COMMUNICATION PROTOCOL SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR A DISTRIBUTED-ARCHITECTURE HEATING, VENTILATION AND AIR CONDITIONING NETWORK

• US 20100106324A1
• Filed: 10/21/2009
• Published: 04/29/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lennox Industries Incorporated (Lennox International Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Lennox Industries Incorporated (Lennox International Incorporated)
• Inventors: Grohman, Wojciech
• Granted Patent: US 8,892,797 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/276
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/0073 Control systems or circuits characterised by particular algorithms or computational models, e.g. fuzzy logic or dynamic models
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/54 using one central controller connected to several sub-controllers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/407 with decentralised control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/40215 Controller Area Network CAN
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network

Abstract

The disclosure provides an HVAC data processing and communication network and a method of manufacturing the same. In an embodiment, the network includes a system device coupled to a data bus. The system device includes a functional block adapted to respond to a message received via the data bus. The system device is configured to thereby enter a disabled state in which the system device does not provide a service or broadcast messages via the data bus, but may continue to receive messages via the data bus.

Claims

1. An HVAC data processing and communication network, comprising:

a system device coupled to a data bus and comprising a functional block adapted to respond to a message received via said data bus, thereby entering a disabled state in which said system device does not provide a service or broadcast messages via said data bus, but may continue to receive messages via said data bus.

2. The network recited in claim 1, further comprising a user interface, wherein said disabled state is a hard disabled state that is initiated or cancelled by a message provided via said data bus by said user interface in response to operator input.

3. The network recited in claim 2, wherein said user interface is a gateway device configured to provide access by a remote entity to said network.

4. The network recited in claim 1, further comprising a subnet controller, wherein said disabled state is a soft disabled state that may be initiated or cancelled by a message via said data bus by said subnet controller.

5. The network recited in claim 4, wherein said subnet controller is configured to cancel said soft reset state after said subnet controller resets.

6. The network recited in claim 1, wherein said subnet controller is configured to place said system device in said soft reset state when said system device is not recognized by said subnet controller as properly initiated.

7. The network recited in claim 1, wherein said system device is configured to perform a CRC memory during said disabled state.

8. A method of manufacturing an HVAC data processing and communication network, comprising:

configuring a system device to send and receive messages over said network via a data bus; and

configuring said system device to respond to a message received via said data bus, thereby entering a disabled state in which said system device does not publish messages to said data bus but continues to receive messages from said data bus.

9. The method recited in claim 8, wherein said disabled state is a hard disabled state that is initiated or cancelled by a message provided by a user interface coupled to said data bus in response to operator input.

10. The method recited in claim 9, wherein said user interface is a gateway device configured to provide access by a remote entity to said data bus.

11. The method recited in claim 8, wherein said disabled state is a soft disabled state that may be initiated or cancelled by a message provided by a subnet controller coupled to said data bus.

12. The method recited in claim 11, further comprising configuring said subnet controller to cancel said soft reset state after said subnet controller resets.

13. The method recited in claim 8, further comprising configuring said subnet controller to place said system device in said soft reset state when said system device is not recognized by said subnet controller as properly initiated.

14. The method recited in claim 8, wherein said system device comprises a memory, and further comprising configuring said system device to perform a CRC check of said memory during a soft reset state.

15. A system device networkable in an HVAC data processing and communication network, comprising:

a physical layer interface configured to interface to said network;

a communication module configured to send and receive messages over said network via said physical layer interface; and

a functional block configured to respond to a message received by said communication module, thereby entering a disabled state in which said functional block does not execute control functions, but said communication module may continue to receive messages over said network.

16. The system device recited in claim 15, wherein said disabled state is a hard disabled state that said local controller is configured to enter or exit only upon receiving a message from a user interface coupled to said network.

17. The system device recited in claim 15 further comprising a nonvolatile memory coupled to said local controller, wherein said disabled state is a hard disabled state that is stored in said nonvolatile memory.

18. The system device recited in claim 15, wherein said disabled state is a soft disabled state that said local controller is configured to enter or exit upon receiving a message from a subnet controller coupled to said network.

19. The system device recited in claim 15 further comprising a volatile memory coupled to said local controller, wherein said disabled state is a soft disabled state that is stored in said volatile memory.

20. The system device recited in claim 15 further comprising a memory coupled to said local controller, wherein said local controller is configured to perform a CRC check of said memory during a soft reset state.