Patent Application
20100044449
The present invention relates generally to building controllers, and more particularly, to methods and devices for providing service reminders for building controller.
Building control systems often include heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) systems to control the comfort level within a building. Many building control systems include a HVAC controller that activates and deactivates one or more HVAC components of the HVAC system to affect and control one or more environmental conditions within the building. These environmental conditions can include, but are not limited to, temperature, humidity, and/or ventilation. In many cases, the HVAC controller may include, or have access to, one or more sensors, and may use parameters provided by the one or more sensors to control the one or more HVAC components to achieve one or more programmed or set environmental conditions.
In some installations, the one or more HVAC components may include one or more seasonal HVAC components that are active only during certain seasons of the year, and dormant the remainder of the year. For example, heating HVAC components may be active during relatively cool seasons, and may remain dormant or largely dormant during relatively warm seasons. Similarly, cooling HVAC components may be active during relatively warm seasons, and may remain dormant or largely dormant during relatively cool seasons.
In some circumstances, one or more of the seasonal HVAC components may become degraded or even fail either at the tail end of their previous active season or during the dormant off-season. As a result, the user may not realize that a seasonal HVAC component of their HVAC system has become degraded or failed until after the active season arrives and the seasonal HVAC component is again activated and needed. Because this may happen to many users in the same geographical region at the same time, HVAC contractors can become overwhelmed with service calls. In some cases, the HVAC contractors cannot attend to all of these service calls in a timely manner, resulting in some users having to wait a significant period of time before their HVAC systems can be serviced. This can reduce the comfort within the building for an extended period of time.
The following summary is provided to facilitate an understanding of some of the innovative features unique to the present invention and is not intended to be a full description. A full appreciation of the invention can be gained by taking the entire specification, claims, drawings, and abstract as a whole.
The present invention relates generally to building controllers, and more particularly, to methods and devices for providing service reminders to users of the building controllers. To help ensure proper operation of the one or more seasonal HVAC components of an HVAC system, it is contemplated that a building controller may provide a service reminder that reminds the user to schedule service for a seasonal HVAC component prior to the arrival of the active season for that seasonal HVAC component. For example, the building controller may display a service reminder that reminds the user to schedule service for a heating HVAC component before the heating season arrives in a certain geographical region (e.g. later summer/early fall). Likewise, the building controller may display a service reminder that reminds the user to schedule service for a cooling HVAC component before the cooling season arrives in a certain geographical region (e.g. later winter/early spring). In some cases, the building controller may accept an indication of the geographic location of the building controller, which in some cases, may help improve the timeliness of the service reminders by taking into account the particular weather/temperature patterns of the users geographical region.
The invention may be more completely understood in consideration of the following description of various illustrative embodiments of the invention in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:
The following description should be read with reference to the drawings wherein like reference numerals indicate like elements throughout the several views. The description and drawings show several illustrative embodiments.
In the illustrative HVAC system of
In some cases, the system of vents or ductwork 14 and 16 can include one or more dampers 26 to regulate the flow of air, but this is not required. For example, one or more dampers 26 may be coupled to the HVAC controller 20 and can be coordinated with the operation of one or more HVAC components 12. The HVAC controller 20 may be able to actuate damper 26 to an open position, a closed position, and/or a partially open position to modulate the flow of air from the one or more HVAC components 12 to a room and/or zone in the building or other structure 10.
It is contemplated that the HVAC controller 20 may be configured to control the comfort level of the building or structure 10 by activating and deactivating the one or more HVAC components 12. In some cases, the HVAC controller 20 may be a thermostat, such as, for example, a wall mountable thermostat, but this is not required. In one illustrative embodiment, the HVAC controller 20 may be a 24 volt-alternating current (VAC) powered HVAC controller. In this embodiment, the HVAC controller 20 may receive power from a 24 VAC step-down transformer, which may typically be provided near the HVAC components 12 and may be part of the HVAC system for supplying 24 VAC power to some or all of the one or more HVAC components 12. Alternatively, the HVAC controller 20 may be powered locally, such as via a battery.
