HVAC controller with checkout utility

• US 10,429,091 B2
• Filed: 02/02/2018
• Issued: 10/01/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ademco Inc. (Resideo Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Ademco Inc. (Resideo Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hoglund, Steven R., Schwendinger, Paul G., Huang, Jian, Arneson, David, Paine, Brad, Liu, Tony
• Primary Examiner(s): Norman, Marc E
• Application Number:
  US15/887,954
• Publication Number:
  US 20180180315A1
• Time in Patent Office: 606 Days
• 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 11/50 characterised by user interfaces or communication
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/52 Indication arrangements, e.g. displays
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/63 Electronic processing
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/64 using pre-stored data
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/65 for selecting an operating mode
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/80 for controlling the temperature of the supplied air
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/10 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

A zone control panel that is easy and intuitive to use and to program. In some embodiments, a zone control panel may be configured to have an easy to use, single level menu structure with, for example, a configuration mode and/or a checkout mode. The configuration mode may, if present, include a number of menu screens sometimes without any sub-menu levels. Likewise, the checkout mode may, if present, include a number of menu screens sometimes without any sub-menu levels. A mode selector may be provided to select a particular mode, after which, the menu screens that correspond to the selected mode may be sequentially displayed to the user. Other features and aspects are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A zone control panel for controlling a zoned HVAC system that includes two or more zones, an HVAC unit for delivering conditioned air to the two or more zones, two or more zone dampers for controlling delivery of conditioned air to the two or more zones, and a thermostat in each of the two or more zones, the zone control panel comprising:

a first set of two or more wiring terminals, each of the first set of two or more wiring terminals providing a connection point for a corresponding wire from a first thermostat in a first one of the two or more zones;

a second set of two or more wiring terminals, separate from the first set of two or more wiring terminals, each of the second set of two or more wiring terminals providing a connection point for a corresponding wire from a second thermostat in a second one of the two or more zones;

a third set of two or more wiring terminals for receiving an electrical signal from discharge air temperature sensor that is indicative of a discharge air temperature of the HVAC unit;

a fourth set of two or more wiring terminals for receiving an electrical signal from an outdoor air temperature sensor that is indicative of an outdoor air temperature;

an output for providing control signals to the HVAC unit and to each of the two or more zone dampers;

a display;

a controller operatively coupled to the first set of two or more wiring terminals, the second set of two or more wiring terminals, the third set of two or more wiring terminals, the fourth set of two or more wiring terminals, the output and the display, the controller configured to receive calls from the first thermostat and calls from the second thermostat, and in response, provide control signals to the HVAC unit and to the two or more zone dampers via the output; and

the controller further configured to selectively display on the display the discharge air temperature and the outdoor air temperature.

2. The zone control panel of claim 1, wherein the controller has three or more modes including an operating mode, a configuration mode and a checkout mode.

3. The zone control panel of claim 2, further comprising a plurality of mechanical buttons, and wherein the checkout mode is entered from the operating mode by pressing one or more of the plurality of mechanical buttons.

4. The zone control panel of claim 3, wherein once in the checkout mode, a user can traverse a plurality of checkout menu screens on the display, wherein the controller displays the discharge air temperature on at least one of the plurality of checkout menu screens.

5. The zone control panel of claim 3, wherein once in the checkout mode, a user can traverse a plurality of checkout menu screens on the display, wherein the controller displays the outdoor air temperature on at least one of the plurality of checkout menu screens.

6. The zone control panel of claim 2, further comprising a plurality of mechanical buttons, and wherein the configuration mode is entered from the operating mode by pressing one or more of the plurality of mechanical buttons.

7. The zone control panel of claim 1, wherein the first set of two or more wiring terminals are adjacent a first side of the zone control panel and the second set of two or more wiring terminals are adjacent a second side of the zone control panel opposite the first side, with an intervening region between the first side and the second side of the zone control panel and extending between the first set of two or more wiring terminals and the second set of two or more wiring terminals;

the zone control panel further comprising a plurality of HVAC status lights spaced from the display, wherein the plurality of HVAC status lights comprise;

a zone status light for each of two or more HVAC zones of the zoned HVAC system;

a heat status light indicating an operational status of a heating component of the HVAC unit; and

a fan status light indicating an operational status of a fan of the HVAC unit;

wherein at least one of the plurality of HVAC status lights is positioned in the intervening region.

8. The zone control panel of claim 7, further comprising a removable cover that, when attached, hides the display.

9. The zone control panel of claim 8, wherein the removable cover, when attached, is secured via a snap connection.

10. A zone control panel for controlling a zoned HVAC system that includes two or more zones, an HVAC unit for delivering conditioned air to the two or more zones, two or more zone dampers for controlling delivery of conditioned air to the two or more zones, and a thermostat in each of the two or more zones, the zone control panel comprising:

a first set of two or more wiring terminals, each of the first set of two or more wiring terminals providing a connection point for a corresponding wire from a first thermostat in a first one of the two or more zones;

a second set of two or more wiring terminals, separate from the first set of two or more wiring terminals, each of the second set of two or more wiring terminals providing a connection point for a corresponding wire from a second thermostat in a second one of the two or more zones;

an output for providing control signals to the HVAC unit and to each of the two or more zone dampers;

a display;

a controller operatively coupled to the first set of two or more wiring terminals, the second set of two or more wiring terminals, the output and the display, the controller configured to receive calls from the first thermostat and calls from the second thermostat, and in response, provide control signals to the HVAC unit and to the two or more zone dampers via the output; and

the controller including a plurality of menu modes, wherein a mode selector is used by a user to select a checkout mode from the plurality of menu modes, which, once selected by the mode selector, allows the user to sequentially advance through a fixed sequence of three or more checkout menu screens on the display between a first checkout menu screen and a last checkout menu screen without accessing submenus;

a plurality of electro-mechanical buttons for interacting with the plurality of checkout menu screens of the checkout mode;

wherein, when sequentially advancing through the fixed sequence of three or more checkout menu screens, at least one of the of three or more checkout menu screens is selectively skipped based on a one or more configuration parameters associated with the HVAC unit; and

the user is permitted to activate at least one of;

heating equipment, emergency heating equipment, cooling equipment, a fan, and at least one damper via one or more of the checkout menu screens of the checkout mode.

