SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ZONING A DISTRIBUTED ARCHITECTURE HEATING, VENTILATION AND AIR CONDITIONING NETWORK

• US 20100106334A1
• 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, Wallaert, Timothy E., Filbeck, Amanda
• Granted Patent: US 9,632,490 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/278
• 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 11/52 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 11/58 using Internet communication
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/59 for presetting
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/61 using timers
• 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 11/64 using pre-stored data
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/65 for selecting an operating mode
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/74 for controlling air flow rate or air velocity
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2642 Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house

Abstract

The disclosure provides an HVAC data processing and communication network. In an embodiment, the network includes a user interface, a first subnet controller and a second subnet controller. The first subnet controller is configured to operate with a first zone of the network with a first program schedule. The second subnet controller is configured to operate with a second zone of the network with a second program schedule. The second subnet controller is further configured to override the first and second schedules to operate the first and the second zones according to hold settings received from the user interface.

Claims

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

a user interface;

a first subnet controller configured to operate with a first zone of said network with a first program schedule;

a second subnet controller configured to operate with a second zone of said network with a second program schedule, and to override said first and second schedules to operate said first and said second zones according to hold settings received from said user interface.

2. The network as recited in claim 1, wherein said first and second subnet controllers are a same subnet controller.

3. The network as recited in claim 1, wherein [[a]] said first zone is configured as a first subnet, and said second zone is configured as a different second subnet.

4. The network as recited in claim 1, wherein said user interface is a first user interface, said first zone comprises said first user interface and said second zone comprises a second user interface, and both said first and second user interfaces are configured to impose hold settings on said first and second zones.

5. The network as recited in claim 1, wherein said first subnet controller is located in a same enclosure as said user interface.

7. The network as recited in claim 1, wherein said user interface is a first user interface physically associated with said first zone, and a second user interface is physically associated with said second zone.

8. The network as recited in claim 1, wherein said user interface is a first user interface, and said first zone includes said first user interface, a second user interface, said first subnet controller and a demand unit.

9. The network as recited in claim 1, wherein said first zone includes said user interface, said first subnet controller, a demand unit, and a plurality of comfort sensors, and said subnet controller and said user interface are configured to control an operation of said demand unit based on any one of said plurality or a combination of two or more of said plurality.

10. The network as recited in claim 9, wherein said subnet controller is further configured to control an operation of said demand unit based on an average of temperatures reported by at least two of said plurality of comfort sensors.

6. (canceled)

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

configuring a first subnet controller to operate a first zone of said network with a first program schedule;

configuring a second subnet controller to operate a second zone of said network with a second program schedule;

configuring said second subnet controller to override said first and second schedules to operate said first and said second zones according to hold settings received from a user interface.

12. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein said first and second subnet controllers are a same subnet controller.

13. The method as recited in claim 11, further comprising configuring said first zone as a first subnet, and said second zone as a different second subnet.

14. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein said user interface is a first user interface, said first zone comprises said first user interface and said second zone comprises a different second user interface, further comprising configuring both said first and second user interfaces to impose hold settings on said first and second zones.

16. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein said hold settings are imposed on all zones of said network.

17. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein said user interface is a first user interface physically associated with said first zone, and a second user interface is physically associated with said second zone.

19. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein said first zone includes said user interface, said first subnet controller, a demand unit, and a plurality of comfort sensors, and further comprising configuring said subnet controller and said user interface to control an operation of said demand unit based on any one of said plurality or a combination of two or more of said plurality.

20. The method as recited in claim 19, further comprising configuring said subnet controller to control an operation of said demand unit based on an average of temperatures reported by at least two of said plurality of comfort sensors.

15. (canceled)

18. (canceled)

21. An HVAC data processing and communication network subnet controller, comprising:

a physical layer interface configured to couple to a data bus of an HVAC data processing and communications network; and

a local controller configured to cooperate with said physical layer interface to operate a first and a second zone of said network, and to override a first program schedule associated with said first zone and a second program schedule associate with said second zone according to hold settings received via said physical layer interface from a user interface.

22. The subnet controller as recited in claim 21, wherein said local controller is located in a same enclosure as said user interface.

23. The subnet controller as recited in claim 21, wherein said local controller is further configured to control an operation of a demand unit via said physical layer interface based on an average of temperatures reported by at least two of a plurality of comfort sensors coupled to said data bus.