In some embodiments, an outdoor air sensor 18 may be provided to sense a parameter of the outdoor air adjacent to the building or structure 10. In some cases, the outdoor air sensor 18 may be configured to sense an outside temperature, an outside humidity, and/or any other outside air parameter, as desired. The outdoor air sensor 18 may communicate the sensed outdoor air parameter to the HVAC controller 20. In some cases, the HVAC controller 20 may be configured to control the comfort level of the building or structure 10, at least in part, using the outside temperature, the outside humidity, and/or other outside air parameter sensed by the outdoor air sensor 18. In some cases, the HVAC controller 20 may be configured to display the outside temperature, the outside humidity, and/or other outside air parameter sensed by the outdoor air sensor 18 to a user.
In some embodiments, some of the one or more HVAC components 12 may be active for one or more seasons of the year, and dormant or largely dormant for one or more other seasons of the year. For example, cooling components, such as the air conditioning unit, may be active during the summer season and may be dormant or largely dormant during the winter season. Similarly, heating components, such as the forced air warm furnace, may be active during the winter season and may be dormant or largely dormant during the summer season. These are merely illustrative, and it is to be understood that the activation and dormancy of the one or more HVAC components may vary according to the weather patterns at the installation.
The control module 32 of
In the illustrative embodiment of
In some cases, the user interface 34 may allow a user or contractor to input a geographical region that corresponds to the geographic location where the particular HVAC controller 20 is installed. The geographical region for the HVAC controller 20 may be input as, for example, a zip code, a street address, longitudinal and/or latitudinal coordinates, a city name, a state name, and/or any other suitable geographic indication, as desired.
The user interface 34 may also allow a user or contractor to input contractor information, as well as other information, if desired. When so provided, the HVAC contractor information may include, but is not limited to, a contractor name, a contractor logo, a contractor phone number, a contractor website, a contractor email address, a contractor street address, and/or any other suitable dealer or contractor information, as desired. In some instances, the user interface 34 may include a touch screen, a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel and keypad, a dot matrix display, a computer, buttons and/or any other suitable interface, as desired.
In some embodiments, the user interface 34 may be configured to display one or more operating parameters of the HVAC controller 20, one or more environmental parameters (i.e. outdoor temperature, indoor temperature, outdoor humidity, indoor humidity, and the like parameters), and one or more service reminders. In some cases, the service reminders may include, for example, HVAC component service reminders. In some cases, the user interface 34 may be configured to display dealer or contractor information at the same time or a subsequent time to the service reminder(s), but this is not required.
The illustrative HVAC controller 20 of
In some cases, the memory 36 may be configured to store geographical dependent seasonal data. For example, in some cases, memory 36 may store seasonal data for various geographical regions, which may be identified by, for example, zip codes. The seasonal data may include, for example, average daily, weekly, or monthly temperature data throughout the year at various geographical regions, average daily, weekly, or monthly humidity data throughout the year at various geographical regions, average daily, weekly, or monthly sun angle throughout the year at the various geographical regions, and/or any other suitable seasonal data, and in particular, seasonal data that affects or otherwise influences the heat load on buildings. In some cases, the seasonal data may be stored in a tabular database, a look-up table, one or more equations, and/or in any other suitable format, as desired. Furthermore, in one case, it is contemplated that the seasonal data may include one or more predetermined dates for each of a plurality of geographical locations, and the control module 32 may issue the service reminder(s) on the stored predetermined date(s), if desired.
Although not required, the HVAC controller 20 may include a data port 38. Data port 38 may be configured to communicate with controller 32 and may, if desired, be used to either upload information to controller 32 or to download information from controller 32. Information that can be uploaded or downloaded may include values of operating parameters, seasonal data for various geographical regions, the geographical region of the particular HVAC controller 20, and/or any other suitable information, as desired. In some cases, data port 38 may be used to upload and/or download information pertaining to an HVAC dealer or service contractor.
