receive at least one of a drought related alert and a drought related control scheme for the irrigation subsystem in response to transmitting the first message that indicates the occurrence of the drought condition;

display a second message in response to receiving at least one of the drought related alert and the drought related control scheme, wherein the second message indicates that at least one of the drought related alert and the drought related control scheme has been received; and

selectively implement control of the irrigation subsystem according to the drought related control scheme in response to receiving the drought related control scheme at the HVAC system.

2. The HVAC system of claim 1, wherein the HVAC system controller is configured to generate the drought related alert.

3. The HVAC system of claim 1, wherein the HVAC system controller is further configured to selectively override the drought related control scheme.

4. The HVAC system of claim 1, wherein the HVAC system controller is further configured to selectively implement the drought related control scheme by displaying a prompt for user input related to whether to presently implement the drought related control scheme at the irrigation subsystem.

5. The HVAC system of claim 1, wherein the HVAC system controller is further configured to allow replacement of a previously remotely supplied drought related control scheme with a subsequently received second drought related control scheme for the irrigation subsystem.

6. The HVAC system of claim 1, wherein the HVAC system controller is further configured to notify the remotely located system of the occurrence of the drought condition and changes to the drought condition.

7. The HVAC system of claim 1, wherein the HVAC system controller is further configured to operate the HVAC system to provide at least one of heating, cooling, and air circulation to at least one zone conditioned by the HVAC system during the drought condition.

8. A heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) system controller, comprising:

a memory storing instructions;

a processor coupled to the memory, wherein the instructions cause the processor to be configured to;

determine whether a drought condition is occurring at a location of the irrigation subsystem;

transmit a first message to a remote system that indicates occurrence of the drought condition at the location of the irrigation subsystem, wherein the remote system is remotely located from the irrigation subsystem;

receive at least one of a drought related alert and a drought related control scheme for the irrigation subsystem in response to transmitting the first message that indicates the occurrence of the drought condition;

display a second message that indicates at least one of the drought related alert and the drought related control scheme has been received in response to receiving at least one of the drought related alert and the drought related control scheme;

selectively implement control of an irrigation subsystem according to the drought related control scheme in response to the HVAC system controller receiving the drought related control scheme; and

operate the HVAC system to provide at least one of heating, cooling, and air circulation to at least one zone conditioned by the HVAC system during the drought condition.

9. The HVAC system controller of claim 8, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to be configured to generate the first message.

10. The HVAC system controller of claim 9, wherein the HVAC system controller comprises a wall mountable thermostat.

11. The HVAC system controller of claim 8, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to be configured to provide at least one of heating, cooling, and air circulation to at least one zone conditioned by the HVAC system during the drought condition.

12. A method, comprising:

coupling a heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) system controller to an irrigation system that is co-located with the HVAC system controller;

determining whether a drought condition is occurring at a location of the irrigation subsystem;

transmitting a first message to a remote system that indicates an occurrence of the drought condition at the location of the irrigation subsystem, wherein the remote system is remotely located from the irrigation subsystem;

receiving at least one of a drought related alert and a drought related control scheme for the irrigation subsystem in response to transmitting the first message that indicates the occurrence of the drought condition;

displaying a second message that indicates that at least one of the drought related alert and the drought related control scheme has been received in response to receiving at least one of the drought related alert and the drought related control scheme; and

selectively implementing control of the irrigation subsystem according to the drought related control scheme in response to receiving the drought related control scheme at the HVAC system.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising generating at least one of the drought related alert and the drought related control scheme at the HVAC system controller.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising receiving one or more of the drought related control schemes from the remote system.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising selectively implementing the drought related control scheme by receiving user input related to the drought related control scheme.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising replacing the drought related control scheme with a subsequently received drought related control scheme for the irrigation subsystem.

17. The method of claim 12, further comprising coupling the HVAC system controller to the irrigation subsystem using a wall mountable thermostat.