Backup and restoration of operation control data in a heating, ventilation and air conditioning network

• US 8,762,666 B2
• Filed: 10/21/2009
• Issued: 06/24/2014
• 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, Hadzidedic, Darko
• Primary Examiner(s): KROFCHECK, MICHAEL C
• Application Number:
  US12/603,512
• Publication Number:
  US 20100106925A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,707 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 711/162
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2823 Reporting information sensed by appliance or service execution status of appliance services in a home automation network device-related reporting H04L43/065; arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom H04Q9/00

Abstract

The disclosure provides an a system and method of backing up operating control data about a device connected to a controller in a network. In an embodiment, the network includes a storage system for the data about the device is in the controller; a first subsystem for determining that the data should be transferred to the device; and a second subsystem for transferring the data to the device for use.

Claims

1. A system for restoring operating control data to a networked heating ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) device coupled to an HVAC system controller in a network, comprising:

a storage system located within the controller and configured to store the operating control data;

a first subsystem configured to determine whether the operating control data in the storage system and in the HVAC device are corrupted; and

a second subsystem configured to convey the operating control data in the HVAC device to the storage system when only the operating control data in the storage system is corrupted and to convey the operating control data in the storage system to the HVAC device when only the operating control data in the HVAC device is corrupted,

wherein the HVAC device is configured to restore the operating control data therein with a default value and convey the default value to the storage system when both the operating control data in the storage system and the HVAC device are corrupted.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is a subnet controller configured to selectively operate as one of an active subnet controller and an inactive subnet controller.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the controller is an active subnet controller.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is an active subnet controller and further comprising an inactive subnet controller coupled to the subsystem.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the active and inactive subnet controllers are each configured to store the operating control data.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the second subsystem interconnects a user interface and the device.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the second subsystem interconnects the controller and the device.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the default value is an internal copy of default operating control data in the HVAC device.

9. A method for backing up operating control data of a networked heating ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) device to an HVAC system controller in a network, comprising the steps of:

transferring the operating control data in the HVAC device to the controller;

storing the operating control data in the controller;

determining whether the operating control data in the controller and in the HVAC device are corrupted;

transferring the operating control data in the HVAC device to the controller when only the operating data in the controller is corrupted;

transferring the operating control data in the controller to the HVAC device when only the operating data in the HVAC device is corrupted; and

restoring the operating control data in the HVAC device to a default value and conveying the default value to the controller when both the operating control data in the controller and in the HVAC devices are corrupted.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the method is performed with a user interface or gateway.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the method is performed with an active subnet controller.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the controller is a subnet controller.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the controller has non-volatile memory, and wherein storing the data includes storing the data in the non-volatile memory.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the storing is performed while commissioning said HVAC device.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the commissioning is not terminated before said data is stored in the non-volatile memory.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the steps are performed in a commissioning process involving network configuration.

17. The method of claim 9, wherein the steps are performed in a commissioning process involving network verification.

18. The method of claim 9, wherein the default value is an internal copy of default operating control data in the HVAC device.

19. An heating ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) subnet controller configured to store back-up information for a networked HVAC device of a networked HVAC system subnet, comprising:

a device memory storage configured to store the back-up information for a first HVAC device coupled to the subnet of the HVAC system; and

a memory selector configured to;

a) select a subset of the back-up information; and

b) convey the subset of the back-up information to a second HVAC device coupled to the subnet when operating data of the second device is corrupted and the subset of the back-up information is not corrupted,

wherein the second HVAC device is configured to restore the operating control data with to a default value and convey the default value to the subnet controller when both the operating control data and the subset of the back-up information are corrupted.

20. The subnet controller of claim 19, wherein the subnet controller is configured to selectively operate as one of an active subnet controller and an inactive subnet controller.