HVAC ZONE CONTROL PANEL WITH CHECKOUT UTILITY

• US 20080133060A1
• Filed: 11/30/2006
• Published: 06/05/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ademco Inc. (Resideo Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Hoglund, Steven R., Schwendinger, Paul G.
• Granted Patent: US 7,693,591 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/277
• 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 11/49 ensuring correct operation, e.g. by trial operation or configuration checks
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/52 Indication arrangements, e.g. displays
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/523 for displaying temperature data
• 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 11/65 for selecting an operating mode
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/72 for controlling the supply of treated air, e.g. its pressure
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/84 using valves
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/10 Temperature

Abstract

A zone control panel may be adapted to accommodate a method of verifying communication and/or connections between the zone control panel and one or more thermostats that are electrically connected to the zone control panel. In some cases, the one or more thermostats may be set to a particular state or condition, and the zone control panel may be adapted to sequentially or simultaneously display the particular state or condition of each of the one or more thermostats.

Claims

1. A zone control panel configured to receive electrical signals from one or more remotely located thermostats, wherein each thermostat corresponding to a particular zone in a conditioned space, the zone control panel comprising:

a mode selector that permits a user to put the zone control panel into a checkout mode;

a zone selector that permits the user to select a particular zone when the zone control panel is in the checkout mode; and

a display that provides the user with information related to the operating state of the particular thermostat that corresponds to the selected zone when in the checkout mode.

2. The zone control panel of claim 1, wherein the information relating to the particular thermostat that corresponds to the selected zone comprises a state of an input received from the particular thermostat.

3. The zone control panel of claim 2, wherein the input corresponds to a heating call signal.

4. The zone control panel of claim 2, wherein the input corresponds to a cooling call signal.

5. The zone control panel of claim 2, wherein the input corresponds to a fan call signal.

6. The zone control panel of claim 1, wherein the one or more remotely located thermostats comprise a plurality of remotely located thermostats.

7. The zone control panel of claim 6, wherein the zone control panel is adapted to sequentially display information related to a particular thermostat for each of the plurality of thermostats as the zone selector selects the corresponding zones.

8. The zone control panel of claim 1, wherein the display comprises an alphanumeric display.

9. The zone control panel of claim 1, wherein the display comprises a liquid crystal display.

10. The zone control panel of claim 1, wherein the control pad comprises one or more buttons that permit a user to operate the zone control panel.

11. The zone control panel of claim 1, further comprising a mode indicator light.

12. The zone control panel of claim 11, wherein the mode indicator light is adapted to show when the zone control panel is in the checkout mode.

13. A zone control panel adapted to receive electrical signals from two or more thermostats, the zone control panel comprising:

an alphanumeric display;

a controller coupled to the alphanumeric display, the controller structured to selectively display on the alphanumeric display an operating condition of each of the two or more thermostats.

14. The zone control panel of claim 13 further comprising an indicator light selectively indicating a mode of the zone control panel.

15. The zone control panel of claim 13, wherein the two or more thermostats may be manipulated to a particular operating condition, and the zone control panel is adapted to permit a user to select a particular thermostat and display the particular operating condition of the selected thermostat.

16. The zone control panel of claim 15, wherein the zone control panel is adapted to permit a user to sequentially display the particular operating condition of each of the plurality of thermostats.

17. A method of installing a zone control panel that is adapted to interact with one or more thermostats, the zone control panel including a display, the method comprising steps of:

connecting the one or more thermostats to the zone control panel;

setting each of the one or more thermostats to an operating condition; and

displaying the operating condition of each of the one or more thermostats on the display.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising a step of placing the zone control panel into a checkout mode.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the connecting step comprises connecting a plurality of thermostats to the zone control panel.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the setting step comprises setting each of the one or more thermostats to an operating condition by physically accessing each of the one or more thermostats.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the setting step comprises changing the operating condition of at least one of the one or more thermostats while the zone control panel is displaying the operating condition.