WIRELESS SENSOR WITH NEAR FIELD COMMUNICATION CIRCUIT

• US 20160294446A1
• Filed: 06/15/2016
• Published: 10/06/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Original Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: Rumler, Daniel R., Whitsitt, Steven L., Alexander, Robert K., Merkl, Christopher, Romanowich, Gary A., Clement, Bernard, Weiss, Kevin A.
• Granted Patent: US 10,291,292 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/00 Control or safety arrangements
• 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 11/38 Failure diagnosis
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/49 ensuring correct operation, e.g. by trial operation or configuration checks
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/526 giving audible indications
• 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 11/62 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 11/63 Electronic processing
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/72 for controlling the supply of treated air, e.g. its pressure
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/81 by controlling the air supply to heat-exchangers or bypass channels
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/84 using valves
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/88 Electrical aspects, e.g. circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0423 Input/output
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/15117 Radio link, wireless
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2231 Master slave
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2237 Selection of master or slave
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23297 Remote load of program with cellular, wireless, satellite connection
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2614 : HVAC, heating, ventillation, climate control
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/33192 : Radio link, wireless
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/33203 : Wireless transmission of power and data, inductively, rotary transformer
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/00 : Circuit arrangements or systems for wireless supply or distribution of electric power
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/72 : for local intradevice communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 : for data transfer in combination with power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0229 : where the received signal is a wanted signal
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 : in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A sensor in a building HVAC system includes a transducer configured to measure a variable in the building HVAC system and to generate a sensor reading indicating a value of the measured variable. The sensor includes a communications interface configured to provide the sensor reading to a control device in the building HVAC system and a near field communication (NFC) circuit separate from the communications interface. The NFC circuit is configured to facilitate bidirectional NFC data communications between the sensor and a mobile device. The sensor includes a processing circuit having a processor and memory. The processing circuit is configured to wirelessly transmit data stored in the memory of the sensor to the mobile device via the NFC circuit, wirelessly receive data from the mobile device via the NFC circuit, and store the data received from the mobile device in the memory of the sensor.

Claims

1. A sensor in a building HVAC system, the sensor comprising:

a transducer configured to measure a variable in the building HVAC system and to generate a sensor reading indicating a value of the measured variable;

a communications interface configured to provide the sensor reading to a control device in the building HVAC system;

a near field communication (NFC) circuit separate from the communications interface and configured to facilitate bidirectional NFC data communications between the sensor and a mobile device; and

a processing circuit comprising a processor and memory, wherein the processing circuit is configured to wirelessly transmit data stored in the memory of the sensor to the mobile device via the NFC circuit, wirelessly receive data from the mobile device via the NFC circuit, and store the data received from the mobile device in the memory of the sensor.

2. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the processing circuit is configured to wirelessly exchange data with the mobile device while the sensor is contained within packaging that prevents physical access to the sensor.

3. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the communications interface is a wireless communications interface configured to communicate with the control device using a wireless communications protocol other than NFC.

4. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the processing circuit is configured to provide a first type of data to the control device via the communications interface and a second type of data to the mobile device via the NFC circuit, the second type of data being different from the first type of data.

5. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the NFC circuit comprises:

a wireless transceiver configured to facilitate the bidirectional NFC data communications between the sensor and the mobile device; and

a power circuit configured to draw power from a wireless signal received via the wireless transceiver and to power the processing circuit and the wireless transceiver using the drawn power;

wherein the processing circuit is configured to use the power drawn from the wireless signal to wirelessly transmit data stored in the memory of the sensor to the mobile device via the wireless transceiver, to wirelessly receive data from the mobile device via the wireless transceiver, and to store the data received from the mobile device in the memory of the sensor.

6. The sensor of claim 1, wherein:

the processing circuit is configured to operate in a low-power mode; and

the NFC circuit is configured to transmit a wake-up signal to the processing circuit to cause the processing circuit to exit the low-power mode in response to receiving a NFC signal from the mobile device.

7. The sensor of claim 1, wherein:

the processing circuit is capable of operating multiple different sensor models;

the data received from the mobile device comprise model identification parameters identifying a particular sensor model and defining configuration settings specific to the identified sensor model; and

the processing circuit uses the model identification parameters to operate the sensor according to configuration settings specific to the identified sensor model.

8. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the mobile device runs an application configured to facilitate the bidirectional NFC data communications between the sensor and the mobile device.

9. A building device comprising:

a mechanical transducer;

a processing circuit comprising a processor and memory, wherein the processing circuit is configured to operate the mechanical transducer according to a control program stored in the memory; and

a near field communication (NFC) circuit configured to facilitate bidirectional NFC data communications between the building device and a mobile device;

wherein the processing circuit is configured to wirelessly transmit data stored in the memory of the building device to the mobile device via the NFC circuit, wirelessly receive data from the mobile device via the NFC circuit, and store the data received from the mobile device in the memory of the building device.

10. The building device of claim 9, wherein the processing circuit is configured to wirelessly exchange data with the mobile device while the building device is contained within packaging that prevents physical access to the building device.

11. The building device of claim 9, further comprising a wireless communications interface configured to communicate with a control device using a wireless communications protocol other than NFC.

12. The building device of claim 10, wherein the processing circuit is configured to provide a first type of data to the control device via the communications interface and a second type of data to the mobile device via the NFC circuit, the second type of data being different from the first type of data.

13. The building device of claim 9, wherein the NFC circuit comprises:

a wireless transceiver configured to facilitate bidirectional wireless data communications between the processing circuit and the mobile; and

a power circuit configured to draw power from a wireless signal received via the wireless transceiver and to power the processing circuit and the wireless transceiver using the drawn power;

wherein the processing circuit is configured to use the power drawn from the wireless signal to wirelessly transmit data stored in the memory of the building device to the mobile device via the wireless transceiver, to wirelessly receive data from the mobile device via the wireless transceiver, and to store the data received from the mobile device in the memory of the building device.

14. The building device of claim 9, wherein:

the processing circuit is configured to operate in a low-power mode;

the NFC circuit is configured to transmit a wake-up signal to the processing circuit to cause the processing circuit to exit the low-power mode in response to receiving a NFC signal from the mobile device.

15. The building device of claim 9, wherein:

the processing circuit is capable of operating multiple different building device models;

the data received from the mobile device comprise model identification parameters identifying a particular building device model and defining configuration settings specific to the identified building device model; and

the processing circuit uses the model identification parameters to operate the building device according to configuration settings specific to the identified building device model.

16. The building device of claim 9, wherein the mobile device runs an application configured to facilitate the bidirectional NFC data communications between the building device and the mobile device.

17. A method for configuring and communicating with a building device, the method comprising:

establishing a bidirectional near field communications (NFC) link between the building device and a mobile device via a NFC circuit of the building device;

wirelessly transmitting data stored in a memory of the building device to the mobile device via the NFC circuit;

wirelessly receiving data from the mobile device via the NFC circuit; and

storing the data received from the mobile device in the memory of the building device.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the data stored in a memory of the building device and wirelessly transmitted to the mobile device via the NFC circuit comprises a log entry comprising at least one of a timestamp, a tag identification number, a configuration parameter, a type of action performed, and a troubleshooting message.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the data wirelessly received from the mobile device via the NFC circuit and stored in the memory of the building device comprise configuration parameters for the building device.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

receiving, at the mobile device, the data stored in the memory of the building device via the NFC circuit; and

transmitting, from the mobile device to another device, the data received from the building device.