11. The zone control panel of claim 10, wherein at least one of the configuration parameters corresponds to heating equipment and has a first value that when selected causes at least one of the of three or more checkout menu screens that is related to the heating equipment to be skipped and has a second value that when selected causes at least one of the of three or more checkout menu screens related to the heating equipment not to be skipped.

12. The zone control panel of claim 10, wherein at least one of the configuration parameters corresponds to cooling equipment and has a first value that when selected causes at least one of the of three or more checkout menu screens that is related to the cooling equipment to be skipped and has a second value that when selected causes at least one of the of three or more checkout menu screens related to the cooling equipment not to be skipped.

13. The zone control panel of claim 10, wherein at least one of the configuration parameters corresponds to a fan and has a first value that when selected causes at least one of the of three or more checkout menu screens that is related to the fan to be skipped and has a second value that when selected causes at least one of the of three or more checkout menu screens related to the fan not to be skipped.

14. The zone control panel of claim 10, wherein at least one of the configuration parameters corresponds to at least one damper and has a first value that when selected causes at least one of the of three or more checkout menu screens that is related to the at least one damper to be skipped and has a second value that when selected causes at least one of the of three or more checkout menu screens related to the at least one damper not to be skipped.

15. The zone control panel of claim 10, further comprising an input for receiving a discharge air temperature from a discharge air temperature sensor of the zoned HVAC system, and wherein the controller is configured to display the discharge air temperature on at least one of the of three or more checkout menu screens.

16. The zone control panel of claim 10, further comprising an input for receiving an outdoor air temperature from an outdoor air temperature sensor of the zoned HVAC system, and wherein the controller is configured to display the outdoor air temperature on at least one of the of three or more checkout menu screens.

17. The zone control panel of claim 10, wherein the plurality of menu modes include an operating mode, a configuration mode and the checkout mode.

18. The zone control panel of claim 17, further comprising a plurality of mechanical buttons, and wherein the checkout mode is entered from the operating mode by pressing one or more of the plurality of mechanical buttons.

19. The zone control panel of claim 17, further comprising a plurality of mechanical buttons, and wherein the configuration mode is entered from the operating mode by pressing one or more of the plurality of mechanical buttons.

20. A zone control panel for controlling two or more pieces of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) equipment including two or more zone dampers, the zone control panel comprising:

a controller having two or more modes including an operating mode and a checkout mode;

a display;

a bank of HVAC status indicators remote from the display that indicate operational status of at least one of the two or more pieces of HVAC equipment;

a bank of zone indicators remote from the display that indicate operational status of each of two or more zones;

the controller, when in the checkout mode, is configured to allow a user to traverse through a plurality of checkout menu screens displayed on the display, wherein the plurality of checkout menu screens includes;

one or more first checkout menu screens identifying at least one available stage of heating equipment;

one or more second checkout menu screens identifying at least one available stage of emergency heating equipment;

one or more third checkout menu screens identifying at least one available stage of cooling equipment; and

one or more fourth checkout menu screens identifying at least one of the two or more zone dampers;

wherein, when one of the first checkout menu screens is displayed, the controller is configured to operate the corresponding available stage of heating equipment;

when one of the second checkout menu screens is displayed, the controller is configured to operate the corresponding available stage of emergency heating equipment;

when one of the third checkout menu screens is displayed, the controller is configured to operate the corresponding a available stage of cooling equipment; and

when one of the fourth checkout menu screens is displayed, the controller is configured to operate the corresponding zone damper and to change a corresponding zone indicator of the bank of zone indicators to show the current operational status of the corresponding zone damper.

21. The zone control panel of claim 20, wherein the two or more pieces of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) equipment include a fan, and wherein the plurality of checkout menu screens comprises one or more fifth checkout menu screens identifying the fan, wherein when one of the fifth checkout menu screens is displayed, the controller is configured to operate the fan.

22. The zone control panel of claim 21, wherein when one of the fifth checkout menu screens is displayed, the controller also changes an HVAC status indicator that corresponds to the fan to indicate that the fan is operating.

23. The zone control panel of claim 20, wherein the zone control panel comprises a dedicated emergency heating button and a dedicated emergency heating status indicator, wherein pressing the dedicated emergency heating button causes the controller to activate the emergency heating equipment and the dedicated emergency heating status indicator is changed to show an operational status of ON.

24. The zone control panel of claim 20, further comprising an input for receiving a discharge air temperature from a discharge air temperature sensor of the two or more pieces of HVAC equipment, and wherein the controller is configured to display the discharge air temperature on at least one of the plurality of checkout menu screens.

25. The zone control panel of claim 20, further comprising an input for receiving an outdoor air temperature from an outdoor air temperature sensor, and wherein the controller is configured to display the outdoor air temperature on at least one of the plurality of checkout menu screens.

26. The zone control panel of claim 20, wherein the plurality of checkout menu screens are arranged in a single level menu structure without hierarchical sub-levels from a first checkout menu screen to a last checkout menu screen.