Method and apparatus for configuring a filter change notification of an HVAC controller

• US 9,366,448 B2
• Filed: 11/28/2011
• Issued: 06/14/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Dean-Hendricks, Barbara J., Ragland, Amy, Bisson, Reed H., Hoglund, Steven R., Schultz, David, Aljabari, Mohammad
• Primary Examiner(s): Toatley, Gregory J
• Assistant Examiner(s): SUAREZ, FELIX E
• Application Number:
  US13/305,386
• Publication Number:
  US 20120323375A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,660 Days
• Field of Search: 702/45, 702/47, 702/50, 702/185, 702/188, 165/11.1, 700/277
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 46/0086 Filter condition indicators
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/39 Monitoring filter performance
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 8/10 by separation, e.g. by filtering
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 8/108 using dry filter elements

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided for monitoring the condition of an air filter of an HVAC system to provide an indication of when the air filter should be changed. An HVAC controller may be configured to include a filter change notification, wherein the HVAC controller may monitor the current condition of the air filter, and may display a filter change notification on the display when the current condition of the air filter passes a filter change threshold value. In some cases, the HVAC controller may be configured to perform, sometimes at the request of a user, one or more calibration tests on the air filter to help the user identify an appropriate filter change threshold value. Alternatively, or in addition, the HVAC controller may, through a user interface, allow a user to enter and/or change a filter change threshold value, as desired.

Claims

1. An HVAC (Heating, Ventilating, Air Conditioning) controller configured to control, at least in part, an HVAC system that includes one or more activatable HVAC components including a fan that drives air flow through an air filter, the air filter progressing from a clean condition to a dirty condition during normal operation of the HVAC system, the HVAC system including one or more sensors for providing one or more parameters that are related to the current condition of the air filter of the HVAC system, the HVAC controller comprising:

a controller for issuing one or more control signals to the HVAC system;

a memory operatively coupled to the controller; and

a user interface including a display, the user interface operatively coupled to the controller;

wherein the controller is configured to accept a predetermined user input via the user interface, which in response, the controller initiates a calibration test for the air filter by issuing one or more control signals to put each of the one or more activatable HVAC components into a known operating state, and once in the known operating state, the controller is configured to monitor the one or more parameters related to the current condition of the air filter;

wherein the controller is further configured to determine a filter change threshold value based on the one or more parameters monitored during the calibration test, and to store the filter change threshold value in the memory; and

during subsequent operation of the HVAC system, the controller is configured to determine the current condition of the air filter based at least in part on the one or more parameters, and to display a filter change notification message on the display of the HVAC controller when the current condition of the air filter passes the filter change threshold value stored in the memory.

2. The HVAC controller of claim 1, wherein one or more parameters includes a pressure drop parameter across the air filter.

3. The HVAC controller of claim 1, wherein one or more parameters includes a temperature parameter measured at an output of a heat exchanger of the HVAC system.

4. The HVAC controller of claim 1, wherein one or more parameters includes a temperature change parameter across a heat exchanger of the HVAC system.

5. The HVAC controller of claim 1, wherein the controller displays a screen on the display of the HVAC controller that allows a user to select the known operating state for one or more of the activatable HVAC components of the HVAC system.

6. The HVAC controller of claim 1, wherein the controller displays a screen on the display of the HVAC controller that allows a user to select the known operating state for one or more of the activatable HVAC components of the HVAC system by selecting between two or more predefined operating state choices.

7. The HVAC controller of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to accept a predetermined user input via the user interface to select between two or more predetermined air filter calibration tests.

8. The HVAC controller of claim 1, wherein one of the two or more predetermined air filter calibration tests is a clean filter calibration test and another one of the two or more predetermined air filter calibration tests is a dirty filter calibration test.

9. The HVAC controller of claim 8, wherein the dirty filter calibration test displays a screen notifying a user to check whether a temperature change across a heat exchanger of the HVAC system is within an acceptable operating range, and not initiate the calibration test until a user response is received via the user interface.

10. The HVAC controller of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to allow a user to change the determined filter change threshold value via the user interface of the HVAC controller.

11. An HVAC (Heating, Ventilating, Air Conditioning) controller configured to control, at least in part, an HVAC system that includes one or more activatable HVAC components including a fan that drives air flow through an air filter, the air filter progressing from a clean condition to a dirty condition during normal operation of the HVAC system, the HVAC system including one or more sensors for providing one or more parameters that are related to a current condition of the air filter of the HVAC system, the HVAC controller comprising:

a controller for issuing one or more control signals to the HVAC system and for putting the HVAC system into one or more operating states thereby operating one or more of the HVAC components;

a memory coupled to the controller; and

a user interface including a display, the user interface coupled to the controller;

wherein the controller is configured to include a filter change notification, wherein the filter change notification monitors the current condition of the air filter and displays a filter change notification on the display when the current condition of the air filter passes a filter change threshold value; and

wherein the controller is further configured to display one or more screens that solicit and accept a user input to define the filter change notification, wherein at least one of the one or more screens is configured to accept user input that changes the filter change threshold value.

12. The HVAC controller of claim 11, wherein filter change threshold value is related to a pressure drop across the air filter.

13. The HVAC controller of claim 11, wherein the controller is configured to display a screen that allows a user to initiate a calibration test, wherein the calibration test activates one or more control signals that put the HVAC system into a particular one of the one or more operating states, and once in the particularly one of the one or more operating states, the controller monitors the one or more parameters related to the current condition of the air filter, and the controller determine the filter change threshold value based on the calibration test.

14. The HVAC controller of claim 13, wherein at least one of the screens allows a user to change the filter change threshold value that is based on the calibration test.

15. The HVAC controller of claim 13, wherein the controller displays a screen on the display of the HVAC controller that allows a user to select between two or more operating states of the HVAC system or use during the calibration test.

16. The HVAC controller of claim 14, wherein the controller displays a screen that allows a user to select between two or more different calibration tests.

17. A method of configuring a filter change notification feature of an HVAC (Heating, Ventilating, Air Conditioning) controller, the filter change notification feature including a filter change threshold value relating to when an air filter of an HVAC system is to be changed, the method comprising:

activating a guided programming routine in the HVAC controller;

once activated, the guided programming routine providing two or more queries to a user via a sequence of screens displayed on a user interface, at least some of the queries soliciting information related to setting up the filter change notification feature;

at least one of the queries includes soliciting a user to select via the user interface one of a first filter monitor calibration test and a second filter monitor calibration test;

receiving a user selection of either the first or second filter monitor calibration test;

at least one of the queries includes soliciting a user to adjust a filter threshold value resulting from the execution of the selected one of the first filter monitor calibration test and the second filter monitor calibration test;

receiving a user adjustment of the filter threshold value;

using the user selections and/or adjustments to set a final filter threshold value for the filter change notification feature;

activating one or more components of the HVAC system; and

while the one or more components of the HVAC system are activated, operating the filter change notification feature in the HVAC controller using the final filter threshold value.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the first filter monitor calibration test is a clean filter monitor calibration test, and the second filter monitor calibration test is a dirty filter monitor calibration test.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein when a user selects the dirty filter monitor calibration test, displaying a user message on a screen of the sequence of screens indicating the selected test should not be started until a temperature stabilizes.