Method and system for configuring wireless sensors in an HVAC system

• US 9,488,994 B2
• Filed: 03/29/2012
• Issued: 11/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ademco Inc. (Resideo Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Zywicki, Stan, Leen, Cary, Dean-Henricks, Barbara, Nichols, Steve C., Holmquist, Jeffrey, Tesitel, Jan, Schultz, David, Cechak, Jaromir, Tessier, Patrick
• Primary Examiner(s): Bahta, Kidest
• Application Number:
  US13/434,778
• Publication Number:
  US 20130261807A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,685 Days
• Field of Search: 700/276, 700/278, 700/299, 700/300, 454/184, 454/343, 622/63, 622/592, 165/104.3, 165/80.3
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 11/65 for selecting an operating mode
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/00 Control inputs relating to air properties
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/10 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/20 Humidity
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/50 Air quality properties
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0423 Input/output
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/048 Monitoring; Safety
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2614 HVAC, heating, ventillation, climate control
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1905 associated with tele control

Abstract

An HVAC controller for controlling an HVAC system may be configured to enroll one or more wireless devices, and once one or more wireless devices are enrolled, to prompt the user to enter an identifier, a location, a device type and/or a function for one or more of the enrolled wireless devices. The HVAC controller may use the identifier, location and/or device type to identify each of the enrolled devices. This may facilitate a user in selecting various sensors to participate in sensor averaging, identifying where certain sensor data is originating, identifying devices having a low battery condition, as well as performing other tasks as desired.

Claims

1. A thermostat configured to control one or more components of an HVAC system of a building, the thermostat comprising:

a user interface including a display;

a memory;

a temperature sensor;

an I/O block for sending and/or receiving signals to and/or from the one or more components of the HVAC system including one or more wireless sensors; and

a controller coupled the user interface, the memory, the temperature sensor and the I/O block, the controller is configured to enroll one or more wireless sensors, and to solicit a name from a user for each of at least one of the one or more enrolled wireless sensors via the user interface of the thermostat, wherein the controller is configured to store the accepted name(s) in the memory of the thermostat and to subsequently display the accepted name(s) on the user interface of the thermostat when referring to the corresponding enrolled wireless sensor(s).

2. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to display a sequence of two or more screens on the display, wherein each of the two or more screens solicit information about at least one of the one or more enrolled wireless sensors.

3. The thermostat of claim 2, wherein at least one of the two or more screens solicit an installed location of at least one of the one or more enrolled wireless sensors.

4. The thermostat of claim 2, wherein at least one of the two or more screens solicit a function of at least one of the one or more enrolled wireless sensors.

5. The thermostat of claim 2, wherein at least one of the two or more screens solicit which enrolled wireless sensors will participate in control of one or more components of the HVAC system, and which enrolled wireless sensors are for viewing only.

6. The thermostat of claim 2, wherein at least one of the two or more screens solicit an installed location of at least one of the one or more enrolled wireless sensors, and at least one of the two or more screens solicit a function of at least one of the one or more enrolled wireless sensors.

7. The thermostat of claim 6, wherein at least one of the two or more screens solicit which wireless sensors will participate in control of one or more components of the HVAC system, and which wireless sensors are for viewing only.

8. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein one or more of the enrolled wireless sensors include a connect button, wherein when the connect button is activated by a user;

the corresponding enrolled wireless sensor is identified on the display of the user interface of the thermostat.

9. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to display a list that includes at least two enrolled wireless sensors on the display of the user interface, each of the at least two enrolled wireless sensors being individually selectable by a user for sensor averaging.

10. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to receive a signal indicative of a low battery condition from one or more of the enrolled wireless sensors, and in response, to display an alert on the display of the thermostat identifying the corresponding enrolled wireless sensor.

11. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein at least some of the enrolled wireless sensors are configured to detect a first low battery condition of the enrolled wireless sensor, and in response, to send the signal indicative of the first low battery condition to the thermostat, and after further battery depletion, the enrolled wireless sensor is configured to detect a second low battery condition, and in response, to activate an indicator on the enrolled wireless sensor itself indicative of the second low battery condition.

12. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the enrolled wireless sensors comprise one or more of a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, and a gas sensor.

13. A thermostat configured to control one or more HVAC components of an HVAC system of a building, the thermostat comprising:

a user interface including a display;

a memory;

a temperature sensor;

an I/O block for sending and/or receiving signals to and/or from the one or more components of the HVAC system including one or more wireless HVAC components; and

a controller coupled to the user interface, the memory, the temperature sensor and the I/O block, the controller is configured to enroll a first wireless HVAC component, and in response to the first wireless HVAC component being enrolled, to display one or more screens on the display of the user interface of the thermostat that prompt the user to enter via the user interface of the thermostat a name, a location, a device type and/or a function for the first enrolled wireless HVAC component;

the controller is further configured to subsequently enroll a second wireless HVAC component, and in response to the second wireless HVAC component being enrolled, to display one or more screen on the display of the user interface of the thermostat that prompt the user to enter via the user interface of the thermostat a name, a location, a device type and/or a function for the second enrolled wireless HVAC component.

14. The thermostat of claim 13, wherein the controller is configured to display one or more screens on the display of the user interface that prompt the user to enter a name and a location for each of a plurality of the enrolled wireless HVAC components.

15. The thermostat of claim 13, wherein the controller is configured to display one or more screens on the display of the user interface that prompt the user to enter a name, a location, and a function for each of a plurality of the enrolled wireless HVAC components.

16. The thermostat of claim 13, wherein the controller is configured to display a list of enrolled wireless HVAC components on the display of the user interface in response to a request entered by a user via the user interface.

17. The thermostat of claim 13, wherein the controller is configured to prompt a user via the user interface to select two or more enrolled wireless HVAC components from a list of enrolled wireless HVAC components for sensor averaging.

18. A method for setting up a thermostat with a number of wireless sensors, wherein the thermostat includes a user interface with a display, the method comprising:

pressing a button on a first wireless sensor of the number of wireless sensors to generate a wireless signal from the first wireless sensor;

receiving the wireless signal from the first wireless sensor at the thermostat;

in response to receiving the wireless signal from the first wireless sensor at the thermostat, displaying a screen on a display of the thermostat that prompts the user to enter via a user interface of the thermostat a name, a location and/or a function of the first wireless sensor; and

storing the name, the location and/or the function of the first wireless sensor in a memory of the thermostat.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

displaying a list of two or more wireless sensors on the display of the thermostat including the first wireless sensor and the second wireless sensor for selection by a user for sensor averaging, wherein the list of two or more wireless sensors includes one or more of the name, the location and/or the function entered by the user for each of the two or more wireless sensors.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

pressing a button on a second wireless sensor of the number of wireless sensors to generate a wireless signal from the second wireless sensor;

receiving the wireless signal from the second wireless sensor at the thermostat;

in response to receiving the wireless signal from the first wireless sensor at the thermostat, displaying a screen on a display of the thermostat that prompts the user to enter via a user interface of the thermostat a name, a location and/or a function of the second wireless sensor; and

storing the name, the location and/or the function of the second wireless sensor in the memory of the thermostat.