In some cases, data port 38 may be a wireless port such as a Bluetooth™ port or any other wireless protocol, but this is not required. In some cases, data port 38 may be a wired port such as a serial port, a parallel port, a CAT5 port, a USB (universal serial bus) port, or the like. In some instances, data port 38 may be a USB port and may be used to download and/or upload information from a USB flash drive. In some embodiments, data port 38 may be configured to access a local area network or world wide web via an Ethernet port, an 802.11 interface, or any other suitable interface, as desired. In some cases, the data port 38 may access the network or World Wide Web to find seasonal data for a specified geographical region, dealer or service contractor information, or any other data or information as desired.
In some embodiments, outdoor air sensor 18 may be coupled to control module 32 to monitor one or more outdoor air parameters, such as, for example the outdoor air temperature and/or outdoor humidity. The control module 32 may compare the outdoor air parameter(s) to the stored or accessed seasonal data, and determine if the current sensed condition deviates from the stored seasonal data for the particular geographical region entered for the HVAC controller 20.
In operation, the control module 32 may determine or predict when to display a HVAC component service reminder to a user via the user interface 34 according to: (1) the geographical region entered for the HVAC controller 20; and (2) the seasonal data. In some cases, the service reminder(s) may remind the user to service one or more HVAC components prior to having the first seasonal demand for the components. For example, the HVAC controller 20 may issue a service reminder when one or more HVAC components are still dormant or largely dormant. The service reminder(s) may be issued and displayed, for example, one week, two weeks, three weeks, four weeks, five weeks, six weeks, or any other time before the HVAC components are expected to switch from being dormant or largely dormant to being active. In other cases, the service reminder(s) may be issued and displayed, for example, when the seasonal data (i.e. average daily, weekly, or monthly temperature) stored in memory is a predetermined temperature. The predetermined temperature may be a temperature so that the HVAC component service reminder is displayed before the HVAC components are expected to switch from being dormant or largely dormant to being active. For example, the predetermined temperature may be 60 degrees Fahrenheit, 65 degrees Fahrenheit, 70 degrees Fahrenheit, 75 degrees Fahrenheit, or any other suitable temperature, as desired. It is also contemplated that multiple predetermined temperatures to issue multiple reminders and/or different predetermined temperature for different seasons may be used, as desired.
In one illustrative embodiment, if the control module 32 is programmed to display the service reminder at least one week before the one or more HVAC components are expected to switch from dormant or largely dormant to active, the control module 32 may predict when this switch is likely to occur using the geographical region entered into the HVAC controller 20 and the seasonal data stored in memory 36. The control module 32 may then cause the service reminder(s) to be displayed via the user interface 34 one week before the predicted date. In some cases, the control module 32 may also cause the user interface to display the HVAC dealer or service contractor information at the same time, or subsequent to, displaying the service reminder, if desired.
In another illustrative embodiment, if the control module 32 is programmed to display the service reminder when the stored seasonal data has a predetermined average daily, weekly, or monthly temperature value. The control module 32 may predict when this temperature is likely to occur using the geographical region entered into the HVAC controller 20 and the seasonal data stored in memory 36. The control module 32 may then cause the service reminder(s) to be displayed via the user interface 34 on the predicted date. In some cases, the control module 32 may also cause the user interface to display the HVAC dealer or service contractor information at the same time, or subsequent to, displaying the service reminder, if desired.
In some cases, the control module 32 may adjust the predicted date based upon the sensed outdoor air temperature, sensed outdoor humidity and/or other sensed parameter(s). Alternatively, or in addition, the control module 32 may adjust the predicted date based upon current weather data accessed via the World Wide Web. In one example, if the outdoor air temperature and/or current or predicted weather data indicate that the outdoor temperature is unseasonable warm or cold, the control module 32 may adjust the predicted date to an earlier date and display the service reminder(s) at the earlier date. When so provided, this may help ensure that the service reminder is displayed before the dormant or largely dormant HVAC component is actually activated or needed even under unseasonably warm or cold conditions.
