SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR ASSOCIATING WIRELESS DEVICES OF AN HVAC SYSTEM

• US 20130238142A1
• Filed: 03/08/2012
• Published: 09/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ademco Inc. (Resideo Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Nichols, Steve C., Leen, Cary, Boll, Jeffrey, Zywicki, Stan
• Granted Patent: US 9,442,500 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/277
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2614 HVAC, heating, ventillation, climate control
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2642 Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1934 each space being provided with one sensor acting on one or more control means

Abstract

A building control network may have a first central device, a second central device and one or more peripheral devices. An illustrative method may include placing the second central device into an associate mode, and sending an associate command from a perimeter device to associate the perimeter device with the second central device. The associate command may be received by the first central device. The first central device may send one or more commands to the second central device, where the one or more commands may cause the second central device to be taken out of its associate mode and to reconfigure the second central device to a perimeter device. The first central device may then be put in an associate mode, and both the second central device and the perimeter device may be associated as perimeter devices with the first central device.

Claims

1. A central device of a building control network, comprising:

a wireless interface for sending and receiving one or more commands to/from one or more perimeter devices and another central device, the one or more perimeter devices each configured to send out an associate command when instructed to by a user, and the another central device having an associate mode for associating one or more perimeter devices with the another central device;

a controller coupled to the wireless interface, the controller having an associate mode, wherein once in the associate mode, the controller is programmed to receive one or more associate commands from one or more perimeter devices, and once received, add the corresponding one or more perimeter devices to an associated device list; and

wherein after one or more perimeter devices have been added to the associated device list, and when the controller is not in the associate mode, the controller is programmed to receive one or more additional associate commands from one or more additional perimeter devices, and in response, the controller is configured to place itself into the associate mode, send out one or more instructions to the another central device to take the another central device out of its associate mode and to reconfigure the another central device as another perimeter device, add the another perimeter device to the associated device list of the controller such that the another perimeter device becomes associated with the controller, and add the one or more additional perimeter devices to the associated device list of the controller.

2. The central device of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to send one or more commands that cause the perimeter devices that are listed in the associated device list to store an association with the central device.

3. The central device of claim 1, wherein the central device include a thermostat.

4. The central device of claim 1, wherein the central device includes a zone control panel.

5. The central device of claim 1, wherein the another central device includes a thermostat.

6. The central device of claim 1, wherein the central device includes an equipment interface module, wherein the equipment interface module includes one or more outputs for controlling one or more HVAC components of an HVAC system.

7. The central device of claim 6, wherein the other central device includes an equipment interface module, wherein the equipment interface module includes one or more outputs for controlling one or more HVAC components of an HVAC system.

8. The central device of claim 1, wherein one of the perimeter devices includes a thermostat.

9. The central device of claim 1, wherein one of the perimeter devices includes a temperature sensor.

10. The central device of claim 1, wherein one of the perimeter devices includes a humidity sensor.

11. The central device of claim 1, wherein one of the perimeter devices includes an equipment interface module, wherein the equipment interface module includes one or more outputs for controlling one or more HVAC components of an HVAC system.

12. A method for associating devices of a wireless building control network, the building control network having a first central device, a second central device and one or more peripheral devices, the method comprising:

placing the second central device into an associate mode;

with the second central device in the associate mode, sending an associate command from a perimeter device to associate the perimeter device with the second central device;

receiving the associate command at the first central device;

sending one or more commands from the first central device to the second central device, the one or more commands causing the second central device to be taken out of the associate mode and to reconfigure the second central device as a perimeter device;

putting the first central device in an associate mode; and

associating both the second central device and the perimeter device with the first central device as perimeter devices.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the first central device receives the associate command from the perimeter device when the first central device is not in the associate mode.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the second central device is manually placed into the associate mode by a user.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein a user manually initiates the perimeter device to send the associate command to associate the perimeter device with the second central device.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the associate command is also received at the second central device.

17. An HVAC controller, comprising:

a wireless interface for sending and receiving one or more commands to/from one or more perimeter devices and a separate central device, the one or more perimeter devices each configured to send out an associate command when instructed to by a user, and the separate central device having an associate mode for associating one or more perimeter devices with the separate central device;

a controller coupled to the wireless interface, the controller is programmed to receive one or more associate commands from one or more perimeter devices, and in response, the controller is configured to places itself into the associate mode, send out one or more instructions to the separate central device to take the separate central device out of its associate mode and to reconfigure the separate central device as another perimeter device, add the separate central device to an associated device list of the controller such that the separate central device becomes associated with the controller, and add the one or more perimeter devices that sent out the one or more associate commands to the associated device list of the controller.

18. The HVAC controller of claim 17, wherein the HVAC controller is a thermostat.

19. The HVAC controller of claim 17, wherein the HVAC controller is an equipment interface module, wherein the equipment interface module includes one or more outputs for controlling one or more HVAC components of an HVAC system.

20. The HVAC controller of claim 17, wherein one or more of the perimeter devices can communicate with the separate central device through the HVAC controller.