Automatically balancing register for HVAC systems

• US 8,550,370 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2009
• Issued: 10/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zoner, LLC
• Original Assignee: Zoner, LLC
• Inventors: Barrett, Jon, Lingemann, Ronald
• Primary Examiner(s): Jiang, Chen Wen
• Application Number:
  US12/650,320
• Publication Number:
  US 20100163633A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,378 Days
• Field of Search: 236/51, 236/91.D, 236/91.R, 62/77, 700/276, 700/277
• US Class Current: 236/91.R
• 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 11/56 Remote control
• 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 11/755 for cyclical variation of air flow rate or air velocity
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/76 by means responsive to temperature, e.g. bimetal springs
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 13/082 Grilles, registers or guards
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 3/044 Systems in which all treatment is given in the central station, i.e. all-air systems
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1928 sensing the temperature of one space
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1932 to control the temperature of a plurality of spaces
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1934 each space being provided with one sensor acting on one or more control means

Abstract

Distributed nodes, such as intelligent register controllers, of a heating, ventilating and/or air conditioning (HVAC) system wirelessly communicate with each other on a peer-to-peer basis, forming a network, and collectively control the HVAC system, without a central controller. The intelligent register controllers collectively control the amount of conditioned air introduced into each region. Each node may base its operation at least in part on information about one or more (ideally all) of the other nodes. Each intelligent register controller automatically determines how much conditioned air to allow into its region, or how much return air to allow to be withdrawn from its region, based on information collected by the register controller, such as: current temperature of the region; desired temperature of the region; calculated amount of conditioned air required to change the region'"'"'s temperature to the desired temperature; temperature of conditioned air begin supplied by a duct to the register; current time, day of week, vacation or other schedule data; temperatures of other regions and their respective desired temperatures; calculated amounts of air required to be supplied or withdrawn by the other controlled registers to change their respective regions'"'"' temperatures to their desired temperatures; or combinations thereof. Each register controller automatically determines when and to what extent to operate its respective controllable damper.

Claims

1. A temperature controller for an HVAC system, the HVAC system including power leads configured to provide electrical power to a temperature control device and control leads configured to receive control signals from the temperature control device, the temperature controller comprising:

a thermostat configured to be arbitrarily electrically connected to the power leads and the control leads and to automatically identify the power leads among the power leads and the control leads and to automatically identify a first pair of control leads among the power leads and the control leads.

2. A controller according to claim 1, wherein the thermostat is configured to automatically associate the first pair of control leads with a heater of the HVAC system by applying power from the power leads to at least one of the first pair of control leads and subsequently detecting a change in temperature.

3. A controller according to claim 1, wherein the thermostat is configured to automatically associate the first pair of control leads with cooler of the HVAC system by applying power from the power leads to at least one of the first pair of control leads and subsequently detecting a change in temperature.

4. A controller according to claim 1, wherein the thermostat is configured to automatically associate the first pair of control leads with a blower of the HVAC system by applying power from the power leads to at least one of the first pair of control leads and subsequently detecting airflow.

5. A controller according to claim 1, wherein the thermostat is configured to automatically identify the pair of power leads by testing pairs of the power leads and the control leads to identify a pair of connected leads having a voltage exceeding a predetermined value thereacross.

6. A controller according to claim 1, wherein the thermostat is configured to automatically identify the first pair of control leads by testing pairs of the power leads and the control leads to identify a pair of connected leads having an electrical impedance less than a predetermined value thereacross.

7. A controller according to claim 1, wherein the thermostat is configured to automatically identify a second pair of control leads among the power leads and the control leads, the thermostat being further configured to associate the first pair of control leads with a heater of the HVAC system and to associate the second pair of control leads with a cooler of the HVAC system by:

applying power from the power leads to at least one of the first pair of control leads and subsequently detecting a first change in temperature; and

applying power from the power leads to at least one of the second pair of control leads and subsequently detecting a second change in temperature.

8. A controller according to claim 1, wherein the thermostat is configured to automatically identify a second pair of control leads among the power leads and the control leads, the thermostat being further configured to associate the first pair of control leads with a blower of the HVAC system and to associate the second pair of control leads with a cooler of the HVAC system by:

applying power from the power leads to at least one of the first pair of control leads and subsequently detecting airflow; and

applying power from the power leads to at least one of the second pair of control leads and subsequently detecting a change in temperature.