Heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) system with an auxiliary controller

• US 8,788,104 B2
• Filed: 07/30/2012
• Issued: 07/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lennox Industries Incorporated (Lennox International Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Lennox Industries Incorporated (Lennox International Incorporated)
• Inventors: Kowald, Glenn Will, Hadzidedic, Darko
• Primary Examiner(s): PATEL, RAMESH B
• Application Number:
  US13/561,601
• Publication Number:
  US 20120296477A1
• Time in Patent Office: 722 Days
• Field of Search: 700 19- 20, 700 65- 66, 700276-278, 700299-300, 236/76, 236/91
• US Class Current: 700/276
• 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 11/62 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: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making

Abstract

The disclosure provides a method of starting a heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system, a method of manufacturing a HVAC system, a HVAC system, and an integrated controller thereof. In one embodiment, the method of starting includes: (1) receiving an initiation signal at a main system controller of the HVAC system, (2) determining if main controller application information associated with the main system controller is stored thereon, (3) querying an auxiliary controller of the HVAC system when determining the main controller application information is not stored on the main system controller, (4) sending the main controller application information to the main system controller from the auxiliary controller when the auxiliary controller includes the main controller application information and (5) initiating the HVAC system based on the initiation signal and employing the main controller application information sent to the main system controller from the auxiliary controller.

Claims

1. A heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) system, comprising:

a main system controller having a main non-volatile memory and configured to direct operation of said HVAC system and store main controller application information associated therewith on said main non-volatile memory; and

an auxiliary controller, including;

an interface coupled to said main system controller and configured to communicate therewith;

a processor, coupled to said interface and configured to direct the operation of a component of said HVAC system; and

an auxiliary non-volatile memory configured to receive a copy of said main controller application information via said interface and store said main controller application information thereon.

2. The HVAC system as recited in claim 1 further comprising an indoor blower motor configured to move air through said HVAC system, wherein said auxiliary controller is a blower motor controller for said blower motor.

3. The HVAC system as recited in claim 1 wherein said HVAC system includes a furnace and said main system controller is an integrated furnace controller.

4. The HVAC system as recited in claim 1 wherein said HVAC system includes a coil blower unit and said main system controller is an integrated blower controller.

5. The HVAC system as recited in claim 1 wherein said main system controller is configured to store said main controller application information thereon and automatically provide said copy of said controller application information to said auxiliary controller as back-up data.

6. The HVAC system as recited in claim 1 wherein said main controller application information includes model identification data or model specific data for said main system controller.

7. The HVAC system as recited in claim 1 wherein said main controller application information includes application specific data for said main system controller.

8. The HVAC system as recited in claim 1 wherein said interface is configured to receive said main controller application information from said main system controller during manufacturing.