In a specific example, the control module 32 may perform trending of the current seasonal data. The trending may include the control module 32 comparing the current outdoor air temperature sensed by the outdoor temperature sensor to the average daily temperature stored in the memory and tracking the difference. If the difference between the sensed temperature and the average daily temperature exceeds an offset temperature (i.e. 5 degrees Fahrenheit, 10 degrees Fahrenheit, or any other offset) for a number of days (i.e. five days, one week, two weeks, or any other number of days), the control module 32 may predict, using the difference between the stored temperature data and the sensed temperature data, when the predetermined temperature will be reached and the control module 32 may issue the service reminder for the heating component of the HVAC system sooner than would otherwise be predicted based on the seasonal data for the particular geographical region. For example, if the trending data determines that the current seasonal temperature is 5 degrees Fahrenheit cooler in the fall, and the predetermined temperature is 65 degrees Fahrenheit, the control module 32 may issue the service reminder(s) for the HVAC components when the stored seasonal data has a daily, weekly, or monthly average of 70 degrees Fahrenheit. It is to be understood that the foregoing temperature values are merely illustrative and are not meant to be limiting in any manner. Furthermore, it is contemplated that any suitable algorithm may be used to determine when the service reminder(s) is to be displayed when using the outdoor air temperature sensor, as desired.
In another example, if early in the fall season, the outdoor air temperature and/or current or predicted weather data indicated a daily low temperature that is less than a threshold value (e.g. 50 degrees), or a series of daily low temperatures that are less than a threshold value, the control module 32 may issue a service reminder for the heating component of the HVAC system sooner than would otherwise be predicted based on the seasonal data for the particular geographical region.
In some cases, HVAC controller 20 may be configured to provide substantial display and/or programming functionality.
In
In the illustrative embodiment, home screen 43 may be considered as having two or more regions. For example, home screen 43 may include a first region 56 and a second region 58. In some instances, the first region 56 may display one or more of a current temperature reading, a current indoor humidity, a schedule status, and the like. As illustrated, the second region 58 may display one or more of a date and time, an outdoor temperature reading, an outdoor humidity reading, an equipment status, and the like.
In the illustrative embodiment, home screen 43 may also include a third region 60, which may be used for displaying and/or adjusting a parameter value such as a set point. In some cases, for example, third region 60 may include a set point parameter 62, an up arrow 64 and a down arrow 66. The value of set point parameter 62 may be increased or decreased using, as necessary, up arrow 64 and/or down arrow 66. In the illustrative embodiment, the parameter 62 may be a current set point of the HVAC controller 20, but any suitable parameter may be used, as desired.
As illustrated, second region 58 may refer to a left-hand section of home screen 43, third region 60 may refer to a right-hand section of home screen 43 and first region 56 may refer to a center section of home screen 43 that is between second region 58 and third region 60. In other embodiments, the first region 56, second region 58 and/or third region 60 may be rearranged horizontally or, in some cases, may be arranged vertically above or below the other regions within home screen 43, as desired. In yet another embodiment, less or more than three regions may be displayed on the home screen 43, as desired.
In the illustrative embodiment, the second region 58 may also function to display one or more service reminders, such as shown in
When more than one reminder notifications are active, it is contemplated that a user may touch the reminder notification screen 70 of
In some cases, the reminder notification 74 may be activated and displayed when the controller 20 determines that it is time to have some of the one or more HVAC components serviced. In some cases, this determination may be based, at least in part, on the particular geographical region of the HVAC controller 20, and the seasonal data for that geographical region. In one example, and as described above, reminder notification 74 may be displayed prior to a dormant or largely dormant HVAC component becoming active. In some cases, the reminder notification 74 may be displayed one week, two weeks, three weeks, four weeks, five weeks, six weeks, or any other length of time before the HVAC controller 20 predicts or otherwise determines that the dormant or largely dormant HVAC component becomes active, or the reminder notification 74 may be displayed when the stored seasonal data (i.e. average daily, weekly, or monthly temperature) reaches a predetermined seasonal value (i.e. predetermined temperature).
Having thus described the preferred embodiments of the present invention, those of skill in the art will readily appreciate that yet other embodiments may be made and used within the scope of the claims hereto attached. Numerous advantages of the invention covered by this document have been set forth in the foregoing description. It will be understood, however, that this disclosure is, in many respect, only illustrative. Changes may be made in details, particularly in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts without exceeding the scope of the invention. The invention's scope is, of course, defined in the language in which the appended claims are expressed.
