HVAC system including smart diagnostic capabilites

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10989427-B2
Application number	US-201715848250-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 20, 2017
Priority date	Dec 20, 2017
Publication date	Apr 27, 2021
Grant date	Apr 27, 2021

Abstract

A system for remote diagnostic analysis of a heating, ventilation and air condition (HVAC) system is provided. The system includes a thermostat in operable communication with at least one peripheral component of the HVAC system and configured to receive information relating to the at least one peripheral component, and a server in operable communication with the thermostat for receiving and analyzing the information. The server causes the at least one peripheral component to conduct a diagnostic test and analyzes the test result to perform a root cause analysis of a system malfunction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system configured for remote diagnostic analysis of a heating, ventilation and air condition (HVAC) system, the system comprising:
a thermostat in operable communication with at least one peripheral component of the HVAC system, wherein the thermostat is configured to receive information relating to the at least one peripheral component and to forward the information to a server; and
the server configured to:
analyze the information;
based on the information, determine that the at least one peripheral component exhibits a fault condition; and
perform a fault classification procedure that classifies the fault condition based on a determination of whether a remedy to the fault condition is likely without a service technician,
wherein the fault classification procedure includes sending a control signal to the thermostat to perform a diagnostic test of the at least one peripheral component, and when a result of the diagnostic test indicates that the fault condition is determined to be unlikely to be remedied without the service technician, transmitting a notification signal to the service technician,
wherein the server performs a system lockout of the HVAC system when it is determined that there is a likelihood that continued operation of the faulty at least one peripheral component can cause damage to at least one other peripheral component of the HVAC system.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the server analyzes the received information using diagnostic test logic included in a module of the thermostat.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the server analyzes the received information using diagnostic test logic included in a module of the server.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the notification signal includes one of information relating to a root cause analysis of the fault condition, probable solutions to correct the fault condition, and equipment required to remedy the fault condition.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein when connectivity between the server and the thermostat is lost for a predetermined amount of time, a notification signal is sent from the server to one of a user of the HVAC system and a technician.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the server is further configured to communicate directly with the at least one peripheral component for:
receiving and analyzing the information;
analyzing the received information using diagnostic test logic included in a module of the at least one peripheral component;
sending a control signal to the at least one peripheral component to perform a diagnostic test thereof, and when a result of the diagnostic test indicates that the at least one peripheral component is faulty, transmitting a notification signal to a technician; and
when connectivity between the server and the at least one peripheral component is lost for a predetermined amount of time, sending a notification signal to one of a user of the HVAC system and the technician.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one peripheral component is a part of one of an indoor unit and an outdoor unit of the HVAC system.

8. A method for remote diagnostic analysis of a heating, ventilation and air condition (HVAC) system, the method comprising:
receiving, information relating to at least one peripheral component, at a building automation system controller in operable communication therewith;
transmitting the information to a server in operable communication with the building automation system controller;
based on the information, determining, at the server, that the at least one peripheral component has a fault condition; and based on a type of the fault condition, determining, at the server, whether a remedy to the fault condition is likely without a technician,
wherein the determining includes
sending a control signal from the server to the building automation system controller to perform a diagnostic test of the at least one peripheral component, and when a result of the diagnostic test indicates that the at least one peripheral component is faulty and that the fault condition is determined to be unlikely to be remedied without the technician, transmitting a notification signal to the technician, and
performing, by the server, a system lockout of the HVAC system when it is determined that there is a likelihood that continued operation of the faulty at least one peripheral component can cause damage to at least one other peripheral component of the HVAC system.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the determining that the at least one peripheral component has a fault condition includes using diagnostic test logic included in a module of the building automation system controller.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the determining that the at least one peripheral component has a fault condition includes using diagnostic test logic included in a module of the server.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the notification signal includes one of information relating to a root cause analysis of the fault condition, probable solutions to correct the fault condition, and equipment required to fix the fault condition.

12. The method of claim 8 , further comprising, when connectivity between the server and the building automation system controller is lost for a predetermined amount of time, sending a notification signal from the server to one of a user of the HVAC system and a technician.

13. The method of claim 8 , further comprising, when the server is configured to communicate directly with the at least one peripheral component:
analyzing the received information using diagnostic test logic included in a module of the at least one peripheral component;
sending a control signal to the at least one peripheral component to perform a diagnostic test thereof, and when a result of the diagnostic test indicates that the at least one peripheral component is faulty, transmitting a notification signal to a technician; and
when connectivity between the server and the at least one peripheral component is lost for a predetermined amount of time, sending a notification signal to one of a user of the HVAC system and the technician.

14. The method of claim 8 , wherein the at least one peripheral component is a part of one of an indoor unit and an outdoor unit of the HVAC system.

15. The method of claim 8 , wherein the building automation system controller comprises a thermostat.

16. A building automation system (BAS) for controlling a heating, ventilation and air condition (HVAC) system, the BAS comprising:
a controller in operable communication with at least one peripheral component of the HVAC system, wherein the controller is configured to receive information relating to the at least one peripheral component and to forward the information to a server; and
the server configured to:
analyze the information;
based on the information, determine that the at least one peripheral component exhibits a fault condition; and
perform a fault classification procedure that classifies the fault condition based on a determination of whether a remedy to the fault condition is likely without a service technician,
wherein the fault classification procedure includes sending a control signal to the controller to perform a diagnostic test of the at least one peripheral component, and when a result of the diagnostic test indicates that the fault condition is exhibited and the fault condition is determined to be unlikely to be remedied without the service technician, transmitting a notification signal to the service technician,
wherein the server performs a system lockout of the HV

Assignees

• Trane Int Inc

Inventors

• Maslekar Prerana
• Muthuswamy Mageshkumar
• Garrett Carl L

Classifications

• F24F11/32 Primary

  Responding to malfunctions or emergencies · CPC title

• F24F11/50

  characterised by user interfaces or communication · CPC title

• F24F11/61

  using timers · CPC title

• F24F11/56

  Remote control · CPC title

• F24F11/58

  using Internet communication · CPC title